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List Mgmt. Team Balance

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Nope.

Hampson is the better tap ruck, but Maric has the better marking and around the ground ability. While I think they will be rotated, I think Maric is the stronger of the two at this stage.

Really like Griffo as the second ruck. He doesn't win a heap of hitouts, but he is accountable and rarely lets his opponent get a hitout to advantage.
 
Griffiths - I'm really glad that Griff is stepping up, was worried about him for a while, but he has all the traits required to become a great player. I reckon he's our ideal swingman, goes back when required to help shore up defense and take a grab, can go forward to give us a tall option, and has the engine to go onto a wing and do a bit of damage as well. Plus that field kicking... can launch one 70m if he wants to.

Vickery - He has his doubters, but I see him as basically a Key Position version of 2009-2010 Daniel Jackson. I still reckon he's gonna be a gun player in the very near future, he has the talent and the body for it. Just needs the mental edge and the confidence to go for it a bit more, rather than trying to get the easy over-the-back kick. Jackson proved the doubters wrong, and I think Vickery will do the same soon enough.

Hampson - This guy's tap work is actually really good, once he's spent a full season with us, I reckon he'll become pretty valuable. Needs to work on his overhead marking though, but in the ruck he is pretty good.

Maric - He's a gun, no question, but I don't think we're going to see him get any better because of all the injuries. He's 27/28 now, so if we can nurse him through the rest of his career, we may still get 3 years out of him, but I think in the interests of our long term prospects, he shouldn't be relied upon anymore.

In my ideal world, this is what I'd do/would want to see happen:

I'd want to see Hampson become good enough to take the No. 1 ruck role. Then, I'd use Maric as our #2 ruck, and when he isn't in the ruck, play him down in the square at Full Forward. If Hampson is getting monstered in the ruck for whatever reason, switch their roles mid-game, but otherwise use Hampson 70% of the time in the ruck and Maric the other 30%, and at clutch times during a match. Start Maric on the bench in most games.

I'd also try and develop Griffiths into a utility, grow his engine to play on the wings, and use him as a swingman between CHF and CHB in the mould of a Hurley (depending on what the situation calls for). He and Astbury could be interchangeable, as I believe Astbury has the potential to be a dangerous CHF if given the opportunity.

I'd have Vickery as a permanent forward leading into one half of the space, with Riewoldt controlling the other half, and a bit further up the ground, and Knights as high half forward. If our forward line becomes too tall, chuck in S. Edwards, and one of the resting Cotchin/Martin/Deledio.

My ideal lineup combination would be:

B: Morris, Rance, Chaplin
HB: Houli, Astbury, Grimes
C: Ellis, Jackson, Conca
HF: Knights, Griffiths, Martin
F: Riewoldt, Vickery, S. Edwards
Foll: Hampson, Cotchin, Deledio

INT: Maric, Vlastuin, Foley
Sub: King (bring a tall off and put King on late in matches to provide run late, when we seem to need it)

That team is without Thomas, Petterd, Grigg, Batchelor, Dea, A. Edwards, The Big O, and Matty McDonough, among others.

If I was the coach though, I believe this would be our best lineup at this stage.
 

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I think it could work depending on game conditions and opponent.

If everyone is worried about defensive pressure once the ball hits the deck, JR and Griff laid the 2nd and 3rd most tackles for us (6 and 5), so i dont think that will be an issue.

Maric and Hampson are the "Main rucks" One starts on the ground in the guts, the other starts on the bench.

Griff at CHF, TV at FF. They just kepe rotating around. so we can effectively have a fairly 'fresh' main ruckman for most of the game.

Obviously there will be times more mids will need to come off but the ruckman who comes on can go forward. Griff can push up to a wing / CHB if needed too.

Then one of them should always be subbed out.

Its a touch risky, but sometimes its high risk for high reward.

as mentioned earlier, all depends on opponent and conditions on game day, but i reckon its something we will see happen.
 
I wish we could put Maric's heart and Mullet on Hampson. Not that Hampson isn't a decent player but the entire team walks taller when big Ivan is around, which is why he is ahead of everyone for mine. I know he couldn't pull us over the line last year but I think the game might have been a bit more comfortable with Maric leading the charge... although Warnock might have got hold of him again in the hit outs.
 
I think it could work depending on game conditions and opponent.

If everyone is worried about defensive pressure once the ball hits the deck, JR and Griff laid the 2nd and 3rd most tackles for us (6 and 5), so i dont think that will be an issue.

Maric and Hampson are the "Main rucks" One starts on the ground in the guts, the other starts on the bench.

Griff at CHF, TV at FF. They just kepe rotating around. so we can effectively have a fairly 'fresh' main ruckman for most of the game.

Obviously there will be times more mids will need to come off but the ruckman who comes on can go forward. Griff can push up to a wing / CHB if needed too.

Then one of them should always be subbed out.

Its a touch risky, but sometimes its high risk for high reward.

as mentioned earlier, all depends on opponent and conditions on game day, but i reckon its something we will see happen.


I agree. Its a risk but Griff, jack and Ty are all very capable tacklers. They would all have to be at the top of their defensive pressure games for it to work. I also worry that if Griff isn't pushed into the game like he is in the ruck he might get a bit lost. The best thing for him has been having to ruck because he is in the game. And he is pretty ferocious around the packs which has been a pleasant surprise.
 
I agree. Its a risk but Griff, jack and Ty are all very capable tacklers. They would all have to be at the top of their defensive pressure games for it to work. I also worry that if Griff isn't pushed into the game like he is in the ruck he might get a bit lost. The best thing for him has been having to ruck because he is in the game. And he is pretty ferocious around the packs which has been a pleasant surprise.

Yeah good call with getting Griff involved. it has seemed to make a massive difference to his game (i know its only been 2 rounds)
 
I think they can all play together, and I think it will end up being a big strength of ours.

Riewoldt, Vickery and Griffiths starting forward. Ivan and Hampson doing the ruckwork around the ground. All swapping when needed.
 

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