Essendon great Tim Watson believes Cale Hooker will spend time in defence next season, despite becoming a force at centre half forward.
It’s been assumed Hooker, who won the Bombers’ best and fairest splitting time between defence and attack in 2015 and kicked 41 goals last season as a permanent centre half forward, will again play forward in 2018. He was an All-Australian defender in 2014.
But Watson believes the success of Richmond’s smaller forwardline could force a rethink.
“I think he’ll go back at some stage,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“Last season they went against the modern set-up a bit by playing three talls in Joe Daniher, Hooker and James Stewart.
“You can build a fowardline around someone like Joe Daniher.”
Daniher, flanked by the likes of Orazio Fantasia, Anthony McDonald-Tipingwuti, Josh Green and Travis Colyer is an enticing prospect for an Essendon side looking to return to finals for a second consecutive season.
The Bombers have not won a final since 2004.
Last month Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell went on the record to say Hooker would play forward next season.
Between them, Daniher and Hooker combined for 106 goals, or 33 percent, of the side’s total goals in 2017.
Hooker finished ninth in the best and fairest and has kicked 61 goals from his past 32 matches playing up forward since switching midway through the 2015 season.
Both Watson and SEN Breakfast co-host Garry Lyon agreed that next year was as important one for the club and coach John Worsfold.
After the West Coast premiership coach guided the Bombers through the suspension year, then successfully orchestrated a finals appearance last season, expectations are high on the back of an aggressive recruiting campaign that netted Devon Smith, Jake Stringer and Adam Saad.
“This is the first year that there is a clean slate for Worsfold,” Watson said.
“There aren’t the compromised parts of the team or the organisation that he’s had in previous years.”
Essendon commences its 2018 campaign against last season’s runner-up Adelaide at Etihad Stadium on Friday, March 23.
Did you miss SEN Breakfast with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson this morning? Listen to the full show in the player below!