Player Watch Welcome to Port Adelaide Brandon Zerk-Thatcher

[TeeKray]

People knock Lycett for his finals games but McKenzie was shocking against both the Bulldogs and Giants

McKenzie was literally limp in the Giants final. Go back and watch the replay, there are moments where he is actually hobbling behind Hogan and can barely run. It was comical and so typical of Hinkley and his desperation.

Yeah he played badly in the Bulldogs final, along with literally everyone else whose name isn't Riley Bonner.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

He’s just a slightly bigger Boner.

Did you follow him into the change rooms?

 

[bomberclifford]

Did you follow him into the change rooms?

 

[Duck Farmer]

We recruited BZT because Hinkley thought someone was taking his lunch order for a sandwich.

 

[JimmyBC]

McKenzie was literally limp in the Giants final. Go back and watch the replay, there are moments where he is actually hobbling behind Hogan and can barely run. It was comical and so typical of Hinkley and his desperation.

Yeah he played badly in the Bulldogs final, along with literally everyone else whose name isn't Riley Bonner.

Couldn't run or cover a leading player & could barely get his feet off the ground, we are a laughing stock when it comes to playing injured players. McKenzie when fit is still our best defender aside from Aliir.

 

[Launchpad McQuack]

We recruited BZT because Hinkley thought someone was taking his lunch order for a sandwich.

Bacon, Zinger, THE CHIPS?

 

[jackag24]

We recruited BZT because Hinkley thought someone was taking his lunch order for a sandwich.

"One BZT with sweet and soldo sauce please"

 

[Ford Fairlane]

McKenzie was literally limp in the Giants final. Go back and watch the replay, there are moments where he is actually hobbling behind Hogan and can barely run. It was comical and so typical of Hinkley and his desperation.

Yeah he played badly in the Bulldogs final, along with literally everyone else whose name isn't Riley Bonner.

Poor bugger was absolutely cooked. In the old days he would have been hidden in a forward pocket.

When fit, he punches above his weight (and height) admirably, helped make Bassett's "cms don't matter" backline work.

One of the best exponents of the run with the flight of the ball spoil.

 

[RossFC]

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The Zerk has played well in his 2 trial games after being a bit so, so, in the internal trial.

If he is mainly the 3rd tall in defence, playing against the 3rd tall/medium oppo forward, then I think he will be a very good pick up. No doubt every now and then he will have to spend time on the gorilla oppo KPF, but that's Ok as his confidence wont be down like it was at the bombers where week in week out he was forced to play on the bigger and stronger #1 oppo KPF.

 

[Granny Duurs is Lovely]

The Zerk has played well in his 2 trial games after being a bit so, so, in the internal trial.

If he is mainly the 3rd tall in defence, playing against the 3rd tall/medium oppo forward, then I think he will be a very good pick up. No doubt every now and then he will have to spend time on the gorilla oppo KPF, but that's Ok as his confidence wont be down like it was at the bombers where week in week out he was forced to play on the bigger and stronger #1 oppo KPF.

Do you have any worries about having a 3rd defender back there who offers no rebound / offensive capability? Feels like we'll be less attacking this year without McKenzie/Williams as defenders who are capable of hitting the 45 into the corridor.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Do you have any worries about having a 3rd defender back there who offers no rebound / offensive capability? Feels like we'll be less attacking this year without McKenzie/Williams as defenders who are capable of hitting the 45 into the corridor.

A Defenders job is to defend and stop the oppo scoring. We press so high, too high for my licking, too often, and let thru easy goals, that if one defender is a lot more conservative than the rest, then I don't see a problem.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Jonas offered little to no rebound or offensive capability. Definitely seen more of that from BZT so far.

 

[TeeKray]

The Zerk has played well in his 2 trial games after being a bit so, so, in the internal trial.

If he is mainly the 3rd tall in defence, playing against the 3rd tall/medium oppo forward, then I think he will be a very good pick up. No doubt every now and then he will have to spend time on the gorilla oppo KPF, but that's Ok as his confidence wont be down like it was at the bombers where week in week out he was forced to play on the bigger and stronger #1 oppo KPF.

What makes you think he's not going to be taking the opposition's biggest and best forward? He's playing the same role that Clurey and McKenzie alternated in for the past 3 seasons. Ratugolea is being deployed in Jonas' role which involved more floating and intercepting.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

What makes you think he's not going to be taking the opposition's biggest and best forward? He's playing the same role that Clurey and McKenzie alternated in for the past 3 seasons. Ratugolea is being deployed in Jonas' role which involved more floating and intercepting.

From what I saw at 2 trials.

 

[Rexie J]

What makes you think he's not going to be taking the opposition's biggest and best forward? He's playing the same role that Clurey and McKenzie alternated in for the past 3 seasons. Ratugolea is being deployed in Jonas' role which involved more floating and intercepting.

Jonas "floating' and "intercepting"

Bu I understand your point.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

He did go to Walker in the Adelaide trial but Walker does a lot of lead mark kick footy, so wasn't a bad match up.

 

[Tibbs]

A Defenders job is to defend and stop the oppo scoring. We press so high, too high for my licking, too often, and let thru easy goals, that if one defender is a lot more conservative than the rest, then I don't see a problem.

Geez, I so agree with you! There were a couple of easy goals over the top in the last two trial games, but far less than in the last few years. Forgetting that BZT is my man, I have been super impressed with his defensive efforts .. And he was far from static on the last line, with a couple of nice breakout runs.

Looking forward to watching his 2024 output.

PS .. Ratugolea also made a huge step-up last week after his first game.

 

[WillemDaDrew]

Early days yet, but I’m impressed with BZT efforts thus far.

definitely a step up from the T Jonas role last season.

 

[Powerade 08]

He was 9th in the league for 1%ers last year (spoils), which means he gets to plenty of contests and just needs to be freed up to take more marks. No brainer really getting him in cheap. Ratugolea is the big question mark

 

[VineValerian]

Geez, I so agree with you! There were a couple of easy goals over the top in the last two trial games, but far less than in the last few years. Forgetting that BZT is my man, I have been super impressed with his defensive efforts .. And he was far from static on the last line, with a couple of nice breakout runs.

Looking forward to watching his 2024 output.

PS .. Ratugolea also made a huge step-up last week after his first game.

The more games they play, the better the defence as a whole will gel together.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Do you have any worries about having a 3rd defender back there who offers no rebound / offensive capability? Feels like we'll be less attacking this year without McKenzie/Williams as defenders who are capable of hitting the 45 into the corridor.

I think Zerk can rebound the ball but it is interesting that Houston and Burton have played in defence, two of our best kicks from defence.

One thing I will say is that I don't remember McKenzie's kicking being a super weapon last year. I know he played on the last line of defence but I remember Houston, Burton, Farrell and Williams kicking some absolute on the dime kicks more than McKenzie, I'm not saying he is a bad kick but I just didn't see it used to its full potential last year.

It looks like we are going to go in with our three talls as Esava, Aliir and Zerk which bring a lot of marking power and interception. We might be playing two quarterback seagulls in Burton and Houston. Then Bergman as your do it all type.

I think it will take a bit of time for the defence to gel.

 

[1954]

Early days yet for BZT as has been said, but trial games or not he already looks a definite upgrade on the ghost of Tom Jonas in that he is athletic and agile enough to at least stay alongside his opponent when required or get to the contest first and dispose of the ball efficiently, as opposed to TJ's double fisted spoils over the boundary line when he could have marked the ball, or his loopy up and under down the line kicks to no-one in particular.

 

[jackag24]

T.Mckenzie had the 6th highest 1v1 loss % in the league last year. (Tom Jonas was not far behind)

BZT had both a lower 1v1 loss % and higher 1v1 contests. That's even with him getting thrown to the wolves

Lets move on from T.Mac, he should only be depth now

 

[Doctor Feel]

T.Mckenzie had the 6th highest 1v1 loss % in the league last year. (Tom Jonas was not far behind)

BZT had both a lower 1v1 loss % and higher 1v1 contests. That's even with him getting thrown to the wolves

Lets move on from T.Mac, he should only be depth now

Sure, if you don't want to consider any factors that contribute to these numbers. Chiefly that Jonas was our number 1 defender and he was a literal potato with those vines growing out of it he'd been left in the pantry so long. The 1v1 stat is pretty dubious anyway. I think it's just an indicator that your defensive structure is s**t if your number of 1v1 is high.

McKenzie was mincemeat for half the season because he was forced to play with no right leg and no left ankle. I don't understand the criminal underrating of him on here given his total lack of support from the supposed higher weight division defenders. He's fearless, quick, big kick and always puts his body on the line - to a fault as we've seen.

He's never going to be the number 1 defender, but he's bloody awesome as a second/third option. I'd have him over Burton if we want to win games this year tbh. Burton isn't a defenders butthole.