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The Angels have the phone box. [SIZE="2"]Don't blink![/SIZE] -
It was reported that he initially had only been asked to play in the game at Noosa. Then either after the game, or after pre-game training, he was offered the opportunity to come down to Melbourne and try out for the SSP position. That does imply that it was a case of “Timmy is out, why don’t we have a look at Crossley while we are in Noosa”.
If he has another level, then great., but he was a liability on the weekend. If the Club is happy to fill the last list spot with a ruckman who will strengthen our VFL team and, maybe, provide a break glass option if Tim is out for an extended period, then let’s go for it. But he is not going to make us a better AFL team.The Angels have the phone box. [SIZE="2"]Don't blink![/SIZE]Comment
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I guess he's committed enough to show up and have a go so he probably deserves a bit more credit around here. Let's give him chance first.The curse is dead.Comment
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I get why people are concerned and he wouldn't have been my first choice but when the trade period and National Draft were happening there wasn't much of an appetite here for bringing in a ruck man at all.
The club apparently wanted to bring in Harry Boyd back in December but the Saints got ahead of us on that one.
With the injury to English in the preseason we must have canvassed the market and wanted to have a look at Crossley.
Had we made the move in December he might be a lot closer to being match fit so we now need to consider if waiting until maybe round 4 is worth it.
This is all Rory Lobbs fault.
Had he not made a success of his move to CHB he would be part of a 3 man tall forward set-up and the back up ruck man to Lobb and everything would set
Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"Comment
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Agree with all this except the Lobb part - he was always a forward first/ruck second (same as English IMO) so was too much the same type as what we already had. Lobb circa 2023 was basically Aldi-English. By contrast, Crossley is clearly a tap/stoppage ruck specialist, which is a skill set that compliments English. Putting a line through a 25yo as some on WOOF have is pretty interesting to say the least - each to their own I guess.
I get why people are concerned and he wouldn't have been my first choice but when the trade period and National Draft were happening there wasn't much of an appetite here for bringing in a ruck man at all.
The club apparently wanted to bring in Harry Boyd back in December but the Saints got ahead of us on that one.
With the injury to English in the preseason we must have canvassed the market and wanted to have a look at Crossley.
Had we made the move in December he might be a lot closer to being match fit so we now need to consider if waiting until maybe round 4 is worth it.
This is all Rory Lobbs fault.
Had he not made a success of his move to CHB he would be part of a 3 man tall forward set-up and the back up ruck man to Lobb and everything would set
Lobb morphing into Jakovich accidentally filled a glaring hole down back for us and actually made us an elite defensive and transition team out of D50 in the back half of 2024 - we've never had an elite rebound marking threat down back. He was withering on the vine as a 2nd ruck/forward. I don't know whether to applaud or throw rotten tomatoes at our list management team/footy dept - our 2 best key defenders (Jones and Lobb) for various reasons are both total Hail Mary plays that barely had a 5% chance of succeeding. Imagine our KD stocks without these 2 - we'd be wheeling out Keath on a Zimmer frame and relying on Gardner, Buku, JOD (another Hail Mary play) and an unraced Buss in 2025."Look at me mate. Look at me. I'm flyin'"Comment
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Do you mean we would have recruited other key defenders instead? Lobb is on 500k a season and Jones on minimum chips - not sure what sot of elite key defenders that sort of money would get us on the open market.
We have replenished the list with young key defenders the last couple of years drafting Buss picking up JOD - whether or not they make it is another story of course.
We'd be well and truly screwed down back without Lobb and Jones. And we desperately need Jones to not fall off a cliff.
"Look at me mate. Look at me. I'm flyin'"Comment
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If "Tap specialist" is your only edge or contribution, are you a tap specialist, or is it a case of not being good at anything else?
Genuinely interested in what makes a tap specialist, or the preference of a ruckman that does bugger all but tap work.
How many HOAD per game more than the average ruckman or the other ruckman they are competing for a spot with do they need to get? +2,4,6,8?
What do the scores from stoppage and center bounce differential need to be to justify it, +6, +12 etc?
He might lay a few more follow-up tackles at a stoppage if he gets fitter.
Unlikely, he is involved in the chain or becomes a reliable option forward of centre, as the get-out kick from HB or drifting back to help the back 6.
Keep in mind, year to year, the gap between the best tap ruckman and average in terms of HOAD per game is 2-4.Comment
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From October:
VFL star getting prepared in case second AFL chance comes his way
Southport co-captain Brayden Crossley would absolutely jump at another AFL opportunity if it came his way.
The 25-year-old ruckman has starred in the VFL for the Sharks across the last few seasons, coinciding with the premiership in 2023 and a Grand Final appearance this year.
Delisted by the Gold Coast Suns in 2019 after an irregular drugs test on a NEAFL match day, Crossley says he would love another chance at the elite level if an AFL club was to show any interest.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Crossley said when asked on AFL Trade Radio if he’d consider another AFL chance.
“It’s really cool that you guys (Damian Barrett and Brad Johnson) and a few other people have been talking about me and throwing my name in the ring.
“Obviously I’m not playing state league level for the money because there’s not much in the state leagues at the moment.
“It’s to play at the highest level that I possibly can for as long as I can. Obviously AFL is the next step after that and my hat being thrown in the ring is really cool.
“If something came knocking and clubs were calling me asking if I’m ready to step up then absolutely I would take it with two hands. I’d absolutely love it.”
Crossley, who is also a disability support worker at Being Mentors, says as yet there has been no contact forthcoming.
He continues to hold hope as AFL clubs work on their 2025 list builds in the middle of the trade period and will prepare himself just in case it falls that way.
“I haven’t had anyone reach out just yet,” he added.
“In my position and being the player I am I dare say a few teams would be waiting to see how this trade period plays out. They’d be seeing what depth they can get from other clubs.
“Maybe the calls will start coming then, but I’m certainly not sitting on my palms waiting for that. I’m back training already and ready to step up if it’s required that I’m at (an AFL) pre-season in three or four weeks’ time.
“I’m getting prepared for that if that’s the case because obviously this is a long couple of weeks and list managers can change their mind quite quickly.
“I would absolutely love the opportunity to get on a list again.”
Crossley played 22 games in the VFL in 2024, averaging 43 hit-outs, 14 disposals and six tackles while kicking 12 goals.
He was initially drafted by the Suns with Pick 52 in the 2017 draft and played 10 AFL games for the club.
So he should have a reasonable fitness level., if not quite AFL standard yet. I'm not saying he's not fit but I was concerned about his ability to contribute anything meaningful outside of the ball up/throw in. It was just one game though so willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I do only see him as a backup for English though, not in the same team.Comment
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