- Jun 21, 2014
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Rumour 2023 Rumours and Speculation (Rumours total 37!, 1 (busted) BIG FISH ALERT last October 9th) (9 confirmed! 17 Busted!)
- Thread starter ams4crows
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- Aug 6, 2021
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O’Brien has been a solid-good ruck. Wins hit outs, completes really well at ground level and has been a fairly reliable contested mark for most of his career.
This year the marking has abandoned him, not sure if it’s form or he’s lost it. However, we hate on him a lot for a guy who’s been as good as Cameron, Stanley, Nankervis, Lycett etc who are all premiership rucks.
- Jul 22, 2016
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Tend to agree here. Solid is the word I'd use though it would be nice if he could lift his output around ground a bit though I guess we have to keep in mind he shoulders a huge work load. Has also been very durable.
Whenever I've spoken to supporters from other clubs they almost always cant believe how often ROB gets criticised. The point that comes across is we've generally had very good rucks & have been spoiled at the Crows with that area, so having one whose more on the serviceable end compared to dominant seems a disaster.
Would be nice to get an upgrade but I don't really see ROB as the make or break component of our side right this moment. Most premiership sides have won them with "serviceable" not with stars.
- Jul 14, 2012
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Tend to agree - aside from Gawn in 2021 and maybe Nic Nat in 2018 - over last ~7 years flags have been won by the likes of Rhys Stanley, Darcy Cameron, Nankervis. It helps but I wouldn't overpay for a 'dominant' ruck, rather get our midfield itself sorted first.
- Jul 22, 2016
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Nic Nat was injured in 2018 for the grand final. I forget how much of the year he missed, think it was a little bit.
Gtowncrow
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- Jul 6, 2021
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Generally speaking...
I wonder if the overall ruck quality of the VFL is disproportionately higher than other positions?
Virtually all VFL teams would be rucked by an AFL listed guy who is trying to break into the "major league" team.
Other than Port, the SANFL rucks are a different cohort.
Which group is better could be good fodder for a beer or two, but the VFL stats for a young ruck should, I think, be relevant against his peers. If this is the case, upward trends are very encouraging.
Scorpus
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- Apr 16, 2014
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Tend to agree but if you have an average ruck you need to structure up accordingly
This means not always kicking long to the right in kick outs expecting your ruck - who never marks it - to mark it
It also means not putting O'Brien 10m away from a forward stoppage expecting him to be an effective ground ball or handball receive player because he never has been
jackster83
The leader of the bunch.
We'd be better off looking for Dawson when kicking in. Other than Fog, everyone else would struggle to beat a wet paper bag in the air.
ROB even knows this - marking the ball is key to his value to the team. I recall him saying in an interview somewhere that if he's not marking it he knows he's weighing the team down or similar.
Sizzlepack
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- Feb 25, 2024
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Cal Twomey said on today's episode of that Gettable show that we'll probably be in the market for a ruck.
'probably' is concerning.
We definitely need a ruck. Hopefully one that doesn't have concrete hands and one that can actually kick the ball.
Given we seem to be primarily bringing in ex-SA guys, who might the options be?
Sizzlepack
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I think 'probably' is more likely to be Twomey hedging because he doesn't have perfect information about our list management strategy, rather than necessarily a comment on the likelihood of us actually being in the market.
I don't know much about rucks, but that young Lions guy (originally from WWT) mentioned on here yesterday looks like a potentially intriguing prospect.
jackster83
The leader of the bunch.
Harry Barnett and Will Verrall are two SA guys out of contract.
Cox for west coast more than Nic Nat.
He made a huge difference and should be considered in the conversation of greatest ruckman ever. He changed the game and was pivotal in their premiership.
For what is worth I think TT has potential to be a Cox like player.
I would make TT the main ruckman in future and have him rest forward.
- Aug 21, 2008
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I don't like that we have a Pick 2 (basically pick 1) being touted as a long term ruck.
- Jul 14, 2012
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Feel it will heavily depend on how TT comes back form this knee injury.
Everyone talks about his athleticism and ability to play around the ground but I never quite saw it.
Sizzlepack
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I'd be pretty surprised if Thilthorpe becomes anything other than a forward who rucks a bit. To my eyes, his technical and athletic gifts match up much better to a forward role, plus KPF is a much higher-value position than ruck these days. But this isn't the list management thread!
Hopefully he plays like our Tom Lynch during his peak years - pushing high up the ground and then working back to goal.
The more we can keep him involved around the ground the better for us. IMO him playing as the deep forward isn’t utilising his strengths.
This is the bit that really annoys me. It is pretty obvious to all of us watching that ROB cannot take a contested mark anymore, yet we kick it long to him so often from the kickouts. And then we then don't always have crumbers waiting front and centre to get the loose ball when it hits the ground after he drops it. It really stood out in the Essendon game, just about every time we did it they had 2 players sitting at his feet and then proceeded to easily take the ball away from the contest.
jenny61_99
Premium Platinum
So, if given a choice between Hayward or a bigger bodied/fast mid - who do we choose?
If it’s legitimately a choice between McLuggage and Hayward - both want to come but we can only afford 1 of them then it’s clearly McLuggage all day every day.
But clearly it’s not that simple a choice
jackster83
The leader of the bunch.
We'll have a single digit draft pick and have a shitload of cap space free.
Hopefully we are talking to numerous players this year. Someone else mentioned Campbell from the Swans as a player we should be targeting. Would love another mid who has the leg to get it past the Tom Stewart/Darcy Moore types.
BigBoSS_Riot
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Do we? What do you think our forward line will look like in three years?
