Where should Lance play in 2006?

bluesfan

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Thread starter #1
I am interested in seeing your thoughts on this issue. Lance Whitnall. Where should he play? Up forward or down back? He was often asked to fill the holes down back when injuries to our key posi defenders took toll. Lance did extremely well down back considering the circumstances and for his efforts he finished 3rd in the John Nicholls Best & Fairest Award.
I think he does well down back and he can read the play better, which means he just takes control of the half-backline making it into a brick wall where the opposition his being forced to kick to him every time. He's also very good up forward cause he brings his teammates into the game. He moves up the ground (as a normal CHF does) and he kicks the ball into space forcing the Carlton forwards to meet to the ball. That is the beauty of Lance Whitnall, he brings players into the game whether he's playing up forward, down back or even a bit of both.
I would like to see Lance Whitnall play up forward in 2006 and then at near the end of each quarter, drift down back to fill a hole and put that brick wall up so the opposition doesn't score. That was exactly what he did in the Wizard Home Loans Cup Competition for 2005 and I would like to see that happening in the NAB Cup as well as the AFL premiership season for 2006.
Any thoughts?
 

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deluxeman

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#2
He doesn't have the endurance to play forward all the time yet he is too valuable and being paid too much to be a loose man in defence.

I believe he should be played in the forward line for as long as his endurance can hold up. He will never recapture his from of 2000 but at the very least he'll take the 2nd best defender from the opposing club and enable guys like Waite, Fisher amd O'Halphin to expose the opposing teams defence.

He needs to get into shape as a salary of 350-400k does not warrant him playing the easy role of loose man in defence.
 

bibi01

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#3
play him in the fwd line, he is smart and creative, as long as our midfield get the ball into the fwd 50 quicky and efficiently then lance can be damaging.
lance is good at out smarting his opponent and if he is in the fwd line and the opposition pay him no respect his is going to kick 3 goals in a quarter, as a min he is taking the oppositions 2ns best defender

losse man in defence can be played by anyone, you don't need to be a KPP

as for endurance to play fwd line. IMO and experience playing footy you don't need more endurance playing in the fwd line than in the back line.

lets not forget lance is only 26, most players peak at this age (except chris judd) if lance gets through pre-season with out injury and knuckles down and the carlton midfield can hold their own there is no reson why lance can not re capture his form of a few years back.
 

Stig O'Hara

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#4
bibi01 said:
play him in the fwd line, he is smart and creative, as long as our midfield get the ball into the fwd 50 quicky and efficiently then lance can be damaging.
lance is good at out smarting his opponent and if he is in the fwd line and the opposition pay him no respect his is going to kick 3 goals in a quarter, as a min he is taking the oppositions 2ns best defender

losse man in defence can be played by anyone, you don't need to be a KPP

as for endurance to play fwd line. IMO and experience playing footy you don't need more endurance playing in the fwd line than in the back line.

lets not forget lance is only 26, most players peak at this age (except chris judd) if lance gets through pre-season with out injury and knuckles down and the carlton midfield can hold their own there is no reson why lance can not re capture his form of a few years back.
Well said.
 

av76

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#5
I think while we are struggling we might need Lance back to provide structure. Lance did a fantastic job last year and fills gaps better than anyone else and has the body to spoil even the biggest forwards in a pack situation. I would like to see the following

HB: Walker Saddington Whitnall
FB: Carazzo Thornton Livingston(tall)/Russell(smalls)

Saddington is mobile and big enough to take the tall fast HFs and Lance can help out when pack forms. Until the kids develop (e.g. Hartlett, O'Hailpin, Bower etc) I think we should play Lance in defence and make sure our backline is competitive. I think the above would be pretty competitive as would be the forward line...just need a few more midfielders to emerge.
 

WTTF

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#6
He has to play forward. I think his performance in defense last year was over-rated. I hope it was a stop gap measure. Sure he zones of well and takes a few good marks, but he cannot man up or keep up with his direct opponent.

This really hurt us in a few games. Croad & Sav Rocca spring to mind as guys who really made Whitnall pay for zoning off last year.

He needs to deliver more than he has the past few seasons, and he needs to get back to playing he best as a forward.
 

Silvagnis

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#7
WTTF said:
Croad & Sav Rocca spring to mind as guys who really made Whitnall pay for zoning off last year.
Remember Lance's game against Pavlich?:(


I'd definitely play him up forward now that we've got Saddington on board to help out our under-sized defence and Hartlett may debut in defence since his form on the track has been exceptional. :)

I still think Lance will struggle up forward to influence games like Pavlich, Brown or Riewoldt can and he should, but he'l be more dangerous as the second or even third tall forward alongside a fit Fevola, Deluca and Fisher.

Houlihan also should be played alongside Lance where he is more dangerous and suited to playing with his footskills.

Hopefully Livo, Saddington and Thornton can stay injury free and Hartlett develops so we don't have to rob Peter to Paul as often as this year.;)
 

stokesy

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#8
Start him up forward at the beginning of the season with the hope of playing him there all year.

However if Saddington/Livingston/Thornton went down with injury, then I would carefully think about placing him in the back line.
 
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lance should play in the forward line

he cannoth however play chf anymore. simple as that.

him and fev should alternate leading out of the square and in the forward pocket.
 

Ysaye

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#11
I'd have him at CHB, if only because he adds some experience down there, and it gives Waite (And possibly Kennedy as well) a better chance to develop and expand his game.

CHB is probably not his best position, but for the sake of the team I think that is where they most need him.
 

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#12
In the backline somewhere.

Livingstone has has shown nothing and Saddo is coming off an injury... I think Lance will play a lot in defence and then switched to attack when needed..

Who really know .. can't wait till round one, i'm desperate for SOME kind of footy!
 

C4[2]Yo`DooR

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#13
Keep him in the backline we have more than enough of our share of potent forwards

Fevola, Waite, Fisher, Betts, O'hAilpin, Deluca, Longmuir, Lappin etc
 

WTTF

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#15
C4[2]Yo`DooR said:
Keep him in the backline we have more than enough of our share of potent forwards

Fevola, Waite, Fisher, Betts, O'hAilpin, Deluca, Longmuir, Lappin etc
DeLuca, O'hailpin & Longmuir haven't proved they are up to AFL standard week in week out yet, so i think it's a bit premature to be calling them potent forwards.
 

av76

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#16
C4[2]Yo`DooR said:
Keep him in the backline we have more than enough of our share of potent forwards

Fevola, Waite, Fisher, Betts, O'hAilpin, Deluca, Longmuir, Lappin etc
Yeah...
With Lance playing down back we could still have

HF: Lappin Waite Houlihan (or O'Hailpin as tall fast crash and basher)
F: Fisher Fevola Betts

Not too shabby at all. Would like to see Lappin and Houlihan in the forward line again.
 

Blue70

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#17
WTTF said:
DeLuca, O'hailpin & Longmuir haven't proved they are up to AFL standard week in week out yet, so i think it's a bit premature to be calling them potent forwards.
Yeah I have to agree here. Deluca has shown that he has the potential to be a very handy tall in the forward line but I dont think he will be the star that we need.

O'Hailpin could also can be very handy but just lacks the experience and polish. Hopefully over the next few years he will improve in this area, howeve I think his best option is to be played in the ruck where he has the freedom to be a little creative, he is also very agile for a 200cm player and has a good competitive nature, we could do with that around the ground.

Longmuir I have my doubts as to whether he is going to make it. He is definately not a permanent forward in my view (not many players his size are) and I think would be more value playing on a wing and rotating through half forward providing he developed the fitness base and accountability to his game. He has exceptional skills so would be of great advantage if he could play this role - otherwise I think his time will be up at the end of the year.

In saying all this I think we really need to build our forward line around Fevola, Waite and Fisher as the key talls, with Kennedy to be groomed over the next couple of years. I think Betts will slot in there nicely but I also think he will need to be able to have spurts in the midfield to ensure he is a more valuable player as it is too easy to stop a permanent small forward. If he could move into the midfield for 10 minutes a quarte he would add alot of pace, defensive pressure and excitement..... Our future is bright guy's....
 
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