Player Watch #27: Miller Bergman - BFNAAK - Extends to end of 2025 - returns to the team against the Eagles

[Themanbun]

His defensive issues notwithstanding, for a hard-running winger Stephens doesn't look like he needs much more muscle to me.

View attachment 2131017

He's just lean. I'm more interested in what he squats, benches, deadlifts and power cleans than what he looks like.

 

[koshari]

It's a shame. Courageous as anything and decent skills but a string bean.

seems pretty vanilla to me and that contrasting a very vanilla list.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

Look at Zach Guthrie

39

Zach Guthrie

Age

26

Ht

188cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

5.2

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

90.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

1.0

1star

T

1.0

2star

MG

90.0

2star

D

10.4

3star

K

3.8

2star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.6

4star

when he first started. Would have barely been 70 KGs wringing wet and was regularly rag dolled by opposition forwards. Surprisingly stands at 188 CMs and now listed at 84 KGs on the Footy Wire website. Was a slow burn in his first few seasons to now become a solid player in defense.

Surely our strength and conditioning staff have a game plan in place here with Miller to get that bulk and strength for 2025 and beyond. Call Guthrie for some tips if need be. Shadow Paulie Curtis in the weights room as he bench presses Cam Zuurhar in his warm ups.

 

[LB2Snake]

Look at Zach Guthrie when he first started. Would have barely been 70 KGs wringing wet and was regularly rag dolled by opposition forwards. Surprisingly stands at 188 CMs and now listed at 84 KGs on the Footy Wire website. Was a slow burn in his first few seasons to now become a solid player in defense.

Surely our strength and conditioning staff have a game plan in place here with Miller to get that bulk and strength for 2025 and beyond. Call Guthrie for some tips if need be. Shadow Paulie Curtis in the weights room as he bench presses Cam Zuurhar in his warm ups.

Guthrie a great example. He never looked like he was going to be any good. Seriously good player now.

 

[Warrboy]

With Stephens it's overall strength, rather than extra muscle. Needs to be able to keep his feet better in the content and when he is tackling.

From what I’ve seen live he actually needs to go near a contest.

 

[shinboner magic]

Needs to morph into Whitfield

 

[northbergs]

Still think there’s something to work with here. He seems to be one of those blokes who has composure with the ball in hand before he kicks. And so, although not overly quick, he can speed up the game with good decision making and attacking kicking off half back.

Whilst his disposal average in the seniors suggest he doesn’t get the ball enough to be an offensive back pocket/half back type (playing sub will not have helped those stats), he has been prolific in the twos on occasion.

If we don’t end up getting C Daniel, I wonder if he can develop into that type of player.


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[zoomba23]

Still think there’s something to work with here. He seems to be one of those blokes who has composure with the ball in hand before he kicks. And so, although not overly quick, he can speed up the game with good decision making and attacking kicking off half back.

Whilst his disposal average in the seniors suggest he doesn’t get the ball enough to be an offensive back pocket/half back type (playing sub will not have helped those stats), he has been prolific in the twos on occasion.

If we don’t end up getting C Daniel, I wonder if he can develop into that type of player.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

What stands out to me is he simply has no idea how to get the ball. Accumulation is the sort of ability that isn't teachable. He doesn't run to receive handballs like a selfish chip scabbing back flanker should, and he's never seemed particularly urgent in his on-field actions. Add in the fact that he's part of the brigade who apparently hasn't been handed a swipe card to the gym facilities, and it isn't ideal. He really needs to make something of the coming year imo

 

[hurricane]

What stands out to me is he simply has no idea how to get the ball. Accumulation is the sort of ability that isn't teachable. He doesn't run to receive handballs like a selfish chip scabbing back flanker should, and he's never seemed particularly urgent in his on-field actions. Add in the fact that he's part of the brigade who apparently hasn't been handed a swipe card to the gym facilities, and it isn't ideal. He really needs to make something of the coming year imo

Strong disagree, on the first part, anyway.

Some of his VFL games have shown that he definitely knows how to accumulate the ball. And one of the things that struck me in his early AFL games was his hard running to create an outlet.

I think his reading of the play and attacking instincts are a real strength. IMO he has struggled to find the balance between these and the need to defend solidly, perhaps over compensating this year.

I agree with your last sentence though.

 

[DuckYeah]

Another defender that showed something and never showed more. Be goneski end of 2025. Too fragile, too skinny, problematic for us is we have too many skinny players. Bergman, Scott, Stephenson and we are going to bring in Stevo’s boy too who is just a bag of bones.

 

[Horizons_00]

Another defender that showed something and never showed more. Be goneski end of 2025. Too fragile, too skinny, problematic for us is we have too many skinny players. Bergman, Scott, Stephenson and we are going to bring in Stevo’s boy too who is just a bag of bones.

Most of them have been told this (there abouts) in their exit meetings

See what happens

 

[Poopybum22]

Surely we would’ve told him to hit the gym a preseason or 2 ago.

Has he put much if any size on at all since being drafted? Has some skills but shown little to no ability to develop his body physically.

We draft skinny and they stay skinny yet being beyond lean rarely assists our endurance.

 

[Horizons_00]

Surely we would’ve told him to hit the gym a preseason or 2 ago.

Has he put much if any size on at all since being drafted? Has some skills but shown little to no ability to develop his body physically.

We draft skinny and they stay skinny yet being beyond lean rarely assists our endurance.

Unfortunately we have some of the worst builds in the AFL. Been like that for years

There is no competitiveness in the gym amongst the boys to get big either when players are allowed to stay the same size since we've drafted them

If we see darling, Parker etc all in the gym it may lift the standards. All great trainers.

 

[koshari]

Unfortunately we have some of the worst builds in the AFL. Been like that for years

There is no competitiveness in the gym amongst the boys to get big either when players are allowed to stay the same size since we've drafted them

If we see darling, Parker etc all in the gym it may lift the standards. All great trainers.

Pauly curtis stole all the weights.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

Pauly curtis stole all the weights.

Curtis and Wardlaw throw them around like frisbees

 

[HTPunter]

Look at Zach Guthrie when he first started. Would have barely been 70 KGs wringing wet and was regularly rag dolled by opposition forwards. Surprisingly stands at 188 CMs and now listed at 84 KGs on the Footy Wire website. Was a slow burn in his first few seasons to now become a solid player in defense.

Surely our strength and conditioning staff have a game plan in place here with Miller to get that bulk and strength for 2025 and beyond. Call Guthrie for some tips if need be. Shadow Paulie Curtis in the weights room as he bench presses Cam Zuurhar in his warm ups.

This is probably the perfect comparison.

We don’t need Miller to play in 2025, or probably even much in 2026 for that matter. He’s got enough to work with - it’s just I’m sick of him getting injured every time he gets thumped around in the 1s. Just let him build his body & he can be a player from 23-24 years old onwards.

Will Dawson same boat. No surprise these guys get injured