Cale Morton

[Lord Travis 10,690]

Cale Morton is developing nicely. He just turned 19 this year, he's probably played 20-25 games, ofcourse he is going to be up and down in form and confidence. Most young players are. The fact that he is one of the fittest guys in the team, runs hard all game, takes some decent marks, gets alot of the ball, all at his age, means he is in our best 22. In fact I cant remember a kid producing such good numbers for us! When was the last time we had an 18-19 year old racking up 25-30 touches? Jones doesnt even do that yet, and he's had a few years more to work towards it. People need to chill out.

Morton will be a good player for us. He, like most, will develop over time as his body develops and he gains experience and confidence. I hope you guys have a little more patience with Jack Watts once he debuts, because I can assure you he wont be kicking big bags for a while.

[Rogue 585]

I think the question should be, will he gain this courage and decisiveness by playing 5-10 games at casey where his build is less of an issue, and where the intensity is a bit lower, allowing him to get his disposal right? And, will it then be transferrable to AFL level when he is promoted?

That's the main issue. If not then there seems little point in dropping him.

However, if so, dropping him would be a good move - omitting players need not be to 'punish' them as some see it.

[Guest digga]

Hi,

Great post here on a very debatable issue which was raised rather vehemently by a few supporters over the weekend. I am a clinical psychologist and have also watched Cale closely, and posted on this very topic in the past. To reiterate what I had previously posted I feel there are more applicable displays of his immaturity than merely putting his head over the ball. I agree with you comments on football completely concur with your thoughts on putting the head over the ball. I dont feel this is old fashioned at all, and maybe some of our players, not just Cale but other senior players should be taking the initiative and putting their own heads on the line. Cale's body language is less than authoritative , is tentative and is indecisive both when he warms up at the beginning of the game during it. I agree that his decision making is often clouded. I feel this is due to the fact that he dreads making errors. I viewed the hun today and his clanger rate is up again this week. Listening to this young man speak his intelligence and love for football is obvious and with this as a predictor, I think Cale would look at these stats. Therefore I think the weight of expectation is the problem it is written all over him week after week. The Brendon Lade incident a few weeks back cemented my thoughts, and I totally agree that if he is not already effected by this, he will be in the future if this continues. There are other players who could play this position, maybe less adequately, but they could at least hold their own. They will remain nameless because of the backlash others posters may attribute to the sentiment.

In my opinion, and I could be proven wrong here in the future, I feel that this indecisiveness in Cale may never be eradicated. Psychologically this fear will impede him longitudinally and this will make him a good but not great player. I feel his brother Jaryd, who is on hawthorns list will potentially be a superior footballer based on his greater intent and ferocity. I hope I am proven wrong.

The club psychologist will know this because it is their job to do so. In my view they have made an error drafting this young man. This is so sad because he is probably my favorite player at the moment. The question is will he ever gain weight. Mitch Morton, an hardened player is not overly robust and neither is Jaryd?

He is young as hell, played minimal games, averaging 20 odd disposals a game and you come up with this crap?

over analyzing BIG TIME. Step back and let him develope befor judging how he is on the field.

[Guest digga]

I can 100% gaurantee you CALE MORTON will NOT get dropped.

[1858 285]

Morton will be a good player for us. He, like most, will develop over time as his body develops and he gains experience and confidence. I hope you guys have a little more patience with Jack Watts once he debuts, because I can assure you he wont be kicking big bags for a while.

No doubt that for a light framed kid he certainly puts himself amongst it and to get 19 games under his belt as an 18 year old last year was good for/by him. His attack on the ball will improve over time and hopefully this will lead to more contested possessions and tackles as well. At 191 cm you don't expect a 19 year old to weave in and out of trafic like a gun mid but my question mark over him is his speed of disposal. His body mechanics are very slow. He is slow at sidestepping players or getting out of trouble at times and this is compounded with being slow at dishing off handballs or kicks. He should improve over time with respect to making space and eluding tacklers but disposal is harder to iron out.

Part of this is leg and arm strength ie you can put more power into your passes (with less wind up time) if you are strong and just drill it off 1 step which is fine. Another part of it though is just his style of kicking, it is gangly and slow - hence his obvious preference to make space by running prior to kicking. Without pressure he is a fantastic kick. Under pressure he loses composure, not because he is "scared" or makes bad decisions but he knows his own style and that it takes a while for him to get a kick off the way he wants. As a result urgency often creeps in.

I have no doubt that in his head he knows what he wants to do, he was good at it at junior level. There is a difference between theory and practice at AFL level if you don't have fluent movement however. Last year we saw a young kid who learnt a lot about the game and played well on his terms but as this season goes on he needs to be instructed on how to play on the necesarry terms. This means incorporating body development and faster body mechanics - it won't happen over night though.

That post by 'DangerousDemon' is also food for thought but way out of my league. Perhaps there is a connection there. On thing I would love to know is how did Morton play in the juniors prior to being drafted with regards to his psychological approach but more so his speed of disposal. I suspect that there isn't much difference in how he played except for a little more time to do the things he wanted. I do agree with the psychological angle as far as that Morton definitely likes playing his best footy in a comfort zone but he is only 19 so we'll have to give him a chance to work on this. I suspect that as he gets stronger and hopefully a little quicker his confidence within most situations will grow.

[H_T 3,043]

No doubt that for a light framed kid he certainly puts himself amongst it and to get 19 games under his belt as an 18 year old last year was good for him. His attack on the ball will improve over time and hopefully this will lead to more contested possessions and tackles as well........

Great post. I think morton would be better off at AFL in the 22. Head over the ball is a must. No use putting him back in the VFL imo.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

I agree that this is an interesting topic.

I believe Cale is in our best 22 at the present time only because I can't think of anyone who I would replace him with.

We don't have the greatest depth on our list.

I think the problem is that we picked the wrong guy at number 4 in the draft.

I am so sick of everyone on here saying he will be a superstar player, an ELITE midfielder. It honestly makes me laugh.

Why do people say this?! What has he proven for people to make these idiotic statements?

Y_M. I can't understand at all the logic behind you thinking Bruce is terrible and that Cale is going to be an elite midfielder.

If you weren't so narrow minded you would see that not only are their attributes the same, but their body shape/frames and style of playing is also very similar.

I see Cale as a younger Bruce. The only upside is that he is 19 and will HOPEFULLY improve. Nothing he has done so far has made me excited and that goes for a lot of players on our list.

Anybody on this forum that says that Morton was a better pick than Palmer at number 4 has obviously got very little footy knowledge.

We made a mistake. Simple as that. I only hope he can prove me otherwise in the near future.

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

Anybody on this forum that says that Morton was a better pick than Palmer at number 4 has obviously got very little footy knowledge.

Deciding who is the better pick after 18 months is a meaningless exercise. In two years we will know who is better pick when the bodies have started to mature. The simple truth is that a lot of our kids have to play mens roles that in better teams they would be able to avoid. Judging a 19yo with 25 or so games under his belt (maybe less but I'm to lazy to check) is unfair and helping us at all.

[pitmaster 3,512]

Guess you got sucked in by that footage to? if you then follow on from that, we had the ball and he was running to the next play so what should he have done have a push and shove to show strength I think not. Trouble with this world is to many shrinks.

Damn right 3165.

I thought the Lade incident very funny, because it did look like Cale was sprinting from a confrontation but it bercame clear he was heading into the next contest.

While I agree we want players who put their head over the ball we have to remember that every decision to do so is not one isolated decision. Each time the player has to assess if there is a team mate in a better position, how the ball is about to bounce and countless other options.

I see Cale in the thick of the action, still light-bodied, but developing. He does produce some clangers, but so does Cameron Bruce. The more you get the ball the more likely you are to cough it up at some stage. Cale may well warrant a spell in the twos as the season progresses but I would persist right now.

[Mattress 0]

Anybody on this forum that says that Morton was a better pick than Palmer at number 4 has obviously got very little footy knowledge.

[montasaurus 0]

Anybody on this forum that says that Morton was a better pick than Palmer at number 4 has obviously got very little footy knowledge.

Do you actually watch footy or just look at supercoach stats??? Youve got to be kidding!! Everytime Palmer gets the ball he butchers it. He went into his first season with a mature body ready for afl. He has not and will not get any better than last year. Imo same as Daniel Rich hence him going at no.7 as well. If your after a ready made player Palmer and Rich were it. Morton is a totally different player,shape and size. He is going to take longer to develope and will be better than both of them.His football knowledge and disposal is already better than theirs. At least he takes a bit of time to size up the situation than just putting it on his boot and letting the next bloke deal with it.

Cale Morton will be a star for our club. While he is fit and willing he should play snr footy. Maybe if he is a bit stale, give him a break later in the year for someone like strauss or blease when they are ready. A lot of water to go under a few bridges first though. ATM I would rate morton in the top 5 players at the club. Not so much a refelction on CM as much as the rest of the list. As a player his value (descision making, hardness etc) should double in the next few years. Much to look forward to.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

You question it because he is a wingman and you want him dropped.

Our best midfielders have been in this order: Davey, Bruce, Morton, Moloney, McLean, and Jones.

It is in that order (and I love the way Moloney goes about his footy) because of the work the first 3 do off the ball to run to space and move from one end to the other to help their teammates.

As long as he is selflessly running himself into the ground for the benefit of his team he will one of the first names picked by the match committee.

Mate I have no idea what you are on about.

I repeat, I have not questioned the workrate of the kid, it is first class and he a has a great motor. I want him to be a good/better player. He takes his eyes off the footy, he needs to be better than that. He does it once, you give him a kick up the backside during debrief and tell him not to do it again (this has already been done once). He continually does it decisive action must be taken for his own good. If you don't believe it is necesary at this stage then we'll agree to disagree.

Nothing would please me more than to see the kid come out this weekend and keep his eye on the footy the whole game and make me look like an idiot.

[Guest petjud]

I agree with a couple of other posters, Morton deserves to be in the 22 at AFL level, as for the psychological discussions, did any of the 'experts' actually play football and at what level.

I don't want Morton putting his head over the ball except where it is one on one, he should be just outiside the stoppage waiting to get the ball and take it away, this is how they are being coached, Moloney, McLean are there for 'see ball get ball'

A lot of Cale's "problems" stem from the fact the rest of the team doesn't lift their eyes when trying to dispose of the ball, the number of times Cale is free and ignored, he knows where to run, we had one game last year can't remember which one where he was picked out and racked up the possessions and they were all good ones

The main thing is he is 19 and is improving all the time, stats and SuperCoach points are just that, figures, from what I can see DB uses them as a tool but he looks at what the player is "actually" doing or not doing first hence Morton stays in the team

[mauriesy 7,234]

Cale's ability to put his head over the ball and not shirk contests will improve as his body becomes more robust and fitter for the rigours of AFL football. In the meantime he's getting valuable experience learning about the pace and style of AFL football. He won't do that with a long stint in the seconds.

It's only the start of his second year and he should be judged now on that fact, plus the skill potential he shows. Judge him finally in a few years when he has matured and developed.

[Demon_Tingles 211]

I do not beileve that Cale will be dropped. However I think when he has the ball in his hands he must rush his decisions sometimes as when he was playing wafl and under 18 champs he was an exquisite user of the ball and hardly every missed a target. Also a thought on our forward line, wasn't morton recruited as a centre half forward who could play midfield ? Why don't we use him forward for a while? I believe he will kick more than Petterd.

[jacey 333]

Anybody on this forum that says that Morton was a better pick than Palmer at number 4 has obviously got very little footy knowledge.

We made a mistake. Simple as that. I only hope he can prove me otherwise in the near future.

Dear god.

Not only have you got little footy knowledge, you don't even watch the players you are commenting on.

Palmer butchers it like there is no tomorrow. We don't need anymore players like that.

[Yencks 8]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp9k754zabQ

watch and learn

[Stinga's_Redleg 0]

So who would you bring in for him?

Rohan Bail for mine. when he is fit. not sure how he went over the weekend.

[H_T 3,043]

Cale Morton aside shame what happened to Palmer

[John Dee 445]

Just shows how simple some things are; tweaked his knee and looked to be ok afterward. Routine scans picked up a near full tear of his ACL; out for the year.

[BennytheJet 15]

Hi,

Great post here on a very debatable issue which was raised rather vehemently by a few supporters over the weekend. I am a clinical psychologist and have also watched Cale closely, and posted on this very topic in the past. To reiterate what I had previously posted I feel there are more applicable displays of his immaturity than merely putting his head over the ball. I agree with you comments on football completely concur with your thoughts on putting the head over the ball. I dont feel this is old fashioned at all, and maybe some of our players, not just Cale but other senior players should be taking the initiative and putting their own heads on the line. Cale's body language is less than authoritative , is tentative and is indecisive both when he warms up at the beginning of the game during it. I agree that his decision making is often clouded. I feel this is due to the fact that he dreads making errors. I viewed the hun today and his clanger rate is up again this week. Listening to this young man speak his intelligence and love for football is obvious and with this as a predictor, I think Cale would look at these stats. Therefore I think the weight of expectation is the problem it is written all over him week after week. The Brendon Lade incident a few weeks back cemented my thoughts, and I totally agree that if he is not already effected by this, he will be in the future if this continues. There are other players who could play this position, maybe less adequately, but they could at least hold their own. They will remain nameless because of the backlash others posters may attribute to the sentiment.

In my opinion, and I could be proven wrong here in the future, I feel that this indecisiveness in Cale may never be eradicated. Psychologically this fear will impede him longitudinally and this will make him a good but not great player. I feel his brother Jaryd, who is on hawthorns list will potentially be a superior footballer based on his greater intent and ferocity. I hope I am proven wrong.

The club psychologist will know this because it is their job to do so. In my view they have made an error drafting this young man. This is so sad because he is probably my favorite player at the moment. The question is will he ever gain weight. Mitch Morton, an hardened player is not overly robust and neither is Jaryd?

Dangerous Demon, whilst Im not in the habit of forum bashing, you impress no one with your attempts at articulacy. Either you're taking the p*ss with your misplaced attempt at academic discourse above (which you very may well be and if so kudos, very funny)or you were serious - and if you were actually intending that to be a serious post on an afl supporters forum - you idiot..

I enjoy reading the posts on demonland because im a melbourne supporter and it gives some good, down to earth, no frills discussion on the team we love. What I DONT come to this forum to do is read tripe like yours - and it irked me to the point where I had to post on it, and I rarely post...

I was having an enjoyable morning until I had the displeasure of reading your post, and its put me in a real surly mood to be honest. Please refrain from future amateurish attempts at psychoanalaysis and journal entries - this is footy not acadamia

And back to the footy - good thread. yes morton needs needs to work on his kicking and attack on the footy, however I dont know if the magoos will be a better environment for him to do this. You generally find that footy gets more contested as the skill level drops (disposal not as clean, not as fast, not as much space etc) - whether this will be good for his development?.. tough question. Most of it will be in his head - watch the tapes and see where his attack on footy was not good enough then set him a challenge ie get 5 contested possessions next game/lay 5 effective tackles etc etc. At the moment hes best 22.

[Choko 493]

Dangerous Demon, whilst Im not in the habit of forum bashing, you impress no one with your attempts at articulacy. Either you're taking the p*ss with your misplaced attempt at academic discourse above (which you very may well be and if so kudos, very funny)or you were serious - and if you were actually intending that to be a serious post on an afl supporters forum - you idiot..

I enjoy reading the posts on demonland because im a melbourne supporter and it gives some good, down to earth, no frills discussion on the team we love. What I DONT come to this forum to do is read tripe like yours - and it irked me to the point where I had to post on it, and I rarely post...

I was having an enjoyable morning until I had the displeasure of reading your post, and its put me in a real surly mood to be honest. Please refrain from future amateurish attempts at psychoanalaysis and journal entries - this is footy not acadamia

And back to the footy - good thread. yes morton needs needs to work on his kicking and attack on the footy, however I dont know if the magoos will be a better environment for him to do this. You generally find that footy gets more contested as the skill level drops (disposal not as clean, not as fast, not as much space etc) - whether this will be good for his development?.. tough question. Most of it will be in his head - watch the tapes and see where his attack on footy was not good enough then set him a challenge ie get 5 contested possessions next game/lay 5 effective tackles etc etc. At the moment hes best 22.

Bennythejet: I think your response demonstrates your inability to empathise. I deduce therefore that you were dropped as a baby, and you probably also never crawled. I think that will affect you latitudinally (some would say longitudinally, but I like to think of you more as a latitudinal person due to your preference for no frills discussion). Perhaps it can be linked back to your Mum - did she make fun of your early baldness?

My predictor and fear Benny is that you will never reach your posting potential due to your propensity to your eratic use of full stops.. .. ....

[BennytheJet 15]

Bennythejet: I think your response demonstrates your inability to empathise. I deduce therefore that you were dropped as a baby, and you probably also never crawled. I think that will affect you latitudinally (some would say longitudinally, but I like to think of you more as a latitudinal person due to your preference for no frills discussion). Perhaps it can be linked back to your Mum - did she make fun of your early baldness?

My predictor and fear Benny is that you will never reach your posting potential due to your propensity to your eratic use of full stops.. .. ....

Hahahaha, now THAT I did enjoy... well done choko

[Guest petjud]

Bennythejet: I think your response demonstrates your inability to empathise. I deduce therefore that you were dropped as a baby, and you probably also never crawled. I think that will affect you latitudinally (some would say longitudinally, but I like to think of you more as a latitudinal person due to your preference for no frills discussion). Perhaps it can be linked back to your Mum - did she make fun of your early baldness?

My predictor and fear Benny is that you will never reach your posting potential due to your propensity to your eratic use of full stops.. .. ....

....the use of full stops..........indicates that you are actually pausing before typing the next bit.......the pause being a moment for thought....so not as to end up horizontally like a lot of the posters here when they fall flat on their face...when making a comment and they are asked to back it up..the following silence is deafening.........try thinking laterally......just turn and face to the side.that should do it................

[Late Draft Pick 48]

. Either you're taking the p*ss with your misplaced attempt at academic discourse above

Yeah, I thought he was taking the [censored] too. Sounded like a Sam Kekovich rave which are usually very

funny, but this wasn't. The fact that he said he was a clinical psychologist gave him away; you see they

are not into intuition, they pride themsleves on their measurement. This guy's speel was just bringing

random observations together and trying to present them as a theory.