Tyson Bradley: High-end defensive craft, with a question mark
Tyson Bradley is impressive.
The “old-time defender” tag looks pretty sound to me, but it does undersell him a bit. There are modern intercept attributes here too, along with a willingness to take the game forward when he has the footy.
There is a bit of Tom Barrass about how he plays. His body work, positioning and ability to defend in the air are appealing. He has also been able to play against a range of opponents at Under 18 level: key forwards, resting rucks and medium forwards.
My main question is how quickly he reads and reacts when the game changes around him. He looks comfortable when he can establish his position. I’m less convinced when fast transition forces him to adjust.
Hard to move once he gets set
Bradley’s one-on-one craft is one of the strongest parts of his game. When he gets body on body, he rarely gets outworked. He uses his hips well to move his opponent where he wants him and establish a position from which he can defend.
Once he gets in front, he is hard to move.....
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