AFL Player 24: Nick Bryan - Confirmed ACL 12/4, re-signed until 2027!

[Lore]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 16, ant555

 

[eth-dog]

Jones key forward, Gown 2nd and Eyre 3rd?

Something like that

 

[Ambrosia]

Given the number of rucks on our list you’d imagine that the club must have some belief that Bryan can make it as KPP

 

[ghostdog]

Given the number of rucks on our list you’d imagine that the club must have some belief that Bryan can make it as KPP

By the time Bryan is ready;
Draper and Bryan - Best 22
Crauford - VFL/depth ruck
Daniher no longer has to ruck
McKernan pinch hits and is getting on a bit
Bellchambers retired

By the time Bryan is ready we're set for ruckmen. I reckon we'll see him in combo with Draper. Brand could be coming through as a key defender.

 

[Ambrosia]

By the time Bryan is ready;
Draper and Bryan - Best 22
Crauford - VFL/depth ruck
Daniher no longer has to ruck
McKernan pinch hits and is getting on a bit
Bellchambers retired

By the time Bryan is ready we're set for ruckmen. I reckon we'll see him in combo with Draper. Brand could be coming through as a key defender.

Im thinking development for this year. We have 5 ruckman on the list and I’d say we look best with only one in the AFL. So we can’t have 4 players sharing the rucking duties in the VFL. So why not give Bryan a full year at CHB or something like that.

That being said VFL may not even go ahead

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Only seen glimpses of Bryan but I reckon Dodo got us an absolute steal here.

 

[ghostdog]

Im thinking development for this year. We have 5 ruckman on the list and I’d say we look best with only one in the AFL. So we can’t have 4 players sharing the rucking duties in the VFL. So why not give Bryan a full year at CHB or something like that.

That being said VFL may not even go ahead

Wouldn't be a bad thing. Someone like Rutten would want them all to have a defensive game.
I thought we looked awesome back in the day with Paddy and TBell in combination, so I'm open to the idea.

 

[carloss]

Player review: Scratch match v Collingwood

All 12 players are assessed from Saturday's scratch match against Collingwood at the MCG.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Nick presented really well as a forward and took marks at the highest point

 

[BrunoV]

Bryan's another young (very) tall who moves with a very impressive fluency and who does things which demonstrate extremely high potential.

I suspect this guy has a relatively long journey ahead of him being developed as a key forward.

 

[Lore]

Bryan's another young (very) tall who moves with a very impressive fluency and who does things which demonstrate extremely high potential.

I suspect this guy has a relatively long journey ahead of him being developed as a key forward.

Pretty sure he's meant to be a ruckman?

 

[DERO]

Pretty sure he's meant to be a ruckman?

Dodoroed.

 

[BrunoV]

Pretty sure he's meant to be a ruckman?

"developed as a key forward"

We've got a 21 year old ruck signed up to a 4 year deal. You'd think Bryan, with all of his traits, would be developed forward. I doubt we are looking at a future side that doesn't include Draper and Bryan.

 

[Ambrosia]

Pretty sure he's meant to be a ruckman?

2.91 seconds for the 20m sprint. No way we didn’t draft him with the thought he had the athleticism to compete as a KPP

 

[Atavistic]

Player review: Scratch match v Collingwood

All 12 players are assessed from Saturday's scratch match against Collingwood at the MCG.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Nick presented really well as a forward and took marks at the highest point

I know it's just scratch match highlights, but some of the young guys look seriously impressive in that. Bryan, Crauford took some nice marks. Cahill looks nuggety as f***. Cahill in for Zaharakis would probably make us better. Crauf looks like he could in future hold down a KPF spot. It looked to me like he was the one taking the marks at the highest point rather than Nick Bryan.

 

[Lore]

Dodoroed.

Sounds like it

 

[BrunoV]

Sounds like it

We have struggled for a relief ruckman post-Ryder.

How good would it have been during 2017 to have had Stewart or Hooker at >202cm and a genuine ruckman? It would mean no wasting/exposing Daniher and maintaining a 1st rate presence in the ruck.

Or more recently, it wouldn't mean Smack giving away frees at a rate 1 per 2 minutes played on-ball* or playing two ruckmen which is just about the biggest waste of a position in a 22.

The alternatives aren't great. At the requisite size to be a genuine ruck, they're usually blue chip/very expensive key forwards, such as the Kings, Daniher or even Peter Wright. Odds of being able to teach alternative talent forward craft are extremely low (especially early on).

Having a player who you'd select as a key forward or as a number 1 ruck is rare but it gives a side flexibility and a significant competitive advantage.

I'd be extremely surprised if this is not what is being planned. Whether the plan comes to fruition is obviously a complete unknown.


*May be a hyperbole.

 

[eDPS]

Draper is the obvious number 1 ruckman for us going forward but Bryan is a great contingency plan and if he can develop his forward craft to be able to relief at AFL level that would be huge as his athleticism and skills for a ruckman are elite.

 

[BrunoV]

Despite saying that I like the idea of Bryan being developed forward two posts above, I am equally as happy with him being developed in defence.

Tall guys who are fast have about 50% of what is required to be really good key defenders by default. That they can play footy probably acounts for 25%. The remainder is craft that quite clearly can be taught (with perhaps greater success than for any other position). We taught it to Hooker, Carlisle and Ambrose (all of whom arrived as forwards).

It's also a reality that most sides play key forwards who are 2m or taller. So you want a giant defender.

I hope they persist with developing him in defence at least until the ruck stocks settle (with hopefully Draper, Crauford and Bryan emerging as the 3). He's not going to forget his ruck craft. Crauford probably looks better suited forward because of his marking strength.

In any event the more genuinely flexible ruckmen are the better it is for a list. If you've got 2-3 guys you are ruckman who can hold down key posts you're essentially covering 4-6 list spots.

 

[Bipolar Bear]

Tall guys who are fast have about 50% of what is required to be a really good key defenders by default. That they can play footy probably acounts for 25%. The remainder is craft that quite clearly can be taught (with perhaps greater success than for any other position). We taught it to Hooker, Carlisle and Ambrose (all of whom arrived as forwards).

This is the first time I have heard this articulated, it's important to recognise what we do well, and in all my time alive we have had elite tall backmen, we develop them so well. If only we could do the same with midfielders! We had one era where we had an elite midfield in my life, and many of them were actually HFF, CHFs

 

[BrunoV]

He's now NB-24 the prototype of a next generation KND - King Neutralization Device.


/end Elon Musk

 

[RedmanWasHere]

He's now NB-24 the prototype of a next generation KND - King Neutralization Device.


/end Elon Musk

Is this to complement the WS40?

 

[BrunoV]

Is this to complement the WS40?

I thought the WS40 was phased out after the Vietnam war. Haven't fought a war using tunnels for a while now.

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

With our list as it currently stands, it will be interesting to see where Nick develops on field in the VFL next year.

If the club views him as a long term upgrade on Wright, then I'm all for him developing into a ruck/forward.

However Wright is still only 24 and could still flourish with us, leaving Bryan as backup.

In that case he could possibly be that 200cm key defender we need to defend opposing 200cm forwards or resting rucks.

I guess we will find out next year when the VFL starts. Hopefully he will be a quality player no matter which position he settles on.

 

[Keystone agony]

I think it will probably be a general mix

Hooker - Brand
BZT

H.Jones
N.Bryan - Eyre

I think everyone fit and healthy and Hooker is back then Bryan is forward

 

[11kgm]

I think it will probably be a general mix

Hooker - Brand
BZT

H.Jones
N.Bryan - Eyre

I think everyone fit and healthy and Hooker is back then Bryan is forward

No Stewart/Stringer

 

[Keystone agony]

No Stewart/Stringer

Wright, Stewart, Stringer Hurley, Ambrose, Francis are in the AFL team