Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

[Axe Man]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Ditto Moz.
Players knowing their limitations isn't a bad thing. Ryan's kicking is normally pretty reliable but he doesn't use it as a weapon the way Caleb or Williams do.

Would much prefer Ryan Gardner thinking he's Ryan Gardner than Billy Gowers thinking he's Caleb Daniel.

[Mantis]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Ditto Moz.
Players knowing their limitations isn't a bad thing. Ryan's kicking is normally pretty reliable but he doesn't use it as a weapon the way Caleb or Williams do.

Can someone tell Zaine to kick within his limitations? He thinks he kicks like Caleb Daniel, but it's more like Jayson Daniels!!

Ryan has certainly improved over the past month, but he has a long way to go to become a competent AFL player... hope he goes well as we need someone of his size to hold down a defensive post, but I'm a long way from sold that he is up to it at this stage.

[dog town]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Can someone tell Zaine to kick within his limitations? He thinks he kicks like Caleb Daniel, but it's more like Jayson Daniels!!

Ryan has certainly improved over the past month, but he has a long way to go to become a competent AFL player... hope he goes well as we need someone of his size to hold down a defensive post, but I'm a long way from sold that he is up to it at this stage.

Agree with this, much improved but he is doing the minimum of what you would expect. Hopefully he continues his progression.

I think he is playing with fire inside D50 by laying on the ball in contested situations. If we get the wrong umpire he is going to get pinged a couple of times a game.

[SonofScray]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Can someone tell Zaine to kick within his limitations? He thinks he kicks like Caleb Daniel, but it's more like Jayson Daniels!!

Ryan has certainly improved over the past month, but he has a long way to go to become a competent AFL player... hope he goes well as we need someone of his size to hold down a defensive post, but I'm a long way from sold that he is up to it at this stage.

Zaine's errors on the weekend were definitely fuelled by the Premiership CHF within trying to burst free. I have these experiences playing sport, especially ice hockey where I am a real meat and potatoes defender but every now and then I like to remind people that I can skate like the wind. Which I do, until I leave the puck behind and the goalie one out with their top scorer.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Zaine's errors on the weekend were definitely fuelled by the Premiership CHF within trying to burst free. I have these experiences playing sport, especially ice hockey where I am a real meat and potatoes defender but every now and then I like to remind people that I can skate like the wind. Which I do, until I leave the puck behind and the goalie one out with their top scorer.

Iced hockey looks like a terrifically legally violent sport. Is it good fun to play?

[SonofScray]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Iced hockey looks like a terrifically legally violent sport. Is it good fun to play?

The best type of fun. It's actually really similar to footy, even if the mechanics are wildly different. Very physical, fast paced and humbling.

[soupman]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

I've played as well and it is a lot of fun. Probably the most exhausting sport I've played in that you are basically doing hill runs everytime you are on the rink, and the skills don't really come naturally to Australians, but theres a lot going and its very dynamic.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Been good watching his improvement over the course of the year. He’s now confident in the contest, although can still get bodied a little too easily. When our team defence is working he’s a key part of that. The Hamling and perhaps Roberts comparisons are good ones. He will do a job for us with minimal fuss.

Kicking is not a feature and I get nervous when he gets the ball. Teammates look nervous too - don’t see many short spot up leads occurring. If he can find a runner near by or find a player close by in space by foot that’s a good result.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

The best type of fun. It's actually really similar to footy, even if the mechanics are wildly different. Very physical, fast paced and humbling.

SoS do you have those huge punch ons that you see over in Canada and the US?

[Mantis]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Been good watching his improvement over the course of the year. He’s now confident in the contest, although can still get bodied a little too easily. When our team defence is working he’s a key part of that. The Hamling and perhaps Roberts comparisons are good ones. He will do a job for us with minimal fuss.

Kicking is not a feature and I get nervous when he gets the ball. Teammates look nervous too - don’t see many short spot up leads occurring. If he can find a runner near by or find a player close by in space by foot that’s a good result.

The Roberts comparison is reasonable, but he’s no where near as athletic or confident in the air as Hamling.

The kicking is an issue especially given he has other members of the defensive group who struggle in that area too.

[SonofScray]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

SoS do you have those huge punch ons that you see over in Canada and the US?

Not really, pretty tame on that front ! Though there some really dirty pricks out there.

Sounds stupid, but I think we could get a lot of the weak, off the ball, antagonistic Toby Greene type stuff out of the gameif there was a legitimate threat of a punch in the face. Good deterrent

[Rocket Science]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Not really, pretty tame on that front ! Though there some really dirty pricks out there.

Sounds stupid, but I think we could get a lot of the weak, off the ball, antagonistic Toby Greene type stuff out of the gameif there was a legitimate threat of a punch in the face. Good deterrent

Long live the enforcer, they're all but extinct now even at NHL level.

Not sure who'd be our bad cop on the beat but we can make do with sick burns from Libba whenever some knob transgresses.

Out of curiosity SOS, who've you skated with as a player?

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

The Roberts comparison is reasonable, but he’s no where near as athletic or confident in the air as Hamling.

The kicking is an issue especially given he has other members of the defensive group who struggle in that area too.

Gardner is actually tracking well, but it is hard to compare to Rioberts and Hamling who just has a very short period of being really good for us.

Hamling was on the verge of being delisted about round 14 of 2016, but came to the fore in a magnificent final series.

Roberts only got into the side for the last 2 games because of injury.

Gardner has the athleticism and gets to contests to spoil. He also covers ground ball better than Roberts ever did.

Hopefully the recent improvement has given him the confidence to really shine in the weeks ahead.

[Twodogs]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Zaine's errors on the weekend were definitely fuelled by the Premiership CHF within trying to burst free. I have these experiences playing sport, especially ice hockey where I am a real meat and potatoes defender but every now and then I like to remind people that I can skate like the wind. Which I do, until I leave the puck behind and the goalie one out with their top scorer.

Playing indoor soccer earlier this year as the goalkeeper something came over me and rather than leaving one of the defenders to do the job I left the area to contest the ball with the 18 YO opposition gun player about 4 or 5 metres right in front of goal I vaguely remember thinking "WTF am I doing?" I then calmly stripped the ball off him, stepped around him and put it at the feet of one of our forwards. I'll never forget the look on his face. I'll never forget the look on everybody's face.

SoS do you have those huge punch ons that you see over in Canada and the US?

Used to have them playing cricket.

[Twodogs]

Re: Welcome to the Westernbulldogs Ryan Gardner

Good recollection. Fingers crossed!! He was a bloody good mark. He and Naughton are best marks I’ve seen in my time following Dogs. (Grant could clunk ‘em sometimes and Johnno was great for his size too).

Kelvin Templeton was an unbelievably good mark. He'd take 15-20 contested marks a week at his peak.