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The fact I had to google him suggests young Ned is coming from a long way back imho
The best young ruckman???
- Thread starter BoundbyKreuze
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It’s definitely Sean Darcy I think - he can be a bit of a log at times but I think he’ll be the best in the game within 5 years.
Geelong will go hard to bring him ‘home’.
Geelong will go hard to bring him ‘home’.
Excluding Jackson until we see him play more ruck, or not at all if he plays more forward:
I find it hard to decide between English who is clearly the most skilled, and Darcy who is the most 'big lug'. So I'd probably settle for inbetween and go with Marshall who has a great balance of skills, physicality and competitiveness.
Watch and see with TDK, he is promising and an excellent allround package. Draper the same. Both are the type of players I like with a nice mix.
Ladhams is very good, but strikes me as a bit of a poor mans Grundy, he doesn't jump a lot and loves hunting the ball which is admirable but I wonder if the possessions aren't worth as much as they should be.
I find it hard to decide between English who is clearly the most skilled, and Darcy who is the most 'big lug'. So I'd probably settle for inbetween and go with Marshall who has a great balance of skills, physicality and competitiveness.
Watch and see with TDK, he is promising and an excellent allround package. Draper the same. Both are the type of players I like with a nice mix.
Ladhams is very good, but strikes me as a bit of a poor mans Grundy, he doesn't jump a lot and loves hunting the ball which is admirable but I wonder if the possessions aren't worth as much as they should be.
The Falcon Strike
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From what I have seen yes. I suspect he'll be a good ruckman that can push forward and take a good mark.
Has a very good leap on him.
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Bailey Williams from the Eagles is rated very highly. Wont have much luck getting a game until JK retires however
Weird stat but he has the AFL record for highest vertical leap.
Weird stat but he has the AFL record for highest vertical leap.
00Stinger
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so a rung under the top 3 or 4?
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Darcy is starting to show the benefit of a full pre-season with Sandi as his development coach. Another pre-season and I think he is on track to be Sandi-like. Whether that is the type of ruckman that will flourish in the modern game remains to be seen. At least he's starting to offer an option down the line and he looks a more reliable goal kicker than Sandi (although he's still only going to convert 40-50% of his chances)
Kreuzer would have been top 3 or 4 if his body was capable of seeing out whole seasons.
00Stinger
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Didn't help him in 2016 and 2017 was the only time he was ever in the top 3-4 ruckman and that was partially because of Gawn and Naitanui not playing much due to injuries and Grundy hadn't fully come on yet
He was a good ruckman but just wan't in the top echelon of ruckman. Nothing wrong with that and that doesn't take away from his career or unfortunate run of injuries
Oh he was better than Gawn around the ground when the ball hit the ground or went bellow the knees.
Kreuzer was oustanding as a ruck that roved when on song.
His tap work wasn't elite like a Gawn or Natanui but he was a far better resting ruck forward than Gawn or Nic Nat.
He had top class forward leading talent for a ruck.
Which I think English could develop as he's similar in many ways.
I think it's reasonable to say that Kreuzer could have been a top 5 ruckman and challenged the elite if he had an injury free career.
Lack of continuity and decreasing performance due to injury do have a real impact imo.
00Stinger
100 - 7
I said he was in the rung just below the top 3 which puts him in that 4-5 bracket.
Thats not a knock on him at all
Fair enough but I'm just suggesting that it's not unreasonable to think that Kreuzer could have been elite.
00Stinger
100 - 7
His ability below his knees I will give you. Very agile and mobile for a big man but wasn't a big possession winner
But was his forward craft really much good? I can't remember him being a great mark and having a look his goal kicking record isn't anything flash at all.
TDK has a lot of potential but right now he's not in the conversation. Playing more of a forward/ruck role too which doesn't help his case right now.
Ladhams seems to be quite a unique player, almost silky with the ball in hand. Looking like he'll be a quality ruckman for a while to come.
English needs to improve his ruckwork, but at his best offers a lot in terms of work around the ground.
Draper looks good but I'm putting him in the TDK boat. Haven't quite seen enough over a long enough period of time to stamp them as the best young ruckman in the comp.
Sean Darcy is a decent young ruckman, got to say I haven't seen a hell of a lot of him. Seems to me as more of an old-school ruckman, does his best work in the tap outs and doesn't offer a heap around the ground.
Darcy Cameron is essentially the vanilla TDK. Can take a decent grab up forward, can do some decent things in the ruck work but won't turn out to be a gun i dont reckon
Ladhams seems to be quite a unique player, almost silky with the ball in hand. Looking like he'll be a quality ruckman for a while to come.
English needs to improve his ruckwork, but at his best offers a lot in terms of work around the ground.
Draper looks good but I'm putting him in the TDK boat. Haven't quite seen enough over a long enough period of time to stamp them as the best young ruckman in the comp.
Sean Darcy is a decent young ruckman, got to say I haven't seen a hell of a lot of him. Seems to me as more of an old-school ruckman, does his best work in the tap outs and doesn't offer a heap around the ground.
Darcy Cameron is essentially the vanilla TDK. Can take a decent grab up forward, can do some decent things in the ruck work but won't turn out to be a gun i dont reckon
Can we just sticky this comment?
Seems to be how quite a few are making their judgement.
The Falcon Strike
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Who would be examples of this?
Pistol has a lot of assets, good mover for a big bloke, loves getting on the end of possession chains and has shown a bit up forward, biggest issue for him (other than being a pantsman in a pandemic) is the ruckwork itself. Been monstered a few times now (Ryder this year, Goldy and Pittonet last year), he isnt overly big for a ruckman so will be interesting to see if he can develop that part of his game to one day be a standalone ruck.
Probably better off being a good around the ground ruck that needs to improve on pure ruck craft than an old school ruck who can win hit outs but can't do much else.
TDK and English look like the best footballing talents of the group to me but not sure they are long term 1st ruckman.
Think Darcy’s tap work has improved significantly this year which is a good sign.
Draper and Ladhams look a fair way off the finished product but seem to have quite a bit to work with.
Think Darcy’s tap work has improved significantly this year which is a good sign.
Draper and Ladhams look a fair way off the finished product but seem to have quite a bit to work with.
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Nathan Lovett-Murray was only 27 when he led Essendon's ruck division.
How does this example support your statement that young rucks are elite players by 23?
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