Guy Richards.... your thoughts

[driver 8]

Richards cops a lot of flak on this board... often for very good reasons.. HOWEVER....

I think he's improved 100% on his last few years. I can see him starting in the ruck for our final 6 games as well as finals. His taping has been fine of late. I'd say he's doing better than Steve McKee did when we made the grand finals.

Bryan simply has to go. He's has his chances.. he's performed better as a cameo forward than a ruck.

Thoughts friends?

 

[The Don]

I thought his game on the weekend was one of his better ones. Seems to be improving but still has along way to go. Seems to be over his injury trouble of his early days. Hopefully can develop into a more than handy ruckman and allow Josh to play in the forward line or on a wing.

 

[DWil6]

Best tap ruckman in the team, including Josh. Sadly that's not saying much. If we had a better midfield he wouldn't be quite so badly off. As for his around the ground play, needs big improvement. I say draft a young 'un and Guy can work on holding down his position until the young guy comes good. (fingers crossed)

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Thought he was good on the weekend.

I'd be giving him a game for the next 4 weeks, regardless of Bryan's performances in the two's, or match-ups. I think Richards can be the tap-ruckman we need, if we give him the chance to just work into a bit of confidence and form.

He hasn't played more than 5 games in a row since his streak of games after debuting in 2004. I'd like to get 6-7 games in a row behind him and see how he goes.

Against Essendon, Guy was much better around the ruck contests than Josh, and we generally did better as a team with him in the ruck - It was Josh that rucked almost the entire 3rd quarter when we got creamed at the stoppages.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

He hasn't played more than 5 games in a row since his streak of games after debuting in 2004. I'd like to get 6-7 games in a row behind him and see how he goes. .

Thats his challenge, for sure. Consistency. No better time than now to start.

 

[Frederlick]

He has shown improvement around the ground but especially in tackling, being in position to offer an option, marking and in kicking. Remember doesn't spend the same amount of time on the ground as Josh so will never look as good and will need to get a feel for the game. Put it this way any kid his height/position we bring in will not be better so stop pulling our hair out and keep playing him until the end of the year. Will get at least another year IMO and deserves it. If they can develop an Irish Gaelic footy expert they can spend some time developing a ruckman.

 

[NT.Thunder]

I agree, was a better game from him on the weekend but i would like to see him do a little more around the ground then he currently does.

I think we need to settle on one ruckman that will play finals and give him, whoever it is Bryan or Richards, a series of games behind them to build confidence and maybe run into a little more form.

This Bryan IN Richards OUT, Richards OUT Bryan IN, thing which seems to be a weekly occurance is getting a little unsettling for my mind.

I hope that Richards can play out the rest of the season and find a little bit more of the ball around the ground.

Seriously though, we need to find a good quality ruckman to support fraser next year whether PSD or draft a youngun. This is crucial and has been hurting us for years......having said that Thumbs Up to the young brigade for this year....Great effort and more importantly great second efforts...

Question>>Do we go for a genuine big bodied ruckman or for the more mobile type?

i think a big bodied Laycock style might compliment Fraser well, just have to find one now

 

[Captain_Knowall]

Personally i don't rate him but he's considerably better than Cain Ackland! Do you guys have any up and coming younger ruckmen that look likely to take his place in the next couple of years?

 

[Medstar]

Nope.

 

[nick_savo]

I agree with Vinne....

I thought he had a fantastic match on the weekend and definetly deserves to hold his spot for another week or so but I think we should just see how he goes before making any rash decisions, but we will need him for the finals and lets hope he can keep improving

Keep it up Guy!

 

[MarkT]

I don’t think Richards is good enough as a ruckman, around the ground or up forward. In addition he doesn’t offer a very different style to Fraser. Consequently if Fraser is struggling against a ruckman’s style Richards can’t change it up much. Bryan is no world beater either but at least he can prove a body crash style and kick a goal. When it is all said and done neither should be on the list and we should have a first ruck that makes Fraser the change up a second ruckman trying to get into the side and a kid developing at VFL level.

 

[nick_savo]

We can't not have a second ruckman though

Having the second ruckman allows us to release Fraser down forward to kick a few handy goals.

We really should try draft a ruckman

 

[Coin_Toss]

He needs more games under his belt, see where he's at at the end of the year, considering the flack he cops on a regular basis, he's doing well at the moment. Just needs to be a bit more consistent. If he can provide ruck relief for Josh Fraser, I think he's held his end of the stick pretty well IMO.

 

[ClarkeM]

Guy has been great this year. He has stepped up but could always do with some coaching.

PS: Do any AFL players read these sometimes?

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Guy isn't currently good enough in the centre bounces to justify how bad he is around the ground. At present he is still a better option than Bryan though.

We really need to draft an athletic ruckman who can win hit-outs, take marks and kick well, and is hard and competitive.

 

[loki04]

Gee them 13 ho on the weekend was his best game in years and you guys appluade it, no wonder our ruck situation is so poor if the coaches think the way you do it would explain why he has been on the list for 7 years despite being one of the worst ruckman in the afl.

 

[Lonie_from_50]

This is why it is so much of a ****ing dillema...Richards is just like a cocktease, except a footballertease. He can be worthy of a 2nd ruckman, because his tap work is highly regarded, but the improvement hasn't been immense, and his consistency is poor.

He is so important to the structure though. He is needed in 2007, and who knows about 2008 and on. It is a dillema, we just need more options though to really know how good he is.

 

[Lonie_from_50]

Gee them 13 ho on the weekend was his best game in years and you guys appluade it, no wonder our ruck situation is so poor if the coaches think the way you do it would explain why he has been on the list for 7 years despite being one of the worst ruckman in the afl.

6 or 7 of those hitouts were to advantage...the AFL average would be about 10 per team HOA...Richards gathered 6-7, which is what we like to see.

 

[nick_savo]

Yer but as you said before his consistancy is poor an can he get those 6-7 taps a game?

 

[footy_rulz]

Last week's game was very good. Hold onto him for next year.

 

[Lonie_from_50]

I will admit, the paper had him named 4th-5th best in the Pies, i lol'd

 

[pieblessing]

Richards is the best ruckman we got , bryant has failed too often and his kicking under pressure is inaccurate. We need to preserve josh for the finals. He is great around the ground and a beutiful kick for goal. brisbane will test our rucks.

 

[M-Train]

I will admit, I used to be Guy Richards biggest hater. When I think about it, unless we pick up an established ruckman next year, I think Guy has done just enough to retain his spot in the side in 08. His skills are still not great but he is a decent tap ruckman and occasionally gives our midfielders first use to the ball. He's a better tap ruckman than Fraser. Fraser jumps miles to early sometimes.

Remember, if we draft a ruckman in the draft, we probably wont see him for a couple of years, so I think Bryan and Richards will probably retain their spots on the 08 list.

 

[FuManchu]

Richards has gotten better. but whether it's good enough, I doubt it.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I don’t think Richards is good enough as a ruckman, around the ground or up forward. In addition he doesn’t offer a very different style to Fraser. .

I thought you had Fraser pegged as a running goalkicking ruck-rover type who cant ruck especially well and Richards as an old fashioned tap ruckman who can ruck but cant do much else?

They are completely different types of players.