#29 Patrick Ambrose -- forward or back?

Don’t disagree with that. Reckon he’s best staying there and continuing that form and development (and improvement in his fitness). Break glass in case of emergency selection IMO.

He’s got till the Crows game to put his hand up in the VFL. That’s the only game I can see where we we may consider changing structure. Otherwise I’d assume he’s competing with Hartley.

I guess the most obvious one would be Hartley. But I feel like Hartley fits more with our game style at the moment. He’s got a beautiful kick and can create ground ball for Conor/Kelly/Gleeson to run out. I feel like Ambrose kind of works against it as a purely lock down defender which is he awesome (fkn awesome) at but I don’t really know where it fits. At the moment.

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When fit, replaces Hartley. Some appear to have forgotten he’s our best key defender.

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I think it’s a match up thing. Against certain opposition he plays ahead of Hartley against other opposition we play all of Hartley, Hurley and Ambrose. He has been really good on the big guys but I also believe he can play on a medium type and Hurley is a little more flexible that we thought. He is certainly in our best team, pre Gleeson’s great form I would have replaced him but now I think it will be purely a match up consideration.

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Bags would be the choice for me but Ambrose must play 2-3 weeks of VFL and play well.

Hartley doesn’t deserve to be dropped, and has really improved imo. I hardly think it’s as clear cut as you make it.

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Good problem to have

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Hartley is the incumbent, and he will have to play himself out of the team, or sustain an injury, in order for Paddy to get a look-in. Same goes for Bellchambers, the #1 ruck spot is his unless injury/loss of form intervenes. Been a long time since we’ve had this amount of depth on the list, the names currently in the VFL are good quality footballers.

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As Mentioned earlier there are few teams now with 3 genuine tall forwards. StKilda would have been one but Membrey was out, Adelaide and potentially Sydney are the others. I think he is a must for Adelaide. The issue about whether he replaces Hartley to me doesn’t exist. If he played a lock down role as does Hartley what it does is allow Hurley to be even more of an intercept player and quarter back. Hurley would then play on midsize forwards. Question remains who falls out. As good as Hurley has been this year and he has been exceptional his one on one work this year has been a bit off this year. He is getting better and on Friday night I think was his best night for one on one.

Good position to be in.

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Some people have short memories. Ambrose is easily in our best team, even with Hartley playing good footy.

Being able to choose between Hurley, Ambrose, Hartley and Brown is a massive luxury, even though that depth has been tested this year. And that’s without even considering Francis, Dea, Ridley and of course AA fullback Cale Hooker.

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I think ambrose is the better player compared to hartley. however i think hartley also suits the style of play we’re trying to implement better (his kicking, when he chooses to use it, is a real weapon). I don’t see ambrose having the capacity to land 60 metre bombs.

but again, hartley has to choose to go for those rather than the safe lateral kicks he seems to favour.

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Paddy
F*CKEN
Ambrose

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Ambrose was arguably among the top 5 key defenders in the league before his injury. Hartley has been good at times, but on other occasions has been well beaten. I reckon there is daylight between the two of them. Ambrose is an automatic in for mine.

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Can you play all three? Probably not

Certain games you can, and probably should.
Not sure if he’d be ready, but the Carlton game might be a good one to try it.
Hartley and Ambrose to play on Caz and Curnow.
Hurley then gets freed up to play on Silvagni (?).

Rest Kelly for this game.

We’ll definitely need all of them against the Crows the following week !

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I reckon you could play three key defenders if two of them were Hurley and Brown, but I wouldn’t play both Ambrose and Hartley.

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Ambrose is a must, his physicality is a huge weapon. He genuinely hurts the opposition, but he wasn’t in the team because he’s a thug, he was our best backman before he got injured.

Hartley was well beaten in the Brissie game IMO. Doesn’t like playing on Hipwood!

I think there are going to be a lot of players who won’t like playing on him. A big combination of height, mobility and athleticism means when he’s on, and the midfield supplies him, I doubt anyone will be able to stop him. A very impressive young forward.

That all said, Hartley does need to concentrate more on the ball and less on his man. Half the time he gets beaten that is the reason, whereas when he watches the ball he’s a pretty good judge to intercept.

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