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Player Watch Lachlan McAndrew - Re-Signed to End of 2027

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Glad that we were able to do this - we were looking extremely dicey with O'Brien the only uninjured proper ruck on our list.

However, I am far from convinced that McAndrew is the answer long-term. Would love to be proved wrong, but I think he will always be a lower-tier ruck at best. Good as a cheap backup option, but for my money, the need to find a replacement for ROB remains a priority going forward.
 
Eh, if the trial match against Port was any indication, this just means we a fit back up ruck with no scope whatsoever to win a best 22 spot for a year or so. Which is better than not having a fit back up ruck, but still, firmly in the ~shrugs~ category.

We'll see if McAndrews has anything different, but I'm not holding out any hope here.
He had the contract sewn up by then..probably took the foot off trying not to get injured. Matchys Matter!
 
Eh, if the trial match against Port was any indication, this just means we a fit back up ruck with no scope whatsoever to win a best 22 spot for a year or so. Which is better than not having a fit back up ruck, but still, firmly in the ~shrugs~ category.

We'll see if McAndrews has anything different, but I'm not holding out any hope here.
Yep. Given the revelation that Strachan sustained another stress fracture and thus we wouldn't have had any recognised back-up ruck for almost the whole season, the list is now stronger than it was yesterday. But, on the available evidence, McAndrew is a warm body, not a plausible ROB replacement.
 

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He had the contract sewn up by then..probably took the foot off trying not to get injured. Matchys Matter!

That's very unlikely, and I had no issues with McAndews effort, he put his body on the line when he needed too.

Just that against a tired lower-to-mid tier ruck (seeing Sweet is just a worse ROB, or maybe better seeing they're both the type who get better if they have less of the ball), McAndrews didn't have a clue to how to counter him. I hope it was just nerves, seeing it's the first formal hit out, but for my money he just looked like a guy who is a SANFL level ruck.
 
That's very unlikely, and I had no issues with McAndews effort, he put his body on the line when he needed too.

Just that against a tired lower-to-mid tier ruck (seeing Sweet is just a worse ROB, or maybe better seeing they're both the type who get better if they have less of the ball), McAndrews didn't have a clue to how to counter him. I hope it was just nerves, seeing it's the first formal hit out, but for my money he just looked like a guy who is a SANFL level ruck.

After towelling up O'Brien all pre-season he was probably a bit shellshocked going up against someone else
 
Absolute scenes

go on then AFC97981025262728 have at me, I was wrong

how long until people skulk in here calling out the people who raised the legitimate ruck concerns as being bedwetters

I have ordered you and your mates some rubber sheets.

And just think - we could still grab Harrison Ramm, Oliver Dean, or Cameron McGree in the MSD and end up with two developing ruckman.
 
You are a brave man coming in here and saying that.

You’re not from around here are you…

😆

There hasn’t been too many missteps over the past 18 months. The Sloane re-signing was one. And possibly, you could have freed up another draft pick last year. But overall, that side of things are going very well - the trade acquisitions, drafting and contract management.

Reid is very good at his job.

No excuses now for the coach, no finals and he’ll be out the door by the last Monday in August. Bookmark it! 👍
 
Glad that we were able to do this - we were looking extremely dicey with O'Brien the only uninjured proper ruck on our list.

However, I am far from convinced that McAndrew is the answer long-term. Would love to be proved wrong, but I think he will always be a lower-tier ruck at best. Good as a cheap backup option, but for my money, the need to find a replacement for ROB remains a priority going forward.
Its not a bad way to find out either way
 
Eh, if the trial match against Port was any indication, this just means we a fit back up ruck with no scope whatsoever to win a best 22 spot for a year or so. Which is better than not having a fit back up ruck, but still, firmly in the ~shrugs~ category.

We'll see if McAndrews has anything different, but I'm not holding out any hope here.
Better to have a 22 year old in that position than a 29 year old though.

Strachan being only a few months younger than RoB is odd list management strategy.
 

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Sounds like the club agreed that our ruck stocks were dicey


“Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and his latest setback exposed us to significant risk in our ruck stocks particularly in the early part of the season."

“Given the timing of Kieran’s latest injury and the importance of the ruck position, it was crucial we moved quickly to find a replacement,”
Wait A Second Hold On GIF by First We Feast


but I thought
 
Sounds like the club agreed that our ruck stocks were dicey


“Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and his latest setback exposed us to significant risk in our ruck stocks particularly in the early part of the season."

You really enjoy selective quoting don't you. First you did it with Nicks and Crouch - https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/2025-pre-season.1388505/page-82#post-86780605

Now this.

Our ruck stocks BECAME dicey because our backup suffered a further serious injury on top of the injury he was trying to overcome that happened in early December.

“Given the timing of Kieran’s latest injury and the importance of the ruck position, it was crucial we moved quickly to find a replacement,”

You didn't bold the most important part of the quote.
 
Well if Smith missed all of preseason with a torn hammy and then tore the other one just before the season started, he might do something different?

And stress fractures are much longer to heal than a hammy.

Article said he re-injured last week. 6 weeks with zero weight bearing takes him to round 4. Would then need to build up to running and considering at that stage he would have zero fitness base after 6 months of no training - there is absolutely no way he would get back to playing - EVEN if everything went perfect.
 

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Player Watch Lachlan McAndrew - Re-Signed to End of 2027

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