Position 2026 Rucks

[TempletonTheRat]

Gawn. Age has to come into play for Gawn at some point in the season. Rucks are going to take more damage to their body with the jumping in the center square and the older you are the higher the risk.

Also North have an extremely easy ruck draw to start the season Port Adelaide, West Coast, Essendon, Carlton are some of the weakest rucks in the comp. Gawn has St Kilda with Romo + TDK duo, then Freo with Jackson + Darcy duo, then Carlton, then Witts who has traditionally been one of the best against Gawn

This.
Hard not to start X after looking at his draw.

 

[Foxman98]

The duo rucks don't make a difference to him though,

Last year he had TDK + Pittonet and scored 128 couple weeks later he had English and Darcy and scored 142

Age is the only argument you can make with him as he is simply just the best ruck in the comp

Just on this

Darcy and Jackson played 8 games together against premo rucks last year and the lowest score they gave up was 112 to Marshall in R8

R5 Nank 125
R6 Gawn 117
R8 Marshall 112
R16 Marshall 159
R17 Grundy 127
R18 Meek 151
R19 Cameron 130
R24 English 120

Just because a team plays 2 rucks doesn't mean they limit the opposition scoring

 

[Petrify]

Last year he had TDK + Pittonet and scored 128 couple weeks later he had English and Darcy and scored 142

English and Darcy is hardly a duo ruck setup. Both are light boys that won't wear him down. Anyway he scored 88 and 90 against Gold Coast last year and 117 against Freo.

You're paying for him right now priced at an average of 127 so if you take Gawn early (who almost ALWAYS starts the year off slow) you're taking a risk.

 

[Foxman98]

English and Darcy is hardly a duo ruck setup. Both are light boys that won't wear him down. Anyway he scored 88 and 90 against Gold Coast last year and 117 against Freo.

You're paying for him right now priced at an average of 127 so if you take Gawn early (who almost ALWAYS starts the year off slow) you're taking a risk.

How are English and Darcy hardly a ruck duo? They're both 208cm with great ruck craft,

If Darcy was in any team without a genuine ruck he would be playing there instead of FF

He plays Witts in R4 after Marshall/TDK both are smaller ruckman who don't limit his scoring (110/128/146 in his 3 games vs Carlton and St Kilda last year) Freo who he scored 117 against but they as a duo were dreadful stopping premo scores and then Reidy or Pittonet where he will go nuclear as he will do the week after Witts when he has whoever the bombers put up in ruck

 

[CursingFijian]

If the new ruck rules do impact the number of ruck contests then I think Max might be the lesser affected out of him and Xerri.

Xerri scoring is much more reliant on his follow-up tackling at the contest.

Max, like Tim English and Darcy Cameron

14

Darcy Cameron

Age

30

Ht

204cm

Wt

103kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.3

1star

HB

2.7

2star

CL

0.3

2star

HO

5.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

CL

0.5

3star

HO

3.5

5star

D

6.0

2star

K

3.3

2star

HB

2.7

3star

CL

0.3

2star

HO

5.3

5star

, scores more from his marking and kicking.

I’d lean towards the premier ruckman for the last 5 years still being the pick of the bunch.

But it’s definitely a watch as to how severely ruck scoring is affected.

 

[Foxman98]

If the new ruck rules do impact the number of ruck contests then I think Max might be the lesser affected out of him and Xerri.

Xerri scoring is much more reliant on his follow-up tackling at the contest.

Max, like Tim English and Darcy Cameron, scores more from his marking and kicking.

I’d lean towards the premier ruckman for the last 5 years still being the pick of the bunch.

But it’s definitely a watch as to how severely ruck scoring is affected.

Spot on in the past 8 years Gawn has gone under 120 average twice

2023 - 104.5 Why the **** did they also sign Grundy (was also subbed out on 0 in R2)

2022 - 113 up and down year

The rest of the time he's been a constant 120-130 average hence the only argument you can really make against him is "he is old and has to slow down at some point"

 

[A Bit Dusty]

Until Gawn & Xerri give me a good reason not to be in my team they WILL be in my team.
Even with the new rules they will still be the best 2 rucks this year.

 

[Tulendeena]

Until Gawn & Xerri give me a good reason not to be in my team they WILL be in my team.
Even with the new rules they will still be the best 2 rucks this year.

But if they're the top 2 rucks going at 115 each, you massively overpaid for them

 

[A Bit Dusty]

But if they're the top 2 rucks going at 115 each, you massively overpaid for them

That's something no one will know until we are a few rounds into the season. At the end of the day we all have to pick 2 Rucks and even with the level below those 2 there is uncertainty as to what their scoring will be like.

 

[Foxman98]

That's something no one will know until we are a few rounds into the season. At the end of the day we all have to pick 2 Rucks and even with the level below those 2 there is uncertainty as to what their scoring will be like.

Grundy/Cameron/English/Marshall/Witts/Meek/TDK all have an extra bye and were all outside of Grundy a minimum 15 ppg worse

The only one without a bye is Luke Jackson where you have literally no idea week to week on his role

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Grundy/Cameron/English/Marshall/Witts/Meek/TDK all have an extra bye and were all outside of Grundy a minimum 15 ppg worse

The only one without a bye is Luke Jackson where you have literally no idea week to week on his role

Jackson is interesting, hard to think of a ruck the new rules will benefit more. Just needs Hodor to not be there.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

But if they're the top 2 rucks going at 115 each, you massively overpaid for them

If all ruck scoring drops, we're over paying whichever premo we start.

Hopefully lots of coaches over think it and go for value options.

 

[MrChristo]

Spot on in the past 8 years Gawn has gone under 120 average twice

2023 - 104.5 Why the **** did they also sign Grundy (was also subbed out on 0 in R2)

2022 - 113 up and down year

The rest of the time he's been a constant 120-130 average hence the only argument you can really make against him is "he is old and has to slow down at some point"

Oddly, that in itself is grounds for at least some concern...
2022, 23 are the only two years in the last 11 seasons in which he's averaged <30 HO's.
Last year in games that he had 30 or less HO's he averaged 102.
(That was 6 games...one of which was a 131 v. WC up against Bailey Williams and Archie Reid).

He averaged a bit over 35 HO's pg overall, so if we're thinking ~15% drop off in ruck contests...

But I'm just guessing like everyone else at this stage of course.

 

[A Bit Dusty]

Jackson is interesting, hard to think of a ruck the new rules will benefit more. Just needs Hodor to not be there.

We need Hodor to last the first 6 rounds so Jackson can get DPP

 

[St Steady]

gawns top dog and what all aspiring rucks want to be. imagine if they brought these ruck rules in when he was younger. hooly dooly.

hes adapted to the wrestle and also the jumping rucks without a rule change.

plays more games before his bye than any of the others, baring inj and has Jack Steele

9

Jack Steele

Age

30

Ht

187cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.9

5star

K

8.7

3star

HB

12.2

5star

M

3.7

4star

T

6.8

5star

CL

3.6

5star

D

21.3

5star

K

10.0

4star

HB

11.3

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

5.8

5star

CL

4.6

5star

D

16.8

4star

K

5.0

2star

HB

11.8

5star

M

2.6

3star

T

6.4

5star

CL

3.6

5star

sitting under him

he's a yes for me , lets not overthink it

 

[54Dogs]

Spot on in the past 8 years Gawn has gone under 120 average twice

2023 - 104.5 Why the **** did they also sign Grundy (was also subbed out on 0 in R2)

2022 - 113 up and down year

The rest of the time he's been a constant 120-130 average hence the only argument you can really make against him is "he is old and has to slow down at some point"

He will also have his worst midfield ever at his feet

 

[Nelso]

gawns top dog and what all aspiring rucks want to be. imagine if they brought these ruck rules in when he was younger. hooly dooly.

hes adapted to the wrestle and also the jumping rucks without a rule change.

plays more games before his bye than any of the others, baring inj and has Jack Steele sitting under him

he's a yes for me , lets not overthink it

I agree with everything you said apart from the Jack Steele part.

 

[TempletonTheRat]

We need Hodor to last the first 6 rounds so Jackson can get DPP

Jackson with mid or fwd dpp is the perfect flex

 

[JuddgementDay]

TDK - is pretty tempting at his starting price.

He did ok at the start of the season last year, until he checked out

Hmmmm - trap or bargain?

 

[CursingFijian]

Jackson with mid or fwd dpp is the perfect flex

I think I've lost the plot.

TDK - is pretty tempting at his starting price.

He did ok at the start of the season last year, until he checked out

Hmmmm - trap or bargain?

Think he's going to be value, even with Marshall in the side. Too many Saints though.

 

[Kadog]

TDK - is pretty tempting at his starting price.

He did ok at the start of the season last year, until he checked out

Hmmmm - trap or bargain?

Good value. He’s my R2 atm.