The emergence of the future backline has been particularly exciting. Being an avid follower of the Italian Soccer team it always warms the heart to see a strong defensive unit taking shape.
One paper the one under construction is perhaps the best I have ever seen. Tayte Pears has probably caught the imagination the most of any player so far, and from the look of the stats and the reviews his game on Fevola it is all with good reason.
I must admit that the player that I think has become one of the most important at the club is Cale Hooker. It became clear after his second or third game this year that he would virtually be one of the first players selected each week (this is not a view influenced by his assistance in the ruck). His performances don't justify the comment but his place within the structure of the side selected each week does.
There are very few 196cm + key poisitions defenders in the AFL who are quick and agile enough to play on the smaller forwards. It will be Hooker's ability to compliment Pears that will be crucial. There are two aspects of the Hooker/Pears partnership:
The mauling against Tippett does not matter as every young backman is going to have a bag kicked on him during his career. Tippett also deserves credit as being a player of immense potential.
The emergence of Hooker means that Hurley's future will be swinging between forward and back depending on injuries and match ups. It also frees Ryder from, what hindsight has exposed as, the burden of playing at CHB. As good as he looked in the backline, Paddy's future is as a wingman come ruckman with the occasional stint forward and, if there is an injury crises, as a key backman. Coupled with Hooker's potential as a pinch hitting mobile ruckman, and the fact that he was drafted as a forward, we have the named players as probably two others that gives us 4 or 5 young talls that can play in multiple positions. It is a flexibility that is going to be the envy of almost every team in the competition in 12 months time.
I just wanted to make sure that Hooker is acknowledged as being perhaps the most cricual component of this felxibility.
One paper the one under construction is perhaps the best I have ever seen. Tayte Pears has probably caught the imagination the most of any player so far, and from the look of the stats and the reviews his game on Fevola it is all with good reason.
I must admit that the player that I think has become one of the most important at the club is Cale Hooker. It became clear after his second or third game this year that he would virtually be one of the first players selected each week (this is not a view influenced by his assistance in the ruck). His performances don't justify the comment but his place within the structure of the side selected each week does.
There are very few 196cm + key poisitions defenders in the AFL who are quick and agile enough to play on the smaller forwards. It will be Hooker's ability to compliment Pears that will be crucial. There are two aspects of the Hooker/Pears partnership:
- Firstly, Pears will often be an undersized key backman because of his frame. I am of the opinion that too often defenders are given stupid tasks on forwards that are much bigger than them. There is a confidence that Fletcher has instilled in me every time he lines up somewhere in the opposition 50m because there is virtually no physical assignment that is beyond him. It is Hooker that will fill this role at the Essendon Football Club for the next 10 years.
- Secondly, Pears seems to be a very talented rebounder and suited to a role on a second or third tall that he can work off. Hookers ability to stand a CHF or FF will allow Pears to play more of a zoning role, and replace Fletcher (whenever he finally calls it quit - though there is no reason why this needs to be in the next 12 months).
The mauling against Tippett does not matter as every young backman is going to have a bag kicked on him during his career. Tippett also deserves credit as being a player of immense potential.
The emergence of Hooker means that Hurley's future will be swinging between forward and back depending on injuries and match ups. It also frees Ryder from, what hindsight has exposed as, the burden of playing at CHB. As good as he looked in the backline, Paddy's future is as a wingman come ruckman with the occasional stint forward and, if there is an injury crises, as a key backman. Coupled with Hooker's potential as a pinch hitting mobile ruckman, and the fact that he was drafted as a forward, we have the named players as probably two others that gives us 4 or 5 young talls that can play in multiple positions. It is a flexibility that is going to be the envy of almost every team in the competition in 12 months time.
I just wanted to make sure that Hooker is acknowledged as being perhaps the most cricual component of this felxibility.
