Crows Full back in 2005

[No 1 Draft Pick]

General consensus on the threads is that Rutten will be FB next year. I HOPE he carries on his 2nd half 2004 form and continues to develop as he has displayed a number of positive attributes. When is the last time we have had a good, young FB prospect coming through.....

I am not totally convinced though as he may be too one-dimensional. Rutten is big and strong and will match up well IMO with the resting ruckmen and bigger, heavier FF's (Lade, Lynch types).

But if you look at most of the successful FF's in the game I am not convinced he will match up well on them:

Gehrig
Lloyd
Hall
Tarrant
Neitz

All are quick of the mark - Rutten may struggle to keep up on the lead as his agility isnt that of a Smart or Hart. I know he played on Neitz and held him (2 goals from memory) when we thumped the Dees, and Hall kicked 4 on him in the wet in Sydney. I dont recall him playing against these other players mentioned

Does anyone else have this concern?

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

i hear what your saying and its a valid point but IMO Rutten's biggest attributes is his footy smarts and I think with this he will be able to make up for any lack of pace.

Ruttens inclusion also free's up Bassett as well who can play a bit of a spoiling role and get in between the ball and Rutten's opponent. This was very evident in the latter half of the season and Bassett was a much better player for it. I think we should get used to seeing Bassett running out of defence all season carrying the ball.

Rutten is by far the best option at Full Back and in all honesty being a one dimensional FB is not such a bad thing, as long as he is accountable I am happy.

 

[GrandfinalGurus]

Providing the Mid-field and Forwards do thier jobs properly, it won't matter what Big Benny does!!

 

[Stiffy_18]

Interesting really. If you look at the pace then you would say Rutten is slowest on the list. However, if you look at the tests you will find out that he is among quickest at the club over the 25 meters and as such his closing speed is good. Now either someone is feeding me a load of ********, or I am an ordinary judge. Yes his agility is a worry BUT he is improving in this and whatever he lacks in pace or agility he makes up in footy smarts.

Now Stephen Paxman was not the quickest or most agile bloke going around but he held Tarrant goal-less a number of times.

While pace and agility are important its not be all and end all for a player. If you talk to any FB you will find out its all about the angles and positioning. Rutten has played on Hall who kicked 4 on him but if you look at the game it was only a 15 minute period that Hall got the better of Rutten. One goal was a VERY iffy free-kick and the other one Hall pulled out of his backside and if he was to have 10 shots like that again he would miss 9.

Rutten is very footy smart and he plays to his strengths rather than his weaknesses. When he comes up against a forward that quick off the mark, he will play him from the front and force him tot he pockets and difficult positions. While he still has question marks in a few area and he is not out of the woods yet, he is still the best option we have and one I feel is worth persisting with.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Rutten showed enough in the later third of the season to show that he is worth persisting with. He was given the big names & rarely let us down. As has been mentioned he has footy smarts & plays to his strengths to minimise his lack of agility. Also, it allow the Hound & Benny to double-up when required, which makes our defensive team look like a better unit.

 

[conVINCEd]

The positive thing for me is that Rutten and the coaching staff (although it was Curran, but hopefully Craig & Co. recognise it too) have acknowledged his lack of pack and agility and he is working on it.

It helps that he is a very smart player with excellent disposal, so hopefully his footy nous can overcome his weaknesses somewhat.

Plus he has size and strength, and thats more than Basset ever had as a FB. I'm very happy that we have such a bright prospect for a full-back.

 

[Stiffy_18]

The positive thing for me is that Rutten and the coaching staff (although it was Curran, but hopefully Craig & Co. recognise it too) have acknowledged his lack of pack and agility and he is working on it.

It helps that he is a very smart player with excellent disposal, so hopefully his footy nous can overcome his weaknesses somewhat.

Plus he has size and strength, and thats more than Basset ever had as a FB. I'm very happy that we have such a bright prospect for a full-back.

It was actually Craig that has acknowledged his lack of agility and gave him a set of exercises to work on so he improves his agility.

One positive to come out of Craig taking over as a caretaker during the year is that Rutten finally got the opportunity. If Ayres was still there you would know he would use Bassett on the likes of Neitz, Hall, Rocca etc... for the rest of the year. Craig gave Rutten the opportunity and he rarely left them down. Rutten is now Craig's project and I think Craig has got him for life.

 

[slappy]

rutten is extremely good body on body so at least his weakness with agility makes things more predictable ... we know how the opposition will try and expose him

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Interesting really. If you look at the pace then you would say Rutten is slowest on the list. However, if you look at the tests you will find out that he is among quickest at the club over the 25 meters and as such his closing speed is good. Now either someone is feeding me a load of ********, or I am an ordinary judge.

Been saying this all along, but knowone listened - I was confident my eyes wern't deceiving me

 

[Stiffy_18]

Been saying this all along, but knowone listened - I was confident my eyes wern't deceiving me

I admit that I am an ordinary judge then

 

[WaynesWorld19]

I admit that I am an ordinary judge then

Good guys have to get one right

 

[tinman]

The positive thing for me is that Rutten and the coaching staff (although it was Curran, but hopefully Craig & Co. recognise it too) have acknowledged his lack of pack and agility and he is working on it.

It helps that he is a very smart player with excellent disposal, so hopefully his footy nous can overcome his weaknesses somewhat.

Plus he has size and strength, and thats more than Basset ever had as a FB. I'm very happy that we have such a bright prospect for a full-back.

He is a much better option than Bassett or Smart at FB on the bigger forwards. Both were towelled up a few times against larger opponents.

No doubt Rutten will experience that too, there are some very good forwards going around and it is bound to happen from time to time. But he looks like the best option at FB unless Smith is given the job......

Rutten looks a very good type for FB. Let's face it, if he had pace, agility, smarts, size and strength he would be lining up at CHF

At Smith's age he HAS to play this year, otherwise I don't understand why they promoted him from the rookie list??

 

[bigman]

Rutten.

Next question.

 

[Lefty]

Rutten.

Next question.

Agree, no-one else comes close to him for that position.

One of the easiest positions in the team to select.

 

[LiaLovesRoo32]

Have to agree Rutten is the man for the job
He showed us he can play this year and he will only improve

 

[Crowked]

Rutten will be FB for the next 10 years, barring injury.

 

[drakeyv2]

Rutten is already the best full back we have had.

 

[Mad Dog]

i hear what your saying and its a valid point but IMO Rutten's biggest attributes is his footy smarts and I think with this he will be able to make up for any lack of pace.

Ruttens inclusion also free's up Bassett as well who can play a bit of a spoiling role and get in between the ball and Rutten's opponent. This was very evident in the latter half of the season and Bassett was a much better player for it. I think we should get used to seeing Bassett running out of defence all season carrying the ball.

Rutten is by far the best option at Full Back and in all honesty being a one dimensional FB is not such a bad thing, as long as he is accountable I am happy.

What BRaG said...spot on

Regardless of any shortcomings - he is our best option ATM. A win/win 'cos it frees up Bassett. Also Ben has a very cool head under pressure - and either pumps it wide to the boundary - or is very good at finding an option.

 

[-VC-]

If he's having a real problem with his pace we can drop an extra player back to chip across the front of the full forward he's playing on.
But I definitely think he looks the goods and not particularly slow anyone. Not many of these full forwards are very agile, they're just agile for their size.

 

[Damien_R1]

Agreed with all posts. Another dimension to his game is his contested marking.

I noticed last year (being a season ticket holder !), the person with kick in duties (after the opposition scored a point) often kicked long to him from full back, whereas in the past we used to kick long to the ruckmen. I can remember him taking numerous marks in pack situations against some solid bodies.

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

Rutten is not slow, and as I think it was Stiffy who pointed out, over 25m he is decievingly (sp?) quick. I played junior football with him and he has always been a big boy but also quite nippy. I think his big frame just gives people the impression that he is slow.

 

[Mad Dog]

Agreed with all posts. Another dimension to his game is his contested marking.

I noticed last year (being a season ticket holder !), the person with kick in duties (after the opposition scored a point) often kicked long to him from full back, whereas in the past we used to kick long to the ruckmen. I can remember him taking numerous marks in pack situations against some solid bodies.

This is a good point - very handy considering our ruckmen can't mark

 

[conVINCEd]

Rutten is not slow, and as I think it was Stiffy who pointed out, over 25m he is decievingly (sp?) quick. I played junior football with him and he has always been a big boy but also quite nippy. I think his big frame just gives people the impression that he is slow.

He also uses his surprising 'nippiness' to run off his opponent.

I remember numerous times late this season where he would run his guts out to get free on the wing and at least create an option, even if he wasn't used. Great team player as well.

 

[No 1 Draft Pick]

I like Rutten and hope he succeeds.

If he is fast over 25 metres (something I didnt realise), a good grab, big and strong couldnt we then consider him for probably the most important possie on the ground -CHF?

Thoughts?

 

[Damien_R1]

Rutten is not slow, and as I think it was Stiffy who pointed out, over 25m he is decievingly (sp?) quick. I played junior football with him and he has always been a big boy but also quite nippy. I think his big frame just gives people the impression that he is slow.

In a straight line he is nippy, agreed. However he isn't as quick when he needs to stop and change direction and I have seen him turn like the 'Queen Mary' on occasions. I am not knocking the bloke, cuz I think he will turn out to be a fantastic player over the next 10 years for us but he obviously still has a few aspects of his game to work on (as would anyone at the young age of 21!).