For a while now I've been a critic of the big lumbering ruckmen sometime referred to by others as dinosaurs. If they are good they will win the majority of taps and if they are really good they will give your team the majority of taps to advantage. But what they don't do when the ball is not being thrown up is a lot around the ground. In effect, for the majority of play we are really playing with just 17 effective men on the ground.
I recently came across an article called Footy Forensics: Ruck importance which looked at the importance of ruckmen in determining the outcome of game. Some of the conclusions were that "in recent years there was no relationship between hitouts and margin". and "The percentage of games won by the team that won the hit outs is at a low". (This year below 45%)
"What ultimately matters more than winning the hit-out is getting the ball away from the stoppage - in other words, winning the clearance. Some teams are better than others at nabbing the clearance whether they win the hit-out or not. This year, Richmond is averaging 36 clearances per game, while they're only recording an average of 25.8 hit outs. That difference of 10.2 between their average clearances and hit-outs is the best in the league, and is a dramatic improvement on the Tigers' -8.1 figure recorded in 2015. Melbourne, too, have had a dramatic turnaround in the difference between their average clearances and hit-outs, suggesting they're getting much better at converting their own hit-outs to clearances and they've started sharking more of their opponents' taps, too." And many of you may remember how well Collingwood's midfield roved to losing rucks a few years ago.
I'm suggesting that we trade Jacobs while he has currency for a decent player and replace him with someone in the Andy Otten mould. Someone that can pinch hit in the ruck, have the versatillity to go down back or forward, have an impact around the ground, take contested marks and kick a few goals. (The lack of contested marks from Jacobs is the most disappointing aspect of Sauce's game IMO.) Going up against big ruckmen would be very hard on the body I would imagine. But sharing the ruck duties between Jenkins, Otten and Jacobs' replacement should help. Really they just have to be a big enough nuisance in ruck to reduce the opposition's hitouts to advantage.
Teach our midfield to shark the ball no matter who wins the taps. Not too hard. After all, most ruckmen usually tap the ball down to their feet. If we can do that the around the ground we will have a clear advantage as we will have 18 effective players to their 17.
What do you think?
I recently came across an article called Footy Forensics: Ruck importance which looked at the importance of ruckmen in determining the outcome of game. Some of the conclusions were that "in recent years there was no relationship between hitouts and margin". and "The percentage of games won by the team that won the hit outs is at a low". (This year below 45%)
"What ultimately matters more than winning the hit-out is getting the ball away from the stoppage - in other words, winning the clearance. Some teams are better than others at nabbing the clearance whether they win the hit-out or not. This year, Richmond is averaging 36 clearances per game, while they're only recording an average of 25.8 hit outs. That difference of 10.2 between their average clearances and hit-outs is the best in the league, and is a dramatic improvement on the Tigers' -8.1 figure recorded in 2015. Melbourne, too, have had a dramatic turnaround in the difference between their average clearances and hit-outs, suggesting they're getting much better at converting their own hit-outs to clearances and they've started sharking more of their opponents' taps, too." And many of you may remember how well Collingwood's midfield roved to losing rucks a few years ago.
I'm suggesting that we trade Jacobs while he has currency for a decent player and replace him with someone in the Andy Otten mould. Someone that can pinch hit in the ruck, have the versatillity to go down back or forward, have an impact around the ground, take contested marks and kick a few goals. (The lack of contested marks from Jacobs is the most disappointing aspect of Sauce's game IMO.) Going up against big ruckmen would be very hard on the body I would imagine. But sharing the ruck duties between Jenkins, Otten and Jacobs' replacement should help. Really they just have to be a big enough nuisance in ruck to reduce the opposition's hitouts to advantage.
Teach our midfield to shark the ball no matter who wins the taps. Not too hard. After all, most ruckmen usually tap the ball down to their feet. If we can do that the around the ground we will have a clear advantage as we will have 18 effective players to their 17.
What do you think?
