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

[the big lebowski]

So while it took way too long, now his season is officially over, what a success.

After looking like he’d never play again he has got through 19 games in a row.

We’ve seen a great interceptor down back that we hadn’t seen before.

A full preseason and the skies the limit.

I’m thinking he plays forward, with longer stints in the ruck in 2025.

Training wheels are off now. It’s been half a decade of slowly slowly.

Now it’s time to deliver

 

[Ashley B]

We all love Charlie but he needs to improve how he approaches contests. No good getting injured continuously must be smarter and more controlled .

 

[Samsquanch]

A full preseason and the skies the limit.

I’m thinking he plays forward, with longer stints in the ruck in 2025.

I know we brought him in as a forward and most people see CHF as his destiny, but the way he has settled in at CHB with no previous experience and with limited preparation has me thinking that he could own that spot and if he continued to improve as he develops more experience (along with having Logue back in the side as FB so Corr can take over from LMac) the defense becomes pretty decent.

I know that we want the gaping hole at CHF filled and I strongly believe Chom is capable but if he wanted to be CHB then in my opinion, let him have it as his own!

 

[the big lebowski]

I know we brought him in as a forward and most people see CHF as his destiny, but the way he has settled in at CHB with no previous experience and with limited preparation has me thinking that he could own that spot and if he continued to improve as he develops more experience (along with having Logue back in the side as FB so Corr can take over from LMac) the defense becomes pretty decent.

I know that we want the gaping hole at CHF filled and I strongly believe Chom is capable but if he wanted to be CHB then in my opinion, let him have it as his own!

Yeah I have gone from steadfast CHF to whatever is best for the team and Chom. But it may well be that, with our KPD more advanced than our non existent developing KPF, that Chom needs to spend 2025 at CHF as whoever we draft this year can have a year of vfl development.

 

[muttley45]

He has been carrying the shoulder for while, makes sense to get the surgery done asap, and set himself up for the pre-season, same should apply to anyone else requiring surgery, get it out of the way now.

 

[The acurate one]

Hopefully Logue and Will Dawson are both down back in 2025

 

[amaz199]

Hopefully Logue and Will Dawson are both down back in 2025

Should be the two main backs going forward.

Dawson has tremendous upside and I would not be surprised if contested marking becomes a part of his game. Logue is already good in this aspect but I would love to see Dawson take on more responsibility next year.

We've already seen that our backline has been largely dysfunctional or hasn't been what the coaches want it to be. Hopefully, next year will be easy on our key defenders and we get continuity.

I still reckon Comben has more upside as a forward but could clearly see the benefit of playing back. Could be the swingman that can play both ends?

 

[LB2Snake]

View attachment 2084422

Surprise to me

Really? Why you surprised? Chom gets routinely beaten in one v ones. He’s great as a floating across interceptor, but he’s pretty new to actually defending and it shows. He’s not alone down with blokes who can’t defend either. There’s a few of them.

 

[archereleven]

View attachment 2084422

Surprise to me

His last 5 quarters cost us at least 6 goals...

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[Possession]

Played 19 games this year. Great effort for a guy who needed some consistent game time. Hoping to see him return to the forward line in the pre-season.

 

[RossHenshaw]

Should be the two main backs going forward.

Dawson has tremendous upside and I would not be surprised if contested marking becomes a part of his game. Logue is already good in this aspect but I would love to see Dawson take on more responsibility next year.

We've already seen that our backline has been largely dysfunctional or hasn't been what the coaches want it to be. Hopefully, next year will be easy on our key defenders and we get continuity.

I still reckon Comben has more upside as a forward but could clearly see the benefit of playing back. Could be the swingman that can play both ends?

Will Dawson although being the youngest player on our list , in fact youngest in the AFL (birthday end of December) screams of having a body that will put on weight / muscle very quickly .
He will be huge & a Key Position defender by 21 .

 

[archereleven]

Should be the two main backs going forward.

Dawson has tremendous upside and I would not be surprised if contested marking becomes a part of his game. Logue is already good in this aspect but I would love to see Dawson take on more responsibility next year.

We've already seen that our backline has been largely dysfunctional or hasn't been what the coaches want it to be. Hopefully, next year will be easy on our key defenders and we get continuity.

I still reckon Comben has more upside as a forward but could clearly see the benefit of playing back. Could be the swingman that can play both ends?

Reckon we should sign a Tom McDonald type to swap around with Chom. If Choms having a decent day forward, Tom plays back and vice versa...

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[Makeshift Park]

Recent history shows premiership teams need two elite key defenders more than they need two elite key forwards.

But having said that, Clarko seems to relish versatility.

If Chom is happy to stay back, make him an 80/20 defensive/forward swingman, until Will Dawson starts blowing the lights out.

 

[Orange Peanut]

Should be the two main backs going forward.

All the forwards have gone back, now the backs have to go forward

 

[giantroo]

Charlie Comben - Concussion/shoulder
Expected return: Post-Christmas


"Charlie's concussion symptoms resolved quite quickly, and with him not playing out the end of the season, the decision was made to undergo shoulder surgery to that joint that had caused discomfort.


"This will have Charlie in a rehab/modified training program in the pre-Christmas phase which hopefully serves as good rest and recovery after the biggest season of games he's played to date."