King and Ottens

[cat_fanatic]

It will be interesting to see how our rucks are used this season. Last year, king was injured for a majority and Ottens handled much of the ruck duties, spending about 60/40 percent in the ruck/forward roles respectively.

Now that King is on his way to becoming fully fit, will Ottens be used as a full time forward and Blake included to rotate with King?

or

Will they include Hawkins from the start and just rotate King and Ottens through the ruck?

Or something else?

Obviously we will find out when the time comes but just interested in getting some thoughts.

 

[burto]

I'd love to see Blake and King both rotated through the middle with ottens spending more time up forward.

Though if Hawkins is included in the side, our forward line could be a little top heavy with the likes of Ottens, Mooney, Hawkins and NAblett.

 

[Mr Sensitive]

Now that King is on his way to becoming fully fit

Not to sound too pessimistic, but every January the word from Geelong is that King is on his way back to full fitness, then round 1 rolls around and King becomes a week to week proposition.
I'll believe King is fully fit when he's able to play out games back to back. For now I'm remaining skeptical about Kingy's supposed new injury-free existence.

 

[fugsy]

I'd love to see Blake and King both rotated through the middle with ottens spending more time up forward.

Though if Hawkins is included in the side, our forward line could be a little top heavy with the likes of Ottens, Mooney, Hawkins and NAblett.

Mooney can revert back to his role of playing across half back. Gives us that extra depth if one of Ottens or Nath gets injured, much better option than say Playfair or (God forbid) Gardiner. Hawkins probably won't every game, so we'll still see a fair bit of him up forward.

 

[CF]

Not to sound too pessimistic, but every January the word from Geelong is that King is on his way back to full fitness, then round 1 rolls around and King becomes a week to week proposition.
I'll believe King is fully fit when he's able to play out games back to back. For now I'm remaining skeptical about Kingy's supposed new injury-free existence.

last pre-season he wasn't being touted as being fully fit and he was on light training due to his injuries (groins I think). He didn't play the NAB cup for that reason as did Ottens.

 

[Partridge]

Mooney can revert back to his role of playing across half back. Gives us that extra depth if one of Ottens or Nath gets injured, much better option than say Playfair or (God forbid) Gardiner. Hawkins probably won't every game, so we'll still see a fair bit of him up forward.

I'd leave Mooney at CHF for now. He played the best football of his life last year purely as a CHF. No need to change that. If King is fit, rotate him and Ottens through the ruck with Mooney, N.Ablett and Hawkins as the tall forwards. If King isn't fit, rotate Ottens and Blake through the ruck. If we're in trouble throw Ottens forward.

Simple!

 

[cat_fanatic]

Not to sound too pessimistic, but every January the word from Geelong is that King is on his way back to full fitness, then round 1 rolls around and King becomes a week to week proposition.
I'll believe King is fully fit when he's able to play out games back to back. For now I'm remaining skeptical about Kingy's supposed new injury-free existence.

King and Ottens did not get any where near the required pre-season training to be fully fit and see a season out last year, as they haven’t for quite a while. This pre-season is looking promising for the first time in a while, so you will have to excuse my optimism over King. From all reports he looks great and is training hard. If all goes well we may have one of the better ruck combos this year, something we have lacked for the past few seasons.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

I'd leave Mooney at CHF for now. He played the best football of his life last year purely as a CHF. No need to change that. If King as fit, rotate him and Ottens through the ruck with Mooney, N.Ablett and Hawkins as the tall forwards. If King isn't fit, rotate Ottens and Blake through the ruck. If we're in trouble throw Ottens forward.

Simple!

100% agreed. Mooney is much more creative and dangerous at half forward.

 

[Asty]

I'd leave Mooney at CHF for now. He played the best football of his life last year purely as a CHF. No need to change that. If King as fit, rotate him and Ottens through the ruck with Mooney, N.Ablett and Hawkins as the tall forwards. If King isn't fit, rotate Ottens and Blake through the ruck. If we're in trouble throw Ottens forward.

Simple!

agree.

I thought ottens rucked well last year with his only downfall being his fitness to get to the contest at times. If both are fit and rotating off the bench I think we will have a very dangerous ruck combo.

 

[Sean Sheep]

Agree on King/ Ottens ruck combo.. with Blake a backup when one gets injured. Mooney will add some vital physical presence at CHF which will take some of the physical 'heat' off our younger players.

 

[cat in sydney]

This is where the NAB will come in handy I reckon.
Getting Hawkins in there, with Otto and Kingy playing in the ruck.
First, we get to see where Hawkins is really at... is he up to it or not?
Second, we get to see whether Kingy can put together 3 or 4 games in a row.

If at the end of NAB/pre-season Hawkins has preformed reasonably and King is still fit, then that's your starting line-up with Ottens going between ruck and forward line.
If at the end of NAB/pre-season Hawkins has been trampled on and King is unfit, that then forces Ottens into ruck with Blake as back-up, then Mooney definitely stays forward.

 

[RememberMe]

Mark Blake is a 1 dimensional player, in that he is a tap ruckman. Full stop. The King/Ottens rotation is a good one, but in your opinions, is Blake just there in case of emergencies, and as a replacemant once King and Ottens move on? Or is there a major short term plan for him?

 

[cat in sydney]

Mark Blake is a 1 dimensional player, in that he is a tap ruckman. Full stop. The King/Ottens rotation is a good one, but in your opinions, is Blake just there in case of emergencies, and as a replacemant once King and Ottens move on? Or is there a major short term plan for him?

Personally I'm not sure Blake has what it takes to be our long-term #1 ruck option beyond King and Ottens. For me, he is more of an emergency option in response to team structure needs. For tap situations, he's fine, but when we need a mobile ruck, then we need to be looking at a more long-term option from somewhere. Is it West who is the youngster? What's he like?

 

[costanza23]

Is it West who is the youngster? What's he like?

It is West and he is much more mobile than Blake. Wait a few more years, West will be our Number 1 ruckman.

 

[Partridge]

If at the end of NAB/pre-season Hawkins has preformed reasonably and King is still fit, then that's your starting line-up with Ottens going between ruck and forward line.
If at the end of NAB/pre-season Hawkins has been trampled on and King is unfit, that then forces Ottens into ruck with Blake as back-up, then Mooney definitely stays forward.

Assuming your first statement comes true, I'd start with Ottens as first ruck, and have King relieve him off the bench. I wouldn't play Ottens forward at all unless in emergency circumstances.

If we are able to rotate Ottens and King off the bench all day they will wear down most opposition rucks. It could be a very, very good combination.

Finally, you'd have to be 10ft tall to trample on Hawkins!

 

[RememberMe]

Assuming your first statement comes true, I'd start with Ottens as first ruck, and have King relieve him off the bench. I wouldn't play Ottens forward at all unless in emergency circumstances.

If we are able to rotate Ottens and King off the bench all day they will wear down most opposition rucks. It could be a very, very good combination.

Finally, you'd have to be 10ft tall to trample on Hawkins!

Or you'd have to be this guy....

 

[thegerman]

It is West and he is much more mobile than Blake. Wait a few more years, West will be our Number 1 ruckman.

Totally agree with you Costanza23. West looked the goods in the VFL last year, really mobile but not all that big. Blake would win more taps, but West would easily win more possessions around the ground.

I would suggest that Blake is still a bit young, needs to really fill out a bit more, maybe eat more pies.

King and Otto is the way forward in the ruck this year, leaving Moons to move around at either CHF or a place where he dominated for a few games a few years back, in the centre.

Sure he is a bit slower than your normal centremen, but he pummels them in the middle and wins a lot of hard ball.

We really need to develop Nath, then look at Hawkins at odd times during the year and also in the NAB cup.

 

[catswhiskers]

IMO King is the key to 2007. Fully fit and with some aggro back he can take on any ruckman and set up the game. But he must not leave the field with his tank still half full. He hasn't really worked hard on the ground for years and as a result has not been able to get into damaging spaces. If he is not fit and working hard we go back to pinch hitting.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

IMO King is the key to 2007. Fully fit and with some aggro back he can take on any ruckman and set up the game. But he must not leave the field with his tank still half full. He hasn't really worked hard on the ground for years and as a result has not been able to get into damaging spaces. If he is not fit and working hard we go back to pinch hitting.

It'd be awesome to see King have a good season.