Angus Graham

[Cathal Brugha]

It must be disheartening for our mids to make position only to have Gus, when he gets a tap, to deliver it to their opponents. I'm not writing him off but something needs to be done. He needs to work on his technique with the Burgers.

 

[ize_]

Graham is pathetic.......PATHETIC!

His ruckwork is horrible. HE WASN'T EVEN GOING FOR THE BALL TODAY....HE JUST KEPT RUNNIGN STRAIGHT AT HUDSON

It's not like Hudson is a huge ruckman or a superstar...Graham should have won the taps today. Instead he got F***** dominated and gave our mids no chance....Alot of the time he didn't even put his bloody hand up in the centre. Even when he did win a tap alot of the time he put it to the advantage of the dogs.

Not to mention he offers nothing absolutely NOTHING around the ground.

He is rubbish and we are going no where while he is our number 1 ruck. Our mids start behind whenever he is in the middle.

No coincidence that we looked alot better when Vickery was in the middle. Have to wonder why when Vickery went in the middle won the contest then ran forward and marked and goaled was he moved out of the middle....poor coaching.

Jesus Christ this attitude makes me angry. It's a rucking technique, its not Gus being a ******. He was average today but do you honestly think the coaching staff would let him do that week in week out and continue to play him if he wasn't meant to be doing it? Simmo rucked that way his whole career. Sure, it's unfashionable but it doesn't mean it isn't effective. Bloody hell

And guess what, Angus won the hitouts today. Beat Hudson who I rate as one of the better ruckman in the league. Our midfield was hopeless today at both reading Gus's and Hudson's taps, something we're normally good at. Today was one of Grahams worst games in recent times, I agree there. But just pisses me off when people make uninformed calls about his ruckwork when in fact they don't know the first thing about it.

 

[TigerTime88]

Jesus Christ this attitude makes me angry. It's a rucking technique, its not Gus being a ******. He was average today but do you honestly think the coaching staff would let him do that week in week out and continue to play him if he wasn't meant to be doing it? Simmo rucked that way his whole career. Sure, it's unfashionable but it doesn't mean it isn't effective. Bloody hell

And guess what, Angus won the hitouts today. Beat Hudson who I rate as one of the better ruckman in the league. Our midfield was hopeless today at both reading Gus's and Hudson's taps, something we're normally good at. Today was one of Grahams worst games in recent times, I agree there. But just pisses me off when people make uninformed calls about his ruckwork when in fact they don't know the first thing about it.

Mate I understand it is a technique that can be used but not like that. Hudson isn't a great tap ruckman generally and most of the time he didn't even look at the ball....that's not a technique champion. His not a ruckmans a*****e. Hudson was one of the best today.

Nathan Brown also made the comment on Triple M about this and I will back his informed opinion over yours.

The worst part is when he does get a tap he directs it to no one generally but today down the throats of dogs players....awesome = definite 1's AFL ruckman.

We have other options to try we don't have to keep accepting mediocre performances.

 

[ize_]

Right so obviously Ladey and Dimma are just letting Gus run riot with his horrible rucking technique because they CBF teaching him? I'm quite sure he's doing what he's doing on purpose. Do you know how much one on one work Gus would be doing just on his rucking every week?

 

[TigerTime88]

I think one of the first things he should probably learn is to actually look at the ball....WILL REALLY HELP!

Your kidding yourself if you think he is the answer to our 1st ruck long term.

 

[Crumden]

With the way the ruckment are being used I reckon it is deliberate as Ize says. Battering the opposition ruckman to tire them out as the game goes on and it has worked the last two weeks with sandilands and hudson both wearing out inthe last quarter. Unfortuntaely Gus didn't take dvantage of that this week like he did last week, though Vickery benefited from it.

 

[_RT_]

Graham had 29 hitouts to Hudsons 22 so I'm not sure how people can suggest that all he did was jump into Hudson and not even go for the ball. Also the Dogs midfield isn't exactly full of hacks, they do have their fair share of elite clearance winners in there.

I'm wondering how many people have actually noticed what Gus is doing when we have the ball? He spreads wide to the wings/flanks when we have the ball and often forces his opponent to man him up out there. That allows us to play through the corridor with greater freedom because we don't have to worry about the opposing ruckman just sitting back in the hole.

 

[Barnzy]

Have no idea why the coaching staff don't have the balls to drop him. Even for a couple of weeks. Browne is in the bests nearly every week at Coburg. Surely couldn't be any worse than Graham.

Laughable if anyone tries to defend him after today.

 

[Cathal Brugha]

Graham had 29 hitouts

How many were to our advantage??? Does anyone have the clearance stats?

 

[TigerTime88]

Graham had 29 hitouts to Hudsons 22 so I'm not sure how people can suggest that all he did was jump into Hudson and not even go for the ball. Also the Dogs midfield isn't exactly full of hacks, they do have their fair share of elite clearance winners in there.

I'm wondering how many people have actually noticed what Gus is doing when we have the ball? He spreads wide to the wings/flanks when we have the ball and often forces his opponent to man him up out there. That allows us to play through the corridor with greater freedom because we don't have to worry about the opposing ruckman just sitting back in the hole.

However he doesn't run back and sit in the hole defensivley. Really that is what we need him to do. To many times he strolls down when opponents have the ball and doesn't get anywhere near a contest. If he runs only in a slight canter he will get there and make it alot harder for the oppo forwards.

 

[_RT_]

How many were to our advantage??? Does anyone have the clearance stats?

Dogs won the clearances 45-37. Unsure about hitouts to advantage but I'd be surprised if either Hudson or Graham were dominant in that stat. Seemed to me that the Dogs were simply better when the ball hit the ground.

 

[_RT_]

However he doesn't run back and sit in the hole defensivley. Really that is what we need him to do. To many times he strolls down when opponents have the ball and doesn't get anywhere near a contest. If he runs only in a slight canter he will get there and make it alot harder for the oppo forwards.

Not sure if you've ever tried but its nigh on impossible for a person to travel at the same speed as a footy does. If Graham is where the play is or making an option on the wing and the ball gets turned over at CHF or in the midfield Usain Bolt would be about the only person on Earth quick enough to cover the ground and even then would probably give away a free kick for arriving late.

 

[RECORDS!]

Probably one of the weakest and most insipid performances that I have ever seen by a ruckman today. No wonder our midfield got smashed with the crap that he was serving up. He was petrified of Hudson all day - never looked at the ball in a centre ruck contest, only worried where Hudson was. Not once did I see Hudson looking for Gus!!

I have defended him in the past but this was a disgrace and there is no way he should play next week.

Forgot to mention his work on the goal line - disgusting

 

[Cathal Brugha]

Dogs won the clearances 45-37. Unsure about hitouts to advantage but I'd be surprised if either Hudson or Graham were dominant in that stat. Seemed to me that the Dogs were simply better when the ball hit the ground.

I saw several examples where Gus clearly sent his tap-out in the opposite direction to where our mids were positioning themselves. People can say what they will about Browne but he is a very good Tap Ruckman, in the reserves at least.

 

[docko911]

29 hitouts may help your dreamteam but certainly did not help Richmond for the simple fact that there was all of about none to advantage. He probably had more hitouts to bulldogs advantage than Richmond. He constantly refused to put his hands up for the tap in the centre because he was to busy getting body contact on Hudson which allowed hudson either an easy tap or the bulldogs midfielders first oppotunity to the ball because they played in close to the ruckman. If that is our ruck tactic then we may as well play jake king in the ruck and not contest the bounce.

The simple fact is if graham had of got the ball into space more often then the Bulldogs midfield set-up would've been less effective and wouldn't made our players look like cones in a training drill.

 

[TigerTime88]

Not sure if you've ever tried but its nigh on impossible for a person to travel at the same speed as a footy does. If Graham is where the play is or making an option on the wing and the ball gets turned over at CHF or in the midfield Usain Bolt would be about the only person on Earth quick enough to cover the ground and even then would probably give away a free kick for arriving late.

No need to be ridiculous. I am not suggesting he has to outrun the ball. But there were a number of occasions where they had the ball and Graham had time to drop back in space. I watched him praying he would push hard to get back to the hot spot. Instead he casually jogged to the 50m arc and watched the contest.

In contrast there was a stage when Vicks was in the ruck did the opposite and got back to take a mark at FB.

Thats the difference.

He is soft as butter....

 

[Barnzy]

29 hitouts may help your dreamteam but certainly did not help Richmond for the simple fact that there was all of about none to advantage. He probably had more hitouts to bulldogs advantage than Richmond. He constantly refused to put his hands up for the tap in the centre because he was to busy getting body contact on Hudson which allowed hudson either an easy tap or the bulldogs midfielders first oppotunity to the ball because they played in close to the ruckman. If that is our ruck tactic then we may as well play jake king in the ruck and not contest the bounce.

The simple fact is if graham had of got the ball into space more often then the Bulldogs midfield set-up would've been less effective and wouldn't made our players look like cones in a training drill.

Yep.

"But it's a ruck technique". Pfft.

If Lade is really teaching our rucks to focus on the opposition ruckman instead of the ball then he needs to be sacked. I don't know if Lade is that dumb, more likely Graham is that soft and scared. Absolutely killing us. The ball is just falling straight into the oppositions midfielders laps and they're waltzing it out with ease.

 

[TigerTime88]

Thank god there are some people on here who can open both eyes and not think every Richmond player is a superstar giving his all.

 

[Showbag]

Tough day for him, I'm surprised running directly at the opposition ruckman can be described as "technique". If we are to persevere with this, bring back Shane Tuck, then we have a mobile ruckman/ battering ram in one. Graham is severely limited in the ruck and a liability around the ground. His work on the goal line is embarrassing.

 

[Bird Man]

its our players who pick up the tap outs who need work not Graham..

After todays game all i saw at times was Blue and Angus.. our mids need to work for that ball harder after EVERY BOUNCE

 

[austyn08]

Yep.

"But it's a ruck technique". Pfft.

If Lade is really teaching our rucks to focus on the opposition ruckman instead of the ball then he needs to be sacked. I don't know if Lade is that dumb, more likely Graham is that soft and scared. Absolutely killing us. The ball is just falling straight into the oppositions midfielders laps and they're waltzing it out with ease.

It really seems that way at the moment with Lade.

Ive never played ruck but surely you just need to time your run and jump hard at the ball while making a solid contest?

 

[McGun]

One of his strenghs is he seems to have a big tank.

 

[ize_]

Tough day for him, I'm surprised running directly at the opposition ruckman can be described as "technique". If we are to persevere with this, bring back Shane Tuck, then we have a mobile ruckman/ battering ram in one. Graham is severely limited in the ruck and a liability around the ground. His work on the goal line is embarrassing.

I'm surprised people honestly believe we'd be letting him get away with it week in week out. As if. Gus is playing rope-a-dope against the bigger rucks.

 

[_RT_]

No need to be ridiculous. I am not suggesting he has to outrun the ball. But there were a number of occasions where they had the ball and Graham had time to drop back in space. I watched him praying he would push hard to get back to the hot spot. Instead he casually jogged to the 50m arc and watched the contest.

In contrast there was a stage when Vicks was in the ruck did the opposite and got back to take a mark at FB.

Thats the difference.

He is soft as butter....

The thing is Gus can't be everywhere doing everything that people want him to do. If he pushes back to the square to give Rance McGuane & Grimes a chop out and his opponent marks it 40m out he'll get hammered. If he does what he is now i.e. minding his man, he gets hammered.

Also there aren't very many ruckmen nowadays that get back into the hole and just sit there like the old ruckmen used to do. Now its all about making sure you're in the right spot for the zone or standing shoulder to shoulder with your opponent.

As for suggesting Gus is a superstar, never once have I done that. What I've suggested is that he is a developing ruckman who is learning the caper on a very steep curve and its a bit harsh having people criticise the bloke week after week regardless of how he performs.

Today wasn't great but I didn't think that Hudson was great either, it just looks that way because the Dogs smashed us in the middle so the majority assume that it must be because Hudson starred. When your ruckman wins more hitouts and the opposition win the clearances then something is wrong at ground level not the other way around.

 

[Cathal Brugha]

its a bit harsh having people criticise the bloke week after week regardless of how he performs.

When your ruckman wins more hitouts and the opposition win the clearances then something is wrong at ground level not the other way around.

Firstly, that would be some people only so you shouldn't try to water down a contrary position by using generalisations. Secondly, the assumption you have used again in the second statement seems unlikely as Gus is missing Taps to our mid-fielders by some margin. If he was tapping it in their vicinity and we were beaten to the ball than I might agree with you.