Opinion Port's Ruck Situation

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Has to be over 200 cm, jackson is an exception. Can be longed limbed, arms particularly and or big bodied.
Standing ground ability and leap both needed.
Mobility, but there is maybe 30 times a game where just need to be in centre circle.
Only need to cover 3/4 of ground mostly.
A prime ruck wants time on ground which builds his form.
This presupposes has ok football skills
 
Firstly, they need to be longed limbed. Particularly in the arms. If they aren't longed limbed, they need to be big bodied.
Secondly, they need to be in the centre circle. They need to consent to being on a 10m tether in the centre of the ground.
 

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I think the answer very much is what your team needs (bit obvious and simple).

Gawn’s super power is his ability to work up and back. Can compete in the forward line, can push into defence and can spoil on the wing or be the relieving mark. Obviously he is also a brilliant tap ruck.

Grundy was/is an extra mid type ruck. Wins clearances and out works his opposition.

Briggs, like Mumford, is a brute who bashes, crashes and hurts. His midfielders work taller with him there. But he isn’t a great tap ruck or great around the ground - just average.

Lycett was/is a good negator. Hits the opposition and brings them down to his level.

There don’t seem to be as many of the old school rucks who compete in the centre square and stoppages, do little else and rest up forward.

I guess the thought or hope would be Teakle might be able to become that Gawn lite ruck who can work up and back. With Dante it’s that and be an aggressive negating ruck.
Hayes is probably more that old school tap ruck.

So what ruck do we need? Considering our high press and defensive woes maybe more the athletic ruck who can work up and back?
 
Braydon Preuss is out of contract, I think?

Basically prime Shane Mumford 2.0, including the agro, but struggles to stay on the park.

Would be worth a chat/dice roll, at least.
 
Keep coming back to Coen in this draft.

I'm not a fan of Rucks that are too tall I think there's a trade off in athletic ablity and physicality.

That he is aggressive skilled and finds a way to stay in the game I think translates to AFL.


"Coen Livingstone
Ruck | 200cm | 25/05/2005
Another West Coast NGA candidate, Livingstone impacted on Saturday with 15 disposals, four marks and 26 hitouts in the ruck. The developing tall looked to impose himself on the contest, taking the ball out of the ruck and looking to claim his own clearances. He fared well when engaged in body contact but was a touch overzealous with his aggression late in the piece as Perth began to drop the bundle. Otherwise, his upside was evident as one of the premier big men in Round 15."
 
Lycett also toweled up English a month ago.

Lycett is playing though injury but putting in.
Pain free he's a pretty useful ruck.

Yep

Pain free he is our best ruck and above average across the comp.

He’s effective in the ruck and gets involved around the ground.


Ken has played the guy into the ground, failed to develop Hayes and perhaps Dixon into the ruck has contributed to his woes.

Even if Ken didn’t like Hayes, playing him would have allowed the opportunity for development, preserved Lycett and had a back up come September
 

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1. Not be beaten by the opposition ruck. 2. ability to tap to advantage. 3. Contested marking. 4 Follow up in stoppages, to add clearance value. 5. Kick clutch goals. 6. Sit in the hole

There are probs only 10 good rucks in the whole league. But teams like Richmond and Geelong have shown, you can win flags without them.

Lycett wouldn’t get a game at most other clubs.
 
Probably around 200cm 100kg
Meaty but reasonably mobile

Someone who is elite; example:
Nic Naitanui
Someone bog standard but useful:
Riley O'Brien

These guys sit at either end of the usefulness scale, but with either of them we would certainly (Naitanui) or probably (O'Brien) win a premiership, with our current midfield.

Resilience is an important attribute, even though Nic may not be the best example. Made up for it with skill. May need competent part timer as injury backup.

Intelligent enough not to do the same thing every time, but able to covertly convey tactical changes to fellow midfielders. Assumes he is given free rein by coaches to improvise, particularly in the centre square.

Maybe the ability to have a second string eg ability to play CHF if injury prevails in the team. Would assume team has a 2nd string ruckman available within any game.
 
I take it you didn't watch the SANFL. Nothing about Lycett's game suggests he should be thought about for an AFL call up, he could barely move looked as cooked as any player i can remeber.

We were using Scully in the ruck as back up to Visentini not Lycett.

That's more management than pretty much anything else.
 
We have major issues in ruck, end of story. This was on display all last year and we failed to address it in the post-season. We also backed the wrong horses for three years in a row to get valuable AFL games into (Ladhams and Teakle). It very well could cost us this finals series. At the very least, it will make life much harder for us to maximise the potency of our one advantage over our opposition- the most dynamic midfield in the comp.

Premiership opportunities have been few and far between for us. To think that we could piss another one away because we have got our ruck strategy and list management over our rucks so badly wrong is headache-inducing.

We go into the first week of finals with a ruck crisis.
 
Lycett is ******* dead, not even sure why its up for debate. Hes totally cooked.

We have zero ruck options. In a final id sooner play Dixon in ruck with Finlayson than Hayes.

If Hayes had been given the time he should have over the last few years we wouldnt even need to have this conversation.

Its one big ******* mess.



Playing Lycett is going back to the ‘ideal’ in Kens head.
 
We have major issues in ruck, end of story. This was on display all last year and we failed to address it in the post-season. We also backed the wrong horses for three years in a row to get valuable AFL games into (Ladhams and Teakle). It very well could cost us this finals series. At the very least, it will make life much harder for us to maximise the potency of our one advantage over our opposition- the most dynamic midfield in the comp.

Premiership opportunities have been few and far between for us. To think that we could piss another one away because we have got our ruck strategy and list management over our rucks so badly wrong is headache-inducing.

We go into the first week of finals with a ruck crisis.
Don't forget not picking Naismith in the MSD.

Is there any doubt that he would be out #1 choice heading into finals this year?

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