Ruckmen, 2016

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autocol

autocol

All Australian
Unofficial Preview of the Year
Apr 10, 2011
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2,133
AFL Club
Melbourne
Comrades, with the rescinding of the sub rule, I reckon the competition will almost immediately revert to fielding two genuine ruckmen per team.

Having just gone back to the AFL smart replay site to watch the glorious win against Geelong, I'd like to suggest that the fact that we were missing the messiah Hogan for that game was a blessing in disguise. In a match where Max Gawn played one of the games of his life, Spencil played a supporting role to reasonable effect.

Now I should admit, I really like Spencil. He's one of those "battlers I'd like to make it" kind of players. Ever since that time he caught Yarran in a horse-collar tackle and nearly severed the poor bastard's spine, I've wanted him to make it. So maybe I'm biased, however...

I truly think that we'll regularly field both Gawn and Spencil in the 22 next year, and I reckon we'll win more ruck battles than we lose with that combo.

I await the flood of pessimists declaring Spencil to be a spud (and I hope you are proved incorrect in future!).
 
I don't think that would happen. Frost is being groomed as a pinch hitter from what I can see. The other thing I'd also like to see is Pedersen take Dawes spot in the team and it would be complete. Gawn as the #1, Pedersen to pinch hit forward and Frost to pinch hit in the back line.
 
Gawn to start with Frost as the 'pinch hitter'

If Spencer could be half decent up forward I would give him the nod over Gawn.
 

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I'm not convinced it will be two genuine rucks from the get go next year. I reckon we'll see Gawn rotating with Pederson and or Frost and to be honest I'd rather see that. From the very limited experience we had with Frost at the start of the year I thought he was serviceable in the ruck, particularly chasing and tackling. Also have him a better mark and kick than Spencil. Pederson Ditto
 
Would not mind Pedo as the 2nd Ruck option while playing at CHF
Frost may have to hold the CHB position
 
Pedersen is not a sufficiently good ruckman even to pinch hit there.
 
Horses for courses perhaps?
Against teams with two recognised ruckmen we play Gawn and Spencer. Against the others we let either Pedersen or Frost (if he plays forward) give Max a chop out.
We don't need to win the majority of hit outs, we just need to be competitive enough that the opposition ruckmen can't give silver service to his mids.
 
With the removal of the sub rule and reduction in interchanges I think you need a genuine ruck and a pinch hitter. There won't be adequate rotations to play 2 genuine rucks. Unless of course at least one can almost play permanent forward. Ben Brown is an example of the perfect 2nd ruck IMO.
At this stage our options seem to be Pedersen and Frost. King a possibility in future if he develops.
 
markm106 said:
With the removal of the sub rule and reduction in interchanges I think you need a genuine ruck and a pinch hitter.
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Disagree. Clubs ran two rucks until the sub rule came in, while engaging FAR less interchanges than they do now.

And, rucks have proved they still influence a game in a big way. GWS still absolutely suck without Mumford, for example. Even the Dees looked a much sharper team through the midfield on days where Maxy was on his game. There will be some to-ing and fro-ing in the early rounds, but I reckon by mid-season we'll be back to two genuine rucks.
 
Get rid of them all, they are useless as **** on a bull. The game has gone past ruckmen unless they have something very special about them.

Nick Nat & Goldstein ( potentially Blicavs) are the only ones that can pull their weight in a modern day side - but they all play as tall mids.

Ruckmen are dead men walking.
 
autocol said:
Disagree. Clubs ran two rucks until the sub rule came in, while engaging FAR less interchanges than they do now.

And, rucks have proved they still influence a game in a big way. GWS still absolutely suck without Mumford, for example. Even the Dees looked a much sharper team through the midfield on days where Maxy was on his game. There will be some to-ing and fro-ing in the early rounds, but I reckon by mid-season we'll be back to two genuine rucks.
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I don't disagree that good ruckman are influential. Gawn was huge in 2nd half of the year. In just don't think you can go with 2 genuine rucks at least unless one can play majority forward. For instance Gawn and Spencer despite working v Geelong this year I don't see as sustainable week in week out.
 

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Dr Whoooooooo said:
Get rid of them all, they are useless as **** on a bull. The game has gone past ruckmen unless they have something very special about them.

Nick Nat & Goldstein ( potentially Blicavs) are the only ones that can pull their weight in a modern day side - but they all play as tall mids.

Ruckmen are dead men walking.
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lol
 
Dr Whoooooooo said:
Get rid of them all, they are useless as **** on a bull. The game has gone past ruckmen unless they have something very special about them.

Nick Nat & Goldstein ( potentially Blicavs) are the only ones that can pull their weight in a modern day side - but they all play as tall mids.

Ruckmen are dead men walking.
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JKH to step-up at the centre bounces... :thumbsu:
 
harry000 said:
JKH to step-up at the centre bounces... :thumbsu:
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Not quite. But ruckmen are slow, constantly injured and cant play for 100 minutes - go to any clubs training and it is the same. Ive never heard a current day AFL coach say anything good about a Ruckman. "Give me a contest ( or plug a gap ) - then get the f out of there - leave it to the runners":thumbsu:
 
Pedo does have a knack for not getting beaten, even if he never wins them himself. Just squares the ball straight down.
 
ponsdale said:
To what question, exactly?
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All of them, obviously.

But more specifically as part of his manifestation as the ultimate footballer, the ruck is the only position he is yet to master after trial runs in rd 23 2015, rd 7 2011 and rd 6 2009.

(In researching this rather lame bit I stumbled across rd 6 2009, where the entire Melbourne side had 21 hit outs for the entire match, the breakdown of individual HOs was Paul Johnson - 7, Lynden Dunn - 5, John Meesen - 5, Cale Morton - 2, Nathan Jones - 1 and Colin Sylvia -1. What a time to be alive.)
 
Canary said:
All of them, obviously.

But more specifically as part of his manifestation as the ultimate footballer, the ruck is the only position he is yet to master after trial runs in rd 23 2015, rd 7 2011 and rd 6 2009.

(In researching this rather lame bit I stumbled across rd 6 2009, where the entire Melbourne side had 21 hit outs for the entire match, the breakdown of individual HOs was Paul Johnson - 7, Lynden Dunn - 5, John Meesen - 5, Cale Morton - 2, Nathan Jones - 1 and Colin Sylvia -1. What a time to be alive.)
Click to expand...
Quality digging.
 
Canary said:
Lynden Dunn is the answer.
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Any player thats not slow, not injury prone, can play out the whole 100+ minutes, can run and offer you a break even ruck tap contest ... is the answer.

However much more important is ... Develop quality mids that can

a/ win their own contested football or

b/ read the oppositions tap out
 
autocol said:
Comrades, with the rescinding of the sub rule, I reckon the competition will almost immediately revert to fielding two genuine ruckmen per team.
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Just for the record ... Comrades, with the rescinding of the sub rule, I reckon the competition will almost immediately revert to fielding ... more taggers (run with players - stoppers - defensive mindset ) who can stop their opposition winning the contested football.

Hello Mr Bugg & Mr Melksham:thumbsu:
 
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