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Ben Brown - third forward & back-up ruck

Romey
Romey
in Melbourne Demons

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Our game style has not allowed us to see the best of Ben Brown. As our key target, he has often been left to compete in two-on-one contests in a congested forward line. With Van Rooyen and Petty now the main targets it could free up Brown to play the third tall and support Gawn in the ruck. (At 200cm his height is exactly the same as Fullarton.)

While I am excited about Fullarton’s potential, the thought of a fit and unshackled Brown playing this role excites me more. 

The guy can also run. He holds 15th place in the AFL’s all-time game distance record at 17.3km - only 6 players have ever run further in a game since records began.
Against a third tall defender his long leads to the wing and doubling back to the goalsquare could play to his strengths and make him quite formidable. This to me makes more sense than converting Grundy to a forward.

Does anyone else agree?

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    I feel he’s long been a quality straight line runner but don’t think he has the capacity to be 360 in the guts. He is capable of second efforts but I fear he would get danced all over by anyone with skill and left looking silly. If he’s fit and good to go, play him to his strengths as a hit up leading target. Good bulk, strong hands and a decent read of ball in flight. If he’s on the park and we have players like billings and mcadam looking to hit up targets from 50-70 out, let him do what he does best. Rather not try reinvent a guy who’s doing his best to complete the contract he was deservedly offered. 

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    Ben is not a ruckman, even part time.

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    I can see Brown regaining his spot in the team but for how long? He gets himself right but his fitness then gives out.  But even so, not as a 2nd ruck anyway

    In an ideal world one of Brown or T-Mac are available for the seniors (for all the games) but not necessarily to actually play in a first choice option. But  Injuries generally happen so they'll probably get their chances.  But more so for the just-in-case moments

    Not sure where Fullarton fits in if we go with JVR as the 2nd ruck.  Schache is depth as well 

    Fritsch is the 3rd medium/tall so I'd say we'll go with JVR & Petty with Brown as back up

    T-Mac is training with the backs so he looks like being back up as well in that area

    But with the acquisition of Billings, McAdam & Tholstrup, it looks like we've made a concerted effort to have real depth in our forward line (also factoring in Petracca pushing forward as well as Kozzie with the x-factor) And then there's Chandler who should improve on last year

    As someone else mentioned elsewhere, Neal-Bullen's inside 50 entries are often of good quality so we need to get the ball in his hands.  Petracca is another who can be very good with his inside 50 entries

    HF   Petracca/Kozzie        JVR         ANB

    F      Chandler/McAdam    Petty    Fritsch

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    5 hours ago, Romey said:

    He holds 15th place in the AFL’s all-time game distance record at 17.3km

    Remember the game well, clocked up 10km in set shot run-ins.

    Ben had a great second half of the ‘21 season and will always be an MFC premiership player…

    BUT - his best footy was leading up to the ball from deeper in the frwd line (ain’t gonna get much of that that in a game plan built on pumping it to a contest) and his body just isn’t up to it anymore. 
     

    Like TMac, would’ve thought he isn’t even on the list this year if his contract had ended last yr.

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    You’re probably right, but we need to remember that we are comparing him to Van Rooyen or Fullarton to provide ruck relief for four minutes a quarter. The rest of the time he will be playing forward where he could be a competent third tall.

    I honestly have no idea how he would go in the ruck as I can’t recall him taking a ruck contest in his time at the Dees. In general play he seems to do a decent job of tapping the ball to our advantage in contested packs, so it’s not out of the question he could hold his own.

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    Sadly, I don't hold much hope in seeing him even get a gig up fwd.

    He was cooked in the 22 finals and was pretty much injured all last season.

    Even a fit Bbb isn't very good at rucking from what I've seen.

     

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    10 hours ago, Romey said:

    Our game style has not allowed us to see the best of Ben Brown. As our key target, he has often been left to compete in two-on-one contests in a congested forward line. With Van Rooyen and Petty now the main targets it could free up Brown to play the third tall and support Gawn in the ruck. (At 200cm his height is exactly the same as Fullarton.)

    While I am excited about Fullarton’s potential, the thought of a fit and unshackled Brown playing this role excites me more. 

    The guy can also run. He holds 15th place in the AFL’s all-time game distance record at 17.3km - only 6 players have ever run further in a game since records began.
    Against a third tall defender his long leads to the wing and doubling back to the goalsquare could play to his strengths and make him quite formidable. This to me makes more sense than converting Grundy to a forward.

    Does anyone else agree?

    A fit BBB will definately be our main forward go to, more so than a lumbering king kong bundy! However as a ruck option? NO

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    17 minutes ago, picket fence said:

    A fit BBB will definately be our main forward go to, more so than a lumbering king kong bundy! However as a ruck option? NO

    Would love to see  Bbb fit and firing but it's been a long time since we've seen him. He's still relatively young compared to Tom Hawkins. I'm glad you still think he's a chance to get back to the team. He was the home and away leading goal kicker three years in a row at North so there's that.  I don't feel positive about Tmac either. I know we have recruited some fwds but most aren't very tall. I guess anything we get from these two is a bonus. I hope I'm wrong and Bbb and Tmac go gangbusters this season. Cheers Pf.

     

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    5 hours ago, The Jackson FIX said:

    Remember the game well, clocked up 10km in set shot run-ins.

    Good point. Ben Brown had five shots on goal that day (three goals, two behinds), so maybe 200 m of his 17.3 km can be attributed to run-ins based on his 30 step routine. This assumes all of his shots were set shots.
     

    Run-in’s were not a significant factor for his record - the guy clearly has endurance.

    Edited by Romey

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    39 minutes ago, picket fence said:

    A fit BBB will definately be our main forward go to,

    Are you joking? The club pushed for him to retire, he hasn’t fired a shot in the last two years

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    1 hour ago, Romey said:

    Good point. Ben Brown had five shots on goal that day (three goals, two behinds), so maybe 200 m of his 17.3 km can be attributed to run-ins based on his 30 step routine. This assumes all of his shots were set shots.
     

    Run-in’s were not a significant factor for his record - the guy clearly has endurance.

    Relax, only jokes!

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    BBB ran past the post a couple of years ago.

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    Brown will be on the injury list and playing the odd game for Casey. 

    Petty is so injury prone we can’t rely on him to be tight regularly either. 

    Hopefully Fullarton is good

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    Fitness dependant, but anyone who thinks he doesn't cover ground take a close look at Johannesons mark in the grand final and see who else was in the goal square.

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    Benny started pre-season looking like the competitive tall forward he always was. I note he was not doing the match sim in most recent training runs. Fullarton will definitely feature in forward / ruck plans, and he is very fit and willing. Will Verall is the big improver and may have an impact by mid-year.

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    6 hours ago, The Jackson FIX said:

    Remember the game well, clocked up 10km in set shot run-ins.

    I remember watching an interstate game on telly during COVID.

    The commentator quipped that if his run up was any longer he would need to go into quarantine.

     

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    22 minutes ago, george_on_the_outer said:

    If we get 10 games for the season out of Ben and TMac each we will have done well.

    If we get 10 games out of each of TMac and Brown our season is dead

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    2 hours ago, Jeremy said:

    Are you joking? The club pushed for him to retire, he hasn’t fired a shot in the last two years

    Absolutely. Without wanting to sound like the Rono of 24, our time with BB should have been over 2 years ago. Last year was just embarrassing and this year is the year where het is an encumbrance to the list development. Whatever the reasons were back then for a 4 year contract are coming back to bite us now.

    And before I get roasted, yes I know he is a 21 immortal. He kicked 3 against a very undersized and ordinary WB backline in the GF. He was handy for sure but I reckon Jack Fitzpatrick would have even kicked a couple during the hour of power.

    Edited by Wizard of Koz

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    5 minutes ago, george_on_the_outer said:

    If we get 10 games for the season out of Ben and TMac each we will have done well.

    If that happens it might also mean that Petty and/or JVR miss a lot of games

    However, if both Brown and/or T-Mac play (and are fully fit) then both can provide value

    I'd say T-Mac has a better chance of getting game time as a possible 3rd tall down back as opposed to Brown being picked as a 3rd tall in the forward line.  As a 2nd tall up forward, Brown might need injuries to either Petty or JVR (or a form drop off)

    But all things being equal and with a reasonable run on the injury front, we look to have good cover forward & back

    So if we assume that JVR is good-to-go it's really only Petty who is the concern (availability) Brown is next in line you'd imagine and then maybe Fullarton and then Schache

    In the backline, Tomlinson, Turner & Adams are all in line to play as the 3rd tall (as well as T-Mac)

    Where we might be a bit light on is in the midfield depth (quality) But if Rivers & McVee are add-ons in the midfield, we should be ok.  Obviously, we need Clarrie back asap

     

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    As much as we have all loved BBB in the past a degenerative knee has no place in the ruck with so many knee clashes prevalent in the game.  I am hoping that he kicks a bag at Casey and is ok if and when we need him. I also expect Fullarton to play regular game time and watching Verrall closely as his backup.

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