So the kid we trade our leading goalkicker since 2003 for doesnt get a game?

The kid could be good. Fact is mate that Fev would have been given away for nothing. If Henderson is any good why did Brisbane give him away.

Not sure they gave him away. IIR, they traded him for a sure thing at FF.
He was never going to oust Brown for CHF at the Lions and Bradshaw was doing OK for the next year or so. They picked him up as a key forward and played him down back for two limited seasons. He'll be OK. High pick in a strong draft.

Luke Livingstone suffered the same fate. Carlton picked him up as a key forward but I am not sure he ever played there.

I am tipping he will line up at CHF for us next year with Cloke at FF at first, anyway. I think Cloke might do OK at FF. He leads OK, marks oK and kicks OK. He is too short for a ruck but a good solid size for a CHF/FF. Has the score on the board in the Ants, which is all we have to go by.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

Brisbane gave him away because Voss was starry eyed and had dreams of Fev and Brown in the same forwardline leading the Lions to a premiership.
They wouldn't have known what we were willing to accept for Fev.
Well done Swanny and Icke.

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There is no footy god

The Lions "gave him away" because:
1) They were trading to get the reigning Coleman medalist
2) Henderson's manager call them and told the Lions that he wanted to return to Melbourne and play with the Blues.

"Gave him away"

That said I would expect Hendersen to slot straight into our forward line and become our key forward from day 1. Personally this would be my forward line:

HF Wiggins, O'hAilpin, Garlett
F Betts, Waite, Yarran

with Kruezer and Henderson rotating forward. Waite will be our key forward going forward and I think he'll surprise a lot of people with how well he'll go.

Now we have Henderson, I really want to see Waite play wing next year. Provides great link option thru centre; can run the lines; can get back to support backline when needed; can get forward to be another goal kicking target. Perfect wingman IMO.

I think Kruezer & Henderson will be preferred key position forwards but will obviously still be developing & will need relief/support at various times.

Surround these big guys with Betts, Garlett & Yarran & look out. Other flank position from Houla/Walker/Robinson/Murph

Warnock Hampson ruck combo also provides options to drop another dangerous tall marking target into forward line at times.

If Jamo can stay fit, backline will be fine without Waite. Austin will be a gun.

In your 22, you'd have 2 talls on the bench? Seems a bit too much, IMO.

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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.

I'm with you Stefchook.

Everyone seems to be overlooking Robbo.

As long as a combination of Hampson/Jacobs/Warnock can do the majority of ruckwork, I would like to see our forward line as:

Half-forwards: Murphy/Robinson, O'Hailpin/Waite, Walker/Houlihan
Forwards: Betts/Yarran/Garlett, Kreuzer/Henderson, Betts/Yarran/Garlett

Either way, there are multiple options in all positions and Waite/Henderson can both be used at either end if required.

Hopefully if the other ruckmen fulfill their potential Kreuzer can be used in a role similar to Kirk Tippett at the Crows. I wish that Hampson improved enough to take on this role as I believe Kreuzer's greatest value is on the ball.

Murphy/Robbo and even Juddy could rotate through the middle and end up playing a vital role on the HFF.

The one thing that is obviously missing in Fev's absence is a good lead up forward. Not sure who or what is intended to fill this void.

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Is it really that unusual? You'd never have a spare KPP on the bench if that was the case because your almost always going to have at least one ruckman on the bench.
And Krueze will play ruck anyway, while Waite can play in defense.

It didn't about 3 or 4 years ago, but teams seem to back midfield run a lot more now, and regularly throw the forward line open.

I think we'd be a more menacing side with 3 tall defenders, 2 tall forwards and 2 rucks. If that means a battle between Henderson and O'hAilpin, then so be it. Personally, even if O'hAilpin proves to be a greater scoring threat, the idea of dropping Henderson back if there are issues with a resting ruckman in the opposition's forward line, and sending Kreuz forward to create similar havoc, is almost too good to pass up.

Let's not go too top heavy, especially with the versatility on offer.

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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.

We should all post a forward line strategy, have a poll to see what the top 5 forwardline strategys on talkingcarlton are then send those strategys to Ratten.

He might take it on board or slightly modifiy one of the strategies

Provided everyone gets through pre-season unscathed I think it'd be remiss of the club not to just pack any NAB cup or regional challenge matches with all available forward options.

Tiller must be given a crack at it, I'd like Henderson play closer to goal, Yarran must play the entire game and we must just give any and all options a go.

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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.

Geez it's gonna be interesting to watch huh?

I can think of about 3 games last year that Fevola pretty much won of his own boot.
The Richmond match where he kicked 9.
The Port Adelaide perhaps? (kicks 6 goals from 20 possesions Vs. Judd with 19 yet Judd gets the votes????????????/)

Waite simply MUST MUST MUST go forward!

Waite, as a Full Time forward, is capable of kicking 45+ goals a season. He can take a mark and is genuienly a OK kick from anywhere inside the 50.

Sentanta looked comfortable when put at CHF until just after the Fevola Crash incident! Hopefully he's overvcome his injury.

Fisher had a good season in 2007 kicking 39 goals. As i've always said, i think he's one of the best marks in the comp! Still only 25 too. He just needs to find consistancy.

The thing is, with Setanta & Fisher, i so often saw them open in a much better position yet we would kick it to Fevola anyway.

Betts, Yarran & Garlett - Can you play them all in the same team? I can't see why not. I think Betts and Garlett create good preasure inside the forward 50 and Yarran could play along the wing.

Kreuzer - I'd be playing him right out of the centre. He's a great contested mark! Problem is, if Warnock isn't fit or is no good (remember he has proven nothing as yet) then Kreuzer will have to go back and ruck. Kreuzer remindes me of a Kosi who has had he's best 2 seasons up forward since Lyon has brought in Gardiner & King to free him up (kicking 48 goals this year). If we can do this with either Warnock, Hampson or Jacobs then Kreuzer could provide us with another 35+ goals a season.


The biggest change though is Lappin.......... I have zero confidence in him as a forwards coach. He hasn't shown any sign of, well, ANYTHING as yet. We have no structre and at times, we don't even look like we have a clue. Remember the North Melbourne game where we through Thornton up forward???? YES, it worked, but that's not the point. We were always going to win that game anyway.
The point is that during that game and a few others this year, we have just looked and acted confused when going forward.
Kick long to Fevola is now No Longer An Option!!!!!!!!!!!

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

Bradshaw and Henderson, both in the 2010 blues forwrad line

Most are mentioning Cloke it our forward structure, which makes sense. But wasnt there an article in an Adelaide paper over the weekend saying Port were looking at taking Cloke in the pre season draft?
Anyone know what the story with Cloke is? Ditto with Fisher.
One thing that will make any forwards job even tougher is that Fev took the best defender, sometimes two each week. Will make it hard for players such as Kruezer, Henderson etc having to play on defenders such as Scarlett, Presti.

... sometimes three .... and we still kicked it to him!!

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"It was like calling your ex girlfriend after a night on the booze, just a really bad decision".

Yeah, this is probably more like the forward line we'll see. We need Waite down back but we will probably see Setanta get forward too. We will have a tall timber forward line from next year onwards

F: Henderson Henderson Henderson
HF: Henderson Henderson Henderson

Makes a change from...

F: Fevola Fevola Fevola
HF: Fevola Fevola Fevola

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Not sure if this is more hope than considered opinion but I think Hammer could be a surprisingly good forward if played there on a more permanent basis (not full time, but long stints). I just think that maybe with his leap and athletic attributes, and continued development (especially his marks! ) he could be a dangerous forward. He has shown he can kick the ball far and there has always been hope that he could play forward as well. Could Shaun form a significant part of a forward set-up?

It probably all depends on how he continues to develop over this pre-season. He is a monster size and would pose a difficult match-up, similar to Krueze, but I think Hammer has more of the freak athleticsm that could deliver more X-factor

Maybe

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C'mon Blueboys!

Agreed, Warnock in the Ruck + Hammo & Kruezer developed rotated through the forward line

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#23: Lachlan Henderson