Bellchambers to lead the ruck against the Bulldogs

[swoodley]

Hille and Laycock both out....from afl.com.au:

ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights has confirmed that 18-year-old Tasmanian Tom Bellchambers will lead the Bombers' ruck division on Friday night against the Western Bulldogs, with both David Hille and Jason Laycock to miss the match.

Bellchambers has played one senior game for Essendon this season after being taken in the 2008 NAB AFL pre-season draft.

Hille will miss the rest of the season with a broken hand sustained against Adelaide on the weekend, while Laycock is suffering from a floating bone in the ankle.

Scans on Monday confirmed both Hille's injury and a broken fibula for luckless defender Courtenay Dempsey. Dustin Fletcher (groin) is also out of contention for the Bulldogs clash.

"Tom is quite a solidly-built young man, but he is a development player who is 18 years old, so he is going to get a chance to ruck against a really good ruckman in [Ben] Hudson," Knights said.

Midfielder Jason Johnson will definitely return to the senior team after a long-term calf injury, as will Mark McVeigh (knee) if he gets through training. Heath Hocking also looks likely to return having missed last weekend.

"We have got a few issues with injuries, but they are the cards you are dealt and the 22 that run out have really got to represent the club well on Friday night," Knights said.

"It's on a big stage against a good side so we have just got to wind them up to play good footy. We will potentially have to look at a few first-gamers, but we will take a look at them today and make a call."

[tonysoprano]

Lead the ruck? Surely Paddy would have to be first up with Bellchambers to support?

[j-mac31]

My God. Who incidentally doesn't exist.
Steepest learning curve ever.
Still, could be good for him. Is Cock out for the week after too? I'd rather have a kid who isn't ready give it his all against two of the best ruckmen over the last decade in Hudson and King for the last two weeks of the season than have Cock jog around not giving a flying f***. Although I was interested to see how he would have gone as number 1 ruck.

Also interested that Ryder won't be doing it, but I it is most likely he will be a key defender in the future and maybe spend a little time up forward so won't play much ruck, making it a bit silly using him as number 1 and waste the opportunity to give Bellchambers some big time experience. And seeing as none of our other young talls have much experience, may as wll get some int Bellchambers. And he might show he has more than Laycock and will take the number 2 spot as of next year.

[billyduckworth]

Go, Belly!
Big opportunity for the young lad.

[The Fly]

There's nothing like throwing him in the deep end. Let's see what he has got. Good luck, TB.

[Crazyman]

while Laycock is suffering from a floating bone in the ankle.

Whilst I think Laycock deserves the shit he has been plastered with all year, I now wonder if he has been playing with this injury all year...if so, might explain a few things...

[Mrs Mercuri]

A big test for Tom but id rather he be thrown in now than next year. Hopefully he puts in a good performance against Hudson and Minson. =D>

[swoodley]

while Laycock is suffering from a floating bone in the ankle.

Whilst I think Laycock deserves the shit he has been plastered with all year, I now wonder if he has been playing with this injury all year...if so, might explain a few things...

In another article I read today, Knights puts it quite strongly that the floating bone has had little or nothing to do with Laycock's form. Make of that what you will.

[tonysoprano]

while Laycock is suffering from a floating bone in the ankle.

Whilst I think Laycock deserves the shit he has been plastered with all year, I now wonder if he has been playing with this injury all year...if so, might explain a few things...

In another article I read today, Knights puts it quite strongly that the floating bone has had little or nothing to do with Laycock's form. Make of that what you will.

I make it that Knights knows that Laycock will never live up to expectations, and more often than not is not even close to a serviceable AFL player. Goodbye Jason.

[Megan]

Oh God.

We should never have gotten rid of Bolts, he could've rucked this week

Oh God.

Poor Belly. This is going to be huge.

[Crazyman]

while Laycock is suffering from a floating bone in the ankle.

Whilst I think Laycock deserves the shit he has been plastered with all year, I now wonder if he has been playing with this injury all year...if so, might explain a few things...

In another article I read today, Knights puts it quite strongly that the floating bone has had little or nothing to do with Laycock's form. Make of that what you will.

If that is the case, then he is seriously going to struggle to be at the club beyond next year...

[jimmyc1985]

In another article I read today, Knights puts it quite strongly that the floating bone has had little or nothing to do with Laycock's form. Make of that what you will.

Swoods, any chance you could provide the link to the article you're referring to? Or just let me know where that article might be? I'd be interested to read it. Ta .

[F111]

Break a leg Belly!!

[Doctor Fish]

Break a leg Belly!!

Oh crap! I wish you didn't say that F111...

[Sismis]

We still have Ryder who is handy in the ruck.

[j-mac31]

Oh God.

We should never have gotten rid of Bolts, he could've rucked this week

Or Henno.

[Mrs Mercuri]

We still have Ryder who is handy in the ruck.

Thank goodness the Doggies dont have a tall forward line as we dont have Fletch and Ryder will have to play a lot in the ruck.

[Megan]

Henno! How could I forget Henno!!!

[dom_105]

Or Somerville.

[swoodley]

In another article I read today, Knights puts it quite strongly that the floating bone has had little or nothing to do with Laycock's form. Make of that what you will.

Swoods, any chance you could provide the link to the article you're referring to? Or just let me know where that article might be? I'd be interested to read it. Ta .

Here's the link

http://www.bombersfc.com.au/Season2008/ ... wsId=65830

and here's the quote from the article:

Despite Jason Laycock suffering from a floating bone in his ankle, Knights insisted that the injury was not to blame for his poor form.

“It hasn’t been preventing him playing or covering the ground, so I think Jason is big enough to say that his form line is his form line," was Knights' frank assessment.

"There’s no excuse in regard to injury. But we felt that after the game (against Adelaide) it got to a stage that it would start to impede on his performance if he continued to play … so obviously that will probably be it for the season.”