Why are we being killed in the middle?

[Hotdog60]

Tim is a key forward akin to a Peter Wright. Regardless of his current All Australian status he’s not a ruckman in the mould of a Gawn, Darcy or Witts etc

We've been saying for a few years now haven't we. If we can see it the coaches must.
A mobile ruckman is all well and good but a genuine ruckman will give you first use and with 6,6,6 lets your key forwards have a better chance one on one.

[angelopetraglia]

We've been saying for a few years now haven't we. If we can see it the coaches must.
A mobile ruckman is all well and good but a genuine ruckman will give you first use and with 6,6,6 lets your key forwards have a better chance one on one.

Bevo has known it for a long time. Was it a coincidence that we played our best footy when in the first half of 2021 when Stef Martin was in a partnership with Tim? With Tim playing the forward/ruck role? With Sweet playing when Martin wasn?t until we got smashed by Melbourne.

Tim basically gave the club an ultimatum that he wanted to play ruck and obviously got his way.

They must have thought he could potentially change as he got older, but he hasn?t. He ain?t physical enough at the contest or man, he never has been and he never will be.

Has some other amazing qualities that very few ruckman posses that allows him to star quite often, but in big games, against tough physical ruckman, he goes missing.

[macca]

Bevo has known it for a long time. Was it a coincidence that we played our best footy when in the first half of 2021 when Stef Martin was in a partnership with Tim? With Tim playing the forward/ruck role? With Sweet playing when Martin wasn?t until we got smashed by Melbourne.

Tim basically gave the club an ultimatum that he wanted to play ruck and obviously got his way.

They must have thought he could potentially change as he got older, but he hasn?t. He ain?t physical enough at the contest or man, he never has been and he never will be.

Has some other amazing qualities that very few ruckman posses that allows him to star quite often, but in big games, against tough physical ruckman, he goes missing.

Tim is not the piece of the puzzle that will get us to a premiership. Leight Matthews has come out and called him soft. Now, clubs know how to rough him up. There goes our stoppage planning... Just give English a bump.

He is not a physical and stoppage ruckman. Stefan Martin provided that. The Great beard was a champion at it. This is the missing piece. It bewilders me that we did not go hard to get Goldestein last year, as he would be the perfect foil for Tim. Goldstein has good endurance (83 % TOG) , is a decent mark and knows where to be at the goal front. Not only can Goldy provide on field balance, but he would be a good ruck coach as well to our younger players.

We also need to address our goal kicking ( raised again and again, its like a recursive afterthought....)
VDM, West, Juh and Naughton all missing gettable shots. Whilst at the other end, Bombers putting them through the middle sticks.

[josie]

Tim is not the piece of the puzzle that will get us to a premiership. Leight Matthews has come out and called him soft. Now, clubs know how to rough him up. There goes our stoppage planning... Just give English a bump.

He is not a physical and stoppage ruckman. Stefan Martin provided that. The Great beard was a champion at it. This is the missing piece. It bewilders me that we did not go hard to get Goldestein last year, as he would be the perfect foil for Tim. Goldstein has good endurance (83 % TOG) , is a decent mark and knows where to be at the goal front. Not only can Goldy provide on field balance, but he would be a good ruck coach as well to our younger players.

We also need to address our goal kicking ( raised again and again, its like a recursive afterthought....)
VDM, West, Juh and Naughton all missing gettable shots. Whilst at the other end, Bombers putting them through the middle sticks.

Agree with this post. Goldy for a year or two would have been smart.

[angelopetraglia]

Leigh Matthews. One of the most respected people in the game. Just gave Tim quite possibly the biggest spay I have heard in my time following the game. Calling an AFL footballer soft and saying he is not playing with enough vigour. Can it get worse than that?

"Tim Engilsh is a big man playing like a little man at the moment he is not playing with enough agression"

"At the moment he is not playing with enough vigour and agression, your big men have to play big, you can't have soft big men"

Are you calling him soft? "He is playing soft".

Whack.

Whack.

Whack.

[GVGjr]

Agree with this post. Goldy for a year or two would have been smart.

But we wouldn't play 2 genuine ruck man in the same game. Goldy would have been okay for Footscray but less so for the seniors.
Tim hasn't quite adapted to the new ruck rules, hopefully he will soon.

[D Mitchell]

But we wouldn't play 2 genuine ruck man in the same game. Goldy would have been okay for Footscray but less so for the seniors.
Tim hasn't quite adapted to the new ruck rules, hopefully he will soon.

Josie's right, English isn't a Goldstein-Gawn. When Goldstein was available, we should have mortgaged the Town Hall to get him.

[Grantysghost]

Josie's right, English isn't a Goldstein-Gawn. When Goldstein was available, we should have mortgaged the Town Hall to get him.

G is right, how do you fit Goldstein in with Lobb and Darcy?
He mightve been a good break glass however i dont think he'd leave Norf for that. His old coach promised him time and that's what he's getting.

[macca]

Goldsteins last year at North , Xerri was being played ahead if him for a few games. That would have been signal enough for Power to pursue. Who knows what negotiations took place but it was a missed opportunity. I would have put Goldsteim ahead of Lobb as a recruit.

[lemmon]

Tim basically gave the club an ultimatum that he wanted to play ruck and obviously got his way.

Have seen this floating around a bit - what's it based on? Outside of team selection, it's not something I've seen hinted at anywhere in the media or what Tim's said.

[azabob]

Have seen this floating around a bit - what's it based on? Outside of team selection, it's not something I've seen hinted at anywhere in the media or what Tim's said.

It was a while ago but fairly certain cool hand Luke B pretty much said so.

[JanLorMill]

Agree with this post. Goldy for a year or two would have been smart.

No we missed that boat when we went for Lobb. Instead of addressing the problem of a ruck that?s not combative enough, we traded for a player that took a position that English might able to play.
Grundy was available and cheap.

We have trouble fitting in Darcy English and Lobb into the 22. Goldstein as well?

[JanLorMill]

Have seen this floating around a bit - what's it based on? Outside of team selection, it's not something I've seen hinted at anywhere in the media or what Tim's said.

Hinted by Bevo but I’m finding him hard to believe more and more.

[josie]

No we missed that boat when we went for Lobb. Instead of addressing the problem of a ruck that?s not combative enough, we traded for a player that took a position that English might able to play.
Grundy was available and cheap.

We have trouble fitting in Darcy English and Lobb into the 22. Goldstein as well?

After last match English would be dropped or play swingman, Goldstein (or Gawn) would play, as would Darcy. Lobb is I believe injured. Darcy is still fragile as he strengthens his frame.

[Dazza]

Why do we let our players dictate where we play them? I've heard English, Dunkley, Smith and Naughton all crack the shits when asked to play different roles. Just suck it up and do what's best for the team.