- Sep 28, 2016
- 9,820
- 19,316
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
The AFC ruck position has been a 1 man show since 2011, and in that time I doubt anyone could question the service Sauce has given over the years. The man has been great for us, but its coming to the time in his career where we need to embrace for the inevitability of his decline.
Of course no-one wants this (and now that i've said it he will probably be the AA Ruckman and win the Brownlow) but the fact remains that Sauce is a 200+cm, soon to be 31 year old with recent chronic back problems, and has already taken a major step backwards in his ability to impact the play in 2018.
With this in mind I want to open up the floor to what we see as realistic expectations for our Ruckmen in 2019.
Do we want to keep in Sauce and play him into the ground for the chance at better tap work, even if this means sacrificing around the ground mobility?
Do we want to get in ROB and increase mobility and athleticism in the position, even if it sacrifices tap work or footskills?
Do we want to make the position more offensive with JJ and Berg, even if means we lose out in the center bounce?
Do we want to want to use 1 or more of these younger guys as defensive lock down players against the games best Rucks (Gawn, Grundy etc) who seemingly destroy the AFC every time we play them?
Or something completely different.
Me, I'm unashamedly team ROB, I think we need to get him games this year, (lots of games), and utilize his vastly superior aerobic capacity get the extra link man back into our midfield gameplan. I have no doubt it would come with growing pains, but i'm willing to ride them out.
There's no wrong answers just opinions, so try and keep it civil. Also i've put a pole up seeing who we think will be the 1st ruck for the season opener, this will be open until the teams are announced for round 1.
Cheers
Bets Are Off!
Of course no-one wants this (and now that i've said it he will probably be the AA Ruckman and win the Brownlow) but the fact remains that Sauce is a 200+cm, soon to be 31 year old with recent chronic back problems, and has already taken a major step backwards in his ability to impact the play in 2018.
With this in mind I want to open up the floor to what we see as realistic expectations for our Ruckmen in 2019.
Do we want to keep in Sauce and play him into the ground for the chance at better tap work, even if this means sacrificing around the ground mobility?
Do we want to get in ROB and increase mobility and athleticism in the position, even if it sacrifices tap work or footskills?
Do we want to make the position more offensive with JJ and Berg, even if means we lose out in the center bounce?
Do we want to want to use 1 or more of these younger guys as defensive lock down players against the games best Rucks (Gawn, Grundy etc) who seemingly destroy the AFC every time we play them?
Or something completely different.
Me, I'm unashamedly team ROB, I think we need to get him games this year, (lots of games), and utilize his vastly superior aerobic capacity get the extra link man back into our midfield gameplan. I have no doubt it would come with growing pains, but i'm willing to ride them out.
There's no wrong answers just opinions, so try and keep it civil. Also i've put a pole up seeing who we think will be the 1st ruck for the season opener, this will be open until the teams are announced for round 1.
Cheers
Bets Are Off!