I ask this question because we seem to have run into a rich vein of form by playing just the two talls in Bower and Thornton down back, with Russel, Walker, Houlihan and Army picking up the remaining small and medium sized players down in defense. Similarly in attack we have Fev and Sentanta as the talls, surrounded by Betts and whatever midfielders are rotating through there at the time. This appears to give us pretty good balance to play the running, attacking game that we all like seeing.

And yet...

Waite, Jamison and perhaps Warnock are all arguably in our best 22 next year.

So put yourself in Brett Ratten's coaching chair (I know it's a stretch). If you had a full list to choose from, how many talls would you play? How many talls are too many talls?

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STURDYISM!!

waite to a wing/midfield

jamison and bower as the back talls

thornton as a utility 3rd tall forward or back

fev and setanta up forward

its modern footy

and we seem to have finally cottoned on

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

And Krueze, Warnock and Hammer fighting to the death for the two ruck spots?

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STURDYISM!!

ah shit

TOO MANY TALLS !!

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Give me as many as you can if they are fast and skillful.

I tell you, we have a plethora of them...and if Aisake had've come on....well pharrrrrque me.

Jamison Waite Bower Thonton Austin Setanta are all talls, but they're mobile.

I do agree with some posters that having the pace of Armfield is a win for us this year, and Russell, Walker, Houlihan and Scotland go a;llright in the back half.

Obviously when Jammo and Waite are back, we are going to have a very tall and fast team...we are that without them.

Bring on the Finals now.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Am happy with Bower and Jamo as the two designated talls with Thornton playing that zoning off role. I think if Waite is fit and his mobile self next year, he plays on a wing like previously suggested or plays down forward, possibly taking Setanta's role. Having said that, he doesn't have to take Setanta's role as I don't necessarily think that Waite down forward would really take away from our mobility all that much. He is also probably a better option to swing back if one of our talls is getting killed, without losing any run. Makes our latter season work all that more impressive when you think about it, the wheels fell off a bit initially when Waite went down. Will hopefully be the player that allows us to take the next step next year or in 2011 if he gets back to how he was playing before he went down.

The only one out of Kruze, Hampson and Warnock that I would have down forward is Kruze because again I don't think he takes away too much from our mobility and his second efforts are better than a lot of other players at the club.

I think that one of Warnock or Hammer misses out in our best 22.

Maybe we offer to trade 206 back to Fremantle for 210, because 210 is sick of losing and Freo think that we ripped them off in the 206 trade and they didn't want to lose him

Jamo and Bower the kep positions.
Thornton the floater.
Waite=anywhere...i.e. fwd, back, mid.

All in all it all leads to positives for us as a team.

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

ahh but the rucks j&k? the rucks?

Would you play all 3?

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STURDYISM!!

I keep wanting to take a look at Jarrad Waite being used on the half forward flank as a classy crash and bash style player. Similar to how we used Aaron Hamill but with more skill and more options. How would it work?

Front Six

FF: Eddie Betts - Brendan Fevola - Christopher Yarran
HF: Jarrad Waite - Setanta O'hAilpin - Heath Scotland

Back Six

HB: Aaron Joseph - Paul Bower - Ryan Houlihan
BP: Jordan Russell - Michael Jamison - Bret Thornton

Looks good to me. Would like to get McKinley or a small power forward as an alternate lead in the forward pocket to give the midfield another option with Brendan. Ideally it would work like the Sticks & Brad Pearce combination in '95.

No. I'd play two...i.e. Kruezer and one of Hammer, Warnock or Sammy based on form or injuries. Let them compete for it. I don't see where the problem is in that. For mine it's Hammer and Krueze. I just love the flexibility/passion that these two offer us. Warnock??? We'll see.

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

what about the shorter players who 'pay tall'?

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Ecclesiastes 1:4, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but The Blues abide forever."

It helps having Walker back in the side and Russell coming into form.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

They're not fooling anyone.

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STURDYISM!!

At the end of the day they don't get any shorter.

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Green Shooter

I think if a player is tall and is good below the knees, ala Krooz, Carlos and Hammer, then they don't count.

They provide flexibility in that they aren't a Lade or Sandilands - lumbering oafs who offer not much more than hit outs.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

Of course they count... talls are talls... unless you use them in a unique sense...

You have a nucleus of talls and you surround those with ball winners and runners..

You cant have ten talls cos they can run..

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

When you have a tall like Hammer who is faster than Juddy, then that counts the other way too.

Not disputing the need to have Army, Browne and Ando etc running out of defense as opposed to Krooz, Hammer, Carlos running out of defense, but I love the flexibility of our talls compared to other teams.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

Jamo's a great 'defender', but he's almost too negative IMO for the modern game. His focus over summer should be to develop a more attacking style of play.

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"I had to eat"

Austin played wing in S.A. before being recruited to Carlton. Would like to see him develop as another runner out of defence.

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Bawditawaba

The team we picked against the Cats is the blue print. Waite being the only tall player to be added to that. Maybe him for Robo or Wig.
Hampson and Warnoch can rotate through the two's and stay fresh. The most in form player can have the position.

Jamo and Austin depth talls. Can cover for Bower or Thornton if injured or out of form.

Hopefully Okeefe turns out to be a Russell sized defender with a massive accurate kick.