Preview Round 16 - Essendon Bombers vs Port Adelaide - Saturday, July 1st - 7:25 pm - MCG - Ridley's Revenge

[Mayes2Gray]

The next 2 weeks is massive for us. We need to win one of these 2 games and really need to not get blown out of the water by Port if it is a loss (as you would expect). We havent played all that well for a while now. Have a real sense this season could fall away if we dont stand up in next 2 weeks.

You forget it’s a post bye round. And it’s port. Don’t understand why it’s not already written in for a win.

 

[ant555]

You forget it’s a post bye round. And it’s port. Don’t understand why it’s not already written in for a win.

Because it is Essington

 

[Bombers36]

Scott obviously has a few favourates....Weid, Kelly & Perkins definitely need lift. Hind must be thinking he's stiff....But what is most bizarre is Cox named emergency before the likes of Wanga Voss or Baldwin?? Perplexing…

 

[Vindicater]

So who will Brad make the late switch for Bryan this time?

 

[ydc55]

I think a chill pill is in order.
I did not think we would win 8 for the season.
anzac day 4 goals up and Rioli hit on Ridley we could be even better.
I reckon we will lose by 8 goals tomorrow and that’s ok.
my only concern is I reckon we are going to lose bryan to another club, putting games into weideman when he just isn’t good enough and I personally think parish is more replaceable than ever before.
all in all the side has had a crack every week.

 

[owen87]

my only concern is I reckon we are going to lose bryan to another club

People keep saying this, but Bryan wouldn't be the number one ruckman anywhere in the AFL right now.

Draper is probably the best ruckman he could be playing alongside as Draper (like Natanui) is a power athlete and will likely always need a genuine ruckman to play alongside him.

Bryan simply has to be better than 2024 Andrew Phillips and he'll play 22 games.

Why would he move?

 

[sameolds33]

People keep saying this, but Bryan wouldn't be the number one ruckman anywhere in the AFL right now.

Draper is probably the best ruckman he could be playing alongside as Draper (like Natanui) is a power athlete and will likely always need a genuine ruckman to play alongside him.

Bryan simply has to be better than 2024 Andrew Phillips and he'll play 22 games.

Why would he move?

With free agency, players now have a lot more control over their careers. There's not just one reason why a player would stay or go, it's not just one club over another. Brad was really clear, on 360, that the club's job is to make the player want to stay by creating the right environment (talking about Parish and Redman) but that, in the end, it was the player's decision.

Bryan will stay if he's happy and he sees a future. He won't if he gets offered a deal he thinks works better. Either way, it doesn't depend on whether or not he plays this week or is in and out of the team this season.

 

[ant555]

I think a chill pill is in order.
I did not think we would win 8 for the season.
anzac day 4 goals up and Rioli hit on Ridley we could be even better.
I reckon we will lose by 8 goals tomorrow and that’s ok.
my only concern is I reckon we are going to lose bryan to another club, putting games into weideman when he just isn’t good enough and I personally think parish is more replaceable than ever before.
all in all the side has had a crack every week.

Not if they are looking at his AFL performance to date.
They will also look at who he is beating in the VFL and notice they have in general been other 19 to 22 year old rucks.
He may choose to go of course and as much as I have rated his ability as the season has gone on his lack of improvement as far as physically taking on the game has been poor.

 

[Squeaky]

Scott obviously has a few favourates....Weid, Kelly & Perkins definitely need lift. Hind must be thinking he's stiff....But what is most bizarre is Cox named emergency before the likes of Wanga Voss or Baldwin?? Perplexing…

Yep - Cox didn't really do anything that made me think he's even be considered.
Mass, Montgomerie and Balders were clearly stand outs in a poor team.

 

[Squeaky]

People keep saying this, but Bryan wouldn't be the number one ruckman anywhere in the AFL right now.

Draper is probably the best ruckman he could be playing alongside as Draper (like Natanui) is a power athlete and will likely always need a genuine ruckman to play alongside him.

Bryan simply has to be better than 2024 Andrew Phillips and he'll play 22 games.

Why would he move?

Agreed - I think a good short term goal for him is to go past Flipper at some point next season.
A very gettable goal and we all win (except Flipper, but hey, father time is undefeated)
& obviously the earlier he achieves this the better...

 

[andleanback]

Scott obviously has a few favourates....Weid, Kelly & Perkins definitely need lift. Hind must be thinking he's stiff....But what is most bizarre is Cox named emergency before the likes of Wanga Voss or Baldwin?? Perplexing…

Perkins has been playing well….

 

[BomberManU]

Looking forward to this. I find it hard to watch games that we're expected to win, due to the mental scars inflicted over the past 20 years, but always tune in to games like this.

 

[Keystone agony]

Scott obviously has a few favourates....Weid, Kelly & Perkins definitely need lift. Hind must be thinking he's stiff....But what is most bizarre is Cox named emergency before the likes of Wanga Voss or Baldwin?? Perplexing…

I know that coaches use it as a tool to create motivation

Having 4 emgs there really is very little to no chance he would come in so some spots in the emg can be used as a motivation tool

 

[Keystone agony]

People keep saying this, but Bryan wouldn't be the number one ruckman anywhere in the AFL right now.

Draper is probably the best ruckman he could be playing alongside as Draper (like Natanui) is a power athlete and will likely always need a genuine ruckman to play alongside him.

Bryan simply has to be better than 2024 Andrew Phillips and he'll play 22 games.

Why would he move?

Tbf he really hasnt had the opportunity to show he could be

It couldve been said hed be challenging Briggs, Bailey Williams, Lycett and maybe the hawks ruck as the best ruck before this year. Mayhe even Carltons (Pitt whos always injured, TDK) and Sydneys (Hickey)

Both Williams and Briggs have jumped up due to getting the opportunity which Bryan hasnt been able to get

You can say, the coaches havnt given him the opportunity because they dont feel hes ready, but both coaches had that same opinion of Williams and Briggs aswell

 

[fairbump_playon]

Just please don't eat each other alive when we get totally pantsed here.

Outstanding post. Too real!

 

[owen87]

Tbf he really hasnt had the opportunity to show he could be

It couldve been said hed be challenging Briggs, Bailey Williams, Lycett and maybe the hawks ruck as the best ruck before this year. Mayhe even Carltons (Pitt whos always injured, TDK) and Sydneys (Hickey)

Both Williams and Briggs have jumped up due to getting the opportunity which Bryan hasnt been able to get

You can say, the coaches havnt given him the opportunity because they dont feel hes ready, but both coaches had that same opinion of Williams and Briggs aswell

Bryan is two years younger than both these guys. The big thing holding him back is physical maturity which is understandable for a 21 year old ruckman. So not really comparable. Nothing pointed to him being ready to be number 1 ruck for any side prior to the season, nothing points to him being ready to be the number 1 ruck right now.

Another pre-season under his belt and he should be a capable second ruckman alongside Draper, another year after that (when he'll be the same age as Briggs is now) is when you'd have a reasonable argument for him being ready to be a genuine number 1 ruckman.

 

[wichidi]

Junior Rioli cup this one

 

[Keystone agony]

Bryan is two years younger than both these guys. The big thing holding him back is physical maturity which is understandable for a 21 year old ruckman. So not really comparable. Nothing pointed to him being ready to be number 1 ruck for any side prior to the season, nothing points to him being ready to be the number 1 ruck right now.

Another pre-season under his belt and he should be a capable second ruckman alongside Draper, another year after that (when he'll be the same age as Briggs is now) is when you'd have a reasonable argument for him being ready to be a genuine number 1 ruckman.

Yeh i suppose i forget how young he is

Rucks take ages

And their peak comes later than any other position

Im fine with Bryan, rucks are nor here nor there for me

I think he will be a really good number 1 ruck at some point if he gets the opportunity

His 34% TOG with 7 disp, 12 hitouts against the toughest ruck in the game was significant. Extrapolate that out to 85% TOG, is an 18 disp, 30 hitout game which rings true to his VFL numbers and Darcy/Jackson are the toughest rucks in the game and we were flogged aswell

 

[wichidi]

I probably could look this up, but don't know where. Given rucks mature later than other players, do they also tend to play a bit older as well?
I'm thinking Mumford and Sandilands as examples of this.

 

[Keystone agony]

I probably could look this up, but don't know where. Given rucks mature later than other players, do they also tend to play a bit older as well?
I'm thinking Mumford and Sandilands as examples of this.

Yes, generally

And their peak comes later than any other position

See Goldy

Even Phillips is playing as good as footy as he ever has really

Stanley probs go around next year

 

[owen87]

I probably could look this up, but don't know where. Given rucks mature later than other players, do they also tend to play a bit older as well?
I'm thinking Mumford and Sandilands as examples of this.

I think it's fairly common for Rucks to play in to their 30s, but not necessarily 'that' long compared to how late they tend to be genuine best-22. It's a pretty brutal position body-wise I'd think.

 

[yodellinhank]

You forget it’s a post bye round. And it’s port. Don’t understand why it’s not already written in for a win.

Unfortunately for us, the Port bye has been a longer break than any of the others. Almost a double bye. So it'll be like we're playing Port off a short break -after they had a bye coming off the bye, by the bye. Bye-bye.

 

[crackers65]

Rioli pulled out, the little cat.

 

[Ati Tude]

Rioli pulled out, the little cat.

I knew it, I knew it*

* I didn't know it

 

[Vindicater]

Rioli pulled out, the little cat.

Edited.