A handful of days before his 30th birthday, Tom Bellchambers’s 2019 campaign was interrupted by a calf injury, traditionally an old man’s complaint. He returned to complete another season of below-replacement-level play, dropping seven hit outs from his previous best of 33 with a disposal rate just creeping into double figures and a disappointing three marks per game. Bellchambers has fallen away from the sort of ruck that you accept at the end of a draft to one who will be left as a free agent by the end of your draft. It is hard to foresee an Indian summer along the lines of Todd Goldstein out of Bellcho, as all signs point the other way. Then again, they did for Goldie too, who looked destined for the cliff when his body started playing up. Try to avoid.
For whom the bell tolls
A handful of days before his 30th birthday, Tom Bellchambers’s 2019 campaign was interrupted by a calf injury, traditionally an old man’s complaint. He returned to complete another season of below-replacement-level play, dropping seven hit outs from his previous best of 33 with a disposal rate just creeping into double figures and a disappointing three marks per game. Bellchambers has fallen away from the sort of ruck that you accept at the end of a draft to one who will be left as a free agent by the end of your draft. It is hard to foresee an Indian summer along the lines of Todd Goldstein out of Bellcho, as all signs point the other way. Then again, they did for Goldie too, who looked destined for the cliff when his body started playing up. Try to avoid.
Don't repeat on Bellcho
Essendon as a club were mid-table for clearances last year and their lead ruck Tom Bellchambers was also thereabouts for hit-outs, just scraping into the top ten. He was second in contested marking among sole rucks behind Max Gawn, but only added two uncontested grabs per game. Bellchambers doesn't get involved enough in link play to be anything more than replacement-level for fantasy purposes, making him the sort of ruck that you'd settle for at the end of the draft when all the good ones are taken. Try not to get yourself in that position.
Bellcho's back, finally
Knee surgery last January meant Tom Bellchambers started in the VFL and took until round 10 to post a good day in the seniors, after missing all of 2016 with a drug suspension. Like a lot of rucks, he enjoyed the removal of third men up to post a personal best 32 hit outs per game, though he reached double digits in disposals only six times out of 14. You couldn't really say Bellcho took a scalp last year, as his poor work rate around the ground counts against him in today's game. He was first choice over Matthew Leuenberger and the Dons have only got the very raw Sam Draper behind them, plus he's not in a committee. On the other hand, his average hovers near replacement level. Best to look past him.
