- Aug 10, 2005
- 46,545
- 42,486
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
The tall and tall of it: How AFL ruck strategy has evolved
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-17/afl-analysis-how-ruck-strategy-has-evolved/12668180
This was a very interesting read In the development of ruck tactics. The take home is that having a second ruckman that is a “good footballer” is more important than having someone who can simply win tap outs or make a contest. Oscar McInerney fits that Bill, with his high clearance rate (rated 4th for clearances in 2020), mobility, good hands and ability to go forward. This is where having Stef Martin back in the team is going to be a massive boost, with Stef taking the primary ruck role and Oscar playing the second ruck role and freed up to wreak havoc in the forward line.
Basically every teams ruck is 4th or 5th in clearances at their team apart from the freaks like Goldstein, Natanui and Grundy because they go to so many clearances and ruck frees count as clearances.