Following on from the Kouta and Jarrod Waite in 2006 threads (and in an attempt to get things back to football) how about Andrew Walker?

Wing?
Half-Forward?
Half-Back?

Personally I would like to see him played off half-back and also continue his education as a tagger.

Many here think its a waste of his talents and waste of a #2 pick to be using him as a tagger, but the things he can learn from following Akermanis and McLeod around the field and how they go about dealing with a tagger will hold him in good stead for when he's ready to take his place as a premier midfielder and the tagger's that come with it.

I think they're confusing the role he plays now on a learning curve with the role he'll be playing in 5 years, they won't be the same.

What do you think?

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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

The kid needs to be let loose.
Let him play his natural game and develop on the wing.

Tex suffers from being No 2 pick in a crap side and the expectations are huge but too early.

He is developing nicely to my watching and his tagging games were terrific - particularly Aker.

With time he will flourish. But he needs nurturing not burdened by excessive expectation. Ditto Murphy if we elect to choose him.

I'd like to see him rotate through the centre a bit as well as a few more tagging roles on guns to broaden the knowledge base.

Terrific talent.

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This might sound extreme in the context of alleged sexual assault, drunken violence and a drug trafficking charge...

Play him as an attacking HBF. If Lappin goes then we'll need Walker there giving us extra run.

Camporeale used to get cheap kicks back there and handball receives but then fail to run on and do anything with it - I'd like to see Walker take on the Camporeale role but continue to create a running option in midfield rather than do what Camporeale did and put his hands on his hips with his thumbs facing forward pretending he'd done a lot when he hadn't.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

I reckon your attacking half-backs have to be amongst the best kicks in the team as turnovers at half-back absolutely kill you. This is one of the reasons why lappin plays that role so well.

I like Walks and think he will become a good player, but I think the one areaeof his game which is fairly weak is his kicking, which lacks penetration. I would play him in a more creative role in the midfield, where he can rotate in and out of the action.

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Go Blues

Wing/HFF Let him find the footy, not play follow the leader we already know he can run.

Does he know where to run though?

At this stage I believe he's an athlete/footballer. Let's give him every opportunity to become a footballer/athlete.

The other thing it does is teaches him to be accountable. Let's not have him turn out to be another another Kouta, Stevens, Campo, Scotland who only run one way.

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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

The point made about Tex being an average kick has a lot of merit. He could hurt us at half back. It's a hard one as I think he needs to play half back to learn how to read the game better. He has three problems 1. He doesn't know how to get the ball, just roams around with little idea 2. He isn't a great kick just yet 3. He panics when he gets it sometimes.

I like the idea of Walks playing half back because I think he needs to learn the game better and this is a good starting point. Once he learns how to read the game his confidence will lft, as it did with Houlihan when he started playing half back. At this point you set Walker free on a wing perhaps and hope he flies off nicely. Got to teach him how to fly first.

Trublubrad wrote

God no! We wouldn't want that!

Bottom age when taken will break out this year, gun waiting to fire, expect big things this year. Arrival of others will lessen pressure.

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Green Shooter

Bookie, what role would you like to see him playing?

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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

Definately part of the playmaking midfield rotation.
With a bit more meat on his bones next year he should be let loose to play an attacking role.

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There's so much I could say...

I'd stick him in the Bullants reserves for no good reason... probably to make some trivial point to him about his "gait" or something..... but I'm too scared to play him in the firsts

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Love Cricket? Love me

I don't think we are seeing the real Walker at this stage. Once we get the two next best kids from this years draft we can only hope that Walks can just sit in the background and find the footy, he doesn't need this weight of expectation. I come from Echuca where he was from and I have it on good authority that he is a shy and sensitive type. He is just one of those kids who doesn't cope too well when he is under so much pressure...just let him sit back and become just another player. He is athletic enough and I just hope he can start new and find his own ball, back himself and hit his targets, which he is well known for in the Bullants.

I'd put him on the wing for sure.

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger

Wing... and leave him there.

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Anything but a 'purely' negating tagger would do me. Probably lean towards a wing, particulary as his strengths (marking, atheticism, endurance, work eithic) make him a ideal target coming out of defence, something we lacked dearly last year with Campo and Stevens fighting for the handball recieve instead of making an option up the ground. The defensive roles in 2005 should have taught him when to go and when to stay, so you'd expect him to be pretty accountable as well.

Just as happy to see him at half back. Although after seeing Russell a few times this year, I reckon he might be being groomed for this role.

Interested in DOA's feedback here.

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Patrick Smith - Just another reason to HATE Essendon*!

Really looking forward to his next few years & seeing him get bigger. A lot of players take 3-4 preseasons before they're adequately developed for the game…gotta remember his first was hampered by knee surgery recovery so he's had 1 and a bit so far.

Not too fussed where he plays…I suspect it will be a variety of roles.

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#DonTheStash

If we're just talking about what's best for Andrew Walker (as opposed to what's good for the team), then I'd play him off half-back flank for a couple of years, until he really gains his confidence at AFL level and adjusts fully to the tempo. Then I'd move him further up the ground.

It's as a running defender that he really blitzed it at junior level. I think it plays to his strengths, as the ball would come to him rather than him having to find the ball himself. He would certainly miss the occasional target, but his attacking run would more than offset it, and his ability to make a defensive spoil (due to his incredible athleticism) would stop his opponent doing much damage against us on the scoreboard.

Half-back for a couple of years, then move him up into the midfield.

Ok,its off season so I will contribute a liittle,TOG is everything in terms of confidence and development,felt for young Russell in his debut against the Saints-sent a poor message to the kid ,he played perhaps 2/3 minutes was benched and subsequently played the remainder of the year in the Blueants.
Most supporters are not aware of the instructions given to the players,with Andy -the instruction is to take on the oppostion,and i sit in the crowd and hear the groans if he is caught or turns it over,he is just doing as told.He then may be benched and blasted for doing little more than following instructions.
FWIW-a wing position seems logical and TOG(debut stuff).

Unleash him ala Chris Judd and lets see if his got what it takes.