I reckon Bower will take over the defensive role for Henderson, with Hendo sent forward and we'll utilise two ruckmen. Thornton will be more of a reserve and we'll call on a 3rd ruckman if these all fall over. Then Mitchell perhaps.

Defensively we'll look more to McCarthy & Watson this season. McInnes & Davies will chime in to backup Laidler & White.

Plenty of options but the key one is that 2 tall forwards and the rest/floating ruckman should be a staple of our forward set up, as well as a rotation policy that many of us asked for throughout the season (and season's past).

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

Yep, history holds plenty of examples of good players that had slow starts to their careers - JR, Simmo and Michael Sexton are 3 others that come to my mind.

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

McCarthy should get a run with the seniors during the pre-season games, but I don't expect him to play much (if any) AFL games in 2012. He's a good prospect, but I doubt he'll be ready to play at the highest level next year.

Mitchell has missed so much footy that I'll be happy if he can play 20 VFL senior games in 2012. Levi is more likely to play AFL next year.

I reckon McInnes will get a taste of AFL action, although he'll have a few in front of him at the start of the season.

I'm really interested with what they do with Watson next year. Wouldn't surprise me if he gets an extended run in the VFL as a forward and see how he goes there.

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

I was more suggesting these are the guys who would be next in line from the senior team. Swing Henderson forward and we start to have a player and an understudy for every role, which I would think is a good thing for short and long term development at the club.

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

Agree with 2 tall system and resting ruck. As we have seen in past finals you struggle without them.
I think Henderson played with more confidence when thrown in that role and impressed Ratts when we needed him, and will start there. For now.
Kruz, Waite & Hammer forward, to start off with.
Bower will get his chance (if fit and stays).
Then throughout the year depending on injuries and opportunity will give the young talls their chances, apart if they impress and grow during pre-season, then things will change dramatically.
This depends on which young tall comes of age first and of course which position he could occupy.
If this is the case then there are a great amount of positional changes so please be lenient.

Anyone who's watched football for years knows not many ruckman make forwards. We have seen plenty of Hampson to know as a forward he makes a very good ruckman. He didn't play the position well, dropped most things that come his way then when he did mark it he kicked it like a dog. What part of that did you miss? You can always rely on those boffins to have memory spans lasting no more than 10 sec. We'd had had enough of it after round 5 or 6 similar boffins want to re-visit it. He doesn't get his hands on it that much around the ground in the ruck as it is. Compare that to Thornton who looked a natural forward, could read the play, use his body strongly in a marking contest, take one on one and contested pack marks not to mention dominate a final in that position. A million times better. Why would you go back to Hampson as a KP forward? Setanta was a much better KP forward than Hampson. No-one would argue that. Let's hope Casboult comes though, and I reckon he's some chance at least, and Mitchell can rise to the occasion early ala Butcher.

Hampson is being talked about for a forward post out of desperation. If we had more options there's no chance Ratts remotely consider it. You know that, I know that. If we thought he was going to that good at it he'd have been there long ago. Now at 24 we, what, plan to train him up as one. At 24, if he doesn't know it by now he never will. At best it'd take him a couple of year, if at all, and by then some real forward will be there. "Cheating" up forward with ruckmen rarely works. Let Hampson ruck.

Yawn.

Yes I agree the Hampson move is out of desperation but worth trying one last time ... his last game against the Brions was good stuff and the eye operation h had to correct his vision may mean he developed sticky fingers.

Worth an extended stay at FF to see what happens given the options available.

But we already know Thornton was a dominant CHF against the bombers

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Thing is Thornton won't be the big presence you need up fwd in a final. Hampson showed good signs before getting injured, he mighnt hold many right now but when he flies nobody can stop him so maybe club feel let's seriously train him as a fwd and see if he can start taking marks. Remember he was a project player. Also unlike most other rucks who failed as fwds he has serious athleticism. Worth a try IMO. But yes I agree if we had a gun fwd we would probably not train Hampson as a fwd. But reality is we don't have one and it is hard to trade for them so we have to accept our lot. Guess the thinking is hopefully one of Kruez or Hampson might make a fist of it as a fwd, then there's Levi also and behind him Mitchell. Inteesting times ahead to see if one emerges

Thornton in my opinion had the best year, was our FB for most of his career. Didn't have much more. With more variation down back was moved forward for more opportunity to very good success.
Hendo went back after coming as a forward and played extremely well.
Yarren was recruited as a forward but has had his best year a runnind defender.
Ratts has already mentioned his intentions.
With 3 ruckmen in the team and limited time on the ground maybe it could be beneficial to try Hampson/Kruz as a forward.
The role will be newish to them but if you don't give them a chance to show if they can or cannot do a reasonable job over a certain period of time you cannot discard the notion. Especially when one is really still learning the game and the other coming off a serious injury.
I'm sure he will try different positions for different players as circumstances arises.
We have afew tall options now, so if it doesn't work (whenever it may be) hopefully he has the nous to change things up accordingly and swiftly.

Look it will be the most interesting pre season for a long time in terms of seeing if any tall fwds emerge. Kruez n Hampson have served their apprentiships as young talls generally and it's time they stepped it up, Levi is ready to have a go in the Ones, and Mitchell, while young is actually physically quite developed so mighnt be as far away as some think. There's a few of them to watch and I haven't even mentioned Mccarthy or Watson

It's nigh on impossible that Hampson could play the resting ruckman/third tall forward that Leigh Brown re-wrote in three years. Brown broke old ground at Collingwood. Lead, mark, chase, contest and halve contests. It's rocket science that only Leigh Brown could understand. Hampson having a strength, height, reach, leap and speed advantage over every defender is beside the point. Setanta picked it up after starting as a defender and ruck, but Hampson is a different kettle of fish. It just can't be taught. Henderson's no good as a forward too. Thornton is the only defender who can play as a forward.

I'm yet to see anything that makes me think Hampson, Kruezer and Warnock in the same
team is a good thing.

+1

Don't watch much footy do you. Attempted sarcasm gave me a laugh though.

Only flaw in the argument is that Brown was a KP player pinch hitting in the ruck. Helps alot when you play forward.

Having a strength, height, reach, leap and speed advantage over every defender is useless if you can't play the role. Might make you a good ruckman though. Otherwise we'd never need KP forwards, just use ruckmen. Simple. Problem solved. We'll just train them up to be forwards...lol!

I watch football and saw Hampson struggle as a KP forward as I'm sure the average football watcher did. Couldn't catch, couldn't kick. Also saw Thornton have a decent season forward and then dominate a final (yes, a final) doing things forward that Hampson never was able, like take a contested mark, pack and one on one and kick straight. Not to mention defensive pressure. We all saw that, at least us attentive one's did. Suddenly we're going to teach this 24yo, who's been there for 5 years and still developing in his own craft let alone struggling up forward, to become a FF in a few months out of no-where. Get real. Blokes like Glass and Scarlett would think it's Xmas. Why do that when we have someone who can do it alot better. Not suggesting Thornton is any long term answer by any means but he's a damn side better than putting a ruckman in the KP and has shown that. He proved that this year to those watching football. Love that evidence thing!

Fact is the move is borne out of desperation, not for any real thought that Hammer can play the role. We all know that. If one wants to believe otherwise good for them. I never did believe in Santa Claus although some full backs might. If you want to hang you that on Setanta, more natural KP player, making it then good luck to you. BTW he's been delisted. Few ruckman make KP forwards, as David Hale found at North. Didn't half hurt his career there.

KP roles, Waite, Thornton (for now). The ruckmen can rest in the pocket as support. That I have no problem with. That's their resting role. Hammer can play forward, just not in the main role, although he'll probably be behind Warnock and Kreuzer in the ruck. That way he doesn't have the pressure of being the main target. That'd help. Don't see why we have to take a ruckman out of his natural role and potentially ruin him when. By the time Hammer remotely gets a 1/4 of an idea of playing KP a draftee from 2010 will be ready to move into the role. Use a bloke in the short term who's spent his life in KP's and understands it better until a Mitchell comes along.

Not real hard.

If Essendon* trying this we'd be rolling on the floor laughing at them but seeing it's Carlton of course it's going to work....lol! Come to think of it playing 3 ruckmen there at Essendon* never worked anyway.

Excuse my naivety, ignorance and football deficiencies but I'm not buying your viewpoint. Also, steer clear of polemic, unsubstantiated and absolute language when you argue a point. It only weakens it even further.

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Jim your looking the fool
you don't want to listen to others
did you not see hampson hittng form when he got injured?
Was his screamer a fluke? A sign of an atheltic ruck perhaps?
You have ignored my logical comment that Hampson is not like other rucks bec he's an atheltic freak
you also come across terribly arrogant

I doubt that Ratts would provide a detailed analysis of our forward line plans for the other 16 clubs.

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Bawditawaba

I don't think he looks foolish or arrogant.

I hope Hampson makes good as much as the next Blue, but at this stage I don't think that the on-field
evidence is particularly encouraging. Same with Kruezer.

Rucks yes. KPP's very much a maybe.

Presumably the MC have seen enough off-field to believe that this is going to change, but Jim's right to suggest
that history's against them.