Player Watch #29: Tom Campbell (joins as FA)

[Dory_77]

Old school footballer who clearly makes the most of his opportunities. He lacks talent, but makes up for it with determination and grit.

Got a soft spot for these kind of footballers.

Can't say the same for a certain fatboy who's raking in 1.2Mil a year.

Kinda agree. The life of a journeyman ruck is kinda interesting. He'd be on a bargain contract and not costing picks or anything. No issue with picking him up (although probably should've done a similar thing instead of getting Grundy/Fullarton, or further back - Preuss)

 

[Crusty Demon]

Kinda agree. The life of a journeyman ruck is kinda interesting. He'd be on a bargain contract and not costing picks or anything. No issue with picking him up (although probably should've done a similar thing instead of getting Grundy/Fullarton, or further back - Preuss)

Only a ruckman can probably have this kind of career really. There might be the odd exception, but a bloke with size and presence and some sort of skill can be on a list until they are mid 30s playing minimal games in the seniors as a back up to the main guy. They develop late too, so someone like Verrall could be on our list for 5 years before we work out of he's any good or not.

 

[Dory_77]

Only a ruckman can probably have this kind of career really. There might be the odd exception, but a bloke with size and presence and some sort of skill can be on a list until they are mid 30s playing minimal games in the seniors as a back up to the main guy. They develop late too, so someone like Verrall could be on our list for 5 years before we work out of he's any good or not.

Darcy Fort another good example. 10 year career, 35 odd games and a flag. Not bad

 

[tomcruise]

Seems like a lovely bloke

 

[BrisDog]

Tom is a top lad. I had a chat to him post season and a number of clubs were interested in contracting him. A1 person.

 

[markm106]

I like this pick up. Clearly a very good VFL ruck. Also has been in the AFL system for a homer of years. Hopefully we utilise him to keep Gawn going.

 

[schmuttt]

The Fullerton trade is so weird in hindsight, because coaches clearly didn't want him.

 

[Topkent]

Back up rucks are completely and utterly useless. Just shows how stupidly focused we are on clearances

 

[schmuttt]

Back up rucks are completely and utterly useless. Just shows how stupidly focused we are on clearances

Campbell would be fine if we didn't have Fullarton. Really don't get it.

 

[Bluelegs]

The Fullerton trade is so weird in hindsight, because coaches clearly didn't want him.

Goodwin and Lamb don't seem to be on the same page at all. Same as McAdam, Goodwin doesn't seem to rate any of the guys we trade in.

 

[Topkent]

Campbell would be fine if we didn't have Fullarton. Really don't get it.

I put it in the bracket of the Luke Dunstan trade. It's completely pointless

Also any ruck who agrees to come to us is clearly a dumb campaigner

 

[Bluelegs]

I put it in the bracket of the Luke Dunstan trade. It's completely pointless

Also any ruck who agrees to come to us is clearly a dumb campaigner

Disagree. Campbell has managed to earn an AFL wage for 12 years with barely 50 games to his name. Bloke knows what he is and is squeezing every cent out of it.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Back up rucks are completely and utterly useless. Just shows how stupidly focused we are on clearances

Yep, If you need to win taps to not get smashed at clearances that means our mids absolutely suck/are disobeying instructions or the coaches are ****ing clueless.

 

[PerfectFooty]

I don't think it's completely pointless. I'm kinda on the same side of Schmuttt.

It'd be an okay pickup if we didn't have Fullerton. I think it's okay to have a backup, and one that's happy to sit in the 2s knowing they're a break glass if needed. Yes the ruck overall isn't the be all and end all, but you also can't jam Petty there and call it a day (Same goes for the forward line Petty). I'd rather have someone who knows at least a bit of the craft

But i'd also rather our mids also lift their game as well for sure

So i get it both ways, but if i HAD to have a backup, it'd certainly wouldn't have been Fullerton.

I'm at least happy that we've given up on trying to jam two rucks into the one side. That shit hadn't worked since 2021

 

[Dancing Potato]

Yeah, it's a fine pickup as it cost us absolutely nothing to have someone better than Fullerton in case Max goes down. Means Petty can stay back and JVR can stay forward.

Genuinely don't know why we bothered with Fullerton though.

 

[Theseventhhamster]

Fullerton is a shit forward, has nothing to do with the ruck spot outside of whoever sold him as one. Lamb, Fullertons manager, whatever, bloke ain't a ruck.

 

[Crusty Demon]

Fullerton is a shit forward, has nothing to do with the ruck spot outside of whoever sold him as one. Lamb, Fullertons manager, whatever, bloke ain't a ruck.

Exactly. I said when we drafted him.that he's useless. I have no idea why people keep.saying he was our back up ruck because he was never a ruckman and when put in the ruck always looked scared. Another pointless and awful trade by Lamb. Goodwin clearly doesn't rate the guy. Pointless acquisition.

 

[Crusty Demon]

Disagree. Campbell has managed to earn an AFL wage for 12 years with barely 50 games to his name. Bloke knows what he is and is squeezing every cent out of it.

He knows exactly what he is. Not on big money, very good VFL ruckman that can come in and be a good club man, compete at AFL level well enough if needed. He knows he only gets a game if Max goes down or gets rested. Exactly what we needed instead of Grundy.

 

[Topkent]

Disagree. Campbell has managed to earn an AFL wage for 12 years with barely 50 games to his name. Bloke knows what he is and is squeezing every cent out of it.

That doesn't make him smart that makes clubs desperate for anyone over 200cm even if they're shit. Short guys get a couple of years to prove they can play, tall guys get a decade to prove they can't

 

[Bluelegs]

That doesn't make him smart that makes clubs desperate for anyone over 200cm even if they're shit. Short guys get a couple of years to prove they can play, tall guys get a decade to prove they can't

Splitting hairs here.

 

[Demon Attack]

That doesn't make him smart that makes clubs desperate for anyone over 200cm even if they're shit. Short guys get a couple of years to prove they can play, tall guys get a decade to prove they can't

Unless you're Laurie and Sparrow