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  1. #16
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    I am all for throwing him in, but I am staggered we showed our hand so early.

    Teams analyse opposition players to the nth degree but West Coast would not have been expecting Gardner nor would have they given their forwards/defenders any vision of him. Now we have given them a few days to find vision and get them up to speed. It feels like an amateurish and dum call to me.

    Why not tell him privately and bury the footage till later? Spring him as a late in from the emergencies and give WC no time to adjust. In a environment where teams are looking for every tiny competitive advantage this is an instance where we could have pulled a really big rabbit out of the hat and maybe through mismatches gained a little bit of an edge.

  2. #17
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    In the space of a few days he goes from having 3 touches in a VFL game, to being drafted, to being told he's making his debut... Footy is a funny game.

    Wish him well.

    Bevo = no GrubGrubGrubGrubs are given!

  3. #18
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Quote Originally Posted by The Adelaide Connection View Post
    Teams analyse opposition players to the nth degree but West Coast would not have been expecting Gardner nor would have they given their forwards/defenders any vision of him. Now we have given them a few days to find vision and get them up to speed. It feels like an amateurish and dum call to me.
    Well, they do...but honestly all of the VFL vision is online, all of the champion data files are online...pulling up his last 6 weeks of footy will take about 30 minutes (and I doubt they will pull up much more than his past two).

    They will spend time on Bont, Naughton etc as a team but this is a bit of a non-issue.
    What should I tell her? She's going to ask.

  4. #19
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    With Bruce & Keath, is there a need to keep him around? I personally don't see him getting a game next year or beyond.
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

  5. #20
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogtragic View Post
    With Bruce & Keath, is there a need to keep him around? I personally don't see him getting a game next year or beyond.
    He was really really really bad when he played this year. Respect to him for making it happen but there's no need to keep him on either list.
    - I'm a visionary - Only here to confirm my biases -

  6. #21
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Quote Originally Posted by Happy Days View Post
    He was really really really bad when he played this year. Respect to him for making it happen but there's no need to keep him on either list.
    So was the team at that point.

    If he costs nothing then put him somewhere at virtually no cost and we don't lose. He either gets better or he doesn't and we can move on later.

    It's really tough making a jump from reserves footy to senior footy, and for some players it takes more time. I don't think enough of us respect how difficult it is irrespective of whether the jump is being made from ammos div 2 to ammos div 1, or anything like VFL to AFL.

    The fact is he played AFL footy last year, it's stupid to think it happened only because Bevo and others wanted to prove a point.
    Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.

  7. #22
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogtragic View Post
    With Bruce & Keath, is there a need to keep him around? I personally don't see him getting a game next year or beyond.
    Even without Bruce and Keith I didnt believe there was a point to keeping him around.

  8. #23
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Quote Originally Posted by jeemak View Post
    So was the team at that point.

    If he costs nothing then put him somewhere at virtually no cost and we don't lose. He either gets better or he doesn't and we can move on later.

    It's really tough making a jump from reserves footy to senior footy, and for some players it takes more time. I don't think enough of us respect how difficult it is irrespective of whether the jump is being made from ammos div 2 to ammos div 1, or anything like VFL to AFL.

    The fact is he played AFL footy last year, it's stupid to think it happened only because Bevo and others wanted to prove a point.
    TBH I don't see him as a forward at AFL level so he went from VFL swingman to AFL forward which is tough for the best players to do, let alone a mid season rookie.

    If he is to be given another chance it simply has to be as a KPD.
    Western Bulldogs: 2016 Premiers

  9. #24
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    So what's the feeling around him now that he's got a few games under his belt.

    I was thinking last night he doesn't seem lost at sea like he did previously and it seems to be a general consensus as far as I can tell. So I figured it was worth looking at him specifically.

    What's he capable of? Is his ceiling still mediocre? Is he depth at best? Or could he actually play an AFL best 22 role as a key defender now that he's settled?

    Looking more structurally does his inclusion allow someone like Cordy to play a more natural role as 3rd tall defender?

  10. #25
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    He's still got a long way to go but has the athletic traits that the MC wants so I'd stay the course with him
    Worth a spot on the list as it stands
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

  11. #26
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Quote Originally Posted by hujsh View Post
    So what's the feeling around him now that he's got a few games under his belt.

    I was thinking last night he doesn't seem lost at sea like he did previously and it seems to be a general consensus as far as I can tell. So I figured it was worth looking at him specifically.

    What's he capable of? Is his ceiling still mediocre? Is he depth at best? Or could he actually play an AFL best 22 role as a key defender now that he's settled?

    Looking more structurally does his inclusion allow someone like Cordy to play a more natural role as 3rd tall defender?
    He has just turned 23 and has played 9 games of footy. I think he can improve further as his confidence builds up. At this stage I still don't see him as best 22, but I am open to see what he can do. Cordy is best suited as the 3rd tall, and Gardner has allowed this to happen.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  12. #27
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Quote Originally Posted by hujsh View Post
    So what's the feeling around him now that he's got a few games under his belt.

    I was thinking last night he doesn't seem lost at sea like he did previously and it seems to be a general consensus as far as I can tell. So I figured it was worth looking at him specifically.

    What's he capable of? Is his ceiling still mediocre? Is he depth at best? Or could he actually play an AFL best 22 role as a key defender now that he's settled?

    Looking more structurally does his inclusion allow someone like Cordy to play a more natural role as 3rd tall defender?
    There are signs of development, which in an environment where coaching is constrained is quite a positive. And although there were some gettable misses, we've been put to the sword on numerous times in the past by the Eagles tall forwards which I felt we more than evened this position last night. I was less nervous on the night with Gardner than I was with Zaine.

  13. #28
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Quote Originally Posted by hujsh View Post
    So what's the feeling around him now that he's got a few games under his belt.

    I was thinking last night he doesn't seem lost at sea like he did previously and it seems to be a general consensus as far as I can tell. So I figured it was worth looking at him specifically.

    What's he capable of? Is his ceiling still mediocre? Is he depth at best? Or could he actually play an AFL best 22 role as a key defender now that he's settled?

    Looking more structurally does his inclusion allow someone like Cordy to play a more natural role as 3rd tall defender?
    I too see positives in his development this year. He has shown a level of athleticism and competitiveness which has good signs. His decision making will improve over time and with experience.

    The key thing I look for with ANY player early is the ability to continually improve and what we’re seeing is a guy getting a bet better, having a bit more of an impact each week.

  14. #29
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    He's certainly not panicking with the ball in hands to the extent he was in his first few games. Fingers crossed he can finish the season strong and build on this base in 2021. We might have a footballer, yet.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

  15. #30
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    Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

    Needs composure, but that that is building with each game.

    Can kick the ball long and has good closing speed so I can see why the club are invested in him. He's a puncher not a marker and I wonder if marking will come with time, because if not he'll always be at threat of losing his spot.
    Western Bulldogs: 2016 Premiers

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