On a positive note, Nino will be pleased with all the big body
3 Likes
Finally that small lockdown defender we have been looking for.
6 Likes
But he’ll be upset they’re not in the midfield- surely Bryan is bigger than Clarke & Begley so he should be roving to Belly & Draper, with Francis as the small.
3 Likes
Was Fletcher originally drafted as a ruckman? He ended up handling Smalls quite well.
Maybe Bryan is our new Fletcher?
4 Likes
I thought Fletch was a forward?
Big-bodied small lockdown defender?
4 Likes
Who knows… I’m old and forgetful
2 Likes
I thought I saw Fletch post something along those lines recently on Instagram or one of those social medias.
No, he was a ruckman.
5 Likes
Melbourne tried to turn Paul Johnson into a back pocket and play him on Nathan Brown. Did not end up too good for them!
1 Like
Almost everything Melbourne has tried since 1964 hasn’t really turned out well for them.
4 Likes
I quite liked them in the 2000 grand final.
18 Likes
When you have 5 rucks on the list, along with JD and Mckernan who can pinch hit in the ruck, how do you develop them in their rightful positions even if you had VFL this year - It’s a list management issue.
Simple really, you play 2 as small defenders.
4 Likes
JD - no rucking.
Smack - getting on, and no rucking.
TBell - getting on
Philips - Temp ruck/support for Draper
Draper - see above
If they were all fit like they are now (bar Joe), at least one of them would have been better off leading the ruck division for Doutta Stars in the EDFL in a normal year.
2 Likes
This would also be the first year in yonks when we’ve got to Rd 8 without at least 1 ruck going down with injury
- not counting Belly “managed”
It’s annoying when the Club finally does some contingency recruiting, only for that contingency to not be required.
It was silly contingency recruiting with no basis for need.
It’s part of the long term plan to turn Saad into a CHF
2 Likes
Bellchambers and Phillips both being short-term options, Draper the heir apparent, with and Nick Bryan a long-term project we’re gonna need a physically mature ruck depth player, hence Crauford. We could have recruited one at a later date, but why risk it? Why not add a player now, whilst we have TBC and Phillips as serviceable options so that we can spend 18 months developing him ourselves?
And besides with our luck we’d still have half our big men on prolonged injury layoffs
Bellchambers is cooked and retiring
Phillips is 29 and barely played any AFL footy
Draper returning from an ACL in 2020
Bryan at least 18-24 months away from being AFL-ready
Crauford mature depth with the versatility to play KPP
Even with a healthy injury list, Bellchamers isn’t gonna get much out of VFL matches and would get more out of resting, Phillips and Draper split the number 1 roles between levels with Bryan and Crauford sharing 2nd ruck duties in the VFL whilst still having the versatility to legitimately play KPP at either end, especially in the VFL where we have struggled to field KPFs for years.
5 Likes