Player Watch #5: Brandon Ellis - off to GC pick 39 as compo

tropicaltiger

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Think its best for both Ellis & RFC for Brandon to take the $$$ on offer from other clubs
$600k a year x 4/5 years is not smething he should be knocking back with players like
Bolton,Naish,Turner breathing down his neck

He will know that his time at Richmond would be limited
brando 3 mil.jpg
 

Vassp

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There was only one bloke who mentioned he was soft of what I could read. They were pretty tough to read on my phone. These knockers didn’t hang around for long anyway as we have on Ellis. Ellis has been labeled soft pretty well from his first year and still hasn’t hardened up his game . The Cotchin comparison you made was still frivolous as they’re chalk and cheese . It’s a bit like Rance had knockers early on, but they’ve disappeared unlike the Ellis knockers who’ve grown in population bc he’s never hardened up in terms of when it’s his turn to go. He still s**ts his pants like a toddler.
Gee a bit harsh mate, I’ve seen Brando knock head many a time. But to be fair footy isn’t just about risking serious injury and carelessly throwing your body at the ball. These guys have careers, some have families etc....
 
Pretty sure he is a RFA, which means we have the right to match or not.

Correct, slip of the finger on the keyboard - Restricted. Still his call to tell the world whether he has a great offer or wants accept a Tiger's offer. that was more my point in that post. I doubt we'll match an enthusiastic offer, if one exists, and I would expect he would be made some offers. He's more valuable to some other Clubs that don't have the depth we seem to be exploiting right now.
 
I'm still not sure what that 50m was for, but happy he got it and played on and kicked the goal!

It was for that stupid protected zone rule that has littlle to no bearing on the game most times it occurs (like this one) but the free kick does or can have a huge bearing on the game. The rule is applied without commonsense, and yet sometimes an umpire will apply a little commonsense and not call it. It's a ******* lottery!
 
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Gee a bit harsh mate, I’ve seen Brando knock head many a time. But to be fair footy isn’t just about risking serious injury and carelessly throwing your body at the ball. These guys have careers, some have families etc....

I agree with that to some extent. Footy is not just tough, but it also has to be smart. A point in case in another code is Cameron Smith. He plays in one of the toughest roles in the centre of the field and has nearly managed 400 games - he's missed just 6 to injury! That is amazing - but it is also smart. You watch his if you get a chance, he doesn't shirk but he doesn't take an unnecessary or uncalled for risk either. He knows he is better for the team on the park than injured watching from the bench.

I've seem Brandon go in, but he's not meant to be an in and under type, his pace on the outside is his go. A Smith-type from the Hawks. It's sad when people expect him to be more a Cunnington type when they try and call him out. Horses for courses!
 
Apr 27, 2014
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I agree with that to some extent. Footy is not just tough, but it also has to be smart. A point in case in another code is Cameron Smith. He plays in one of the toughest roles in the centre of the field and has nearly managed 400 games - he's missed just 6 to injury! That is amazing - but it is also smart. You watch his if you get a chance, he doesn't shirk but he doesn't take an unnecessary or uncalled for risk either. He knows he is better for the team on the park than injured watching from the bench.

I've seem Brandon go in, but he's not meant to be an in and under type, his pace on the outside is his go. A Smith-type from the Hawks. It's sad when people expect him to be more a Cunnington type when they try and call him out. Horses for courses!
I don’t like comparing players in different codes as it’s meaningless. The major reason being Brando probably wouldn’t get a game in NRL and Smith likewise in AFL. Although I think Smith at his peak would’ve faired better than Israel and Karmickey. My Mum can’t watch any form of rugby as she thinks it’s too violent. Agree the only game Brando has is his gut running outside one , but I think the club still expects more from him based on his exclusion late last year and early this year. They’ve also tried Naish and Egg who could also play his role. I think he’s been below average for five weeks now and I still remain with my opinion that he’s a flat track bully. His chances of staying took a turn for the worse with the recent extensions for Dave and KMac as the club obviously rated what they have to offer as being more valuable to the team. If he want bucks and more bucks he will need to look over the fence.
 
I don’t like comparing players in different codes as it’s meaningless. The major reason being Brando probably wouldn’t get a game in NRL and Smith likewise in AFL. Although I think Smith at his peak would’ve faired better than Israel and Karmickey. Agree the only game Brando has is his gut running outside one , but I think the club still expects more from him based on his exclusion late last year and early this year. They’ve also tried Naish and Egg could also play his role. I think he’s been below average for five weeks now and I still remain with my opinion that he’s a flat track bully. His chances of staying took a turn for the worse with the recent extensions for Dave and KMac as the club obviously rated what they have to offer as being more valuable to the team. If he want bucks and more bucks he will need to look over the fence.

Not comparing Ellis with Smith even for a milli-second. Perhaps you missed the thrust of my point and that was simply that not all contests are created equal and smart players approach different contests differently no matter what the code is. My mention of Smith was to simply show that even in the most brutal of codes, smart players can endure, and he is very much a smart player. Now don't go mixing that comment with Brandon, just because it is in the same paragraph. :D

Brandon and the coaches have worked on his being harder at the ball and the contest. It's never been ignored and as a student of the game you would know some of what he has done, especially some things in consultation with Dimma.
 
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Not comparing Ellis with Smith even for a milli-second. Perhaps you missed the thrust of my point and that was simply that not all contests are created equal and smart players approach different contests differently no matter what the code is. My mention of Smith was to simply show that even in the most brutal of codes, smart players can endure, and he is very much a smart player. Now don't go mixing that comment with Brandon, just because it is in the same paragraph. :D

Brandon and the coaches have worked on his being harder at the ball and the contest. It's never been ignored and as a student of the game you would know some of what he has done, especially some things in consultation with Dimma.
I got your point clearly, but imo the comparison was poor as Cam takes more hits for the team in a single game than Brando has taken in an entire career. Cam Smith will never shirk a contest no matter how big or small the bloke(s) coming at him are.
The advantage he has is he can see what’s coming at him from the front and prepare himself for the contact better. Whereas in Aussie Rules they come at you from all directions. Brando’s weakness is he doesn’t want that contact when he needs to make the effort to just stop the bloke.
His tackling is horrid as are his one on one contests which have nothing to do with taking one for the team. He wants to remain immiscible to contact similar to a drop of oil immersed in water. 😟
 
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I got your point clearly, but imo the comparison was poor as Cam takes more hits for the team in a single game than Brando has taken in an entire career. Cam Smith will never shirk a contest no matter how big or small the bloke(s) coming at him are.
The advantage he has is he can see what’s coming at him from the front and prepare himself for the contact better. Whereas in Aussie Rules they come at you from all directions. Brando’s weakness is he doesn’t want that contact when he needs to make the effort to just stop the bloke.
His tackling is horrid as are his one on one contests which have nothing to do with taking one for the team. He wants to remain immiscible to contact similar to a drop oil immersed in water. 😟

That you continue to compare the two tells me my point has been missed.
 
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That you continue to compare the two tells me my point has been missed.
.......no you’re ignoring the fact that their is no comparison in the way they both approach their games. The hardness or amount of physical contact of the type of game has no bearing on our arguments, but the attitude in approach is what’s important. I think we’re arguing about the same thing and maybe bc Ben Cunnington was thrown into your first post, confused your point.
 
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JAKLAUGHING

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TASMANIAN DEBILS!!!
Get the good with the bad just like any footy player...Ellis, Dusty, Fyfe, Brown, Kmac, Miles, Treloar...
Fortunately it's a team sport and at times you cover for your mates and they vice versa for you...
None of them play a perfect brand of footy...they all bring certain desirable skills to the team...
 

Charlie Pannam

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The dilemma with Ellis is that I think the club would be happy to keep him, but on their terms. Maybe a two year deal with money commensurate to his form over the past two years, as well as his service to the club. I’m not sure what that equates to, but I can see some other clubs coming along and offering four years with 20-30% more money.

Now I’d love him to stay, play those two years and back himself in to get another bigger contract as he approaches 200 games, but I feel he’ll see the North/Saints/Carlton offer as too good to refuse. If that happens he goes with my thanks and I wish him the best.
I think you’re right - the club wants him but not for the $ (or close to) or length of contract that other clubs will be offering.

I’m not sure what our TPP is but it’d be tight and with the improvement of some lesser lights this season is only going to become tighter next year and beyond.

Ok Grigg departs but he wasn’t on big coin, and other end of year delistings will be on minimum wages.

At the end of the day the club will not be losing any sleep over Brando’s decision- either we re-sign him for unders or get a good draft pick under FA.
 

tropicaltiger

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I agree with that to some extent. Footy is not just tough, but it also has to be smart. A point in case in another code is Cameron Smith. He plays in one of the toughest roles in the centre of the field and has nearly managed 400 games - he's missed just 6 to injury! That is amazing - but it is also smart. You watch his if you get a chance, he doesn't shirk but he doesn't take an unnecessary or uncalled for risk either. He knows he is better for the team on the park than injured watching from the bench.

I've seem Brandon go in, but he's not meant to be an in and under type, his pace on the outside is his go. A Smith-type from the Hawks. It's sad when people expect him to be more a Cunnington type when they try and call him out. Horses for courses!
very very good assessment, brando dosent take a battering or get his hands dirty in the clinches as much as most but those cunnington types dont gut run to every inch of the park doin donkey work roles either...a 22 of cunnington clones would probably smash 22 ellis clones by 10 goals on the scoreboard...but a ellis/cunnington combo of 22 would make minced meat out of the same/same 22. need a couple of both types in your best 22.
 
Unless we have a replacement lined up we end up worse if he leaves. Maybe it's Ross or maybe someone else.

I like Brandon and do think he's underappreciated in some ways. I also think he plays a position on the ground where you are expected to pick up the uncontested possessions, and that's a bit of a hiding to nothing.

Now if it was me running around in the AFL I'd be absolutely shitting bricks because I never liked getting crunched and I'm only 5'10".

Most guys at AFL level do hit the packs and those that don't get crucified (eg Bryce Gibbs). Is it fair? Does it matter?

My main worry with Brando is when he gets dragged deep into defence it often results in an opposition goal because he's not good at close defending. He's also prone to panicked clangers out of 50 and as we saw with our awesome defensive team in 2017, clangers out of defence eventually wear down the oppo due to so many rebounds inside 50.

Brando isn't the only guy who does this, but he does do it a lot. As someone said a few weeks ago whenever we lose, Brandon always has a bad game.

I'd like to see him tighten up on his defensive composure. If he can, then keep him. If he can't, I'm happy to shake hands wish him the best and welcome him back after retirement.
 
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I got your point clearly, but imo the comparison was poor as Cam takes more hits for the team in a single game than Brando has taken in an entire career. Cam Smith will never shirk a contest no matter how big or small the bloke(s) coming at him are.
The advantage he has is he can see what’s coming at him from the front and prepare himself for the contact better. Whereas in Aussie Rules they come at you from all directions. Brando’s weakness is he doesn’t want that contact when he needs to make the effort to just stop the bloke.
His tackling is horrid as are his one on one contests which have nothing to do with taking one for the team. He wants to remain immiscible to contact similar to a drop oil immersed in water.

Spot on. Whenever the balls in dispute his eyes are as big as saucers. I will say good on him for sticking at it but contact isn’t his thing. He’s usually ticked his arms and braces before he even gets close to the ball.

Not everyone is a hard nut, but I’d rather those types play for other clubs. We want to play a hard grinding style and can’t accept senior players pulling out of contest, especially ones with that want 400k+


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Life after footy is tough, if you count years of training investment etc. plumber would make more money
Don’t get me wrong I’m on your side on this , but they have the opportunity to invest wisely a large sum at an early age and live from it. I feel sorry more for the plumber who has to play footy in a thug competition for practically nothing and get up for work during the week.
 
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