Rumour 2024 Rumours and Speculation Part 3

[George CantStandYa]

Look at how easy it is to find a decent ruckman.

Should be easy to fill the 2025 void at the end of 2025.

Hang on, you discounted McAndrew beating ROB as its only practice, now he’s decent.

Now if he’s decent, had we prioritised getting a ruck, he’d be on our list now. Instead we are going in with ROB who this decent ruck has beaten all preseason.

 

[AFC979810]

Hang on, you discounted McAndrew beating ROB as its only practice, now he’s decent.

I never discounted McAndrew as a player. Sydney rated him - would happily have him on our list.

What I discounted was the relevance of people saying McAndrew was beating ROB in practice. You have a 29 year old incumbent just trying to get ready for the season going up against someone who is trying to prove themselves and get a job.

Now if he’s decent, had we prioritised getting a ruck, he’d be on our list now. Instead we are going in with ROB who this decent ruck has beaten all preseason.

If we still like him we can pick him up in the MSD. If not we can get another guy in the MSD if we need to. If not we can trade one in real cheap which happens all the time. Or we can do a combination of all these things.

 

[George CantStandYa]

I never discounted McAndrew as a player. Sydney rated him - would happily have him on our list.

What I discounted was the relevance of people saying McAndrew was beating ROB in practice. You have a 29 year old incumbent just trying to get ready for the season going up against someone who is trying to prove themselves and get a job.




If we still like him we can pick him up in the MSD. If not we can get another guy in the MSD if we need to. If not we can trade one in real cheap which happens all the time. Or we can do a combination of all these things.

Who would you prefer on our list McAndrew or Strachan?

 

[AFC979810]

Who would you prefer on our list McAndrew or Strachan?

Right now - give me McAndrew! He is healthy and much younger!

 

[George CantStandYa]

Right now - give me McAndrew! He is healthy and much younger!

So, had we giving our rucks stocks a consideration maybe we could have had him.

 

[AFC979810]

So, had we giving our rucks stocks a consideration maybe we could have had him.

And if we had a crystal ball and knew that Strachan would have a serious injury in December - I am sure we would have.

 

[Kenny Dee]

No crystal ball needed to know Strachan is no good. It's obvious to everyone we needed another ruck on our list.

 

[George CantStandYa]

And if we had a crystal ball and knew that Strachan would have a serious injury in December - I am sure we would have.

We knew Strachan was 29 and done nothing at AFL level, it was time to move him on.

Or if ROB went down, would you be happy with Strachan leading our ruck for an extended period?

 

[Mostyn]

No crystal ball needed to know Strachan is no good. It's obvious to everyone we needed another ruck on our list.

I think you need a first ruck, a backup and a couple of break-glass ruck forwards.

Plus, you need a way to replace those players when they're done, which means a developing ruck or rolling the dice on a trade when it's time.

I think the club felt Strachan was fine for a backup. Considering he won his third SANFL best and fairest last year, maybe they still do? In any event, it's him or McAndrew and at least for now Strachan is contracted and can't be cut until midyear.

 

[George CantStandYa]

I think you need a first ruck, a backup and a couple of break-glass ruck forwards.

Plus, you need a way to replace those players when they're done, which means a developing ruck or rolling the dice on a trade when it's time.

I think the club felt Strachan was fine for a backup. Considering he won his third SANFL best and fairest last year, maybe they still do? In any event, it's him or McAndrew and at least for now Strachan is contracted and can't be cut until midyear.

Why do you keep telling us what the club thinks? We know that, it’s clear by the list decisions.

This is an opinions board, what’s YOUR opinion? Good move, bad move? Regurgitating club opinions is pointless.

 

[AFC979810]

We knew Strachan was 29 and done nothing at AFL level, it was time to move him on.

Or if ROB went down, would you be happy with Strachan leading our ruck for an extended period?

Yeah - I was fine with it. I think he was acceptable in those two games back in 2022. Thought he was no good in his 2 games in 2024.

He is a fine backup. Cheap contract, had been with us 5+ years. Won our SANFL B&F.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Yeah - I was fine with it. I think he was acceptable in those two games back in 2022. Thought he was no good in his 2 games in 2024.

He is a fine backup. Cheap contract, had been with us 5+ years. Won our SANFL B&F.

You’re expecting us to play finals, you’re honestly saying that Strachan would be ok to lead our rucks for say 2 months? You’ve just said his 2024 games were no good, they were worse than that, he was slaughtered.

 

[FR0GGY]

I remember the days when port played 4 200cm players in one side.

 

[AFC979810]

You’re expecting us to play finals, you’re honestly saying that Strachan would be ok to lead our rucks for say 2 months? You’ve just said his 2024 games were no good, they were worse than that, he was slaughtered.

A healthy Strachan - sure. 2 games is a tiny sample size. I would feel the same way about if we had McAndrew as our backup. How confident would you be in him carrying the load for 2 months?

Going into 2025 - I think it was perfectly reasonable list management having ROB as our #1 ruckman and expecting him to play the majority of games. Bloke has missed 10 games of football over the past 5 seasons and is extremely durable.

If crisis hits - we have the midseason draft. If we lose our two first choice ruckman we are just as F*cked as every single other team would be.

 

[AFC979810]

I remember the days when port player 4 200cm players in one side.

Essendon could go into Rd 1 with 5 of em!

Wright / Draper up forward. Bryan as the Ruck. McKay as key defender and Cox through the midfield.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Isn't the real **** up that we didn't turf out Smith?

 

[George CantStandYa]

A healthy Strachan - sure. 2 games is a tiny sample size. I would feel the same way about if we had McAndrew as our backup. How confident would you be in him carrying the load for 2 months?

Going into 2025 - I think it was perfectly reasonable list management having ROB as our #1 ruckman and expecting him to play the majority of games. Bloke has missed 10 games of football over the past 5 seasons and is extremely durable.

If crisis hits - we have the midseason draft. If we lose our two first choice ruckman we are just as F*cked as every single other team would be.

His career is a tiny sample size and he’s 29. I have zero confidence that he could lead our rucks, Nankervis and Grundy destroyed him.

As for McAndrew, a lot more confidence. Beaten ROB all preseason and apparently played very well yesterday.

Who would you prefer? McAndrew or a fit Strachan?

Going into 2025 with ROB as your ruck given you’ve just dropped him again, isn’t wise. As you’ve shown with your examples, no other club is going into 2025 with a lead ruck they dropped in 2024.

Our problem is the majority of other teams have better 2 ruck combinations than what we have.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Isn't the real **** up that we didn't turf out Smith?

Yep and grab another ruck like McAndrew

 

[Vader]

I think you need a first ruck, a backup and a couple of break-glass ruck forwards.

Plus, you need a way to replace those players when they're done, which means a developing ruck or rolling the dice on a trade when it's time.

I think the club felt Strachan was fine for a backup. Considering he won his third SANFL best and fairest last year, maybe they still do? In any event, it's him or McAndrew and at least for now Strachan is contracted and can't be cut until midyear.

Strachan can't be cut until the end of the year. The only way a player can be delisted mid-season is if they are sacked for cause, as happened with Stengle. Doing it because you ****ed up your list management is not an excuse that the AFL would agree to.

Recruiting a backup or replacement for Strachan (i.e. McAndrew) can't happen until the MSD, and requires a player to suffer a season-ending injury between now & then. This would allow us to put the injured player on the Inactive List, allowing us to draft McAndrew in the MSD. That player doesn't have to be Strachan.

 

[Vader]

Isn't the real **** up that we didn't turf out Smith?

No. The real **** up was continuing to select him, despite his form being absolutely woeful, until he reached his contract trigger. Once he hit that trigger there was no way of turfing him out, given everything else the club was doing with contracts & salary cap management. There are plenty of precedents for dropping a player just short of their contract trigger (e.g. Ricky Henderson), and it's something that they absolutely should have done, a failing that we will pay severely for if ROB gets injured this year.

 

[George CantStandYa]

No. The real **** up was continuing to select him, despite his form being absolutely woeful, until he reached his contract trigger. Once he hit that trigger there was no way of turfing him out, given everything else the club was doing with contracts & salary cap management. There are plenty of precedents for dropping a player just short of their contract trigger (e.g. Ricky Henderson), and it's something that they absolutely should have done, a failing that we will pay severely for if ROB gets injured this year.

You don’t know our salary cap position

 

[Mr_Moogle]

No. The real **** up was continuing to select him, despite his form being absolutely woeful, until he reached his contract trigger. Once he hit that trigger there was no way of turfing him out, given everything else the club was doing with contracts & salary cap management. There are plenty of precedents for dropping a player just short of their contract trigger (e.g. Ricky Henderson), and it's something that they absolutely should have done, a failing that we will pay severely for if ROB gets injured this year.

The trigger was what I was referring to. You really are insufferable sometimes.

 

[George CantStandYa]

The trigger was what I was referring to. You really are insufferable sometimes.

Ask him how he knows our salary cap

 

[Mostyn]

Strachan can't be cut until the end of the year. The only way a player can be delisted mid-season is if they are sacked for cause, as happened with Stengle. Doing it because you ****ed up your list management is not an excuse that the AFL would agree to.

Recruiting a backup or replacement for Strachan (i.e. McAndrew) can't happen until the MSD, and requires a player to suffer a season-ending injury between now & then. This would allow us to put the injured player on the Inactive List, allowing us to draft McAndrew in the MSD. That player doesn't have to be Strachan.

Sorry - I should have said replaced instead of cut.

 

[AFC979810]

His career is a tiny sample size and he’s 29. I have zero confidence that he could lead our rucks, Nankervis and Grundy destroyed him.

As for McAndrew, a lot more confidence. Beaten ROB all preseason and apparently played very well yesterday.

Who would you prefer? McAndrew or a fit Strachan?

I haven't actually seen McAndrew play.

Long term - definitely McAndrew just purely based on age.

But in October of 2024 would I have cut Strachan (and absorbed the salary cap hit) just to get another future long term ruck that I could pick up at the midseason draft - Absolutely not.

Going into 2025 with ROB as your ruck given you’ve just dropped him again, isn’t wise. As you’ve shown with your examples, no other club is going into 2025 with a lead ruck they dropped in 2024.

You are a little obsessed with Rob being dropped. He had a form dip. Same thing happened in 2022 and he came and played all the games in 2023.

Only 2 other clubs dropped their ruckman in 2024. One dropped their 35 year old ruckman. And the other is Port (and after ROB dominated Sweet on the weekend - there is every chance Soldo starts the season as their #1).