Position 2026 Rucks

[LegendLewis]

Gawn 17% POD

Top three SC scorer for a decade

Read somewhere recently to expect to see Max Heath playing and sharing the duties…anything in it?

 

[jdstorm]

Read somewhere recently to expect to see Max Heath playing and sharing the duties…anything in it?

Given Melbournes soft draw and the likelyhood that he spends some extra time down back intercepting (on a team expected to be awful) I think he’s still going to have some massive ceiling games and a decent average.

Probably a lower floor which could frustrate

 

[funguy1984]

Interesting

 

[Petrify]

Interesting

Every team will look at doing that. It's the most natural way to use the 5 slot bench with no increased interchange. It shouldn't effect the main rucks scoring as their ToG won't change. It just means teams will have stronger backup rucks on the ground when the main ruck goes off rather than one of their forwards rolling up to ruck.

 

[Orange crush]

Madden looking interesting ... maybe GWS play 2 rucks

 

[Northernsoul74]

Interesting

Xerri is the ruck I’m questioning the most. If the rule changes are going to impact anyone it should be him.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Xerri is the ruck I’m questioning the most. If the rule changes are going to impact anyone it should be him.

I’ve tried and tried to remove him for that reason but looking at his first month or so, not sure I can pass on that. Dante, Flynn, Blakiston & Pittonet is a scary proposition to death ride

 

[TempletonTheRat]

I’ve tried and tried to remove him for that reason but looking at his first month or so, not sure I can pass on that. Dante, Flynn, Blakiston & Pittonet is a scary proposition to death ride

If rules impact him he might still go 140's instead of 160's over the first 7 or 8 rounds

 

[JuddgementDay]

I’ve tried and tried to remove him for that reason but looking at his first month or so, not sure I can pass on that. Dante, Flynn, Blakiston & Pittonet is a scary proposition to death ride

I’ve succumbed to having Xerri in my team as his run is ridiculous, but my team is so bland now

 

[toxic]

Gawn getting owned by DC

Quick - change SC R1

 

[toxic]

Are Rucks dead from a SC perspective.....

 

[Obese Arachnid]

Are Rucks dead from a SC perspective.....

Yes, absolutely!

 

[timtimtim]

Let’s face it. No one really knows how new rules will affect ruck scores this year; they’re lying if they do

Time to ‘Hedge & Hope’

SP Ruck + 2 cheapest playing rucks + larger war chest

e.g., Xerri, McAndrew (Reidy) and $100k ITB

Run an extra SP MID while monitoring first few rounds, and pivot as required

 

[MacStradbroke]

Let’s face it. No one really knows how new rules will affect ruck scores this year; they’re lying if they do

Time to ‘Hedge & Hope’

SP Ruck + 2 cheapest playing rucks + larger war chest

e.g., Xerri, McAndrew (Reidy) and $100k ITB

Run an extra SP MID while monitoring first few rounds, and pivot as required

Great idea if you could crystal ball McAndrew and or Reidy playing the first 6 or 7 weeks straight. If not that $100K ain’t gunna help.

 

[Thuggee_Cult]

I liked what I saw of Xerri in the SOO yesterday, looks fit and hungry

Gawn just pacing himself IMO

I'm going in with both

 

[timtimtim]

Great idea if you could crystal ball McAndrew and or Reidy playing the first 6 or 7 weeks straight. If not that $100K ain’t gunna help.

That’s just an example

SP + 2 cheapest playing rucks

JS is implied didn’t think I’d need to spell that out here

The “hedge” is instead of a X/Gawn type combo you pick one and run an extra SP mid until the dust settles

 

[Deliverance]

Great idea if you could crystal ball McAndrew and or Reidy playing the first 6 or 7 weeks straight. If not that $100K ain’t gunna help.

No guarantee they play round 1 let alone 7.

 

[Mofra]

Gawn & Xerri having friendly byes certainly makes the case for chasing 'value' more difficult

 

[Eagling]

Does anyone think there's potential for AFL coaches to simply not play any ruck whatsoever, leave a free hitout and just pick an extra mid (even a tagger), if they don't have a jumping ruck who can get around the ground?

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Does anyone think there's potential for AFL coaches to simply not play any ruck whatsoever, leave a free hitout and just pick an extra mid (even a tagger), if they don't have a jumping ruck who can get around the ground?

More likely they play two so they can cover the ground better.

Seems unlikely they will cede every ball uo to the opposition.

 

[MacStradbroke]

More likely they play two so they can cover the ground better.

Seems unlikely they will cede every ball uo to the opposition.

The closest to a player like that might have been Blicavs five years ago but even he can’t do it alone. Can’t jump either so there’s that too I suppose.

 

[Eagling]

More likely they play two so they can cover the ground better.

Seems unlikely they will cede every ball uo to the opposition.

Rucks are generally considered the least effective and important role in the AFL. The Premiers rarely have the best ruck in the competition, so whilst I understand your position, if a club has a decent leaping ruck who can't get around the ground, and a stoppage ruck who can't leap, and neither of them can contribute much in other areas, do they bite the bullet and just say "well, we can try to amalgamate a serviceable ruck with two selections, or we play a genuine tall forward or defender, with a midfielder, and trust the extra around the stoppage to counter giving up the ruck?

 

[MacStradbroke]

Rucks are generally considered the least effective and important role in the AFL. The Premiers rarely have the best ruck in the competition, so whilst I understand your position, if a club has a decent leaping ruck who can't get around the ground, and a stoppage ruck who can't leap, and neither of them can contribute much in other areas, do they bite the bullet and just say "well, we can try to amalgamate a serviceable ruck with two selections, or we play a genuine tall forward or defender, with a midfielder, and trust the extra around the stoppage to counter giving up the ruck?

Is this sorta what Geelong has been doing for ten years? Stanley mediocre to handy at best ruck propped up by Hawkins rucking successfully up forward and Blicavs (and lesser degree SDK) equally as effective down back. Purely personnel driven this, if Geelong had a Xerri they wouldn’t have been running this game plan for so long.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Is this sorta what Geelong has been doing for ten years? Stanley mediocre to handy at best ruck propped up by Hawkins rucking successfully up forward and Blicavs (and lesser degree SDK) equally as effective down back. Purely personnel driven this, if Geelong had a Xerri they wouldn’t have been running this game plan for so long.

Think we got the first clue the other night. The rucks were staying out of the forward 50. Gawn even let Ben King take a ball up to stay behind the play.

Obviously team dependant, as you say Geelong have their system to suit their players. Can see the likes of Thilthorpe getting more ruck points this year (especially if they play McAndrew)

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

Think we got the first clue the other night. The rucks were staying out of the forward 50. Gawn even let Ben King take a ball up to stay behind the play.

Obviously team dependant, as you say Geelong have their system to suit their players. Can see the likes of Thilthorpe getting more ruck points this year (especially if they play McAndrew)

This is a good thought... That could also lead to more intercept marks for some rucks.

Tim English for example, already a weapon for marking... If Sam Darcy takes all F50 stoppages, English gets to plant for any long kick out of defence. Could boost his scoring.