Bulldog expected to “challenge for all-australian” in 2023

[GVGjr]

BULLDOG EXPECTED TO “CHALLENGE FOR ALL-AUSTRALIAN” IN 2023 (https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/11/17/the-bulldog-expected-to-challenge-for-all-australian-in-2023/)

https://images.ctfassets.net/u8w3l566ay8a/2ACE6483kVqVGJqCSdAy95/866235a9c155c8e4a41940cd0b7d464c/Tim_English_Bulldogs.jpg?w=980&h=520&fit=fill&f=faces

Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy is expecting Western Bulldogs ruckman Tim English to join the competition’s elite next season.

While English already had a breakout season in 2022, averaging career-highs in disposals, hitouts, clearances and inside 50s, Healy expects him to go to another level.

Now with six AFL seasons under his belt, Healy thinks English can take the mantle of the league’s premier ruckman from Max Gawn and earn All-Australian honours for the first time.

“I’ve been riding this guy for years, and he’s hard to miss,” Healy said on SEN Sportsday.

“I think Tim English could challenge for the All-Australian ruck next year.

“I think his best last year was as good as anyone’s best.

“I think he should set himself his sights on, ‘Okay, I can be the number one ruckman in this competition’.”

Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson is equally as excited about the 25-year-old as his physicality begins to marry up with the skill he’s always possessed.

“His ability to get outside of the contest was a lot better, his marking around the ground was a lot better,” Johnson said.

“He’s finally I think at a comfortable size where he feels he actually can compete with the best from a physicality point of view, he’s not pushed off the ball as often as he was the previous years.

“I agree, his movement around the ground, his ball use and his kicking ability are excellent.

“I think he’ll really push up and start to challenge Max Gawn in terms of who is the number one. He can kick goals as well.”

English now has 85 AFL games to his name since being taken in the first round of the 2016 National Draft.

[Sedat]

Wasn't this article written 3 years ago and is re-released on cue every November?

He's probably the most important player on our list. If he can defy 4 years of sub-par onfield performance and raise his stoppage and tap work game against the best rucks in the competition, we automatically become a strong premiership threat. I'm not really interested in seeing him toy with clydesdales like Andrew Phillips or old draughthorses like Mumford, and then fail to lay a glove on superior ruck opponents time and again in finals.

It's well past time to be the big dog and perform like it.

[Stevo]

Wasn't this article written 3 years ago and is re-released on cue every November?

He's probably the most important player on our list. If he can defy 4 years of sub-par onfield performance and raise his stoppage and tap work game against the best rucks in the competition, we automatically become a strong premiership threat. I'm not really interested in seeing him toy with clydesdales like Andrew Phillips or old draughthorses like Mumford, and then fail to lay a glove on superior ruck opponents time and again in finals.

It's well past time to be the big dog and perform like it.

Time has come for Big Tim to deliver on his promise and potential. We have cut him too much slack over the last two years.
This is his 7th preseason and it needs to be a good one and we cant keep saying he is young and ruckman develop later.

[The Underdog]

Time has come for Big Tim to deliver on his promise and potential. We have cut him too much slack over the last two years.
This is his 7th preseason and it needs to be a good one and we cant keep saying he is young and ruckman develop later.

I’m a Tim fan, but he’s older than other ruckman who are thriving by now. He’s an absolute freak as far as skills go for his size, but if he can’t get more competitive in ruck contests when we need it, then we probably need to find him a new role.

[SonofScray]

Getting a bit of the Shaun Higgins' treatment. Articles like this worry me.

We've put our chips in with English, he needs to get fit, stay fit and deliver his best, more often than not.

[MrMahatma]

25 isn't that old for a ruck to be still improving, is it? He was pretty thin when we got him. I'd fully expect him to continue to improve in 2023. He'll have a bit more ruck support too with Lobb. And that may allow him to cause more damage around the ground/up forward.

He may not (well, won't) be the best tap ruck by the end of the season, but he COULD be the best overall player in the ruck position.

[Bulldog4life]

25 isn't that old for a ruck to be still improving, is it? He was pretty thin when we got him. I'd fully expect him to continue to improve in 2023. He'll have a bit more ruck support too with Lobb. And that may allow him to cause more damage around the ground/up forward.

He may not (well, won't) be the best tap ruck by the end of the season, but he COULD be the best overall player in the ruck position.

Agree. That's the key.

[Sedat]

25 isn't that old for a ruck to be still improving, is it? He was pretty thin when we got him. I'd fully expect him to continue to improve in 2023. He'll have a bit more ruck support too with Lobb. And that may allow him to cause more damage around the ground/up forward.

He may not (well, won't) be the best tap ruck by the end of the season, but he COULD be the best overall player in the ruck position.
I'd prefer him to be the 2023 premiership ruckman. If someone similarly athletic and flaky as Rhys Stanley could transform his game in the last 2 finals this year after being absolutely awful in the first final against Collingwood, English more than has the capability to do so.

Lobb coming in can only help. There are no excuses whatsoever - it is time to perform in finals against the best rucks in the competition.

[SonofScray]

25 isn't that old for a ruck to be still improving, is it? He was pretty thin when we got him. I'd fully expect him to continue to improve in 2023. He'll have a bit more ruck support too with Lobb. And that may allow him to cause more damage around the ground/up forward.

He may not (well, won't) be the best tap ruck by the end of the season, but he COULD be the best overall player in the ruck position.

25 is still young with scope to improve. I suppose for me the worry is that the timing is going to be off. We’ll get his best at the back end, or on the decline of our current generational talent. Basically, if he want to cash in on the Bont era, he needs to do it now.

[F'scary]

I think it could be Rory Lobb.

[GVGjr]

I’m a Tim fan, but he’s older than other ruckman who are thriving by now. He’s an absolute freak as far as skills go for his size, but if he can’t get more competitive in ruck contests when we need it, then we probably need to find him a new role.

We've been patient with his development and there were some very promising signs in 2022 but after 6 full years at the club it is time for him to take another step forward. He's played 85 games and all things being equal will crack it for the 100 games mark next year.
He wanted the number one rucks role and the responsibility that goes with that so it's his time to shine.

The expectation on him to perform will be enormous next year and I think he can make it. We can't shield him from expectations any longer.

[bornadog]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d2xV6ZZx90

[Happy Days]

I think it could be Rory Lobb.

I’ve said this a couple of times but I hope that we are all prepared for the point in the season where it becomes obvious that Lobb is a better straight ruckman than Tim.

[Sedat]

I’ve said this a couple of times but I hope that we are all prepared for the point in the season where it becomes obvious that Lobb is a better straight ruckman than Tim.
At least with Lobb in the team we are nimble and flexible enough to adapt if/when this comes to pass, and English will have to adjust his game accordingly for the betterment of the team (despite having previously indicated his unwillingness to do so).

[Happy Days]

At least with Lobb in the team we are nimble and flexible enough to adapt if/when this comes to pass, and English will have to adjust his game accordingly for the betterment of the team (despite having previously indicated his unwillingness to do so).

I hope so. When I said “I hope we are all ready” that definitely included Tim himself.

[GVGjr]

I’ve said this a couple of times but I hope that we are all prepared for the point in the season where it becomes obvious that Lobb is a better straight ruckman than Tim.

I don't think that is feasible. Lobb is a forward who rucks, English is a ruck man who is dangerous up forward. If we somehow get this the other way around by the end of the season it won't be a great outcome for us.
It was identified that English needs support and we have sourced a good forward who does OK in the ruck. We probably still need a ruck to cover English if he gets injured but it's unlikely.

[kruder]

Lobb's ruck work isn't that great to be honest, like Tim his is much better around the ground.

[Bullies]

Lobb's ruck work isn't that great to be honest, like Tim his is much better around the ground. Lobb though has made it known he doesn't like playing in the ruck.

[Sedat]

Lobb though has made it known he doesn't like playing in the ruck.
He may not like the position but he looked like Simon Madden pitted against our no 1 ruck in the EF this year

[Happy Days]

I don't think that is feasible. Lobb is a forward who rucks, English is a ruck man who is dangerous up forward. If we somehow get this the other way around by the end of the season it won't be a great outcome for us.
It was identified that English needs support and we have sourced a good forward who does OK in the ruck. We probably still need a ruck to cover English if he gets injured but it's unlikely.

Is it not feasible because you think English is better, or because we need him to be better?

I actually think that prior to this year Lobb’s best season was his last one at GWS where he did a substantial amount of rucking. Plus there was him bodying Tim in our most recent game when given the chance.

[Sedat]

I don't think that is feasible. Lobb is a forward who rucks, English is a ruck man who is dangerous up forward. If we somehow get this the other way around by the end of the season it won't be a great outcome for us.
It was identified that English needs support and we have sourced a good forward who does OK in the ruck. We probably still need a ruck to cover English if he gets injured but it's unlikely.
He does need support but he also needs to lift his output in the role he was specifically drafted for 6 years ago and has openly stated he wants to make his own. He needs to be judged by his performance as a stoppage ruckman against the better opponents in the competition and especially in big games, and to put it bluntly he has failed badly on that key metric in the last few years.

He simply has to get much better as a stoppage ruckman, and right now. He demanded the role and the responsibility, and we need to demand consistency, excellence and resilience from him. It is absolutely critical to our future fortunes in the Bont era that he improves his ruck craft and his competitiveness as a stoppage ruckman.

[F'scary]

I don't think that is feasible. Lobb is a forward who rucks, English is a ruck man who is dangerous up forward. If we somehow get this the other way around by the end of the season it won't be a great outcome for us.
It was identified that English needs support and we have sourced a good forward who does OK in the ruck. We probably still need a ruck to cover English if he gets injured but it's unlikely.

Disagree. Lobb is a ruck who reinvented himself as a deep marking forward. English is more the deep marking forward who has been expected to reinvent himself as a ruck.

But it is all good as they can take turns in the ruck!!!

AA ruck duo!!!

[GVGjr]

Disagree. Lobb is a ruck who reinvented himself as a deep marking forward. English is more the deep marking forward who has been expected to reinvent himself as a ruck.

But it is all good as they can take turns in the ruck!!!

AA ruck duo!!!

Well where he started and where he ends up playing will be different now. His preference is to play forward and help out in the ruck much like it was for Tom Boyd. English wants to be the number one ruckman for us us. I'm sure both of them are more than willing to change things up but over the course of the season they will want to be played in what they believe is their best position.
The challenge for the club is to get improvement in the areas English needs to improve in.

[F'scary]

Well where he started and where he ends up playing will be different now. His preference is to play forward and help out in the ruck much like it was for Tom Boyd. English wants to be the number one ruckman for us us. I'm sure both of them are more than willing to change things up but over the course of the season they will want to be played in what they believe is their best position.
The challenge for the club is to get improvement in the areas English needs to improve in.

50/50 could be the right mix for the two.

[Mofra]

The 2016 draft, in hindsight, was outstanding for rucks.

19 - Tim English
38 - Sean Darcy
48 - Darcy Cameron
R1 - Sam Draper
R9 - Peter Ladhams
R10 - Rowan Marshall
R37 - Oscar McInerney
R51 - Max Lynch

Notable was the 5th round too - Larkey & Mitchell as some of the few non-first round KPFs in recent memory to play well as the no 1 man.

Now I love what Timmy brings... but as good as he could be, the argument against taking rucks in the first round of the draft still stacks up.