Bombertalk

Ackland to join Blues

Thu 26 October, 2006


The Carlton Football Club has announced that Cain Ackland is set to join the Blues as the number one selection in this year's pre-season draft.

"We are delighted that Cain has agreed to join the Carlton Football Club and subject to all the AFL approvals he will officially become a Carlton player following the pre-season draft in December," said Grant Williams General Manager Football Operations.


Cain has played 41 games in his two seasons with St Kilda after previously having played 12 matches with Port Adelaide after being the number 27 selection in the 1999 National Draft.

"At 24 years of age Cain has a lot of football in front of him and we look forward to him being a part of the Carlton team for many years to come. His decision to join Carlton is a real boost to the Club particularly following the retirement of Barnaby French at the end of the season," said Carlton coach Denis Pagan.

"There is no doubt we needed a proven ruckman and in Cain we have secured a young ruckman who has already established himself at AFL level," added Denis.

The opportunity to play an important role in the rebuilding of the Carlton Football Club was important in Cain's decision to move to the Blues.

"I am excited to be joining the Carlton Football Club and believe it will provide me with a greater playing opportunity. It was a difficult decision to leave St Kilda, but Carlton has a very young playing list and will be adding some more exciting young talent in the upcoming National Draft, so I am looking forward to working together with the young players to build a successful future for the Club," Cain said.

Cain is currently on holidays and will commence pre-season training with Carlton as soon as practicable on his return.

Now this is where it gets interesting. Does this mean they will go for Luenberger and use ackland to allow Luenberger to develope his game?

Or does the odds for them getting gibbs shorten as they now have a ruckman?

Rossoneri wrote:Now this is where it gets interesting. Does this mean they will go for Luenberger and use ackland to allow Luenberger to develope his game?

Or does the odds for them getting gibbs shorten as they now have a ruckman?

I think it's most certainly the latter Rosso. They now have a ruck, and they'll go after the gun midfielder. In saying this, I wonder what we'd do if Gibbs was available, would EFC recruit him or go for Hansen/Gumbleton?

They were always going to go for a ruckmen in the PSD. I was actually thinking they might go for Cartledge, but Ackland is a better option anyway.

As for how it will impact their drafting strategy, the point is that they can't keep picking up recycled dud ruckmen forever (like Ffrench, Ackland, Mott etc). Eventually they'll have to bite the bullet and try to draft a good young kid who they can build into a good ruckman. BUT, having said that, now that they at least have a 'serviceable' ruckman who won't disgrace himself, they won't go for Leunberger - they'll go for Gibbs. Perhaps they'll use their 2nd pick (at 17) to go for a bloke who might be the 3rd or 4th best ruck in the draft instead. But, if there was ever any chance of them going for Leunberger instead of Gibbs, i'd say that them getting Ackland has pretty much quashed that.

I hope gibbs isnt available, so then we can get Hansen.

We have 6 picks, I would love to have them split as 3 midfielders, 3 KPP.

Gibbs - Pick #1

Ackland really isn't anything special and if anything he's replacing French.

There other options are McLaren and Deluca who aren't much chop either, so I don't their ruck division is really set.

My gut feel is that they will go for the up and coming ruckman at no 1 given his resume so he can feel his way in with the others they have.

Their midfield is OK. Simpson,Murphy,Scotland,Stevens etc

We'll see I guess

Weren't both McLaren and Deluca delisted?

topdon wrote:Weren't both McLaren and Deluca delisted?

??? Not that i've heard of. So far the Baggers have confirmed they're de-listing Chambers, McGrath, Livingston, Prendergast, Sporn and Longmuir, plus French obviously retired. I think that's their full quota of de-listings.

Does anyone actually rate Ackland? If he was any good, he would still be on St Kilda's list considering their ruck stocks aint exactly that high.

Nup, hopeless hack.

Is there anyone decent available for our pick in the PSD yet?? The only ones i can think of at the moment are James Ezard from PA and Chad Jones from the Roos. Notting hasn't officially left the Lions yet.

Lists need to be finalised by 31 October, so the picture will be clearer then. At the moment, we'll be drafting back one of our own in the PSD.

gringo wrote:Lists need to be finalised by 31 October, so the picture will be clearer then. At the moment, we'll be drafting back one of our own in the PSD.

Please no.... they were all delisted for a reason. We need fresh faces at the club!!

2QIK4U wrote:Does anyone actually rate Ackland? If he was any good, he would still be on St Kilda's list considering their ruck stocks aint exactly that high.

He had an excellent 2005 but a woeful 2006. He had injury concerns early, missed the preseason, lost his spot as no.1 ruck and wasn't exactly given a vote of confidence from Thomas who confessed he didnt rate the role of ruckman.

If he gets back to 2005 he will be very servicable, as he is mobile and plays like an extra midfielder. Like Hill his tap work is not his strength but I'd say he'd be a handy pick up for them and they will be taking Gibbs.

I like the way it was done. Hope we are as procative with our PSD pick as they were and get into the ears of out of contract players and get a quality one over.

Wasn't Sheeds quoted early in the year that any out of contract player should talk to Essendon??

We don't seem to be very pro-active at this stage BUT I am a long way from the action.

Any one with an inside running who can shed some light on players we have been approaching (If not at least start some rumours!!!!

Western Red wrote:Wasn't Sheeds quoted early in the year that any out of contract player should talk to Essendon??

We don't seem to be very pro-active at this stage BUT I am a long way from the action.

Any one with an inside running who can shed some light on players we have been approaching (If not at least start some rumours!!!!

yeah because I'm sure that if Essendon was close to boating a big catch in the PSD they are going to run to the media and tell them all about it before it happens, alerting the players club so they can make a final play to keep that player at the club.

Just because you and me haven't heard anything about who the club has been talking to in regards to the PSD, I'm sure they've been talking to plenty of out of contract players.

It's good to see Carlton screwing themselves over again!

Carlscum will now pick up Gibbs, no doubt, so Hansen or Gumbleton will be ours.

No doubt about it - Carlton are building a premiership winning mid-field along the lines of Brisbane and West Coasts great mid-fields

They already have Murphy - now add Gibbs.

On the other hand, we will draft some hack because Sheedy and Dodoro will want a prpoject player like Bradley or Bolton

God Help this Football Club