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Farewell Alex Neal-Bullen

BAMF
BAMF
in Melbourne Demons

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Really sad to see the Nibbler go 

Quality player 

Quality guy 

probably having his best year 

elite stats 

175 games so far 

10 years.  Just qualifying for life member 

2021 premiership 🏆

Edited by spirit of norm smith
P

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    Does leave you with a feeling of - what next

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    50 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

    I'm a big fan of ANB but won't begrudge him going. His goal in the 2021 GF was the one that let me relax knowing we would win.

    Great servant of the club but let's be realistic, he is a role player not a matchwinner. And that's not to denigrate him, he is a bloody good role player but not irreplaceable. ANB leaving won't be the difference between whether we can challenge again in 2025 or not. Gives an opportunity for someone to put in the hard yards over preseason and become that gut runner, defensive forward, linkup type player. Could be Chandler, Spargo, Sparrow, Laurie, Brown etc

    Great post mate.

    I know this is a thread about Nibbler, but for me it's Spargo.

    Was basically playing the other flank with Nibbler, now Chandler has played that this season. It means Spargo and Chandler both get spots.

    Spargo is one of our better kicks too.

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    50 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

    Gives an opportunity for someone to put in the hard yards over preseason and become that gut runner, defensive forward, linkup type player. Could be Chandler, Spargo, Sparrow, Laurie, Brown etc

    Personally i think Brown is the only likely possibility to play Nibbler's 'pocket' role from those you listed Dr. 

    Even then, realistically he might be two more pre-seasons and experience away that would see him up for the role anywhere akin to the runing levels and defencive cover ability of nibbler.

    Is McVee a more likely chance if we bring in Houston?  The FD switched him into his first serious game time in the middle over the weekend with 22% CBA.  His average attendance prior to that this season was 1%.

    Surely that wasn't by accident, although it also might have been forced on them with the massive form slide of Clarry in the last six weeks or so.

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    10 minutes ago, Binmans PA said:

    Great post mate.

    I know this is a thread about Nibbler, but for me it's Spargo.

    Spargo is one of our better kicks too.

    Agreed but does he have the flat two way endurance running speed that made Nibbler so effective in this role?

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    3 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

    Have I mentioned it was leaked to the media?

    Seriously, the family didn’t want it made public yet. Unfortunately someone has betrayed their confidence and now it’s public knowledge. The family is furious about that.

    Just wanna reiterate… this is something the family has been discussing for a while. It has ZERO to do any of the current stories making the rounds. 

    So selfish. Unfortunately people get off from telling people's business to others. Nibs and his family deserved better.

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    Contracts are contracts. Sorry, but Nibbler gets the Petty treatment imo. Stay your 2 years that you signed for and tough it out

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    So heart broken by this. I first met ANB more than 10ish years ago and thought he was a fine young man, he's only got better. And for me he was one of the reasons I have never paid attention to the culture critics, because we do have good people at the club like him. While I believe this is not an example of the clubs' 'direction', he is certainly part of the fabric of the club that made it strong again. Easy to get another role player, not so easy to find a phenomenal standard setter. For me he was the new Daniel Cross and went on to surpass Crossy. I think we will feel this the way we felt the loss of Brayshaw.

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    ANB has notched up over 100 games for the club, so with the surprise news that he has sired we're now in the running to take our club to the next level with a triple- or even double-double-barrel father-daughter representative in the future.

    Here's hoping the family get along well with the Powell-Pepper clan, and that they're progressive as to nomenclature, which is de rigueur here in Portugal. My partner has a A4 piece of paper for a passport to fit all her names in. 

     

     

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    9 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

    Have you had a baby? 
    Knowing you are having a baby and actually having a baby is very  different

    Everyone wishes ANB the best.

    His partner isn't the first in AFL history to have a baby away from home.

    I have had a baby who baracks for Melbourne, loves life and just old enough to hate Maynard and Collingwood.

    It doesn't make me more or less qualified to be concerned about ANB requesting a trade.

    Edited by Wrecker46

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    Part 3 of ‘Guess who’s leaving Melbourne’ should be a ripper tonight. 

    What a hectic week so far and team selection is still over 24 hrs away. 

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    10 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

    If you think this, I don’t think you properly appreciate his role or modern footy. 

    And that’s without acknowledging his status as a leader of the club.

    It will be interesting then to see how the market determines his value. 

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    4 hours ago, DEE fence said:

    So heart broken by this. I first met ANB more than 10ish years ago and thought he was a fine young man, he's only got better. And for me he was one of the reasons I have never paid attention to the culture critics, because we do have good people at the club like him. While I believe this is not an example of the clubs' 'direction', he is certainly part of the fabric of the club that made it strong again. Easy to get another role player, not so easy to find a phenomenal standard setter. For me he was the new Daniel Cross and went on to surpass Crossy. I think we will feel this the way we felt the loss of Brayshaw.

    I haven't met him but otherwise 100% agree.

     My memory tells me that when he started he was one of two or three players that arrived at about the same time, none of whom were particularly skilled or outstanding. The others have dropped by the wayside but Nibbler found/was given a role that suited him perfectly - to run all day, going from contest to contest, always in the thick of things and under pressure, and often unrewarded. It suited his endurance, determination and selflessness perfectly and became an integral part of our all-team defence. I Hooper Chandler can take over but we will really miss him.

     Funny how he found such a perfect role for him. Could that possibly be... good coaching? Did  the coach design a role and, indeed a system, that suited certain players perfectly?

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    36 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

    It will be interesting then to see how the market determines his value. 

    Well, we won't actually get a read on his true market value given he's there's only 2 options for a destination club.

    The crows and port have the whip hand in negotiations and I doubt will get into any bidding war.

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    I just hope we don't trade for Houston. We have Bowey, Hore, McVee, AMW , Rivers, Howes, Woey - we don't need another HBF. 
     

    Out of left field: Ratagolea? He does some really dumb things but has size, can take a contested mark, and can chop out in the ruck.

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    11 hours ago, Earl Hood said:

    Looks like the Club is going to go into an involuntary list rebuild in 2025. Brayshaw out, Smith delisted, now ANB traded, end of the road for BBB, Hunter, Schache, Tomlinson likely wanting out? Then there are plenty questioning Oliver’s future at the club and Tracc’s future, which I think is a beat up. That’s 7 and more assuming TMac and Melk want to go on, Spargo physically can go on and that there won’t be a few other fringe players like Sestan and FHW delisted. That looks like a rebuild. 
     

    Of course this situation could be a fantastic opportunity for renewal, if we give JT maximum opportunity to draft in young talent through the Main and the Rookie drafts and minimise Lamb’s ability to trade away draft picks to get up the order or to bring in recycled, NQR players! 

    at the moment we have draft picks Round 1  then 4 then 5

    Hard to rebuild with that set

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    10 minutes ago, binman said:

    Well, we won't actually get a read on his true market value given he's there's only 2 options for a destination club.

    The crows and port have the whip hand in negotiations and I doubt will get into any bidding war.

    They don’t entirely given he’s contracted. I’m sure the club will act in good faith, but will have also told Nibbler it’s a business and we are only going to trade you if the deal is right for us.

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    13 minutes ago, binman said:

    Well, we won't actually get a read on his true market value given he's there's only 2 options for a destination club.

    The crows and port have the whip hand in negotiations and I doubt will get into any bidding war.

    There's only ever two realistic bidders for the FTA AFL and NRL rights. Those organisations do alright. And if ANB as valuable as many seem to think (e.g. significantly increases Port's chances of a flag or Crom's changes of a top eight finish), a deal gets done. 

    Edited by Queanbeyan Demon

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    9 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    New bub, all his extended family support are back in WA and SA and his partner is from Larrakia country which is up Darwin.

    You only have to watch the Kozzie documentary to realise how incredibly close he is with his family.

    As I said a few pages back. When you become a new parent your whole perspective in life changes and the support you need when you become a new parent is immense. 

    Well if Koz requests a trade I will need to reappraise my 2025-26 predictions which always took a big hit in this news.

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    People suggesting we might only get a third rounder remember we gave a good second rounder for McAdam last year, who had a terrible injury history and has barely played this season. 
    If our recruitment team thinks Nibbler- a premiership player, leader, great role player and ultimate professional is worth less then its time they are shown the door as they are clearly not up to the job .

     

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