News Tex In the Middle?

[thylacine60]

Carlton's Andrew Walker may go the centre in 2012

TWELVE months ago Andrew Walker resurrected his career at Carlton by hatching a plan to re-invent himself as a forward.

This summer the possibility of another positional switch may take his game to the next level.
Carlton's leading goalkicker in 2011 could be headed for more game time in the midfield.
Blues forwards coach John Barker yesterday paid tribute to the way Walker, 25, had produced his best season last year, an admirable response to having been offered as trade bait at the end of 2010.
"I think everyone knows he's a hard worker," Barker said.
"But he was super-diligent in how he went about playing to instruction last year. He knew he had a role to play and once he worked out how he could be an effective forward, by using that massive tank of his, he knuckled down and gave us some great footy.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...e-centre-in-2012/story-e6frf9jf-1226255790020

 

[blues4flag]

Don't think he made it further than the goal square in the game simulation today. No doubt he'll spend time up the ground as he did last season but would be surprised if he doesn't play predominantly up forward.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

I'll be happy with Walks spending a lot of time in the midfield. He has fantastic ball handling skills and is super strong. He could easily be that extra inside mid we need at the stoppages.

I know people will be wary of taking him away from the forward line but we need midfielders that kick goals as well, and Gibbs is a difficult matchup himself. Only problem is whether we need Gibbs' vision and disposal in the middle rather than him being the last link in the chain.

We have options.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

T-60,

Headline chaser. Your better than this.

Way better.

 

[Salaryman]

Was just wondering if Thylinkacine was gunning for Aphrolinky?

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

T-60,

Headline chaser. Your better than this.

Way better.

Fair go Stig O'Numbers, you know he is painfully shy. Don't make him retreat back into his shell.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Was just wondering if Thylinkacine was gunning for Aphrolinky?

The man is a giant, no doubt,
self doubt with his writing, is a given ,
he's very quick

 

[thylacine60]

The world has a right to know...

 

[Stig O'Hara]

The world has a right to know...

No more gay stuff.

 

[thylacine60]

Hear that, Numbers - strictly footy from now on...

 

[blues4flag]

This Stig fella is numbers?

 

[blues4flag]

I'll be happy with Walks spending a lot of time in the midfield. He has fantastic ball handling skills and is super strong. He could easily be that extra inside mid we need at the stoppages.

I know people will be wary of taking him away from the forward line but we need midfielders that kick goals as well, and Gibbs is a difficult matchup himself. Only problem is whether we need Gibbs' vision and disposal in the middle rather than him being the last link in the chain.

We have options.

Is he super strong? He's certainly never been a bash and crash player and for somebody of his physique, his tackling ability is some what lacking. The latter could be attributed to lack of confidence in his shoulders though, as I noticed an improvement in 2011.

 

[zeeCFC]

No more gay stuff.

I'm sorry, what? I'm lost in Ryan Gosling's eyes

 

[I bleed Blue]

Can't imagine him going into the midfield too much.

He was far too succesful up forward last season. He is looking really set in the forward line. Don't fix what isn't broken.

He may pinch hit in the middle here and there, to give a few players a chop out, but that would be about it I would imagine.

 

[Korn]

Don't like it.
The Eddie, Garlett, and Walker combo is just so hard to match up with for the opposition team's defense. We should stick with this formation.

 

[thylacine60]

Can't imagine him going into the midfield too much.

He was far too succesful up forward last season. He is looking really set in the forward line. Don't fix what isn't broken.

He may pinch hit in the middle here and there, to give a few players a chop out, but that would be about it I would imagine.

yes

Don't like it.
The Eddie, Garlett, and Walker combo is just so hard to match up with for the opposition team's defense. We should stick with this formation.

and yes

 

[Aphrodite]

Was just wondering if Thylinkacine was gunning for Aphrolinky?

The man is a giant, no doubt,
self doubt with his writing, is a given ,
he's very quick

I have been made redundant.

 

[Malifice]

Why is there no mention of his hat?

 

[audas]

Walker and Waite on each wing pushing forward into the fifty and kicking from there - Walker was nailing some massive goals from difficult angles last year, was his best feature. Waite can do the same. This is how I see them pushing into the middle.

Gibbs should do the same and become a center-center half forward.

So as you kick from the back fifty you look up and you see Walker on the left wing, Waite on the right and Gibbs in the Guts - if you are running from the back fifty you see the same blokes on the fifty arc pushing forward.

 

[T2B_]

I liked his role of '11: up forward but using his tank to push up the ground.

And in some games, we rested Juddy forward in the last quarter and chucked Walker into the guts, which also worked nicely IMO.

I doubt it will change too much.

 

[40yearBLUE]

Could be a fakey. A lot of it going around this time of year.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/s...youtube-trickery/story-e6frfg8x-1226255904229

Just sayin.

 

[gbatman]

I mentioned it somewhere a while back that I think Gibbs and Walker will be switching and rotating through the midfield/forward line. Looks like I was on the money. Having midfielders that can play other positions is such an asset, especially with the 3 man bench.

 

[Artie Bucco]

In the latter part of the season he did play as part of the midfield rotations and was silky smooth.

IIRC he was usually switched in the 3rd and 4th quarter and nobody could get near him. I would expect him to be added to the midfield rotation but he's far too valuable on a HFF for a permanent move.

 

[parrot]

He had several stints in the middle late in a few games last season, and was mostly outstanding when he did. He's got that rare blend of endurance and burst speed, plus he's big and is brilliant overhead. He was running off one-paced vanilla mids with ease. Definitely a nice little wildcard to have, but given his sensational work up forward it's very hard to move him from there. He could easily be a 70+ goal kicker at AFL level. Lots more upside from Walker. We've just touched the surface.

 

[I bleed Blue]

[/b]Not setting to pull one out of my hat, but some of the work I've seen has lead me to think that Betts may just be thrown in at times also.

What if we pull it out of Walkers hat?