Discussion Rookie Discussion
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My thinking contracts are a loose agreement between club and player which can be broken at any time. Player (A) has just signed with a new club for 3 years on 600k per year. 3 weeks into preseason with his new club he does his ACL and will be out for the next 12 months. During his rehab for the ACL injury he spends his time
Cox returns 1.22 goals per game. Very ordinary.
Cox returns 1.22 goals per game. Very ordinary.
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A few snippets about Brander & Bailey Williams in today's Sunday Times...
West Coast coach Adam Simpson admits there are a few questions to figure out in his round one selection puzzle, but forward Jack Darling's fitness isn't one of them.
Simpson declared Darling who didn't feature in either Marsh series match due to a broken cheekbone, a certainty to return against Melbourne at Optus Stadium on March 22, however the second ruck role is still up for grabs.
Athletic tall Bailey Williams appeared the front-runner to partner Nic Naitanui in the season opener before a hamstring injury cast doubt on his availability for an AFL debut.
Premiership big man Nathan Vardy was quiet in yesterday's one-point loss to Fremantle in Joondalup, with just four touches and nine hit-outs.
Tom Hickey didn't feature in either of the Eagles' Marsh series games and instead played in a pair of WAFL scratch matches.
"There's a few questions still," Simpson said. "Jack Darling will come in, the second ruck is up for grabs as well."
The Eagles are uncertain about Williams' fitness ahead of Friday's intra-club hit-out, which will go a long way to deciding the make-up of the 22.
Jarrod Brander's wing experiment is set to continue into the regular season, with Simpson confident the third-year tall had taken a "step forward" this pre-season.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson admits there are a few questions to figure out in his round one selection puzzle, but forward Jack Darling's fitness isn't one of them.
Simpson declared Darling who didn't feature in either Marsh series match due to a broken cheekbone, a certainty to return against Melbourne at Optus Stadium on March 22, however the second ruck role is still up for grabs.
Athletic tall Bailey Williams appeared the front-runner to partner Nic Naitanui in the season opener before a hamstring injury cast doubt on his availability for an AFL debut.
Premiership big man Nathan Vardy was quiet in yesterday's one-point loss to Fremantle in Joondalup, with just four touches and nine hit-outs.
Tom Hickey didn't feature in either of the Eagles' Marsh series games and instead played in a pair of WAFL scratch matches.
"There's a few questions still," Simpson said. "Jack Darling will come in, the second ruck is up for grabs as well."
The Eagles are uncertain about Williams' fitness ahead of Friday's intra-club hit-out, which will go a long way to deciding the make-up of the 22.
Jarrod Brander's wing experiment is set to continue into the regular season, with Simpson confident the third-year tall had taken a "step forward" this pre-season.
The first question is when does Hooker return? He has spent most of the summer with the rehab group. He spent about half an hour with the main group in training yesterday before getting some physio done and then back with the lads in rehab. He may be a week away, or he could be a month or more away.
Last year he played a lot of the back end of the season carrying an injury. In retrospect I think the coaches should have rested him and given BZT more of a run. This year the Bombers have a new head of fitness, Sean Murphy who they nicked off the Hawks to replace Justin Crowe, so our philosophy on how to treat injuries and prepare players could be completely different.
The next question is does Hooker play forward or back? It's hard to answer as well because effectively there is a new coaching set up. Regardless of whatever they say in the press etc; the progmatic perception I get is that Rutten and Caracella are effectively in charge of the game plan now. I don't know how they view Hooker. Futher, a possible benfit to BZT is they may look at BZT and decide to give him more senior game time to get more development in him with a lookout more to the future.
At the moment the talls at Essendon are very thin. Previous backups Hartley and Brown are gone. Ambrose is out for a while. So down back it's now BZT, Hurley and Francis. Up forward Daniher may be half a year away but who the hell knows, meaning McKernan, and the more mobile Stringer and Laverde will be given first crack. There is little tall forward backup with Gown recoveing from injury, Jones only just recruited and not ready yet. Ruckman wise you have Phillips in the team, with Bellchambers overcoming injuries and will never play 22 games in a season again imo, and Draper coming back from long term injury and Bryan a new recruit, so there may not be much resting ruckmen up forward.
Personally I suspect Hooker will be used as a spare parts man and go whereever the team needs him most from week to week. Some weeks forward, some weeks back, and will continue to be thrown around during games if needed. So does BZT have JS? For the first couple of weeks I think so, but he needs to pull his weight straight away. If the opposition key forwards start to create havoc Hooker will be sent back quick smart.
Last year he played a lot of the back end of the season carrying an injury. In retrospect I think the coaches should have rested him and given BZT more of a run. This year the Bombers have a new head of fitness, Sean Murphy who they nicked off the Hawks to replace Justin Crowe, so our philosophy on how to treat injuries and prepare players could be completely different.
The next question is does Hooker play forward or back? It's hard to answer as well because effectively there is a new coaching set up. Regardless of whatever they say in the press etc; the progmatic perception I get is that Rutten and Caracella are effectively in charge of the game plan now. I don't know how they view Hooker. Futher, a possible benfit to BZT is they may look at BZT and decide to give him more senior game time to get more development in him with a lookout more to the future.
At the moment the talls at Essendon are very thin. Previous backups Hartley and Brown are gone. Ambrose is out for a while. So down back it's now BZT, Hurley and Francis. Up forward Daniher may be half a year away but who the hell knows, meaning McKernan, and the more mobile Stringer and Laverde will be given first crack. There is little tall forward backup with Gown recoveing from injury, Jones only just recruited and not ready yet. Ruckman wise you have Phillips in the team, with Bellchambers overcoming injuries and will never play 22 games in a season again imo, and Draper coming back from long term injury and Bryan a new recruit, so there may not be much resting ruckmen up forward.
Personally I suspect Hooker will be used as a spare parts man and go whereever the team needs him most from week to week. Some weeks forward, some weeks back, and will continue to be thrown around during games if needed. So does BZT have JS? For the first couple of weeks I think so, but he needs to pull his weight straight away. If the opposition key forwards start to create havoc Hooker will be sent back quick smart.
Great post. I think the fact that McKernan would be our only real tall forward target led me to thinking that Hooker just has to play forward. McKernan is also required to pinch hit in the ruck when TBC/Phillips is on the bench and in that scenario, we would have no actual KPFs up fwd! We had Mitch Brown play FF for most of the end of last season (so it is hard to understand why we delisted him anyway).
But the point you raised is definitely true, if BZT is not playing his role effectively, Hooker will need to play in defence to help out. Whether it be at the expense of BZT or whether Francis would instead switch forward remains an unknown.
BZT is a lot bulkier this year so I'm hoping he can hold up that KPD spot for the team (and also our SC sides!).
But the point you raised is definitely true, if BZT is not playing his role effectively, Hooker will need to play in defence to help out. Whether it be at the expense of BZT or whether Francis would instead switch forward remains an unknown.
BZT is a lot bulkier this year so I'm hoping he can hold up that KPD spot for the team (and also our SC sides!).
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BZT has a bit of Weitering about him I reckon. 200k rookie that we all picked because there was no one else. Didn't expect much scoring rise. Pulled out a 130 in Round 3 to kick start his price rises. BZT was apparently an elite interceptor in the VFL so could see him having a spike game out of nowhere to boost his price. I think he may end up the best of a bad bunch.
Seeing others views, maybe I was a bit too bullish on BZT's JS. Although having said that, I'll most likely start BZT if there are no cheaper options playing on the bench. I still think Hooker has to play forward as I can't see us running with only one KPF for the first half the year with no KPFs at times when our one KPF goes to pinch hit in the ruck. Opposition defences would eat up our I50s way too easily.
So I think BZT's JS is still better than McAsey's who could maybe compete with Doedee. But I have been wrong before (i.e. Dea in 2016, who I thought would have bad JS...).
So I think BZT's JS is still better than McAsey's who could maybe compete with Doedee. But I have been wrong before (i.e. Dea in 2016, who I thought would have bad JS...).
This is what the Prospectus 2020 has on him:
-"His intercepting has stood out at VFL level, ranking No.1 in the competition for intercept possessions across the past two seasons"
-"He improved his kicking efficiency last season, recording the 12th best kicking efficiency of the top 100 players for kicks - and increasing his efficiency by 8%"
-BZT also had the "fourth most intercept marks of any VFL player"
-"His intercepting has stood out at VFL level, ranking No.1 in the competition for intercept possessions across the past two seasons"
-"He improved his kicking efficiency last season, recording the 12th best kicking efficiency of the top 100 players for kicks - and increasing his efficiency by 8%"
-BZT also had the "fourth most intercept marks of any VFL player"
