Player Watch Brandon Zerk-Thatcher

[Duck Farmer]

I understand that Zerk-Thatcher is an improvement on 2023 Jonas but is he going to be better than peak Jonas (when of course we couldn't win a premiership) ditto Lycett v Soldo and Hayes v Sweet and we are minus X.

So I am afraid you are mistaken about this being the missing piece.

It's not the missing piece for a premiership. It's the missing piece to paper over some cracks to give Hinkley the best shot at a contract extension in 2025.

 

[wayb2912]

I watched the highlights of Hogans 9 goals thinking that they were all on BZT, he actually kicked 4 on BZT and one of the 4 was a questionable holding the ball

On TET-AN00 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Macca19]

I understand that Zerk-Thatcher is an improvement on 2023 Jonas but is he going to be better than peak Jonas (when of course we couldn't win a premiership) ditto Lycett v Soldo and Hayes v Sweet and we are minus X.

So I am afraid you are mistaken about this being the missing piece.

I dont think he'll be a star. All he has to do is perform his role. If he does his role most weeks then thats what we need.

 

[Steve Dore]

Perhaps we could switch it up a bit and call him Falklands.

BLT should be Islas Malvinas or Roller.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I dont think he'll be a star. All he has to do is perform his role. If he does his role most weeks then thats what we need.

That's sort of my problem with the whole thing. What is his role?

Essendon fans have been telling us ad nauseam that the #1 key back isn't his role. But a second or third key defender is supposed to add some intercept or rebound going the other way, and he doesn't do that either. So what does he do?

The only way I see this working is if he actually does improve enough defensively to become the #1 key back who takes the #1 oppo key forward and frees up Aliir and Sav. And as the reverse Coleman leaderboard tells us, that'll require a hell of a lot of improvement.

 

[OneGreatClub]

That's sort of my problem with the whole thing. What is his role?

Essendon fans have been telling us ad nauseam that the #1 key back isn't his role. But a second or third key defender is supposed to add some intercept or rebound going the other way, and he doesn't do that either. So what does he do?

The only way I see this working is if he actually does improve enough defensively to become the #1 key back who takes the #1 oppo key forward and frees up Aliir and Sav. And as the reverse Coleman leaderboard tells us, that'll require a hell of a lot of improvement.

Yes who does the #1 job if everyone is #3?

 

[Peninsula Boy]

I watched the highlights of Hogans 9 goals thinking that they were all on BZT, he actually kicked 4 on BZT and one of the 4 was a questionable holding the ball

On TET-AN00 using BigFooty.com mobile app

Cheers for that.

 

[EskimoPAFC]

That's sort of my problem with the whole thing. What is his role?

Hopefully head coach?

 

[Duck Farmer]

I like this trade. We've now got the reverse Coleman winner to complement our reverse Jock McHale Medallist.

 

[jakey]

Proof will be in the pudding. First time we've had this many legit tall defenders. Might work with the right system and decent coaching. Shame they don't have one. Certainly has a hail Mary play feel about it.

 

[TeeKray]

They've already declared they don't see him playing on the big forwards. I'm left to assume that Ratugolea will be asked to play that role. So he's going to play the role that Burton and sometimes Bergman played this year.

 

[1954]

They've already declared they don't see him playing on the big forwards. I'm left to assume that Ratugolea will be asked to play that role. So he's going to play the role that Burton and sometimes Bergman played this year.

From memory Burton's best form at the dawks was as a long kicking half back who could break the lines and also blanket his opponent, so the acquisition of BZT will hopefully see a successful return to that role for us, as his form in the last line of defence in the season just gone could be described as ordinary at best.

Bergman is a bit of an enigma to me, he did some great jobs as an undersized `tall' defender this year, but he is also only flanker size and it appears he may have been pigeon holed as the spare parts man.

Not sure he has the pace or the disposal by foot to be a wingman and is another player who may be better suited to a half back role where he can hit the ball front on, as opposed to the continuous two way running that is required for the wing role.

 

[Schulzenfest]

They've already declared they don't see him playing on the big forwards. I'm left to assume that Ratugolea will be asked to play that role. So he's going to play the role that Burton and sometimes Bergman played this year.

He will be terrible at that.

 

[Andre]

Yes who does the #1 job if everyone is #3?

That's been our KPD stocks for years. 'Good 3rd defender' or 'Medium can play KPD' (Jonas). Bringing in more 3rd defenders just gives us slightly taller McKenzie. Which admittedly that improves us, if it frees up Aliir, but we'll still get toweled up by good forward lines with a couple of 195cm+ KPF's.

 

[MrChow]

Ahhh look, in the end if he is depth, ie our 4th key defender and somebody goes down it’s good for a few years.

I still kind of want Jones to develop as that third tall. He has genuine speed and power, if Jones can build some run and carry into his game, and less brain farts, that would be good for us.

Competition for spots is a good thing.

 

[dirty2]

Not sure if it has been mentioned here at all but Zerk won the reverse coleman.

I heard zerk's dad got 8 goals kicked on him on debut.

 

[JimmyBC]

He's gonna get a fair crack at it before he's relegated to a depth player if he sucks, they wouldn't have gone after him otherwise.

 

[jakey]

Ahhh look, in the end if he is depth, ie our 4th key defender and somebody goes down it’s good for a few years.

I still kind of want Jones to develop as that third tall. He has genuine speed and power, if Jones can build some run and carry into his game, and less brain farts, that would be good for us.

Competition for spots is a good thing.

Problem is Jones isn't tall.

 

[EskimoPAFC]

Problem is Jones isn't tall.

Not sure about that... he is clearly taller than 209cm Gold Coast ruckman Witts in this picture:

I'd say he must be close to 240cm

 

[VineValerian]

Not sure about that... he is clearly taller than 209cm Gold Coast ruckman Witts in this picture:

I'd say he must be close to 240cm

I don't believe that Witts is 209cm tall.
He just wears high heels (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

 

[DaTBird187]

Not sure about that... he is clearly taller than 209cm Gold Coast ruckman Witts in this picture:

I'd say he must be close to 240cm

With a ginormous head that will devour us all.

 

[El_Scorcho]

They've already declared they don't see him playing on the big forwards. I'm left to assume that Ratugolea will be asked to play that role. So he's going to play the role that Burton and sometimes Bergman played this year.

I think we either don't bother with a dedicated stopper and just trust Aliir, Rat and BZT to win contests when it comes down to it, or we panic and end up playing McKenzie or even Clurey a lot of big forwards get a hold of us.

Ultimately a 1v1 contest between one of our KPDs and an opposition KPF means our defensive structure has already broken down. They're banking on a mobile intercepting defence that means those contests rarely if ever happen, which is what we've done for the past few seasons really. What we've mostly done here is add significant height and athleticism to the existing structure, which in theory absolutely works.

 

[shewho]

I don't believe that Witts is 209cm tall.
He just wears high heels (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

He cuts down trees
He wears high heels
Suspenders and a Bra
He wishes he was a girly
Just like his dear papa

 

[Tibbs]

BZT vs Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval this year.

Clearly a spud. Will be playing in the seconds in 2026 - Bookmark it.

Delist!

 

[Schulzenfest]

Clearly a spud. Will be playing in the seconds in 2026 - Bookmark it.

Delist!

You understand how highlights videos work, right?

What the video doesn't show is the four scoring shots Dixon kicked on him. Dixon only had more than two scoring shots twice after Round 4 this year, and that game was one of those two times.