Opinion Hooker: Back or Forward?

[Shane Hird]

If it helps his goal kicking when he swings forward I'm all for it him training as a forward this pre season.

Well who knows- that spell this year near the goals might have givin him the confidence to be serious about improving the craft of forward play.

What ever is best for the team I say. Woosha will sort it out.

 

[Bombermania]

There is another positive to him training with the forwards, as he is a stronger defender, his fellow forwards might pick up a few little tactics for dealing with similar defenders.

 

[MarkG]

He should play both forward and back, depending on how the game is shaping up. A swing man.

 

[Howard Moon]

Did this debate happen with Terry Daniher?

 

[harry_caul]

Did this debate happen with Terry Daniher?

No. Everyone had different ideas about where TD played his best football, but he was equally good anywhere on the ground. He was often utilised by Sheedy as a troubleshooter and generally got the job done. But there were plenty of options all the way along the spine in those days, and everything usually turned out for the best. I think he gave us maximum value in providing a target across half forward, but if someone like Quinlan started to get hold of us we would switch him to fullback. Having Merrett and Vanderhaar forward as well meant that supporters were never really fraught with misgivings when this happened.

 

[Howard Moon]

Strikes me that a swingman is a genius in a successful team but its an act of despiration and a career stunter in a poorly performing one...

its the exact same thing! with a defferent perception. Everyone loves a winner.

 

[MarkG]

Strikes me that a swingman is a genius in a successful team but its an act of despiration and a career stunter in a poorly performing one...

its the exact same thing! with a defferent perception. Everyone loves a winner.

Sheedy invented swingmen. Duckworth to the forward line.

 

[Howard Moon]

Think ol EJ Whitten was a decent swingman

 

[harry_caul]

Peter Knights, Ross Glendinning were 2 of the best: it was not exactly a Sheedy invention, but Sheedy did have plenty of auxiliary options.

 

[Howard Moon]

When Paul Weston can swing you know you have the Midas touch

 

[harry_caul]

Lol, I liked Paul Weston.

 

[Howard Moon]

Not too dissimilar to old style hooker really. The chasing buddy down the wing era hooker

 

[harry_caul]

Lol.

 

[hurlygurdy]

If we are serious about making finals then we will play him in backline. We potentially have a backline that you can build a finals team around but that falls apart if Hooker is played forward of centre. Our midfield simply isn't dominant enough to take exceptional talent out of our backline.

If we are serious about making the finals, we play him forward. Without a good forward line it doesn't matter what we do in the midfield and defense.

Seriously, do you really want to watch us dominate the possession count and lose games time and time again?

The fish summed it up beautifully. The stage is set. He wants the spotlight. Let him have it.

 

[Gumby2Hurley]

Want him to play as a defender, however if he ends up playing forward, i hope it's for the rest of his career for Joey's sake. Daniher has had a new key forward partner every year and hasn't been able to put together chemistry that other forward duo's have.

edit: Wouldn't mind him going down back for the last few minutes of the quarter if needed.

 

[MarkG]

Want him to play as a defender, however if he ends up playing forward, i hope it's for the rest of his career for Joey's sake. Daniher has had a new key forward partner every year and hasn't been able to put together chemistry that other forward duo's have.

edit: Wouldn't mind him going down back for the last few minutes of the quarter if needed.

Would be good to see Parish at their feet. He can really hit the ball at pace and remain balanced and dispose nicely.

 

[Milanista28]

Has to be tried forward, 41 shots on goal in his first ever 10 games forward at the absolute elite level, Now he did that with one of the most injury riddled mid-fields in recent times and a mid-field that didn't have a genuine ruckman. Imagine he trained there all pre season, Imagine he had proper service and a fully functioning midfield, Imagine watching defenders panic in 1on1 situations, It would be glorious.

From round 14 onwards he played 85% forward 15% Back/Bench and had 41 shots on goal, How many players in the comp had more than 41 shots in the last 10 weeks of the season? I'll tell you Kennedy 53, Walker 50, Tom Lynch 47, Cameron 45, Stringer 45. And = with Gunston 41, Wingard 41. Pretty good company.

And my final point, He's Cale bloody Hooker, Bloke does what he wants.

 

[fishardansin]

Think ol EJ Whitten was a decent swingman

 

[fishardansin]

A part of me is worried that he will dominate up forward and Freo will realise he's their man, the big fish up forward they've been chasing and spend that war chest they've been accumulating for the last few years of failures to get trades done.

 

[Bombermania]

A part of me is worried that he will dominate up forward and Freo will realise he's their man, the big fish up forward they've been chasing and spend that war chest they've been accumulating for the last few years of failures to get trades done.

Opening position

Nat Fyfe

 

[Pweter]

A part of me is worried that he will dominate up forward and Freo will realise he's their man, the big fish up forward they've been chasing and spend that war chest they've been accumulating for the last few years of failures to get trades done.

Replying because i agree. I certainly don't like it though so sorry, no soup... er... like for you

 

[hurlygurdy]

A part of me is worried that he will dominate up forward and Freo will realise he's their man, the big fish up forward they've been chasing and spend that war chest they've been accumulating for the last few years of failures to get trades done.

After we tried to trade him a few years back, no one could complain if he jumped. But the fact that he was so committed to staying back then suggests to me that he has set down roots in this team. Just doesn't seem the type to jump ship for more money when his next contract will be so high regardless.

 

[Darealrath]

Depends so much on what Hartley, Brown, Bellchambers and McKernan can do. I think I have more confidence in Hartley and/or Brown giving us a solid option down back than them or the other two giving us a solid option up forward to support Daniher.

Plus I have to say I love watching Hooker win one on twos up forward. ****ing beast.

 

[fishardansin]

After we tried to trade him a few years back, no one could complain if he jumped. But the fact that he was so committed to staying back then suggests to me that he has set down roots in this team. Just doesn't seem the type to jump ship for more money when his next contract will be so high regardless.

I agree. I was slow to rate him and happy the club had him up for trade on occasions as I saw it an upgrade on pick 55. Well I was completely wrong about his ability and the fact that he knocked back the club putting him makes him a massive club man for mine. However, after he's given everything he has to the club you wouldn't begrudge him going home to his family winery and playing for the club he grew up supporting. Especially if we languish around the bottom and Freo look like top 4 for 2017. That a hypothetical and there is every chance we will rise and they will fall, not pass them but close the gap.

Pretty sure he's up for FA so if he gets a monster deal and we've finished around the bottom then it could be a win win if our compensation is following our first pick and we get two more top 10s. Still hoping he changes our forward line with his output plus the cascading effect of that, and it turns around the direction of our team completely.

 

[srobbo]

He stays back. Him & Hurls are the best 1/2 combo in the comp & with blokes like Francis added to mix as that developing 3rd tall its a backline to build a premiership around.

Fwd line has to be built from ground up so no use pinch hitting him in there. We need to develop Langford/Laverde into those specialised mid sized fwds, find the right balance of TBC/Mckernan to pinch hit as well, with JD being the impetus up there. Gone are the days of being preoccupied with having two KPF to win you a GF. Look at Hawthorn with Roughy.