Alex Neal-Bullen

[deehughman 10]

We are a team that lacks leg speed and some of you bash our best runner. Yes he could make less errors but he could have kicked 3.1 instead of 1.3. 

[Age 485]

 On the couch last night showed him as rated #6 in the AFL for the season for pressure acts and #2 over the last 6 weeks I think it was, whilst it would be nice if his finishing was a little better, with that stat, I can't see him dropped anytime soon. 

[Gorgoroth 13,016]

Wasn’t it #6 over all and #2 of the finals?

[Jibroni 5,009]

Good article about him in the Adelaide Advertiser about his love for the club and family support. Hope his form continues.

[hemingway 7,631]

23 hours ago, In Harmes Way said:

I just watched the replay of the first quarter on the train on the way in to work. Nibbler was absolutely immense in the first 15 minutes with his pressure and tackling. I also loved that he was getting really pushy on the Geelong players after a tackle, one of the smallest blokes on the ground but gave nothing away.

If he plays like that for the finals series, we're in good hands.

Like many others he has developed some mongrel and is prepared to take it up to his opponents.

i am proud that we have a team that is becoming as tough as nails that will not take a back step.

We have become intimidating rather than being the intimidated. No more sissy's at Melbourne.

[binman 43,734]

1 hour ago, Bonkers said:

Exactly. I think its the reason why they are playing Spargo instead of someone like Garlett.

Yep. And the fact he does the one percenters, puts pressure on and tackles regularly and with ferocity. 

[Ethan Tremblay 30,965]

1 hour ago, Jibroni said:

Good article about him in the Adelaide Advertiser about his love for the club and family support. Hope his form continues.

I can’t see it dwindling, his work rate is too high for his form to drop anytime soon. 

[DV8 2,271]

3 hours ago, binman said:

I think many don't recognise how critical his running is. Covers more ground rhan anyone and gut runs to get across to outlet kicks and stop/slow transition.

The whole team has improved this defensive running in tge back half of rhe season, which has been the key factor in our ability to restrict opposition scoring in the last third of the season (where have the calls our defensive unit is weak gone?). 

But in the first two thirds of the season anb was one of the few players willing or able to cover the sort of ks and do the gut runnning required for the dees to be competitive with the top teams. I have little doubt goody would have used anb as an example to his team mates as what is required at this level in terms of running and effort.

I think that was the total buy-in time Re the game-plan.

Watta difference.  A hard team with vigor, and hard 2way running. total commitment.

Edited September 11, 2018 by DV8

[DV8 2,271]

On 9/9/2018 at 7:20 PM, chookrat said:

ANB is underrated here for his workrate and pressure. Without guys lik him our system would not work. He also gets on the end of scoring chains and decent around goal. 

Some supporters believe tackling is overrated, as well chook.

[jnrmac 20,184]

On 9/9/2018 at 4:11 PM, dazzledavey36 said:

Played well and so he should have. 

I still have my worries though.

He was putrid in the Swans game though....

[jnrmac 20,184]

3 hours ago, deehughman said:

We are a team that lacks leg speed and some of you bash our best runner. Yes he could make less errors but he could have kicked 3.1 instead of 1.3. 

Not disimilar to Bugg in many attributes including kicking....

[Young Blood 2,634]

Thought ANB is one of many players who set the tone early on Friday night. Yes he wasn't particularly clean but he made up for it with intensity and ferocious tackling/pressure. Took some risks with passes that paid off.

He is the sort of player I want in finals with his relentless pressure. He doesn't stop.

[deehughman 10]

29 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

Not disimilar to Bugg in many attributes including kicking....

agreed. I think that Nibbler may follow instructions better. They are similar so only one plays. Bugg is a less reliable set shot for goal. 

[Red But Mostly Blue 4,547]

28 minutes ago, Yung Blood said:

Thought ANB is one of many players who set the tone early on Friday night. Yes he wasn't particularly clean but he made up for it with intensity and ferocious tackling/pressure. Took some risks with passes that paid off.

He is the sort of player I want in finals with his relentless pressure. He doesn't stop.

Agree, he adds to the mongrel. We need that.

The team's start last week was due to the intensity from the likes of ANB.

[monoccular 17,573]

His intensity especially in the last month or so has set the standard and is why we are still very much in it.

Still, there will always be a few posters who prefer to highlight the negatives.  I was going to use the well work "glass half full" expression, but seriously some who have a glass 95% full would prefer to complain about the missing 5%.

Edited September 11, 2018 by monoccular

[Nasher 33,617]

2 hours ago, jnrmac said:

He was putrid in the Swans game though....

That was ages ago now.

[Little Goffy 14,639]

1 hour ago, Nasher said:

That was ages ago now.

That was back in the era before the Demons had a 100% record against top 8 teams and made the finals 100% of the time and had a 100% win rate in finals!

[whatwhat say what 22,932]

our best small forward vs premier's best small forward, 2018 averages: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=15&playerStatus2=A&tid2=12&type=A&pid1=4175&pid2=4067&fid1=S&fid2=S

our best small forward vs premier's best small forward, career averages: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=15&playerStatus2=A&tid2=12&type=A&pid1=4175&pid2=4067&fid1=C&fid2=C

[Engorged Onion 10,223]

20 minutes ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

our best small forward vs premier's best small forward, 2018 averages: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=15&playerStatus2=A&tid2=12&type=A&pid1=4175&pid2=4067&fid1=S&fid2=S

our best small forward vs premier's best small forward, career averages: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=15&playerStatus2=A&tid2=12&type=A&pid1=4175&pid2=4067&fid1=C&fid2=C

wow... and by that I mean... commentators should read footywire before the laud some... oh it's because of his name...right!

Edited September 11, 2018 by Danelska

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,909]

24 minutes ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

our best small forward vs premier's best small forward, 2018 averages: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=15&playerStatus2=A&tid2=12&type=A&pid1=4175&pid2=4067&fid1=S&fid2=S

our best small forward vs premier's best small forward, career averages: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=15&playerStatus2=A&tid2=12&type=A&pid1=4175&pid2=4067&fid1=C&fid2=C

I find it amusing that 179 cm Rioli has averaged 0.1 hitouts this year. He's played 11 games which means he must have had one hitout. Who on earth was he rucking against? Caleb Daniel?

[Wollongong Demon 182]

Seems to have got a little bit of agro in him lately. Not that I mind.