Hooker, Carlisle & Gumby

[filthy2]

Carlisle (I like him), Gumby were in the best in the 2's and Hooker is due back next week.

We need someone big at CHF to straighten us up.

If Hooker comes back that means that Hurley goes forward and we have Fletch, Tayter and Hooks back.

If he doesn't then either Carlisle/Gumby come into CHF to do the job...we had no forward stucture for 2.7 q. last night.

[Gyoza]

For me Gumby IN, Hooker back through a week or two in the 2s. Carlisle...no idea, haven't seen a Bendigo game for a long time. In if he REALLY deserves it.

Having said that....I don't think we bring in Gumby because we had no forward structure. If we're not going to wake the f*** up and GET a forward structure then there is no point bringing in Gumby.

[BERT]

Hurley must play back. He has shown in the last 2 weeks he is a backman.

I would play Gumby at CHF and give Hooker another week with his hammy or play him in the 2s.

[robbie67]

Geez, it must have taken a lot to be "in the best" for our twos this week.

Why dont we just leave Gumby alone? He is not the solution to anything at the moment. Let him play out the season in the reserves, and get a proper pre-season into him. Why bring him in now, with f*** all preperation, and destroy him for ever and a day? Even if he was to come in, I have never seen anything from the guy to suggest he is going to give us that much at this stage of his career anyway. The only way he should get a game this season is if he domainates in the twos, and he obviously is not doing that.

If we are that desperate to be "straightened up", why dont we try Hardingham there?

Let's please not sacrifice a runner for another tall again please. It was a f****** disaster when we did it before.

[Jazz_84]

If we are that desperate to be "straightened up", why dont we try Hardingham there?

id love to see that, Crameri and Hardingham would be very hard to stop working in tandem i would say, not to mention Ryder floating around

[rockhole]

I would not touch the backline at present as it is functioning well. Let's get a bit of consistency down back and allow the players to become more familiar with each others game. Which means no Hooker for the immediate future.

[Rossoneri]

Hurley must play back and if that means Hooker has to find a new role, so be it. Hooker is a great tryer, but Hurley is a gun.

As for Gumby and Carlisle, if Gumby gets through next week then play him against Carlton. And until Carlisle gets his body weight to a reasonable size, he will have to stay in the 2's. He is far too skinny.

[Windy_Hill]

Hooker, if nothing else, is a great grab of the footy - could he play across the Half Forward Line?

[Sismis]

Why must Hurley play back? Because it's his best position? Team balance has to come first. It's tough to judge how well he will go as a forward, when our whole forward structure has been functioning so badly.

If we can't kick goals it won't matter how few he can restrict the opposition to.

[Rossoneri]

Why must Hurley play back? Because it's his best position? Team balance has to come first. It's tough to judge how well he will go as a forward, when our whole forward structure has been functioning so badly.

If we can't kick goals it won't matter how few he can restrict the opposition to.

No, you start players in their best position to get the best out of them. Do you have an accountant running your sales department?

Hurley is a better backman than Hooker and he works well with Pears which allows Fletch to be the 3rd tall. You can't rob Peter to pay Paul.

We need to find another key forward.

[Sismis]

Why must Hurley play back? Because it's his best position? Team balance has to come first. It's tough to judge how well he will go as a forward, when our whole forward structure has been functioning so badly.

If we can't kick goals it won't matter how few he can restrict the opposition to.

No, you start players in their best position to get the best out of them. Do you have an accountant running your sales department?

Hurley is a better backman than Hooker and he works well with Pears which allows Fletch to be the 3rd tall. You can't rob Peter to pay Paul.

We need to find another key forward.

If your accountant also has a big mouth then perhaps you would have him run your sales department.Hurley is a better backman than Hooker, As has been noted he is a natural defender who also happens have excellent skills, but Hooker is no slouch. We have to go for the best overall effect. I'm all for trying Hooker up forward BUT we cannot rule out the fact that Hurley may have to play forward.

[little_ripper]

Hurls is a gun forward too. I really don't think its a bad situation to be in.

Hird played him to perfection on the weekend. Back and then forward.

[Windy_Hill]

Why must Hurley play back? Because it's his best position? Team balance has to come first. It's tough to judge how well he will go as a forward, when our whole forward structure has been functioning so badly.

If we can't kick goals it won't matter how few he can restrict the opposition to.

Seemed to have kicked plenty of goals in the last 2 weeks with Hurley back - yet when he was forward we struggled???

In terms of team balance - surely playing guys in their correct position is the first step towards a solid structure?

[rockhole]

The backline is playing great footy at the moment and the 6 are combining well. The more they play as a group, the better understanding each will have with his team mate. Hurley is as important to this group as Fletch at the moment and I would go to great lengths to keep them together.

Maybe occassionally slip him down the forward line to pinch a goal or two, but don't upset what is becoming a really solid unit. Great credit must also go to Hards and Hibbs for the progress they have made this year. It is really great to see the old bloke marshalling the troops and he really seems to be enjoying himself. It never fails to amaze me how, time and again, he hits up a target lace out about 60m down the track and the commentators barely acnowledge it.

[Windy_Hill]

Look at it this way

The great Geelong sides had a rock solid defence, a glorious mid field and a just ok forward line (other than S Johnson, you can have the rest)

I am seeing similarities with our mid fielders now starting to chime in with more goals, a rock solid defence (or so it would appear) and and ok forward line

[azza78]

I'd be happy to give Hooker a stay at home tall forward. Can clunk a grab, reads the play pretty well and will always give a contest. Could do worse, especially with Gumby and Carlisle probably not ready yet.

And Hooker's occasional brain farts shouldn;t hurt us too much up forward either.

[s'dreams]

With Gumby and Hooker - its risk vs reward ... Hirdy has said that this year is about development ... what benefit is there in rushing these two injury prone players into the side which could result in another injury and further set-back to their development? IMO there are enough injury questions over the 22 who were on the field last week.

I'd like to see Carlisle given a chance though

[little_ripper]

I'd be happy to give Hooker a stay at home tall forward. Can clunk a grab, reads the play pretty well and will always give a contest. Could do worse, especially with Gumby and Carlisle probably not ready yet.

And Hooker's occasional brain farts shouldn;t hurt us too much up forward either.

Does Cale have any goal sense at all? IMO he looks more at home as a backman than Hurley does.(Although Hurley is the better player, probably both playing forward or back).

[Gimps]

If Gumby is our forward-line saviour in the short term, we are f*****.

Leave him in the 2's until he starts dominating week in, week out.

[gringo]

If Gumby is our forward-line saviour in the short term, we are f*****.

Leave him in the 2's until he starts dominating week in, week out.

I don't think you'll ever get a CHF dominating week in, week out at VFL level. Full forward maybe, but not at CHF. The word is he'll play against Carlton if 100% fit.

Pears and Hurley must be played in defence, other than in rare circumstances (i.e. due to injury). Hooker is a useful third tall defender, but I can't see a role for him in the team until Fletcher retires. When Fletcher does retire (hopefully not for awhile yet), Hooker would get the 3-4th best defender, and be able to be a "third man up" marking defender, which he'd be very good at.

Further, there is a query over the disposal of both Hooker and Hardingham, and occasionally, Hibberd. I'm not sure we can afford to play them all in defence at the same time unless their disposal, particularly under pressure, improves.