Dr Tigris
Brownlow Medallist
Keeping CCJ is a given I reckon - they'd be insane to trade him out now but I think we'd need backup even with him on the list - too risky otherwise. I'm not sure the gap between a good state league ruck and an average AFL ruck is that great anyway. The bigger difference is between an average AFL ruck and NicNat, Grundy and Gawn
CCJ is a must keep I would think. He has 2021 to make his place on the RFC list secure. If he trains the house down and does his best we'll have a keeper I reckon. Let's see.
re the difference between an average AFL ruck and a good state league ruck. IMHO I reckon that it varies a lot. But most good state league rucks disappear in the AFL system. Someone who can carry and AFL ruck role is way above the state leagues. So many really good state league players just cannot step up. Dave Astbury is better than most state league rucks I'd say, and he isn't an AFL ruck.
There are a lot of regular AFL rucks that people say are very poor. But if you change your mindset from expecting a Gawn lite to someone who nullifies the impact of a Gawn then you see these 'poor' AFL rucks in a different light. A ruck can do a great job by simply making taps neutral, causing contests to be more contested in their team's favour and filling the hole defensively, and get virtually no possessions or hit outs. They cost peanuts and take the disadvantage of being poor in the ruck away. Neutralising good rucks is hard work, and requires a hard working big lug whole knows how to throw their body around and how to be in the right spot. Many good state league guys simply win taps and take marks. They don't transition to the AFL because they don't stop their opponent and can't match the size, power, athleticism and skill of genuine AFL rucks.
So Soldo is a 'great' ruck for me because although he is a good tap ruck, he does a great job in nullifying the opposition. He does a heap in contests using his sheer size and strength to physically force the contest to our advantage(no possessions), and so often he fills the hole and teams kick around him. A lot of what he does really well gets no stats, but is so important. Very few non-AFL players can do this. That's why I'm not convinced in looking for someone to fill a list gap. They are likely to just be a waste.