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NOT Taylor Walker

Little Goffy
Little Goffy
in Melbourne Demons

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The way I see it, our problem is that a key forward capable of giving reliable contests, taking marks or bringing it to ground usefully, is a very expensive player.

But... what if you had a forward who was only ever getting to the edge of selection as a key target, but it turns out they might go alright as a ruck support who then gives leads all over the ground, rather than under the close checking inside 50?

And what if you had two absolutely premium quality players currently in your ruck but who both can compete very well up forward, filling the need structurally and also delivering great football?

There's a wonderful expression, 'If there are four cats to chase, it is the grenadiers who are demanded.' The point of course being that not all tasks should require the most elite forces at all times, and overuse wears them out to the point of ineffectiveness.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who will be watching Sam Weideman very, very closely during this period where he will be taking on a fair load of ruck work. If he can deliver as a solid role player who frees up the Gawn/Jackson 'grenadiers' to be available more often at the crucial points, then our forward line is about to become much more dangerous.

It also has very good implications for managing salary cap!

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    19 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

    The way I see it, our problem is that a key forward capable of giving reliable contests, taking marks or bringing it to ground usefully, is a very expensive player.

    But... what if you had a forward who was only ever getting to the edge of selection as a key target, but it turns out they might go alright as a ruck support who then gives leads all over the ground, rather than under the close checking inside 50?

    And what if you had two absolutely premium quality players currently in your ruck but who both can compete very well up forward, filling the need structurally and also delivering great football?

    There's a wonderful expression, 'If there are four cats to chase, it is the grenadiers who are demanded.' The point of course being that not all tasks should require the most elite forces at all times, and overuse wears them out to the point of ineffectiveness.

    I'm sure I'm not the only one who will be watching Sam Weideman very, very closely during this period where he will be taking on a fair load of ruck work. If he can deliver as a solid role player who frees up the Gawn/Jackson 'grenadiers' to be available more often at the crucial points, then our forward line is about to become much more dangerous.

    It also has very good implications for managing salary cap!

    I agree with your analogy, but Weid has had numerous chances as a key forward. 
    he will play better up the ground. I liked his work last week

    But I don’t think he is a Key Forward at AFL Level

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    • Like 2

    This talk of Walker to Melbourne is just plain out silly. We are not Geelong and I don't think we have enough walking sticks.

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    • Author
    19 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

    I agree with your analogy, but Weid has had numerous chances as a key forward. 
    he will play better up the ground. I liked his work last week

    But I don’t think he is a Key Forward at AFL Level

    Exactly. If Weideman can be an adequate role-player to ease some of the grind time in the ruck, while playing a more open 3rd tall/link lead style mostly outside the f50, I think that allows us to use our ruck beasts up forward with really good effect.

    Hell, rotated cleverly we could see both Gawn and Jackson playing close to 100% game time because even standing still 20m from goal they would still demand the best opposition defender.

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    Tex Walker would be a good pick up especially in a good team . Recently he kick 6 goals in a AFL match. So far he is a better option than M.Brown,B.Brown and the Weid. Also think he would be a better pick up ( only slightly ) than Gunston. If Jackson goes we need to fast track another tall who could play Jackson's role. Fingers crossed the Weid could be that ruck rover role. Could Rosman or Turner become our new champion ruck rover ?

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    5 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

    Exactly. If Weideman can be an adequate role-player to ease some of the grind time in the ruck, while playing a more open 3rd tall/link lead style mostly outside the f50, I think that allows us to use our ruck beasts up forward with really good effect.

    Hell, rotated cleverly we could see both Gawn and Jackson playing close to 100% game time because even standing still 20m from goal they would still demand the best opposition defender.

    Would love this role for Weid. As much as I would love to recruit a KPF in the vein of someone like McKay or Curnow, it doesn't seem like we're going to have that luxury in the next couple of years. And I'm suspect of recruiting an older key forward, least of all Tex given his personal history. However, I do think that getting Weid involved in this role and allowing Max and Dogga to play forward more could help give us some more structure up forward - particularly as Max's forward craft has improved so much recently.

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    9 minutes ago, COOLX said:

    Tex Walker would be a good pick up especially in a good team . Recently he kick 6 goals in a AFL match. So far he is a better option than M.Brown,B.Brown and the Weid. Also think he would be a better pick up ( only slightly ) than Gunston. If Jackson goes we need to fast track another tall who could play Jackson's role. Fingers crossed the Weid could be that ruck rover role. Could Rosman or Turner become our new champion ruck rover ?

    First, I think Jackson is a bit of a unicorn they don't make many, if any, of those so when you have one you should keep them

    There is no way either of Rosman or Turner are going to be his replacement IMO.

    Turner is more in the mold of a hybrid Lever / Petty type. Rosman I'm not so sure if, or where, he fits in. He does has some ability - I think he needs to have a very busy summer and maybe get Dogga to give him some tips on how to get bigger and stronger 

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    30 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

    Exactly. If Weideman can be an adequate role-player to ease some of the grind time in the ruck, while playing a more open 3rd tall/link lead style mostly outside the f50, I think that allows us to use our ruck beasts up forward with really good effect.

    Hell, rotated cleverly we could see both Gawn and Jackson playing close to 100% game time because even standing still 20m from goal they would still demand the best opposition defender.

    Weid did some work in the Center Square last week. 
    a couple of 1-2 handballs to Viney that resulted in scores

    All that stuff will raise his confidence 

    and occasionally he will take a contested mark

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    54 minutes ago, dl4e said:

    This talk of Walker to Melbourne is just plain out silly. We are not Geelong and I don't think we have enough walking sticks.

    If it’s just a year or two contract, he may help us push for a three-peat in 2023. 

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    He made the victim of his degrading racist abuse sit behind him in a pathetic apology video for his own PR and image. At some point our talk about reconciliation and the importance of our indigenous players is either talk or more than that.

    If Steven, Kozzi, Toby, Deakyn and Andy are talked through it and can sign off on it then fine - but until then he can [censored] off.

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    10 minutes ago, rpfc said:

    He made the victim of his degrading racist abuse sit behind him in a pathetic apology video for his own PR and image. 

    No he didn't. The club organised the video and if he is to be believed, the victim accepted the apology and was happy to support the apology and video.

    Tex actually looked extremely uncomfortable in the video. Obviously wasn't his idea.

    FWIW, I would imagine if every AFL player's private comments to a mate were made public, there would be a lot of embarrassed people and clubs in the AFL

    Edited by Redleg

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    • Like 8
    2 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    No he didn't. The club organised the video and if he is to be believed, the victim accepted the apology and was happy to support the apology and video.

    Tex actually looked extremely uncomfortable in the video. Obviously wasn't his idea.

    It was a vehicle of Crows and Tex Walker PR tour. This may be a generational thing @Redleg- this was seen by the indigenous people that I know ( mid 20s) as using the victim to their own ends.

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    • Like 1

    1 hour ago, Redleg said:

    No he didn't. The club organised the video and if he is to be believed, the victim accepted the apology and was happy to support the apology and video.

    Tex actually looked extremely uncomfortable in the video. Obviously wasn't his idea.

    FWIW, I would imagine if every AFL player's private comments to a mate were made public, there would be a lot of embarrassed people and clubs in the AFL

    Private comments - he said it in a huddle, as a spectator?? To his teammates?? 

    I will continue to outraged by him and no amount of ‘well they all think like that’ is going to ‘whitewash’ it.

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    • Like 1

    I have changed my mind about this. Tex Walker to the DEES gets a BIG tick from me! He has still got a few seasons left and would charge up our forward line with his presence! Not to mention he knows a thing or two about kicking accurately for goal!

    Edited by picket fence

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    • Like 5
    10 hours ago, COOLX said:

    Tex Walker would be a good pick up especially in a good team . Recently he kick 6 goals in a AFL match. So far he is a better option than M.Brown,B.Brown and the Weid. Also think he would be a better pick up ( only slightly ) than Gunston. If Jackson goes we need to fast track another tall who could play Jackson's role. Fingers crossed the Weid could be that ruck rover role. Could Rosman or Turner become our new champion ruck rover ?

    Blake Howes looked like a special player before getting injured. He will slot into midfield ruck rover type. Kicks beautifully and balanced. 

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    • Like 2

    OMG. Can you imagine Tex and May on the  [censored] together. Caroline Wilson and others will be following them everywhere with their little note pads, whenever they head off to a swanky restaurant. Don’t forget Bernie Vince would be joining in with his famous antics, as Tex’s best mate over here.

    Edited by Thehardtackler

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    If he was not always injured, I thought Joel Smith had shown some ability as a tall forward, but that was not persevered with and I think we are all in with JVR and Weideman. I reckon we may recruit another tall forward in this draft.

    Edited by Thehardtackler

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    I'm a huge fan of Tex, but at his age I would pass on him coming to the Dees. Our development coaching staff are now the best in the business so let's see what JVR and Howes become. 

    If we lose Jackson, Weid has surprised me with how well he has filled the 2nd ruck role so he can stay there. 

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    • Like 1
    20 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

    Can confirm his Gran has put an offer in on a house in Cranbourne East. Make of this what you will. 

    I'm led to believe that he'll be billeted by a host family by the name of Lever.

    Edited by mo64

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    He's a massive dh therefore we would have to jettison our no dh policy to bring him in. We won't do that

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    2 hours ago, BDA said:

    He's a massive dh therefore we would have to jettison our no dh policy to bring him in. We won't do that

    That’s probably the crux of it sadly.

    I tend to agree that the racism stuff should not be harped on forever. He got his whack in an official sense, and will need to look himself in the mirror and live with what he did. If all interested stakeholders who might have trouble playing with him are fine with it, then I see no problem with him being signed.

    That said, the Jake Lever sledge, drinking beer in the stands when off injured and going along with that Moony-style training camp doesn’t put him in the best light.

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