Toast Rhys Stanley

Although I don't wish him ill will, I just don't see him doing it.

I don't either, but my point was at least he has a small window of opportunity whereas a month ago he was basically gone as if Stanley had stayed fit he never would have got another look in (I thought Scott's comments when he was dropped where quite pointed)
 
Dec 11, 2009
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I don't either, but my point was at least he has a small window of opportunity whereas a month ago he was basically gone as if Stanley had stayed fit he never would have got another look in (I thought Scott's comments when he was dropped where quite pointed)

Yep, completely agree.

Stanley's injury has given him the faintest chance of saving himself, but like you, I thought Scott's comments were very telling.
 
Dec 11, 2009
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I don't either, but my point was at least he has a small window of opportunity whereas a month ago he was basically gone as if Stanley had stayed fit he never would have got another look in (I thought Scott's comments when he was dropped where quite pointed)

Do you see us realistically targeting a genuine ruckman through FA or trade this year PO?

Will we have anything with which to attract them if we go after all of Danger, Hendo and SS as rumoured?
 
Do you see us realistically targeting a genuine ruckman through FA or trade this year PO?

Will we have anything with which to attract them if we go after all of Danger, Hendo and SS as rumoured?

Clarke is probably the only one I can think of, based only on the fact that we chased him two years ago and him not having signed a new contract and getting dropped recently. But he will cost more than we can afford assuming we get Danger and Scooter and Henderson. Ideally we would get a free agent ruck so we dont give up any picks but all of Kreuzer, Berger and Bellchambers are too injury prone (well the first two are and the third is not that good).

If we get those 3 I think we will only have the cap (unless we backend all our contracts heavily) for a backup type ruckman on the cheap, think what the Crows did with Lowden etc.
 
Dec 11, 2009
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Clarke is probably the only one I can think of, based only on the fact that we chased him two years ago and him not having signed a new contract and getting dropped recently. But he will cost more than we can afford assuming we get Danger and Scooter and Henderson. Ideally we would get a free agent ruck so we dont give up any picks but all of Kreuzer, Berger and Bellchambers are too injury prone (well the first two are and the third is not that good).

If we get those 3 I think we will only have the cap (unless we backend all our contracts heavily) for a backup type ruckman on the cheap, think what the Crows did with Lowden etc.

A little bit of the chicken and the egg, but I can't help but think we desperately need a genuine ruckman as much as midfielders.

HMac is gone, Stanley may / may not be a long term answer, Clark and Blicavs are part timers, and it's unlikely Daws will make it.

We need someone getting it down to the midfielders.....
 
A little bit of the chicken and the egg, but I can't help but think we desperately need a genuine ruckman as much as midfielders.

HMac is gone, Stanley may / may not be a long term answer, Clark and Blicavs are part timers, and it's unlikely Daws will make it.

We need someone getting it down to the midfielders.....

I agree we need a ruck but we also need to bolster the midfield and the reality is both Dangerfield and Scooter are free agents who are very good and will help Joel and we can get without giving up our first round pick. Sure if a durable young enough ruckman was available for a first rounder (e.g. what Sydney did with Mumford, Collingwood with Jolly at end 09 etc) then I would jump at it but the reality is the guys we want are either not available (e.g. Goldstein), or too injury prone to be worth our first round pick because they dont represent a significant enough upgrade on what we have. I am all for getting a ruck, but not at the expense of Danger and Scooter, especially when the ruck we get will in all likelihood just be backup to Stanley if he is fit, whereas Danger and Scooter are keeping no one out as we dont have many quality young inside mids in the 2s.
 
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I agree we need a ruck but we also need to bolster the midfield and the reality is both Dangerfield and Scooter are free agents who are very good and will help Joel and we can get without giving up our first round pick. Sure if a durable young enough ruckman was available for a first rounder (e.g. what Sydney did with Mumford, Collingwood with Jolly at end 09 etc) then I would jump at it but the reality is the guys we want are either not available (e.g. Goldstein), or too injury prone to be worth our first round pick because they dont represent a significant enough upgrade on what we have. I am all for getting a ruck, but not at the expense of Danger and Scooter, especially when the ruck we get will in all likelihood just be backup to Stanley if he is fit, whereas Danger and Scooter are keeping no one out as we dont have many quality young inside mids in the 2s.

So our ruck in 2016 will likely be Stanley, Blitz and Clark, with Daws long odds?

Danger and SS will certainly help offset that weakness, but boy, we won't want injuries in this dept like we've had this year.
 
So our ruck in 2016 will likely be Stanley, Blitz and Clark, with Daws long odds?

Danger and SS will certainly help offset that weakness, but boy, we won't want injuries in this dept like we've had this year.

Pretty much yes. For what its worth I think we will bring in a ruck, it will just be someone who gives us depth and backup to Stanley and is durable, but on the cheap no one of real profile.

After all with the sub rule you arent going to play 2 rucks most weeks it will be Stanley (or whoever) plus Blitz or Clark as 2nd ruck, if you bring in a 2nd ruck to be best 22 then you cant fit either Walker or Kersten in which means given both are OOC you have the likelihood of both requesting trades with us having little leverage, all the meanwhile you are playing guys like Jansen as contested mids because you couldnt bring in Scooter because you spent too much cash on a ruck.

Seems like a bad use of resources to me. I am keen to bring in a ruck but mainly as depth, we need to bolster the midfield (unless Stanley's prognosis is worse than I thought).
 
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Pretty much yes. For what its worth I think we will bring in a ruck, it will just be someone who gives us depth and backup to Stanley and is durable, but on the cheap no one of real profile.

After all with the sub rule you arent going to play 2 rucks most weeks it will be Stanley (or whoever) plus Blitz or Clark as 2nd ruck, if you bring in a 2nd ruck to be best 22 then you cant fit either Walker or Kersten in which means given both are OOC you have the likelihood of both requesting trades with us having little leverage, all the meanwhile you are playing guys like Jansen as contested mids because you couldnt bring in Scooter because you spent too much cash on a ruck.

Seems like a bad use of resources to me. I am keen to bring in a ruck but mainly as depth, we need to bolster the midfield (unless Stanley's prognosis is worse than I thought).

All makes sense.

Maybe a genuine ruck will be our main target next year?
 
All makes sense.

Maybe a genuine ruck will be our main target next year?

I would run with what we have, plus a Lowden type as backup depth, and try and throw the kitchen sink at Goldstein as a free agent next year if he doesnt sign before then.

There is not much durable enough to tempt me this year apart from Clarke and he is not good enough as a forward to make me want to trade out Walker to get him in.
 
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I would run with what we have, plus a Lowden type as backup depth, and try and throw the kitchen sink at Goldstein as a free agent next year if he doesnt sign before then.

There is not much durable enough to tempt me this year apart from Clarke and he is not good enough as a forward to make me want to trade out Walker to get him in.

If though, for whatever reason, we can't get Goldstein our stocks will be looking pretty thin going forward, with only Read and Lucey coming through the ranks.

Shows how hard it is to get a quality ruckman I guess.
 
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I would run with what we have, plus a Lowden type as backup depth, and try and throw the kitchen sink at Goldstein as a free agent next year if he doesnt sign before then.

There is not much durable enough to tempt me this year apart from Clarke and he is not good enough as a forward to make me want to trade out Walker to get him in.

Agree with PO. But must pick up a durable type. Cannot have another year like this.

With the search for a 2016 fill in Louden type -

Avenue 1. See who makes Grand final, and which rucks they pass over for GF team. Hubris alone may push those players for a trade. Pick the best and most durable of these and go for it.

Avenue 2. Scour SAFL for best/most durable 24 - 26 year old, ideally one who has already had AFL experience.

Ps - don't write off Read being a possibility next year as the 2016 Louden. Can take a mark and kick long goals so would not just be a step ladder for Geelong's third man up gig. In front of Daws in this regard. Will put on bulk over pre-season. Just got to develop durability. If gets through the rest of 2015 without major injury maybe a shot.
Ps 2 - a fit Vardy would be prefect Stanley replacement/buddy. Do we take the punt of one more year?
Ps 3 - not sure on even a fit Dawson S. Cannot take a grab, kick a goal and not much mobility. Inclined to keep for one more year but only if can play out year without major injury and even then only if no clear more flexible/durable targets show up.
 
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If though, for whatever reason, we can't get Goldstein our stocks will be looking pretty thin going forward, with only Read and Lucey coming through the ranks.

Shows how hard it is to get a quality ruckman I guess.

Decent/ok depth ruckmen are easy to get because of the sub rule most clubs third ruckman is easy to get by offering gametime e.g. if we wanted to we could easily get Currie or Daw out of North, or Smith/Gorringe out of GC or Hannath/Sinclair types out of WA or Redden out of Port or even your Wood/Warnock types or your West types (actually he will be 2nd ruck as Berger will leave but thats a side point), whereas getting a quality ruck costs you a stack because they win you flags and there are few of them across the league (most clubs have average rucks). Now none of those names I really want as most are average but my point was if we need someone as injury backup for Stanley we can do it easily without trading our first pick. Which is why we are better off getting someone's depth ruck, seeing if he can take off like Jacobs or Maric did at their new clubs, and using the next 12 months to see if Stanley Vardy etc are durable and see how much bolstering our midfield fixes the ruck issues (if it does).
 
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Why on earth would we do that when we have Read and Lucey on the list?
Two future champions in the making!

Everything is perfectly fine in the big man department side of things :drunk:

Have a funny feeling that Lucey in 2016 may not be the chump that appears to be in 2015. On the first year of a massive learning curve but has got some taps, kicked some goals in the arguably the second best level of AFL. Blitz was receiving similiar feedback after his first 4 or 5 games in VFL.

Read - ability to take a grab, kick a goal is a good asset. Just needs to stay on the park and develop a tank.
 
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Have a funny feeling that Lucey in 2016 may not be the chump that appears to be in 2015. On the first year of a massive learning curve but has got some taps, kicked some goals in the arguably the second best level of AFL. Blitz was receiving similiar feedback after his first 4 or 5 games in VFL.

Read - ability to take a grab, kick a goal is a good asset. Just needs to stay on the park and develop a tank.

I think the rookie draft will live upto it's strike rate, both Lucey and Read will not become anything more than serviceable backups.
It is was it is. Only until the Geelong Football Club go for one of the finest young rucks in the country, will we actually have someone come close to resembling Brad Ottens within 5-6 years time.

Sorry but we haven't exactly been plucking winners from the Rookie draft in recent times :straining:
 

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We might be after a decent ruck, as blitz has changed the thinking about where to play him
So Zac plus Stanley might be the go
 
Dec 11, 2009
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Decent/ok depth ruckmen are easy to get because of the sub rule most clubs third ruckman is easy to get by offering gametime e.g. if we wanted to we could easily get Currie or Daw out of North, or Smith/Gorringe out of GC or Hannath/Sinclair types out of WA or Redden out of Port or even your Wood/Warnock types or your West types (actually he will be 2nd ruck as Berger will leave but thats a side point), whereas getting a quality ruck costs you a stack because they win you flags and there are few of them across the league (most clubs have average rucks). Now none of those names I really want as most are average but my point was if we need someone as injury backup for Stanley we can do it easily without trading our first pick. Which is why we are better off getting someone's depth ruck, seeing if he can take off like Jacobs or Maric did at their new clubs, and using the next 12 months to see if Stanley Vardy etc are durable and see how much bolstering our midfield fixes the ruck issues (if it does).

Thanks PO
 
The one dimensional play seemed to work ok for Gawn on the weekend. And it goes ok for Goldstein and Sandilands too.

I think it's far more the quality of ruckman more than the type of ruckman. A ruckman of Simpson's type can be an effective player. And he has been. The big question is after all his injuries whether he can recapture that form.

At this point, Id happily take a tap ruck man that can hit our players at bounces. If we can get anything extra either via marks around the ground, or possessions in general play, that s a bonus. Anything that can slow the Max Gawn effect of last weekend is essential. Blitz and Walks wont go well (when played as #1rucks)

Our bar is soooo low right now.

Go Catters
 
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