Contrarian Opinion: Can we just leave Caleb in the BACK HALF?

[mjp]

All summer I have been reading how we want to/NEED to move Caleb UP the ground (wing, inside mind, high forward) so we can take more advantage of his elite kicking skills going inside 50.

To this I say the following:

1/. When has moving an awesome player at one end to the other end of the ground on a permanent basis EVER worked. Like...EVER. Maybe Murphy I 'spose. (p.s. You can cue Josh Bruce's music if you like 'cos he's about to fall victim to the same rule.

2/. Wouldn't you think that installing every tall player in the AFL inside our forward 50m area would make the need for precise foot skills of the Caleb variety LESS important rather than MORE important? I mean...surely the margin for error going i50 just got bigger whereas the margin for error leaving defense is the same?

Just leave it already. He's been 100% awesome at half-back and if he sometimes gets caught out a bigger oppo player in a marking contest, well - let's not let the fact that he pushes back hard to defend be a criticism...I mean - his team-mates could equally be pushing to get back.

Leave him be. Leave him. Our i50's are high because we have an excellent midfield (albeit one that could do with a darker shade of blue around the collar) and fantastic kickers (Dale, Richards, Keath and DANIEL) stationed in d50...

[GVGjr]

Great thread MJP and thanks for challenging the status quo.
From my perspective there are two things to note in the discussion about Daniel.

He played midfield in the intra club practice games mainly due to matching up our A grade midfielders with some competitive opponents ie Bont, Macrae and Liberatore vs Daniel, McComb and Garcia while Treloar and B.Smith were working through some rehab challenges. The fact that he competed well shows that he is a player of a high quality and that he has the potential to be used in other positions.

The other opinion is what Bevo confirmed the other day in that he wanted to test his versatility but that he is also more than likely going to stick in our (7 man) defensive set-up.

I'm of the opinion we should use his talents in some other areas because with Duryea, Richards and Dale we have a good balance of prime movers and decision makers in the back line but I'm not that fussed on moving him.

Would our taller forward line benefit from having some like Daniel delivering the ball to them? I think so because he is such a great decision maker but we will work it out.

[Bulldog Joe]

Caleb is a distributor, rather than a defender and he needs the ball fed to him on the outside to use that skill effectively.

With the transformation of Bailey Dale we have another elite distributor and maybe we don't need them both at half back.

Ed Richards can also fill this role and defends better.

We need to find the optimum use of the players for the team.

[bornadog]

I agree with the OP, Caleb is best suited in the back half and helps to get the ball moving from the backline forward. He has played his best footy down back, even winning a B&F. Yes Bevo played him in the midfield, but as he said the other day this was for insurance to cover for some of the mids that may or maynot come up for the season (example Treloar was having difficulty with his calf (I think calf). He will play the majority of time in the backline in 2023

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I suspect we'll use him more where needed, dependent on the trend of the game. Let's not forget he has had plenty of great moments/games as a mid earlier in his career and as recent as 2021. During the period of Dunkley/Treloar being out, he was often used in CB rotations. Despite his size, he's a great extractor and we know how excellent his decision making and skills are.

What is the most important kick in footy? In my mind, it's the final delivery inside 50. Richmond just had 20 more I50s over Carlton but 'stole' a draw. We more than most have bemoaned similar stat lines in recent years. A player like Daniel is who I want to deliver that final pass.

That we're going tall may create a higher margin for error, but they still need the ball put to their advantage and there's probably nobody to do it better than Daniel.

If Dale, Richards and Doc are in form and distributing OK, I think we can move Daniel around. There will be times we need to stabilise our ball movement from the back half though and this is when Daniel will be important as we know Dale and even Richards will, at times, bite off more than they should.

[FrediKanoute]

We won a flag in 2016 with Caleb playing as a link between the forward and back half. Having land of the giants in our forward line makes precise ball movement event more important as we will struggle to get space/separation as leads will be congested for space.

[mjp]

We won a flag in 2016 with Caleb playing as a link between the forward and back half.

What were his numbers on GF day again? Were they donuts or did he get ONE kick?

I know what you are saying but Caleb's importance to the side then vs now are not on the same level.

[Mantis]

What were his numbers on GF day again? Were they donuts or did he get ONE kick?

I know what you are saying but Caleb's importance to the side then vs now are not on the same level.

In the 2016 finals series Caleb's possession counts were (from EF to GF) 33, 19, 24 & 14.

[mjp]

In the 2016 finals series Caleb's possession counts were (from EF to GF) 33, 19, 24 & 14.

Pretty darned quiet 14.

:-)

[bornadog]

Bevo answers the OP

[Mofra]

On a slow rebound, yes I want him in the back half.
No player in the competition cuts through congestion by foot as well as he does. It's a unique skillset.

Can we fit him in though? If we play 3 talls or 2 talls plus an interceptor, who of Duryea, Dale or Richards do you move out?

[Mantis]

On a slow rebound, yes I want him in the back half.
No player in the competition cuts through congestion by foot as well as he does. It's a unique skillset.

Can we fit him in though? If we play 3 talls or 2 talls plus an interceptor, who of Duryea, Dale or Richards do you move out?

I think he is part of the rotation in the back half but isn't part of the starting 6.

[Go_Dogs]

I’m actually interested to see how Caleb’s foot skills hold up in the front half with less of the field in front of him. Yes, he’s a neat user and can kick a low and powerful pin point pass, but he also takes off more than he should and can burn the ball. I wonder if he loses a bit of his kicking sheen from our collective perception moving up field?

I get the premise of him in the midfield, but I’m with you on this one mjp.

[FrediKanoute]

Pretty darned quiet 14.

:-)

Other people stepped up. I agree he, Bont and a few others were quite on GF day, but thankfully some of the other guys stepped up!!

That said, I could see the merit in Caleb's footskills exiting the backline, but with Red Ed and Dale I think having someone delivering into the forward line is more critical.

[josie]

Other people stepped up. I agree he, Bont and a few others were quite on GF day, but thankfully some of the other guys stepped up!!

That said, I could see the merit in Caleb's footskills exiting the backline, but with Red Ed and Dale I think having someone delivering into the forward line is more critical.

Agree Caleb was quiet on GF day. Our worst was Stringer by a country mile, so many OOB, except for that one amazing goal. I thought Bont was 2nd best behind T Boyd (nudging out Tory and Picken and JJ who gained distance but turned over the ball a fair bit at least initially). At the game I didn’t realise how good Bont’s disposal was eg first. T Boyd goal. The replay showed how good he was. Didn’t Bevo put Bont onto Kennedy after half time and that quelled him? (Might have that wrong, if he was on him first half as well then my high esteem for his GF day is a bit of a reach). From memory was it 16 kicks or disposals but nearly all excellent.

Back to the thread - I’d like Caleb to be given a bit of time up forward and in middle to see how it goes. If we are missing him down back then return him there.