The Ruck Conundrum

[Reykjavik]

Waching today's game, it was apparent that the ruck situation is still a potential killer for us. Jolly looked absolutely spent by the end, and Dawes as second ruck basically has not worked.

We know that Jolly could be crucial to our finals chances, but the Wood/Jolly Ruck combo hasnt worked because both are natural first rucks.

Is it time to resolve this by employing baseball tactics, and treating our rucks like pitchers - manage both through the remainder of the season and delibertely rotate to manage the load so both are ready come finals if required? Thyat would also put less pressure on finding a cut out ruck for a match, with the ruck guaranteed a rest next week they could go one out all day with 3rd man up support. Dawes as second ruck seems to have cost us any forward impact from him without providing meaningful ruck relief anyway.

PLease tell me I am mad, I dont like it, but I am out of better ideas.

 

[mattys123]

I started a thread with the same name a while back lol, seems like it's still a problem, although very few sides have a Cox and NicNat duo to make the second ruckman look so weak.

Jolly was grand tonight, but he was gone after he took that mark with a few minutes to go, while Dawes made some of the dumbest errors I've ever seen an AFL ruckman make.

Time for Jolly and Wood in the same side, next week is the only chance to try it for the next month.

 

[Baltimore Jack]

Jolly beat both of them easily

 

[danielnajdek]

Doesn't help when Jolly gets r*ped by the umps every week.

Cox holds and scrags Jolly = Play on
Jolly holds Cox slightly = Free to Cox

It's a load of crap.

 

[HotPiesWithSauce]

I would look stuffed too if I'd sprinted my guts out and desperately dived for a mark whilst weighing over 100 kgs and having battled the most dangerous ruck duo in the league almost singlehandedly

 

[HFF]

I thought Jolly was very good. Was a warrior.

It doesn't help that he is crucified by the umps for and against.

Cox got away with murder today.

 

[Thommo 42]

Jolly was the best ruck on the ground today and Dawes neutralised them better than I thought he would.

He won 2 crucial taps in the last few minutes deep in defence after Jolls had to go off exhausted.

 

[Rustin Cohle]

Jolly was good today, however...


I don't think he can maintain that sort of effort on his own in three consecutive finals and still be able to run out games.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Jolly, along with Cloke, would be the player we would the have the hardest time replacing in September.

Buckley is saying Jolly's body is in good nick (touch wood), but he will be handled with kid gloves later in the season. Consider it a certainty that he will have at least one week off due to 'illness' or 'soreness' between now and round 22.

 

[Thommo 42]

Jolly was good today, however...


I don't think he can maintain that sort of effort on his own in three consecutive finals and still be able to run out games.

Good thing we're unlikely to play NicNat and Cox combo in 3 consecutive finals.

I'd be very comfortable with Jolly vs Jacobs and Jolly vs Mummy. Jacobs is old school like Jolls and Mumford is hardly going to destroy him with athleticism.

 

[PieNSauce]

Love dthe work from both Jolly and Dawes last night. Jolly was awesome for most of the night and Dawes definitely seems to be getting the hang of it. His efforts in the last were excellent against two taller and more fancied opponents and his contesting work all night was as good as its ever been. Can't imagine what game some people were watching!

 

[noideaatall]

Jolly, along with Cloke, would be the player we would the have the hardest time replacing in September.

Buckley is saying Jolly's body is in good nick (touch wood), but he will be handled with kid gloves later in the season. Consider it a certainty that he will have at least one week off due to 'illness' or 'soreness' between now and round 22.

Hope he gets more than one week off. Jolly seems to retain form after rests, comes up for big games so don't think we miss out by 2 or 3 games off. Wood is our only backup this year, maybe next, surely worth getting more than 3 senior games under his belt for the year. And Dawes gets a rest for deWitts down the track. Dawes is doing alright learning how to pinch hit in the ruck - if he was kicking goals we wouldn't be worried about his time in that role one bit.

 

[sr36]

I'd actually like to see them experiment with a couple things.

1. Nathan Brown in the Dawes role, so that we have a back up for Dawes, if Dawes as 2nd ruck is the way that we are going to go.
2. In the finals, It'd be an interesting move to gamble on injuries and play Wood as the sub and sub out Jolly for quarter 4, after he's gone flat out for 3 quarters.
3. Have a look at ceglar and or Witts.

 

[noideaatall]

go back a year or two and best 22 had dawes cloke jolly brown, maccaffer in the team (as 3rd tall).

this year exchange goldsack for maccaffer

so we've swapped some height, weight and experience for run/speed but wouldn't that be making life harder for jolly, dawes and clokey? no one seems to note that, am i missing something?

 

[Reykjavik]

go back a year or two and best 22 had dawes cloke jolly brown, maccaffer in the team (as 3rd tall).

this year exchange goldsack for maccaffer

so we've swapped some height, weight and experience for run/speed but wouldn't that be making life harder for jolly, dawes and clokey? no one seems to note that, am i missing something?

I guess the query raised from that analysis is, if Dawes is playing the Leigh Brown role who is playing the Dawes role? Therein maybe lies some reason why Cloke has been less dominant. Which is why I almost prefer Dawes going back to being Dawes, having no defined chop out and using Jolly or Wood on a alternating basis as first ruck all day, resting the next week.

 

[Quicky]

Valid point probably made on the back of the wrong example in last nights game. I was a very nervous individual last night with Dawes having to take those multiple ball ups, deep forward within 20m of goal and a kick in it. Plaudits for his fortitude, out gunned and out skilled and able to neutralise the contest. Both he and Jolly were excellent.

I'm not sure we have any alternative. The sub rule has killed the second ruckman. You just can't afford to give up the extra runner. Dawes isn't ideal but is the only option. I agree we have missed the extra marking target at times. I think thats the thought process behind introducing Paine and to a lesser extent Goldy into the forward line this season.