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I've been pleasantly surprised by how many significantly taller players he has been able to spoil, especially around the ground. That takes impeccable timing when you're giving away that much physical advantage.This is the point. Any small Backman can be isolated. Many of the examples of him being out marked would have been the same result for any of our smaller defenders. Against Mason Cox even Cordy looks like a mouse.
He isn’t that he is playing on a larger defender it is just he has elite endurance and reads the play better than most so anticipates and gets to the open player faster. If he doesn’t go it is a mark on an open player with no pressure - any other small Backman (and we do need some) would struggle also. He just has that jack Russell “go any animal no matter the size”. He has also really improved his tackling and is he can keep that going he keeps the pressure on.
We used to talk about JJ more in this way - still happens but focus is on Caleb. Defensively he is rarely beaten by even medium sized forwards in the air.
And now we have teams tagging him - not bad for a player many want to drop or move to a different role.
I can’t recall a game we lose because of his height or even him playing a stinker. But I can recall many games he was in the bests and cut the opposition up.
This is the point. Any small Backman can be isolated. Many of the examples of him being out marked would have been the same result for any of our smaller defenders. Against Mason Cox even Cordy looks like a mouse.
He isn’t that he is playing on a larger defender it is just he has elite endurance and reads the play better than most so anticipates and gets to the open player faster. If he doesn’t go it is a mark on an open player with no pressure - any other small Backman (and we do need some) would struggle also. He just has that jack Russell “go any animal no matter the size”. He has also really improved his tackling and is he can keep that going he keeps the pressure on.
We used to talk about JJ more in this way - still happens but focus is on Caleb. Defensively he is rarely beaten by even medium sized forwards in the air.
And now we have teams tagging him - not bad for a player many want to drop or move to a different role.
I can’t recall a game we lose because of his height or even him playing a stinker. But I can recall many games he was in the bests and cut the opposition up.
Honest question
Can you recall many games where he plays really well when we lose?
It's hard to get Brownlow votes in losing teams, but Caleb did it 3 times last year alone, vs North, West Coast and Collingwood. Racked up 29, 34 & 35 possessions in those games.Honest question
Can you recall many games where he plays really well when we lose?
It's hard to get Brownlow votes in losing teams, but Caleb did it 3 times last year alone, vs North, West Coast and Collingwood. Racked up 29, 34 & 35 possessions in those games.
You don't think he's improved markedly this year MD? I have struggled with him in the role in the past too.Funny how this thread goes silent when we lose
lol well Caleb was ok last night but some of you rate games on one single stats of possessions with zero context so keep thinking he is going to help us contend at HB while I will continue to doubt it.
Great call IM, he’s definitely improved his core strength and is a lot harder to move off the ball and embraces contact.. Not sure the defensive liability argument stacks up any more tbh, every team has a balance of defensive and attacking players in there defence. I’d have him in my backline before Saad, McKenna or Fantasia just saying...You don't think he's improved markedly this year MD? I have struggled with him in the role in the past too.
I think he's definitely been better with his defensive nous and core strength. He's much harder to brush aside and players genuinely struggle to move him when he's over the ball. Even his kickouts tend to be smarter with him playing on to get more meters more often than not also.
You don't think he's improved markedly this year MD? I have struggled with him in the role in the past too.
I think he's definitely been better with his defensive nous and core strength. He's much harder to brush aside and players genuinely struggle to move him when he's over the ball. Even his kickouts tend to be smarter with him playing on to get more meters more often than not also.
Far enough. Well reasoned post.I’ve never actually said he isn’t good at the role he plays when we win. Never said he isn’t a handy footballer that shouldn’t be in the team.
And honestly I’m not sure if he has improved or it’s the team improving IN SOME GAMES that helps him. In our losses this year he had been poor(as everyone has) and I still don’t think he will work in the backline against the better teams and nothing this year has changed that opinion. They stretch us and he is near useless when isolated.
His tackling has definitely improved but when I see a couple efforts in the Carlton game where he basically gave up a contested mark without trying Ir enforces my opinion.
Hopefully Duryea comes back in and Caleb can play a link role from half way to forwards that we really do lack And I think he would be far more use to a successful finals team
His name is The Mop at our place. Soaks up all the spills
Dunno if we are watching the same player, he’s one of my favs and a top 5 player on our list imo, ball use eliteNot my favourite on our list but he was bloody good today! Kudos to him - his reading of the play was just elite
Dunno if we are watching the same player, he’s one of my favs and a top 5 player on our list imo, ball use elite