Robbie Warnock

[berisha]

Absolutely love this bloke. Anyone who doubts his commitment to the Blues watch his reaction after his goal. Was fantastic yesterday, as Mark McClure said why hasn't he been playing all season. IMO the best ruckman we have. Can't wait for him to back it up against the best combo next week in Pyke/Mumford.

 

[gab213]

...........and if Hampson was up and about we may just be calling him our best.

I haven't wavered from calling Warnock our best ruck-man but the merry-go-round goes on.

So do we still trade him now?

Trading our best ruckman would seem a bit crazy i think. I have never understood the constant calls to trade him, we are always infinitely better when he plays, especially in finals.

 

[toomuchsparetime]

I think Robbie is a finals specialist...

think back to his game against Cox and Natanui when he was the only carlton ruckman... double teamed and he broke even or perhaps won that contest over the course of the day

we just need him to be able to effectively rest forward and clunk a mark every now and again, because that way warnock and kreuzer can genuinely share the ruck duties... if warnock can't be effective as a resting forward then it means we waste kreuzer's talent... has been a tough call, and will continue to be into the future

 

[berisha]

Hampson is very rarely up and about. Warnock should not be traded under any circumstance. As been said above, we play better with knockers in.

 

[Omega Blue]

Warnock yesterday was fantastic, he and murphy were the only two players to put in a 4 quarter performance.
Although I am a fan of sell high, if we can snag a gws mid first rounder for him I would do it in an instant.

 

[gab213]

I think Robbie is a finals specialist...

Maybe he is to Carlton what Clark Keating was to Brisbane, in each of their premiership years of 2002 and 2003 he played 12 games for the year including the Finals and was instrumental to their success.

 

[Sharks On A Plane]

Was just immense yesterday. Agree that it was great to see that passion and intensity after his goal.

Robbie really has proven to be a genuine big game player, though it has to be said his reemergence has once again clouded the ruck issue for the MC.

 

[Stamos]

Absolute finals specialist.
His best 2 games for the club were 2011 against the Scum and yesterday.

 

[T2B_]

Absolute finals specialist.
His best 2 games for the club were 2011 against the Scum and yesterday.

Plus he had a pretty good patch in the final against Sydney, where ironically he showed a bit as a resting forward and kicked two goals we really needed.

It's interesting, so many times I've heard people refer to Robbie as a peaheart and lack intensity but he keeps stepping up a level in finals.

Yesterday he didn't take any marks, which is a weakness of his, but instead he played bloody smartly and made up for it by using his height to spoil the ball to our advantage or at least neutralize it even when out numbered.

Onya Knockers.

 

[ferrisb]

We often look good when Robbie is in the ruck, but then I don't know how we play Krooz. You can't have both in the centre square and I'm not sold on either in the fwd 50.

 

[toomuchsparetime]

Tall ruckman in finals... gotta have one

 

[Silvagnis]

Warnock was huge yesterday, but they still don't kick to him. Warnock was running forward, yet they appeared to hold off kicking to him because he can't mark.

List management will be interesting. Would sell high if we get a good offer.

Hampson is very rarely up and about. Warnock should not be traded under any circumstance. As been said above, we play better with knockers in.

Not really. Kreuzer was our best player against Goldstein. Finds the ball around the ground with his marking. Kreuzer clearly isn't 100% with his calf injury and the ankle he rolled yesterday.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Warnock 30 taps 11 to advantage
Kreuzer 22 taps 9 to advantage
Maric 26 taps 9 to advantage
Vickery 9 taps 1 to advantage

The benefit of playing two dedicated ruckmen is obvious. The only issue is Kreuzer having to go back and forward for great portions of the game where he struggled. This is usually because Warnock can not play anywhere else but Warnock did do more around the ground to justify being in the middle yesterday. I think a fit Hampson would have held his on just quietly. We are lucky to have 3 rucks capable of being first ruck. We just have to find a way to fill our key forward slots and play too ruckmen to our advantage all season long.

*Stats courtesy of [user]Big Kahuna Boot[/user] and his educating of the Richmond masses.

 

[Omega Blue]

I still think Kruezer is our number one ruckmen but Warnock is still very good, I don't think both can play there best in the same team.

 

[HBF]

Warnock was brilliant yesterday - best game for the club this year.
We'll need him and Kreuzer in tandem next week to go up against Mumford and Pyke.
Next part of Warnocks development is to take some marks inside F50 and really have an impact on games like Sandilands did on Saturday against Geelong.

 

[BM123]

Kreuzer/Warnock combo worked pretty well to me. Its a shame that Kreuzer and Warnock can't mark to save themselves though. Both rucks didn't have too many possessions but both rucks tap work was great and they kept coming back to the last line of defense to spoil.

 

[toomuchsparetime]

Kreuzer/Warnock combo worked pretty well to me. Its a shame that Kreuzer and Warnock can't mark to save themselves though. Both rucks didn't have too many possessions but both rucks tap work was great and they kept coming back to the last line of defense to spoil.

totally agree about the big ruckmans' work on the goal line... great to see

 

[BM123]

totally agree about the big ruckmans' work on the goal line... great to see

Kreuzer bleeding since he took the hit to spoil was a pretty proud moment for me as a Carlton supporter.

 

[SBYM]

if MK had clunked a few last week he would have had a pretty good game...and he had that foot concern early last night. And there was the injury lay-off a few weeks ago.

I dispute the fact that both can't play in the same side, and play well.

Knockers was mighty last night, MK is an untouchable....clearly our best combo.

If Hammer is happy to stay on that proviso, I would keep him, but I assume he will seek a trade, in which case we should honour his wishes...perhaps get in a young ruck from the draft. We have the Bolt as a back-up as well.

In any case, I reckon Knockers answered any post-seasons questions about his future by himself.

 

[SBYM]

Kreuzer/Warnock combo worked pretty well to me. Its a shame that Kreuzer and Warnock can't mark to save themselves though. Both rucks didn't have too many possessions but both rucks tap work was great and they kept coming back to the last line of defense to spoil.

MK can mark fine. His game against North was outrageous.

He is down a bit atm, for sure, but there are factors. He'll come good, no doubt. Watch out AFL when MK and Knockers learn to play together properly.

Kreuzer bleeding since he took the hit to spoil was a pretty proud moment for me as a Carlton supporter.

Totally agree. He is a warrior of the highest pedigree.

 

[T2B_]

It's a bloody frustrating problem in some ways, although not the worst one to have.

I feel Kreuze is still the best all round ruck and extra support in the midfield at his best, but he was clearly hampered by injury yesterday, which unfortunately does tend to happen to Matty, so you do need really decent backup available. On the same token Kreuze has often been at his best when forced to carry the majority of the ruck and just have someone give him a break now and then.

Don't know what to make of it all just yet. Warnock on his day can just cause sheer ruck domination, he's far too good for VFL. But then the same could be said of Hammer, as a ruck anyway.

 

[Jeremias]

Warnock was outstanding yesterday afternoon. Clearly his best game for the season and it wouldn't be far off his best game for the club.

Has been terrific for a month or so but elevated himself to another level against Richmond and was a huge reason why we fight on for another week. He was clearly the most influential ruck on the ground.

I still feel he's behind Kreuzer as our number 1 ruck for the discrepancy in what they offer around the ground, but there's no doubt he's the best at the club in the centre square.

The question mark as to whether we trade him at the end of the season is growing by the week. Would clearly have value now to a number of clubs but he may well be too valuable to trade. In my mind he's certainly now deserves at least another year on the list but if the offers come.......

 

[Sin City]

The bloke is as much of a finals specialist as Adelaide were in the late 90's. From his game against the Swans in 2010, his form in late 2011 and yesterday, I get the feeling he carries a bit of pain from all the injuries he's had but throws it all aside once the big games start.

 

[Claypigeon]

Anyone else notice that Maric was blocking the run of the ruckman, almost to the point of no one getting a hand on the ball. .. Hopefully the Umpires don't allow this going forward as we would have dominated the ruck even more otherwise. ..

 

[Faz 2000]

Comes down to the club's philosophy on ruckmen and the ruck in general.

If they're willing/believe the team can carry playing both Kreuzer and Warnock, then so be it. Make ruck a strength, like it was yesterday. Maric is a warrior, but with support from only Vickery the Tiges were always going to get manhandled in the ruck yesterday and so it was.

But we've been here 8000 times before*. Can Kreuzer play his best with Warnock in the team? Where can the team hide the non-rucking ruckman? Are we a better team with 1 ruck, 1 forward/ruck (eg Casboult) and an extra midfielder?

Keeping Warnock without the intention of playing him is a huge waste and he should be traded if that's the case. He is an AFL #1 ruck all day long.

If we persist with the 2-ruck strategy, so be it. Awesome. Play him and reap the benefits of having Kreuzer as a second ruck that can dominate most teams' second fiddle option.

* actual figure may vary.