I agree but we recruited him so we obviously rate him. He obviously has other strengths - very mobile, good below the knees and leads and marks well IMO. Surely he can play to his strengths?
I’m not delusional enough to think Hooker will be switched back in Rd 7 when as you correctly pointed out he has started OK but it feels strange to have Stewart in the 2s like this IMO. I was hoping he’d get a red hot go.
I don’t think Stewart would be much chop at Cale’s job or vice versa. Hooker’s the deep (real deep) target. Wrestle and contest and shepherd shots through. Stewart is a leading player from what I’ve seen.
Also dropping a guy for only kicking 2 in the AFL to pick a guy who kicked… 2… in the VFL is probably even more Essington.
I just want Stewart to get a go as a bona fide forward rather than this patchwork thing we’ve got going especially since Hooker is touching 30.
I’m no tactician. Do you really need two archetypal KPPS - one gorilla and one Reiwoldt? Can we not have each of them getting on their bike? Even if Stewart doesn’t venture right up the wings I reckon he’s a nice lead up in the F50 and mark. He’s a decent kick too - I can see him leading to 60/70 and turning to hit Orazio or Joe.
We’ve seen Joe try deep forward. Not pretty. IMO.
Stewart’s too good not to play at some point this year, but I think he becomes really useful when he’s got another 5kg and he can hold his own deep.
Joe is a CHF.
I don’t think Hooker has been terrible forward and I agree that he has taken a lot of pressure off JD but I just think it is a waste of talent. I’d said it (repeatedly) about Carlisle and to a lessor extent Hurley… and I still feel the same. Trying to shove a round peg into a square hole just doesn’t work.
We have ended up with a ‘barely serviceable’ forward instead of an AA quality intercepting defender. Look at the huge steps in form that Hurley has shown over the past fortnight. Imagine if he and Hooker were back working in tandem… Throw in Hartley as the ‘lock down’ back (or Ambrose if fit) and I seriously doubt Watts is going to kick 4…
I’d much rather have him as an impact forward when he is up and about. Throw him forward for 5-10 minute burst when he is in white hot form and watch him turn the game on its head. Right now it is just sad watching him waste 80% of the game not having a clue what to do.
I agree, intercept marker/defender who is thrown up the ground when our forwardline isnt working. Seems like the perfect role for him
On the contrary - that does work. Unfortunately, today Mr Hooker was a square peg in a round hole…
Yeah, but can he take a mark ? And hold it ? He’s too light, just like Joe used to be. He gets shoved out of the way.
Hooker back, Jobe at FF?
Just one of the many random ideas I got out of watching that debacle yesterday
Hooker back, Francis back. Intercept marks galore.
Stewart forward.
It is a blatantly obvious weakness in our team this year. I heard Petracca interviewed after the game and he said that Hurley is “the only one that leaves his man” to intercept. So they tried to drag him deep.
Intercept marking only works when you are allowed to run and jump. I think when Cale first went forward, other teams didn’t really do much planning so he got away with it. I think now they are putting a lot more time into shutting him down. A natural forward would find another way, Maybe running the defenders ragged, like both reiwold/ts and buddy do. Not one of Cale’s forte’s unfortunately. He’s a bit one dimensional IMO, he needs to play deep and get one out, I dont think we are consistent enough to get the ball in quickly enough to maximize his assets. Earlier in the year when we were geting the ball in quickly and we had a more believable structure his value was more apparent. Even when he didn’t mark, he brings the ball straight down to the advantage of the smaller forwards. Our earlier forward structure and midfield goodness has almost completely gone, so time to re think his role I think
Also I think even if he gets a way around this current sort of slump, we should remember he had some serious set shot yips. (sorry for the golfing analogy again)
With Joe devastatingly bad at set shooting every second week, can we really afford the luxury of 2 of them dominating in the air to then be so bad at set shots?
I say play him back and pinch hit him like we used to.
You’re right. I said it a while ago, & I don’t think anyone took me seriously,… but he actually went better fwd, when he was still playing like a backman.
Most of his marks, were coming from him “Intercept” marking balls delivered to other contests. They maybe should have left him alone to keep playing that way.
But you can see the new rules & practice at following them in a conventional forward role coming through more each week. He like all the rest, just need time in their new guises, and time together.
It’ll all click one day … I’m thinking, … and sooo hoping it’ll be around Dreamtime,… when we play a team that plays in a similar way, … and that we’ll go better at it & carve them up.
I’d be happy to drop Brown, move Hooker back,. play Stewart forward.
Except Jobe is not a great mRk above his head and slower than Cale on the lead
Doing well at his new role. Kicked 11 goals in his 6 games.
Stewart has only kicked 5 goals in his 3 VFL games. Unsure why that is suddenly going to improve at AFL level.
Much easier to find good defenders than full forwards. We have Hartley still playing 2’s.
He’s not playing that well, but averaging nearly 2 goals/game. Can only get better.
Not to mention forwards in todays game rely heavily on systems working, and mids being able to hit targets when they go inside 50, … as well as others moving out of the way to open space etc, …,
So if he can get 2 a game in the first 6 weeks of this embryonic combination of a team playing together, with many still gaining form & fitness, and not really knowing each other yet, … you’d think he could easily double that average when they do.
I struggle to believe that Hooker will become the best key forward in the competition. I think he could become good, but not that good.
Hooker is competent forward. We can rely on him to take one of the best defenders from the opposition still clunks some marks and kick 2-3 goals.
I get the sense he is never going to be the type of forward to cut loose and have a massive game where he kicks 6-7 goals.
As a key back he is a match winner, as a key forward he is a good honest footballer. If he’s to be part of our next Premiership team it has to be as a key back.
Sorry, happy to admit when I make mistakes but in this case I meant exactly what I wrote. He isn’t the ‘square peg in a round hole’ because that would imply he isn’t working at all up forward (ie won’t go through hole)…
I’m trying to suggest that whilst he can ‘fit’ through the hole… it is not what is intended and not ‘ideal’. Probably not a great selection of words to convey my meaning but just trying to express that he is ‘average’ as a forward when he could be ‘exceptional’ as a backman.