He’s 23. Still time to step up.
Hawkins definitely. Cameron almost certainly (just don’t know for sure because he didn’t play U18s). Same for Dixon and Hogan. Possibly Taylor Walker who was an AA U18 but a scholarship player, I don’t know how he was rated. So 9 out of 58 if you want to do it that way. Maybe different if you want to go back and read all the draft profiles of father son players from 20 years ago.
Sure. Sod all of any of those top 20 picks in either position are elite though. Most high picks aren’t elite. Jack Watts wasn’t more likely to get melbourne a flag than Nic Naitanui was for the eagles.
Ok, sounds more like you don’t think he will with us.
I have question marks in general, but yes I think ultimately lack of opportunity will be his un-doing. I don’t think he’ll be on our list next season.
Bryan not listed, but is on the emergency list. That’s generally how we’ve bought our relief ruckman into the side.
Watch this space.
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Great discussion topic.
I would hope that bryan has some key metrics he needs to reach and that is why he isnt getting games.
This is the season id have expected him to be getting the games that phillips has.
In what is a development year i think we’d be better getting games into bryan over phillips. I like phillips, i think he has done what we’d expect from.him.and then some when we traded for him. But as a club building a list and team bryan should be getting the games.
The biggest question mark i have over him is his intensity. Draper is an animal and phillips will compete. Just not sure bryan has the same tenacity. Seems a gentle giant to me.
As an aside, i think drafting talls at 18 years of age is somewhat of a lottery. Given they take longer to develop its probably the equivelant of picking midfielders at age 15 or 16. The hit rate wont be as high
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I like our ruck set up since Draper has gone for No 1 Ruck spot.
We have a solid backup/2nd ruck in Phillips who is cap efficient I’d suspect.
We have had a developing ruck in Bryan who is progressing each year. About the time Phillips drops off, Bryan will take over from Phillips in 24 and I think Draper being more a burst and rest forward option as Bryan develops as a more primary ruck option, I think this is a good combo. It will also enable us to have less of a need for big key forwards outside of Wright.
We have options to use Weed, Jones (maybe) and Wright as a backup ruck/forward in game and for injury if you really need.
This also leaves us the option of getting another developing ruck in the draft this year and carry Phillips and 4 rucks for a season or two.
It’s a pretty good list management flow of ruck talent, injury security and options. If we can find a high upside 3-5 year project ruck it would give us some currency in a few years for trade as well.
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Nothing wrong with a gentle giant as our eventual No.1 ruck…
Many years ago big Len Thompson for KKK was just that.
Top bloke … class tap ruckman and pretty agile. Wayne Richardson and Barry Price feasted off his great taps for years. Big Len won a brownlow too.
Drapes is the athletic one bursting out of CBAs and stoppages . Nick’s the type to become a true exponent of ruck work … like a Len Thompson. Reckon it’ll come good with Nick.
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I can’t imagine a better option as a developing young ruckman than Bryan. He has done everything you would want of him as a 21yo, and as he matures physically, he is likely to become a very good #1 ruckman. His problem atm is that he can’t contribute much as a 2nd ruck playing forward. So what? That’s not going to be his long term role.
IMO all we need to do is pay him enough to keep him happy and match any opposition bids, as well as demonstrate our faith in him by playing him whenever Draper is not playing (eg this week!!). That means basically being what Phillips has been to us for a couple of years. There is no need to go looking elsewhere, just consolidate what we already have.
You then either keep Phillips as the #3, or go for the best rookie 20/21yo you can find to be your #3.
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I hope Brad Ottens was mentioned.
Drafted top 5, major factor in Geelong’s flag run…although retired by 2011…maybe in 2009.
yep a couple posts up
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He did attend some centre square bounces in his first year. And despite his frame, wasn’t embarrassed.
Draper to do the grunt work. Cox to run riot in the second half of the quarters.
Some options:
Jordan Sweet is out of contact at the Bulldogs. Can’t get a game behind English in a team that only plays one ruckman. VFL stats - 13.2 disposals, 5.2 tackles, 43.1 hitouts. 25 years old.
Brayden Crossley formerly on Gold Coasts list currently playing for Southport. Was let go after testing positive to cocaine 4 or so years ago but seems to have turned things around since. VFL stats - 15.6 disposals, 5.3 tackles, 29.6 hitouts. He had a huge finals series last year. Be interesting to watch over the next month. Still only 24.
Edit: my bad, Southport haven’t qualified for finals.
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We definitely need another ruck capable of playing AFL with Flippers retirement.
Sweet is pretty good. Surely will want to go somewhere where he could be #1, rather than #3.
Crossley as a #3 would be an option
I was told yesterday that that old spud from the Kangas is a likely Bomber. I spilt my beer all over the person who told me.
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We’re getting Mick Nolan?
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We need to sign two ruckmen this off-season. One a mature, break glass in case of emergency option that pretty much directly replaced Phillips on the list, and I really would like us to get another project/long-term ruck, whether on the senior or rookie list. One of those with a basketball background, good athlete, someone you can warehouse and develop in the VFL for a couple of years. If they ended up like Samson Ryan then that’s not a bad result. Bryan must be re-signed. Just hope another club hasn’t turned his head and the horse has already bolted…
Well he would make Jake look slim
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Gary Dempsey