Good players tend to compliment each other.
Polec is more like Fish anyway.
I would not be complaining about getting more ball carrying, long kicking mid/wingers.
You can have more than one of that type of player. Don't think it would stunt lob at all...could argue he could learn from Polec and be better for it.
How does healthy competition stunt growth. It does the opposite.
My concern lies with how similar they play in style and Polec is obviously much better at it than LOB is. These two (and Tom Phillips from Collingwood) wouldn’t compliment each other in terms of style because they all get the ball on the outside in much the same way and there are only so many possessions in a game of footy that a team can win in this way. It’s like the Cleveland Caviliers and Kevin Love, good players on the same team doesn’t mean much if they all get the ball in a similar way. Polec and LOB wouldn’t be a good fit.
I see them as a bad fit together because of the below. I’ve watched the other two closely to try and assess LOB’s progress throughout the year and have noticed how they get their uncontested ball in the same way.
When the ball is ready to be dished to the outside from a stoppage, they all tend to position themselves on the same side of the contest to get it onto their left boot. Are both Polec and LOB going to be in this spot?
Likewise, they run the same angles to set up for the handball receive, to get onto their left side. Are both Polec and LOB going to be in this spot?
When the ball is in the back half, how often do we see LOB making space in the right back flank, taking a mark and then getting the ball on the 45 to bring it back into the corridor? Guess what? Polec does the same thing!
Why would having Polec be so good for Lochie?