If I told you there was a bloke playing in the VFL on the weekend who had 45 possessions as an inside midfielder, and if I told you that this bloke was taken at #2 in the National Draft, has played 100 AFL games, is in his mid-20s, 189cm, 87kgs, is quick, a long kick, can break the lines, and is one of the fittest blokes in the AFL...would you be interested?

Of course you would!

Unfortunately, I'm concerned that Carlton are going to do a "Kris Massie trade" with Tex at season's end. And look, I'm usually one to trust the club to make the right calls - but after the Brock for #11 trade last year, I've must admit I've lost a degree confidence...(in fact, it gave me flashbacks to the Mansfield/O'Reilly trades)...

But I'm reading a lot of stuff about addressing our list's needs, and I honestly think Walker can still fill a need for us....

And no, I don't have the rose-coloured classes on. I know his disposal remains a weakness. I know he's vulnerable overhead after shoulder operations. Ratten was right to drop him. Tex was losing his way in defence. As I've posted previously, injuries to other players meant Tex had to play in defence this year. He played some good ones, some OK ones, and some shockers. He suffered more injuries himself.

I think if Tex's career at Carlton is going to continue beyond 2010, he needs to play in the midfield. We are crying out for greater midfield depth - and here we have a player that can 'crash and bash', who he has the strength & fitness to win his own footy and also spread effectively. We know he has the ability to burn off opponents and carry the ball.

Let's face it, Tex has low trade currency right now. I doubt very much we would get anything for him that would be worth the potential upside I still believe he could have for us.

Yes, he has to get better with his disposal. I understand those that say he may not have the smarts to play as a regular midfielder. However, I think the time has come to unleash him and see how he goes. I don't mean for a game or two - I mean for an entire season. THAT'S the only way he'll improve as a midfielder IMO. Even if it means a block of fixtures at VFL level to develop his midfield game, I would do it. To my mind, the only extended runs in the midfield he's had were tagging roles under Pagan. He's played most of his footy in defence.

Hopefully the likes of Austin, White, ROK & Tuohy will stand up in 2011 which will help allow us to release Tex out of defence. And I don't want to see him playing deep or tall at either end. I would rotate him through the centre square in bursts and play him off a Wing and HB/HF.

He'll never be Darren Jarman with his kicking, but there's plenty of blokes in the AFL who manage to cover their weaknesses by playing to their strengths.

I really hope the MC leave Tex in the midfield for the remainder of this season (and next year). He may play a combination of AFL/VFL in the coming weeks.....but who knows - he might even turn out to be wild card in the midfield for us in September..?!

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

I've lost as much confidence in his ability as he has.

Half forward flank at best.

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

I know where you're coming from KK, but I would rather we gave him the chance to get his confidence back by playing him in the position he obviously wants to play (and where we have an important need he could fill), rather than letting him work out the door for next to nothing in a rubbish trade...

Trading him now would be "selling low" IMO.....

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

..i really liked the idea of him playing off a HFF.. ..i liked the idea of his pressure and chasing, and his high leap.... ..but with this latest shoulder op., i'm not sure he's capable of being a high mark.. ..but he could still work very well as a leading type mark.. ..he's very quick, and could lead high into the midfield... ..and i also agree [for a while now] that we need to add him to our midfield rotations.. ..i believe if he were given the role to simply 'play the team role' in the middle that he'd flourish.. ..he need not be burdened with trying to be creative or a playmaker.. ..he's got the mongrel to play well in the packs, and sometimes his kicking lets him down, but i think he handballs pretty well.. ..he'll also help 'stand up' for other mids in there too when getting smashed.. ..also, i think that type of role will better suit his shoulders as well..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

Completely agree. Don't want to trade him anyway. His early season form was a significant reason in how well we did. He's got a lot of good footy ahead of him.

I thought they also may have tried him in the Brad Pierce type roll, leading pocket with Hammer, SEtanta, waite in the square next to him, and then rotate him into the midfield...... anyway , thats how I would play him... ( no Pierce didnt play play mid )

Good point. He would be the mid size player that we are lacking between the gorillas and the mosquito fleet. We would not lose any speed in the forward line would we.

And for all his kicking deficiencies, he isn't a bad kick at goal.

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

Play him on the wing or forward of the centre. His best game for the club probably remains to be his first. He was played on a wing and was arguably BOG.

We won't do any of that. We'll probably stupidly trade him for a bag of Valencia oranges.

We really do lose our minds come trade time (with the exception of Judd, of course. But I think it's fair to say that trade was an absolute no brainer), if I were an opposition club I'd love to trade with Carlton.

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"In fairness it did seem in the early days of the draft teams would just pick a name totally at random out of a hat. I'm pretty sure we picked James Cook at #2 one year. The mediocre forward, not the explorer" - Me, 12/9/2011

Carlton 2012: Lets remind them why they once feared the Dark.

Struggles as a defender and a forward.
Probably best suited to a run with role.
Doesn't have the skills, courage or smarts to be anything more then just an average player

I dont see Tex as a crash and bash at the moment unfortunately - if by bash and crash you mean he will dive on the ball, put his head over the ball and stick tackles. Over the last 7 or so weeks he has hardly laid a good tackle and is very apprehenive when going to the ground first in pack situations. There is no doubt he was one of the primary players ratten was talking about not putting their head over the ball or sticking tackles. For someone as quick and agile as walker, he doesnt have an excuse for missing so many tackles.

Personally, I would love to see tex in the midfield, but he needs to satisfy us that he will put his head over the ball and tackle hard. Obv he is apprehensive doing so because of his shoulder issues, but i think it is now or never for tex on this issue - he has to risk further injury to get back in the team.

I didnt see the Bullants game on the weekend - but I would like to know how his tackling was and whether he threw himself at the ball on the ground - these would be the two criteria i would largely be looking at.

Unfortunately, as we have found out over the last 7 or so weeks, in todays football, you cannot afford to have a weak link in the hard ball and tackling stakes.

Unless a change is required, I would give tex at least one more game in the bullies to see if he is satisfying the abovementioned criteria.

Based on what? The McLean trade?

I reckon that's the only one where we haven't done well, or at least "broke even" on. And it still may turn out to be OK for us.

1) Judd trade - Win
2) Fevola trade - Currently looking good, long-term win for sure
3) Warnock trade - 50/50 at this stage, however based on current form a long-term win
4) Hadley trade - Loss atm, however we hardly gave up the world for him (pick #52 IIRC?) and there is no guarantee that the draft pick would have made it
5) McLean trade - Loss atm, could be 50/50 or win if he stays on the park

I don't really know any others to be honest, unless you go back to the dark ages where we would take anything that came our way.

At least we have trade credibility, unlike scumbag teams like the Dawks, filth and scum - who want a first round draft pick for a VFL player.

Anyway, back on topic - play Walks on the wing/HFF and give him stints on the ball to allow our midfielders to rest. If the guy is so fit he can run both ways and give our defence a hand when the ball is turned over.

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"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself" - Henry Ford

During the pre-season - Walks was trying to kick the ball like Judd. But what he didn't realise is that Judd can alter the way he releases the ball onto his foot and also alter the pace his foot is coming through the ball to properly weight the kick. Judd hasn't exactly been the measuring stick for accuracy by foot this year - but what we were left with was a pacy defender who is kicking the ball like I strike my 2 iron - club head too fast - greater margin for error.

That he is a senior player meant his kicking deficiency was largely ignored by the development coaches who work almost exclusively with players in Years 1-3. At times, the 40 metre Walker stab pass looks beautiful - but so does my 2 iron and I'm a bogey golfer. Unfortunately, Walks is a bogey kicker.

Like Bosman above the first thing I questioned about the opening posts was the Crash and Bash ability of Tex.
I don't think he has the confidence with the shoulders to do that. It is with the shoulders one crashes and bashes isn't it?

Trading Tex would get us what? Lets not undervalue Tex because a draft smokey in a compromised draft is not the sort of gambling I'd want to be doing.

A Trade? For what or whom? CHF? CHB? FB?.....yeah I'd consider that. Midfielder? That's what he is!!!
Tex started his career as a tagging midfielder. He leaened his craft in that position.
He tagged Judd and Cousins and Kerr and.....he was led to the ball to know in future where to go.

Whilst he has been briliant in defence, he hasn't shown any more than his usual strength ...his run.

I think the MC are leaving him out in order to make him hungry before the finals. IMO he's integral across the centreline or HF. For mine he's a wingman.

As for the form he showed against the kids out at Frankston, well I'd expect 60 touches. What? He only got 45.
That game on the weekend is almost irrelevant other than to suggest he's hungry to get back in the ones and he's showing some desire.
Just what the doctor ordered. Lets not forget why he's in the twos in the first place. Those last 6 weeks prior to the Essendon* game are still fresh.

If his shoulders are right and his is right in between the ears then he's a wanted man. Not only that, he should run into some form this weekend; probably in the Ants again.

Lets wait and see what happens in the next 3 rounds of the H&A and in the final(s) if that is to happen and see how Walker fairs then before making judgements of a player who has missed a lot of footy over the last 2 years.

He may become a revelation, and that last quarter against Rich in last year's final may become a forgotten memory.

I'd like to test him against the Cats who play hard, fast and uncompromising footy. That should test his nerve, shoulder, pace and ability.

With Scotland, Houlihan, probably Carrazzo playing their last year(s) at the club, I think Walker will remain a wanted man....unless the trade offered to us is one we can't dismiss.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

He'll be fine. Just needs (along with the rest of the group) to learn the discipline required of a modern day footballer. Natural flair is not enough (in fact it can be a curse) and to use the Doc's metaphor of golf, he need to learn how to "grind" out a good score when he's not hitting them well.

I.e. he needs to keep pushing himself to perform even when things are not going his way ON THE FIELD, not just getting himself super fit on the track.

But he's not Robinson Crusoe there.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

He's definitely a wingman, but his kicking is such a worry. And my biggest concern isn't that he often misses his target.

If I was a teammate of Walker's, I would absolutely HATE having the ball delivered by him. He aims to kick the ball through his teammate as hard as possible, rather than placing it for them. And he's done it for his whole career. I'm amazed it's never been corrected.

Definitely in our best 22 when up and running though, and I wouldn't like to see him traded.

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"The Wigg's big in 08!" - Chris Judd

They should tell him to forget about his kicking and forget about going for speccies and get him to use his strength. Get him to use his tank and running ability to get behind the balll at as many contests as he can and apply frontal pressure to opposition. Tackles, smothers, pressure on the kicker and using his running to close down space. These are things he cant stuff up.

In time the kicks and handpasses will come once he causes a turnover. He can be taught to keep that part simple and just take the first easy option down the ground.

We need to rebuild Walkers game. Due to injury he isnt going to be what we thought he may become but he can still be a vital part of the team.

Whilst walkers dissposal is shocking...... It's no worse that carrazzo.

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

Dont care where he plays.Just get him in the side.Talent wise,in the best half dozen at the club.Still only a young man,and we are talking of trading the guy.Crazy talk...............to make it worse,i think we are actually talking to that headcase Tarrant.

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All my dangerous friends

Walker has been extremely disappointing for a number 2 draft pick.

However I don't think we should trade him, because his trade value would be too low at the moment.

He's been tried all over the field, and whilst showing signs of brilliance everywhere; has yet to show any consistency anywhere.

So yeah, perhaps it is time to throw him in the guts, tell him to win his own ball rather than being a receiver; and use his athleticism to get to every contest.

Perhaps he can model himself on Dane Swan?

BTW which of these Effective Disposal Percentages is Swan, which is Walker, and just for shits and giggles which is Carrots?

78.32%

73.24%

72.20%

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I AM DISENFRANCHISED

The way you're asking I'll say Carrots, Walker and Swan in that order

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T E A M