New player roles in 2012

[Silvagnis]

AJ really surprised me this year and I particularly enjoyed some of his run off of HB, but surely his overhead ability is his biggest weakness, not a strength?

Tell that to Petterd.

Petterd repaid the favour later on.

AJ is no Lappin, but he's good in the air for a guy who stands just 178 cms. Just doesn't have any fear to put his body in harm's way and take a hit to get the ball. Fearless to get in the way of Kennedy's lead in the finals and mark Schofield's long kick. Massive leap to spoil Carlisle right before Murphy ran down Davey. I better quit or someone will say that Mister Carlton has hacked my log in.

 

[mickelboy182]

Tell that to Petterd.

Petterd repaid the favour later on.

AJ is no Lappin, but he's good in the air for a guy who stands just 178 cms. Just doesn't have any fear to put his body in harm's way and take a hit to get the ball. Fearless to get in the way of Kennedy's lead in the finals and mark Schofield's long kick. Massive leap to spoil Carlisle right before Murphy ran down Davey. I better quit or someone will say that Mister Carlton has hacked my log in.

Judd took a similar (if not better) mark against the Bombers and I don't think there'd be many saying he is good overhead

I don't like AJ having to play a defensive role on a marking forward, much prefer him minding a ground level player and running off of HB.

 

[gbatman]

AJ is no good in the air, often out marked. Joseph is a midfielder and that's it, can play a bit of back pocket but he's too short to play there consistantly. I'm not sure if he is worth playing to play on Ballentine or Milne. If he's going to make it it is going to have to be as a midfielder. Hopefully he does keep improving.

One thing next year that we should be seeing is that our backmen should be about the same height or taller than their opposition, no playing undersized.

I recon Walker and Gibbs will be switching between forward and midfield a lot next year.

 

[40yearBLUE]

My humble observations.

People looking to "fix" our forward structure....it aint broken. Our forward structure works as well as any out there. The games where it didnt was not because of structural problems up forward, it was because our mids got beaten and meant that our forwards were defending more than attacking. When our tackle count is there and the mids are on top our forward line is perfect just as it is, the ball spends more time in our forward 50 and our conversion rate is up there, resulting in big scores.

That said, Waite being injured did hamper us. Imagine for a moment Waite fit for all of last season and there is your perfectly structured forward half complete. Had he played all year does anyone think that we would be questioning our forward structure? And to cover for potential loss of Waite we have recruited Rowe. As per Duigan last year, what would be the point of a mature age recruit sitting in the magoos? If Waite stays fit, I see him as CHF and Rowe as FF (assuming of course that the MC have chosen another gem). I am not convinced yet that Hammer is a forward, but having said that I was not convinced this time last year that Curnow would break in, or that Yazz was a defender, so what would I know. I think Hammer will play games, but replacing an injured or rested ruck. Knockers as my 1st ruck, Kruzer either resting on the pine or in the fwd line and if one is out of the team Hammer takes the spot.

Our back half was our Achilles and that seems to be sorting itself out well. Yes a fit Jamo is crucial, and no I cant see him playing forward at all. If he does, it is because we cant score but are still within reach. If we cant score, most likely it will be because our mids are not dominating.

And as for allowing the development of other backs, when was the last time the Cats played Scarlet forward in order to develop other backs? Do they seem to have a backline deficiency? So on that score, whilst I believe Hendo could make a great CHF I think he will cement CHB and of course Laids and Duigan and Yazz pick themselves and we have a fairly settled back half. Yazz doesnt have the motor yet to go into the midfield. If you want proof of that, take a look at Yazz's ability to kick goals on the run having run all the way out of the backline either carrying or to recieve. He missed nearly every one of them because the first thing that goes when fatigued is accuracy. When his runs out of defence result in him not missing you will know his fitness is tip tip and he is ready to be released.

Cant see AJ and Ellard playing in the same team too often but see them both capable of holding down a spot. I do see Russell playing out of the middle but one of either Curnow or McLean will be our blocking, extracting mid. Russell has polish and has a big body and I see him and Gibbs rotating through the middle off the HFF.

I also see us resting players. I have been slow to embrace this idea, others have suggested it and I have resisted the idea, but the pace of the game and the depth on our list, and the extreme adaptability we have built into the list means we have multiple options on every line.

The other thing I am struggling with is keeping a lid on. I think we can finish minor premiers this year. If we have a fair run of injuries to our guns, top spot. Go Baggers.

 

[40yearBLUE]

I've been thinking about this one.

How exactly do we see it working?
I agree with it in principle, but it gets a little harder when working through the application.

e.g. Laidler is rested and his replacement McInnes has a blinder and is BOG. What's the next move?
Keep McInnes in for another week? What if he again produces the same form? Look for someone else to exclude or just leave Laidler out of the picture?
Could just get a little tricky, even messy, or worse, destabilising at times.

Many teams have done it now, Geelong are past masters at it, Collingwood sent players to Arizona mid season, Hawthorn sent Box Hill to play a round last year (vs Port I think) and Freo did the same the year before to play the Hawks in Tassie with the finals coming up.

I dont quite see us sending the Bullants, in other words resting so many from one game, but if we are 3 games clear on top with only a few rounds left......

I think players like Judd, Murph, Kruze, Jamo, Waite, Scotland will get dropped when in form, not play at Preston and come back in, and that ubiquitous injury General Soreness will be a common recurring problem and someone in our conditioning department will have a good chuckle at their perceived mismanagement.

 

[Silvagnis]

Judd took a similar (if not better) mark against the Bombers and I don't think there'd be many saying he is good overhead

Judd can mark and hold his ground in contests to compete in the air. Murphy and Carrazzo would probably be the poorest of our mids in regards to their ability overhead. I can't recall Marc getting off the ground other than the marks he took over Chad Cornes at AAMI (2009?) and a North player in his first season. Isn't as competitive in marking contests as Simpson, Joseph and Yarran. Draw a total blank with Carrazzo ever flying and taking a grab.

 

[Malifice]

Judd can mark and hold his ground in contests to compete in the air. Murphy and Carrazzo would probably be the poorest of our mids in regards to their ability overhead. I can't recall Marc getting off the ground other than the marks he took over Chad Cornes at AAMI (2009?) and a North player in his first season. Isn't as competitive in marking contests as Simpson, Joseph and Yarran. Draw a total blank with Carrazzo ever flying and taking a grab.

Same.

He gets a lot of the footy but not much in the air in contested marking.

 

[parrot]

The side-effect of our successful "re-invention experiments" (i.e. Walker, Thornton, Yarran, Hendo etc), is that we've added some serious versatility to the list. Versatility is gold in the modern game, because you can mix things up mid-game, plus it adds depth with players having the ability to take on different roles if injuries hit.

But you can't stay still, and let the non-Carlton group catchup. Keep them guessing, keep them on the back foot. So we'll see some more interesting changes no doubt...

The biggies....

Yarran to the middle. The most talented under 23yo footballer in the AFL at present. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know he's a super star midfielder waiting to happen. Yarran has it all, and we've been carefully grooming him for that role for a few years now. We might not see a full unleash in 2012, but it'll be significant. It's going to be awesome. I still can't believe he slipped to us at pick #6!

Gibbs. A prodigious talent who goes to great lengths to downplay his ability. I'm hoping he plays more forward in 2012. He's got all the attributes to be a 50+ goal kicker like Walker, and would set up plenty more. I'm hoping more of Forward/mid that Mid/Forward role. We've already got a truckload of talent in the middle.

The possibles....

Walker doing some more midfield stuff. Turned out to be a gun forward, but I was very interested in the impact he had in the middle, late in a few games. It was significant, very significant. He's highly skilled, has elite fitness, extreme burst speed and now at last... confidence. A nice wild card. A High impact player.

The unknowns....

Bower. A player who needs a solid reinvention for the much discussed reasons. I'm looking forward to what will happen. Winger? Defensive forward? I'm struggling to predict this one.

 

[T2B_]

AJ really surprised me this year and I particularly enjoyed some of his run off of HB, but surely his overhead ability is his biggest weakness, not a strength?

The way I see it, AJ's aerial defensive ability leaves a lot to be desired.

But as far as actual overhead marking goes, I think he's surprisingly good. Personally I'd be happy to see him in a more midfield role instead of going one on one defending against a small forward because he can get caught out. And I really loved some signs he showed late last year. Especially that blitzing goal in the semi, phwoaaarrr.

 

[Silvagnis]

Davies as a defensive forward like Robinson has done on Fletcher twice. Looked OK as a lead up forward after he was subbed in for Kreuzer against the Saints. Would add the grunt and muscle that we lack inside 50. Good runner who will lock the ball in with his second and third efforts.

 

[LanceRomance]

Davies as a defensive forward like Robinson has done on Fletcher twice. Looked OK as a lead up forward after he was subbed in for Kreuzer against the Saints. Would add the grunt and muscle that we lack inside 50. Good runner who will lock the ball in with his second and third efforts.

I was dirty on Davies after the SF but now I recognise that he performs his role rather well, especially for a 20 year old.

 

[Jeremias]

Defensive forward is a role that could work for Davies and I'd certainly be all for it being trialed.

However, Marcus really needs to improve his finishing skills for that to be a viable role for him in the long term. His disposal is poor and if you are playing in the forward half, even if your primary role is to limit the effectiveness of an opposition defender, you really need to be able to impact the scoreboard and hurt the opposition in that way.

 

[KOUTA 43]

Going through our list this is where I expect improvement
to come. These are the players who have the potential (and
now maturity) to lift their output by 10% (or more) from 2011 to push
us to a top 4 berth.

Expected improvement in 2012;
Gibbs
Waite
Jamison
Russell
Yarran
Henderson
Robinson
Hampson
Warnock
Lucas
Curnow
Touhy
Laidler
Bower
Kruezer

= 15 players

Players who's output is almost capacity and I'd be happy
with the same performance in 2012;
Murphy
Judd
Garlett
Walker (could improve output with more time in m'field)
Betts (same as above..)
Simpson
Scotland
Duigan

= 8 players


Players I'm not certain have that much improvement if any;
McClean (you never know..)
Joseph (conservative here could well jump a level)
Ellard (like him but may always be on the cusp)
Armfield (same as above)
Davies
Thornton
Carazzo (like him. Needs to play a role. Tagger, ala Ling)
White (KP depth)
Collins (needs to push past injuries/get a game)

= 9 players

Players expected to play some senior footy in 2012;

Rowe (being conservative here. Could well play alot)
Watson (continued development)
Mitchell
McCarthey
McInnes
Kerr

= 6 players


First year players;

Bootsma
Buckley

Rookies;

Casboult (needs to force his way in or will be out)
O'Keefe (looks to have the goods.. But how many hbf do we need?..)
Heyne (smooth mover could be handy)
Bray (NSW KP scholarship player)
Bell (athletic big body. Good prospect)
Frazer
Carter

= 7 players


Very excited about 2012. I have been deliberately
conservative. Especially with players like; Armfield,
Ellard, Joseph, Collins and Rowe.

Go Blues!

 

[T2B_]

I get the feeling Davies just rushes his disposal too much. I'm not sure if actual skill is a problem, he just seems to panic a bit sometimes. Hopefully he'll settle a bit.

 

[Big Sim]

I get the feeling Davies just rushes his disposal too much. I'm not sure if actual skill is a problem, he just seems to panic a bit sometimes. Hopefully he'll settle a bit.

I have got over his howler in the semi, but only just.

I reckon the kid will make it. Like you I think he has the skills but is still a bit overawed by AFL footy. But he is strong, willing and follows orders. Think he will be a bit like JR: will take some time to find his feet then bloom.

 

[Blue and Silver]

Davies is a very direct player, and I think that could suit our forward half, but his skills leave a lot to be desired, and if someone like Collins can do a good defensive job (as opposed to the blanketing Davies would likely give) but also be a perpetual threat to score I'd prefer that.

 

[HARKER]

Going through our list this is where I expect improvement to come.


Players I'm not certain have that much improvement if any;
McClean (you never know..)
Joseph (conservative here could well jump a level)
Ellard (like him but may always be on the cusp)
Armfield (same as above)
Davies
Thornton
Carazzo (like him. Needs to play a role. Tagger, ala Ling)
White (KP depth)
Collins (needs to push past injuries/get a game)
Go Blues!

Joseph and Collins have plenty of improvement in them. That I am certain of.
Again, only opportunity will deprive some of our boys to show their real value.

The 2's just doesn't showcase that unfortunately.
Plodders seem to show up at VFL level.

 

[Silvagnis]

Davies is a very direct player, and I think that could suit our forward half, but his skills leave a lot to be desired, and if someone like Collins can do a good defensive job (as opposed to the blanketing Davies would likely give) but also be a perpetual threat to score I'd prefer that.

Davies isn't a flawless or crisp kick, yet I've seen him gut run to receive and weight nice passes to forwards one out. Can spray his shots for goal, but is OK and a long kick. Both will be depth players, but the difference is, Davies is a massive unit who isn't slow. Davies isn't a dreadful kick like you make out, but he might be a chance to play a similar game to Rooke who started at half back. Recall a post on his player page on TC by a fair judge who thinks Davies who could hurt players with his aggression and intensity. Love how he willed himself to run down Martin in his first year. The more players we have with shit on the liver the better.

 

[Blue and Silver]

Davies isn't a flawless or crisp kick, yet I've seen him gut run to receive and weight nice passes to forwards one out. Can spray his shots for goal, but is OK and a long kick. Both will be depth players, but the difference is, Davies is a massive unit who isn't slow. Davies isn't a dreadful kick like you make out, but he might be a chance to play a similar game to Rooke who started at half back. Recall a post on his player page on TC by a fair judge who thinks Davies who could hurt players with his aggression and intensity. Love how he willed himself to run down Martin in his first year. The more players we have with shit on the liver the better.

I never said he was a dreadful kick, I said it left a lot to be desired, meaning that I think he could improve his accuracy and decision making when executing footskills. He hasn't demonstrated a good goal sense or vision for teammates when passing. Not saying he couldn't, but I'd prefer someone I knew could be a forward, playing the defensive role.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Players I'm not certain have that much improvement if any;
McClean (you never know..)
Joseph (conservative here could well jump a level)
Ellard (like him but may always be on the cusp)
Armfield (same as above)
Davies
Thornton
Carazzo (like him. Needs to play a role. Tagger, ala Ling)
White (KP depth)
Collins (needs to push past injuries/get a game)

Reckon there's a heap of improvement in Armfield. He's played 60 games in 4 years, EVERY final during that time, last year moved into the midfield occasionally, and started kicking goals.

He's not silky smooth, but effective and his footspeed/tackling go without saying.

And he's got a Mo'

 

[Azul]

Clearly we have major structural probs when from a list of 38 we have only 3 genuine KPP (jamo, hendo, waitey) with a handful of hopefuls from recent drafts.

A: Kreuzer.
Q: Who is the player on our list with the strength, fitness, height and football nous to conquer Vickery?

With Watson and McCarthy too immature, ratts needs an medium term defensive option. Every team seems to have a b-grade mega-tall that makes us look silly whenever we're stretched for height.

 

[The_Wookie]

not the first time someone has suggested kreuzer for CHB.

 

[gbatman]

will probably line up like this:

B: Russell Henderson Davies
HB: Yarran Bower Touhy
C: Scotland Judd Simpson
HF: Garlett Hampson Gibbs
F: Collins Waite Betts
OB: Kreuzer Mclean/Curnow Murphy
IC: Thornton Lucas Carrazzo Robinson
EM: Mclean/Curnow Watson Ellard/Joseph

Out - In
Duigan - Russell
Laidler - Davies
Jamison - Bower
Walker - Collins
Warnock - Hampson

As you can see these are some fair downgrades. Russell, Davies, Bower, Collins, Hampson and Thornton are our weaker links. If they play well we win if they don't we lose, simple as that. Thornton will have to play back and forward and be the swingman and play to our needs. Not sure Watson will get a game tough we are a little short down back. Henderson will play FB on Riewoldt, Bower CHB on probably Vickery and Davies in Laidler's role as the third tall. Thornton might be pushed from attack or the sub spot to take over if any one fails. The worry is the ammount of leadership lost from defence which might result in a break down of structure and how we set up from there to attack and how we block the holes etc. Could see less defensive marks and less effective attacks set up from defence, less effective switches of play and more bombs up the wing into congestion etc.

 

[falaufel]

I'd like to see Touhy in the midfield, not necesarily chasing every contest - just controlling the corridor

 

[gbatman]

Touhy has a lot to his game that suggests he'd be great in the midfield but I guess if we don't see it consistently it is because he has a deficiency that you don't get to see on TV like his defencive game for example when he plays there, something the coaches know that we don't. He will one day be high on the midfield pecking order that is for sure. I'd like to see him played there, he's a good goal kicker from the midfield and that upsets opposition sides when they go defensive as it's a great way to sneak a few goals.