The Big D

[95&eyenoit]

Its fantastic what the club has achieved with such unenviable draft restrictions, but at the risk boring one and all by of repeating a common held fear .... "WHAT ABOUT OUR DEFENSE"

It would be awfully tragic if we continued to get beaten next year with the excuse moved from the lack of depth in the midfield, to the lack of depth in defense.... I can almost see Pagan at the post-match press conference now lamenting his powerlessness!

Dont get me wrong, the team is looking very exciting

 

[Grover]

our defense is struggling but really we are only one player short down there. all we need is one more KPP.
Thornton will be a brillaint FB or CHB, then we have the likes of norman, sporn, wiggins, teague, lappin (if he plays down there) and a few others.

so really if we get a good CHB it isnt looking as bad as what people think in my opinion

 

[koutawalker]

Brad Seymour is still available in the PSD si maybe if hes still arond well grab him which gives us some muche needed experience in defence.

 

[Chemical]

or maybe we can bring back mansfield or manton?? screw old players, go for youth

 

[koutawalker]

We shouldn't have traded beauy. He took 107 marks only 5 of Fevaulenko who took 112 and was our leading mark taker. He wasn't one of our worst players in defence either.

 

[Grover]

i dont think it was our choce to trade him, from what i read it seems like it was his decision to leave

 

[Effes]

CHB = Karl Norman.....hopefully he'll be eased into the position next season (after growing 3-4cm to stand at 193cm....with considerable muscle growth on his shoulders....that....combined with those telescopic arms....should see Mr Norman suprise a lot of people next year

Go Stormin!!!

 

[bluesforever]

That's the best idea, have Normal your CHB, he's the perfect size for the job

 

[koutawalker]

I've got it! How about trying Lote Tuqiri. Hes 191cm and weighs 103kg and still has a good leap and is super quick. He could match it with the likes of Brown and it will give Norman a bit more time to mature.

 

[BluesPrez]

Tuqiri...pfft...he'll get more money playing union...he's a gun alright...

Norman at CHB for mine. We're short a tall but that should be fixed up in the rookie draft.

Beaumont was a dissenter koutawalker...if he wasn't traded he would have been delisted, I have that on good authority. Even though he had a year to go on his contract, he would have been paid out rather than kept.

 

[HBF]

I've been saying this for ages, play Kouta and CHB. This could potentially give us the backline of:

BACKS: Teague Thornton Wiggins
H-BACKS: Norman Kouta Lappin

This adds some experience to a very very young backline.

Our midfiled depth has been addressed now, with the possibilities of rotating the following: Camporeale, Stevens, Hulme, Houlihan, Waite, Scotland, McGrath, Johnson, Clark, Harford and McCormick.

Please, any comments??

 

[BluesPrez]

Don't want Kouta at CHB, wasted there. We saw that in the Port game, he played a kick behind play and only had 3 possessions til about half time. We need Kouta playing what he does best just roaming around with the ball in one hand not playing on the best CHF's in the league.

 

[HBF]

BluesPrez, then who would you play on?:

Tredrea
Hird
Brown
Tarrant
Richardson
Riewoldt
Grant - should he play CHF
Carey/Stevens
Holland/Thompson
Goodes - should he play CHB

 

[BluesPrez]

Norman.

He has the body, he is just inexperienced, he has more natural talent than Livingston, is more athletic, has more poise and the footy smarts are better.

Playing Kouta on Tredrea, Tarrant etc. will just restrict our best ball-winner. What's the point of playing Kouta at CHB when he won't get the ball there. Plan A - get the ball, then worry about plan B. You could name Kouta at CHB but he wouldn't play there. Kouta is an offensive weapon...force opposition sides to match up on him rather than use him to match up on other teams' players. If I was an opposition coach, if Kouta was at CHB, I'd play through him or take him to the goalsquare. You start him in midfield and he gets a midfield tag who Kouta drags to the goalsquare...which would you rather? Kouta in our attacking goalsquare or Kouta in the opposition goalsquare?

 

[HBF]

BluesPrez, I appreciate the reply..

Agree with what you have said, other than I don't think Norman has the experience to go with the players I have mentioned. I'm sure he'll end up being a good player, but its hard to expect a second year player who has only played a handful of games to line up on some of the games best players.

I really believe that with the depth and talent we have through the midfield now, we can use Kouta in other areas.

Maybe we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[95&eyenoit]

I have to agree with Huge on the Kouta CHB. We need experience and talent down there in defense and Kouta reeks of both....and unfortunately there is no else that has both attributes (experience and talent) down there in D.

Norman will mature and hopefully prove to be a star but as yet the better players in the comp have run rings around him.

 

[Blue Fury]

Kouta is best in the centre, will give us first use again next year but unlike 2003 he will have someone to give it to in 2004.

Must persist will Norman and Livo at CHB, and maybe Prender if he doesn’t injury himself?

 

[Jimmae]

I think there's a possibility of a three-way rotation with Kouta, Norman and Prendergast.

Kouta when resting from the midfield (if necessary) and then Prender goes into the midfield and Norman takes the flank.

Kouta goes back into the mix and there's a rotation between Norman and Prender off the flank.

Livingston I can't see there... I think just by the look of his physique and the way he moves on occassion with a bit of work he could be a Wanganeen type... minus the midfield usage. That'd be really handy as it would be like having a short-ass S.O.S. nothing wrong with a bit of defensive nugget.

 

[Blue Fury]

The backline is our achillis heal next season. Key position players need time, we have 3 candidates. Thornton looks the goods, it’s now up to the other 2 blokes to prove that they are AFL footballers.

Livo cops it hard. Replacing the greatest full back of all time, Livo has huge boots to fill. We at times ask too much of the young blokes.

Midfielders from the under 18 level adapt quickly as their speed and body shapes are almost there, whereas young KPP face huge men when they reach AFL level, hence at18-20 most young kids aren’t physically developed to take on the Tredrea’s, Brown’s and Neitz etc of the AFL.

The young blokes have been there a couple of years now, there are no more excuses it’s now time to deliver.

 

[Jimmae]

Originally posted by Blue Fury
whereas young KPP face huge men when they reach AFL level, hence at18-20 most young kids aren’t physically developed to take on the Tredrea’s, Brown’s and Neitz etc of the AFL.

The young blokes have been there a couple of years now, there are no more excuses it’s now time to deliver.

I could bloody take on Treadrea... no bloody heart most of the time.

Have you seen him celebrate goals? I put him down for the "Most Likely to Create the AFL Equivalent of the Touchdown Dance Because He's So Up Himself" Award

EDIT: Talked in circles.. less alcohol... more sleep

 

[Blue Fury]

Jimmae very funny.

Your right Tredreas antics can be annoying at times but he has a presence in the forward line and gives them a target, he is a man mountain.

By the way there are a couple at Port who love a good celebration Cornes is another I think?

 

[redskins]

although Norman will be a good option in defence, i think we should let the kid develop a bit more...he should be used as our third option in defense...thornton obviously commands the number 1 forward and i acually think Digby Morrell can be used at CHB....

He has the height and strength to go with a lot of the CHF's going around....i know this is a bit left field but think about it, why did we recruit him??? our forward line is in decent shape with Fev, Lance, Angwin etc...

Thoughts please

 

[SMOO]

CHB

Ok we have an abundance of midfielders, but with koutas stats from last year, why would we want him anywhere but feeding the ball out to a stevens. Nope kouta stays, norman for CHB

 

[Captain Carlton]

No way can we play Kouta CHB. This will be his first full pre season in 3-4 years and after leading the AFL in hard ball gets and was our leading tackler and had the most disposals will be needed in the centre. Norman was impressive who earned all his games this year. Maybe rotate the position with Norman, Whitnall, Morrell and Prendergast. Or maybe a Darren Hulme, Stephen Kenna or Brett Johnson would be used on Brown, Tredrea or Tarrant.

 

[Jimmae]

Originally posted by Captain Carlton
Or maybe a Darren Hulme, Stephen Kenna or Brett Johnson would be used on Brown, Tredrea or Tarrant.

Are you calling Hulme a thug/soft/pretty boy? HOW DARE YOU!