Glad to know you still follow me around like a puppy… its cute! Thanks!
Other than using personal insults, which are both uncalled for and show your lack of maturity and class, you raise an interesting point.
Would you be willing to trade Hooker for, say, Casboult? Cause he was 3rd in the Comp for contested marks… so clearly better!
And I fully agree that Hooker is a contested mark freak… hence why he is so valuable as a defender too.
Any links for Replay… could not watch due to family outing
Did ■■■■ all yesterday,yesterday would have been a good time to move him back on Hawkins if he’s not doing anything up forward in games then he should be moved backed imo.
Just on Hooker with fwd half pressure becoming the trend in footy having 3 talls in the forward line might be one too many
He had a hot spot in his leg late last year and has been held back all preseason and that was his first major hit out. You know who else did fark all up fwd, JD.
Blowing out the cobwebs is what preseason games are for.
We did the right thing and switched our best defender Hurls onto Hawkins. That’s what should occur, not up ending the successful structure played last year and planned for this year.
Frankly I think Hurls should be played on the best fwd more often, and not be exposing those with limitations to them. He backs himself to stay in front and reads the play quicker.
Agree with the Hurley move… and I think in a ‘real’ game that move would have been made sooner. Completely understand the blowing out cobwebs bit… even last year it took him 10 weeks to get going in the season proper… so hopefully it will be a little quicker this year.
With the wind at Colac… didn’t help any of the key talls really… my comments weren’t just based on one game but rather a collective works. I am just worried we are too tall in the forward line and too short down back. I think we are going to struggle more on the defensive side of the ball… particularly with Gleeson going out… that really only leaves Hurley as a genuine intercept marking specialist.
You can’t measure hooker’s impact up forward by his goal tally alone. How many times did JD get a one on one or not get blocked off the ball because hooker grounded two defenders.
I think hooker’s worth more like 4 goals to the forward line.
Let’s not be too quick to judge or backline just yet notwithstanding that they looked vulnerable in both games. 4 of Hawkins 6 shots at goal were from frees none of which were any more or less galling than things that were continually let got down the other end.
We haven’t seen our first choice defence yet which I suspect is:
Saad Ambrose hurley
Conor Brown Gleeson (Goddard)
Let’s wait and see
SO Baguley is out? I don’t disagree with your post entirely… but if that is our back 6… we are going to get smashed, absolutely monstered by good teams.
Actually I posted 3 above you, but yeah, all ‘bout you dude.
He’s either getting goals over the back or through contested marks. Both doesnt really make sense. He certainly played deeper to goal than almost anyone in the league.
Badabing. Certainly a big ask to suggest it’s all just coincidence.
I think Hookers too slow for a key defender now.
I think he’s in if we only play two talls but I think that is too short and we should play 3 with Hurley and ambrise being pretty versatile. I like Hartley but suspect the coaches have Brown ahead of him. I don’t think we’ve brought in saad to play twos and Conor would have to go backwards to be left out.
I think our vulnerability down back last year had more to do with bad turnovers and a midfield that could not cover the spread or quick transition.
I’m pretty comfortable with that back 6 to be honest. Had good spread of talls/mediums and small and should be able to cope with a variety of players.
I think Ambrose performed well on good players last year. He also got touched up a few times. Hawkins was just too big for him and he needed a bit of third man up cover which he didn’t get.
Let’s not rush to judge on the defence on the back of a 10 minutes burst with a huge wind against them.
Would be ok in a 1v1
ever since he did his hammys in like 10/11 he has never been considered quick. remember that period where he ran as if one of his legs were literally made out of wood?
Hurley is the given but two talls out of Brown/Hartley/Ambrose is not the makings of a strong side.
Really disapointed with Hartley had a good 2016 and now seems to gone backwards
Brown comes in at least with him you know what you are getting.
Tigers are playing astbury Rance and Grimes. Ideally Hartley would be at least as good as astbury as a pure luck down. Only a year people openly mocked astbury. Ambrose has the versatility of Grimes with proud slightly more capacity for bigger opponents. Hurley is better with ball in hand than Rance but isn’t as good one on one anymore, hopefully he gets it back. The balance feels good to me but we do need to hope for some individual improvement
You’ve nailed it in your first sentence. Hooker, due to his freakish contested marking, is able to drag defenders back to the goal square making it harder for them to simply guard the space in the sweet spot from 15-30 m out. This post is an oldie http://figuringfooty.com/2016/09/22/a-fresh-way-to-think-about-footy-geelong-v-sydney-guest-post/ but it shows how the Swans in particular place an importance on blocking the dangerous space inside 50, to great effect. I genuinely do think Hooker makes every other forward in our team more dangerous.
That said, I’m still not convinced he’s best used up forward. I really do worry what sides like Adelaide/GWS/WestCoast/Sydney that have multiple strong marking options will be able to do to us if our midfield gets overwhelmed for any extended period.
Any side’s defence will struggle when midfield is being overwhelmed
The focus was on midfield/fwd pressure and defensive transition over preseason to ensure we aren’t leaving our defence under the pump so often.
We also smashed West Coast regardless of Kennedy having a day out on Hartley.