#29 Patrick Ambrose -- forward or back?

Football Discussion Dustin Fletcher Hangar
3113

A number of teams pick a tall lockdown player. You know, the Talias, Frawleys, Grimes etc.
If every club had enough players like Rance who could lockdown and hurt opposition the other way they
would pick them and leave out the dour lockdown tall.

Unfortunately our 2 best tall defenders are getting older, slowing down and will be gone within 3 years. we only have just enough young tall defenders coming through to replace them, so I don’t see us being in a position to be able to replace Ambrose with a better defender just yet.

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3114

deleted

3115

No he’s not. He wouldn’t be playing if hooker was fit. He’s a depth player

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3116

LOL

3117

Talia’s a genuine full back, and one of the best.

3118

@Killer_Mike looks like Alex stole your line; might want to think about trademarking it :wink:

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3119

Alex is cooked

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3120

Interesting. How do you play Ambrose, Hurley, Francis and hooker in the same backline?

I’m no coach, or player, but I reckon its pretty clear that setup will never, ever work. And I’d be amazed if anyone thought you could play all 4 in the one backline.

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3121

it would’ve worked in the 80s. when footy was played by real men.

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3122

I heard that in the 80’s, all supporters were ex coaches.

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3123

but don’t most coaches lose each season? :thinking: :thinking: :thinking: :thinking: :thinking:

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3124

That’s why they are Ex coaches

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3125

Wtf do you know? You’ve never coached or played at the highest level. Come to think of it now, neither have I.

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3126

Yeah? Well you’ve never run an Internet forum so why are you commenting on one?

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3127

You now how we solve this? Give BSD his own thread where all the ‘experts’ can gather in one place to call the game like it is and keep the riff raff like you and me out.

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3128

Listen to Corrigan’s post JL2 presser. He said the injury to Hooker gives Francis or Ridley a spot in the backline. The implication was that Ambrose was already there - if fit and in form.
To answer your question, Hurley, Francis & Ambrose can play as talls or any of them can play on mid-sized forwards. There are certainly forward lines - pies & tigers - where I agree we wouldn’t want the 4 players you list in the back 6. But there are also forward lines where Hooker doesn’t have a clear matchup.
This debate will be resolved by form and fitness, as most hypothetical best 22 discussions are.

3129

LOL.

A) Everything’s going great.
B) Yep.
C) Concur.
A) Even if we don’t win.
B) It’s about building a culture.
C) And that might take years. Decades, even.
A) But it will be worth it.
B) Yep.
C) Blitz sucks.
A) Yeah, it’s so dumb.
B) rolls eyes emoji Totally
C) Quiet in here today.

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3130

not enough ellipses, my man.

3131

Thing is, hooker is more versatile than paddy, and also has more valuable weapons (intercept marking) and he plays on taller guys like brown, cox etc who Ambrose simply cannot compete against.

You can always play Francis, and probably Ridley too. But you can’t always play Ambrose imo

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3132

Agreed, Hooker’s contested marking in the defensive 50 is elite also.

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