Opinion Our Back Six

[HARKER]

On Davies yeah I think he's between a rock and a hard place in terms of the players we have who are competing for similar roles.

I mused sometime ago his possible inclusion in the midfield as a big crash and bash body but whatever happens, this year will be pivotal for him. Recall Mick saying recently he needs to find out more about Marcus in terms of what's his story and if he can play.

Davies seems to still be languishing in the same place Watson was in last year, just completely devoid of confidence.
I recall him looking much better in his first year at the club than in the past couple, although he's looking much better this year than he did last year.

Even at training he was just so uncoordinated, fumbling on a regular basis where the rest of his group were dealing with the ball cleanly.

You have to wonder just how hard he may have actually taken his error in the West Coast final?
I know it's only one incident but we all absorb things differently and he may have just taken it really hard.

 

[JustaBattler]

Walker made Milne look old and slow and Milne then made the mistake of trying to get physical. Carlton should have a few players capable of sorting the tip rat out - sadly no one apart from Walker has the combination of athleticism speed and strength to handle the game's best smalls. To put it another way - who at Carlton could do a shut down job on Eddie?

I don't believe in small defenders anyway - name one top4 side that has a small defender floating around - just one.

 

[Sharks On A Plane]

Walker made Milne look old and slow and Milne then made the mistake of trying to get physical. Carlton should have a few players capable of sorting the tip rat out - sadly no one apart from Walker has the combination of athleticism speed and strength to handle the game's best smalls. To put it another way - who at Carlton could do a shut down job on Eddie?

I don't believe in small defenders anyway - name one top4 side that has a small defender floating around - just one.

Nick Smith

 

[Blue since 72]

Walker made Milne look old and slow and Milne then made the mistake of trying to get physical. Carlton should have a few players capable of sorting the tip rat out - sadly no one apart from Walker has the combination of athleticism speed and strength to handle the game's best smalls. To put it another way - who at Carlton could do a shut down job on Eddie?

I don't believe in small defenders anyway - name one top4 side that has a small defender floating around - just one.

Armfield.................maybe. But as someone else said he's more valuable further up the ground these days.

Just don't think Mick will use Walker down back but who knows. AJ seems most likely at this stage.

 

[JustaBattler]

Nick Smith

182 cm is 'small' these days ?

 

[JustaBattler]

Armfield.................maybe. But as someone else said he's more valuable further up the ground these days.

Just don't think Mick will use Walker down back but who knows. AJ seems most likely at this stage.

Agree on Armfield - but he is better on wing/HFF on rotation can kick a running goal or set shot aand is a great attacking defender..but yeah has teh speed and toughness to manage smalls..

Milne and other small forwards- are dangerous on fast rebounds after turnovers...hopefully Malthouse will develop the side so that we don't bleed turnovers and the ball doesn't come back over our heads as often as it did last year..that removes half the problem...

Walker is a very good lead-up third tall type and ( just quietly) a very good crumber - plays taller and stronger than his size and can play short spells in midfield on rotation...would be wasted back there....

 

[Sharks On A Plane]

182 cm is 'small' these days ?

Well he certainly doesn't play key position.

 

[Claypigeon]

Milne and other small forwards- are dangerous on fast rebounds after turnovers...hopefully Malthouse will develop the side so that we don't bleed turnovers and the ball doesn't come back over our heads as often as it did last year..that removes half the problem...

JR used to do a good job on Milne. . Cannot see why Laidler couldn't take him on or even Duigs. .. Milne is not as quick as Saad, Rioli and co and relies on experience and tip rattedness to get himself over the line. .. Heck even Ellard could probably do the job on him. ..

 

[Blue Dimension]

B: Laidler Jamison Watson
HB: Yarran Henderson Duigan

That'd be my pick. Only worry would be a lack of speed and maybe the need for another dasher off half back ..

 

[Blue since 72]

Agree on Armfield - but he is better on wing/HFF on rotation can kick a running goal or set shot aand is a great attacking defender..but yeah has teh speed and toughness to manage smalls..

Milne and other small forwards- are dangerous on fast rebounds after turnovers...hopefully Malthouse will develop the side so that we don't bleed turnovers and the ball doesn't come back over our heads as often as it did last year..that removes half the problem...

Walker is a very good lead-up third tall type and ( just quietly) a very good crumber - plays taller and stronger than his size and can play short spells in midfield on rotation...would be wasted back there....

Yeah that's the thing isn't it, small forwards are opportunistic so restrict the supply and they'll have a quiet day.

Pretty simple really.

 

[Blue since 72]

JR used to do a good job on Milne. . Cannot see why Laidler couldn't take him on or even Duigs. .. Milne is not as quick as Saad, Rioli and co and relies on experience and tip rattedness to get himself over the line. .. Heck even Ellard could probably do the job on him. ..

I laughed.

 

[gbatman]

Watson had a howler against GWS but is a 20 year old at the very beginning of the season. Apparently very good in the intraclub matches. Can not write him off joining Henderson (who also looked ordinary but we know he isn't) and Jamison come round 1. I'm hoping that we back him in next weekend and play him against Freo.

Still the issues with finding a player who can play against good small forwards. Walker can do it, and who knows he might be the one who goes back there. I think Yarran could do it. Lucas may be able to do it but without giving him the oppertunity who knows. Joseph isn't a great option, just makes poor mistakes and leaks goals and doesn't seem strong enough in the air or smart enough to make the right decisions, like letting opponants goal side and not using the boundry to keep his opponant between he and the boundry line. Touhy maybe but I am not convinced yet. I still feel Touhy is naturally an attacking player who we have tried to make a defender out of. Simpson is a likely candidate. Maybe even Mitch Robinson. Perhaps Scotland could find a change of role. Perhaps there will be more pressure on Duigan this season to do this job. We have tended to play players who are average footballers on these really good forwards. You can't do that, you need to play good footballers who have smarts and athletic ability on players who are themselves good footballers.

 

[JustaBattler]

Watson made one clumsy error - missing the ball when he tried to do an under pressure rush behind - 'howler' is an overstatement me-thinks -granted he looks clumsy below his knees - he should do some drills against Eddie and Jeff and Walker to fix this up - he could be piggy in the middle as they hand passed the ball below knee height to each other..

 

[Blue since 72]

Watson had a howler against GWS but is a 20 year old at the very beginning of the season. Apparently very good in the intraclub matches. Can not write him off joining Henderson (who also looked ordinary but we know he isn't) and Jamison come round 1. I'm hoping that we back him in next weekend and play him against Freo.

Still the issues with finding a player who can play against good small forwards. Walker can do it, and who knows he might be the one who goes back there. I think Yarran could do it. Lucas may be able to do it but without giving him the oppertunity who knows. Joseph isn't a great option, just makes poor mistakes and leaks goals and doesn't seem strong enough in the air or smart enough to make the right decisions, like letting opponants goal side and not using the boundry to keep his opponant between he and the boundry line. Touhy maybe but I am not convinced yet. I still feel Touhy is naturally an attacking player who we have tried to make a defender out of. Simpson is a likely candidate. Maybe even Mitch Robinson. Perhaps Scotland could find a change of role. Perhaps there will be more pressure on Duigan this season to do this job. We have tended to play players who are average footballers on these really good forwards. You can't do that, you need to play good footballers who have smarts and athletic ability on players who are themselves good footballers.

I see this as the same thing with Yarran though. If we used Yarran on the really good small forwards we wouldn't get anything from him offensively because he would have his hands full and he is naturally a very attacking player.

To negate the best small forwards you really need to be in their pocket all game, particularly if they're getting a lot of ball coming into their F50.

 

[Claypigeon]

Just on the subject of Milne. .. I think Malthouse will have a plan for him, after all they are such close friends

 

[Sin City]

Just on the subject of Milne. .. I think Malthouse will have a plan for him, after all they are such close friends

 

[BlueTongue]

Walker made Milne look old and slow and Milne then made the mistake of trying to get physical. Carlton should have a few players capable of sorting the tip rat out - sadly no one apart from Walker has the combination of athleticism speed and strength to handle the game's best smalls. To put it another way - who at Carlton could do a shut down job on Eddie?

I don't believe in small defenders anyway - name one top4 side that has a small defender floating around - just one.

Hawthorn - Guerra

 

[JustaBattler]

Hawthorn - Guerra

Yeah ya got me with a 95 kilo six foot bloke...puhlease..

 

[BlueTongue]

Yeah ya got me with a 95 kilo six foot bloke...puhlease..

182cm + 88kg - Hardly a giant is he?

 

[JustaBattler]

182cm + 88kg - Hardly a giant is he?

182cm is a quarter of an inch under six foot. Asuming you are right about 88kg ( which I think is a few kilos light ) if this is your definition of a 'small defender ' he certainly isn't a midget mate.

 

[BlueTongue]

I'm thinking that Watson may be looked at in terms of playing more on key position players as I think Jamison's ability to play a more attacking role and play off an opponant and read the play has never properly been utilised. Henderson is the first choice CHB and if the best player at the club for that role. I think that avoiding playing Jamison on really tall players that he has to reach higher over to spoil and who apply more force in the push and shove one on one stuff might help prevent further shoulder injuries as well.

The smaller defenders will be Laidler and likely Duigan Scotland and Yarran. I think the days of our defenders playing on bigger opponants is over.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/2013-good-call-bad-call.985362/page-15#post-27155070

 

[Stamos]

182 cm is 'small' these days ?

Yep, it is

 

[zeeCFC]

Walker made Milne look old and slow and Milne then made the mistake of trying to get physical. Carlton should have a few players capable of sorting the tip rat out - sadly no one apart from Walker has the combination of athleticism speed and strength to handle the game's best smalls. To put it another way - who at Carlton could do a shut down job on Eddie?

I don't believe in small defenders anyway - name one top4 side that has a small defender floating around - just one.

Nick Smith, Brent Guerra, Henry Slattery

 

[Magruder]

B: Laidler Jamison Watson
HB: Yarran Henderson Duigan

That'd be my pick. Only worry would be a lack of speed and maybe the need for another dasher off half back ..

Maybe, although the only truly slow player there is Watson

 

[Amers]

I know it's very early days but, from what I saw yesterday from Hampson, Casboult and Rowe, if they are to be not included as talls in our forward line it is going to take a good player to replace them.

With that in mind why would we not give some thought to moving Waite to the backline?

Has been exceptional there in the past but necessity has forced him forward.

If our tall forwards can maintain that sort of output, and I can't see why they can't, Waite just may be the missing tall link in the backline.

Between he and Hendo they could both pinch hit forward when our other talls are struggling. I would think much better than pinch hitting someone like Duigan forward.

I agree with this, to me it makes sense, I just don't see the coaches going for it !!