Rumour Taylor Walker dropped (Mark Riccuito)

[cmndstab]

Malcolm Blight said almost exactly the same thing.

Brown's fitness has always been his biggest issue though. He's a huge man, an enormous presence, but he simply can't run the whole match. Fortunately, he's smart enough, and has been given enough freedom, to run when it's the right time to run, and he's become a fantastic player as a result.


Fitness is not a weakness of Walker's - it's one of his greatest strengths! This guy finishes training sessions the same pace he started them. He can run all day long, he just chooses not to.

 

[King Elvis]

He is a lead up forward. Not a great contested mark, but a good crumber.



So i would randomly say 1. give him plenty of space, and know how to play it to his advantage (in front, run onto it). Or secondly, just stick him next to Tippo and see if they can get a combo going (Tex lead, retrace, crumb tippo)

Has this occured much this season? I can't say I have the most astute memory.

This is a large part of the problem, IMO.

Walker doesn't work hard enough on the lead.

What he does do, is 'lead' to wherever Tippett already is, wait for Kurt to make a contest, then try and get a cheap crumbing goal.

Problem is, Tippett is already almost always being double teamed, so Walker drags his opponent over, doesn't actually contest the mark, so it's Kurt vs 3; and then Walker doesn't chase or tackle anywhere near hard enough, so the 3 opponents move the ball out with ease.

It's probably the thing that's pissing me off the most about Walker this year (aside from him being soft), he's not leading anywhere near enough; he's just hanging around trying to get cheap goals.

Put him back in the side, and tell him you don't want him and Tippett leading to the same spot at all; if Walker goes left, Kurt goes right; if Tippett sits in the goal square, Walker leads away from him.

It's bloody simple, but they aren't doing it.

I agree that Walker is primarily a lead-up forward, but he isn't playing like one.

We have two incredibly dangerous forwards, but, at the moment, Tippett is the only one playing like it.

If Walker was doing what he should be doing, they'd both kick a hell of a lot more goals - as it is, the zoning (Bassett) type defender from the other side isn't being forced to decide whether to cover Tex/Tip more; he's going to Tippett everytime because that's where Walker will be as well.

Once Walker's made 2 maybe 3 leads.

He isn't doing this anywhere near enough to start with.

I never thought he'd go to GWS, and I'm hopeful he hasn't, but the reality is, forget about him being dropped, he's playing like a guy who is worried about getting hurt, and whose heart isn't in it.

 

[Cap]

in all seriousness - if the clubs issues are with the level of leading Walker does and their direction then that is probably a fair call.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I never thought he'd go to GWS, and I'm hopeful he hasn't, but the reality is, forget about him being dropped, he's playing like a guy who is worried about getting hurt, and whose heart isn't in it.

And he's our leading goal kicker

We're a good team.

 

[King Elvis]

And he's our leading goal kicker

We're a good team.

We're pretty s**t

Tippett has clearly been our best performed forward, even with his restricted pre-season and slow start to the year.

Hendo is a shadow of himself.

Knights is slowly but surely getting his mojo back.

SMcK is a very exciting work in progress, but half ruckman.

Porps


Cap - Are you happy with the intensity, frequency and 'direction' of Walker's leads this year? Maybe I'm only remembering the ones that have frustrated me.

 

[A FEW GOOD MEN]

great post - our midfield/delivery is our biggest problem


who will be counting Gunston's tackles this week?

As I said last Friday, I would.

16 possessions, 8 contested. 5 tackles, 23 pressure acts.

Taylor was not dropped purely for the low tackle count. If you are going to play three key forwards they have to take contested marks. Has anyone (except the coaching panel) been counting how many of Taylor's goals come from contested marks?

Taylor has to not only take some contested marks (refer Jack Darling) but at least get to the contest and bring the ball to ground (refer Kurt Tippett). He has to keep leading for the ball to create space in the forward line if he is not the best option. He has to take the mark on the lead if someone is breathing down his neck (refer Jack Gunston's goal) and he has to work his bum off putting the pressure on the opposition running the ball out of our forwardline (refer Kurt Tippett's run from full forward to the wing on Saturday)

It's great watching a 6 foot 4 inch, 98 Kg forward taking handball receives in the goal square and putting on a baulking display or taking a handball receive in the forward pocket and snapping a beauty over his head but if TW wants to play like a crumbing forward he needs to be a tackling machine.

Jack Gunston may be found wanting against Collingwood but I will be astounded if TW comes in this week. With our luck with injuries his chance will come soon enough.

 

[TheTonic]

Jack Gunston may be found wanting against Collingwood but I will be astounded if TW comes in this week. With our luck with injuries his chance will come soon enough.

Jack probably will struggle... he's still not physically developed yet but his game on the weekend wasn't bad.

I will be ASTOUNDED if TW comes back this week to the point I'd almost wager a guarantee it wont happen. It'll take at least a couple of hands dirty type efforts in the SANFL before he'll be rewarded an AFL game.

Added to this.. the fact we are playing Collingwood... Heath Shaw and Harry O'Brian types will eat him for breakfast on the rebound.

 

[King Elvis]

I thought Gunston was pretty damned good; few older (60+) guys around me were bloody impressed too, just had to tell them his name

For mine, he stays before Hendo at present.

 

[Boundryump]

Why don't the tight ar$e crows give Carey a call and get him to do abit of one on one training with Taylor and our forwards, would invaluable to their development.

 

[Allefgib]

Why don't the tight ar$e crows give Carey a call and get him to do abit of one on one training with Taylor and our forwards, would invaluable to their development.

Like it.

 

[juice]

Why don't the tight ar$e crows give Carey a call and get him to do abit of one on one training with Taylor and our forwards, would invaluable to their development.

Hopefully because the tight ar$e Crows are saving their penny's for Paul Roos!!!

 

[macca23]

Why don't the tight ar$e crows give Carey a call and get him to do abit of one on one training with Taylor and our forwards, would invaluable to their development.

Collingwood have already tried that one.

Didn't turn out as they'd hoped and only lasted 1 season off memory.

 

[jenny61_99]

You can't teach natural genius though. Same with Darren Jarman. Hard to impart that which comes instinctively.

 

[Slippery Pete]

You can't teach natural genius though. Same with Darren Jarman. Hard to impart that which comes instinctively.

This I agree with.

As unbelievable as Carey was, he's admitted in retirement that he's not a great student of the game.

 

[Pariah]

Why don't the tight ar$e crows give Carey a call and get him to do abit of one on one training with Taylor and our forwards, would invaluable to their development.

Love it. When he was here as a player he helped develop Rutten and Bock into the players they are today.

 

[Lawrst]

Love it. When he was here as a player he helped develop Rutten and Bock into the players they are today.

Probably because he was telling them what the best defenders were doing on him. SO a defender is who we should bring in to teach Walker by that logic.

 

[Pariah]

Probably because he was telling them what the best defenders were doing on him. SO a defender is who we should bring in to teach Walker by that logic.

Back then it was unclear wheather Truck or Bock were going to be forwards or defenders.
We don't need to bring in a defender to teach Walker because we have Truck at the club who could help him and Hound teaches him at Norwood. He has Ben Hart at the club as well.

 

[Lawrst]

Back then it was unclear wheather Truck or Bock were going to be forwards or defenders.
We don't need to bring in a defender to teach Walker because we have Truck at the club who could help him and Hound teaches him at Norwood. He has Ben Hart at the club as well.

Yet he still can't defend