I dunno, if we actually play Hurley and Hooker as key defenders, I don’t think we need any pure stoppers.
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Gleeson for Goddard next year.
Then Zerk for Hooker & Francis for Hurley
Doubt that’s gunna happen, Hurley seems to be on a contract where he’s getting paid by the kick.
They’re both slowish, too. Ambrose is agile enough to take the mid-size (Lynch, Gunston, Menzel, Crameri) types.
Dea’s the only other one who can play on those guys, but they’re the only guys he can take.
Interview on the website shows three of his kicks, two turnovers. Nice.
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thats my marketing department.
how good was the goose step on Ablett though, made him fall over!
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Deadset looked like Mark Bolton running there.
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As composed a debut as you could hope for.
Hopefully no one scrolls up to see my earlier comments about my surprise about his contract extension!!
But of the guelfi, Clarke, mutch, Ridley group, he is the most natural looking footballer by far. Looked like he belonged at the level.
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Fantastic debut. Good mobility and good reader of the play. Get 50 games into him ASAP.
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Hooker, Hurley, Ambrose, Hartley, Gleeson, Brown, Ridley, Francis, Zerk-Thatcher
It really is an embarrassment of riches that we have in terms of tall to medium backmen. Surely there is a club with a glut of inside midfielders and a dearth of tall defenders that we could do a deal with?
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But Blitz was screaming that we should have taken Witherden. Ridley was a Dodoro missed opportunity.
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You mean you can defend AND win some ball? Someone tell Hurley!
Let’s hope so. It was a very nice debut by Ridley. Showed composure beyond his years. Very impressed!
But if you’re comparing them, Witherden has played at least 10 games to the standard Ridley played yesterday. Yes of course more opportunities but he’s got the runs on the board.
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NWelllll I wouldn’t say completely riches. We have Hurley and Hooker who are elite.
The rest are either fringe or VFL players right now.
Considering I could only put 2 of the smaller defenders (Saad & McKenna) with ‘Hurley & Hooker’ as defenders who would get a game with every side in the comp, I still think we need a lot more improvement to the backline.
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There’s 3-4 spots max in the senior team
We have 2 x AAs, Ambrose and Gleeson who are coaches favourites, Brown and Hartley who have proven themselves reliable at AFL level, and three kids in Ridley, Franga and Zerk who look likely.
That’s a lot of depth
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played Hurley’s role better in his first game than Hurley has all year
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There’s always injuries. Given that only two of those eight names have been available for every match this year, it’s safe to say that there’s room for all of them
Jury is still out on that one. Only after 5 more year will know which selection was better.
Ridley has elite disposal and is a great outlet player which is the role he played, and why he had so many disposals. He positioned himself very well in space to receive gives from other defenders. This is illustrated by detailed stats. Of his possessions only one was an intercept mark, he intercepted at ground level 4 times.
the rest of his possessions were uncontested,
The best intercept players were Hooker with 21 intercepts incl. 6 intercept marks, and Dea who unobtrusively racked up 13 intercepts including 5 intercept marks.
The heavy lifting was done by others, but there is no doubting the poise and clever positioning Ridley displayed and he appeared a natural. As time goes on he will intercept more, and he will be more heavily involved in contested work in defence . He was lucky the defence was not pushed, but its not always going to be like that. Fantastic debut game.
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