Before we begin, I want to get one thing straight - this writer right here is the number #1 ticket holder of the "Tim English Fan Club."
I think he has enormous potential - and have done since 2017 when I played against him in a VFL game in what was his first season - and walked away saying 'he'll be the best ruckman in the AFL one day.'
Ever since then I've followed his development closely (the way he's been developed is another discussion entirely), hoping he will prove me right.
However, while there have been calls from pundits and fans over the past fortnight that the big blonde Bulldog is the in-form ruckman in the AFL, the reality is that he's far from it.
These calls have largely been on the back of English's high possession tallies - where he racks up disposals almost like another midfielder - across the first four games this season, English has had 20, 24, 24, and 20 possessions.
To put this into perspective, English has had more possessions than his star captain, Marcus Bontempelli, in three of the Bulldogs' first four games.
No matter which way you put it, that's very impressive.
His strong start to the season from a SuperCoach perspective, having scored 123, 99, 152, and 96 across the first month, has probably played a part in the general footy fan jumping on the bandwagon, too.
But, while it's great that English is able to get around the ground and get involved in possession chains, that simply isn't - and can't be - his primary role.
His role as a ruckman is to provide his midfield teammates with the chance to compete when the ball hits the ground.
And if he's not competing in the ruck, then he's not doing his job - especially given the Bulldogs already have too many midfielders as it is.
Stats don't tell the full story, and can always be manipulated to suit an agenda, but the Bulldogs haven't won the hit-out count all season, losing by 14, seven, five, and 11.
In English's defence, he's often playing as a lone ruck against a two-pronged ruck attack - but the individual hit-out stats don't look much better:
Round 1: Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs
Gawn 34
English 18
Jackson 10
Round 2: Western Bulldogs vs Carlton
Pittonet 31
English 21
de Koning 10
Round 3: Western Bulldogs vs Sydney
English 28
Hickey 21
Amartey 8
Round 4: Richmond vs Western Bulldogs
Nankervis 26
English 21
Balta 8
Ruck
Hitouts
Marks
Disposals
Some will point to the clearance stats in those games - the Bulldogs won the clearance count against Melbourne, Sydney, and Richmond - to suggest hit-outs are overrated.
But it's about the quality of clearances, and the gap between English's best and worst efforts in the ruck is still far too great.
Losing a hit-out is fine, but, at times, the opposition ruck is able to put it down the throat of their midfielder/s which allows for clean clearances which puts the defence under immediate pressure.
And the fact the Bulldogs' sole win of the season came in the same game in which English led the hit-out stat is telling.
While he may have been aided by Swans ruckman Tom Hickey sustaining a knee injury mid-game, English was terrific in his side's Round 3 victory - in fact, I gave him maximum votes in the Zero Hanger MVP award for that game.
But it was because of his ruck work, monstering Joel Amartey once Hickey went off, and not for his 24 disposals - he also recorded 24 disposals the week prior against Carlton, but was comprehensively beaten by Marc Pittonet in the ruck contests.
I don't want to downplay his efforts around the ground - it's just that that should be the cherry on top of the cake, a bonus on top of solid ruck work, and not the entire cake itself.
Because the reality is, while English is very good around the ground 'for a big bloke,' they might as well pick an actual midfielder if 'playing like an extra midfielder' is what he brings to the team.
Despite the noise around his form, English has been beaten in three of the four games so far this season.
But the game he dominated in his position is the game the Bulldogs won - if he can start to win the ruck battle regularly and keep his work around the ground where it is, then we could have a genuinely special player on our hands.
