Prediction Changes v West Coast @ Marvel

[dogwatch]

Outside of Buss all of them are quick and agile though

They’re handy but no match for the likes of Dale, Richards, Garcia, Baker, JJ etc in terms of sprinting and breaking the lines. You wouldn’t put them up as the exemplars of those who give us “run”.

English is ok for a loping gallop when he’s already in space. Naughton’s probably the fastest and best in traffic. Maybe it’s no coincidence that he’s also the shortest.

 

[Foxman98]

They’re handy but no match for the likes of Dale, Richards, Garcia, Baker, JJ etc in terms of sprinting and breaking the lines. You wouldn’t put them up as the exemplars of those who give us “run”.

English is ok for a loping gallop when he’s already in space. Naughton’s probably the fastest and best in traffic. Maybe it’s no coincidence that he’s also the shortest.

Croft certainly can

He may become a KPP in the future but he is currently a tall athletic utility

 

[Pencil case]

Hearing Darcy is sore and may be rested

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Harmes still not well, apparently.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

Hearing Darcy is sore and may be rested

That massive speccy with 30 secs left must have bruised him!

Rest him, we need him for Freo and deep into September.

 

[Scott Tracy]

Darcy being out makes the most sense to me. Bevo won't play Buku, too, because of what his manager said. So seems to me like it could be a straight swap.

 

[theburst]

so happy for Croft...there was a moment in the VFL, he taps down from Ruck kicks forward chases hard and gets to the stoppage...doesn't quit

 

[TiAn_]

Debutant?? Darcy out??

Updated Bevo trepidation meter:

 

[BEaston]

I’d have gone Jaques or maybe Sellwood. But if it’s Croft it is probably to be available as the relief ruck and still be of some use when not rucking or on the bench.

This allows both Lobb and Darcy to hold their selected field positions. It’s also an acknowledgment that Khamis is an unsatisfactory option as relief ruck. Croft has effectively replaced Buku at the head of that queue.

It almost certainly spells demotion for Busslinger. Can’t see us retaining all our talls and adding Croft. Especially when Buss was subbed out last week so we could get more run.

It doesn’t tell us who comes in for VDM though.

Find it very unlikely that will be the role he plays but I'm wrong more than I'm right so

 

[lachy]

Anywhere Croft can play (back, forward or ruck) Buku can and can do it alot better.
This debut makes zero sense to me, but again, I'm not an AFL coach.

Go well young man.

In a forum of opinions disagree entirely with this. Buku is slower, not as strong in a tackle, pressure is no where near as good. The only thing Buku does better is be older so has more strength and experience

 

[Unorth]

Poulter’s problem is that he’s neither fish nor fowl.

Not robust enough and not enough leap to be competing in the air with the big blokes despite his height, and not zippy and agile enough to be a threat in traffic or on the burst. Not strong enough to break tackles the way Bont, Dale and Richards do either.

He’s good at most things but not outstanding in any one of them. That’s a recipe for being an excellent VFL player but never more than fringe AFL.

I’d still persevere another year in case he does find a new level but I’m not too hopeful.

So it’s possible Croft is a direct replacement for Poulter because he can do most of what Poulter does but can also ruck and is better in the air. However I’d be surprised if we retained all of English Darcy Naughton Lobb Croft O’Donnell and Busslinger in the selected 22. That’s 7 players 195cm+ and not a lot of run.

That’s why I’m saying Busslinger’s spot is at risk. Unless there’s a surprise out among the other talls of course.

If Poulter was a bit shorter…Taller prospects get a lot of leeway. And tall, marking, hard running wingers are always tantalising to coaches.

But as you say - he can’t use his height. Not a physical player. I think his decision making is pretty questionable. That unforced turnover in the middle of the ground was Billy Gowers-esque.

Outside of being a structural fit for what we’re trying to do he doesn’t really offer much. Not the worst player around or anything but I don’t think there’s much to work with there, he just doesn’t have any real traits that make him stand out given his height doesn’t factor in to how he plays.

 

[lachy]

Darcy being out makes the most sense to me. Bevo won't play Buku, too, because of what his manager said. So seems to me like it could be a straight swap.

Or because Buku's form in the VFL does not warrant it

 

[ossie_21]

 

[fargy]

Surprised me! Hope he goes well, but I can't imagine he'd be playing in the cutthroat game next week unless he plays a blinder (even then I'd be reluctant). I have high hopes for him, just not sure those hopes are for this year.

 

[BEaston]

In a forum of opinions disagree entirely with this. Buku is slower, not as strong in a tackle, pressure is no where near as good. The only thing Buku does better is be older so has more strength and experience

Also couldn't play the high half forward/pseudo wing role that Poulter has been doing as well as Croft could - difference in running capacity.

 

[Zgope1]

Darce will play. It’s Wednesday, the game is Sunday, he’ll be fit. We won’t be resting fit stars in must win games.

Croft will come in for one of the following:

1. Buss- because west coast hassled Adelaide last week with forward pressure. Reckon we go shorter down there and leave Lobb and JOD back. Horses for courses call, where Buss could possibly come back for the taller Freo.

2. Poulter- where Croft takes the role of third target/decoy which Poulter failed at last week. Benefit is Croft can back up ruck so the backs are more settled.

Could flip a coin as to which of the two it is.

Edit: I watched Bevo’s presser straight after I posted and he literally used the term horses for courses which indicated (with some acknowledgment of its possible downfalls) that we may well take out a tall back this week then bring them back in v Freo due to west coast being short and Freo being tall.

I reckon we’ll take that risk of slightly throwing off our cohesion and drop Buss for Croft this week

 

[Doggies7]

Anywhere Croft can play (back, forward or ruck) Buku can and can do it alot better.
This debut makes zero sense to me, but again, I'm not an AFL coach.

Go well young man.

If it were to play the Naughton / Darcy key forward target role and wrestle with the opposition FB, yes I agree. To play the Poulter 3rd tall role, creating space for other forwards, running all day and applying forward pressure while being able to add something at ground level, then no way. Also with his tank I would rather Croft in the ruck than Buku, can get around the ground a lot better and play more similar running ruck style to Tim (nowhere near that level yet obviously).

 

[RWnBluey]

Seems about right,

Also feel like he will bring Treloar straight back in if fit

McNeil sub then maybe

Bevo has already said Adz will come back through the VFL

 

[Mofra]

Has he rucked in the twos? Physically ready to ruck against the eagles #2 you reckon?

He has the past month or so.
The guy can seriously run. His kicking pre-draft was pretty poor but from what I've seen he's improved that a lot.

 

[stefoid]

Pretty interesting.

I can see bev might love to have a genuine utility in the side who can play 3rd tall/ high forward, or switch to defence and also chop out in the ruck without disrupting darce or lobb.

But I didnt see it coming this soon

 

[BEaston]

Darce will play. It’s Wednesday, the game is Sunday, he’ll be fit. We won’t be resting fit stars in must win games.

Croft will come in for one of the following:

1. Buss- because west coast hassled Adelaide last week with forward pressure. Reckon we go shorter down there and leave Lobb and JOD back. Horses for courses call, where Buss could possibly come back for the taller Freo.

2. Poulter- where Croft takes the role of third target/decoy which Poulter failed at last week. Benefit is Croft can back up ruck so the backs are more settled.

Could flip a coin as to which of the two it is.

Edit: I watched Bevo’s presser straight after I posted and he literally used the term horses for courses which indicated (with some acknowledgment of its possible downfalls) that we may well take out a tall back this week then bring them back in v Freo due to west coast being short and Freo being tall.

I reckon we’ll take that risk of slightly throwing off our cohesion and drop Buss for Croft this week

Swapping Buss for Croft isn't exactly going smaller though. If it were that we'd go with more of a medium like Sellwood or bring Duryea back as a small?

Also Croft hasn't played back in the 2s for ages. And we're already losing a forward in VDM.

If that is happening, we must be making another change also to make it fit IMO.

 

[adogsfan5]

He has the past month or so.
The guy can seriously run. His kicking pre-draft was pretty poor but from what I've seen he's improved that a lot.

If he has been rucking then I’m legit excited about it.

(Obviously will be flat if Darcy is out sore though)

 

[BulldogMuscle]

Come to think of it, the fact that Buss had that god-awful nutmeg moment, where he was sub immediately afterwards might lead me to think that he is being dropped for Croft.

 

[doggy_dog]

I hope we don’t go away from the 3 tall structure down back, even if the Eagles are shorter. Want some cohesion heading into (hopefully) finals and I think the 3 talls with Lobb rucking is our best look. We can always use the sub to change our look exactly like we did on the weekend.

For me Croft has to be in for Poulter or the selection doesn’t make sense. If it’s a Darcy replacement we should be going Buku regardless of recent poor form. Croft isn’t physically ready to be a genuine KPP yet

 

[bresker]

Round 21, 21st August 2004 - Full back Matthew Croft boots a surprising 5 goals, after being overlooked for selection most of the year.

Round 23 , 17th August 2025 - After being overlooked for selection most of the year Jordan Croft, a surprise addition to the Bulldogs lineup......