I think it’s more likely the recognition that if we’re playing two rucks with the intention of one being an additional tall forward option while the like or Wright/Jones are unavailable, then both rucks need to be actual viable forward options. From what I’ve read in the VFL threads, Bryan is a very solid ball-accumulating around the ground ruckman, but his marking and scoreboard impact aren’t really there. Which is clearly a problem, as obviously he’d be behind Draper in the pecking order at the moment so he’d probably spend more time forward than rucking.
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Flip is stagnating badly, he was due for a rest a month ago. Bryan coming in is a necessity ATM.
I’m not, to be honest.
Draper doesn’t have the capacity (yet) to ruck for the majority of the game. He needs to share the load. Bryan isn’t good around the stoppage yet, and Phillips can at least provide some contest at stoppage. Bryan also isn’t good aerially, and Phillips is generally OK / serviceable aerially. Philips definitely need to be managed, but I can see why Phillips gets a game before Bryan.
My shock comes from the assumption that he has never played this many games in a row in his whole career, and he’s certainly never demonstrated an ability to string any more than 3-4 good games for Essendon on the trot.
We could/should have rested Phillips against Geelong.
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He could release Hind back into the VFL team too
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Except he seems to be an outside player
He’s not just outside…but you need good outside players in any midfield. It’s about balance. They can’t all be battering rams. You need some class to feed our to, but he can still absolutely win his own ball.
I agree.
My point was around the language used. We can’t afford to take these games lightly.
Not on current form could you pick Phillips ahead of Bryan. Bryan has been dominating hit-outs, kicks goals, clunks marks around the ground and gets 20+ disposals. In tomorrows game against the WC, it’s a perfect opportunity to further blood him into the AFL and make sure he stays long-term with the Bombers. Sadly, this might be Phillips last year and we need to prepare our no.2 ruckman to support Draper.
I haven’t seen this team take any game lightly under Scott. He has done a lot to knock any complacency out of the team, by narrowing their focus and improving their concentration on task.
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When does he kick goals ?
Zero in the last 4 games.
Bryan’s goal output then, is no worse than Flip’s over the same amount of time.
Ive already said Bryan should be in.
He never kicks goals at VFL level though.
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Although I mentioned Bryan as a goal-kicker, it is of course, when he’s playing up forward, but in the VFL this year he plays more through the middle while ones like Voss take the ruck work in the forward line. In the AFL he would have to take more forward time and he has shown in the past to be a fairly accurate goal kicker. It is more his ruck work and marking around the ground that is his major strength and he beats Phillips habds down there.
I never mentioned Phillips.
I simply queried Bryan being a goal kicker.
He has never shown that at any level to this point.
1st Round pick, Martin & Guelfi
for
Harley Reid
Reckon they might just laugh us out of the building
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Dodoro would knock that back
That is a horrendous deal for WCE.
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EFA