Geelong: Where ruckmen go to die?

AM

The standard you walk past is the one you accept
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The 2 sides played just 11 days ago with Geelong having a ruck combo of Stanley/Ratugolea and we ended up losing the hit outs 32-34, winning the clearances 34-30 and tying in the centre clearances 10-10.

On top of that Stanley’s 18 disposals was more than Richmond’s 2 ruckmen combined.

Nankervis finished the PF with just 5 disposals and 11 hit outs. If any Geelong ruckman produced those stats there would be page after page on here demanding they be dropped and claiming we couldn’t win finals while carrying them.

Yet Richmond stuck with both Nankervis and the 2 ruck setup. And Nankervis ran Mumford ragged before quarter time in the GF.
You have to look at the total picture not just pick and choose the odd game. As well as what they do as follow up work to the hitouts

Doubt there are many who would say our ruck set up is superior to the Tigs. The fact we chop and change our ruck set up illustrates that even those in the inner sanctum are concerned about it.
 
You have to look at the total picture not just pick and choose the odd game. As well as what they do as follow up work to the hitouts

Averages per game across all of 2019:

Hitouts: Stanley 27.8, Nankervis 21.8, Soldo 25.6

Disposals:Stanley 13.8, Nankervis 12.9, Soldo 9.1

Marks: Stanley 2.9, Nankervis 2.3, Soldo 2.4

Contested Marks: Stanley 0.8, Nankervis 0.3, Soldo 0.5

Goals: Stanley 0.4, Nankervis 0.3, Soldo 0.4

Tackles: Stanley 2.6, Nankervis 3.6, Soldo 3.9

Clearances: Stanley 3.2, Nankervis 2.6, Soldo 2.8

Inside 50s: Stanley 3.1, Nankervis 1.8, Soldo 1.1

Rebound 50s: Stanley 0.9, Nankervis, 0.4, Soldo 1.0

Goal Assists: Stanley 0.3, Nankervis 0.2, Soldo 0.1

I just don’t see where the significant superiority of either Richmond ruck over Stanley exists.
 
Nov 24, 2008
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Averages per game across all of 2019:

Hitouts: Stanley 27.8, Nankervis 21.8, Soldo 25.6

Disposals:Stanley 13.8, Nankervis 12.9, Soldo 9.1

Marks: Stanley 2.9, Nankervis 2.3, Soldo 2.4

Contested Marks: Stanley 0.8, Nankervis 0.3, Soldo 0.5

Goals: Stanley 0.4, Nankervis 0.3, Soldo 0.4

Tackles: Stanley 2.6, Nankervis 3.6, Soldo 3.9

Clearances: Stanley 3.2, Nankervis 2.6, Soldo 2.8

Inside 50s: Stanley 3.1, Nankervis 1.8, Soldo 1.1

Rebound 50s: Stanley 0.9, Nankervis, 0.4, Soldo 1.0

Goal Assists: Stanley 0.3, Nankervis 0.2, Soldo 0.1

I just don’t see where the significant superiority of either Richmond ruck over Stanley exists.

I was going to do the same thing, but couldn't be bothered. Definite case of "grass is greener on the other side" to suggest either Nankervis or Soldo are an improvement on Stanley.
 
Nov 12, 2002
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I was going to do the same thing, but couldn't be bothered. Definite case of "grass is greener on the other side" to suggest either Nankervis or Soldo are an improvement on Stanley.

I think the more accurate argument might be their combination is better. But certainly Stanley is (I think) the best of the three. Soldo looks like he's on the way up though, his improvement has been amazing.

More importantly his moustache is tremendous.
 
Nov 24, 2008
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I think the more accurate argument might be their combination is better. But certainly Stanley is (I think) the best of the three. Soldo looks like he's on the way up though, his improvement has been amazing.

More importantly his moustache is tremendous.

I'd say their combination is only better because they play two legitimate ruckmen though, whereas we roll with Rat/Blicavs as the second ruckman. If we went back to playing two ruckmen, a combination of Stanley & Smith, for example, would be as good or better than Nankervis & Soldo imo.

Agree with you about Soldo's improvement and moustache though - both very impressive.
 
There are plenty of things to be jealous of Richmond for these days, but their ruck division isn't one of them. Stanley was easily the best ruckman in the prelim.

Nankervis and Soldo do their job, but it's far from a strength of theirs.
True, but together they were more than serviceable in the GF, admittedly against no opposition. With their confidence high, and the game over half way through Q2, they seemed to mark and contest at will.
 
I'd say their combination is only better because they play two legitimate ruckmen though, whereas we roll with Rat/Blicavs as the second ruckman. If we went back to playing two ruckmen, a combination of Stanley & Smith, for example, would be as good or better than Nankervis & Soldo imo.

Agree with you about Soldo's improvement and moustache though - both very impressive.
Why have we not done that ALL season?
Will Smith be delisted?
I feel he was given nothing this year.
 
Sep 9, 2009
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Averages per game across all of 2019:

Hitouts: Stanley 27.8, Nankervis 21.8, Soldo 25.6

Disposals:Stanley 13.8, Nankervis 12.9, Soldo 9.1

Marks: Stanley 2.9, Nankervis 2.3, Soldo 2.4

Contested Marks: Stanley 0.8, Nankervis 0.3, Soldo 0.5

Goals: Stanley 0.4, Nankervis 0.3, Soldo 0.4

Tackles: Stanley 2.6, Nankervis 3.6, Soldo 3.9

Clearances: Stanley 3.2, Nankervis 2.6, Soldo 2.8

Inside 50s: Stanley 3.1, Nankervis 1.8, Soldo 1.1

Rebound 50s: Stanley 0.9, Nankervis, 0.4, Soldo 1.0

Goal Assists: Stanley 0.3, Nankervis 0.2, Soldo 0.1

I just don’t see where the significant superiority of either Richmond ruck over Stanley exists.
I can only think that Stanley has had a couple of poor moments in big games over the years - not committing his body, turning the ball over etc. - and that is why the MC don’t trust him. Those things are a bit difficult to analyse statistically. Like a few supporters, I could imagine a coach or two at GFC seeing something from a player they don’t like, like not going hard enough, or a costly turnover, and saying ‘If I had anything to do with it he would never play for us again.’

I’ll certainly said that about Stanley myself, but hopefully I wouldn’t have been stubborn enough to not select him in a final when the other options weren’t practical.
 
He's probably too old now, but I wonder why Nick Meese from Williamstown never got a look in at AFL level. He dominates at VFL level in the ruck, regularly beating AFL listed ruckmen, but I've never seen his name raised anywhere as an AFL prospect.

IIRC, he had a game in the VFL a few years back where he had around 100 hitouts in the one game.
 

Farmer2Goggin

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Aug 17, 2009
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If they're not going to play him - and a Qualifying Final against a top class ruckman was a pretty big clue - then they're better off getting rid of him. Would love to see them draft a young ruckman.

I wonder if Bailey Williams will be looked at as part of the TK deal , or do we look at Darcy if Freo are in the equation?
Don't know much about Pittonet but do like the look of Archie Smith from Brisbane - 202cm with a huge leap and appetite for follow up at ground level based on limited highlights reel.
Tigers/Eagles/and Lions all played 2 rucks and at least 2 full time forwards this season. I think our strategy of having Sav ruck left us too short down forward and dried up scoring opportunities at critical times.
Subject to personnel I wouldn't be against us playing 2 rucks with Tom and Sav permanent forwards or having Sav as second ruck and play Kreuger as a tall forward.
 
He's probably too old now, but I wonder why Nick Meese from Williamstown never got a look in at AFL level. He dominates at VFL level in the ruck, regularly beating AFL listed ruckmen, but I've never seen his name raised anywhere as an AFL prospect.

IIRC, he had a game in the VFL a few years back where he had around 100 hitouts in the one game.

Hes too slow and doesnt have the athletic qualities to play faster paced afl on bigger grounds. Slower paced vfl on smaller grounds is hisgo.
 
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