Mark Blake potential to be...

[rizzo]

A star.

I was going to post this in another thread, however after viewing the stats i think this deserves a thread of its own.

The development of Mark Blake this year has been sensational (as we all know) however looking at the stats it has put him in the top 5 ruckman for the year (so far).

So far this year Blake (Ranked 5th in the ruck hit out averages) has averaged 20 hit outs per game. Just .2 behind ruckman Jeff White. Infact here is the list of players that are ahead of him.

1 Aaron Sandilands 27.3
2 Darren Jolly 25.5
3 Brendon Lade 23.2
4 Jeff White 20.2

These guys are all percieved "guns". Blake is also ahead of gun rucks such as Everitt, Cox, Fraser, Hille, Simmonds, Hudson, Brogan, Ottens, Charman, Mcintosh.

So then the arguement will go "Blake doesnt get enough disposals." Blake averages 10 touches per game, which is only JUST behind players like:

Jolly - 11
Sandilands - 14
Lade - 10
McIntosh - 16
Everitt - 10
Ottens - 11
Hille - 8
Fraser - 14
Brogan - 11
Hudson - 13.

After looking at these stats, it looks like Blake is the player in the AFL to have a break out year, and he is just in his 16th game. If blakes development continues as it has so far then we will have easily one of the best rucks in the league. Especially if he can lift his disposal rate a bit higher.

Finally just a bit more statistical information Geelong are 3rd for hit outs in the league With blake contributing over half.

We have a gun on our hands people!

 

[gocats88]

if he gains some wieght and puts his body in packs for contested marks he will be an even better player.

 

[CrazyQ]

16 disposals and 10 disposals are poles apart Riz

 

[rizzo]

16 disposals and 10 disposals are poles apart Riz

Depends on the quality

The talk about McIntosh is fair, however for a bloke that averages more hitouts then him (the main job of a ruckman). should blake not be talked about the same if not more than McIntosh?

 

[CF]

It wasn't long ago that many here were bagging Blake and didn't rate him at all as a Ruckmen. Some suggesting as way back as last year that we should have gone after a Ruckman in the Draft because Blake/West were crap in their opinions. I, on the other hand, have seen his potential now for a few years and he has improved so much in that time that one suspects he will be our No 1 Ruckmen in a few years time. He needs now more experiences against the big guns (which hopefully he will get this year), I agree he has to keep building up his body and aerobic capacity, and continue to work on his basic skills (he actually kicks now which is promising). Whomever has been working with him should be congratulated. He is still young in Ruckmen terms as they tend to take 3 years to develop and he will get toweled up every now and then, but that is part of the learning process for a young footballer.

He also needs a midfield that can do something with his tap work, that will make him look even better!

 

[GeeCat]

Blakey's tapwork is ahead of McIntosh's, but Hamish's around the ground work is phenomenal for a bloke his size. Works hard, covers enourmous ground, has clean disposal, and knows how to push forward and kick a goal.

Anyway, Blakey's done all that could be expected of him to date (and then some), I felt. We all know about that leap he's got, and the deft tapping skills (give it time and experience from both him and the midfield and the taps to advantage will be [hopefully] utilised more than it is currently), but his around the ground work has improved significantly as well.

He's nowhere near the level of King in that aspect (yet), but given how he approached that aspect of his game a few years ago in the VFL, and where he is now at the AFL level, it's hard not to be excited. Gradually learning to push back and forward as the extra man, but playing the link man quite nicely. When it's all said and done, I think he'll show quite a few that his disposal (particularly by foot) is nowhere near as bad as it's made out to be (in fact, I'd suggest it's actually pretty good).

 

[sarah.13]

The kid is still 21, has been at the club 4 years has improved every year,is starting to bulk up and get used to the pace of the game. He will get better and better as the years go on, it's in the genes.

 

[chapmanmagic35]

He's not as good as Paul Chambers

 

[sarah.13]

He's not as good as Paul Chambers

No-one will ever be as good as him!!

 

[CrazyQ]

Depends on the quality

The talk about McIntosh is fair, however for a bloke that averages more hitouts then him (the main job of a ruckman). should blake not be talked about the same if not more than McIntosh?

Yes, but McIntosh has been in the ruck by himself.

Having had 22 disposals 29 hit outs and a goal, 20 disposals 18 hitouts and a goal and also 18 disposals and 14 hit outs.

All agaisnt Charman, McDonald, Wood from Brisbane on his own.

Smashing and I mean smashing King and Blake.

And smashing Fraser until he couldnt ruck anymore.

All of this without a proper 2nd ruck.

 

[hbk_aus]

WHen he actually starts taking marks around the ground, i think thats when we can say that he has arrived...ruckwork is more than just winning taps. He has gotten 100% better around the ground this year, but is still a long way off the likes of Cox, Lade and co...

 

[rizzo]

WHen he actually starts taking marks around the ground, i think thats when we can say that he has arrived...ruckwork is more than just winning taps. He has gotten 100% better around the ground this year, but is still a long way off the likes of Cox, Lade and co...

Does he really need to? The whole idea of a ruckman is to get the ball out of the middle and around the ground. I wouldn't care if blakey has 0 touches a game but if he had 30 odd hit outs that are accurate. Much more vital to the team

 

[Deep North]

Unlike just about any other position on the ground rucking is an art. Most ruckmen begin and spend years as uncoordinated baby giraffes before they find their feet, more before they really can take on the art. So considering his number of games I think its right to be excited by his development.

 

[cat_fanatic]

WHen he actually starts taking marks around the ground, i think thats when we can say that he has arrived...ruckwork is more than just winning taps. He has gotten 100% better around the ground this year, but is still a long way off the likes of Cox, Lade and co...

Blake is ruckman no. 2, he does not need to be as good as Cox and Lade, Otto will take care of them. Blake will have to stand up against guys like Jamar etc.
He is looking fantastic. He has the occasional run and bounce and has started to rack up some marks and inside fifties - from a second ruckman, what more could you ask for?

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Just watching a replay of the demolition, and was thinking of starting a Mark Blake Fan Club thread.

Gets plenty of hitouts, and so many to advantage. His work around the ground is excellent, I love it when he gets some steam up and breaks tackles, which he has done over the past few weeks. He seems to be so full of confidence at the moment.

And with some precision passing into the forward line against Carlton, and creative handballing, there is nothing wrong with his disposal

And I have also been singing his praises for a while now

 

[hotdog_hotdog]

It was Blake who did the over the shoulder handball to a running geelong player wasn't it? The was sensational from the Big Man.

I enjoy watching blakey play as much as i enjoy watching Nablett wheel around (on the left anf right!), Selwood at the stoppages and the hawk on the lead.

We have some decent young talent at the club and it's exciting to think about how good they might get!

I hope he keeps king out for the rest of the year, IMO he goes better then King now days and we should concentrate on getting the Game time into him.

 

[Stoney]

Does he really need to? The whole idea of a ruckman is to get the ball out of the middle and around the ground. I wouldn't care if blakey has 0 touches a game but if he had 30 odd hit outs that are accurate. Much more vital to the team

Interesting... Have u not heard how much more important the ruck position has become because guys like Cox, White, Fraser, Simmonds etc have shown that ruckman can also become useful link up players and be used in attacking thrusts? Blake does not do this. Sure he mite get his hand on the ball a few times, but until he develops the other side of his game he will never be regarded asa "gun" ... please!

Also it's good to make comparisons this year between Blake and all the gun rucks who have been carrying some sort of injury all season (such as Cox, Fraser, Simmonds, and Ottens) - no wonder his stats look reasonable - and thats all they look - is reasonable, not impressive!!!

I was one of those people who would bag Blake and West last year, and I still am ... I never doubted Blake could be a good tap ruckman (hell Peter Street was a gun tap ruckman), but he can never be a ruckman who will expose the opposition on a weekly basis because he has about 1 quality possession per week.

I don't care if his figures suggest he's not far behind other ruckman with his disposals - but seriously rizzo, how many of them actually do anything for the team? I rekon the ball would bounce to a player around 5 times a game - so that leaves Blake get 5 of the most damaging disposals ever seen by his own accord.

Let's not get carried away people, we do NOT have a gun ruckman in Mark Blake!

 

[Hood007]

No you're right, he's not a gun. It's debatable if he ever wil be. But he has improved every year and hopefully he will continue to do so.
At least he's getting his chance to prove what he can do...

 

[Rosella]

Stat in the HUN today that over the last few weeks he is third in hitouts to advantage - very happy with that

 

[Turbocat]

Blakes ruck work in the centre bounces has been good to better than just good , he still needs work around the ground but one step at a time. He has steped up and he needed to. This was his break thru year and Geelong have continued to paint themselves into a corner with the rucks. King-dodggy , Ottens- good but fragile , West-unproven and they needed Blake to shoulder some senior duties.
Yes , Blake has shown he may have the stuff to be a player for us for the future. Great but the ruck is still an injury prone position and I maintain my opinion that we should still have 5 rucks on our list(Esspc with King as one). Either add an undervalued kid that might have been missed like Mumford as a Rookie or use an early pick with a standout U18 kid.Look at the time Blake has taken , by the time any kid is ready Ottens and KIng will be done so its time to add another kid for the long term. To me there is more value in this than having upteen wanabe KPP's on the list