Do we move Bruce back?

[older saint]

Bruce really has been struggling for 2 seasons now and i realise it is round 3 but we appear a long way off. I know it didn't work initially with him but could he become a Jeremy Howe type hackman allowed to go for marks and attack the ball front on?

Brown looked really out of sorts last 2 weeks ( although not his fault last week as no pressure on the ball).
Bring Battle in and go with a more mobile forward line with 1 legit tall McCartin and Battle 2nd option with Acres floating forward.

Next week :

In : Battle, Steele, Weller
Out: Brown, Wright, Armitage

Carlisle plays on Hawkins, Bruce can cover a Stanley or the like . Menzel - Roberton.

B: Gaery, Carlisle, Webster
HB: Roberton , Bruce, Savage
C: Newness, Dunstan, Sinclair
HF: Acres, Battle, Billings
F: Gresham, McCartin, Weller
Fol: Marshall, Steven, Ross

Int: Coffield, Long, White, Steele

[congorozides]

Not convinced Bruce will be any better or worse than Brown.
I'd rather bypass both and play Goddard or Austin.
If we want Battle in Id be pushing McCartin out.

[older saint]

Not convinced Bruce will be any better or worse than Brown.
I'd rather bypass both and play Goddard or Austin.
If we want Battle in Id be pushing McCartin out.

Goddard and Austin need to earn a spot first , not be given it based on position. Agree would like them to be in there if their form warranted it but until then to me Bruce may be worth a try. Chances are he will see plenty off the ball next week if played back

[portosaint]

Not convinced Bruce will be any better or worse than Brown.
I'd rather bypass both and play Goddard or Austin.
If we want Battle in Id be pushing McCartin out.

Yep. Development wise for sure.

Could Battle play a Membrey type roll?

[Ajantis]

I think we lack height and body mass in the back. I think bruce would be good down back and bring in battle.
We just dont have a forward who can find space and lead.

[portosaint]

Love to see Battle play. Hopefully if our ball use is sub standard and he barely gets a look, he is not crucified

[dragit]

Not convinced Bruce will be any better or worse than Brown.
I'd rather bypass both and play Goddard or Austin.
If we want Battle in Id be pushing McCartin out.

Goddard and Austin need to earn a spot first , not be given it based on position. Agree would like them to be in there if their form warranted it but until then to me Bruce may be worth a try. Chances are he will see plenty off the ball next week if played back

Bruce doesn't deserve a game any more than Goddard or Austin right now… he is barely contributing.

Plus he was absolutely terrible as a backman, people seem to forget this was the catalyst of trying him forward.

Bruce to the 2's… and let's have a look at the 3 key backs we have playing at sandy.

[samuraisaint]

Bruce really has been struggling for 2 seasons now and i realise it is round 3 but we appear a long way off. I know it didn't work initially with him but could he become a Jeremy Howe type hackman allowed to go for marks and attack the ball front on?

Brown looked really out of sorts last 2 weeks ( although not his fault last week as no pressure on the ball).
Bring Battle in and go with a more mobile forward line with 1 legit tall McCartin and Battle 2nd option with Acres floating forward.

Next week :

In : Battle, Steele, Weller
Out: Brown, Wright, Armitage

Carlisle plays on Hawkins, Bruce can cover a Stanley or the like . Menzel - Roberton.

B: Gaery, Carlisle, Webster
HB: Roberton , Bruce, Savage
C: Newness, Dunstan, Sinclair
HF: Acres, Battle, Billings
F: Gresham, McCartin, Weller
Fol: Marshall, Steven, Ross

Int: Coffield, Long, White, Steele

Some good ins. Isn't Weller injured though?

But we need a second ruckman against Geelong. I'd go with Hickey after his showing for Sandy yesterday.

[Royston]

Bruce is a dumbsass...this is the reason he was moved from the backline to forward line originally.

He was recruited from GWS to play centre half back but due to his inability to grasp set-plays, think
quick enough, show initiative and play in a smart team oriented manner he was moved from the back half
into the forward line.

He is a good athlete and has good size but you can see some of his decisions while forward beggars belief.
Thankfully being forward means his errors don't directly 'leak' on the scoreboard.

If he had worked as a back it is most likely Carlisle, our one A-Grader in my opinion, wouldn't have been on our radar.

His good season where he kicked over 50 was based on being 2nd banana to Roo and the opposition
not putting any time into him....so he was the surprise factor.

We have massive structural problems with only Carlisle being a quality 'tall' capable of holding and winning his position.

Compare us to Melb (who we were being compared with 18mths ago)....Gun ruckman, gun big forward in Hogan, gun back
in Lever and a great mix of different style mid-fielders...

We are so far away that I am starting to worry we will become irrelevant to all and sundry....as witnessed by an inability to land
a gun free agency...why would you come to us....oh, we are back at Moorabbin !!

[older saint]

Bruce really has been struggling for 2 seasons now and i realise it is round 3 but we appear a long way off. I know it didn't work initially with him but could he become a Jeremy Howe type hackman allowed to go for marks and attack the ball front on?

Brown looked really out of sorts last 2 weeks ( although not his fault last week as no pressure on the ball).
Bring Battle in and go with a more mobile forward line with 1 legit tall McCartin and Battle 2nd option with Acres floating forward.

Next week :

In : Battle, Steele, Weller
Out: Brown, Wright, Armitage

Carlisle plays on Hawkins, Bruce can cover a Stanley or the like . Menzel - Roberton.

B: Gaery, Carlisle, Webster
HB: Roberton , Bruce, Savage
C: Newness, Dunstan, Sinclair
HF: Acres, Battle, Billings
F: Gresham, McCartin, Weller
Fol: Marshall, Steven, Ross

Int: Coffield, Long, White, Steele

Some good ins. Isn't Weller injured though?

But we need a second ruckman against Geelong. I'd go with Hickey after his showing for Sandy yesterday.

If Weller hurt bringing Gilbert and play as utility /second ruck

[Wayne42]

The best place for Bruce is Sandy.

[Linton Lodger]

The best place for Bruce is Sandy.

Agreed.

[barneyboyz]

Bruce is a dumbsass...this is the reason he was moved from the backline to forward line originally.

He was recruited from GWS to play centre half back but due to his inability to grasp set-plays, think
quick enough, show initiative and play in a smart team oriented manner he was moved from the back half
into the forward line.

He is a good athlete and has good size but you can see some of his decisions while forward beggars belief.
Thankfully being forward means his errors don't directly 'leak' on the scoreboard.

If he had worked as a back it is most likely Carlisle, our one A-Grader in my opinion, wouldn't have been on our radar.

His good season where he kicked over 50 was based on being 2nd banana to Roo and the opposition
not putting any time into him....so he was the surprise factor.

We have massive structural problems with only Carlisle being a quality 'tall' capable of holding and winning his position.

Compare us to Melb (who we were being compared with 18mths ago)....Gun ruckman, gun big forward in Hogan, gun back
in Lever and a great mix of different style mid-fielders...

We are so far away that I am starting to worry we will become irrelevant to all and sundry....as witnessed by an inability to land
a gun free agency...why would you come to us....oh, we are back at Moorabbin !!

But it is starting to cost us going th other way. We had the crows in a bit of trouble and had we kept that pressure going there was looking like an upset.

This has been the problem for 3 years where without Roo the forwards have not worked, except for skunk. McCartin, well we have to suck that up for a while and hopefully he comes good. But a big fit monster that owns the front half hasn’t been at the saints for years. Kosi should have been it, but couldn’t keep on the park. I would even give Goddard a crack

[skeptic]

I think the backlines holding up ok...

the role for Bruce seems to be to lead up the ground and be a link player. It's what he doing best.

[degruch]

I think the backlines holding up ok...

the role for Bruce seems to be to lead up the ground and be a link player. It's what he doing best.

Totally agree. Needs more time up the ground where he has the tank to run his opponent off, and hopefully deliver better by foot than he traditionally kicks at goal. I couldn't think of anything worse than putting him down back...he was so good a defender a developing franchise club disposed of him for a pick they didn't even bother using.

Sandy. Battle seems worth a punt, leave Marshall as a ruck/forward with Gilbert providing relief while he's resting in the forward line.

[Drake Huggins]

Not convinced Bruce will be any better or worse than Brown.
I'd rather bypass both and play Goddard or Austin.
If we want Battle in Id be pushing McCartin out.

Yep. Development wise for sure.

Could Battle play a Membrey type roll?

This. He'll probably get flogged early, but is worth a shot.

[Drake Huggins]

Bruce is a dumbsass...this is the reason he was moved from the backline to forward line originally.

He was recruited from GWS to play centre half back but due to his inability to grasp set-plays, think
quick enough, show initiative and play in a smart team oriented manner he was moved from the back half
into the forward line.

He is a good athlete and has good size but you can see some of his decisions while forward beggars belief.
Thankfully being forward means his errors don't directly 'leak' on the scoreboard.

If he had worked as a back it is most likely Carlisle, our one A-Grader in my opinion, wouldn't have been on our radar.

His good season where he kicked over 50 was based on being 2nd banana to Roo and the opposition
not putting any time into him....so he was the surprise factor.

We have massive structural problems with only Carlisle being a quality 'tall' capable of holding and winning his position.

Compare us to Melb (who we were being compared with 18mths ago)....Gun ruckman, gun big forward in Hogan, gun back
in Lever and a great mix of different style mid-fielders...

We are so far away that I am starting to worry we will become irrelevant to all and sundry....as witnessed by an inability to land
a gun free agency...why would you come to us....oh, we are back at Moorabbin !!

Another poster who grasps the reality of our current situation. Join our challenge to the current board, Royston.

[sunsaint]

sometimes players do get their confidence back in marking contests by moving into the backline but I certainly dont want to risk it
could it be a possible solution to give him two weeks to sort his game out by using him as the tall option link man on the wing?
expose him - and see what he does
Bring Battle in this week give him a go in the forward line or play Marshall as a forward/ruck

Any thoughts that AR has of being final 8 contenders need to be put to bed and we have to start blooding and establishing these highly rated youngsters

[dragit]

I think the backlines holding up ok...

the role for Bruce seems to be to lead up the ground and be a link player. It's what he doing best.

Bruce just isn't good enough to be a link player… he's averaging 4 kicks and 4 marks per match this year, that's one link per quarter.

[spert]

We have all identified the problems, we know what needs to be done, and now just need the board to take swift action to at least address one issue and we'll go from there.

[sunsaint]

I think the backlines holding up ok...

the role for Bruce seems to be to lead up the ground and be a link player. It's what he doing best.

Bruce just isn't good enough to be a link player… he's averaging 4 kicks and 4 marks per match this year, that's one link per quarter.

agreed - but thats why I mentioned two weeks blow torch time

[degruch]

I think the backlines holding up ok...

the role for Bruce seems to be to lead up the ground and be a link player. It's what he doing best.

Bruce just isn't good enough to be a link player… he's averaging 4 kicks and 4 marks per match this year, that's one link per quarter.

That's deep in the F50 though...although he did play further up the ground last Crows v Saints game I saw in Adelaide, but just couldn't stick a contested mark.

[saint6709]

I think we are already into a development year - and I don't think Bruce is the problem - it hasn't been going his way but he CAN RUN - I would be looking at trying to play 2 mobile rucks who can rest forward - hickey played well yesterday apparently- and Marshall is obviously the other guy - battle can also play AND RUN - so Battle Bruce Membrey - hickey/ Marshall as ruck / forwards ----as mentioned as already think its a development year as of yesterday - so sorry n brown but Goddard/Austin play ----- and sorry paddy/billy - but trade them next year FOR WHTEVER we can get - - put in a new coach and sorry Gears - you've forged a fantastic career from sheer determination BUT get a new captain - unfortunately I don't have a nominee ???
Ps sorry Armo but never again do I think you should get a game over Steele

[bigcarl]

Bruce to backline may shore up a defence that has looked all at sea the past fortnight.

Has the club said anything about Membrey?

To me he’s the only walk-up-start tallish forward. Up to Paddy to see if he can keep Battle out.

[chook23]

Yes.........to 2nds