For all the negativity surrounding Pagan - he has done some good things such as

1) get fevola back in form
2) encourage simpson when others would have let him go by the wayside.

but....

i am curious as to what people think of Pagan's use of ANDREW WALKER this year.


Most of the games I saw he was asked to tag one of the key opposition players.

If Pagan is coach next year - will he persist with this ?


I am thinking back to the game against Essendon* (first round) and andrew walker came storming down the wing and planted a long 50 metre punt across his body on fevola's chest.


In the richmond game he kicked agreat goal from the boundary line whilst on the run.


We all know what he is capable of in attack... will he be a tagger for the rest of his life? or will he be released?

He has played the tagging role, played KP roles (see vs. Croad) and playing as an attacking defender.

I think he has done well in every role he has been given and has been a shining light in an otherwise dark year.

But, next year, he has to be released in to the midfield full time and be allowed to unleash himself on the rest of the AFL.

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Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24

I think AW is versatile enough to perform lots of different roles from next year depending on who we play and matchups.

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There's so much I could say...

What about the half-forward flank - i would like to see AW1 there more often - as well as the midfield?

Why does Pagan seem to feel settled with his forwards.

eg

1) waite - rarely kicks goals and disposal wanting

2) fisher - good mark but kicking needs improving.


I would like to see more rotation on the half forward line.
Sydney rotate their forwards a lot more than we do




Or are we going to be predictable.

The only player that should be 100% of the time in forward line is Fevola.

Mitch isn't scared to throw the players around...............

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There's so much I could say...

Pagan's use of Walker in 2006 was outstanding. He gave him a regular position in the backline which utilised his best asset of athleticism to spoil opponents and proved a valuable matchup for us in the back half. AW's lack of precise disposal is always going to hamper his midfield work but his run and spoiling ability makes him a valuable member of the backline.

Can't fault Pagan on this one ... although I'm sure others will.

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In WADA we trust

I think the biggest indication of the reason Walker played the roles he did was DOA's revelation he's going for groin surgery.

I didn't want to hijack that thread and the well wishers, but would he have physically been able to stand up to the rigors of playing on ball? Was Pagan nursing him through the season by reducing his workload/running?

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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

Walker can play anywhere bar Ruck.... And until we are a good team Pagan will use him as the "Mr I hope he can Fix It ".

Bit like this year....

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Honestly can't fault AW's development. Have always seen him more as a Chad Cornes type to a Chris Judd. Would have been easy on the back of his first game to stick him on a fwd flank and persist with him, but if you look at another bloke - admittedly without AW's attitude - who had a brilliant first game and had his attacking side fostered in lew of a defensive, accountable game and you've got Jarrad Brenan. On carlton forums AW is being talked up as captain material, amongst Lions fans Brennan is discussed as trade bait.

i hope that what denis is trying to do is really improve aw's defensive game and make him work his way into the middle, maybe because his disposal is a bit suspect he is being played in the backline but i think its more to do with making him more accountable, and in 2 or 3 years hopefully we put him in the midfield and he can be a fantastic midfielder for us who is also very accountable. i think aw has come on in leaps and bounds this year, his run and dash is fantastic and he'd have to be the most courageous player in our best 22. well doen to denis and andrew for a fantastic season and hopefully they can build on it next season.

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Last edited by true_blue3 on Mon Sep 26, 1981 5:07 pm; edited 92 times in total

Well done who??? I think it didn't come out right. But i know what you meant

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I know a little secret. And i'm not sharing.

Yeah I agree with this,

I remember watching Andy chase Essendon* players at the end of 2005 and thinking, how the hell can you get that fast? This year, he hasn't given any less effort, but seems incapable of the same kind of speed. Anyway, I'm saying this without any real, articulate measure of his running capacity, indeed playing capacity in that sense, over the two years.

I think we all want Walks to be Judd and the expectation must be bloody hard. I'm a month older than him and the amount of conjecture and debate on this board echoes this massive Carlton sentiment towards what Walks could be, and I can't imagine baring that much responsibility.

From watching him play, we can only be sure that if he never cracks the big time, it won't be for lack of trying and that's all you can ask for isn't it?

Adding to that, how many other players have had a first fifty games as tough as he? When he is part of solid, capable midfield, halfback line, whatever, a team that has the instinct to know it can rip apart another team, we'll see.

Well, think back to last week when he put Walker on Goodes.

I think that was the worst possible match-up for a bloke carrying a groin injury and a young player learning the caper.

To me, that shows that Pagan thinks Walker is primarily a tagger of the opposition's best players.

It was also predictable. Roos would have known this move was coming. What about starting (not having it forced on him) with a rotation on Goodes.
O'Hailipin, Koutoufides, Houlihan? ... come on, he should think outside the square.

Kouta only became a truly elite player after playing in defence. Unfortunately, that was 5 years after his debut.
We've fast-tracked Walker's development by playing him back and giving him responsibility while he's young. He'll be a better overall player for longer because of it.