Retired #26: Cale Hooker - Has announced his retirement at season's end 🍷

[Lore]

Contract Status: Retiring at the end of Season 2021
Last Game Played: Round 19, 2021 (omit)
Injury Status: n/a

 

[Mr Bultitude]

He is our best goal celebrator.

Probably being OTT, but it's just unbridled passion which sweeps you up. I'd follow that man out of a trench.

 

[Mercurial89]

Has come a bloody long way from where he first started.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Forward this week given JJK is very unlikely to play but I think he needs to play back against Hawkins and Dixon after that.

Eww yuck. He’s crucial up forward. A beast deep helps us a LOT.

If it’s not him, it’s McKernan... you’d be on board with that yeah?

 

[eth-dog]

Eww yuck. He’s crucial up forward. A beast deep helps us a LOT.

If it’s not him, it’s McKernan... you’d be on board with that yeah?

And who do you propose plays on Hawkins and Dixon?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

And who do you propose plays on Hawkins and Dixon?

Hurley or BZT.

 

[JayJ20]

And who do you propose plays on Hawkins and Dixon?

I'd have Hooker play on Hawkins because I'd expect Geelong's defence to be very difficult to score against, but Port's defence cannot handle talls at all. Daniher, Hooker and Stewart would be a complete nightmare for them.

Let them try and figure out how they can stop our forwardline.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Heart and soul of the club, should of been captain after Jobe.

Yep, I actually thought he should have captained since the saga suspension year. There were questions about who should be captain and I thought Hooker.

He’s passionate, people want to follow him, will go and stand up for team mates to ensure they don’t get pushed around and won’t take shit from anyone.

 

[ant555]

I'd have Hooker play on Hawkins because I'd expect Geelong's defence to be very difficult to score against, but Port's defence cannot handle talls at all. Daniher, Hooker and Stewart would be a complete nightmare for them.

Let them try and figure out how they can stop our forwardline.

I agree. There will be games where he will be needed in defense. It will be horses for courses a bit. What we need to do when he is back is play another tall. Even if that tall is McKernan short term.

 

[JayJ20]

I agree. There will be games where he will be needed in defense. It will be horses for courses a bit. What we need to do when he is back is play another tall. Even if that tall is McKernan short term.

Exactly. We need to maintain our forward structure. People who worry about us being too tall do not see the big problem we have in the air. Any defence will struggle beating Hooker/McKernan, Daniher and Stewart.

It's not a coincidence that we score 71 points in one half of football when we play 3 talls again.

 

[ant555]

Exactly. We need to maintain our forward structure. People who worry about us being too tall do not see the big problem we have in the air. Any defence will struggle beating Hooker/McKernan, Daniher and Stewart.

It's not a coincidence that we score 71 points in one half of football when we play 3 talls again.

And when you actually mark the ball even 40% of the time it comes in then you do not need as much forward pressure.

 

[bombadeer]

Let them try and figure out how they can stop our forwardline.

24 hours ago this would have gone straight into the Delusional Pearlers thread.

 

[blitzer]

I've been wanting Hooker forward all year and he made an immediate impact as soon as he went up there. Mind you we now have Daniher back and Stewart has rediscovered some form so it is a bit more debateable.

Thought he really brought a lot of confidence and impact to the forward line, not to mention 2 goals in just 2 quarters. Hell even that awful mark he dropped, he still managed a very nice handball over his head to stringer who passed it off for a goal. Whilst it was a horrendous stuff up - his recovery was class and we still got the right result.

 

[Beerfish]

The thing about Hooker forward is it works best when it's sprung on the opposition. Nobody likes a surprise Hooker.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

The thing about Hooker forward is it works best when it's sprung on the opposition. Nobody likes a surprise Hooker.

I think most prefer a flexible Hooker who can moved into different positions.

This bloke is a barometer though..natural leader who teammates look up to. Picks up the boys like he did last night when he kicked those goals...happy Hooker

 

[Old Campaigner]

The thing about Hooker forward is it works best when it's sprung on the opposition. Nobody likes a surprise Hooker.

Yeah I think this is lost on a lot of people. It made sense after Patton got injured but if he starts forward the opposition plan their structures around that and he loses his impact.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Yeah I think this is lost on a lot of people. It made sense after Patton got injured but if he starts forward the opposition plan their structures around that and he loses his impact.

He’ll make an enormous difference either way. They can plan their structures all they like, Hooker Daniher Stewart and Stringer are going to cause any defence a lot of problems. Hookers role is crucial - deep forward, great pair of hands and as such has to be respected with a big defender. It gives the other three a lot of freedom. It worked all through 2017 for a reason.

As always it relies on winning it in the middle and moving it in quickly but as the second half showed, if we do that then it’s a very dangerous forward line. I wouldn’t want to remove anybody from that role. It’s either Hooker or McKernan and at the moment it’s no contest as to which one.

 

[Sockeye]

It's a conundrum. Hurley to Darling this week is OK. BZT on Hawkins is a big ask, Hawkins is a beast in 1v1 strength marking contests. It would have to be Hurley.

Stewart's ruck work was surprisingly actually OK as a back up against Hawks or am I imagining it?

Not only did Joe D, Stewart and Hooker provide strong marking contests in F50 but also as the contested marker down the wing which our game plan seems to rely on. A few weeks ago these kicks were going to Smack or Townsend, and we wondered why the game plan wasn't working too well.

 

[JT_the_Man]

If things get ugly with Dixon/Hawkins we can always swing him back.

 

[yodellinhank]

Yeah I think this is lost on a lot of people. It made sense after Patton got injured but if he starts forward the opposition plan their structures around that and he loses his impact.

Is the league so unprofessional that sides don't plan for the potential Hooker is shifted? Hey maybe we could name the team with players in different positions to the ones they actually line up in. We'll totally have opposition coaches bamboozled.

 

[yodellinhank]

If things get ugly with Dixon/Hawkins we can always swing him back.

It'll be the last thing anybody suspects

 

[Dave]

Nobody likes a surprise Hooker.

 

[Lore]

Due for his 200th AFL game next week. 200th EFC game too, which is perhaps more momentous considering we once tried to trade him.

 

[Beerfish]

And he's a West Australian. Get him up here etc.

we once tried to trade him

To GC for Josh Caddy wasn't it?

This ****ing club..

 

[Ambrosia]

200 games is an impressive effort from Hooker given he was drafted as raw athlete without much skill then had his athleticism taken away with persistent hamstring injuries.

 

[JayJ20]

If things get ugly with Dixon/Hawkins we can always swing him back.

Exactly. We tend to do the opposite. We start him back and swing him forward when we're 1000 points down.
We look so much more dangerous going forward with 3 talls that can take a contested mark.