Where is the love for Bryce?

[Dooky]

Amongst all the jubilation of yesterday's win and the praise of Fev, Judd, Murph etc I thhink people have forgotten what a fantastic job young Bryce Gibbs did for us.

No, he wasn't released into the midfield like maybe we would have liked to see to rack up those 25 touches but in my mind he did a MUCH more important job for us. He absolutely tore Heath Shaw a new one! Shaw can be a vey damaging player and is essentially the Pies playmaker in the backhalf. IMO Collingwood lost alot of their drive due to the blanketing Gibbs gave Shaw. Shaw is a player who regularly racks up 25+ disposals a game and Gibbsy kept him to 1 touch in the first half. 1 touch FFS! And only 5 thereafter, while Gibbs found the pill 12 times himself in the second half. Don't forget this is backing it up 1 week after he absolutely smashed Chadwick Cornes. Cornes and Shaw....thats 2 big scalps in 2 weeks.

At first I was really frustrated at the fact that Pagan and then Ratten seemed to be holding Bryce back by playing him deep in defence...especially when you see these guys like Cooney, Pendlebury, Palmer, Cotchin etc ripping it up in the midfield so early on in their careers. But my opinion has changed completely in the last few weeks. When Gibbs finally is given free license to play in the middle he will be a more complete player having honed his defensive skills in the best way possible. Everyone knows how hurtful to a team it can be when their midfielders can attack attack attack, but then are completely unaccountable when they don't have the footy (I think Matty Knights knows this a little too well). Add this to the speed, composure, poise, awareness and clean disposal he already possesses and the kid is a mouth-watering prospect. We've seen how good Murph goes in the guts and I feel Brycey may even go better!!!! (Big call I know, and no pressure on the kid)

I'm guessing we won't see Gibbs starting in the centre square till 2009 and maybe even 2010. But boy will he be good once he gets there!!!!

Can't remember being this happy since the second last saturday in september in 99'. Oh how good it would be to pump that mob next week!!!!!

 

[Blueboys7]

I have all the love for bryce

I agree with your post completely. His disposal will be so damaging when he gets his stint in the centre for good. His composure inside the contest is phenominal. Love the kid

 

[murphy3]

I love you Bryce, marry me!

theres some love for the young man

i agree, can't wait till he goes more permanantly in the midfield

 

[Jeremias]

There's plenty of love for young Bryce - he's coming along brilliantly.

That's 2 weeks in a row now that he has completely shut down the opposition's most damaging players. First it was Chadwick, and now Shaw.

But watch the morons that say he wasn't good because he didn't get much of the ball

 

[Big Red is back]

I have so much love to give he was great but others were even better

 

[blues4flag]

I'm as big a Gibbs fan as there is - and while he did a fantastic job on Shaw, it doesn't compare to his job on Cornes. Shaw might find the ball when he's given a license to roam by the opposition (and is extremely damaging when he does) but he is very easy to stop when someone plays defensively on him, as has happened numerous times this year. Very hard to get loose touches off half back when someone's right up your clacker, and Shaw at the moment doesn't run hard enough to get of his man.

Not taking anything away from Gibbs - he is developing beautifully (and I can't wait till he's delivering the ball lace out to our forwards once he's moved into the midfield full time) and can only do what the coach asks of him, which he did to perfection.

 

[HBF]

Bryce is coming along very well at the minute. Doesn't get the plaudits some of the others get, but hell, his last 2 games have been very very good.

 

[Bluebear]

Maybe Shaw had a sore knee as well.

Being his BF buddy I haven't had a chance to review his game yet, from either win in the last two weeks........but I will get to it.


P.S. His kick to Murphy at CHF in the last quarter was sublime...............just absolutely sublime.

 

[parrot]

Gibbs delivery by foot to Murph in the last 1/4, was an example of elite skill execution. He used the inside of the foot, and measured the kick perfectly. Gibbs is a rare talent, and progressing nicely. We have a brilliant list.

 

[HawkMongrel]

bryce is going well

 

[HBF]

As long as Judd and Fevola are up and about, that's where the media focus will be.

 

[Alpha1]

The love is always there for Bryce but we are keeping a lid on it

 

[Murph is baby Judd]

everyone still loves bryce, but the fact we (and the media) arent focusing on every little thing he does is both fantastic for carlton and fantastic for bryce.
in case you didnt know, hes lost confidence in his own ability. when people focus on him it puts undue pressure on him to go out and prove to everyone why he was a no.1 pick. he'll always say it doesnt effect him but at a subconcious level it clearly does

lets hope the media keeps focusing on the team or judd, rather than the 3 no.1's
loving the lack of attention to murph aswell

 

[always right]

Gibbs delivery by foot to Murph in the last 1/4, was an example of elite skill execution. He used the inside of the foot, and measured the kick perfectly. Gibbs is a rare talent, and progressing nicely. We have a brilliant list.

You have a "good" list with the potential to be "very good" in the next couple of years. Don't get ahead of yourself.......we're trying hard not to.

 

[nutcase888]

Bryce is going to be an absolute gun. i'm still trying to understand why ratts was so down on him after the Geelong game, i thought he was far from our worse. Anyhow our high draft picks are begining to pay dividends and we are on the verge of a very exciting era.

 

[parrot]

You have a "good" list with the potentia...

The Blues have the most Raw Talent in the AFL. Everyone knows that. We do have a long long way to go in terms of developing that talent though , but are gradually getting better. Only playing at 20-25% of our potential right now. Off-the-scale-upside. A lot to look forward to.

 

[Bluebear]

Bryce is going to be an absolute gun. i'm still trying to understand why ratts was so down on him after the Geelong game, i thought he was far from our worse. Anyhow our high draft picks are begining to pay dividends and we are on the verge of a very exciting era.

I suspect he was misquoted.

For those just joining the bandwagon, here's BG's buddy page.
Yet to be updated for the PA and Pies games, but have a look at how his opponents have been going this year.
He is developing a knack for getting the pill but keeping his opponent very quiet.

4. Bryce Gibbs

 

[I_was_there_in_87]

Bryce is going to be an absolute gun. i'm still trying to understand why ratts was so down on him after the Geelong game, i thought he was far from our worse. Anyhow our high draft picks are begining to pay dividends and we are on the verge of a very exciting era.

I think part of it is another thing i like about Ratt's - no more cruising along - like at three quarter time -put the acid on the players with "how much do you want it".

Bryce is allready good and hopefully will be great - good skills and great poise - maybe ratts is putting some expectation on him each week to bring out the consistency and then maybe unleash him - of course its also nice to finally have some depth to rotate through the midfield - how good was betts little spurt in the last qtr. (a little of topic i know but hey)

 

[Dooky]

yeh good point on ratts....
I love it that there is no longer this 'near enough is good enough' attitude that has seemed to plague us for the last few years.
Games in which we are down by quite a margin where players would drop there heads normally are now very very recoverable!

 

[Macca29]

The love is always there for Bryce but we are keeping a lid on it

his last qtr was great as was jordi russell's

 

[Quazza]

had a chat with him through work last week-Nice kid

My dads( a Hawks man) been a big knocker of Bryce since he started. At the end of yesterdays game i get a text "Gibbs-best stopper in AFL"

ok now thats getting a bit ahead, but shows other supporters/teams are starting to take notice