Stan The Caddy
Norm Smith Medallist
- Jan 26, 2013
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I wouldn't say that we are in furious agreement,
but I'm happy to let it go as well. -
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Strategy Ruck Issues
- Thread starter ShaunWDT
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but I'm happy to let it go as well. 
Kersten.
catempire
Premium Platinum
Seriously, we are! But me explaining why risks upsetting the zen-like state it has reached.I wouldn't say that we are in furious agreement,
- Dec 19, 2015
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Dangerfield, Selwood, Duncan, Blicavs, Cockatoo, Guthrie, mackie, kolo, cowan, cunico. IMO just about anyone. A good midfielder makes a pretty good HBF in my opinion. Not too many players are drafted specifically as a HBF, most play a lot of midfield and then are brought through positions such as HBF, if they thrive they may be thrown in the middle and vice versa.
Corey, kelly, bartel all spent periods of time across HBF and were very good.
My argument is draft talented players and theyll go alright as a HBF. Put the best players in the comp at HBF and theyll go alright. Why dont they play there but instead play midfield? Because they are good enough to be there and its more important to put them there.
Can you put anyone in the ruck? No you cant.
Oh what complete bs.
And I can't even believe partridge liked your post.
Actually, it staggered me a bit.
Because he likes natural footballers. Seems he doesn't care about natural backs.
There are not many great 1/2 backs. Enright will be a legend of Geelong. Anyone could have done that right?
Ablett junior would have been found out at 1/2 back.
Corey, Bartel, and Kelly got lucky. We had the best backline of the last decade.
And......they are bloody smart footballers.
To suggest a good 1/2 back is easy to come by is just dumb.
Sorry, I don't know you.
But it's dumb.
- Dec 19, 2015
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Alright calm down mate its just my opinion, youre fringing on getting personal and away from the argument. 100% smart footballer makes a good HB, thats the key ingredient.
Yes I agree that enright is a great back, wouldve gone alright in the midfield for mine too.
Wouldve gaz been a great HB probably not, would've he been s.house? Im not so sure. His height wouldve been a slight limitation.
Slightly taller mids would make great HB IMO, fyfe would be an unreal HB.
I liken this to the small forward argument. "Small forward is the hardest position yada yada" "stephen milne is the greatest small fwd, its the hardest position" its nonsense for mine. If stephen milne was any good he wouldve spent time in the midfield, he was a limited player. If gary ablett jnr played his whole career as a small fwd hed be the greatest small fwd of all time. Paul Chapman anyone? Played half his career in the middle because he was talented enough, play hes whole career as small fwd? GOAT.
If we didnt have a HB and we put dangerfield there, wed be okay. If we had no ruck and put dangerfield there.....
- Dec 19, 2015
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Im not saying these midfielders would make better backs than enright. There are definitely some specialist defenders who are great, but if your asking who will play HB if we didnt have smedts? Then yeah most our midfield would go okay. They would not in the ruck.
One key line, about how many players can play ruck. That's where I agree.
Half back flankers are important. Midfielders are important. But a good ruckman is irreplaceable. It's the same reason I think Hawkins is our most important player. Because he is impossible to cover if he's out.
Correct about irreplaceable, but to suggest anyone can play half back is moronic.
- Dec 19, 2015
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I don't think its moronic, how'd Mitchell go at HB this year? A lot better than he would in the ruck.
Probably stepping a bit away from our Ruck Issues here ... but one comment you made about the hardest pos on the ground.... Ive always thought that what one person feels hard depends on the personal traits and abilities. Would a naturally gifted offensive weapon be good off half back..someone like SJ or GA sr? Id say their gifts relate to getting the ball and doing something with it, not stopping opponents. Ask them to play defence and they would be far less players. Ask many great defenders to play forward , where they had to create and not stifle , and they too would struggle to show their best.
Enright was tried as a mid , and although he was reasonable , it certainly didn't allow him to show his best. While you have lots of players that could be asked to play the role , few would be capable of balancing the needs of minding your man , when to go and when to stay , when to spoil and when to mark etc...
I think we have strayed a bit here. The main OP is ruck issues... and while we have gone down memory lane about past draft choices.. I'm not sure we currently have issues. Till we play and show otherwize , Id like to think we now have it covered. Smith at his best will be quite a difficult proposition. The first NAB game down here in a few weeks will be interesting , I guess if Smith and Grundy plays..it will either smother or stoke your fire.
He'd get slaughtered.
Are you free this week? I need some holes dug.
I think the difference between a serviceable back flank and a brilliant back flank is very noticeable mate. I mean compare Enright to say Mathew Boyd who had a great season at half back. When it comes crunch time who do you pick? Enright wins everytime. I cant really understand what youre arguing though I think ive chimed in to late. But there'll always be a need for back flankers in a draft.
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That sort of proves VC's point as well - that a great midfielder can play half back. Same with Hodge, Bartel, Kelly... I think that Enright could have been a brilliant midfielder. I think it says more about Enright being talented and hard working that made for a position. His only problem was that he was taller than other midfielders and we had some bloody good midfielders, so he trained and played at half back.
- Dec 19, 2015
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- Dec 19, 2015
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Never said put anyone there and they'll be the best HB of all time. I 100% agree there are great genuine backs.
However a lot of different players can play there and go okay, its been done time and time again. More than the ruck.
Dont disagree by comparing one of the best defenders of all time to a mid who went back. Thats my point, it can be done and is done. Never said theyll be the best ever and I think its a weak argument to say its not true by saying they wont be enright.
More players can be played at HB than in the ruck.
- Dec 19, 2015
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Pretty sure that was my point.
- Jun 11, 2013
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Can we give it a rest guys. We didn't take Grundy, End of story. We decided to go something more like the Hawthorn Route and recruit ruckmen from other afl teams.
Does it mean we're likely to miss out on the 211's and NicNats of this world? But far more ruckmen are misses than hits. They are notoriously hard to draft. Wells & Co. have chosen a different path for building our team.
We now have a number of ruckmen on our list. Smith, Stanley, Clark, Vardy, Blicavs can all play in that position. (Only 2 of whom started their career at Geelong I might note)
We've gone from a position where Blicavs was our best available ruckman, to a position where he'll likely play elsewhere because we have more than enough talent in that position.
Of course the proof is in the eating. I can't wait the 17 days til we get to see how they go against Collingwood. (Although don't we have a game against Essendon in Shepperton before then? Does anyone know anyone whose going?)
Revel in the excitement of what might be, don't dwell on the what might have been.
Does it mean we're likely to miss out on the 211's and NicNats of this world? But far more ruckmen are misses than hits. They are notoriously hard to draft. Wells & Co. have chosen a different path for building our team.
We now have a number of ruckmen on our list. Smith, Stanley, Clark, Vardy, Blicavs can all play in that position. (Only 2 of whom started their career at Geelong I might note)
We've gone from a position where Blicavs was our best available ruckman, to a position where he'll likely play elsewhere because we have more than enough talent in that position.
Of course the proof is in the eating. I can't wait the 17 days til we get to see how they go against Collingwood. (Although don't we have a game against Essendon in Shepperton before then? Does anyone know anyone whose going?)
Revel in the excitement of what might be, don't dwell on the what might have been.
Enright, Murdoch, Lang, bartel, Duncan, Mackie, guthrie and even probably Blicavs could all play the back flank role. Hopefully we don't play many of them there as the back flank role is one of the least important on the field.
Ablett senior did play some games off half back and from memory did pretty well at it. Was an offensive half back obviously.
The half back flank is the last resort for talented players who couldn't initially crack it consistently in the position they were initially intended for. look at all our great half back flankers, none of them started out as back flankers. All were initially intended to be forwards or mids. Hinkley, Mansfield, milburn, p.brown, Mackie and even Enright all were inconsistent in their other positions but were great as back flankers. It's just an easier position to play,
- Jun 11, 2013
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So about our current ruck line-up...
catempire
Premium Platinum
It's Grundy-less but looking OK.
