Our next tagger?

[vinum coupe]

This year I've often thought about how important the pink pig is.

Really there are very few people in the league who could spend the whole week building up to play on their opponent, only to be shifted to another after a quarter and then spank them.

If he went down *touch wood he doesn't*, who do we have to step into the role for a short period AND for the long period?

I've heard comments that the taggers days are almost over. I completely disagree.

 

[Selective Retention]

Hogan would have the pace and endurance to play a run with role.

If Ling went down I think we would go mainly head to head, with a Corey or Bartel being more defensive than usual.

Long term we could pick up one of the other selwoods, two birds one stone

 

[Turbocat]

Had a bit of a discussion on the draft board of this . One thought was Ranga.

As you have said VC , it takes a certain person to be able to do the job of the big "Crimson Clamp". Rooke used to be able to do it well when he was younger , so one may say a player with a certain attitude is probably needed to do it well. Have a look at what Ling has copped , whacked and biffed , elbowed , taken out , get something nearly every week , its not a job for a "fairy like" outside player.He also needs reasonable speed and a lot of stamina. Before injuries I thought the Allright kid might have had the right attributes.

I thought that for this role specifically we could try to grab a Rugby type guy and train him up. Not Ingliss etc but a young guy who may suit our game a bit better than theirs.

Dont mind the Selwood idea. The one up in Brisbane seems to be out of favour and would be available the first year of Free Agency. With that in mind Voss might trade him for very little. One bugbear! He was a Lions supporter as a kid , maybe is happy there. I think it would be tough to say "NO" if Geelong came knocking. And he is a Selwood

Just one from left field what about Drum nice size and is a mature body.

 

[AM]

Had a bit of a discussion on the draft board of this . One thought was Ranga.

As you have said VC , it takes a certain person to be able to do the job of the big "Crimson Clamp". Rooke used to be able to do it well when he was younger , so one may say a player with a certain attitude is probably needed to do it well. Have a look at what Ling has copped , whacked and biffed , elbowed , taken out , get something nearly every week , its not a job for a "fairy like" outside player.He also needs reasonable speed and a lot of stamina. Before injuries I thought the Allright kid might have had the right attributes.

I thought that for this role specifically we could try to grab a Rugby type guy and train him up. Not Ingliss etc but a young guy who may suit our game a bit better than theirs.

Dont mind the Selwood idea. The one up in Brisbane seems to be out of favour and would be available the first year of Free Agency. With that in mind Voss might trade him for very little. One bugbear! He was a Lions supporter as a kid , maybe is happy there. I think it would be tough to say "NO" if Geelong came knocking. And he is a Selwood

Just one from left field what about Drum nice size and is a mature body.

D.J

 

[Turbocat]

D.J

Could be , my only issue with him and Ranga is height. Still he certainly looks to like it tough

 

[patdman]

I am always surprised that he doesnt make it into our 5 most important players, personally I think behind Scarlett he is THE most important. He hasnt quite been to his high standards this year (I think) but he allows us to play each week against all opponents without their most important midfielder. When we already have what is probably the best midfield in the league, allowing them to go head to head against an opposition already a man down (usually their best man) makes it almost impossible for team to win the midfield dual.

BEAST!!!

 

[patience]

You need someone with a big engine. Linga just goes and goes. Watched him having a run and kick with a mate at a suburban ground in the off season two years ago. (Kids were playing cricket on the adjacent oval.) He didn't stop. Running, kicking on the run more running, more kicks on the run, lots more running.....

 

[True Blue Cat]

Hogan would have the pace and endurance to play a run with role.

The question of our next tagger has been weighing on my mind for a few months and 1 of the first players that popped into my mind was Hogan. Almost completely due to his endurance. Although obviously he will need to bulk up quite a bit but i think Ling should start teaching him the craft just incase.

 

[David the Cat]

While I wouldnt like to see it long term, Jimmy did one hell of a job on Lenny Hayes in the big one.

Sixteen tackles and effectively put Hayes out of the game after an amazing first quarter..

 

[Vdubs]

The question of our next tagger has been weighing on my mind for a few months and 1 of the first players that popped into my mind was Hogan. Almost completely due to his endurance. Although obviously he will need to bulk up quite a bit but i think Ling should start teaching him the craft just incase.

Agree with Hogan, for all those reasons he could be ideal with pace, tackling and goal kicking ability

 

[AM]

Agree with Hogan, for all those reasons he could be ideal with pace, tackling and goal kicking ability

You need to be extra tough, have a strong defensive side and a bit of mongrel. Not how I'd describe Hogan. If he remains with the club I'd reckon it would be in more a creative role.

 

[Generalissimo]

Here's one out of left field: Jeremy Laidler.

 

[Brasil2007]

James Kelly would be a good choice. He's very versatile and uses the ball well enough that whoever he was minding would have to pay attention to him or risk him pushing the ball forward. He's a terrific tackler as well. He'd be a top 2 or 3 midfielder in all but a few teams in the competition and is more than capable of doing a job on someone.

 

[InnocentBystandr]

While I wouldnt like to see it long term, Jimmy did one hell of a job on Lenny Hayes in the big one.

Sixteen tackles and effectively put Hayes out of the game after an amazing first quarter..

I agree, and shows the versatility and quality of the man. Bit like using the Ferrari to tow a trailer though!

 

[True Blue Cat]

James Kelly would be a good choice. He's very versatile and uses the ball well enough that whoever he was minding would have to pay attention to him or risk him pushing the ball forward. He's a terrific tackler as well. He'd be a top 2 or 3 midfielder in all but a few teams in the competition and is more than capable of doing a job on someone.

Problem is he is only like 2 years younger than Ling. So is it worth totally changing the type of player Kelly is just to be a tagger for a couple of years after Ling retires when we could put the effort into a player that could be an A-grade tagger for the next 10 years?

 

[Brasil2007]

Problem is he is only like 2 years younger than Ling. So is it worth totally changing the type of player Kelly is just to be a tagger for a couple of years after Ling retires when we could put the effort into a player that could be an A-grade tagger for the next 10 years?

That's a fair observation, although I don't think it would actually be a huge change since he has all the defensive skills - 9th in the competition in total tackles in 2008. Harder I think to change a Selwood, who instinctively goes at the footy (plus he's far too good to play that role).

Personally I think the tagging role is great if you have someone that can do it, and it's as much about attitude and what you have in the rest of your list as talent. If you don't have a great midfield it's probably a luxury you can't really afford. If you haven't got someone with the right attitude it's hard to get it into them.

Very interesting to think about this. Oddly like some others I've been wondering myself, I wonder if we've all seen something in Lingy that has made us think about his football mortality.

 

[cats81]

By the time he retire i would say Kelly or Bartel will be our 1# tagger

 

[Cat in the West]

Long term we could pick up one of the other selwoods, two birds one stone

I like the idea of Troy Selwood, if he is not geeting a run at the Lions.

From the Lion's website:- "Troy Selwood is one of the Lions’ best run-with players having performed effective shut-down roles on some of the AFL’s finest players throughout his career. "

 

[Copernicus]

James Kelly would be the one I'd think of if we had to have someone step up in the near term. He is a great tackler and very hard at the ball. I think he would make a great tagger and obviously he knows how to find it as well. He has all the attributes of a good tagger, and he has great endurance too.

In the long-term I think Hogan would probably do well as a tagger. He also knows how to find the ball and he has the build and the tank to go with an elite midfielder. At the moment he is probably not quite big enough, but given a few years I reckon he'd be up to it. Djerkurra would probably be one to give some thought to as well. From what little I know of Ranga he seems to be more of an inside mid than a tagger type. I know the two are closely related but he'd probably be a better creator than stopper. Perhaps someone who has seen more of him could comment.

 

[Gladbaqs]

Wow. I thought I was the only person who had this idea. I've watched the last three Grand Finals with a cousin of the Selwoods and I've been saying that Troy would be a good Ling back-up and is three years younger. We'd get him for nothing. His stocks aren't high and he's out of contract this year.

However, I think it's unlikely to happen for a few reasons.
1) I doubt Ling is ready to hang up the boots
2) Geelong is always more keen to draft than trade - a remarkably successful strategy
3) Brian Cook says Geelong has an official policy to not take on players who are unlikely to reach 100 games at the Cats. Heard him say so on SEN last year.

So from within I'd be interested to know if Taylor Hunt fits the bill? Does he have a big engine?

 

[witsend]

I think once Ling goes, that will be it it for the run-with role which he pretty much defined. We'll just head to head and if a player starts to dominate, just ask our guy to be more defensive minded.
Ling is a one off imo.

 

[Brasil2007]

I think once Ling goes, that will be it it for the run-with role which he pretty much defined. We'll just head to head and if a player starts to dominate, just ask our guy to be more defensive minded.
Ling is a one off imo.

You're possibly right but I do wonder if it's a coincidence that both of last year's grand finalists have a run with player. Although as I've said earlier it's a bit of a luxury you can really only afford if you've got a bunch of other players to throw through your midfield.

 

[vinum coupe]

You have to have a run with player of some type.

I don't think Kelly is it, I think he gets lost in traffic.

Maybe it could be one of Laidler, T Hunt, Drum, Hogan, DJ.
Enright could do it, but he's too valuable elsewhere.

 

[DanA]

I think we'll have to find someone in the draft. We don't have the player on the list at the moment. Bartel and Kelly have shown they can do it as part timers but a dedicated tagger....Lings the only one at the club.

I'd like us to draft Ling's aprentice either this year or next. I'd probably rather a KP defender for now though but it's definately something we need to address soon. Lings still got 2 possibly 3 years in him and I'd like him to take a player under the wing soon.