Houlihan is NOT a defender

[HomerThompson]

No, Houlihan is not a bona fide defender.
However, it's an indication of where our playing list is at that he is one of the first choices for a small defender with speed and skill. As several earlier posts have pointed out, there are a few kids coming through who will replace him, but for the time being we don't have too many options to fill this position.

 

[HBF]

When was Thomas on the wing? Spent most of the game 30m from goal. :

Gee, I must have been at a different game to you. He was up the ground a fair bit. Have a look at a replay.

Anderson IS injured so don't even mention it.

And where do you think he will play when he comes back?

Austin isn't in the side and how can you play a first gamer on Thomas?

As I said, IMHO, he should have already debuted as our defence is leaking pretty badly, and he would be a welcome addition back there.

Gibbs? Everyone here has been screaming for him not to be given those jobs and you want to give it to him again? How many goals did Farmer kick on him and you're screaming that Houlihan had one kicked on him and one due to Bower giving away a free.

I am on record as saying that Gibbs SHOULD be played off half back, and I reckon he would have done a pretty good job on Thomas yesterday. We have been lacking that real BP for years now. Carrazzo did the job for us a couple of years ago, but he has progessed into the midfield now.

Should we have played Bower on him so he can have 3 goals kicked on him like Nick Davis and then let Houlihan take him and keep him goalless? Forgotten that already?

Didn't see the Syndey game, so I can't comment on that.

Still waiting for you to tell us who would have done a better job. Looks like it's again Houlihan to take on all the dirty jobs on all the good players like he does week in week out and expose his weaknesses and not get played to his strengths and get great appreciation from 'supporters' like you- very quick to criticize if he does one thing wrong, never any praise for doing anything right- which must never happen going by this forum! You're all acting like Thomas annihilated him but for the 2 goals, Houlihan had 2 assists and 3 more possessions (which includes a few backwards in the dying minutes) and if he was beaten so badly why was he left on him all day? I can think of a number of good things he did today- including taking a courageous mark and getting crunched- which according to everyone here he never does and is too soft to do things like that- but as usual he gets no praise.

I did just give you some options, however, you chose to ignore them. How about Ackland, why don't we play him down there? I could list anyone, and you'd pick holes in them.

Houlihan does get some critisism on here, only for the fact that he frustates the hell out of all of us. Someone with the amount of skill he posesses, he should be better than what he does. Have a look at the game against Port, in particuklar the first quarter, and see what he produced then.

He is not a defender, plain and simple.

 

[Jock]

I'd take a 50+ pick for him at seasons end in the knowledge the year after we would get nothing for him. Take it while we can get it.
The slim chance our 50+ pick will go on to be a premiership player is still a lot stronger of a chance that Houlihan will go on to be a premiership player with us. In fact the chances of him doing that are basically nil.
Houlihan in our starting 18 = Bottom four side ongoing.

 

[BlueWorld]

Houlihan does get some critisism on here, only for the fact that he frustates the hell out of all of us. Someone with the amount of skill he posesses, he should be better than what he does. Have a look at the game against Port, in particuklar the first quarter, and see what he produced then.

He is not a defender, plain and simple.

Why should he get criticism for playing a role in the team that is so plain and obvious to all but our coaches that he shouldn't be played there? He should be better than what he does? Should he leave his man and run into the forward line to show how skilful he is? Then he'd be criticized for being loose and unaccountable and selfish and playing for himself? That has never happened! Let's face it he can't win whatever he does because you'll never be satisfied. Still waiting for you to tell us why he gets played in defense most weeks? Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that for a non defender he kept Davey to 4 possessions, Nick Davis scoreless, took McLeod out of the game? No that never happened. He's not a defender, plain and simple!

 

[HBF]

Still waiting for you to explain why he gets played in defence most weeks if it's so plain and obvious that he shouldn't be played there and has the skill to play better elsewhere!

I have no idea why he is played there. Do I look like I coach the team? He should be played up the ground. IMO, his ideal spot would be on a HFF, or on a wing.

If you want some more proof, have a look at his game against Essendon earlier in the year, and come back and tell me where he played that day.

 

[gandaal]

He's played in defense because our entire gameplan revolves around Houla and Scotland running off halfback, recieving the ball from the center contest, running forward and picking out targets on the half forward line. That's how we operate, that's why Scotland and Houla get plenty of the ball.

 

[HBF]

He's played in defense because our entire gameplan revolves around Houla and Scotland running off halfback, recieving the ball from the center contest, running forward and picking out targets on the half forward line. That's how we operate, that's why Scotland and Houla get plenty of the ball.

That's all well and good gandaal, but Hoops really needs to learn a more defensive side to his game. Perhaps when Walks comes back, he can be played off HB, where he can use his run and carry. Has a much much better defensive game than Hoops.

 

[BlueWorld]

I have no idea why he is played there. Do I look like I coach the team? He should be played up the ground. IMO, his ideal spot would be on a HFF, or on a wing.

If you want some more proof, have a look at his game against Essendon earlier in the year, and come back and tell me where he played that day.

No but you can criticize him and demand he be gotten rid of even though you have no idea why he gets played in what you admit is not his ideal spot. I'm sure the coaching staff know what they're doing and don't need you to tell them.

He started in defense against Essendon on Lovett, as he does most weeks. What does that prove? I already gave you examples of some pretty good performances in defense but you conveniently didn't see those games or choose to ignore them because that would spoil your opinion based on one or two moments from one game that he cannot play as a defender! Maybe you should watch the game again and note Voss' comments that Thomas was having a quiet game and wasn't having enough impact!

 

[HBF]

No but you can criticize him and demand he be gotten rid of even though you have no idea why he gets played in what you admit is not his ideal spot. I'm sure the coaching staff know what they're doing and don't need you to tell them.

He started in defense against Essendon on Lovett, as he does most weeks. What does that prove? I already gave you examples of some pretty good performances in defense but you conveniently didn't see those games or choose to ignore them because that would spoil your opinion based on one or two moments from one game that he cannot play as a defender! Maybe you should watch the game again and note Voss' comments that Thomas was having a quiet game and wasn't having enough impact!

When did I demand that he be traded at years end? I said that he should be shopped around. FWIW, I doubt we'd get much for him this year anyway. I missed the Sydney game because of a family function, and I missed the Essendon game as I was at an U18 game.

I don't care what Voss said. I was at the game and saw it for myself. Tell me this - how the hell does Thomas take a pack mark when Houlihan is standing right behind him?

Houlihan is fine when he plays on the smaller guys that don't threaten in the air (Davey), but when they can mark overhead, he struggles. Wirrpunda wripped him a new one when we played West Coast. Gibbs gets moved onto him, and he barely had another kick. We can both find examples of why he should/should not play there.

This will be the last time I reply in this thread. I simply can't be bothered going over this time and time again.

 

[BlueWorld]

When did I demand that he be traded at years end? I said that he should be shopped around. FWIW, I doubt we'd get much for him this year anyway. I missed the Sydney game because of a family function, and I missed the Essendon game as I was at an U18 game.

I don't care what Voss said. I was at the game and saw it for myself. Tell me this - how the hell does Thomas take a pack mark when Houlihan is standing right behind him?

Houlihan is fine when he plays on the smaller guys that don't threaten in the air (Davey), but when they can mark overhead, he struggles. Wirrpunda wripped him a new one when we played West Coast. Gibbs gets moved onto him, and he barely had another kick. We can both find examples of why he should/should not play there.

This will be the last time I reply in this thread. I simply can't be bothered going over this time and time again.

Oh good, nor can I, because this entire discussion has gone nowhere from your first statement that he be shopped around but what? Not traded. Why would you shop someone around unless you're looking to trade them? Well get over yourself because you will not be deciding anything including where players line up! If you want to keep criticizing players for doing their assigned task to the best of their ability then go on. You're achieving nothing! Funnily enough I've seen far more sensible discussion at other sites so you'll have to excuse me from wasting any more time here. Bye.