Alex Neal-Bullen

[Ham 741]

A pick in the 40's seems right on the money for Nibbler. 

[Bay Riffin 1,478]

2 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Thought he showed a bit late in the year.

Also had the kicking radar on this year.

Obvously wouldn’t mind if he goes if it’s a part of the bigger picture of addressing our key needs.

he is an elite kick as we all know.

 

(Adelaide scouts may be reading wink wink)

[TRIGON 4,788]

11 minutes ago, Bay Riffin said:

he is an elite kick as we all know.

 

(Adelaide scouts may be reading wink wink)

Well they already know that @Bay Riffin, the MFC are renowned for elite kicking skills.

[drdrake 3,180]

He isn't a forward and can't get a crack at it in our side as a midfielder, that maybe the only reason he is looking at options, more midfield time.  I wouldn't expect him to have much value, can't see him leaving, more value to the club that the pick we would receive, unless pick swapping say ANB and pick 47 to Adelaide for pick 30

[Turner 1,516]

ANB vs Ronke 

ANB vs Narkle

ANB vs Lonie

ANB vs Hunt

ANB vs Chandler/Bedford

i'd roll the dice on a season from any of the others over ANB if we can flip him. Even if they didnt work out we're not losing anything taking the risk (if you can even call it that)

[Willmoy1947 4,104]

1 hour ago, Demons11 said:

Is Laird in contract?

Don't know, but appeared to be ending the season well. Good LF

[Cracker Nackers 115]

ANB is a good AFL-grade player. Any pick for him we receive in return will be speculative.  I don't understand why he cops such bad press. Let's honour the contract in place!

[Dee tention 616]

He shows a bit Nibbler. Hard at it type and doesn’t get the credit for has running patterns and pressure... Needs to be given consistent game time in my opinion. I would keep! 
 

Completely understand if he wanted to seek more opportunity elsewhere. Adelaide would be a perfect fit for him I would think.

[Lucifers Hero 40,005]

I don't think it is about how good he is/isn't. 

If after 6 years a player cannot make the regular 22 he owes it to himself, and a club owes it to him to think beyond contracts.

We have players developing that will further overtake ANB's spot in the ranking so it makes sense for him to move elsewhere.  He was recruited as a midfielder but is well down the pecking order. 

A variety of clubs may use his attributes and satisfy his ambitions better than we can. 

So after 6 years it is best to move on.

[McQueen 17,865]

53 minutes ago, Cracker Nackers said:

ANB is a good AFL-grade player. Any pick for him we receive in return will be speculative.  I don't understand why he cops such bad press. Let's honour the contract in place!

He’s fringe at best which was reflected at the selection table this season. 
I’d be happy to move him on as I’ve never really seen anything of real value from him. 
If his worth can bring about something as speculative as he has been them let’s roll the dice. 

[_becks_ 35]

He is one of those 'mid-sized' forwards, which we have an abundance of. Hannon, Melksham, Fritsch, Hunt etc. 

He is not good enough to get a gig in our midfield, but may at Adelaide. A pick in the 40's is fine

[Accepting Mediocrity 1,418]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

A pick in the 40's seems right on the money for Nibbler. 

Think that's pretty ambitious for a fringe player. For reference, Dan Butler got traded for pick 56 - he is/was clearly a more valuable player than ANB, and had much better players keeping him out of Richmond's 22.

ANB would net us a token 4th rounder. TBH he's probably worth more to us as depth, but I'm not really fussed if he goes. 

 

[Rednblueriseing 824]

30 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

I don't think it is about how good he is/isn't. 

If after 6 years a player cannot make the regular 22 he owes it to himself, and a club owes it to him to think beyond contracts.

We have players developing that will further overtake ANB's spot in the ranking so it makes sense for him to move elsewhere.  He was recruited as a midfielder but is well down the pecking order. 

A variety of clubs may use his attributes and satisfy his ambitions better than we can. 

So after 6 years it is best to move on.

With he's tank maybe try him on a wing for one season, he could do a preseason with Langdon 

[Lucifers Hero 40,005]

3 minutes ago, Rednblueriseing said:

With he's tank maybe try him on a wing for one season, he could do a preseason with Langdon 

We could but trading noises suggest the club has other plans for the wing roles.

In some respects he is like his great mate Billy Stretch.  Just couldn't find a spot to make their own.  Whether that was because they were not given a consistent run, didn't have the ability or our game plan kept changing on them, who knows. 

I do feel it is in Nibbler's interest to look elsewhere. 

[roy11 3,858]

14 minutes ago, _becks_ said:

He is one of those 'mid-sized' forwards, which we have an abundance of. Hannon, Melksham, Fritsch, Hunt etc. 

He is not good enough to get a gig in our midfield, but may at Adelaide. A pick in the 40's is fine

That was my rationale too. Although questions are out some of the long term futures of the names listed

[DeeSpencer 25,767]

He’s not getting a gig in anyone’s midfield.

He’s not a winger.

He’s not hard at it.

He reaches for the ball rather than bodies it. He tackles with his arms rather than his legs. 

He provides very specific value as a high half forward going contest to contest proving an option in attack and working hard defensively. But without any great way to win the ball or use the ball and being an ineffectual tackler he’s very limited. More limited players have won premierships and hard working team mates are important but so is turning over the list and promoting guys with more upside. 

[Witches Hat 448]

Like so many others he seems to have peaked in 2018 (Melk, Mac x 2). If he's not in our best 22 and can get a gig elsewhere let him go. I'd happily take a pick in the 40's but that may be optimistic, particularly if we compare it to the Butler trade.

[Maldonboy38 6,405]

I don't see any wisdom in trading him. I think his place in our best 25 is fairly solid, and the coaching group love his consistency. He isn't a player other clubs are dead hungry for (like Cameron, Saad etc...), but he isn't bad enough to delist and bring in a young bloke 2 years away from playing. 

We so often forget you actually need some ordinary, unnoticed foot soldiers to make up a really strong squad, and this bloke is one. 

[Garbo 1,539]

If he has some currency then trade him, means another chance to try again with a new kid and he’s no longer taking minutes from other kids we need to develop 

[deanox 9,945]

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

He’s not getting a gig in anyone’s midfield.

He’s not a winger.

He’s not hard at it.

He reaches for the ball rather than bodies it. He tackles with his arms rather than his legs. 

He provides very specific value as a high half forward going contest to contest proving an option in attack and working hard defensively. But without any great way to win the ball or use the ball and being an ineffectual tackler he’s very limited. More limited players have won premierships and hard working team mates are important but so is turning over the list and promoting guys with more upside. 

 

3 minutes ago, Maldonboy38 said:

I don't see any wisdom in trading him. I think his place in our best 25 is fairly solid, and the coaching group love his consistency. He isn't a player other clubs are dead hungry for (like Cameron, Saad etc...), but he isn't bad enough to delist and bring in a young bloke 2 years away from playing. 

We so often forget you actually need some ordinary, unnoticed foot soldiers to make up a really strong squad, and this bloke is one. 

 

 

15 disposals (1.3 clangers), 4 tackles, 1.3 shots at goal per game with high accuracy (64.41 over his career), plus 0.6 goal assists are pretty handy stats over 80 games for a fringe play. Note that means 4 tackles where he causes his opponent to lose possession.

He may have weaknesses, and he definitely isn't a midfielder but he is better than a speculative pick 45.

[Tough Kent 2,137]

The club might not have much say in this one.

If you're told that there is no opportunity in the mid-field or on a wing, you'll have to fight for your spot as a defensive forward and there will be no guarantee for a contract beyond next year, you'd probably get your manager putting the feelers out too. 

[Adam The God 30,304]

I reckon a move like this foreshadows 12+ list changes.

Those already gone or seeking an exit and those likely to go from the main list are:

Jones, Kolodjashnij, Preuss, Tom McDonald, Oscar McDonald, Neal-Bullen, Jetta, Josh Wagner. You have to wonder about Hannan, one of our our mids (Harmes, Brayshaw or Viney) and Hore (who I don't personally don't rate).

Then there are those from the rookie list:

Bennell, Chandler, Corey Wagner and Dunkley.

We have to be a little careful of have experience drop out the bottom of our list, so whilst Jones should have retired at the end of 2018 IMV and Jetta looks done after this year, we may look to keep one or both on next year.

If we can get the currency to make some trades, I'd be looking at Gunston, Breust and Smith from Hawthorn. I'd be looking at Ben Brown, Polec and Higgins from North. I'd be looking at Hurley, Saad and Merrett from Essendon.

We need to be able to bring in 4 or 5 players that are going to be immediately best 22 and add them to May, Salem, Harmes (?), Petracca, Jackson, Viney (?), Lever, Brayshaw (?), Gawn, Oliver, Hibberd, Langdon, Melksham, Tomlinson, Rivers, Weideman, Fritsch and Pickett. If we can do that, it'll be a very fruitful offseason.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,865]

3 hours ago, Bay Riffin said:

he is an elite kick as we all know.

 

(Adelaide scouts may be reading wink wink)

His kicking’s been woeful across his career but this year they were surprisingly crisp by his un-lofty standards.

If there’s a choice between keeping Hannan and ANB I’d be choosing the latter.

Edited September 29, 2020 by Bring-Back-Powell

[Lucifers Hero 40,005]

14 minutes ago, A F said:

I reckon a move like this foreshadows 12+ list changes.

Those already gone or seeking an exit and those likely to go from the main list are:

Jones, Kolodjashnij, Preuss, Tom McDonald, Oscar McDonald, Neal-Bullen, Jetta, Josh Wagner. You have to wonder about Hannan, one of our our mids (Harmes, Brayshaw or Viney) and Hore (who I don't personally don't rate).

Then there are those from the rookie list:

Bennell, Chandler, Corey Wagner and Dunkley.

We have to be a little careful of have experience drop out the bottom of our list, so whilst Jones should have retired at the end of 2018 IMV and Jetta looks done after this year, we may look to keep one or both on next year.

If we can get the currency to make some trades, I'd be looking at Gunston, Breust and Smith from Hawthorn. I'd be looking at Ben Brown, Polec and Higgins from North. I'd be looking at Hurley, Saad and Merrett from Essendon.

We need to be able to bring in 4 or 5 players that are going to be immediately best 22 and add them to May, Salem, Harmes (?), Petracca, Jackson, Viney (?), Lever, Brayshaw (?), Gawn, Oliver, Hibberd, Langdon, Melksham, Tomlinson, Rivers, Weideman, Fritsch and Pickett. If we can do that, it'll be a very fruitful offseason.

It looks to me the club is shedding some more experienced but expensive depth players to dump their salaries from the sal cap, in favour of our (cheaper) younger guys.

Its a sensible way to restructure the list and meet the sal cap.

And as you say exiting those players will help target a few players we need.

[Elegt 872]

Unfortunately ANB lacks the required pace to play AFL, yes he has great endurance but he is always trailing behind his opponent chasing tail, as well as the fact he fumbles everything.