Caleb Daniel...

[1eyedog]

has re-signed oh yeah!

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2017-02-14/daniels-done-deal

[Eastdog]

Great news. I look forward seeing Caleb improving even more this year.

[bulldogtragic]

Keep the good news a coming.

[bornadog]

Love Caleb, great competitor and great to keep him for another 3 years.

[bulldogtragic]

Love Caleb, great competitor and great to keep him for another 3 years.

And for far less than the $1,000,000 Carlton paid to Liam Jones for 3 years. :D

[Mofra]

That Tom Boyd deal still killing us

[Twodogs]

That Tom Boyd deal still killing us


That's conventional wisdom, that is.


If he had an ounce of decency he'd pay some of it back! What's he done for the Bulldogs? Worst. Trade. Ever.

It was less than 12 months ago.;)

[Smads57]

Love it that Caleb has resigned. Enjoyed his comments about why he re-signed ie the love he feels from within the player group.

[Ghost Dog]

Did CD get 40 disposals against N? I missed the game and just going through the stats....Leather poisoning.
Let's here it for the boy......

[Topdog]

He has certainly regained some form in the last fortnight

[Ozza]

Did CD get 40 disposals against N? I missed the game and just going through the stats....Leather poisoning.
Let's here it for the boy......

New role at half back - setting up the play.

[bornadog]

New role at half back - setting up the play.

As Bevo mentioned yesterday, he has played that role in the backline at times when we needed him, but the last two weeks, it was a more permanent role.

Is he the reincarnation of the nuggety back pocket?

[Mofra]

As Bevo mentioned yesterday, he has played that role in the backline at times when we needed him, but the last two weeks, it was a more permanent role.

Is he the reincarnation of the nuggety back pocket?
Not permanently - I'd imagine some clubs play 'marking smalls' to try and isolate him overhead.
Definitely works in a team with a dominant key forward who commands the ball.

[Happy Days]

Not permanently - I'd imagine some clubs play 'marking smalls' to try and isolate him overhead.
Definitely works in a team with a dominant key forward who commands the ball.

Yeah agree with this - it works as long as there isn't a danger of him getting isolated, but can imagine teams will look to target him the more solidified a role in the backline gets for him.

Having said that, he did beat Majak Daw in a 2-on-1 contest on the weekend so who knows?

[Cyberdoggie]

He's much better when he gets his hands on it more often, not really a bash and crash or in and under player despite his build.

[ledge]

He's much better when he gets his hands on it more often, not really a bash and crash or in and under player despite his build.

He is the best link in a chain I’ve ever seen, we should give him the ball at every opportunity his delivery is exceptional.

[Twodogs]

He is the best link in a chain I’ve ever seen, we should give him the ball at every opportunity his delivery is exceptional.

He's not a classically great kick but he's the best judge of exactly where to kick a ball that I've seen. A couple of times I've thought he's kicked a helicopter suicide pass but he's actually elevated it over an oncoming opponent and then let it hang in the air just long enough for the leading player to run on to it.

He's great.

[1eyedog]

Where is Caleb Daniel at? Some pundits are suggesting we're a better team without on the park! If this is true then what should his role be? Does he need to be moved, but to where?

Half bank can be a thankless task when the ball is coming in all the time but you're looking for opportunities to attack. Our players are clearly instructed to get the ball to him so the coaches really want him in that role. His high possession count and disposal under pressure is the reason he occasionally turns it over. Generally speaking however Caleb is an elite ball user and arguably the smartest player on our list, but it's getting increasingly difficult to drop players when we are in this form.

Where to for him from here, assuming he'll make it back before we are knocked out?

[bornadog]

Where is Caleb Daniel at? Some pundits are suggesting we're a better team without on the park! If this is true then what should his role be? Does he need to be moved, but to where?

Half bank can be a thankless task when the ball is coming in all the time but you'te looking for opportunities to attack. Caleb is an elite ball user and arguably the smartest player on our list but it's getting increasingly difficult to drop players when we are in this form.

Where to for him from here?

He is out for the year, so we will worry about that next year. :D

[Grantysghost]

He is out for the year, so we will worry about that next year. :D

He's out for 6 weeks? :cool:

[1eyedog]

Has this been confirmed? It must be a bad hammy.

[Hotdog60]

I think on a wing as he can run all day and provide an option coming out of defence.

[FrediKanoute]

As much as I like the quarterback role he has played, I like him better as the link between the midfield and the forwards. Look back at the highlights from 2016 and Caleb Daniels was key in most of our forward moves.

[GVGjr]

Where is Caleb Daniel at? Some pundits are suggesting we're a better team without on the park! If this is true then what should his role be? Does he need to be moved, but to where?

Half bank can be a thankless task when the ball is coming in all the time but you're looking for opportunities to attack. Our players are clearly instructed to get the ball to him so the coaches really want him in that role. His high possession count and disposal under pressure is the reason he occasionally turns it over. Generally speaking however Caleb is an elite ball user and arguably the smartest player on our list, but it's getting increasingly difficult to drop players when we are in this form.

Where to for him from here, assuming he'll make it back before we are knocked out?

I like people who ask the hard questions like this one and I must admit I've heard people mention that we are a better team without him. Daniel has been in excellent form so it makes it a difficult question to answer

Perhaps we had become a bit more predictable by the 2nd half of the season given he has some limitations but it's hard to argue that he made a significant contribution as the play maker half back

I do think it's time to change his role into a more midfield defined one and I could see him making a real success of it. He is also quite capable as a small forward.

Until his untimely injuries I suspect he was in the top 5 for our B&F but Duryea, JJ and Crozier with help from Suckling I think are better suited to our set-up in the back half

[craigsahibee]

It's a tough one.

I did mention back in 2017 that I feared that Caleb might only be a 70 - 100 game player because he is easily coached against.

We all know that he is a clever ball user, but he doesn't have the penetration off half back that others like Haydo, JJ and Doc Dureya have.

Now that we have 2 marking targets in Naughton and Shache, along with Lloyd and Bailey Dale who both have the ability to play taller, it's more to our benefit to get the ball into the attacking 50 quicker and longer. When playing that quarterback type role that Caleb has done so well, the ball movement is more precise and measured which at times, does not compliment our forward structure. Unfortunately, due to his size, positions are limited. I would love nothing more than for Bevo to find a role for him that provides us all with another 5 to 6 years of watching him, but sadly I can't see it happening.

[Bulldog4life]

I like people who ask the hard questions like this one and I must admit I've heard people mention that we are a better team without him. Daniel has been in excellent form so it makes it a difficult question to answer

Perhaps we had become a bit more predictable by the 2nd half of the season given he has some limitations but it's hard to argue that he made a significant contribution as the play maker half back

I do think it's time to change his role into a more midfield defined one and I could see him making a real success of it. He is also quite capable as a small forward.

Until his untimely injuries I suspect he was in the top 5 for our B&F but Duryea, JJ and Crozier with help from Suckling I think are better suited to our set-up in the back half

Saw him playing as a mid/small forward in the under 18's championships and he was great. I was thinking at the time gee I hope we sign this fellow.

[Ghost Dog]

Simple - Tony Liberatore MK II

[Dancin' Douggy]

It's a strange dilemma. Because HE was in good form playing across half back, no doubt, and was probably polling votes, but I think the team looks more potent and decisive off half back without him down there. He is a quality player though, and I'm sure he's best 22, but I would prefer him in a different role.

Getting Caleb out of defence would solve another problem. One of my absolute pet hates in footy, and it's just super super dumb, is having a short guy standing the mark for a set shot on goal. It's simple geometry, the taller the guy on the mark, the further back the kicker has to be to kick over the top of him, and the higher the kick has to go. A bigger body in front of you also blocks your vision up field. All this makes it much harder for the kicker to make the distance when kicking from around their range. Kicking from 50 becomes a 60+ metre kick at least. The difference between Daniel and English on the mark is huge. It could be the difference between winning and losing.I can't believe the coaching staff have never realised this because so many times this year I saw Caleb standing the mark for set shots. Easy to find another tall guy to stand on the goal line so it doesn't have to be one or the other. Makes me want to pull my teeth out.

[Twodogs]

Caleb has been told all his life that he can't/won't make it, that he's too small, that he won't get drafted and that he has a limit.

He has proven all those nay sayers wrong and has reached the pinnacle of his profession by winning a premiership medal. Caleb will continue to prove them wrong by finding a job to do and a spot in the team. Nothing surer than that.

[Rocket Science]

If we've suddenly come down with a case of sufficient hubris that we can't find a spot for CD there are 17 other teams that gladly will.

Elite thinker and user, and indisputably iron-clad best-22. If it's not off half back it'll be slotted in somewhere else and we'll be better for it.

[ledge]

Could he be used in the middle ? His ground work is exceptional being so low to the ground and he can certainly dart the handball to outside players quickly and precise.

[KT31]

Could he be used in the middle ? His ground work is exceptional being so low to the ground and he can certainly dart the handball to outside players quickly and precise.

And not to mention he has possibly one of the best on field football brains in AFL today.

[hujsh]

If he doesn't make us better or fit our structure in defense then it's just up to the coaches to figure our how best to use his strengths to make us a better team. They've done well getting players to improve so that they can excel once they're in the team (Lipinski, Schache etc) and as someone who's proven he can play at AFL level I'm sure Caleb will rise to whatever challenge is thrown his way.

[GVGjr]

If we've suddenly come down with a case of sufficient hubris that we can't find a spot for CD there are 17 other teams that gladly will.

Elite thinker and user, and indisputably iron-clad best-22. If it's not off half back it'll be slotted in somewhere else and we'll be better for it.

I don't think many if anyone is questioning if he is in our best 22 but the question around if playing off the half back is necessarily the right one is an interesting one to me

[Go_Dogs]

Now that we have some smart forwards in form, like Dale, CD is the perfect player to lower the eyes and hit the short moving targets in good position. I like him off a wing.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Now that we have some smart forwards in form, like Dale, CD is the perfect player to lower the eyes and hit the short moving targets in good position. I like him off a wing.

Me too. Closer to the goals is my preferred position. Hitting leading forwards, and snagging a few himself.

[1eyedog]

I think he'd be incredibly dangerous at half forward. Reads the ball so well and could hit targets deep forward. Not sure he's a crumber but can see him as a wide ranging high forward play maker. Similar to a link role but slightly deeper toward goal.

[AshMac]

Now that we have some smart forwards in form, like Dale, CD is the perfect player to lower the eyes and hit the short moving targets in good position. I like him off a wing.

+1

Put him at the fall of the ball from our kick outs and have him as a link in our transition. He played that role beautifully in 2016. I put his kicking on par with Sucklings for <40 metres in creativity and efficiency