#24 Craig Bird - Delisted

Just give him a go, he couldnt do any worse thats for sure

It might be too late now. Today in the VFL he didn’t look like a guy playing for his future, he looked like a guy who’s already been told its all over.

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Probably was pumping his fists when Rohan took that mark. And rightly so. He packed his bags and came to us last year and tried his guts out in a hopeless situation.

Then when we can field a competitive side and he can provide much needed contested ball work at his peak age of 28, he doesn’t get a single game despite dominating in the 2s.

Feel like we’ve treated him poorly.

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Jeez get out the tiny violins

Explain who of Watson, Goddard or Heppell that Bird should have been picked ahead of? That’s who he is competing with.

The role that Myers was & now Langford is playing is more outside than in so not suited to Bird either.

There is only one game I think he could have conceivably been picked & that was Blues in wet but they added Hocking instead. And it’s been a must for the coach to get a look at returning players.

Our midfield struggles to exert pressure as is in terms of spreading from a contest. Adding in Bird who is slow on top of who we have won’t help.

It’s pretty clear his lack of leg speed and lack of attacking ability with disposal would be reason why he isn’t in side and not able to get past those 3 mentioned as inside clearance players.

Anthony Miles had a dominant year for Tigers as inside player last year, now that Caddy & Prestia in squad he isn’t getting a game either. It happens.

Both Miles and Bird were also let go from their previous clubs. Triers but have their limitations.

He was still listed as an emergency this week for us. So if we lose an inside player at some stage to injury/suspension he’ll likely get a game or be in mix with Myers & co. Valuable depth to call upon.

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Would have given more than Langfold.

Fixed.

I’d trust him way more than Jobe or Colyer this year…

This guy is so far off selection even David Flood and Michael Symons are in line to get picked ahead of him.

So you’re saying he is only ahead of Derek Kickett?

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We took him to free up cap space for Sydney to get a trade across the line. He played 5 games in 2015 for Sydney, so his opportunity was shot. He came to us and got lucky last year and played a lot of games. This year he finds himself in the same boat as he was in 2015 at Sydney behind a number of players he can’t get past.

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So he played 5 more games for a top 4 Sydney than he will for a mid table Essendon?

Two years ago…He played 6 apparantly rounds 1-5 and then 16. Seems by round 5 2015 he was out of contention at the Swans.

Nobody would have an issue if he was actually behind other players in performance or known ability. The reality is he outperformed guys like Howlett, Myers, Hocking & Langford (as a mid) in his 1 & only senior appearance in the JLT series & has been named in the VFL best players numerous times. He is a clearance mid who wins more football than any of those above named, gets more clearances & applies more tackles. What I & others cannot swallow is the fact that we have been found lacking in all of these areas for much of the year. If we were’n’t getting smashed in the midfield, nobody would care if Bird played or not but its pretty obvious we need a player with his attributes right now. If we had Sydney’s midfield we wouldn’t need him, we have close to the worst midfield in the competition & playing guys who haven’t outperformed Bird doesn’t really make much sense.

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Isn’t it Heppell and Watson playing the main clearance roles?

Well you would think wouldn’t you. But neither of those players were credited a centre clearance on the weekend. Not one between them.

Dyson managed 4 clearances around the ground, and Watson 1.

If Zerrett didn’t play Friday night we would’ve been slaughtered in a way that would remind us of 2016.

Ok, there you go. So where does Craig Bird fit in after Zerrett and Heppell when Watson isn’t even doing that role?

And I’ll add to the above that it ■■■■■ me that Watson was so down, because I gave him 3 votes vs Port Adelaide for his 5 centre clearances… and I thought he was back.

Apparently not.

Maybe the break didn’t suit him. Again.

Their not flattering numbers

You may not have noticed but Heppell played mainly off the halfback line. The idea that we only have 1 or 2 clearance players is silly anyway, you need mutiple rotation options. Myers, Howlett, Hocking & Langford are not by any stretch of anyone’s imagination outside players. They don’t provide any run & carry that Bird couldn’t & they don’t provide any defensive aspects Bird doesn’t have them covered in. Watson has struggled for much of the year & when he does we have nobody who has been able to fill that void. What we’ve seen is not just raw numbers but clear examples of opposition mids getting easy clearances against us & giving our opponents far more scoring opportunities. Bird provides that defensive pressure around the contest better than probably anyone else on our list.

Yeah, wasn’t really suggesting we only had two clearance guys playing.