Review Lets talk about Walker...

[Mister Carlton]

Too good for VFL... not good enough for AFL?

Walker better get his shit together or next year he will be pushed out of the side by our youngsters.

 

[HBF]

I'd trade him to be honest, and he may the "steak knives" in a deal that could get us a good player to the club. Watching him last night being outmarked in the goalsquare by Menzel, giving away silly freekicks makes me think we could do without him on our list.

Given Kane Lucas will have another pre-season under his belt, and his kicking skills are better than Walkers. I'd have him running off HB before Walker.

 

[Blue Dimension]

He's in a form slump. Needs a pre-season to work on his weaknesses. He's valuable to the team because he's a utility who can be played almost anywhere. Must not trade. At his best he's in our best 22. At the moment he is far from his best.

Should be playing forward. Allows him to bring his strengths to the fore and minimises the impact of his weaknesses. However needs to work on his tackling big time over the break.

 

[AndyWalkersGirl]

Yeah it's interesting, not sure how many more years he can go with an excuse covering his performance.

Not sure. To go, not to go. Either way, I have faith in the club with this one. Won't be too sad if he goes, and won't be too fazed if he does stay.

We did play ok without him though... but he was good at the start of the year.

 

[The Big Sticks]

Yeah it's interesting, not sure how many more years he can go with an excuse covering his performance.

Not sure. To go, not to go. Either way, I have faith in the club with this one. Won't be too sad if he goes, and won't be too fazed if he does stay.

We did play ok without him though... but he was good at the start of the year.

This.

If he stays he would be a good depth player but he if he goes then we have others to fill his role

 

[The Exorcist]

Yeah it's interesting, not sure how many more years he can go with an excuse covering his performance.

Not sure. To go, not to go. Either way, I have faith in the club with this one. Won't be too sad if he goes, and won't be too fazed if he does stay.

We did play ok without him though... but he was good at the start of the year.

Yeah, it's a fifty / fifty one


His tackling is average / below average, his marking isn't what it used to be, but his skills have improved a lot.


Another year next year like this year, could be all over. He's thereabouts, not quite there and not quite not there.


Deserves another year, but will need to fix up his tackling, get some confidence in his marking and his shoulder etc. Has been a tough player before the injuries set in, needs to get confidence


Should remember that in the two years previous to this he played VERY little football, this is his first full season in years. Was in excellent form early before he got injured. So viewing this year as one where he's getting a feel for the game again, next year is the step up ... or step out

 

[krayfesh]

Walker will probably be worth more to us than to another team.

He'll end up being a depth player that can fill in anywhere on the ground if needed. A good emergency.

Hopefully he spends the preseason working in his tackling and positioning, especially if he is going to continue this defence thing.

 

[mickelboy182]

He's in a form slump. Needs a pre-season to work on his weaknesses. He's valuable to the team because he's a utility who can be played almost anywhere. Must not trade. At his best he's in our best 22. At the moment he is far from his best.

Should be playing forward. Allows him to bring his strengths to the fore and minimises the impact of his weaknesses. However needs to work on his tackling big time over the break.

Bloody hell, about the only person talking sense in this thread!

How quickly we forget his form earlier this season. At his best he is bloody handy and easily in our best 22.

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

Plays 4-7 good games a year. Plays 6-10 shockers a year. The rest average/invisible. In all honesty, the guy is picking up a pay cheque and doing just enough given current team list. Put the heat on him, and he produces...take it off and he is average/poor.

Might be in our best 22 now on his absolute best form...which he cant maintain BTW. Not in our best 22 in 1-2 years time.

Does that mean trade...not sure...he does add value in that he puts pressure on best 22 positions keeping the team on the edge...that's all i see in him value-wise inside Carlton. If we got a pick 30ish...i'd take it and grab a needs player (tall). Got to take risks to complete our side.

 

[mac25]

Bloody hell, about the only person talking sense in this thread!

How quickly we forget his form earlier this season. At his best he is bloody handy and easily in our best 22.

Everyone knows he has had problems with injuries in his career, but aside from missing four weeks this season, he has played most of this season with two or three good games, since his return mid season he has been ordinary at best.

He is very much borderline as to whether he will be traded depending on what players from other teams Carlton may focus on e.g Knights, Ritschetti, or any key position players available.

 

[rampar]

I used to think the same (playing up the ground from a HFF, or deep inside F50) but his overhead marking (and aerial ability) have taken a massive hit with the Shoulder reco.

This leaves us in a conundrum of where to play him.

Thats an excellent point which makes defence the worst position to play if you have dud shoulders.

He has the tank correct? he has good size, no? He may need to do a kouta and become an inside mid. In any case, he has the X factor and I still rate him.

 

[starchamber]

Walker has been very disappointing for a number 2 pick i have to say at this point. I know injuries have done a bit but i would think he should be top 5 player in a club by now but is no where near that. I think trading him would benefit us only only if we are looking for a key tall defender who has strength.His value wouldn't get one unless his traded with another player or something to get one.

 

[No1Suspect]

Thats an excellent point which makes defence the worst position to play if you have dud shoulders.

He has the tank correct? he has good size, no? He may need to do a kouta and become an inside mid. In any case, he has the X factor and I still rate him.

Inside mid? One big tackle or hip and shoulder and walker is gone!

He needs to be played where he has space and can run, only our forward line already has 3 players better than him in that area and as stated in a previous thread with bung shoulders and the inability to tackle hard and put your body in harms way, the backline is not the place for him...


starchamber can you go and hang out in the GWS threads for awhile please. ta

 

[TheBlueblood]

hate to say it and hope im proved wrong but im thinkiing Walker has gone from required player to depth player

 

[invinciBlues]

How quickly we forget his form earlier this season.

Or that first game?

There's no point waiting (what is it now, 6, 7 years?) for him to put in a consistent season that shows he's developing as a player. Plays some good games here and there but never backs it up over a season. Or gets injured.

He was good during the dark years and gave some hope, but at some point you have to cut your losses. You can't just keep saying "Give him another preseason to work on his deficiencies/getting his body right". Potential is one thing, and he does have it, but its high time he actualised it.

Besides, we need to free that number up anyways in the next couple of years.

 

[Snoozer]

The dumbest footballer on Earth.

The only value he would add to the team is as another midfield stopper who is able to run with opposition elite mids. Other than that, he is a liability. We won't seriously challenge while guys like Walker are getting a game.

 

[RobGal]

Plays 4-7 good games a year. Plays 6-10 shockers a year. The rest average/invisible.

I reckon that just about sums most of the team this year.

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

I reckon that just about sums most of the team this year.

Maybe...the difference being that the younger ones have time to develop so they are off the hook. The other elite draft pick types have quite a bit more runs on the board so they are also off the hook.

I would agree your statement would be a fair comparison on 3/4 others...

 

[OldBlueFan]

For those saying Walker is soft, or that he "can't" tackle. I suggest you go back and have a look at how he actually did his collar bone earlier in the year.

If I remember correctly, it was a well laid tackle on Max Rooke (undoubtedly one of the harder medium forwards in the competition) and that tackle stuck. In fact, it stuck so well that when Rooke went down, Walker still didn't let go and the weight of Rooke broke his collar bone.

After his history with shoulder injuries and this incident with his collar bone, is it any surprise at all that the kid might be a little gun-shy?

He didn't just play a couple of good games at the start of this year, he played consistently well over several weeks and in games where he was played on giants (Brisbane and Geelong games anyone?).

I would still love to see a completely injury free year from the guy to see what he can do. If that is next year, my bet is that he would easily be in the best 22 come mid-season and you'll all be back-flipping again!

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

For those saying Walker is soft, or that he "can't" tackle. I suggest you go back and have a look at how he actually did his collar bone earlier in the year.

If I remember correctly, it was a well laid tackle on Max Rooke (undoubtedly one of the harder medium forwards in the competition) and that tackle stuck. In fact, it stuck so well that when Rooke went down, Walker still didn't let go and the weight of Rooke broke his collar bone.

After his history with shoulder injuries and this incident with his collar bone, is it any surprise at all that the kid might be a little gun-shy?

He didn't just play a couple of good games at the start of this year, he played consistently well over several weeks and in games where he was played on giants (Brisbane and Geelong games anyone?).

I would still love to see a completely injury free year from the guy to see what he can do. If that is next year, my bet is that he would easily be in the best 22 come mid-season and you'll all be back-flipping again!

Aside from his tackling, where do you rate his kicking, decision making and leadership skills oldblue? And where should he play if he had a full pre-season?

 

[pgm87]

If I remember correctly, it was a well laid tackle on Max Rooke (undoubtedly one of the harder medium forwards in the competition) and that tackle stuck. In fact, it stuck so well that when Rooke went down, Walker still didn't let go and the weight of Rooke broke his collar bone.

...one example?! i may want to call it 'repressed memory', but this time round against cats, (i think it was Varcoe, hense repressed memory) walker ALMOST laid a tackle...only for Varcoe to break the tackle and get a goal. Would Walker get a game at Collingwood, Cats, Saints, Dogs? i doubt it. are they premiership contenders? yes. are we? no. i like him, but he frustrates me to tears!! i think it was menzel who took a mark over him pretty much in the goal square...even if menzel wasnt there, walks still wasnt in a position to defend the ball coming in. the amount of times i found myself turning to my sister and saying 'geez walker frustrates me' really brought my attention to how much i think he stuffs up.

earlier this year i created a team of players which i thought were capable of making our premiership team...feel free to have a go/scrutinise:

B: ?? Jamo Bower
HB: Russ ?? Army
Cnt: Simmo Judd ??
HF: ?? Hendo Yarran
F: Garl ?? Betts

Foll: Kruez, Murph, Gibbs (obviously not taking into account gibbs recent positioning)

Bench: Hammer Knockers ?? ??

Em: Lucas (on potential alone. still hasnt shown enough to warrant a pick in a premiership team, but should take back pocket or the wing) ?? ??

that is where i see us at the moment. and walker doesnt feature. (that is also entirely off the top of my head, so may have missed one or 2 who should be in the team)...also gone with 3 rucks which i admit is a bit ambitious.

point is, despite walks being in good form at the start of the season, i, and its entirely my opinion, still didnt consider him a premiership player...and it took me waaaaaaaaay to long to get to that simple point...ah being out till 7am...

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

If I remember correctly, it was a well laid tackle on Max Rooke (undoubtedly one of the harder medium forwards in the competition) and that tackle stuck. In fact, it stuck so well that when Rooke went down, Walker still didn't let go and the weight of Rooke broke his collar bone.

...one example?! i may want to call it 'repressed memory', but this time round against cats, (i think it was Varcoe, hense repressed memory) walker ALMOST laid a tackle...only for Varcoe to break the tackle and get a goal. Would Walker get a game at Collingwood, Cats, Saints, Dogs? i doubt it. are they premiership contenders? yes. are we? no. i like him, but he frustrates me to tears!! i think it was menzel who took a mark over him pretty much in the goal square...even if menzel wasnt there, walks still wasnt in a position to defend the ball coming in. the amount of times i found myself turning to my sister and saying 'geez walker frustrates me' really brought my attention to how much i think he stuffs up.

earlier this year i created a team of players which i thought were capable of making our premiership team...feel free to have a go/scrutinise:

B: ?? Jamo Bower
HB: Russ ?? Army
Cnt: Simmo Judd ??
HF: ?? Hendo Yarran
F: Garl ?? Betts

Foll: Kruez, Murph, Gibbs (obviously not taking into account gibbs recent positioning)

Bench: Hammer Knockers ?? ??

Em: Lucas (on potential alone. still hasnt shown enough to warrant a pick in a premiership team, but should take back pocket or the wing) ?? ??

that is where i see us at the moment. and walker doesnt feature. (that is also entirely off the top of my head, so may have missed one or 2 who should be in the team)...also gone with 3 rucks which i admit is a bit ambitious.

point is, despite walks being in good form at the start of the season, i, and its entirely my opinion, still didnt consider him a premiership player...and it took me waaaaaaaaay to long to get to that simple point...ah being out till 7am...

Quickly add in Waite

 

[Jezza U Beauty]

Poignant thread.

Early on in the first qtr friday night i texted a mate who was at the game "time to bite the bullet and delist Walks" (after he missed that tackle in the goal square).

I later thought to myself that, given all of the interruptions to his footy due to injury, perhaps his output needs to be judged against what you'd expect from a 2nd or 3rd year player, as he's really only had this year and perhaps one prior where he's been able to play a serious amount of games in a row.

So i'm all for giving him next year to see if he can't get up to scratch, but he's got a way to go. Below average kick. O/h marking power gone. Tackling poor. Ordinary footy smarts.

Having said that, he was reportedly on the table last year due to attitude/application issues, and it wouldn't bother me one bit to see him traded.

Iguess there's a fair bit of Luke Livingston about the situation in an overall sense.

 

[Claypigeon]

I was a huge fan of Tex when he burst onto the scene as an under sized KPB. . You could see he was playing out of position but was hugely competitive. .. Sadly I think that Pagan/Carlton ruined him with injury because he was playing above his weight class. .. His shoulders are shot and he cannot tackle or take a grab at the moment. .. My take is:

Drop him for the rest of the year but don't delist him. .. Investigate doing something for his shoulders medically OR rest him. .. Get a full pre-season into him with a kicking coach/psychologist, he has a god kick but a bad kick selection. .. and turn him into an outside wingman to replace Scotto. .. Between Walker, Yazz and Simmo we have the makings of a beautiful pace filled right and left centre wing with excellent delivery. ..

Having said that if by some miracle we got offered a dream trade (say Tex/Fisher/Thornton for a young KPB then I'd say take it. .. Although I wouldn't like it and find it unlikely. ..

 

[Big Red is back]

try him at hff if fails gone.

Can't play back as can't tackle and can't spoil.