Player Watch #30: Charlie Comben - defender or forward? CC T5 in the AFL for avg.intercept marks p/game - re-signed until end of 2027

[JGreezy]

Comben is worth a look up forward for the rest of the season. We need to know where we stand coming into this next trade week.

If he looks like the best marking forward in the comp and kicks 3 goals a game then we don't need to throw everything at recruiting a CHF.

If he is average then we can lock him in at CHB for next year.

 

[Harris 10]

We are 17th on the ladder with a few games to go, we ain't playing for anything this year.

Let's just see how the Chom, Teakle and Larkey go up forward.

 

[koshari]

Clarko stated on the weekend - "We'll play at different stages both Charlie Comben and Griff Logue both forward and back". If Will Dawson comes along as we all hope he does, and we can turn him into a 200cm swing man too, watch out. Having these three guys come and go forward and back will really mess with opposition clubs structures and makes us sooooo much more unpredictable.

Finally accruing options, even with pink as a backup this area has been shored up. Now we go get a quality crumber.

 

[the big lebowski]

Comben's intercept stats are not normal and not even replaceable more than likely.

Have to disagree there.

Look at what Lobbs doing after just being switched down back.

Think back to Maj in 2018.

It’s far easier to find an elite interceptor than a 40+ goal per year key forward.

Pretty sure clarko said as much recently

Now if comben can be that 40 goal p.a goal kicker (which I’ve always thought he’d become) then leave him forward. But if he’s just up there for structure and can’t impact games like he did for a qrt yesterday then I’d rather have a journeyman like pink there and get comben down back, where as you point out he is elite already.

You can see it in his marking. Down back it’s one grabbing pretty much everything. Up forward yesterday he was double grabbing and dropped a few. If his confidence ends up translating to his forward marking, he’ll be a better key forward than larkey minus the accurate goal kicking.

 

[ferball]

This is kind of on Clarkson. Chom forward worked well when the midfield competed and was winning.

As soon as we were getting smashed in the middle, he should have been sent back.

Our best performances this year still featured massive swings of momentum where our midfield recovered from applying manic pressure. These 8 minute blocks are perfect for Chom to notice the change in mood and take himself back there to stem the tide.

We saw yesterday that he can have a quasi-Carey effect on general play. Let him use his good instincts to feel the game and respond.

Yeah. He should play where we need him and move during games. He's that good right now.

 

[ferball]

I’m more referring to the impact he had on momentum. We have had the midfield ascendency in most the games of the last 6 weeks about 60% of the time. In those times, we really haven’t been able convert that dominance into scoreboard pressure. Chom forward in the second quarter helped us capitalise on in fully.

The fourth against Melbourne; the first half against Freo; the first 3/8ths of the Collingwood game and the first half of the GC game are the only times we have done that outside of Sunday’s match.

I am completely in the CHB camp btw. But when the midfield is running hot, swing him forward.

I think this is the way to do it, except at random times, like on the weekend, start him on the forward line. They would have 100% expected him to start on one of their forwards and planned for that so it made sense to start him forward this week and maybe helped mess with their game in the first half.

I imagine if he'd come out at CHB after half time it would have had a similar effect on them as well.

 

[ferball]

Comben is worth a look up forward for the rest of the season. We need to know where we stand coming into this next trade week.

If he looks like the best marking forward in the comp and kicks 3 goals a game then we don't need to throw everything at recruiting a CHF.

If he is average then we can lock him in at CHB for next year.

I think his real value is in being able to play both positions but if he can show he's one of the best forwards in the comp as well that changes how I'd see his value. He'd have to kick at least 20 goals over the rest of the season to be at that level imo.

 

[Sphynx]

Have to disagree there.

Look at what Lobbs doing after just being switched down back.

Think back to Maj in 2018.

It’s far easier to find an elite interceptor than a 40+ goal per year key forward.

Pretty sure clarko said as much recently

Now if comben can be that 40 goal p.a goal kicker (which I’ve always thought he’d become) then leave him forward. But if he’s just up there for structure and can’t impact games like he did for a qrt yesterday then I’d rather have a journeyman like pink there and get comben down back, where as you point out he is elite already.

You can see it in his marking. Down back it’s one grabbing pretty much everything. Up forward yesterday he was double grabbing and dropped a few. If his confidence ends up translating to his forward marking, he’ll be a better key forward than larkey minus the accurate goal kicking.

Disagree completely.

And in fairness to Maj, Comben's intercept numbers are 50% higher than even that breakout season.

There's generally a player like Maj that will bob up with a good year (Jake Carlisle was another that year), but to have one that can do it year in year out is another thing entirely.


The intercept defenders ahead of Maj on Combens current numbers that year were pretty much only McGovern and Rance.

There's maybe 2-3 defenders in the league each year with 3.5+ int marks per game.

You generally have 25 key forwards that average the 1.7 goals per game to do the 40+ goals.

Chol is on track for 40 goals this season and Hawthorn traded Brisbane's future second which will be what, Pick 45 this year?

 

[The Dingrel]

This year looks the have been a learning year.

Maybe he is just really good at football.

I imagine a game where we Glendinning him and just station him at one end fo the ground. This week that would be an interesting choice where he plays CHB,CHF,CHB,CHF. and that is his game.

Maybe he is talented enough to context switch that much in the modern game.

I remember Pagan doing that with Carey down at Kardinia park one day when the wind was blowing a gale to one end.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

I'm with Sphynx on this one. More valuable to us as a key intercepting back.

 

[the big lebowski]

Disagree completely.

And in fairness to Maj, Comben's intercept numbers are 50% higher than even that breakout season.

There's generally a player like Maj that will bob up with a good year (Jake Carlisle was another that year), but to have one that can do it year in year out is another thing entirely.


The intercept defenders ahead of Maj on Combens current numbers that year were pretty much only McGovern and Rance.

There's maybe 2-3 defenders in the league each year with 3.5+ int marks per game.

You generally have 25 key forwards that average the 1.7 goals per game to do the 40+ goals.

Out of interest, and I don’t know the answer to this, how do choms intercept mark average this year compare to McKay the previous 2 years?

 

[JGreezy]

Out of interest, and I don’t know the answer to this, how do choms intercept mark average this year compare to McKay the previous 2 years?

McKay averaged 3.8 and 4.1 the last two years.

Comben is averaging 3.5

 

[Sphynx]

Out of interest, and I don’t know the answer to this, how do choms intercept mark average this year compare to McKay the previous 2 years?

He's bettering McKay's career best season in 2022 at the moment when McKay was #1 in the AFL.

Comben is averaging 4.17 int marks per game and 1.75 CM per game in defence this season.

Liam Jones in 2021 is the only key defender in the last 5 years with better Int Marks per game numbers than Comben when playing as a defender this year.


This is how that compares:

2024:



2023:



2022:



2021:



2020:



2019:

 

[Sphynx]

McKay averaged 3.8 and 4.1 the last two years.

Comben is averaging 3.5

4.17 as a defender.

 

[JGreezy]

4.17 as a defender.

How are you calculating that?

 

[Sphynx]

How are you calculating that?

Im deleting his games played as a forward.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

McKay averaged 3.8 and 4.1 the last two years.

Comben is averaging 3.5

Chom however is a much more offensive threat rebounding. McKay did one thing really well.

 

[JGreezy]

Im deleting his games played as a forward.

Which games? Yesterday was the first game this year where he didn't get an intercept mark and the only game this year where he had a mark inside 50.

He played a 4th quarter forward but not a full game.

 

[ferball]

Disagree completely.

And in fairness to Maj, Comben's intercept numbers are 50% higher than even that breakout season.

There's generally a player like Maj that will bob up with a good year (Jake Carlisle was another that year), but to have one that can do it year in year out is another thing entirely.


The intercept defenders ahead of Maj on Combens current numbers that year were pretty much only McGovern and Rance.

There's maybe 2-3 defenders in the league each year with 3.5+ int marks per game.

You generally have 25 key forwards that average the 1.7 goals per game to do the 40+ goals.

Chol is on track for 40 goals this season and Hawthorn traded Brisbane's future second which will be what, Pick 45 this year?

What if he averages 3 or 3.5 goals a game for the rest of the year up forward?

I agree with what you are generally saying but if he kicks enough goals then at some point that becomes more valuable than what he does down back.

 

[Sphynx]

What if he averages 3 or 3.5 goals a game for the rest of the year up forward?

I agree with what you are generally saying but if he kicks enough goals then at some point that becomes more valuable than what he does down back.

Well that's different, obviously. You are talking about an 80 goal a year forward pretty much the equivalent of Charlie Curnow.

I just don't think it's likely.

 

[The Dingrel]

Have to disagree there.

Look at what Lobbs doing after just being switched down back.

Think back to Maj in 2018.

It’s far easier to find an elite interceptor than a 40+ goal per year key forward.

Pretty sure clarko said as much recently

Now if comben can be that 40 goal p.a goal kicker (which I’ve always thought he’d become) then leave him forward. But if he’s just up there for structure and can’t impact games like he did for a qrt yesterday then I’d rather have a journeyman like pink there and get comben down back, where as you point out he is elite already.

You can see it in his marking. Down back it’s one grabbing pretty much everything. Up forward yesterday he was double grabbing and dropped a few. If his confidence ends up translating to his forward marking, he’ll be a better key forward than larkey minus the accurate goal kicking.

Wouldn't be surprised to see the man of Teak tried down back by year's end as well.

 

[shintemaster]

What if he averages 3 or 3.5 goals a game for the rest of the year up forward?

I agree with what you are generally saying but if he kicks enough goals then at some point that becomes more valuable than what he does down back.

I think the better question is what if he averages 2-3 goals a game and the rest of the forward line increase their averages across the board.

 

[ferball]

Well that's different, obviously. You are talking about an 80 goal a year forward pretty much the equivalent of Charlie Curnow.

I just don't think it's likely.

Fair enough.

I guess we have five weeks to see whether he can play to Curnow's level.

I think he's perfect as an intercepting back who can potentially go forward for a quarter and kick two or three goals if we need it but if he kicks another 15 - 20 goals this year then that will change how I see him.

 

[ferball]

I think the better question is what if he averages 2-3 goals a game and the rest of the forward line increase their averages across the board.

Well that's a similar question but theoretically any half decent forward should be able to provide that sort of structural benefit.

 

[speedy]

The experiment isn’t over. He got a good match up on the weekend, and it was still only a short burst where he dominated.

I think it will depend on how W.Dawson comes on and who we draft this year, as to whether chom plays forward or back.

It might also depend how well Archer and Goater progress. I think Clarko likes his medium defenders who play tall.