Retired #29: Patrick Ambrose - Officially retired - 11/8

[Lore]

Contract Status: Retired. 11/8
Last Game Played: Elimination Final 2019 (injured)
Injury Status: Injured, stayed in Vic with a young baby - 18/7
Sore, finished the VFL game on the bench - 29/6

 

[ManWithNoName]

Rushing players back coming off injury who were underdone and going against the medical departments advice was Harv's downfall at Freo. Sandilands with his turf toe and Barlow with his leg were 2 players rushed back and then both broke down again.

Hmm...

 

[ManWithNoName]

Seriously, why the **** was he playing? What was he providing that was so crucial?

This ****ing club.

 

[blitzer]

I knew it. The whole year i was saying "torn supraspinatus" but nobody would believe me!

 

[Zach Package]

He's playing with a torn f***ing rotator cuff???

No wonder he can't mark the ball

 

[krisholio14]

I knew it. The whole year i was saying "torn supraspinatus" but nobody would believe me!

You sure it wasn't his deltoidicus phlanges?

 

[Lord Nicholson]

Didn't Harvey get sacked by Freo at least partly because he kept playing injured players?

Well... they also had been lining up something better for most of the year.

 

[Vander18]

Thoughts on reinventing him as a key defender?

Seems to have physical and mental traits to play as a pure stopper....based on team photo he's about the same size as Hurley (given club site lists him at 185cm and 77KG I thought I'd validate, even if a little unscientific) with a big engine.

 

[Towno78]

He's playing with a torn f***ing rotator cuff???

No wonder he can't mark the ball

It's not necessarily a big deal.
FWIW, his inability to mark the ball is far more likely to be associated with his pre-existing inability to mark a ball

 

[lets_fly_up]

Thoughts on reinventing him as a key defender?

Seems to have physical and mental traits to play as a pure stopper....based on team photo he's about the same size as Hurley (given club site lists him at 185cm and 77KG I thought I'd validate, even if a little unscientific) with a big engine.

Ive been thinking this all year, has the tank, lays a good tackle an is hard at it which is what u want in a defender. imagine having ambrose beguley & Hurley in the back line 3 raging bulls aha

 

[Rack Watts]

Defensive forward or tagger once Hocking goes.

Needs to hone his craft in the seconds though! The serious concern for me, is his lack of instinct, looks lost, almost looks like he's over thinking the game.

 

[BrunoV]

I think the point to make about Ambrose is that he is not the type of player that we really need to go to much effort with because there has never been a point where we have seen the potential highs that would vindicate upsetting the existing balance of the side (e.g. with Hocking being a tagger).

He has a year to show something or we will simply end the experiment when he comes out of contract this time next year.

His athleticism justifies giving him the opportunity but I don't see why we would start to reinvent the wheel to keep this guy around.

 

[hurlygurdy]

With mckernan clearly ahead of him, plus tbc, Langford and laverde all pushing hard for a tall forward role, I think the time has come to turn this man into a kpd.
He seems perfect for the role and if he clicked quickly it could allow us to play hooker forward. My first preference would be to see how mckernan goes, but I'm not confident that he is a smart enough footballer. If mckernan fails, I want their finger on the trigger to put hooker forward. No stuffing around for half a season, give mckernan 3 or 4 games there tops, have Ambrose primed for his new role and go to plan B. Hooker forward fixes a 5 year problem for the club and gives the club the opportunity to relearn how to play systematic attacking football. I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm sick of seeing the ball movement break down as it crosses the middle of the ground!

 

[tenderwarrior]

Even with Hooker down back, I still think there is potentially room for Ambrose in the backline. Apart from Pears, who are your developing KPP now?

Backs: Hurley
Swing?: Hooker, Ambrose, Pears
Forwards: Daniher McKernan
Rucks:Leuenberger Bellchambers

I thought the likes of Langford and Laverde were more tall flanker options?

I would have thought that at least 5 or 6 of those listed above would play AFL any given week, which doesn't leave much in the VFL!

 

[BomberTime]

It's not a bad idea at all. He has a good engine, tall, strong and tackles well.

Happy to give him a year there and if doesn't work he is probably gone.

Baguley Hooker Ambrose
Hibberd Hurley Goddard

Then have Francis developing in the VFL

 

[tenderwarrior]

Baguley Hooker Ambrose
Hibberd Hurley Goddard

That looks good. What would the forward line loom like?

Zaharakis McKernan Laverde?
Langford Daniher Z.Merrett (probably starts on-ball?)

With which ever one of Leuenberger/ Bellchambers that was the least injured starting as the first Ruck?

 

[harry_caul]

It's not a bad idea at all. He has a good engine, tall, strong and tackles well.

Happy to give him a year there and if doesn't work he is probably gone.

Baguley Hooker Ambrose
Hibberd Hurley Francis

Then have Francis developing at half back.

 

[BomberTime]

That looks good. What would the forward line loom like?

Zaharakis McKernan Laverde?
Langford Daniher Z.Merrett (probably starts on-ball?)

With which ever one of Leuenberger/ Bellchambers that was the least injured starting as the first Ruck?

Pretty much this. I'd have

Laverde Daniher Zaharakis/Watson
Edwards McKernan Langford

Leunberger in ruck, Curnow/Weideman developing in VFL.

 

[hurlygurdy]

That looks good. What would the forward line loom like?

Zaharakis McKernan Laverde?
Langford Daniher Z.Merrett (probably starts on-ball?)

With which ever one of Leuenberger/ Bellchambers that was the least injured starting as the first Ruck?

I don't see both Langford and laverde in the forward line together just yet. I expect to see another experienced player in there such as bird or Dempsey. The kids are not good enough defensively as yet.

 

[Keystone agony]

Even with Hooker down back, I still think there is potentially room for Ambrose in the backline. Apart from Pears, who are your developing KPP now?

Backs: Hurley
Swing?: Hooker, Ambrose, Pears
Forwards: Daniher McKernan
Rucks:Leuenberger Bellchambers

I thought the likes of Langford and Laverde were more tall flanker options?

I would have thought that at least 5 or 6 of those listed above would play AFL any given week, which doesn't leave much in the VFL!

Hurley, Hooker, Gwilt, Pears would be our key defenders id say we will draft another likely Hartley or Skinner or something else.

Steinberg also potentially re rookied

 

[Towno78]

With mckernan clearly ahead of him, plus tbc, Langford and laverde all pushing hard for a tall forward role, I think the time has come to turn this man into a kpd.
He seems perfect for the role and if he clicked quickly it could allow us to play hooker forward. My first preference would be to see how mckernan goes, but I'm not confident that he is a smart enough footballer. If mckernan fails, I want their finger on the trigger to put hooker forward. No stuffing around for half a season, give mckernan 3 or 4 games there tops, have Ambrose primed for his new role and go to plan B. Hooker forward fixes a 5 year problem for the club and gives the club the opportunity to relearn how to play systematic attacking football. I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm sick of seeing the ball movement break down as it crosses the middle of the ground!

Good call about making ambrose a defender, has all the attributes needed. Although I would leave Hooker and Hurley and have him as a 3rd tall defender.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Ambrose is too slow to get the ball moving and getting ball on boot. Don't think backline suits especially ours.

Either makes it forward or not. I reckon hes got lots of scope and could surprise

 

[eth-dog]

The thing about Ambrose is that he's never exactly dominated VFL (or VFL reserves for that matter) either.

11 goals in 12 career games in VFL seniors. 18 goals in 26 career games in the reserves.

Career disposal average of 14.3 in the seniors (which is significantly boosted with a 31 disposal game vs Frankston this year). Take that out and it dips to 12.7

 

[hurlygurdy]

Good call about making ambrose a defender, has all the attributes needed. Although I would leave Hooker and Hurley and have him as a 3rd tall defender.

It would be nice to have that luxury. Trouble is, mckernan would be doing well to kick 30 for the year, and it will foster a continuation of our forward line uncertainty. Put hooker there and we have our structure locked in for the future. I think it is more important right now to lock in our forward line than it is to lock in our defense. We have more ground to make up when it comes to our forward line. Whereas we can simply plug a hole in our back line. Hooker has shown that he is the same powerhouse forward or back and his style compliments jd to perfection. With a reasonable run with injuries and Hooker forward, I'd be confident we could win a final next year.

 

[Yoda_]

Would hope we only see one of Ambrose or Langford in the one team

 

[fishardansin]

Ambrose could use that bulk and run to be a tagger. Not sure if he's going to learn how to read the play as a half forward. However, I think given an extended period as a tagger he will pick up running patterns from following around gun players. Start him off in the VFL with this role and if he goes well bring him into AFL to do it and release Hocking to play as a ball winning mid.