Traded Jarrad Witts [traded to Gold Coast for picks 44 & 62]

Schraderbrau

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That will come as he adjusts to the pace of senior footy. He showed he is capable of 15-20 possessions in addition to ruck dominance last year in the VFL. He'll never be a Grundy type 20-30 possession monster, but for a 209cm giant he will be very good around the ground once he really finds his feet.
Yeah but it's not just the quantity of possessions that's the problem, it's the quality as well. What distinguishes Grundy from all other rucks in the AFL (bar Goldstein) is that he is excellent with the ball in hand. Even if Witts could consistently get 15+ disposals per game they would be fairly meaningless imo.

I was a fan of Witts to begin with but I think he's capped as an average run of the mill ruck. I also worry about how he will go when he comes up against some of the big boys like NicNat, Gawn, Grundy, Sandi. Rucks don't often win games of footy but an uncompetitive ruck can often lose them as we know after the Guy Richards/Cam Wood experience.

Also his 209cm is less significant than it should be because he doesn't know how to jump.
 
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Schraderbrau

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Doggies picked up Tm English with pick 18, they'd love him to be where Witts is at right now. They would have been far better off showing interest in Witts and trading that pick Cloke and his father Damir are liabilities.
English might be the best ruck in the comp in a few seasons though.

I understand why some recruiters don't like wasting high picks on rucks but pick 18 for players as talented as Grundy and English seems crazy.
 
Yeah but it's not just the quantity of possessions that's the problem, it's the quality as well. What distinguishes Grundy from all other rucks in the AFL (bar Goldstein) is that he is excellent with the ball in hand. Even if Witts could consistently get 15+ disposals per game they would be fairly meaningless imo.

I was a fan of Witts to begin with but I think he's capped as an average run of the mill ruck. I also worry about how he will go when he comes up against some of the big boys like NicNat, Gawn, Grundy, Sandi. Rucks don't often win games of footy but an uncompetitive ruck can often lose them as we know after the Guy Richards/Cam Wood experience.

Also his 209cm is less significant than it should be because he doesn't know how to jump.
Kind of have to disagree with Grundy being good with ball in hand, he got a lot of ball last year but was almost always rushed and turned it over a lot. He has improved in that respect this year though, and there's no reason why Witts can't do the same if you give him the amount of time Grundy has had to adjust.
 

Schraderbrau

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Kind of have to disagree with Grundy being good with ball in hand, he got a lot of ball last year but was almost always rushed and turned it over a lot. He has improved in that respect this year though, and there's no reason why Witts can't do the same if you give him the amount of time Grundy has had to adjust.
Grundy has been brilliant this season. I just can't see it happening with Witts. You can't teach coordination and match awareness imo. Grundy has managed to make incremental improvements every season to get to where he is atm. Witts has been in system for a longer period of time and while his ruck work improved as he got stronger, his work around the ground has stagnated for 3-4 seasons now imo.
 
Grundy has been brilliant this season. I just can't see it happening with Witts. You can't teach coordination and match awareness imo. Grundy has managed to make incremental improvements every season to get to where he is atm. Witts has been in system for a longer period of time and while his ruck work improved as he got stronger, his work around the ground has stagnated for 3-4 seasons now imo.
Yeah I can't agree with that. His work around the ground came along in leaps and bounds last year, despite being stuck in the two's. Time will tell if he can translate that to senior footy obviously, but I'm confident he can.
 

vide0n

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I was a fan of Witts to begin with but I think he's capped as an average run of the mill ruck. I also worry about how he will go when he comes up against some of the big boys like NicNat, Gawn, Grundy, Sandi. Rucks don't often win games of footy but an uncompetitive ruck can often lose them as we know after the Guy Richards/Cam Wood experience.
He could be an average ruck and still be the best ruck we have ever had despite burning multiple first round picks on ruck prospects
 
He could be an average ruck and still be the best ruck we have ever had despite burning multiple first round picks on ruck prospects
What happened to Nicholls? So many people were saying he was miles ahead of Witts, yet here were are with Witts performing well as first ruck 3 rounds in? Is he injured or just not living up to expectations?
 
We have Currie waiting in the wings as well.
Witts has been good for us so no need to change things.
You wouldn't be dropping Witts at the moment even if your other rucks are performing well. His form has been excellent.
 
Aug 2, 2012
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You wouldn't be dropping Witts at the moment even if your other rucks are performing well. His form has been excellent.
Exactly.. We finally have someone that wins ruck taps.
He will get better around the ground as he gets more games under his belt.
 
Surely he won't leave? You'll have to be paying him the big bucks though; he'll get AA this year.
Grundy won't leave, but we'll likely have to pay him more than we'd hoped we would given he's looking likely AA.
 

TheSierBear

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soft spot for Carlton out of pity
Probably in All Australian contention this year. So is Ben McEvoy who is having a break-out year just sayin'. Collingwood should have stood their ground and got unders for a pick in the early twenties. A lot of people with no idea about footy in this thread.
 
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