Sweet's big month

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Numbers aren’t everything in footy.
But a quick look at first-year big man Jordon Sweet’s numbers suggest he’s had a pretty big month.

In Footscray’s VFL win against Sandringham on Sunday, Sweet racked up a third half-century of hit-outs in his past four matches.

His 51 hit-outs helped the ‘Scray post a 37-point win against the Zebras, and followed games where he notched 55 (against Casey Demons), 39 (Richmond) and 60 (Port Melbourne).

“We’re getting a bit of continuity, and we’re playing well as a team,” Sweet told westernbulldogs.com.au after the win at Trevor Barker Oval.

“They came hard at us in the first quarter, with a lot of pressure and tackle pressure.
“At half-time we sat down and talked about it and said we had to take it to them and go up another notch, which we did.”

The 21-year-old joined the Bulldogs with pick 23 in last year’s NAB AFL Rookie Draft, after winning a SANFL premiership with North Adelaide in 2018.

It’s been a work in progress this season for the developing ruckman at VFL level.

He’s happy to be getting first hands on the ball in ruck contests, and is growing in confidence and working with development coach Jordan Russell on ways he can improve his tap work.

“I’m speaking to ‘Russ’ about it – some of them are a bit rogue,” he said.
“We’re trying to work on it and keep it simple. It’s all about what’s good for the team.

“I’m more confident now with the way I’m going about my football.

“I’m slowly developing and getting to where I want to be in the back half of the year.

“I’m going up against AFL-listed ruckmen every week which has been great for my development.”

Can he be a surprise selection this week?

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Can he be a surprise selection this week?

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How do you thunk he would go against a combination of Sandilands, Darcy and Lobb who all played against the Swans?

I think he still has a lot to learn and just lacks game awareness but you never know what we might conjure up

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Originally Posted by GVGjr

How do you thunk he would go against a combination of Sandilands, Darcy and Lobb who all played against the Swans?

I think he still has a lot to learn and just lacks game awareness but you never know what we might conjure up

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With Schache out English will need major support.

BAD could be right, Sweet may play this week.

He seems quite driven so personally I’d play him, if only to show him how far off he may be and what he has to continue to work on. Particularly as we come to the end of the year.

You could easily write that article on Tom Campbell and his complete domination of VFL hit outs. The match committee showed it wouldn't pick BTC, then the list manager then cut him. I'd need to know what's changed in our philosophy about ruck selection before thinking he's a shot. Realistically, Bevo might throw Trengove in to support Timmy and go about another 'versatile tall' with Lewy Young having played this year as a defender (cover JT), forward (if Schache is not fit) and ruck (to help Timmy).

I'm not against it, but I'm trying to predict the decision using recent history as a guide.

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Originally Posted by GVGjr

How do you thunk he would go against a combination of Sandilands, Darcy and Lobb who all played against the Swans?

I think he still has a lot to learn and just lacks game awareness but you never know what we might conjure up

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I don't think he is ready, but he may be an ideal match up for Sandlilands, and test out Lobb's shoulder if he plays.

I have noticed the last two weeks, English has hardly rucked in the second half of the game, and has been plonked in the goal square. I think we have been resting him a bit.

Sweet should be selected and should have been in before.

We've reached the juncture where salvaging what's left of the season means getting some game time into the kids. Sweet's raw as hell but what have we got to lose?

Give him a taste of the benchmarks required at the next level and he might make a handy yin to English's yang one day.

Nah don't play him.

We haven't written the season off yet (maybe we should, but Beveridge and company won't) so will be picking a side to win.

You can't pick Sweet yet unless you think he can genuinely ruck for 70% of the game because he is yet to show anything anywhere else. If he comes in and struggles, which is likely considering he is playing Sandilands, where do you put him when we switch to plan B (putting English/Naughton in the ruck and getting them to get involved everywhere else)? He is not a forward and not a key defender, and he's not a roaming ruckman so it's hitouts and clearance competitiveness or nothing.

I'm not saying he couldn't possibly have a good game, but I think the probability of him being an asset and not a liability is about 20%, which is a big risk to take when the probable outcome means you are trying to hide a big, slow bloke who can't contribute anywhere other than trying not to lose in the ruck for a whole game.

If you want a competitor in the ruck, play Trengove there and bring Young or Morris in for defence.

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Originally Posted by westbulldog

Sweet should be selected and should have been in before.

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On what basis?

If English is playing, how can we tie up 2 out of 22 participants in ONE position...

Does he have the tank yet?
Witts is the closest thing the AFL has to a tap-only ruckman and he runs hard, really hard.

I like Sweet, he has natural aggression but I haven't seen him rest forward at VFL level which is what he'd have to do at AFL level.
If we really want a ruck to help out English, Trengove is the obvious choice.

I wouldn't be on board selecting Sweet at all.

Much prefer to select an additional tall defender if we need Trengove to ruck more.

Sweet has no impact around the ground at this point in his career at VFL level, AFL level is miles above this, and you can't afford to have a non-contributor in your 18 around the ground.

Sweet or Lew Young? Probably has to be one or the other right now

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Originally Posted by mjp

On what basis?

If English is playing, how can we tie up 2 out of 22 participants in ONE position...

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On the basis that he has been doing ok and deserves a chance. On the basis that last week cruelled our season, heads need to roll and it is time to try kids like Sweet West and Lewis Young. Several are simply presuming he will fail.

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Originally Posted by hujsh

Sweet or Lew Young? Probably has to be one or the other right now

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Is Lewie Young right to play? Struggled to walk when he passed me during the Casey / Bulldogs VFL game, very proppy.

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Originally Posted by Mofra

Is Lewie Young right to play? Struggled to walk when he passed me during the Casey / Bulldogs VFL game, very proppy.

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He played on the weekend.

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Originally Posted by westbulldog

On the basis that he has been doing ok and deserves a chance. On the basis that last week cruelled our season, heads need to roll and it is time to try kids like Sweet West and Lewis Young. Several are simply presuming he will fail.

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You simply pick the best team you can to win the game, or you are not fair dinkum as a footy club.

If you think that Sweet, West and Young are in the best team - then that is perfectly fine. But I struggle to see how playing 2 ruckman-only players helps us win.

There's probably only one opponent where Sweet would be a possibility to be selected and actually contribute, and it is Freo - Sandilands and Darcy are not aerobic beasts nor do they rack up big possession chain numbers, and I worry that English will get smashed if he has to ruck against these two at stoppages for much longer than 50% game time.

You can bet your bottom dollar that Ross Lyon will be structuring up for a stoppage and congestion heavy game on Sunday, and if he does we will either have to be unbelievable at sharking opposition taps or English will need some serious support at stoppages. English will also be dangerous when up forward and assist Naughton in combating the likely double-teaming he will cop.

Sweet for Schache won't unbalance the team too much.

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Originally Posted by Ozza

You simply pick the best team you can to win the game, or you are not fair dinkum as a footy club.

If you think that Sweet, West and Young are in the best team - then that is perfectly fine. But I struggle to see how playing 2 ruckman-only players helps us win.

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Tend to agree with you Ozza although westbulldog makes some very good points. I’m all for trying out the kids and getting games into them which is important but I think we still need to be playing our best team possible at this stage given we are still a very small chance if somehow we win all our games. It’s a balancing act.

Who else thought that the thread heading said "Sweet's Big Mouth" when they first saw it? I thought "Oh no, what have we done now?"

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Originally Posted by Twodogs

Who else thought that the thread heading said "Sweet's Big Mouth" when they first saw it? I thought "Oh no, what have we done now?"

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Not just the first time. Almost every time.

The ground swell for Sweet is reminding me of the push for Will Minson to debut all those years ago.

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Originally Posted by soupaman

Nah don't play him.

We haven't written the season off yet (maybe we should, but Beveridge and company won't) so will be picking a side to win.

You can't pick Sweet yet unless you think he can genuinely ruck for 70% of the game because he is yet to show anything anywhere else. If he comes in and struggles, which is likely considering he is playing Sandilands, where do you put him when we switch to plan B (putting English/Naughton in the ruck and getting them to get involved everywhere else)? He is not a forward and not a key defender, and he's not a roaming ruckman so it's hitouts and clearance competitiveness or nothing.

I'm not saying he couldn't possibly have a good game, but I think the probability of him being an asset and not a liability is about 20%, which is a big risk to take when the probable outcome means you are trying to hide a big, slow bloke who can't contribute anywhere other than trying not to lose in the ruck for a whole game.

If you want a competitor in the ruck, play Trengove there and bring Young or Morris in for defence.

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This post highlighted to me how well English's mobility has served us. He's a gem.

Lyon said last night on the Ch7 news here that Lobb may be ok to play and Sandilands too however other footy media scribes here disagree. Some say Lobb won't play and Sandilands wont travel. So in the event that Schache is out English can move forward where he would present a headache for the Dockers and ruck for a lesser % of the game. Based on what I have seen of the Dockers
their prime movers are definitely Fyfe Mundy Brad Hill and Walters, containing them goes a long way towards a win. I don't think we are in the finals race after last week and our poor % so that is why I suggest giving these kids a go.