Welcome to the Bulldogs - Tim English

[Twodogs]

Welcome to the premiers big fella. Here's hoping you have a long and fruitful career with the Bulldogs. I hope you play plenty of footy early on and develop as quickly as our last few first round picks.

[Go_Dogs]

Could English play as a key defender?

[GVGjr]

Could English play as a key defender?

That would be an interesting idea given our preference for versatile players.

[Go_Dogs]

That would be an interesting idea given our preference for versatile players.

I haven't seen anywhere near enough of him to gauge how he may go competing 1:1 as a defender, but with his speed, repeat efforts, ground level ability, clean hands and decent kicking he has quite a few tools that would appeal in that role.

Look forward to watching him develop.

[LostDoggy]

Could English play as a key defender?

A revolutionary Ruck concept in a year or 2 with Boyd patrolling the front 3rd, Roughy the midfield and English the back third as a 3 way mobile Rucking division?

[comrade]

A revolutionary Ruck concept in a year or 2 with Boyd patrolling the front 3rd, Roughy the midfield and English the back third as a 3 way mobile Rucking division?

Just when you thought Bevo had taken the game in one direction (small, handball based), he zags the other way.

Genius.

[Go_Dogs]

A revolutionary Ruck concept in a year or 2 with Boyd patrolling the front 3rd, Roughy the midfield and English the back third as a 3 way mobile Rucking division?

I like it.

[KT31]

Is it just me, or does he resemble the early 1980's blonde David Bowie. The Thin White Ruck.

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I get the below message when I click on the links.

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[EasternWest]

I get the below message when I click on the links.

Guys he's finally onto us. What do we do now?

[bulldogtragic]

afl.com.au

THIS year's premiers have bucked the trend of steering away from big men early in the NAB AFL Draft, with the Western Bulldogs taking exciting West Australian Tim English with their first selection on Friday.

The Dogs grabbed the agile ruckman with pick 19 after he showed plenty of improvement over the past 18 months with WA and South Fremantle, where he played senior football in the WAFL this season.

English, who is lightly built but highly skilled for his size after honing his craft across half-back before a growth spurt, will no doubt be given time in the VFL to develop his body, and looms as a long-term project for the Bulldogs.

The club's recruiting manager Simon Dalrymple told AFL.com.au they were more than willing to take a chance on English if he was available, despite the snubbing of young ruckmen in the past.

"We always thought that there was a chance that he might slide down the order because of that reason, but we felt that he was too good a player to pass up," he said.

"At 205cm and with his ability with ball in hand, we thought it was really suitable to the way we play, so that made him an attractive option.

"We always pick the best player available, and our list is fairly well balanced, so we didn't think there was a pressing need, we just wanted to get good players."

The Dogs used three more selections on former basketballers Patrick Lipinski (No.28) and Lewis Young (No.49), and Fergus Greene (No.70).

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Looks like a young John Schultz with that hair.
I guess his recruitment means we are less likely to redraft Luke Goetz.
All the best of luck young Bulldog, Tim English.

[LostDoggy]

Apparently English has grown over 20 cm in the last 3 years and his brother is even taller. Could end up a monster height, even by modern day ruck standards.

[Topdog]

Apparently English has grown over 20 cm in the last 3 years and his brother is even taller. Could end up a monster height, even by modern day ruck standards.

Sandilands styles?

[Mantis]

Apparently English has grown over 20 cm in the last 3 years and his brother is even taller. Could end up a monster height, even by modern day ruck standards.

Yep, was a midfielder until the growth spurt.. Which is probably why his ground skills are pretty good.

[dog town]

I don't think he is the type of guy that is going to add a heap of muscle and lose his agility. Most of his ground level work appears to be done through a willingness to compete and clean hands rather than agility. As long as he can get to a point physically where he doesn't get battered around in the actual ruck contests then his ground level work is going to be a bonus. Liked watching the footage of him putting his head down and gut running in transition(both ways). Ruckmen as kids are basically taught to ruck then play a kick behind play so to see him trying to join in to link up or close space makes him pretty unique. Bevo would no doubt be liking the fact that he can get around and join in on team defence. The hands and ability at ground level sort of suits us too and is probably the reason we chased Kruzer so hard a couple of years ago.

Having said all of that I do think it is a risk taking a ruckmen. I qualify this by saying I have seen very little of English.

1- I don't think they are that hard to find if you really want one. Every trade period they are shopped around or there are guys showing a bit as back up rucks at other clubs. We ourselves are basically pushing an AA ruckmen out the door. They are there if you really want to go and grab one. You may have to pay a premium for them but that is pretty much what we have just done anyway.

2- I am not sure they are as influential as they once were. It's not that I don't rate ruckmen it is just teams have found a way to work without a dominant one. With third man up, video, team defence all of these things have slowly just whittled down the areas they can actually dominate the game. It is still better to have a gun ruckmen than not have one but it is not the end of the world if you don't. I would argue Gawn (2016) and Goldy (2015) played almost as well as any ruck for a long time but their teams didn't get a huge advantage for it. I am certainly pleased that English looks like he can add other dimensions to his game other than just ruck work. IMO they need to be either great at contested ground balls, able to mark around the ground or go forward. If they don't have any of these attributes and just stand and tap then it is a waste. Roughy took important marks all finals series and has improved his ground stuff...that's what I want from my ruckmen.

3- I back Dal in with his projections for English but as many people have mentioned history does show they are difficult to judge. At any level of any sport tall guys are the hardest to project on for the future. Everything I have seen of him suggests he has a bright future but there is that risk. I hope he is an absolute star and brings back the days of the dominant ruckmen.