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Player Watch #32 Samson Ryan

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Genuinely I dont think there's any improvement over the years, even minor signs seems to be absent, he just doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Not sure of his contract status but he should be a VFL player where he can have an impact and then only used in injury replacement cases.
 
That's why people need to stop taking too much stock in our VFL games, Sampson Ryan looks like Godzilla at VFL.
Sonsie dominate VFL but looks like a spud at AFL level.
Always remember the step between VFL and AFL being a talking point on here in the latter part of the much-maligned Greg Tivendale's career.
But let's be honest, Tivva showed thousands of per cent more in the AFL than either Samson or Sonsie will, and was actually very well performed in parts of his career.
This three-year contract for Ryan extension is incompetence at its finest.
 

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Match highlight was when he clapped at a simple uncontested mark, ball goes through his hands and hits him in the face, he then somehow gets the ball back and handballs straight to a red jumper.

Never again.
 
Genuinely I dont think there's any improvement over the years, even minor signs seems to be absent, he just doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Not sure of his contract status but he should be a VFL player where he can have an impact and then only used in injury replacement cases.
I haven’t seen any improvement at AFL level.
We are doing a lot right in the draft space but our backup ruckman aren’t up to it.
Ryan and Kosi contracts /extensions have been bad decisions , Cat B boys were long shots that haven’t paid off.
From a list management perspective most definitely something we need to address at seasons end. Nank can’t continue to ruck for 95% of the season forever.
 
failed to rise to the occasion
enjoy the win, you probably stuck a knife into taranto, hopper, macca, dow and co in previous posts and all have contributed to our future and our couple of wins so far. ryan needs to play a serious second fiddle to nank and allow nank rests and management. end of year ryan will be judged....not now.
 
Opening the last quarter with Samson in the Ruck almost cost us the game. Everyone knew the Suns were going to come out firing in a last ditch effort to win the game. 3 clearances for 3 goals and seeing Ryan being rag dolled like a Muppet by Witts clearly shows he has still not developed as an AFL grade Ruckman. If his hands were better, I would say develop him as a full-time forward, but I just can't see any upside in him after 4 years.
 
Trail him as a defender in the vfl …. Could make a comeback like Liam jones
 
Have always been his biggest supporter but fair dinkum.. his hands turn into rock when it's kicked to him 1 on 1.

He gets to right spot, gets his hands free and then he middles it like he's trying to hit it to the fence with his hands. If he could mark the ball you'd keep the faith but he just doesn't mark it. I don't get it with him.
 

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He'll get another game to tag team with Nank but I think it speaks volumes of how the coaches rate him, that he was given such minimal amount of game time last night. He just seems to lose all confidence and ability at AFL level. He has been dominate at the lower level but seems utterly lost in the forwardline or when he has to use his strength during contests. I think that's his Achilles Heel - no core strength.

Its a shame because he has the ability and is a beauty kick for goal but if he can't get his hands on the ball and can't win a marking/ruck contest because he is too weak, it won't have much of a career left ahead of him.

Lets hope he has a blinder next week and proves us all wrong.
 
People will look at the first 3 centre bounce contests, and either make their minds up on Ryan, or confirm their previously held beliefs about him.

I'm not sure what people were exactly expecting when Ryan needed to ruck against Witts when better, more experienced rucks struggle with Witts. Hell, I feel like Nank rarely has a good game against Witts, and was probably well beaten in the ruck against Witts for most of the game last night.

If there was anything to praise about Ryan's game last night, I think there's two small things that I hope we see more regularly: (1) Standing on the hole in the first quarter that allowed Faull to take the mark in front of the pack (which saw his shot hit the post). Wasn't pushed aside despite the number of GCS defenders around him, and allowed Faull the time and space to come across the front of the pack; (2) After those first couple of centre bounce clearances at the start of the 4th, Ryan didn't give up, and still looked to hunt the ball and the man, winning a free kick at the next centre bounce stoppage through exactly that.

If this was last season, I don't think we see either of these 2 things occurring.

Is it easy to bash Ryan? Probably. But we've got him on the list for another 3 seasons, so I'd like to look for the improvements in his game as small wins. The above two points may seem like simple things in the game, but it's things I doubt we see from Ryan if this was last season.
 
I wouldn’t say he was gifted a game. His performance in the VFL last week warranted a game in the seniors. It’s just a shame that he lacks confidence in the AFL or at least in bringing his skills to the highest level.
He’s a foot taller at vfl. That’s all that makes him standout.

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills reading the Michaels of this board talk up his vfl performances as if they mean anything.

Same with Sonsie. A pro footballer taking some part timers to town. It doesn’t transfer to afl level because he’s timid. Losing contests on the wing and people think he’ll suddenly be better if he moved 20 m in field.
 

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People will look at the first 3 centre bounce contests, and either make their minds up on Ryan, or confirm their previously held beliefs about him.

I'm not sure what people were exactly expecting when Ryan needed to ruck against Witts when better, more experienced rucks struggle with Witts. Hell, I feel like Nank rarely has a good game against Witts, and was probably well beaten in the ruck against Witts for most of the game last night.

If there was anything to praise about Ryan's game last night, I think there's two small things that I hope we see more regularly: (1) Standing on the hole in the first quarter that allowed Faull to take the mark in front of the pack (which saw his shot hit the post). Wasn't pushed aside despite the number of GCS defenders around him, and allowed Faull the time and space to come across the front of the pack; (2) After those first couple of centre bounce clearances at the start of the 4th, Ryan didn't give up, and still looked to hunt the ball and the man, winning a free kick at the next centre bounce stoppage through exactly that.

If this was last season, I don't think we see either of these 2 things occurring.

Is it easy to bash Ryan? Probably. But we've got him on the list for another 3 seasons, so I'd like to look for the improvements in his game as small wins. The above two points may seem like simple things in the game, but it's things I doubt we see from Ryan if this was last season.
I didn’t expect him to end up on the ground.
 
As I have said many times, there is no point playing him unless Nank is not in the team. He is a poor judge of the ball in the air and uncoordinated so playing forward ruck is just not an option. You may as well play an extra small.

Ryan is he is the 2nd best ruck option on the list right now (like it or not he is) and about the 7th-10th best forward option (behind Lynch, Faull, Sims, Bauer, Armstrong, Fawcett and Lefau when not injured). You could make an argument for any of the tall defenders capable of playing forward too.

The club needs to stop promoting off him VFL games in the ruck and then playing him forward. It's very dumb.
 
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He’s a foot taller at vfl. That’s all that makes him standout.

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills reading the Michaels of this board talk up his vfl performances as if they mean anything.

Same with Sonsie. A pro footballer taking some part timers to town. It doesn’t transfer to afl level because he’s timid. Losing contests on the wing and people think he’ll suddenly be better if he moved 20 m in field.
Oi don't diss Michaels
 

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Player Watch #32 Samson Ryan

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