Our No 1 priority

[tugga]

We must move heaven and earth to get an established young ruckman in the next trade period.
We will not go anywhere until we have one.
Graham is a plodder and has stagnated.
Browne just isn't good enough.
Vickery is more a mobile forward, pinch hitting ruckman.
We haven't seen Derickx yet.
Watching last night at the ground, it was horrible seeing Gus lumber around. Imagine if Jolly had've played
Look at players like Jolly, Sandilands, Cox, Hille, Mumford and Jamar...all can dominate a game and when they do, their team usually wins. Make no mistake, the ruckman is not the dinosaur everyone thought they would be in this helter skelter modern game. In fact he is just as important as ever.

 

[TheProwler]

We must move heaven and earth to get an established young ruckman in the next trade period.
We will not go anywhere until we have one.
Graham is a plodder and has stagnated.
Browne just isn't good enough.
Vickery is more a mobile forward, pinch hitting ruckman.
We haven't seen Derickx yet.
Watching last night at the ground, it was horrible seeing Gus lumber around. Imagine if Jolly had've played
Look at players like Jolly, Sandilands, Cox, Hille, Mumford and Jamar...all can dominate a game and when they do, their team usually wins. Make no mistake, the ruckman is not the dinosaur everyone thought they would be in this helter skelter modern game. In fact he is just as important as ever.

Bingo, my sentiments exactly.

Q. Are we ruthless enough to do what collingwood do and have done by targeting a player at a club and going after him? If not then we will only ever wait for rucks to want to come to us or work there way up from the draft.

Do we look at a bloke like Ryder who is out of contract end of 2012 or Mitch Clark who is delaying contract negotiations now until seasons end? GWS will offer big bucks but the seeds of doubt must now be in these blokes minds looking at GC start this year.

Time to be ruthless, take the bull by the horns and open the check book

 

[Bojangles17]

I agree tugg, we should be planning to use our r2 selection for a trade someone liek David hille or Mitch clark would be spot on. a must if we are determined to improve

 

[delediofan3]

Obviously we should look at a ruckman like paddy ryder, nic naitanui with his superb jump using our 2nd round pick but a no.1 priority in this years draft is a key position defender. if we are to be dangerous next season we need a ready made defender or just an excellent defender

 

[thecotch]

Clearly a quality ruckman, running tall defender and small defensive stopper, and another key forward is desparately needed.

 

[Vitalogy]

Tried telling people in a thread last year we need a quality ruckman and got told to piss off.

 

[Crumden]

While I said pretty much the same thing after last weeks game tugga, I reckon last night was Gus Grahams best game for the club. His form up to last night was ordinary, and maybe last nights game can turn it around a bit for him. He did lumber around at times when he should have motored to the backlline and he fell over a couple of times, but a big improvement overall.

Of course, his opposition was ordinary - Santa Claws' love child Cameron Wood is the worst ruckman in the league by a country mile.

 

[Tiger67]

Gus's is still pretty young in ruckman terms.
I think last night he had both brown and Wood well and trulycovered
He did as much around the ground as either of them and he also beat them comfortably in hit outs for the night.
Yes... He could work a bit harder around the ground but he is not actually slow (a bit slow thinking at times) but as a young rukman he still has time on his side, and his performance looked a lot better in the second and third 1/4 when our onballers actually got into the right position to take advantage of his tap work dominance.

 

[_RT_]

Wouldn't be making the call just yet on Graham, travelling just as well, if not better, as guys like Sandilands Hille & Jolly were at the same age. Sure there are some things that he needs to work on but lets not foget that he is yet to play 40 games and is still only 23 years old and ruckmen don't start hitting their peak until 25+.

 

[Goldust]

OUR own history suggests it's the way to go.
Best ruckman we've had since the General Mark Lee departed have been Greg Dear, Greg Stafford and Justin Charles, albeit for a season and a bit!
Fourth in line would be David Honeybun!
It's a no brainer ... we need one.
Graham has been an embarrassment the past two weeks!

 

[Tiger_Stripes]

Graham is one of the most woeful players to have ever graced the AFL. Complete sissy who ever since getting hurt last season has refused to put his body on the line which was his only plus! Dimma mustve given him a hell of a rocket at half time because he came out harder but there is not a shred of doubt in my mind he is the single biggest thing holding our side back. He taps directly to the opposition with no regard for where our players actually are and he gets outmuscled by smaller players around the ground and in the ruck to the extent where he gives away frees for holding trying to reposition himself.

Built like Tarzan, plays like a deaf, dumb, blind and crippled Jane.

 

[tigers_of_old_08]

Wouldn't be making the call just yet on Graham, travelling just as well, if not better, as guys like Sandilands Hille & Jolly were at the same age. Sure there are some things that he needs to work on but lets not foget that he is yet to play 40 games and is still only 23 years old and ruckmen don't start hitting their peak until 25+.

Agree. And just as important is the fact that he's only had a season under the current coach, give the current group some time to de-Wallace him!

 

[TheProwler]

While I said pretty much the same thing after last weeks game tugga, I reckon last night was Gus Grahams best game for the club. His form up to last night was ordinary, and maybe last nights game can turn it around a bit for him. He did lumber around at times when he should have motored to the backlline and he fell over a couple of times, but a big improvement overall.

Of course, his opposition was ordinary - Santa Claws' love child Cameron Wood is the worst ruckman in the league by a country mile.

Your last paragraph pretty much nailed it then. Gus should have dominated the game but did he? He is slow around the ground and his hitouts are 50/50 to our advantage at best.

Take Sandi out of Freo and see how they go this year. Look at WC this year with big cox back in town. They are now competetive due to the influence of the ruckman.

Our mids would lick there lips at the oportunity to have a good ruck giving them first use of it.

We have a plethora of kids at present from recent drafts using this years 2nd and 3rd rnd draft selections to get a decent ruck should be RFC's goal right NOW.

If we draft another KP forward or back and pin our future hopes on Gus or Browne I will fair dinkum spew. How many potential KP players do we need in the 2nds?

 

[Bojangles17]

RT , you must be related to GUS, YES he won some hitouts , rarely did they go to our advantage, instead collingwood walzed clearances with ease.

his defensive efforts in a pack are plain woeful, c'mon should be NO excuses there, he's a big fella split the pack man...

does he ever link up like a decent ruck does, as in offer a midfield option when a side is pushing forward, perhaps once a month...

Does he take a decent mark in forward 50, once or twice a season maybe

he's a SHOCKER,..as soon a X gets a run or two under his belt he will be axed

 

[Crumden]

Your last paragraph pretty much nailed it then. Gus should have dominated the game but did he? He is slow around the ground and his hitouts are 50/50 to our advantage at best.

I disagree with this bit as I reckon most of his hitouts were to advantage last night, but at stages our midfielders let their opponents get in front of them. When our mids got in front in the third quarter we killed the clearances.

But its interesting to note that Sydney, St Kilda, Geelong and Collingwood are all clubs that have picked up their ruckmen from other clubs.

 

[TheProwler]

Wouldn't be making the call just yet on Graham, travelling just as well, if not better, as guys like Sandilands Hille & Jolly were at the same age. Sure there are some things that he needs to work on but lets not foget that he is yet to play 40 games and is still only 23 years old and ruckmen don't start hitting their peak until 25+.

So you would rather we persevere with gus for two more years and then make the call on him rather than make a forward decision now? We dont have to delist him, if he develops in the two's then thats fine with me.

Its what he does when he isnt rucking that frustrates the hell out of me.

 

[_RT_]

RT , you must be related to GUS, YES he won some hitouts , rarely did they go to our advantage, instead collingwood walzed clearances with ease.

his defensive efforts in a pack are plain woeful, c'mon should be NO excuses there, he's a big fella split the pack man...

does he ever link up like a decent ruck does, as in offer a midfield option when a side is pushing forward, perhaps once a month...

Does he take a decent mark in forward 50, once or twice a season maybe

he's a SHOCKER,..as soon a X gets a run or two under his belt he will be axed

I don't expect Gus to be the next Cox or Sandilands or Jolly where he gets around the ground and racks up possessions as well as hitouts. What I do expect is for him to at minimum breakeven with his opponent in terms of hitouts while also give our mids a decent crack at winning the clearance, get back and give our backline a chop out and then when going forward take a grab every now and then and kick a goal or 2.

In time I fully expect he'll be able to do these things but its going to take time and I've got no issue in giving it to him.

So you would rather we persevere with gus for two more years and then make the call on him rather than make a forward decision now? We dont have to delist him, if he develops in the two's then thats fine with me.

Its what he does when he isnt rucking that frustrates the hell out of me.

Yes I would, for the simple reason that Dimma said that we'll be taking no shortcuts. As far as I'm concerned Graham is tracking well so far and is showing some pretty good signs, but as I said needs to address some areas very quickly.

 

[cairo tiger]

we need a tough hard nosed strong full back who can spoil and run and deliver. e are like short people back there. derrix will be good.

 

[Bazzar]

Happy Birthday Gus.

Nice way to celebrate it for the pro Gus haters to call for his sacking.

24 and starting to dominate in the air, all that’s needed is for Lade to hone his placement and we have a ripper.

Those who want him dropped are in for a long, long year of sooking and whinging. Apart from a rest somewhere in the year, he is here to stay. Gus is good.


Footnote, Ranked 17th in the league for ave tackles per game. The only ruckman close is Mumford at 28th, shows he is also capable of adding good pressure.

 

[Lach72]

Personally think a big backman is a bigger priority.

Some good stuff there last night though.
Edwards though? Surely you have some one better

 

[folester41]

gus is awkward and made a few mistakes last night but he wasnt that bad, however i do agree we need a better ruckmen.

however unless we can secure a real gun ruckmen id be waiting until we are a finals contender and picking up a more experienced ruckmen, as good young rucks cost a bit and are far from proven.

 

[jeff99_Au]

gus is doing alright

our main goal should be one of two postion

another key forward or key backman

we have jack but needs supports
all of our key backs are to short

 

[The Rusty Trombone]

We must move heaven and earth to get an established young ruckman in the next trade period.
We will not go anywhere until we have one.
Graham is a plodder and has stagnated.
Browne just isn't good enough.
Vickery is more a mobile forward, pinch hitting ruckman.
We haven't seen Derickx yet.
Watching last night at the ground, it was horrible seeing Gus lumber around. Imagine if Jolly had've played
Look at players like Jolly, Sandilands, Cox, Hille, Mumford and Jamar...all can dominate a game and when they do, their team usually wins. Make no mistake, the ruckman is not the dinosaur everyone thought they would be in this helter skelter modern game. In fact he is just as important as ever.

I think its important to remember that Gus's 24 years old and 40 games would be 24 , 5 better coached years in the system and 80 games at another club because the poor bloke had to go through the Wallace era. Do you think it is a fluke that Hardwick has flogged him like a 2 mile race horse in the first 4 rounds. I think not.

 

[Bazzar]

I think its important to remember that Gus's 24 years old and 40 games would be 24 , 5 better coached years in the system and 80 games at another club because the poor bloke had to go through the Wallace era. Do you think it is a fluke that Hardwick has flogged him like a 2 mile race horse in the first 4 rounds. I think not.

And the most improved big man so far this year is Jamar at 27yo. Compare him and Gus at the same age. 2011/2007

Gus - Jamar

10.5 ave disp 6.2
3.5 mark 2.3
6 tackles 2.5
27.8 hitouts 9.7

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

A raid on the WB list , target Roughead and Grant , 2nd priority depth who can win contests and make smart decision ! 3rd the development of the full list not having players piss off or getting the chop mid season !