jarman said:
Undertaker - agree with you, it astounds me that we only have two "real" ruckman, regardless the quality. Most other clubs have three or four with then eye to the future/rookies. I just don't know what is in CC head at times.
Also agree with Sabres comments - Freo in my opinion are a top 4 side so making the 8 isnt good enough. Development is non existent and McPhee is a classic example.
Also good to see Duchy and The Pope on bigfooty.
Answering your points in reverse.
I've got over 1200 posts here... and probably more at the other place???
Development is half luck. Who here knew that Lindsay Gilbee and Daniel Cross would be stars this year? Who knows why Schammer hasn't developed equally? Why has Winderlich still done nothing? I call your McPhee and raise you a McPharlin... or a Troy Cook...or a Matt Carr... or a Simmonds. All developed at Freo, not elsewhere. And don't forget that Callaghan, O'Reilly, Sinclair (other than a few games last year), Brown, Delaney and Gale all played quite a few games elsewhere, but none have done much. Even Holland and Clement, although they've done OK, we got Bell from that deal, so it's a price I'm willing to pay.
And to the ruckmen... yes 2 and Johnson/Warren is going light, but lets just see which clubs do have 3-4 ready to play ruckmen.
Adelaide: Clarke, Biglands, Hudson... with Clarke at 32 you need 3, and they've got a few 18 years olds too. So plenty of options.
Bris: best depth in the league, but with McDonald and Keating lucky to play 10 games a year they need it! McLaren and Charman the backup.
Carl: French, De Luca and ummm that's it. Chris Bryan and Daniel Batson in the glass case... in case of emergency, break glass.
Coll: Fraser, Rocca (?) then kids... Cloke, Richards, Hall, Fanning. I'd back Johnson/Warren against any of them, but Mick's always hated ruckmen anyway.
Ess: Hille, Allen then Laycock and Cartledge are just starting.. Henneman as a backup is frightening
Geelong: King, Ottens, Chambers, then Mooney as a basher.
Hawks: Everitt, then....? Simon Taylor & Robert Campbell. A kid and a chump.
Roos: Hale, Thompson, McKernan with McIntosh or Rocca as backup... quantity over quality.
Melb: White and Jamar. Traded Jolly... Paul Johnson as backup? Vanschaik?
Port: Brogan can't even get a game ahead of Primus and Lade, with another Deluca in reserve.
Rich: Snake, Stafford and Knobel with Ray Hall if they really need to.
Saints: Koschitze, Ackland with Brooks as a backup
Syd: Goodes, Doyle, Jolly and Ball, but Ball's 32 and Goodes doesn't really want to be there.
WCE: Cox, Gardiner, Seaby... Beeck, Graham if you really had to.
WB: Darcy (gone), then Minson and Skipper... and of course the real lightpole of the AFL, Peter Street.
So, a couple teams have 4, most have 2 with a kid, but I reckon Johnson is fine as a 3rd ruckman. But yes, I'd like to see a 18 year old 200cm guy picked up at the end of this year.