2023 Preseason

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Given Buddy has a gravitational pull stronger than some planets.

I forwarded your post on to The Australian Space Agency, they will be looking at incorprating Buddy into their efforts to create the first Australian habitable satellite in earth orbit.
As I understand it, the plan is to book Buddy a seat on the next available SpaceX flight.
Once Buddy has achieved a stable orbit, a string of shipping containers will be filled with materials that are needed in space construction - apparently there's specialist aisle for this in most Bunnings stores.
Then a couple of extreme Buddy fanboys will be herded into each container. When Buddy's orbit crosses the horizon, it is expected that the sheer force of their Buddy adoration will ensure the container will be drawn upwards towards #23 until it escapes the earths gravitational pull entirely without the need of conventional rocket fuel.
The containers can then by unpacked, and the country will soon have it's new hab, complete with BBQ area, double garage, manufactured stone bench tops and of course a pool room - for all the Buddy memorabilia.

[Auntie.Gerald]

For me when the ball is kicked to Bud 46% of the time it is what happens next?

He is not standing 10m put when the 46% of kicks etc if happening

He is dragging and shaping his attack but way more so opening space for everyone else

..

If the ball was only kicked to Bud 20%

Are we super confident that we would have gone one better in the GF or one or two better on the ladder ?

I don't think we were there yesterday for that change in 2022

[Mel_C]

I'm worried that Carlton are trying to kill Ladhams!

Edit: Bugger he is holding his cheek now. Our ruckmen are jinxed.

[Mel_C]

Chad needs to pull his head in. He is frustrated because he keeps getting caught and can't break away. He cost us a goal with that 50.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Imagine finding footy as easy as Errol Gulden

[dejavoodoo44]

Imagine finding footy as easy as Errol Gulden

Errol for the Brownlow?

[stevoswan]

Errol 45 possessions now.....bloody hell!

[mcs]

Just a quiet night out then for young Errol

I look forward to sitting down to watch the replay tomorrow

Sent from my CPH2307 using Tapatalk

[The Big Cat]

Logan 10 marks. Has certainly bulked up.

Campbell’s best game.

[dejavoodoo44]

Errol 45 possessions now.....bloody hell!

His stats sheet tonight is a beautiful set of numbers.

[Maltopia]

Great to read Cunningham got two early goes as a small forward.

[MattW]

That whet the appetite!

Encouraged by Ladhams, who was whole-hearted and excellent around the ground. McAndrew has a chance to be a solid ruckman; particularly winning taps. He's to be commended for his quick development.

Obviously, Gulden and Campbell were major positives. We knew Errol was going to be a star as he physically developed and he's here. Campbell looks assured and stronger - easily best 22.

Loved Logan's movement around the ground.

Warner is still trying a bit hard, but I'm sure will settle.

I didn't mind the Cunningham as a small forward look.

Blakey looks to have shaken off glandular fever and is such an important player for us.

Promising signs from Roberts.

I thought we looked a solid top 4 team.

[i'm-uninformed2]

So the debate around Bud is a good one and I get Ludwig’s instincts, which is we need to be planning for the five year window ahead of us and Logan is central to that.

There’s also no doubt Bud has slowed a fraction. In a game of milliseconds and millimetres, when the best sides put more pressure on our ball movement, and the best defenders in the game are covering him, that matters a lot. He simply doesn’t find the same space he once did.

That’s not to say he’s cooked. Look at the round 22 match against Collingwood last year, as brutal and tight as it can be. He still found a way to be highly influential and his play with Heeney to kick the winning goal was sublime.

But, that won’t happen every week. So we need to find a way to set our forward line up around Logan’s development. And it strikes me that for now, Logan is going to be highly influential playing a half forward role, going on long, hard leads, marking up the ground a bit, and burning back into space inside 50.

He’s not yet an inside 50 beast. Nor is Bud. But, if he’s willing to play a role that supports Logan’s strengths, and we can establish ball movement around that (and I appreciate Ludwig’s concern that this is where it can break down as the side gets Buddy conscious), it can still work for both of them.

It’s really up to the coaches to nail this thinking and approach on who and how we target brining the ball into 50, as I have never thought of Buddy as a selfish player. He’s just the GOAT.

And given Buddy won’t play every week anyway, there’s a chance to test what works best and embed it.

[KSAS]

That whet the appetite!

Encouraged by Ladhams, who was whole-hearted and excellent around the ground. McAndrew has a chance to be a solid ruckman; particularly winning taps. He's to be commended for his quick development.

Obviously, Gulden and Campbell were major positives. We knew Errol was going to be a star as he physically developed and he's here. Campbell looks assured and stronger - easily best 22.

Loved Logan's movement around the ground.

Warner is still trying a bit hard, but I'm sure will settle.

I didn't mind the Cunningham as a small forward look.

Blakey looks to have shaken off glandular fever and is such an important player for us.

Promising signs from Roberts.

I thought we looked a solid top 4 team.

Good summary of our positives from the match and nice final tune up with no injuries.

Commentators mentioned if Buddy played a supporting role allowing Logan to be more the focal key forward target, he might have another 2 seasons in him!

intrigued with Dermie's assessment of Heeney, who described him of having the DNA of a key forward despite being only around 6 foot. A rare commodity and has no doubt he is more dangerous as a forward than a mid. This was highlighted when Heeney out manoeuvred Weitering in the goal square to take a contested mark.

Assuming Papley will be right for R1, wonder if there is a thought to start him as a sub due to him missing these 2 practice matches?

[Mountain Man]

Papley as a sub for R1 is an idea.

With Mills and Papley to be included in best 22, who misses out (given the extended bench last night)?

On the Franklin McDonald discussion, I noted the latter took the majority of his possessions up the field/on the wing; Buddy was very much in the forward 50