Sydney Blue wrote:
slow_mo wrote:
I think you can be a stopper and a play-maker, look at Leo Barry for example. He always takes the best forward but also has the confidence and support to play off him.
I'm thinking that perhaps Thornton has the potential to be a similar player but not until he gets a chop out from the midfield (and a to a lesser extent his fellow backmen). At the moment the Carlton backline is always under siege due to lack of pressure up the ground.
Slow mo the backline is under seige because that where we choose to play the game. There is no one up feild to put pressure on the guy delivering the ball as we are filling in holes in the defence . At times guys like Betts are chasing three of four players down trying to put the pressure on .
The flood although quite effective in slowing the opposition down can also be very taxing on the players . To use it to good effect you need to use your bench -we dont . So in the end the ball eventually finds its targetted player an Thorton throws his head back in discuss and looks like a tosser when really the guy up feild has run his arse off .
Thorton needs Livo - He also needs some kicking practice because his delivery by foot at times is terrible
On a purely statistcal basis the backline this year has conceded 446 points after 5 rounds and ranked in the top 8 in the competition compared to 551 points at the same time last year. Why has it improved?
A combination of reasons in Lance, Walker and the gameplan. Thornton needs those two guys more than Livo. Livo is fighting with Saddington for his spot. Whether Thornton is better off with Livo or Saddington is the question.
In relation to Thornton's kicking, generally he is a fine kick but sometimes he holds onto the ball too long coming out of defence instead of going for the first option. Look at Walker run out of defence, he is fast he runs the lines, watch Thornton come out of defence he just lopes along which gives guys up the ground time to cover their man.