Give Harry a go

[Thryleon]

The thing is that we didn’t have any other options;  Lobbe is injured, Flip has played half a game, Harry may have been an option but only if there was no-one else and De Koning, while named as an emergency, is a long way off.

I thought that Casboult and Jones both gave good contests in the ruck, and we won the clearances, so Witts’ dominance in hitouts didn’t really amount to much.

I’d prefer to see Harry honing his key forward craft in the NBs rather than being thrown to the wolves as an underweight, inexperienced ruckman.

But in this game we unsettled the line up so much that we neither blooded kids, nor formulated a truly effective looking tactic that might win us the game.

It was a bit of a misfire.  At least we have made sure we have burned polson in the process. 

[madbluboy]

The thing is that we didn’t have any other options;  Lobbe is injured, Flip has played half a game, Harry may have been an option but only if there was no-one else and De Koning, while named as an emergency, is a long way off.

I thought that Casboult and Jones both gave good contests in the ruck, and we won the clearances, so Witts’ dominance in hitouts didn’t really amount to much.

I’d prefer to see Harry honing his key forward craft in the NBs rather than being thrown to the wolves as an underweight, inexperienced ruckman.

Witts had 14 hit outs to advantage which is double what he had the week before.

The biggest problem we had with not playing another tall was we were too short in our forward line and Charlie Curnow had to do it all on his own.

[kruddler]

Witts had 14 hit outs to advantage which is double what he had the week before.

The biggest problem we had with not playing another tall was we were too short in our forward line and Charlie Curnow had to do it all on his own.

Not entirely true. Weitering impersonated a witches hat for large periods of the game up forward too.

[IvanAwfulbigone]

Could someone please explain to me all the comments about "Harry's not ready", "... needs more time", etc.

Is he injured? Is he immature for his age? Needs more time for what? We drafted him at pick 10. When I open my 2016 Carlton Season Guide there's a 2 page spread with McKay one one side and Weitering on the other. Why was Weits deemed ready for R1 yet a full 2 years later we're still waiting for Harry? He's taller and heavier than Weitering.

Most would agree you can throw a blanket over the first 10 picks in a draft - maybe even the first 20 - and be assured of getting quality.

Knowing Carlton and our recent history of stellar recruiting and player development  :, what's the bet we made the wrong call and should have played Harry while holding Weits back.

EDIT: Probably just exposed my own ignorance after realising we're talking about a future ruckman.  Still, if he's fit, he should have played on Saturday. I thought he showed enough in the 2 games he played towards then end of last year, but I guess that's what this thread is all about.

[LP]

Could someone please explain to me all the comments about "Harry's not ready", "... needs more time", etc.

Is he injured? Is he immature for his age? Needs more time for what? We drafted him at pick 10. When I open my 2016 Carlton Season Guide there's a 2 page spread with McKay one one side and Weitering on the other. Why was Weits deemed ready for R1 yet a full 2 years later we're still waiting for Harry? He's taller and heavier than Weitering.

Most would agree you can throw a blanket over the first 10 picks in a draft - maybe even the first 20 - and be assured of getting quality.

Knowing Carlton and our recent history of stellar recruiting and player development  :, what's the bet we made the wrong call and should have played Harry while holding Weits back.

EDIT: Probably just exposed my own ignorance after realising we're talking about a future ruckman.  Still, if he's fit, he should have played on Saturday. I thought he showed enough in the 2 games he played towards then end of last year, but I guess that's what this thread is all about.

As far as I know we didn't recruit McKay as a ruckmen, although it's a given someone his size will eventually do some ruck work. He and his brother have always been KPPs at either end of the ground. Size isn't primarily what makes a ruckmen, Kreuzer and is the perfect example of that.

At the moment I think our structures are FUBAR, we have Marchbank who is Weitering size and playing him in a Simmo style running HBF role, while Simmo, Plowman, Byrne and Mullett are also playing a Simmo type running HBF role. I'm not even sure Marchbank is a good enough decision maker or ball user to be in that role, and I doubt he's a better intercept mark than Weitering, Marchbank is certainly not a better ball user than Weitering.

We seem to be obsessed with having our better players be utility types, why do we let that happen. I don't see Harry Taylor chasing forward pockets up the field or playing as a defensive forward. Taylor hardly left D50 for the first 5 years of his career!

[LP]

Not entirely true. Weitering impersonated a witches hat for large periods of the game up forward too.

Who did he learn that off?

[Thryleon]

Could someone please explain to me all the comments about "Harry's not ready", "... needs more time", etc.

Is he injured? Is he immature for his age? Needs more time for what? We drafted him at pick 10. When I open my 2016 Carlton Season Guide there's a 2 page spread with McKay one one side and Weitering on the other. Why was Weits deemed ready for R1 yet a full 2 years later we're still waiting for Harry? He's taller and heavier than Weitering.

Most would agree you can throw a blanket over the first 10 picks in a draft - maybe even the first 20 - and be assured of getting quality.

Knowing Carlton and our recent history of stellar recruiting and player development  :, what's the bet we made the wrong call and should have played Harry while holding Weits back.

EDIT: Probably just exposed my own ignorance after realising we're talking about a future ruckman.  Still, if he's fit, he should have played on Saturday. I thought he showed enough in the 2 games he played towards then end of last year, but I guess that's what this thread is all about.

Its ok.

The question is valid, but somehow I think the answer is in Weitering's formline.  He has shown a little bit, and been worked out, but isn't physically mature enough to endure it long term and it is now stalling his progress and making it longer.

Its one thing to fast track development, its another to play kids before they are ready to compete.

Have a look at Polson.  Miles off the pace, and hes a small who should be on pace.  He has played two uninspiring AFL games. 

Charlie Curnow was the one who was a super athlete, who has come on the best of that draft crop, but he was rumoured to be better able to compete from day one, and has really gone from strength to strength.  Aside from his early set back with glandular fever, he has also had a fairly injury free run at it unlike both Weitering and Mckay.

Its hard to say.

Realistically, only these boys can tell you how they feel.

[LP]

Its ok.

The question is valid, but somehow I think the answer is in Weitering's formline.  He has shown a little bit, and been worked out, but isn't physically mature enough to endure it long term and it is now stalling his progress and making it longer.

Its one thing to fast track development, its another to play kids before they are ready to compete.

Have a look at Polson.  Miles off the pace, and hes a small who should be on pace.  He has played two uninspiring AFL games. 

Charlie Curnow was the one who was a super athlete, who has come on the best of that draft crop, but he was rumoured to be better able to compete from day one, and has really gone from strength to strength.  Aside from his early set back with glandular fever, he has also had a fairly injury free run at it unlike both Weitering and Mckay.

Its hard to say.

Realistically, only these boys can tell you how they feel.

The heat is only just arriving for Charlie, Weitering led the AFL intercept marking in his first season, he's shown a little more than a little bit which is why opponents have put so much focus into him.

I doubt Weitering's problem is primarily himself, it's the lack of players around him sharing the load.

Even Charlie's goal haul the other week was primarily a two quarter effort, he's still some way away from playing four quarters of football as a KPP.

A big concern for me is Charlie is about to face this with no support around him, and it won't come from Casboult.

[jeza]

I still think all these taller guys have heaps of time. I always think back to the Josh Kennedy example. We were all saying the same things about him as we were about Harry.

It took Kennedy 4 or 5 years to come good. It's probably unfair to compare guys to Charlie who is tracking ahead of time. It's inevitable though when they were in the same draft.

Fingers crossed they give Harry a prolonged crack at it at some point this year. I also think we should bring Jack straight back in.

[LP]

As much as I'd hate to see another bloke played out of position, Wayne Carey might be correct.

An F50 of Cripps combined with perhaps Charlie, McKay, Silvagni, Wright and Garlett might be our best option.

Cripps will certainly set the tone and lead the way, even though he is only a kid himself!

If Kennedy is available, does this become an option?