Past Kaiden Brand - delisted 2021

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Kaiden Brand

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The Sydney Swans gave their backline a boost with the signing of key defender Kaiden Brand via the 2019 delisted free-agency period. Brand played 43 AFL games with Hawthorn after becoming a Hawk via pick 66 at the 2012 AFL Draft. The South Australian will battle Dane Rampe, Aliir Aliir, Lewis Melican and Jack Maibaum for a position in Sydney’s backline in 2020.

Kaiden Brand

DOB: 08 April 1994
DEBUT: 2016
DRAFT: 2019
RECRUITED FROM: Hawthorn

 
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Tedeski

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Will replace melican with ease
I remember Richards & Grundy being so reliant on each other down back & perhaps when Melican lost that transition of playing alongside strong & confident defenders in Reg, Smith & Ramps, he came along quite nicely as that 3rd big. He misses a year then whammo, he is suddenly the big knob & no doubt he failed at coping with that.

So I feel that having defenders like Brand, Aliir & Rampe as fellow talls around him & Mills also there with a little more experience, 2020 can become that year where this back 6 can begin to gel into that strong defence that all know where each other wil be & how they play. This is the year where they'll need to stabilise. Melican will thrive in that scenario & with less repeat entries week after week due to weak ruck scenarios in 2019, he will not be under the pump all match. That is also confidence sapping.

If prople think he is no good well so be it.
 

SGBeach

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I remember Richards & Grundy being so reliant on each other down back & perhaps when Melican lost that transition of playing alongside strong & confident defenders in Reg, Smith & Ramps, he came along quite nicely as that 3rd big. He misses a year then whammo, he is suddenly the big knob & no doubt he failed at coping with that.

So I feel that having defenders like Brand, Aliir & Rampe as fellow talls around him & Mills also there with a little more experience, 2020 can become that year where this back 6 can begin to gel into that strong defence that all know where each other wil be & how they play. This is the year where they'll need to stabilise. Melican will thrive in that scenario & with less repeat entries week after week due to weak ruck scenarios in 2019, he will not be under the pump all match. That is also confidence sapping.

If prople think he is no good well so be it.
You may be right.. Im interested in your starting back 6 and the 2-3 others that would rotate through defence
 

Mick Oxlong

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Brand’s signing says a bit about where Melican is at.

Reckon he’s a prudent signing as he fills a real need.
So delisting a big man in Maibaum just in time to pick up Brand doesn’t ring a few bells? I think that correlation says more than where Melican is at (which is entrenched in the Senior team).
 
If Brand could establish himself then it does mean Aliir could afford to be More of a playmaker from defensive 50
Same with Rampe which could free up Mills as well
 
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Same with Rampe which could free up Mills as well
Ideally we have Melican, Brand locking down the key defensive posts with Rampe third tall and Aliir floating. Reckon Mills will end up staying in defence.
 
Jun 14, 2011
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Ideally we have Melican, Brand locking down the key defensive posts with Rampe third tall and Aliir floating. Reckon Mills will end up staying in defence.
Pretty much how I see it. I do wonder if there's any chance Thurlow could improve and cement a spot in the back line.

FB: Melican, Brand, Rampe
HB: Aliir, Thurlow, Dawson

Mills to play mid and shift back if required
Aliir & Rampe can rotate
Dawson and McCartin car rotate back and forward as required. Dawson could also play wing if required.
 

Kiama Chris

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I remember Richards & Grundy being so reliant on each other down back & perhaps when Melican lost that transition of playing alongside strong & confident defenders in Reg, Smith & Ramps, he came along quite nicely as that 3rd big. He misses a year then whammo, he is suddenly the big knob & no doubt he failed at coping with that.

So I feel that having defenders like Brand, Aliir & Rampe as fellow talls around him & Mills also there with a little more experience, 2020 can become that year where this back 6 can begin to gel into that strong defence that all know where each other wil be & how they play. This is the year where they'll need to stabilise. Melican will thrive in that scenario & with less repeat entries week after week due to weak ruck scenarios in 2019, he will not be under the pump all match. That is also confidence sapping.

If prople think he is no good well so be it.
Everything you say is true. What is not said is that Melican is far too often beaten on the lead, failing to get to the contest and create pressure. His other skills are OK and he may well get back to his earlier form, just as Aliir did after his glitch. Hope so.
As some other posters gave noted perhaps Brand will be more relaxed in our back set up with Rampe running the show. Hope we see his best footy.
 
would love to see Dawson on the wing. Good mark coming out of defence. Good decision maker from transition from defence to attack. Great kick to the forwards inside 50. Can kick a goal from 55 out
Would love to see Buddy bait some defenders to that 30m out range just for Dawson to take it long from 55m over everyone's head
 
Feb 5, 2012
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I remember Richards & Grundy being so reliant on each other down back & perhaps when Melican lost that transition of playing alongside strong & confident defenders in Reg, Smith & Ramps, he came along quite nicely as that 3rd big. He misses a year then whammo, he is suddenly the big knob & no doubt he failed at coping with that.

So I feel that having defenders like Brand, Aliir & Rampe as fellow talls around him & Mills also there with a little more experience, 2020 can become that year where this back 6 can begin to gel into that strong defence that all know where each other wil be & how they play. This is the year where they'll need to stabilise. Melican will thrive in that scenario & with less repeat entries week after week due to weak ruck scenarios in 2019, he will not be under the pump all match. That is also confidence sapping.

If prople think he is no good well so be it.
I doubt Melican will be in the firsts. If Brand, Rampe and Aliir are the three talls and Mills plays tall, doubtful we'd play Melican.
 
Jun 14, 2011
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Pretty much how I see it. I do wonder if there's any chance Thurlow could improve and cement a spot in the back line.

FB: Melican, Brand, Rampe
HB: Aliir, Thurlow, Dawson

Mills to play mid and shift back if required
Aliir & Rampe can rotate
Dawson and McCartin car rotate back and forward as required. Dawson could also play wing if required.
Slight amendment


FB: Melican, Brand, Rampe
HB: Aliir, Lloyd, Dawson

Thurlow starts on the bench but can still see him as a best 22 player.
 
Jun 2, 2014
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Slight amendment


FB: Melican, Brand, Rampe
HB: Aliir, Lloyd, Dawson

Thurlow starts on the bench but can still see him as a best 22 player.
I’d move Dawson out of defence and find a place for COR.
 
Jun 14, 2011
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I’d move Dawson out of defence and find a place for COR.
Would like to see dawson play on the wing. It's getting tricky finding spots for everyone but that means our depth is growing which is a good thing
 
Jun 27, 2010
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Can we cut him some slack? He is still only 22, he had a whole year out due to injury and then due to injuries to our KPD stocks he got pushed on to some of the stronger forwards in the game when before he might have taken the second or third best in the opponents forward line. He didn't do as well as he did in 2017, certainly, but I don't really get the non-stop sniping.

It'll be great for both players and the team to have these two competing for a spot. Melican was great his first year, there's no reason why he can't reproduce it.
 
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