AFL Player #24: Nick Bryan

[Lore]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 16, ant555

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

I don't think he's got the luxury of that much time.

He would not want to be lacking in physical presence in 18 months time. A kid like Visentini will come on quickly if it happens because he's naturally got the weight (and the attitude with it).

The project ways always for a Draper / Bryan combination. I've come to accept that it would be for Bryan to play the higher minutes on-ball and for Draper to be more of an impact player who rests forward (I initially thought Bryan would be more of a forward). Draper was already dominating the VFL by the time Bryan was recruited. He was given a 2 year contract extension at the end of year 1 and he then dominated year 2 before doing his ACL early in year 3 (at the end of which Bryan was drafted). I've made this point and its been attacked before but the simple reality is that clubs don't use a second round pick on a ruck project, who is 3 years younger than the rookie they just recruited and who is flying, for the sake of a long term number 2. It signals real belief in the player recruited. It has to because it necessarily means getting nothing from a list spot from a minimum 3 years. It's never a guarantee that the player will make it, as no such guarantee can exist, but it is a guarantee that the player will be given every opportunity to make it (unless character is put in issue or there is bad luck with injury).

4 years later, the next kid has been recruited. That he is a rookie means it's likely seen as a bit more speculative. But odds are still that Visentini will be given enough time that he will be in a position to challenge Bryan for a spot in the team. Bryan would not want to be a 7th to 8th year player being thrown around by 3rd to 4th year player in training. If he doesn't have the physicality by then he will be overtaken.

Of course he does. We’re certainly not going to cut him from the list any time soon. Goldy has max 1-2 years left you’d think so in an ideal world he’d be ready to transition at the right time. Either that or we just start playing one ruck and 2MP has to pinch hit and we play Caddy or Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

 

[ant555]

Really good this week.
22 disposals . 33 hitouts. 8 clearances. 4 marks. 2 tackles.
In the best few on the ground.
Rucked against Riley Bowman (who was with our VFL for a bit in 2019 and Box Hill before Southport) and Brayden Crossley

Brayden Crossley

Age

24

Ht

198cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.4

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

4.9

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.5

3star

No current season stats available

D

9.2

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.6

3star

(former GC academy player who was rubbed out for 12 months for having Metabolites in his system on match day and has been at Southport since 2021).

 

[BrunoV]

Of course he does. We’re certainly not going to cut him from the list any time soon. Goldy has max 1-2 years left you’d think so in an ideal world he’d be ready to transition at the right time. Either that or we just start playing one ruck and 2MP has to pinch hit and we play Caddy or Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

I didn't say we were going to cut him, I said that he does not want to be stuck in competition with Visentini. Visentini has the natural big man's game. He will throw his weight around and pull a mark down. Even just look at their bodies, Visentini is already the same size it has taken Bryan 5 pre-seasons to grow into. While he does not have Bryan's athleticism he is hardly a lumberer. If Bryan is competing with Visentini it will be because he is still struggling with the physical side of the game. He will lose his spot in the hierarchy if that happens.

I do not think there is necessarily a competition between the 3 players (including Draper). Visentini could, in theory, replace Wright in the existing structure. To my eye Visentini moves at least as well as Wright does. We'll have to see how his forward game develops.


I haven't watched much VFL yet. The recent game against Southport is my first full game for the season. Bryan was good, really good at ground level. He hit targets by foot, including when winning clearances following up his own ruck work. Ruck work was good. Marking was okay. He could impose himself more on a game.

He is a good enough footballer, athlete and natural ruckman for that game to be his default level. I don't look at that game and think he's beyond the underwhelming standard most recently displayed at AFL level.