No Walker and now no Houlihan...

[Dooky]

With the news that Ryan Houlihan will be out for up to 8 weeks I can't help but feel our defensive run is now stifled. Without a doubt Walker and Hoops are the two that give us the most dash coming out of the backline. It's good to see Scotland getting the confidence back now with every game he plays but we need more than him to fill the void. Hopefully, Gibbsy can get up for the game this week and give us a bit more run from down back. Pfeiffer also has been ok in this role.

Just wondering what you guys think...do we simply need to reshuffle the current side e.g. chuck Kade Simpson and perhaps Carrazzo down back and keep them there for longer periods of the game or is there a youngster that can come through to fill that void like a Steven Brown, Dennis Armfield, or Clinton Benjamin...

thoughts?

 

[BlueWorld]

Carrazzo has been forced out of the midfield into defence like on Davey- roles that houla or Walker would normally do.

 

[iRemember87]

Done ok the last two weeks without these two!!

I thik for Hoops he will come back into a forward/mid role, hopefully he'll be a bit more speedy after this fix.

Walker will comeback into the backline/mid role.

Our backline is doing well so far.

 

[Bomba Sheldon]

Done ok the last two weeks without these two!!

I thik for Hoops he will come back into a forward/mid role, hopefully he'll be a bit more speedy after this fix.

Walker will comeback into the backline/mid role.

Our backline is doing well so far.

I tend to agree with this as I dont like Hoops down back, whilst he sets up play he concedes too many goals. Play him through the midfield / HFF where he can punish the opposition.

I would like to see Walker play a more attacking role up the ground, hopefully with the team on the improve he will be able to flourish as a ballwinner. Hopefully with an improved level of confidence it may reflect in his disposal and decision making as well.

Carrazzo, keep him down back on the opposition small forwards where he started back in 2004.

 

[audas]

bower.

 

[Matt72]

Both are good handy players who have had trouble with consistency over the past few seasons, as have most Carlton players, so I would hope that the fortunes of the team didn't rest on their shoulders.

 

[Jeremias]

Our defense has looked fine without them over the last few weeks.

Bower, Thornton, Waite have all been providing plenty of run out of the backline whilst keeping their opponents in mind.

 

[one_twelve112]

Both are good handy players who have had trouble with consistency over the past few seasons, as have most Carlton players, so I would hope that the fortunes of the team didn't rest on their shoulders.

What a strange thing to say. They have been no more or less consistent than any other players over the past 2 or 3 years and both have done some seriouly important jobs for their team.

 

[WalkerTexasRanger]

With the news that Ryan Houlihan will be out for up to 8 weeks I can't help but feel our defensive run is now stifled. Without a doubt Walker and Hoops are the two that give us the most dash coming out of the backline. It's good to see Scotland getting the confidence back now with every game he plays but we need more than him to fill the void. Hopefully, Gibbsy can get up for the game this week and give us a bit more run from down back. Pfeiffer also has been ok in this role.

Just wondering what you guys think...do we simply need to reshuffle the current side e.g. chuck Kade Simpson and perhaps Carrazzo down back and keep them there for longer periods of the game or is there a youngster that can come through to fill that void like a Steven Brown, Dennis Armfield, or Clinton Benjamin...


thoughts?

Bring in Jacko!! What a tank he has...and I love his endeavour

 

[Banga19]

I've been very happy with Waite's run out of the backline these last two weeks, it has left me convinced that he should play back. Obviously he fluffs the odd kick but he can be penetrating at times.

Seriously looking forward to the return of Walker though...

 

[Brighton_Diggins]

The last 2 games I've been pleased with the lineup.
With that in mind, answer me this...
IF we win the next 3-4 games are these 2 walk up starters?

 

[Matt72]

What a strange thing to say. They have been no more or less consistent than any other players over the past 2 or 3 years and both have done some seriouly important jobs for their team.

lol @ judging players at Carlton over the past 3 years and guaging their quality on that proviso.
Surely it makes more sense to rate players based on the best in the competition in similar positions?

Walker is in his 5th season and had an awesome first game and has never gotten back to that form and Houlihan is in his 9th season and has been sent forward back middle as yes he has been fair but is he potentially a Premiership player? I don't think he is. He is always going to be in the bottom 11 of any 22 picked week to week.

 

[Matt72]

The last 2 games I've been pleased with the lineup.
With that in mind, answer me this...
IF we win the next 3-4 games are these 2 walk up starters?

Walker has a lot more upside than Houlihan. He can be one of those rotated through the middle but as you say if we win this week and houlihan is fit next week does he come in or go through the seconds?

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

Houlihan out for two weeks.

Carlton win two weeks running.

Hmmmmmmm.

 

[one_twelve112]

The last 2 games I've been pleased with the lineup.
With that in mind, answer me this...
IF we win the next 3-4 games are these 2 walk up starters?

Both these players have the runs on the board and I doubt either would be considered "fringe" type players unlike; Pfeiffer, Bannister, Grigg, Wiggin, Jackson, Bentick and Russell.

 

[blues4flag]

The last 2 games I've been pleased with the lineup.
With that in mind, answer me this...
IF we win the next 3-4 games are these 2 walk up starters?

Without a doubt. Walker might spend a week or two in the seconds to regain some match fitness, as might Houla, but other than that, both are in our 22, Walker easily.

 

[nsj91]

The last 2 games I've been pleased with the lineup.
With that in mind, answer me this...
IF we win the next 3-4 games are these 2 walk up starters?

Walker HAS TO BE a walk up starter. No doubt about it whatsoever.. he is in our best 10 when fit.
As for houlihan.. He's in our best 22 but a game in the VFL might not go astray to tune his game up a bit

 

[Big Bad Sammus]

Now you might want to add Banno to this list!!!

He's out for four weeks.

http://www.carltonfc.com.au/tabid/4311/Default.aspx?newsid=58319

 

[1eight6four]

Bring in Jacko!! What a tank he has...and I love his endeavour

Can kick too. Also may need a tagger now Banno is gone.

 

[blues4flag]

Walker HAS TO BE a walk up starter. No doubt about it whatsoever.. he is in our best 10 when fit.
As for houlihan.. He's in our best 22 but a game in the VFL might not go astray to tune his game up a bit

Walker is without a doubt one of our better players, but giving him a week in the VFL to regain some match fitness and ease him in is the way to go, IMO. It's always tough coming back from a long break, and a half in the VFL to regain touch will definitely help.

 

[HBF]

Bower and Waite have been giving us great run and dash out of defence. Whilst having Walker back there would be great, his dash has been somewhat offset by the performance of these 2 boys.

As for Hoops, I hope he recovers fully from this injury. When he does, i'd slot him straight back onto a HFF.

 

[Blueinblood]

Bannister has been giving us some run so thats another big loss. Gibbs may have to go back to a HBF and carrazzo may become a regular fixture back there. All our talls are athletic so its ok. Waite and bower and thonton are all relativly quick

 

[lopezz]

Don't recall Houlihan having a defensive side to his game

Besides our defense has played the best its played over the last six years without either of these players this year. What are we loosing without Hoops??

 

[Pamam]

Don't recall Houlihan having a defensive side to his game

Besides our defense has played the best its played over the last six years without either of these players this year. What are we loosing without Hoops??

another avenue to goal i would say we have lost!!!

or a player with the skills to direct it nicely to a player in the F50!!

 

[WalkerTexasRanger]

Don't recall Houlihan having a defensive side to his game

Are you serious??? Hoops has regularly tagged impact players from the opposition (and usually the quick ones) as a non-tagger ( I think he is best suited to HFF where his skills of both feet can be used for setting up goals and kicking them) he has filled that void for us for a while. Banno was really starting to become our best tagger (Hadley does alright too and has good physical presence for this type of role).

We hadn't really developed a tagger while Pagan was there (I can't remember one since Francina), I guess he didn't see the need for one...idiot!!

IMO we have suffered massively over the past few years without a stopper to take the likes the supreme playmakers like Judd et al....I guess recruiting Juddy was one way to stop him!!!