Clarke Back ??

[Crows_Chick]

I started this thread in response to the following article (abstract) from the official website...


Crows may regain Clarke
5:50:20 PM Mon 11 April, 2005
Alan Shiell
Sportal for afl.com.au
Adelaide is hopeful ruckman Matthew Clarke will resume against Sydney at the SCG on Sunday.

The 31-year-old veteran of 225 AFL matches - 130 with Brisbane from 1993-1999 and 95 with the Crows since 2000 - has missed the past two matches with a back injury. He will have a fitness test later this week.


Clarke rejoining Ben Hudson and Rhett Biglands would give Adelaide increased flexibility with its talls - in attack and/or defence.


If he does in fact overcome his back injury do the crows put him straight back in the side ??

Obviously he would be great support for Hudson who has done most of the rucking the past couple of weeks, and maybe an extra tall forward/back, but do we need three "ruckmen"/talls in our team, with Rhett also in the line-up ?? We do have talls in other key positions as well (McGregor, Hentschell etc.)

Hudson and Rhett have been quite a strong combination and a lack of height hasn't been a problem... if it ain't broke don't fix it !??

I just wonder whether Clarke wouldn't benefit from a run in the SANFL on the weekend ?

OR if he does return who do you drop, considering sydney's line-up for the weekend ?

Thoughts anyone ??

 

[DaveW]

It's either Clarke or Biglands. As has been said numerous times before, neither does enough around the ground to warrant the inclusion of both.

Three ruckmen is a waste.

 

[Bockchoy67]

It's either Clarke or Biglands. As has been said numerous times before, neither does enough around the ground to warrant the inclusion of both.

Three ruckmen is a waste.

Agreed.

Given the situation I would rest Clarke (or put him the SANFL) and keep Biglands. At this stage we don't need 3 ruckman, especially given the recent results of Huddo's improved mobility and endurance.

Once guys like Meesen and Maric come up, Biglands will struggle to regain his spot, that's for sure.

In fact I doubt there will be one change tomorrow, especially given the continuation of Burton's injury.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Why play him. The Rock and Biglands are our future. He should only be used to cover injuries.

 

[johnnypanther]

3 ruckmen is a real waste! - we played with 2 last week against 3 from Ports and it worked well

IMO Clarke to South Adelaide

 

[Crow-mosone]

Why play him. The Rock and Biglands are our future. He should only be used to cover injuries.

Agreed.
Suggest dropping Edwards, Roo & Goodwin for same reasons.

 

[ant]

Well, Clarke didn't train today at all, so we should be safe for another week.

Should be an unchanged lineup, which is a positive, and hopefully our level of play with be unchanged too.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

It's either Clarke or Biglands. As has been said numerous times before, neither does enough around the ground to warrant the inclusion of both.

Three ruckmen is a waste.

Yep, that has been my arguement all along, as none of the rucks are useful enough as KPP. Look at the problems Port are having now! Clarke didn't train, so I can't see him playing this week for the Crows & I would bring him back through the SANFL. My preferred combo is Hudson & Clarke once everyone is fit.

 

[outback jack]

NC should have allowed clarke to retire, we gain nothing by playing him now. Biglands is just coming good.

 

[macca23]

NC should have allowed clarke to retire, we gain nothing by playing him now. Biglands is just coming good.

Hindsight though jack, as no-one could guarantee last September that Hudson was going to be as good this year as he has been.

Even if Clarke is only used as a back up in case of injury, we would still have needed that 3rd ready to play ruckman on the list. I'll bet we do need him at stages during the year.

IMO Craig was correct to keep him for 2005.

Clarke can go off to pasture at the end of this year

 

[outback jack]

only problem is clarke isnt likely to be happy spending a yr in the sanfl, esp after the coach asked him to stay on. It will set biglands back a bit if he gets the chop. There was no problem keeping clarke on though, his form was actually quite good its just that he isnt the future.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Hindsight though jack, as no-one could guarantee last September that Hudson was going to be as good this year as he has been.

Even if Clarke is only used as a back up in case of injury, we would still have needed that 3rd ready to play ruckman on the list. I'll bet we do need him at stages during the year.

IMO Craig was correct to keep him for 2005.

Clarke can go off to pasture at the end of this year

Correct and further to that we weren't relly sure we would even get s ruckman with out first pick let alone someone like Meesen who could play a few games this year.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but like you I think NC made the right decision at the time. Clarke will still be valuable this year even if he doesn't play a game for the rest of the year.

 

[- PC -]

Neil Craig like most coaches will pick the side to play on the ground. Sydney to me is not an oval which you need 3 ruckmen. So that means that one of the 3 should be in the SANFL. Hudson is our future so I feel he is safe this week. Biglands didnt do a great deal but he you dont want to make too many changes to a winning side. So unfortunately M Clarke to Souths

 

[Stiffy_18]

Neil Craig like most coaches will pick the side to play on the ground. Sydney to me is not an oval which you need 3 ruckmen. So that means that one of the 3 should be in the SANFL. Hudson is our future so I feel he is safe this week. Biglands didnt do a great deal but he you dont want to make too many changes to a winning side. So unfortunately M Clarke to Souths

Which leads me to another question.

Would you bring in another tall for this match?????

Personally, I think you don't need a CHF at the SCG and would even play Perrie and Welsh out of the goal square to keep the forward line as open as possible.

For those interstate, I caught the CH10 news today and they showed a bit of vision of the Crows training. NC made the footy park "shorter" for today's session. He had those cones around the flanks and used minileague goal posts. Interesting to see he is trying to get us prepared for a game doing something a bit different that hasn't really been done in the last few years.

Thoughts?

 

[macca23]

Which leads me to another question.

Would you bring in another tall for this match?????

Personally, I think you don't need a CHF at the SCG and would even play Perrie and Welsh out of the goal square to keep the forward line as open as possible.

For those interstate, I caught the CH10 news today and they showed a bit of vision of the Crows training. NC made the footy park "shorter" for today's session. He had those cones around the flanks and used minileague goal posts. Interesting to see he is trying to get us prepared for a game doing something a bit different that hasn't really been done in the last few years.

Thoughts?

For a man that didn't want Craig at the end of last year, I have to say he is really impressing me with his well thought out pre-match preparation. The shorter oval at training is another example of just that.

We won't bring in another tall this week - not needed.

Unchanged is my guess for this game.

One thing I do hope Craig does repeat this week is the treatment of theh mid-field. Shirley to take a damaging player - perhaps a Paul Williams and attack attack attack with the rest of the mid-field.

Dictate play rather than be dictated to. It's our best chance of beating Sydney as well IMO.

 

[Stiffy_18]

For a man that didn't want Craig at the end of last year, I have to say he is really impressing me with his well thought out pre-match preparation. The shorter oval at training is another example of just that.

We won't bring in another tall this week - not needed.

Unchanged is my guess for this game.

One thing I do hope Craig does repeat this week is the treatment of theh mid-field. Shirley to take a damaging player - perhaps a Paul Williams and attack attack attack with the rest of the mid-field.

Dictate play rather than be dictated to. It's our best chance of beating Sydney as well IMO.

So far Craig has been a breath of fresh air. Our pre-season training has been significantly different than it has been in the last 4-5 years. It will be interesting watching Craig's development as a coach.

Begley had a stinker so should he play or should he be dropped????

If he plays I would give him a job on O'Laoughlin. Torney can go on Davis, Johncock on Schneider, Bassett on O'Keefe, Rutten on Hall and Kenny on Goodes. Doughty to play a bit further up the ground and pushed into the midfield.

I think Shirley will get Williams as he is the one we have tagged in the past.

I agree we have to attack, attack and attack some more. If we play with the same intensity and with the same style we played against Port, we will beat Swans.

 

[macca23]

Begley had a stinker so should he play or should he be dropped????

Not a total stinker Stiffy.

He had a shocking start - shocking.

But in the 2nd half he did lift to a fair degree.

Yes, I'd definitely play him this week.

 

[outback jack]

For a man that didn't want Craig at the end of last year, I have to say he is really impressing me with his well thought out pre-match preparation. The shorter oval at training is another example of just that.

We won't bring in another tall this week - not needed.

Unchanged is my guess for this game.

One thing I do hope Craig does repeat this week is the treatment of theh mid-field. Shirley to take a damaging player - perhaps a Paul Williams and attack attack attack with the rest of the mid-field.

Dictate play rather than be dictated to. It's our best chance of beating Sydney as well IMO.

say if we had lost the showdown again, i'd doubt you as many others would be as impressed. Its dangerous to make assumptions on one game. There is still the issue of keeping guys like begley and massie etc who are doing nothing but keeping space on our list, this isnt very impressive at all.

Its also important to remember that ayres was a moron and possibly one of the dumbest coaches going around so training on a smaller ground for this week is hardly a mind blowing invention..

 

[- PC -]

I think our back 6 should remain.

I think if fit Burton in for Perrie???? Or Begley

I think our midfield should attack attack attack Banzaiiiiiii

I would like to see Simon Goodwin and Scott Thompson given roles as designated long ball kickers...that is every time the ball is run out or kicked from defence these 2 are targeted to recieve the ball in the middle and then long bomb into the goalsquare.

I would play Burton in the forward line with alternating stints in the middle as part of a midfield rotation that will leave Sydney coaching staff and players confuzzled.

Use our forwards as bait..as I said a lot of our goals can come form outside 50 which will go over the heads of any flooders.

Gee I am getting pumped

Oh and stiffy ..Burton for Perrie/Begley would be about the only change

 

[macca23]

say we'd if we had lost the showdown again, i'd doubt you as many others would be as impressed. Its dangerous to make assumptions on one game. There is still the issue of keeping guys like begley and massie etc who are doing nothing but keeping space on our list, this isnt very impressive at all.

Its also important to remember that ayres was a moron and possibly one of the dumbest coaches going around so training on a smaller ground for this week is hardly a mind blowing invention..

Your full pint glass must look like an empty thimble to you jack.

The only time I've ever encountered such negativity was when I was putting the hard word on some girl as a young buck!!!

We did win the showdown jack - by 68 points. No what ifs or whatevers - we did. So IMO the coach gets the credit for that, particularly with the game plane that we used.

As for keeping players on our list that you wish were gone, it's been explained to you so many times - it's a 3 year exercise to exorcise the selection demons.

So far, Craig's coaching from day 1 of the pre-season has been very different and innovative - also very different to the moron Ayres that you referred to. Hallelujah!!

Credit where credit's due jackie boy, if you want to retain credibility for that peculiar jack's club - if it has any.

 

[tribey]

The only time I've ever encountered such negativity was when I was putting the hard word on some girl as a young buck!!!

Grandma says hello.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Grandma says hello.

 

[outback jack]

Your full pint glass must look like an empty thimble to you jack.

The only time I've ever encountered such negativity was when I was putting the hard word on some girl as a young buck!!!

We did win the showdown jack - by 68 points. No what ifs or whatevers - we did. So IMO the coach gets the credit for that, particularly with the game plane that we used.

As for keeping players on our list that you wish were gone, it's been explained to you so many times - it's a 3 year exercise to exorcise the selection demons.

So far, Craig's coaching from day 1 of the pre-season has been very different and innovative - also very different to the moron Ayres that you referred to. Hallelujah!!

Credit where credit's due jackie boy, if you want to retain credibility for that peculiar jack's club - if it has any.

well i disagree with 90% of that apart from the having no credibility bit, jack doesn’t need credibility....

You like me and heaps of others were apprehensive about this yr after our preseason and first two unconvincing games, to think one game makes a difference doesnt make sense.

And NC has been no more innovative that other AFL coaches, it was difficult to spot a difference in his game plan until last wk. Lets hope that continues though. I hope we do well, but am at least realistic about it.

Oh and not enough were cut, massie serves absolutely no purpose atm, but we've gone through that b4, i actually thought u agreed more should have
gone.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Agreed.
Suggest dropping Edwards, Roo & Goodwin for same reasons.

You're a funny guy aren't you???Clarke retiring at the end of the year mean anything to you??

 

[macca23]

Grandma says hello.

Tell her all grades of the footy club say hello back.