Rocca

[grayham]

I'm not trolling, but having just watched the sydney game, I have a serious question for collingwood fans.

Why dont you have Rocca as your No.1 ruckman.?
He would easily be the equal of Goodes of Ball in the ruck. Plus being a good contested mark, provides a nice target from kick-ins, and can drift forward or back depending on the game.
McKee can be a bench player to fill in for 5-10 minutes each quarter to give Rocca a break.

This would free up Tarrant and Fraser to become permanent KP forwards and develop some system up there.

The only reason I can think of is that Rocca doesnt have the run to last in the ruck. Surely this can be overcome by a tailored training schedule.

What do pie fans think?

 

[MarkT]

Rocca is far and away our best ruckman. He could well be in the best couple of ruckmen in the AFL. The problem is he has a low aerobic capacity. It has nothing to do with fitness. He ahs an abundance of quick/short fibre muscles. Endurance atheletes have the opposite. He is purely a bust player. Training will not m,ake Rocca an all day ruckman. He has a genetic makeup that is his for life.

IMO it's time to thank McKee for being a good bloke and trying his guts out in the contested situations. Give Cameron Cloke a shot and then Richards when he gets fit. Leave Rocca as a relief ruckman and a KPP.

 

[Murray]

Spot on MarkT. I would give my left one for even an ordinary Ruckman.

 

[morgoth]

OP

He is also still getting over OP, it was noticable during pre-season that he was in cotton wool. These days they rely on games to get him fit and it works as long as his weight is controlled.

He will hit a purple patch very soon.

 

[hotpie]

Rocca is a sensational kick, strong contested mark, and one of the great forward targets in the competition. Why waste him against gorillas like Gardiner, Stafford and Primus, who would kill him in ruck contests and reduce his effectiveness?

He is our number three ruckman. The fact that McKee and Fraser are useless in the ruck does not change the fact that Rocca is primarily a forward.

I agree with MarkT, try a younger option in the ruck, and keep Rocca as a more than adequate second/third option.

 

[FIGJAM]

You could have blown me down with a feather when I saw a sensible post by grayham!

Anyway, as Mark said, he will never be capable of running all day. He is fitter than he's ever been.

It's a touchy subject for us. There's no doubt that he's our best ruck and should be used more often in that role, but Malthouse has his favourites and McKee is one of them (and we admit he's pretty fgood around the ground/CHB).

I have been stunned at the rapid progress of Cameron Cloke. Richards is coming off injury, but has to show something as of yesterday!

Why Malthouse thinks a null result at ruck contests confuses me. He is wrong, although I do like his opinion that the ruckman has to be good around the park.

So to end my waffle, Rocca should be used there more, especially at the start of quarters or when there is an obvious surge by the opposition, but hell, I ain't the coach!

 

[Lockyer24]

You're spot on grayham. He should be played in the ruck for the majority of the game then sat in the goal square during these rest periods (alternating with Molloy, who would go to the bench then Josh would move into the ruck) where we can minimize his ordinary groundwork and fatigue. Tarrant would have a liscence to play anywhere within the F50.

McKee should also have a liscence to roam anywhere...at Willy.

 

[bucksisbest]

McKee should also have a liscence to roam anywhere...at Willy.