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Alex Neal-Bullen

dazzledavey36
in Melbourne Demons

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Has been played out of position for years. he's a pure mid and has a high ceiling if given the chance.

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    29 minutes ago, Dr.D said:

    Has been played out of position for years. he's a pure mid and has a high ceiling if given the chance.

    You think the playing on ball he could compete with Viney, Oliver, Petracca, Brayshaw (from us) or the equivalent first 4 from other clubs?

    I don't. 

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    3 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

    Keep him . OMac is the one to move to another club - fast as possible.

    the use of movement and fast in the same sentence with respect to Oscar in an oxymoron.

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    I'd prefer hang on to ANB and trial him as a full time winger next season, he's got the endurance and running capacity to be a really dangerous endurance link up option for both attacking and defensive plays. 

    his kicking is a tiny bit suspect, but i think he is improving in that space a bit as well. 

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    He is an athlete, not a footballer. 6 years in the system and is still not one touch with his possessions. 

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    I'm impressed with the loyalty of many on here.  

    No doubt that ANB is someone who gives everything he has when out on the field. He runs hard, he's a team player and, as some have already said, his kicking has improved a little this year as well.

    But I also think we're quick to forget that he does some simple things poorly.  He rarely gets to position in the forward line to crumb the ball.  He is a pretty average tackler, and he still gets the fumbles with the ball at his feet.  This is after six years in the system.

    While I understand why some might want to hang on to him, I think we as a club need to move on from him so we can continue to look at ways of getting better.  If ANB is still someone hanging around the fringes in the coming years, then we haven't worked hard enough (or ruthless enough as Goody might say) in making the right decisions to help us as a footy club.

    He's been handy depth, but I think the time is right to look at other options going forward.

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    Get rid of him replenish the list.

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    Sounds like we're trying to clear cap space for a big trade in.

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    ANB is the player that should be moved on and turned over.. he isnt going to make us better, sad but true, if we got a third rounder for him then you take it IMO

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    We know what we get with ANB and it’s not gonna help us get to the promise land. 

    Time to bring in someone who might.

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    But he consistently does well in the time trials? He's a dominating running machine!

    ??

    Edited by Moonshadow

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    I reckon he's underrated. Which is easy when nobody rates him.

    You've got to have depth. He's not going to turn into Dustin Martin anytime soon but is handy enough. You can massacre the fringe players but who's going to replace them? If he reckons he can get a better run somewhere else then let him go, otherwise at least he's got a few years of experience on a random kid.

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    ANB is a decent player I wouldn't just cast him out....he was a good small forward in 2018 and shown bits of his best form...what's Goodys obsession with getting rid of anyone who can actually kick a goal??

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    2 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

    I'm impressed with the loyalty of many on here.  

    No doubt that ANB is someone who gives everything he has when out on the field. He runs hard, he's a team player and, as some have already said, his kicking has improved a little this year as well.

    But I also think we're quick to forget that he does some simple things poorly.  He rarely gets to position in the forward line to crumb the ball.  He is a pretty average tackler, and he still gets the fumbles with the ball at his feet.  This is after six years in the system.

    While I understand why some might want to hang on to him, I think we as a club need to move on from him so we can continue to look at ways of getting better.  If ANB is still someone hanging around the fringes in the coming years, then we haven't worked hard enough (or ruthless enough as Goody might say) in making the right decisions to help us as a footy club.

    He's been handy depth, but I think the time is right to look at other options going forward.

    I agree he definitely has deficiencies in his game. But I don't think tackling is one of them. His tackling has been down of late but he's definitely adequate in that area. Also just noting that tackling was down this year across all games due to various reasons.

    I think last year he was disappointing but most of our squad was. This year he didn't get a good run at it with suspension and injury.

    Some may forget he in 2018 he was:

    - ranked top 5 for forcing turnovers (and scoring from them)

    - ranked 10th in goal assists

    - ranked 9th for total tackles inside 50

    I know I'll be shot down for looking at numbers from two years ago but his 2018 season was statistically comparable to Dan Butlers this year. (yes I am aware he played more games but I image Butler's avg's staying the same if he were to continue into finals).

    Butler 2020

    image.png.821633eee81795c2978b0316bf11f9c6.png ANB 2018

    image.png.b33d0174d51c9d0b56e2490b02600616.png

    I think this is probably a lousy comparison but I feel these two play similar roles with their running and what is asked of them. Butler much better user of the ball obviously but I feel ANB is cleaning up this area of his game. If he can get back to his 17/18 form he'll be best 22 and we can keep some continuity with our playing group. Agree Wiseblood with losing patience with players like this but he's the same age group as our core players and I think could go up a notch to get back to his best as he does so much well.

    Anyway food for thought. I am not too fussed tbh if he does go but I would certainly want to get something decent in return or have him added to a larger trade for value.

     

    image.png

    Edited by Yung Blood

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    2 hours ago, Supermercado said:

    I reckon he's underrated. Which is easy when nobody rates him.

    You've got to have depth. He's not going to turn into Dustin Martin anytime soon but is handy enough. You can massacre the fringe players but who's going to replace them? If he reckons he can get a better run somewhere else then let him go, otherwise at least he's got a few years of experience on a random kid.

    using this logic tmac plays over jackson, cwags over pickett and omac before rivers? random kids need to be given games to become seasoned professionals u cant expect it to happen over night.

    massacre the fringes bring in best 22 players to push others out and down and kids to grow past. thats literally the basics of list management one would think...

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    11 minutes ago, Turner said:

    using this logic tmac plays over jackson, cwags over pickett and omac before rivers? random kids need to be given games to become seasoned professionals u cant expect it to happen over night.

    massacre the fringes bring in best 22 players to push others out and down and kids to grow past. thats literally the basics of list management one would think...

    The three young players you mentioned were targeted, talented and non-speculative picks. If we replace ANB with the pick we receive for him, it’ll be more of a speculative, random kid. We’ll be lucky to get a late third rounder for him. 

    Edited by Ethan Tremblay

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    1 minute ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

    The three young players you mentioned were targeted, talented and non-speculative picks. If we replace ANB with the pick we receive for him, it’ll be more of a speculative, random kid. 

    didnt realise we only targeted, talented non-speculative picks once and drafted alphabetically every other season? 

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    6 hours ago, chook fowler said:

    the use of movement and fast in the same sentence with respect to Oscar in an oxymoron.

    Good golly, oh - braces! You're absolutely correct, Chook! Sorry about that ... must have been thinking forward, relating 'fast' to the absence of OMac on our list. The adverbial form 'rapidly' may well have been an improvement. Still, between you and I, it seems that the sentiment, not the word, is amicably amiable. 'Carna Dees@

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    2 hours ago, Yung Blood said:

    Some may forget he in 2018 he was:

    - ranked top 5 for forcing turnovers (and scoring from them)

     

    What is this stat and where is it available?

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    12 minutes ago, Turner said:

    didnt realise we only targeted, talented non-speculative picks once and drafted alphabetically every other season? 

    I suspect you realise that the players you're using for comparisom were all higher picks than we'd be dealing with here in a draft that was not compromised and in which there was a lot of exposed form to make decisions on - none of which applies to the situation for this draft.  If you think we're guaranteed a player of the quality of the three you mentioned from this, or even the same chance they'll be that quality, you should stay away from games involving probability.

    As has been noted by others, there are plenty of reasons we could consider moving ANB on - salary cap space, part of a larger deal for a player who fills a need or to trade up.  But simply to pick a random player in the 40s (or wherever it slips to after all the compensation/academy/etcs) doesn't fill me with hope.

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    7 hours ago, Dr.D said:

    Has been played out of position for years. he's a pure mid and has a high ceiling if given the chance.

    OMG!

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    24 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

    The three young players you mentioned were targeted, talented and non-speculative picks. If we replace ANB with the pick we receive for him, it’ll be more of a speculative, random kid. We’ll be lucky to get a late third rounder for him. 

    I can see that logic, but I also think we've got Pickett and a rejuvenated Spargo as the starters in the half forward spots. Then some if not all of Hannan, Hunt, Bedford and Chandler on the list to fight for spots. If we keep ANB and he isn't a consistent part of the side then we've really got a collection of speculative talent as is. 

    If there's not a lot of confidence that he'll be a regular in the side then we're losing a lot less for moving him on. There's ways to replace the list spot with a less speculative pick as well - delisted player, mature ager, trade up picks etc.

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    • Like 3
    39 minutes ago, Standard Deviation said:

    I suspect you realise that the players you're using for comparisom were all higher picks than we'd be dealing with here in a draft that was not compromised and in which there was a lot of exposed form to make decisions on - none of which applies to the situation for this draft.  If you think we're guaranteed a player of the quality of the three you mentioned from this, or even the same chance they'll be that quality, you should stay away from games involving probability.

    As has been noted by others, there are plenty of reasons we could consider moving ANB on - salary cap space, part of a larger deal for a player who fills a need or to trade up.  But simply to pick a random player in the 40s (or wherever it slips to after all the compensation/academy/etcs) doesn't fill me with hope.

    its all part of the big picture, maybe we'll package up the picks for a player, a first rounder to an academy club, he might be on too much cash for his output and we are deeeep in that spot. every draft theres 150 gamers picked in the 40s its a gamble worth taking even if we did carry the pick through

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    8 hours ago, deanox said:

    You think the playing on ball he could compete with Viney, Oliver, Petracca, Brayshaw (from us) or the equivalent first 4 from other clubs?

    I don't. 

    when you're 13th at stoppages then yeah he should be getting more minutes. no chance simon Goodwin even thought about it

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    • Like 1
    2 hours ago, Turner said:

    using this logic tmac plays over jackson, cwags over pickett and omac before rivers? random kids need to be given games to become seasoned professionals u cant expect it to happen over night.

    massacre the fringes bring in best 22 players to push others out and down and kids to grow past. thats literally the basics of list management one would think...

    Did I suggest playing him in front of anyone? You're making the logic up.

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