#36 Michael Hartley

Useful backup. Another 2 years.

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He’s in that second tier and you need someone like him at the very least if there is a significant impact from injuries to your best 22 defenders or they lose form. At 25 he’s in that peaky bit of his career - he’s excellent for our VFL side and provides a good 2nd tier defender to call up. Up to him if he has the ability to do better than that.

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Imagine if the backline had had the injuries the forwardline had. Hartley would have played just about every game if so

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Its great watching him kick in from kick outs from the goal square to Stewart marking just inside the centre square who can then kick inside 50.

He is a beautiful long kick of the footy. Better than most in our team. For that alone he is worth keeping as back up in the event our defensive stars get injured or sick.

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If he plays senior footy again, l want to see him take more kick ins, many more. His hoof is a mighty weapon, some would even say a cannon, we should make the best use of it. With the extended box for the lick ins he could reach the centre circle or either wing. Better than those predictable and dinky little chip passes into the back pocket we have persisted with.

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I still think he’ll end up best 22 permantly one day

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Yeah he’s young enough that in post Hooker/Hurls years might just end up being in the back 3 talls together with Francis & Zerk

And they’d have played plenty together in 2’s already so know each other’s games.

I like him but don’t know that there’ll be room for him - 198+ defenders that spoil all day and don’t do much else - there’ll be limited opportunity for these guys in the near future. Needs to get more attacking with his kicking and running… maybe he has in the twos - if not, should be a focus in '19

Was thinking this myself with the extended box he could be a massive weapon. Was always suprised when in the afl side he wasnt given the kick in duties more often, a 10x better kick than hurley in this role.

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Profit

■■■, I totally forgot about the extended goal square, Hart’s could kick it into the forward 50 from there on the SCG

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Where it is marked by Myers and … GOAL!!!

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Bring back Fletcher!! His time has come

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fkg lol

NINA

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Too much funny

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Not named in the bests yesterday - but I thought he played a damn good game.

As much as we can laugh about the strategy of Hartley kicking it to the centre circle, a couple of times yesterday kicking with the wiind, he godamn nearly did. That being said; there was one kick out where he long bombed straight to a few Casey players on there own. The only saving grace in that passage of play was that Casey had to find a way back through Essendon’s defence from the centre square.

It’s stating the bleeding obvious when I say that Hartley; or anyone kicking out should be at the very least looking for a one on one competition. Obviously a player on his own or leading into space is a better option but a lot harder to do in today’s press up style game.

What would Hartley do with a goal square looking like this? What would Fletch have done?

https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/035fbfa4274416bfc78dae49ccce2b64?width=700

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I don’t think I’ve ever Dad-like laughed at my own joke as much as this one.