Oppo Camp Caleb Poulter (Bulldogs MSD 2023)

[Axl the great]

He is a similar player to Tom Phillips

21

Tom Phillips

Age

28

Ht

187cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.4

5star

K

13.4

5star

HB

9.0

5star

M

5.1

5star

T

2.5

4star

CL

1.6

4star

D

15.1

4star

K

8.5

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.3

3star

CL

0.5

3star

D

16.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

7.0

5star

M

5.2

5star

T

3.0

5star

CL

0.8

3star

and Ed Langdon

15

Ed Langdon

Age

28

Ht

182cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.0

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

9.0

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

2.3

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

20.3

5star

K

12.8

5star

HB

7.5

4star

M

4.5

4star

T

0.8

1star

CL

1.8

4star

D

13.0

4star

K

6.4

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.6

3star

but he's not bad at the contested ball either.
Caleb is in his second year and showed plenty last year, give him time and he will be a good player.

 

[neilk]

He is a similar player to Tom Phillips and Ed Langdon but he's not bad at the contested ball either.
Caleb is in his second year and showed plenty last year, give him time and he will be a good player.

Agree, it just may not be with us. I remember the night his name was called out at the draft. He looked most unimpressed, but it may just be his nature.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Poulter sports an infinitely superior mullet which counts for a lot with today's youth, furthermore he has strong support within the BF lobby group; and they have a huge influence on the club's decisions.

Well he does seem like a really nice, unassuming fella. So factor that in to the calculus…

 

[loki04]

Loki - you asked me to rank our U23 list few days ago, and I responded, and did not include Poulter.

Apart form Height and mobility, what do you see as his strengths that give you confidence he can succeed, once he builds his frame?.

A) Runs the lines well and makes space very well often "owns" his wing, breaks open play with his constant movement.
Not a chip wait and mark type (imo Bianco often does this too much though improving his flow.)

B) Whilst many are critical I actually think he has all the makings of a good kick, whether fatigue and fitness is allowing for regular execution is my query vs just being an inconsistent kick.

C) Is a rangy tall player at 193cm, if I was fly I'd be showing tapes of Andrew Embley. There is also positional diversity should he be developed in other areas of the ground and work on his frame.
Talls take a bit longer to grow into their skin.


There are more I'd delist before his name showed up that's for sure.

 

[loki04]

Half the speed, average leap and nothing like the kicking ability. I’m going to take some convincing…

I don't think his top end speed is that far off actually rarely caught once he is in flight, I'd say his first 30m lacks vs those "quicks" he's compared with

 

[sr36]

B) Whilst many are critical I actually think he has all the makings of a good kick, whether fatigue and fitness is allowing for regular execution is my query vs just being an inconsistent kick.

Decision making and composure is the issue more than skill, I think - he often seems rushed and just blind bombs it. Time will tell how much he can improve that aspect of his game, but without improvement in that area, he really is Tom Phillips Mark 2, which isn't the worst thing to be.

 

[well left]

A) Runs the lines well and makes space very well often "owns" his wing, breaks open play with his constant movement.
Not a chip wait and mark type (imo Bianco often does this too much though improving his flow.)

B) Whilst many are critical I actually think he has all the makings of a good kick, whether fatigue and fitness is allowing for regular execution is my query vs just being an inconsistent kick.

C) Is a rangy tall player at 193cm, if I was fly I'd be showing tapes of Andrew Embley. There is also positional diversity should he be developed in other areas of the ground and work on his frame.
Talls take a bit longer to grow into their skin.


There are more I'd delist before his name showed up that's for sure.

I probably wouldn’t delist but if we’re bringing in Hill and one of Taranto/Bruhn spots are going to be limited and he himself might be looking at SA for opportunity. If that was the case I’d probably facilitate it for him as I think with those inclusions he wouldn’t get the chance with us.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Jen2310]

It'll prob be a bit concerning to him I imagine that Bianco has gone past him in the wing position.

 

[gouki88]

It'll prob be a bit concerning to him I imagine that Bianco has gone past him in the wing position.

They're such polar opposites in just about every way.

 

[Jen2310]

They're such polar opposites in just about every way.

But still play the same position.

I reckon they should try put Poulter as an inside mid, he'd need to bulk up. Or maybe half back?

 

[gouki88]

But still play the same position.

I reckon they should try put Poulter as an inside mid, he'd need to bulk up. Or maybe half back?

I'd probably go midfield - most of our youth is better suited to perimeter play.

 

[Jen2310]

I'd probably go midfield - most of our youth is better suited to perimeter play.

He played there in the sanfl I believe.

 

[ksardog]

he needs to work on his opposite side his body in the off season, has basically no right side. if he doesnt come back next year ( if he stays with us ) as a competent dual sided player, he wont make it, and he will be wasting the talent that he does have by not wanting to improve his game and become less predictable to the opposition

i remember Mick Mcguane had no left foot whatsoever, use to run in circles to get back onto his right foot, came back after one off season and suddenly he was hitting targets with his left from 40m
it can be done

 

[TradeDraft]

It'll prob be a bit concerning to him I imagine that Bianco has gone past him in the wing position.

So you think he won't get a New Contract Jen2310 ?

 

[Jen2310]

So you think he won't get a New Contract Jen2310 ?

I didn't say that. But I think that will be decided after the trade period, how many we bring in. A few will end up being unlucky.

 

[Robroy22]

he needs to work on his opposite side his body in the off season, has basically no right side. if he doesnt come back next year ( if he stays with us ) as a competent dual sided player, he wont make it, and he will be wasting the talent that he does have by not wanting to improve his game and become less predictable to the opposition

i remember Mick Mcguane had no left foot whatsoever, use to run in circles to get back onto his right foot, came back after one off season and suddenly he was hitting targets with his left from 40m
it can be done

Umm...Mick always had a left foot, as a junior his dad belted it into him. He was always a dual sided player (often says that he had to be because he was so slow!)

 

[ksardog]

Umm...Mick always had a left foot, as a junior his dad belted it into him. He was always a dual sided player (often says that he had to be because he was so slow!)

why at the start of his career was he always turning onto his right foot, no matter the situation?
you have any documented proof of this, interview etc?
I clearly remember watching him after an off season all of a sudden kicking on his left, never saw it in the couple years before that.

 

[Robroy22]

why at the start of his career was he always turning onto his right foot, no matter the situation?
you have any documented proof of this, interview etc?
I clearly remember watching him after an off season all of a sudden kicking on his left, never saw it in the couple years before that.

Lol...would watching him play for Sebas (Sebastopol in the Ballarat Footy League) as a junior do for your "documented proof"? Mick was the cheekiest kid playing back then but he always shutup whenever his old man (Brian) was anywhere around! The McGuanes were Sebas royalty and pretty thick with the Frawleys and others in town.

 

[ksardog]

Lol...would watching him play for Sebas (Sebastopol in the Ballarat Footy League) as a junior do for your "documented proof"? Mick was the cheekiest kid playing back then but he always shutup whenever his old man (Brian) was anywhere around! The McGuanes were Sebas royalty and pretty thick with the Frawleys and others in town.

if that’s the case, so be it, but I clearly remember him avoiding kicking on his left and then the next year he was more than competent on it. This would have been around ’88 or ‘89. Assumed he worked on his craft over the off season to improve himself

anyone, it’s something Poulter needs to do if he wants to succeed

 

[RobJD]

I can't quite get a sense of his game. He is very tall but does nothing aerially. He has a nice kick but misses targets. Takes his time but still picks the wrong options. Seems to have a lot of good tools but not sure how to use them. But somehow also lacks any stand out attributes.

Am I totally off the mark in thinking reminds me of seedsmen early in his career? Or has someone got a better comparison ?

I see him as a like for like replacement for WHE - very similar builds and game styles (both left footers too). I see much more upside with Poults than WHE - understand that he seems to have plateaued this year, it was almost a rule in years gone by that players had a tendency to struggle in their 2nd year. His numbers so far are in-line with Josh D and WHE in their first 2 years. My preference would be to let him know that the wing is his in 2023 and give him a good shot at it - if need be, I'd trade/delist WHE

 

[Bianconeri]

I see him as a like for like replacement for WHE - very similar builds and game styles (both left footers too). I see much more upside with Poults than WHE - understand that he seems to have plateaued this year, it was almost a rule in years gone by that players had a tendency to struggle in their 2nd year. His numbers so far are in-line with Josh D and WHE in their first 2 years. My preference would be to let him know that the wing is his in 2023 and give him a good shot at it - if need be, I'd trade/delist WHE

WHE has an aerial presence and forward sense, Poulter doesn’t.

Don’t get this comparison.

 

[Anzacday]

WHE has an aerial presence and forward sense, Poulter doesn’t.

Don’t get this comparison.

Plus WHE isn't a left footer.

 

[Kappa]

he needs to work on his opposite side his body in the off season, has basically no right side. if he doesnt come back next year ( if he stays with us ) as a competent dual sided player, he wont make it, and he will be wasting the talent that he does have by not wanting to improve his game and become less predictable to the opposition

i remember Mick Mcguane had no left foot whatsoever, use to run in circles to get back onto his right foot, came back after one off season and suddenly he was hitting targets with his left from 40m
it can be done

I reckon this is literally the least of his worries.

Plenty of superstars can only kick with 1 foot and it doesn't hurt them. Poulter's problem is his kicking is hit and miss, he's slow and he doesn't know how to win his own footy

 

[RobJD]

WHE has an aerial presence and forward sense, Poulter doesn’t.

Don’t get this comparison.

WHE had an aerial presence - that seems to have departed him over the past few years. WHE doesn't take many of those floating pack marks any more - both are outside runners who can run both ways, both are rangy players who are reasonable overhead, both have penetrating left foot kicks, both are capable of kicking 1-2 goals a game, both struggle to impose on the game physically. WHE may have had better forward smarts, not sure that's true anymore - in 11 games Poults has kicked 2.4 and in his last 11 games WHE has kicked 3.1 - key difference, Poults has an up-side, WHE had an up-side

 

[Mollythedolly]

Seems like a natural replacement for WHE - I can see a lot of similarities (good and bad!)

Compare the pair…

One a great mark with tremendous disposal by foot who covers the ground at pace working just as hard offensively as defensively. The other Poulter. At a guess, I’d say his field kicking is just about the worst of anyone on our list.

Not averse to Poulter getting another year as there’s lots to like about his game, but he’s not 1 I’d be overly sad to see seeking a trade.

Edit: what the Sampler said.