Player Watch Reilly O'Brien - Re-Signed to End of 2028

[1970crow]

Reading between the lines of the rule change - it’s badly worded - you can’t touch the ground over the line before engage?

If it’s about but crossing the plane of the line in three dimensions … how would that work?

The people that want to see big rocks charging at each other knees up - I thought we knew that was a bad idea?

Wait for the tweak. No knees allowed. Will be a standing ball up like basketball in no time.

Brilliant.

And without the inconsistency of the bounce, every single centre ruck contest is going to result in players colliding dead in the centre.

 

[1970crow]

Reading between the lines of the rule change - it’s badly worded - you can’t touch the ground over the line before engage?

If it’s about but crossing the plane of the line in three dimensions … how would that work?

The people that want to see big rocks charging at each other knees up - I thought we knew that was a bad idea?

Wait for the tweak. No knees allowed. Will be a standing ball up like basketball in no time.

Brilliant.

Although, I don’t think there’s much wrong with trialling no knees up. Wouldn’t take long for the ruckman to adapt by launching without raising the knee. You’d probably have to be very severe on players who stuff it up and injure an opponent though. So you’d expect that to come in after about 100 free kicks and someone finally having a sternum fractured, lung punctured and nearly being killed. “It was unforeseeable, but we’re acting now”.

 

[FR0GGY]

Although, I don’t think there’s much wrong with trialling no knees up. Wouldn’t take long for the ruckman to adapt by launching without raising the knee. You’d probably have to be very severe on players who stuff it up and injure an opponent though. So you’d expect that to come in after about 100 free kicks and someone finally having a sternum fractured, lung punctured and nearly being killed. “It was unforeseeable, but we’re acting now”.

Sounds like masters footy.

 

[Geoffa32]

His one advantage is gone now.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Fancy giving the bloke 3 years knowing ruck changes were being discussed and all because of your own stupid list management.

Yep, couldn’t afford to have a young developing ruck on the list over the last 5 years who could be ready to take over. We’ve literally carried spuds in every other position for years, but not a ruck.

This “it’s easy to go get a ruck” hasn’t proved to be easy at all, gees it’s not as if a few of us didn’t state this at the time.

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

He's not a #1 ruckman though.

Im not suggesting he is, but I think his value has probably increased somehwat

Given the new ruck rules I am not sure ROB is going to be the number one either.

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

I haven't seen McAndrew play too much but can anyone else tell me if these changes will suit his style?

 

[Geoffa32]

I can see Finbarr Rucking now that they have limited the physicality of the role.

MacAndrew is just a taller version of RoB.


Thilthorpe is probably our best Ruck. Could dominate now. But more valuable as a forward.


Our management of the Ruck slot is abysmal. Especially with these rule changes, which clubs knew about ages ago.

 

[Geoffa32]

I haven't seen McAndrew play too much but can anyone else tell me if these changes will suit his style?

He is a bit more athletic, but really relies on size and strength much like RoB.

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

Shame North has re-signed Taylor Goad, his profile seems like someone who could benefit from these changes.

 

[weekend at bernies]

Fancy giving the bloke 3 years knowing ruck changes were being discussed and all because of your own stupid list management.

Yep, couldn’t afford to have a young developing ruck on the list over the last 5 years who could be ready to take over. We’ve literally carried spuds in every other position for years, but not a ruck.

This “it’s easy to go get a ruck” hasn’t proved to be easy at all, gees it’s not as if a few of us didn’t state this at the time.

or we could just strap pogo sticks to ROBS legs??

 

[Mutineer]

He is a bit more athletic, but really relies on size and strength much like RoB.

Strength?

Height is really all he's got going on what I've seen this season in the SANFL rucking against in the main vertically challenged Snaffle rucks. Going to be interesting to see him up against Harry Boyd next season who is a Goliath compared to most rucks in the SANFL.

 

[FR0GGY]

or we could just strap pogo sticks to ROBS legs??

He can barely stand on his own two feet though.

 

[dogs105]

or we could just strap pogo sticks to ROBS legs??

Imagine him trying to kick then...

 

[weekend at bernies]

Imagine him trying to kick then...

could it really be that worse.....

 

[dogs105]

could it really be that worse.....

Could you do a pogo stick with a giant boot attached?

 

[FR0GGY]

Could you do a pogo stick with a giant boot attached?

Why don’t we just ask Rob to not use pogo sticks, maybe he’ll improve

 

[Coopers]

My read of this is that rucks should now be mobile and almost midfielder like.

They cant get away with 10 disposals games, they need to get involved between the arcs since their ruck work will be halved.

Maybe clubs start going for slightly smaller but more athletic rucks?

We really need to trade one in next year and/or draft one.

Wonder if we can get Dean Cox out of retirement. He was the goat at being a top flight ruck and midfielder in one.

 

[Scorpus]

I noticed quite a few clubs such as Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood etc. Quell his influence by blocking him first.

You're trolling him due to his unathletic game, but the games he got smashed in, it was because he was going for the ball and the opposition did this to him.

The issue for ROB isn't that he did this to other rucks, he's a stand and deliver ruck that goes for the tap and protects the drop zone.

The issue is twofold. One, the AFL has removed unpredictability in the ball trajectory by going for the ball up, so there is no advantage in finding the drop zone and more advantage in reaching the ball at a higher point. And two, the obvious counter to this would have been, as an unathletic ruck, crossing the center line to guard the space in the exact middle of the circle - which is banned.

Clubs now have an incentive to play a ruck that will reach the ball at its highest point, and this can't be easily defended against by wrestling or engaging in a territory battle at ground level.

ROB will now only be able to wrestle/guard space at stoppage ruck contests, which the AFL are also trying to minimize through the last touch rule.

The only way the rule changes benefit ROB is if clubs play athletic rucks that ROB can wrestle and beat at around the ground stoppages, and if there are lots of around the ground stoppages with minimal center bounces.

 

[George CantStandYa]

The issue for ROB isn't that he did this to other rucks, he's a stand and deliver ruck that goes for the tap and protects the drop zone.

The issue is twofold. One, the AFL has removed unpredictability in the ball trajectory by going for the ball up, so there is no advantage in finding the drop zone and more advantage in reaching the ball at a higher point. And two, the obvious counter to this would have been, as an unathletic ruck, crossing the center line to guard the space in the exact middle of the circle - which is banned.

Clubs now have an incentive to play a ruck that will reach the ball at its highest point, and this can't be easily defended against by wrestling or engaging in a territory battle at ground level.

ROB will now only be able to wrestle/guard space at stoppage ruck contests, which the AFL are also trying to minimize through the last touch rule.

And giving him less time to get to a ruck contest

 

[jackster83]

And giving him less time to get to a ruck contest

That might not be a bad thing.

If we could find a way to speed the game up so he can't get in the way of our forwards, then even better.

 

[GreyCrow]

Certainly the changing rule could limit RoB in the middle but my concern has always been around the ground

As a designated tall he should be taking more marks than he currently does

Sits 11th for all rucks who played 10 or more games with an average of 3 marks pg

 

[Geoffa32]

Strength?

Height is really all he's got going on what I've seen this season in the SANFL rucking against in the main vertically challenged Snaffle rucks. Going to be interesting to see him up against Harry Boyd next season who is a Goliath compared to most rucks in the SANFL.

Yeah I agree. Strength, by virtue of being tall/bigger.

I am not impressed with him at all TBH.

 

[Coopers]

The issue for ROB isn't that he did this to other rucks, he's a stand and deliver ruck that goes for the tap and protects the drop zone.

The issue is twofold. One, the AFL has removed unpredictability in the ball trajectory by going for the ball up, so there is no advantage in finding the drop zone and more advantage in reaching the ball at a higher point. And two, the obvious counter to this would have been, as an unathletic ruck, crossing the center line to guard the space in the exact middle of the circle - which is banned.

Clubs now have an incentive to play a ruck that will reach the ball at its highest point, and this can't be easily defended against by wrestling or engaging in a territory battle at ground level.

ROB will now only be able to wrestle/guard space at stoppage ruck contests, which the AFL are also trying to minimize through the last touch rule.

The only way the rule changes benefit ROB is if clubs play athletic rucks that ROB can wrestle and beat at around the ground stoppages, and if there are lots of around the ground stoppages with minimal center bounces.

He's basically just going to have to jump straight into the other guy and hope he hits them hard enough they can't effectively tap it.
He'll have to disguise this well enough.

 

[Kenny Dee]

Certainly the changing rule could limit RoB in the middle but my concern has always been around the ground

As a designated tall he should be taking more marks than he currently does

Sits 11th for all rucks who played 10 or more games with an average of 3 marks pg

Rucks don't mark it that much anymore