He is on track for 40 goals this year, which is pretty much all you could ever ask from him.
I would personally prefer him back, but he hasn’t been a failure by any stretch. In fact, considering he is quite scratchy, still learning his forward craft and copping proper defenders every week, he’s actually doing pretty damn well.
I’d say stick with him forward. He has made daniher better and has been consistent in kicking a couple each week.
I like that he is like the old Alastair Lynch style that you can just bomb it into in the square. Also i think he likes this because he can play from behind. I also think he does this because he knows he is a pretty bad kick for goal outside of 30m so when he gets it within 30 he usually converts.
If only he mixed it up a bit more and lead hard when required, this is what he seems to struggle with at the moment, that presenting hard from full forward to the kicker, tends to hang back a bit but that might be partly due to the reaosns above.
He’s not playing all that well, but is averaging 2 goals/game. His value is to create a contest, and allow the small blokes to have opportunities. He also takes pressure off JOEDAN who, if he could kick straight, would be averaging 4 goals/game.
IF he can master coming back after 12 months off, and learn a new position, he could average 3 goals/game.
A big IF, but worth persevering with.
However, I could be wrong.
JOE N STEW roaming/ruck mins, HOOKSY goalsquare
DONE
All his goals are out the back, He needs to get his leading up to forward standard, I think he’s been decent so far and not a huge issue.
Hurley, Ambrose and Hartley is what I want our best defense to consist of and Joey Hooker and Francis our forward line.
Then the best combo of…
McGrath/Dea/Baggers/Gleeson/Kelly/Mckenna as the smalls in defense.
Fantasia, Tippa and Laverde/Green/Langford as the Resting mid as the forward smalls/3rd tall
You know why he’s forward. Because we have a fkn truckload of key defenders, who are all capable
We have ONE key forward on the list, joe, who does his best work up the ground and a second/third athletic type from gws who we got for some lollies
It’s pretty obvious why we want Cale to play forward. He’s not going back any time soon
Yep. It’s known we also went after Patton heavily (and may have got him if his form didn’t ramp up towards end of 2016 and he become invaluable to them) and JRiewoldt, and there were no doubt others in the mix.
In the end Stewart who was a fringe GWS player came across as a must for depth rather than a star we expected to be best 22. He may get there in time but at this stage what Hooker offers fwd and others offer defensively seen to be better overall by selection panel.
Leave him fwd looks very dangerous there and is now starting to clunk a few. Id bring in Stewart as the 3rd tall. JD and Stewart are both mobile enough to play in the same fwd line. Leaving hooker deep with the 3 smalls buzzing around We have enough talls for cover in the backline. Eventually I think Francis may take Stewarts spot as that 3rd tall, but for now he just doesn’t have the fitness. We need to see what Stewart has got at senior level.
What we are missing is a attacking HBF type, Hibbo has left a massive hole here. MCG is doing a great job but we need another. I would not mind seeing Tippa go back for team balance, perhaps he can even change with someone like Hep through the midfield. Tippa is just as brilliant either end of the ground.
I like your thinking, but I think Stewart can be that too, the beauty is, Hooker could also improve our defense by a couple goals a game also, which leads to think we’ll be better off as a whole with him in defense…
Hooksy to have a cracking game this weekend in front of the oldies. Then he can nip down to the winery and pick up a few bottles to celebrate with on the way back east.
I can’t believe what I’m reading. We’ve been after a 40 goal #2/#3 forward for years yet when we get one people moan and want to move him. He’s proving a second target, taking a man and getting two goals a game. Seldom outmarked and providing crumbs. And still learning the role. If you want Stewart/Francis in, play them as a third tall. Like GWS and Adelaide do. Like worked well against Collingwood until Francis used up his petrol tickets.
The real irony? What people here are complaining about. His lack of leading, movement, ground coverage and general lack of mobility. Kind of like, oh, every one of the older returning players. So why on earth would Hooker not have the same issue down back??? You don’t think the opposition won’t exploit that? You think he’ll be clunking till the early morn when he’s struggling to get across the ground?
There is no way he should be anywhere except where he is.
If our midfield could actually make a accurate 40m pass he’d stand a chance.
Until we find someone else that’s 6’5" and can stand under long kicks and not get outmarked (thus allowing Fanta, Tippa and Green to run rampant, and Joe to become Carey mkII) he stays at full forward.
Trade for Mccartin who can’t get a look in, Especially if Rooey goes on again.
Schache, that said he seems similar type to Stewart so we need to give him a go first.
If you really wanted someone it’d be Tom Lynch, however we have to fix our midfield first and foremost.
Saints are too worried about mccartin becoming a mental vegetable from all the concussions.
This as well as managing his diabetes. He still looks fat and his physique is nothing like a footballer in today’s game.
Hasn’t become Tony Lockett in 6 rounds. Send him back.
Forward.
A seriously dumb player.
He has the potential to be a decent player but just to dumb and slow for me.