Pressure on our Mids

[tubes]

I think our recruiting has been awesome in regards to our midfield.

there is going to be a huge ammount of pressure on blokes like Luke Backwell, Kade Simpson, Adam Bentick, Ryan Houlihan and to a certain degree Heath Scotland to perform to hold their spots in our team.

sure some of these guys can play off a flank, but IMO they will be working harder to get a run in the centre.
it can only be good for footy!
watch out for a hungry CFC next year.

in regards to richmond supporters, just lay off it. why cant we all just get along! jealousy doesnt go well with your yellow stripe.

 

[Blue Through and Through]

Yes, The recruiting has been good the last few years. It helps to have early picks. The midfield is certainly developing into a formidable force. I don't think there are any concerns about Kade Simpson holding his spot though, he is a class act.

 

[lopezz]

I think our recruiting has been awesome in regards to our midfield.

there is going to be a huge ammount of pressure on blokes like Luke Backwell, Kade Simpson, Adam Bentick, Ryan Houlihan and to a certain degree Heath Scotland to perform to hold their spots in our team.

sure some of these guys can play off a flank, but IMO they will be working harder to get a run in the centre.
it can only be good for footy!
watch out for a hungry CFC next year.

in regards to richmond supporters, just lay off it. why cant we all just get along! jealousy doesnt go well with your yellow stripe.

Think thats a bit harsh! Simpson's a gun, one of the most consistent players on our list, not to mention captain for four weeks this year. I don't see him under any pressure, especially as he is a wingman and our best ball carrier. Can't remember the last time Scotland finished outta the top ten in our B&F. he will, imo, start in the backline and be rotated.

But i do agree the pressure on most of our team now that there is real talent coming through and more quality senior players, is great and will only make us much better

 

[tubes]

fair enough, Kade is a great player(as are the others tho!). maybe not so much pressure on him!

THE HEAT IS ON!

 

[btdg]

I think the guy under the most pressure will be Scotland. He's a good but limited ball-winner, but he's not a particularly damaging player. Guys like Stevens, Judd, Gibbs, Murphy, Simpson and potentially Grigg have all shown the ability to carry the ball, break lines and deliver it well. Scotland gets touches, but doesn't do nearly as much with them. Carazzo is similar, but is a better extractor of the ball and has better defensive skills. Bentick provides physical pressure and is a great tackler, but was only a fringe player anyway and will probably stay there. Blackwell has only ever been a depth player for us.

Of the others, Russell, Walker and Houlihan have all shown a better ability to adapt to marginal (flanker) roles. Houlihan in particular should benefit from having less responsibility but more opportunity to be a damagin player (if, as many think, he goes forward).

Scotland has been great but I suspect he's only ever a good player on an average team. Might be worth a trade next year- probably worth a late first round pick and that might not be a bad get for him.

 

[Aussie Joe]

Houla can now go back to the forward line and pull the chainsaw out of retirement

 

[AndyWalkersGirl]

Houla can now go back to the forward line and pull the chainsaw out of retirement

Would love to see Houlihan back up forward. Come on Ratts, do it!

 

[HBF]

Houla can now go back to the forward line and pull the chainsaw out of retirement

Agreed. Houla should be played on a HFF, with stints on the ball.

 

[disconorman]

Let's not forget either Simmo's efforts as captain. I thought he stood up and played possibly his best 4 games of the year when he was captain. I wouldn't rule him out as full-time skipper next year - would be my choice.

I would also like to apologise to Simmo for the constant tirade of abuse I yelled in his direction during his first season - I feel very ashamed!

 

[SA Blue]

I think the guy under the most pressure will be Scotland. He's a good but limited ball-winner, but he's not a particularly damaging player. Guys like Stevens, Judd, Gibbs, Murphy, Simpson and potentially Grigg have all shown the ability to carry the ball, break lines and deliver it well. Scotland gets touches, but doesn't do nearly as much with them. Carazzo is similar, but is a better extractor of the ball and has better defensive skills. Bentick provides physical pressure and is a great tackler, but was only a fringe player anyway and will probably stay there. Blackwell has only ever been a depth player for us.

Of the others, Russell, Walker and Houlihan have all shown a better ability to adapt to marginal (flanker) roles. Houlihan in particular should benefit from having less responsibility but more opportunity to be a damagin player (if, as many think, he goes forward).

Scotland has been great but I suspect he's only ever a good player on an average team. Might be worth a trade next year- probably worth a late first round pick and that might not be a bad get for him.

Got to say I disagree. Scotland repeatedly breaks the lines and is one the best deliverers of the ball in the team.

 

[btdg]

I didn't say Scotland didn't break lines, its just that others do it better and do more with it. He's a good player, and I'm sure he'll continue to play good footy. Its just my belief that of all our current players, his role will be squeezed the most.

Interesting that almost every Carlton fan seems to be in agreement that Houlihan should be played as a forward. He's a talented footballer who is capable of the miraculous, who delivers the ball very well to targets and can dominate patches of games. Surely that makes him a natural half-forward flanker? It allows him to be a link-man, delivering the ball inside 50 where delivery is all-important (as opposed to defence, where you can just shank it into space on the wing and let your team-mate run onto it). And it allows him to really hurt the opposition in those rare patches where he gets 5 touches in 5 minutes. On the other hand, he has a horrific ability to make terrible errors, and can go missing at times - playing him defence was suicidal cos those lapses cost the team goals.

I don't understand why he was ever seen as a backman. But we'll see what happens round 1 2008

 

[Blue Dimension]

Got to say I disagree. Scotland repeatedly breaks the lines and is one the best deliverers of the ball in the team.

I totally disagree also. Scotland is a general at half back, and is superb for us out of defense. Pin point passes when under the pump. He aint going anywhere i can honestly say that now.

Is it just expected that Andrew Walker and several others with disposal issues will completely wipe that out of their game next year? As much as i'd like that to happen, i'm a realist and understand that it is unlikely. Scotland is very valuable to the Carlton team and vastly underrated.

 

[Pred_ator]

I totally disagree also. Scotland is a general at half back, and is superb for us out of defense. Pin point passes when under the pump. He aint going anywhere i can honestly say that now.

Is it just expected that Andrew Walker and several others with disposal issues will completely wipe that out of their game next year? As much as i'd like that to happen, i'm a realist and understand that it is unlikely. Scotland is very valuable to the Carlton team and vastly underrated.

Disposal issues, Andrew Walkers disposal efficiency is 78% similar to Garry Ablett Jnr's which is 77%,IMO I don't see any problem watching Walker spray a few while kicking at full tilt. I expect Andrew Carrazzo and Heath Scotland's efficiency will improve in 2008 due to several factors -training standards rising (Judd/Stevo influence)
-more competition for positions
-confidence building in a more competitive and successfull side
-Ratten's Coaching
-Increased pressure from our back line and across every line for that matter.

 

[audas]

the maligning of Andrew Walker is for friggen nuff nuffs. Streaight up and down, dish him, and you know shit. No buts or ifs.

Slighting heath scotland, similarly wreaks of well intentioned, but misplaced, stupidity.

And anyone who doesn't understand Houlihan needs to spend time in the room of mirrors.

Some of the worst, yet well responded, posts on this site.

Nothing wrong with having a good hard look at your views and why you have them.

 

[gandaal]

Lets take off the rose tinted glasses people. Andrew Walker has disposal issues by foot and he's been very disappointing so far given his talent. That's not entirely his fault, the club has managed him poorly and should've went out of its way to correct his kicking issues early into his career. I hope there's a coach at the club who's been given the responsiblity of working with Walker to correct this issue and help him work on his overall game because he's close to the most important player on our list.

 

[HBF]

Lets take off the rose tinted glasses people. Andrew Walker has disposal issues by foot and he's been very disappointing so far given his talent. That's not entirely his fault, the club has managed him poorly and should've went out of its way to correct his kicking issues early into his career. I hope there's a coach at the club who's been given the responsiblity of working with Walker to correct this issue and help him work on his overall game because he's close to the most important player on our list.

I was talking to someone recently at the U18 final series, and he was scouting when Walker was drafted. He said that Walks had 2 issues that kinda "ducktail" into one another:

1. When he is under pressure, he doesn't make the right decsions with his disposal and

2. Can then turn the ball over too easily once the pressure is applied.

When you think about it, when Walks is flying through the midfield with minimal pressure, he hits his target more often than not. When the pressure is on, he misses more often that not.

Having Stevens, Judd and Hadley in the team will help this, and the other thing will be the continued coaching and development of him, which should see him continue to improve in 2008. I still think that his best position is on the wing, where he can use his pace, agility and athletisism to great effect.

 

[SA Blue]

Lets take off the rose tinted glasses people. Andrew Walker has disposal issues by foot and he's been very disappointing so far given his talent. That's not entirely his fault, the club has managed him poorly and should've went out of its way to correct his kicking issues early into his career. I hope there's a coach at the club who's been given the responsiblity of working with Walker to correct this issue and help him work on his overall game because he's close to the most important player on our list.

Interesting then that his disposal efficiency is higher than Ablett's. That empirical evidence, not rose coloured glasses.

For me, the issue is, his 22% inefficient is very bad.

 

[gandaal]

Interesting then that his disposal efficiency is higher than Ablett's. That empirical evidence, not rose coloured glasses.

For me, the issue is, his 22% inefficient is very bad.

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Where does Ablett get his footy compared to Walker?

Who's getting tagged and who isn't?

What kind of pressure are they both under when they make any mistakes?

ect ect ect.

 

[Shangalang]

I was talking to someone recently at the U18 final series, and he was scouting when Walker was drafted. He said that Walks had 2 issues that kinda "ducktail" into one another:

1. When he is under pressure, he doesn't make the right decsions with his disposal and

2. Can then turn the ball over too easily once the pressure is applied.

When you think about it, when Walks is flying through the midfield with minimal pressure, he hits his target more often than not. When the pressure is on, he misses more often that not.

Having Stevens, Judd and Hadley in the team will help this, and the other thing will be the continued coaching and development of him, which should see him continue to improve in 2008. I still think that his best position is on the wing, where he can use his pace, agility and athletisism to great effect.

What a revelation that is, don't you think any player flying through the midifield with no pressure at AFL level will hit a target more often or not. And similarly insert any player in the AFL for Walks when under pressure will miss target more often than not. That is why coaches and backmen are always preaching the virtures of having mids who can work both ways and apply the necessary pressure or else you get cut to ribbons - i.e Browny kicks 10 against Carlton at the gabba in Pagans last game - simply because all the pressure skills went and Lappin, B;ack POwer and go served up to JB on a platter. So well done mate on stating the obvious !!!!