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Ruck Stocks...

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dima17

Team Captain
Sep 25, 2008
331
0
melbourne
AFL Club
Collingwood
With Leigh Brown announcing his retirement yesterday it got me wondering about the depth of our Ruck Dept. and the way in which Bucks will elect to pick a 'back-up' bigman.

Leigh was not a typical ruckman, yet occupied that back-up ruck spot for the majority of last year and this year. Will Bucks choose to pick a versatile big guy who can play forward and back (Tarrant, Keefe) and have Jolly ruck most of the game or will he play two 'true' ruckman like Wood and Jolly?

Also wanted to know how Ceglar is going? havent heard much about him this year. There were big wraps on him when we got him. I know he will take time, but is he progressing well and when do people see him getting a game, if at all?

There has also been suggestion that we target a versatile big guy in trade week. Is this a good idea? I tend to think its something we should look at.

Would appreciate peoples thoughts..
 
I guess that's what we'll be finding out this upcoming offseason, who our rucks will be and who'll be playing where. Keeffe could come in, Witts wouldn't surprise me if he played a few games, I don't think Ceglar would be ready, and Jolly & Wood could combine.

Ceglar from what I understand has had a year like most first year players would, started well with some positive signs and then gotten tired. He doesn't have the body for an AFL ruckman just yet but we're not needing to push him either.

I doubt we'd try and trade in a versitile big man, we'll get that with Witts anyway. But you can't rule it out.
 
Ruck stocks are fine as long as Jolly wants to continue and his knee is not stuffed.

1. Jolly
2. Wood
3. Ceglar
4. Witts
5. Keeffe (Can pinch hit but will be mainly playing key position next season).

If Jolly retires, then we would need to aggressively recruit a ruckman in trade week.
 

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Peter Sidorkiewicz said:
Ruck stocks are fine as long as Jolly wants to continue and his knee is not stuffed.

1. Jolly
2. Wood
3. Ceglar
4. Witts
5. Keeffe (Can pinch hit but will be mainly playing key position next season).

If Jolly retires, then we would need to aggressively recruit a ruckman in trade week.
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Jolly is in the second year of a 4 year contract - he won't retire for several years yet.
 
johnny_5 said:
leigh brown retiring just makes me more confident that we will go for fev letting dawes push up the grown and filling in the role.
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I doubt bucks would tolerate fev. actually our ruck stocks don't seem too bad, its the strucutaral loss of the position he could play that few others could: ruckman/forward. what if we lost dawes or cloke to injury next year? I'd be looking to recruiting someone who might offer something in that area.
 
Peter Sidorkiewicz said:
Ruck stocks are fine as long as Jolly wants to continue and his knee is not stuffed.

1. Jolly
2. Wood
3. Ceglar
4. Witts
5. Keeffe (Can pinch hit but will be mainly playing key position next season).

If Jolly retires, then we would need to aggressively recruit a ruckman in trade week.
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Well Jolly had a Shocking 1st Half vs Geelong
 
TradeDraft said:
Well Jolly had a Shocking 1st Half vs Geelong
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Not trolling guys, but tonight Jolly looked to be your achilles heel.

His ruck work was average at best and around the ground he looked like he hadn't handled a footy for twelve months!!

I guess you guys a lucky with such a fantastic midfield which can poach a few of the opposition taps, which is what they did tonight in the second half.

Might be worth Bucks having a look at some older ruckman for next year to help keep this large flag window open even longer!!
 
Is it silly to suggest Mark Blake as a tactical replacement for Jolly when he retires whilst Witts and Ceglar develop?
 
Dxmxgxd said:
Is it silly to suggest Mark Blake as a tactical replacement for Jolly when he retires whilst Witts and Ceglar develop?
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Yes, yes it is.

Wood is 10 times the player Mark Blake is and id sooner have him as our number 1 ruck
 

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Dxmxgxd said:
Is it silly to suggest Mark Blake as a tactical replacement for Jolly when he retires whilst Witts and Ceglar develop?
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Likely to be delisted by Geelong.

Is at least competitive in the ruck but just doesn't do enough around the ground. More of a VFL standard ruckman.

Would keep Wood over drafting Blake.


One interesting thing to note with Blake. Unsure if he is married, has kids or whatever. But a 200cm ruckman stuck at 99 games. Could have a tall son who might have come along via the F/S rule had he received just one more game. After all Mark Blake was drafted through the F/S rule in the first place himself, so it will be a shame that his son if he has one or has had one will likely never receive that same opportunity to play for Geelong.
 
I'd expect Wood to be our number one ruck in plenty of games next year, with Jolly either playing as a near permanent forward, or being rested.

Jolly should only play 12-14 games next year in the home and away season, and if we manage him correctly, he can last for 2 more seasons, instead of next year being his last because we basically run him into the ground.

On the weekends when Jolly is rested, Witts, Ceglar and Keefe can be rotated through the side as the second ruck option behind Wood.

Our ruck depth isn't that deep, but it could be in 18 months time if we can get some games into Witts and Ceglar next year.
 
Darren Jolly will only be 31 during the 2012 playing season. Wood will not be our #1 ruck next season. He will and should only play if Jolly is out of the side i.e. rested/injured. At 31, he still has 2 quality season left in him.

Lachlan Keeffe is the logical replacement for Leroy Brown for mine. We need to use the pre-season to develop him in that role and build his tank.

Cam Wood and Darren Jolly in the same side is asking for trouble. We will not be stupid enough to let this happen (it may happen once or twice like this season) but won't be a regular fixture.

The time is now for Keeffe to be groomed and thrown into the role otherwise we may caught behind in 2012 with a lack of genuine second ruck prospects coming through and more importantly ones that are ready for senior footy in 2012.
 
mattys123 said:
Our ruck depth isn't that deep, but it could be in 18 months time if we can get some games into Witts and Ceglar next year.
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Let's face it no-one's ruck depth is that deep. Look at WC. Who can genuinely ruck after Cox and NicNat?

that's why versatile types like Mitch Clark are gold and even sub par players like Jesse White and Jason Blake are tolerated.

Agree that Keefe is the logical replacement
 
Keefe will never be our number 1 ruck. Never. Not tall or solid or aggressive enough to fill the role. Try someone else.
 

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Unless Witts develops quickly and Jolly doesn't breakdown are ruck stocks lack genuine physicality. Look at Ayce Cordy took the best part of three seasons to get a game and he still a bean pole. We need to develop a big imposing unit that can cover the ground and smash contest a la Mumford. Regarding Mark Blake you must remember he played second fiddle to Ottens and given the number mantle and some good Collingwood coaching he could be anything just look at how we turned Leigh Brown around when he was all but destined for the scrap heap. Furthermore I strongly believe the sub rule will not last beyond this season.
 
Unless Witts develops quickly and Jolly doesn't breakdown are ruck stocks lack genuine physicality. Look at Ayce Cordy took the best part of three seasons to get a game and he still a bean pole. We need to develop a big imposing unit that can cover the ground and smash contest a la Mumford. Regarding Mark Blake you must remember he played second fiddle to Ottens and given the number mantle and some good Collingwood coaching he could be anything just look at how we turned Leigh Brown around when he was all but destined for the scrap heap. Furthermore I strongly believe the sub rule will not last beyond this season.
 
Dxmxgxd said:
Unless Witts develops quickly and Jolly doesn't breakdown are ruck stocks lack genuine physicality. Look at Ayce Cordy took the best part of three seasons to get a game and he still a bean pole. We need to develop a big imposing unit that can cover the ground and smash contest a la Mumford. Regarding Mark Blake you must remember he played second fiddle to Ottens and given the number mantle and some good Collingwood coaching he could be anything just look at how we turned Leigh Brown around when he was all but destined for the scrap heap. Furthermore I strongly believe the sub rule will not last beyond this season.
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Heard you the 1st time! :D

Anyhow, should we look at David Hille as a short term solution untill Witts + Ceglar progress?
 
jollys knee is a serious concern, its not gonna heal and at best his got 1 year left where he wont play very well. Its a career ending injury and his struggling.

If collingwood wanted keefe to ruck next year he would be rucking in the VFL, at training and in the AFL potentially. He is not and he will have no idea how to ruck next year and will get destroyed at VFL level. So maybe we play jolly at full forward like where brown was for most of the season, and Wood takes the majority of the rucking with jolly part time.

Our other options would be witts if his up to it physically (playing forward mostly and a bit in the ruck) or recruit somone new.
 

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