Great game. This is what I was expecting when he came over from Sydney.Can’t wait to see how he will go with the other mids in 2017.
Won’t get a game next season.
Great game. This is what I was expecting when he came over from Sydney.Can’t wait to see how he will go with the other mids in 2017.
Won’t get a game next season.
Care to put a wager on that?
I’ll back him to play 10-12 games
He’ll get games
Bird,Hocking,Howlett putting on blocks and winning clearances will be pretty handy.
I'll back him to play 10-12 games
Bird is underestimated but legspeed is his main issue he is just too slow to be good outside. Craig Bird was one of our top 2 inside mids for us in 2016, in terms of tackling, contested and clearances.
Next season our best extractors will be, Dois, Zac, Jobe, Darcy and Bird, which has pushed Bird down in the order, but Dois and Jobe are not exactly fast either.
Legspeed, and the fact that he would be the least penetrating kick in our entire list are his downside.
His toughness and how naturally good a stoppage player he is are his attributes.
He’ll play some footy in the seniors next year. How much depends on how well Lang and Lav grasp their chances as part time midfielders and how well Hocking, Myers, Howlett come back.
Was really solid this year; albeit completely different circumstances and pecking order to what 2017 will be.
He’ll play a fair bit of senior football next year for sure…but I wouldn’t put him ahead of HH or Myers, probably on par with Howlett.
Bird playing VFL is a good sign
I’d have Bird ahead of Howlett as an inside mid. Benny has never really been consistently good in that role in my opinion. Had some outstanding games, particularly early, but for whatever reason doesn’t often back it up game after game. Bird was consistently reliable off the back of “didn’t get a full pre-season”. Very reliable player.
He was pretty good last season and our best hardnut mid, but he didn’t have a whole lot of competition. He’ll struggle for games next year
I wasn’t that fussed about his recruitment. I didn’t think he was spectacular this season but at the same time he really does a lot of underappreciated stuff. Can’t fault his preparation, commitment and approach to the game.
Next year he will sit behind Hocking and Myers in that hard nut role… but very handy depth player… especially considering the injury history of the latter.
Without Bird this year would have been a lot more miserable, and we have been wiped out in the past with our inside players.
It seems bizarre that it was still only last year that Hird was coach and Jobe, Myers and Heater went down for much of the season.
He was pretty good last season and our best hardnut mid, but he didn't have a whole lot of competition. He'll struggle for games next year
Probably offset by an interrupted pre-season, so didn’t have the best preparation heading into 2016. He is handy, probably battling with Howlett for a bench midfield rotation spot. Probably needs to add some goalkicking to his game when resting forward. That coupled with his tackling would definitely be an asset to the team.
He is fighting hard for a spot next year.
Depth this year with Howlett and thats a positive outcome.
Is a preimership player in a team that knew how to play their roles will be very important next year im glad we have him than playing against him
Not sure how he gets a consistent game ahead of the following
Heppel, Watson, Zerrett, Stanton, Myers, Parish, Goddard, Zaka, Colyer
That is 8 mids - and that is not including those who can take a run through the midfield like:
Laverde, Langford, Fantasia, Walla etc
Will be fighting Hocking and Howlett for possibly 1 if not 0 spots in the best 22
Not sure how he gets a consistent game ahead of the following Heppel, Watson, Zerrett, Stanton, Myers, Parish, Goddard, Zaka, Colyer That is 8 mids - and that is not including those who can take a run through the midfield like: Laverde, Langford, Fantasia, Walla etcWill be fighting Hocking and Howlett for possibly 1 if not 0 spots in the best 22
A Bird in the hand is not what ships are made for. Am I saying it right?
He will play a lot more than people will expect. Especially as he has a body that can hold up unlike a few others in his position.
Hocking, Heppell, Bird and Watson will handle the in-and-under heat work, with Myers on the back burner.
When’s Bird going to get a run in the seniors? We are getting smashed around the contest at the moment and could really use some grunt.