There is much discussion on here and in the media about Carlton needing quality tall forwards. The options we have so far are Waite, Henderson, O'hAilpin, Fisher, Casboult and Donaldson. The outsiders to make it as tall forwards are Austin, White, Bower, Kreuzer and Hampson.



I know we are struggling to open up the forward line and that's making it hard to take marks there but I think we have gone too far with trying not to be one dimensional, trying not to rely on marking forwards and trying to use our smalls too often. I don't think we target our tall players enough. So often we kick long to nothing or smalls or when we do go to contests it's not to our tall forwards. When we kick to our smalls then who is at ground level if they are going for marks? It's all well and good not relying on one or two tall forwards but there is a happy medium and we have gone too far the other way. Get it in there quick and fast yes, but target the tall players and let the smalls do their job at ground level, that's how things were in the first half of the season.



What we have:



Waite - is very talented and I like the idea of him starting deep and leading long. He's the guy we need to target more. He gets too wide too often but could be a very good forward.



Henderson - We started the season kicking it to him a lot and latly it seems we have stopped going to him. We need to target him more. Maybe we have lost confidence. I still think when he gets bigger and stronger he'll be very good.



O'hAilpin - was getting in the right spot a lot and winning the ball but latly has looked slow. He doesn't use his body well and he doesn't mark in the hands well.



Fisher - good hands and can get it but can't kick, chase, tackle and lacks agility, size and strength. Prob not our answer.



Casboult - I hear has a great pair of hands and is a big strong player but I hear his kicking is terrible. If we get it right he could be a star.



Donaldson - could be anything but at this stage is too raw and skinny.



Austin - Marked as a backman and there he will stay although it would be good to see him get a chance at FF seeing he's a little bigger now.



White - Same as Austin.



Kreuzer - good hands and a decent kick but he doesn't use his body well and doesn't protect the drop zone of the ball well enough and often gets pushed under it etc.



Hampson - always gets into a great position and gets his hands on it but can't hold a mark.



Bower - now that he's but on a load of weight and is a big man he would make a decent forward. He's tall, very fast, agile and has great hands. He's a good field kick, i recon he'd be a good shot at goal. I recon if you played him at CHF and started him deep there wouldn't be many defenders who could go with him, it needs to be tried. Problem is he's so valuable down back, prehaps if we bring Austin in and Push him forward...



Who is out there?

Who is out there that we could draft? With the GC taking most picks in the draft and us likely to finish top 8 we probably arent going to get much of a chance to draft a decent tall forward and even if we do he'll more than likely be very raw and take a heck of a long time to make it. So perhaps we go out and find the next Pods and give a guy in a minor league a second chance of AFL football. We all know tall players develope late so many tall players might slip through the net and end up in minor leagues. Here is a list of leading goal kickers around Australia, does any one know anything about these players? Jones, Geappen and Wickham have impressive records.



Brian Finch of Launceston (Wrest Point State League) 68 @ 4.86
Brett Geappen of Clarence (Wrest Point State League) 62 @ 6.20
Matthew Eurell of Western Suburbs (AFL Sydney) 58 @ 4.14
Jamie Vlatko of East Coast Eagles (AFL Sydney) 53 @ 4.82
Chad Jones of Claremont (WAFL) 80 @ 5.7
Brant Chambers of Sturt (SANFL) 42 @ 3.2
Nick Salter of Eagles (SANFL) 27 @ 3.38
Matthew Little of Williamstown (VFL) 64 @ 5
Cleve Hughes of Southport (QLFL) 63 @ 4.85
Darren Ewing of NT Thunder (QLFL) 22 @ 5.5
Ephrem Tipungwuti of Tiwi Bombers (NTFL) 52 @ 4
Nicholas Paine of Ainslie (AFL Canberra) 36 @ 4
Clinton Curtain of Claremont (SFL Tas) 66 @ 4.71
Michael Mcgregor of Huonville (SFL Tas) 61 @ 4.69
N Milbourne of East Devonport (NTFL Tas) 53
David Wickham of Rocherlea (NTFA Tas) 124 @ 8
Martin Tuthill of George Town (NTFA Tas) 54 @ 5

Kruezer should have been put forward and kept forward - He is the only tall on our list with emormous potentail

We have enough ruckman - Ratts needs his arse kicking for persisting with Ohalpin and not persisiting with Kruezer forward

_________________
If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Kreuzer was tried there and was pushed around quite a bit, just doesn't have the lower body strength and technique to compete one on one. But perhaps like you said, if we persisted with him there then maybe he would have come good. Just he's so valuable around the ground i suppose. We are actually really missing him at the moment because he was an extra inside midfielder who threw his body around and got really physical. We have a lot of "soft" players who like to play non contact footy in our midfield and losing Kreuzer really hurt us in that area.

Great post gbatman.

Does anyone who follows the junior leagues know any of these guys?

_________________
"Get ready, Teddy - you're on": Ron Barassi half time 1970 Grand Final

This from Sin City on BF

Also Geappen has retired due to back injuries.

Dare say give these guys a miss

Kruezer was given two halves of two preseason games and then shifted back to the ruck because he was playing better there
Nearly everytime he moved forward he kicked goals or created them - We were crying out for a new forward line we should have started to develop this around Kruez and Hendo - Not Santa and his helpers


I agree we would lose out in the midfield if Kruez was shifted but if Ratts picked inside mids instead of soft outsiders ( note the influence that Grigg is starting to have on the output of Judd Murph and simpson) Kruezer wouldnt be needed as much- We needed a key forward he was the best option

Ratts stuffed up big time

Kruezer should have been forward
Jacobs Warnock or Hampson Ruck
One of if not two of Maclean Hadley and Grigg or even Ellard should have been picked every week
and Ohalpin should have been sent to Belfast

And Waite should pull his head in

_________________
If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

This ^

Kreuz could be the league's best as the new type of CHF. But because he came into the team in a time when we had Cain Ackland as our main man in the ruck, we doomed him.

It's been said before, but I hope he doesn't become the next Josh Fraser.

_________________
WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

You said "Kreuzer was tried there and was pushed around quite a bit".
I can't remember him being pushed around.
I remember the ball hardly making to the FF line where he was played in the preseason next to Judd.
Both of them looked like wasted prospects because of the lack of supply.

No problem with Kreuzer forward if you direct the ball to him.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Never expected to see these Tassie boys mentioned on here, especially Martin Tuthill and Wickham

_________________

Hadley is not a very good player, only an ok inside player who is slow and has average disposal skills and lacks some intensity. Ellard might be ok and Mclean is always injured.

Kreuzer is ok as a forward but really needs to work on his one on one stuff but leaving him forward might have seen him develope well, that I agree with. Don't be suprised if you get your wiish next year when he's coming back and lacking fitness.

I have no idea of the ages or heights or what the players look like that I have mentioned in the OP. I don't really know what the standard is like in those Tassie comps. just wondering if any of them worth a look at?

Teddy i live up in Darwin and to be honest the guy that stands out is Ephrem Tipungwuti, although not tall, he is short and stocky, has a strong overhead mark and penetrating kick. I have mates who have played on him and they tell me not one of them can beat him for pace, just by looking at the guy he doesnt seem quick or agile, they were quiet shocked at how fast this guy is and his harder than a concrete bollard to knock over...Even if unfit and after a big meal of dugong, he would still beat rioli and davey in a foot race, although he wouldnt have the endurance as those guys would have...But the disapointing thing is, he probably wouldnt have the right attitude or commitment to make it in the AFL, relton roberts who was picked up by richmond last year is an example of this.....There's alot of untapped talent up in the topend, Carlton need players with unique skills, talent and flair, not just great athletes with basic football skills.......

Sydney Blue, Donstuie and gbatman.

Or see no ruckman, hear no ruckman and speak no ruckman.

I'm sure we'll be eyeing off a few key forward prospects on lists like Trengove, Everitt, etc.

_________________
29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

and Ohalpin should have been sent to Belfast

Sydney, at least have the decency to send him back where he came from - Republic of Ireland. I doubt he would enjoy Northern Ireland anywhere near as much. (And even though you hate him, it would be nice if you took the time/effort to learn how to spell the guy's name).

_________________
"You can't polish a James Hird"

Barry Hall would have been handy. We were entertaining Bradshaw and most were excited about the prospect of getting him and his body was falling apart. Yes Barry was a potential time bomb but he seems to have learn't his lesson and has already been tested a few times this year. Besides Bazza being a very good forward, if he was playing in our team his toughness would install a lot of confidence in all of the younger blokes.

Kreuzer needs to be developed as a forward for Carlton to win a premiership with our current list. You might argue he is a better ruckman but we can cover him in the ruck. Unfortunately our tall forward stocks are low. Having said that, the forwardline has performed better than the backline this year

I don't think our problem is with the players, I think our problem lies with not knowing how to use them.
Hell, Waite and Henderson played most of the first half against west coast in the backline. Unless your torpedos can clear a post code, your hardly gonna kick many goals from down back.


Henderson, is young and raw and sometimes looks clueless, but does have the potential. However I think he is more suited to a lead up CHF.

Setanta, although down on form, needs to be on this side. But he needs to be used right and with the correct set up.
Play him close to goal!!!

The brothers need to stay up the forward line and create pressure. Betts maybe can push into the midfield a bit but looks at the games we have win this year and you'll see that we've been dominant in the forward line when these guys are there.

For me, I believe that a forward line of Henderson / Setanta / betts, garlett and yazz could be incredibbly potent and very hard to match up on...., the problem is we don't know how to use it effectivly!

I think the problem is lappin.
I've seen nothing from him to suggest that we have any clue when going forward.

_________________
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

Jamie Vlatko is a ex Glenelg/Norwood lad. Pretty decent forward when on song, but a bit hot n cold. Moved to Sydney for work, and footy for his would be a pastime now. As he left Glenelg to go to Norwood he's a moron anyway.

Brant Chambers is a gun. Greatest ever goalkicker for Sturt, but has missed the boat in regards to the AFL. Highly surprised the Crows nor Port ever got him on a list as a mature rookie. Always cops a fair bit of abuse from us ferals down at the Bay, which is a good sign of respect for the great man.

Nick Salter is on the Port Power list. Worth a punt IMO. Can play back as well (just).

Cleve Hughes, another ex Norwood lad. Ex Richmond reject. Playing for Southport in the QAFL, I dare say so he can get his name under the recruiters from the Suns. Pass.

If I was recruiting I'd look at Todd Grima from Glenelg. Ex Geelong rookie, VFL premiership player in 2007. Named in the VFL state team at CHF the same year. Brother of Nathan Grima at the Roos, and his sister Hollie plays for the Matildas. A fairly talented sporting family. Can take a good pack mark, is strong and has a reasonable leg on him. Has kicked 35 goals this season so far, who along with ex Hawk rookie Ruory Kirkby has booted 34 for the Bays.

Kirkby has the best grab in the SANFL IMO, has a nice left foot, but probably lacks a yard. He too would be worth a punt as a mature rookie.

_________________
Go to http://www.snoutslouts.org/ for a look at the mighty GFC...

What is the status of Ryan Murphy at Freo.
Tore us a new one back in 2006
drafted 2003
great kick
193cm
Not a key position but perfect 3rd forward

http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/players/p ... fault.aspx

_________________
"I'll tell you what I didn't do;
I never injected anyone."
AD 3/3/14