Tom Rockliff

[TeeKray]

All those little 15 metre kicks and backwards handballs aren't flashy but they are important because he's smart and always sends them to the right places. He's the opposite of certain other players in our midfield who get the ball and just blindly bomb forward to 50/50 contests or worse. Very effective player, underrated on this board.

 

[TheFVK]

He has a quick handball, sharp judgement under pressure and always finds a way to release the pressure valve when we're being hassled. Kicks are short but he is very effective within his kicking distance, keeps them low and fast.

I think he's a very effective player in the role he's playing. Thank * he's not being viewed as a mid/forward anymore because he's not.

 

[Port85]

He has a quick handball, sharp judgement under pressure and always finds a way to release the pressure valve when we're being hassled. Kicks are short but he is very effective within his kicking distance, keeps them low and fast.

I think he's a very effective player in the role he's playing. Thank fu** he's not being viewed as a mid/forward anymore because he's not.

I don’t know if he could kick a set shot from 40m these days which would probably be a key requirement of a mid-fwd!

 

[TheFVK]

I struggle to view anyone without speed and/or height as a modern day forward.. just too much congestion these days.

 

[nadsee]

To add to thr debate on the value of Rockliffs touches.

He's right up there in terms of initiating score involvements (behind Lycett and Boak). View attachment 903239

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Greenwood would seem to be a very good player, would be of value to any side, especially the Crows.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

Greenwood would seem to be a very good player, would be of value to any side, especially the Crows.

Nah doesn't get enough touches according to Roo.

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[Granny Duurs is Lovely]

He has a quick handball, sharp judgement under pressure and always finds a way to release the pressure valve when we're being hassled. Kicks are short but he is very effective within his kicking distance, keeps them low and fast.

I think he's a very effective player in the role he's playing. Thank fu** he's not being viewed as a mid/forward anymore because he's not.

So much this. Rockliff converts a pressured possession to an unpressured possession with his short kicks.

He also has an uncanny knack for getting the ball to his boot incredibly quickly which I think is an underrated skill - much like Burton actually.

 

[Winganeen]

So much this. Rockliff converts a pressured possession to an unpressured possession with his short kicks.

He also has an uncanny knack for getting the ball to his boot incredibly quickly which I think is an underrated skill - much like Burton actually.

I cant agree.

He gets the ball to his boot, it goes forward I'll give him that.... but often to "no one in particular" and usually about 30m. It's a raffle if it's to advantage and often comes back with interest.

He doesn't look, has no clear target, can't run and upper body seems weak.

Yes, I'm writing this from the couch in my uggboots with a full belly and a couple wines.

 

[Granny Duurs is Lovely]

I cant agree.

He gets the ball to his boot, it goes forward I'll give him that.... but often to "no one in particular" and usually about 30m. It's a raffle if it's to advantage and often comes back with interest.

He doesn't look, has no clear target, can't run and upper body seems weak.

Yes, I'm writing this from the couch in my uggboots with a full belly and a couple wines.

Then you're missing all his dinky sideways chips that go 15m but gets the ball into a better ball users hands. Yes that kick isn't particularly damaging but he allows someone like Hartlett, Bonner, Amon, Rozee etc who have penetration in their kick to use the ball without a tackler on their ass.

 

[GremioPower]

Rockliff is also an experienced leader. When he arrived, we were really struggling in that department.

Someone posted Butters citing him as a positive reference in our group. That's also something important that people tend to miss.

 

[gbear]

I am a Rocky fan. He had his issues early on due to his shoulder, but he has definitely improved our on field leadership over the last 18 months. His value is more visible when you go back and watch replays as he actually is around the ball a lot of the time facilitating the movement of the ball through the corridor by his team mates.

 

[Andre]

The issue is not so much is Rocky a reasonable player. Or Wines. Or Boak. It's can we carry so many similar (inside mid's lacking speed) against sides? Or at least against fast sides. Given who we've played this year, the jury is still very much out on it.

 

[Chizza12]

The issue is not so much is Rocky a reasonable player. Or Wines. Or Boak. It's can we carry so many similar (inside mid's lacking speed) against sides? Or at least against fast sides. Given who we've played this year, the jury is still very much out on it.

100% this, nailed it...

 

[Chewy316]

The issue is not so much is Rocky a reasonable player. Or Wines. Or Boak. It's can we carry so many similar (inside mid's lacking speed) against sides? Or at least against fast sides. Given who we've played this year, the jury is still very much out on it.

Correct. Then the next debate if we agree on that (and I do), is who should be selected out of Rockliff or Wines for best midfield balance? My preference remains Rockliff. His disposal is cleaner and he has better vision to help get our outside guys into space to accentuate their speed. Ollie's disposal is arguably the worst in the AFL, and despite his sheer brute strength, I dont believe that outweighs his skill issues at hand.

For now I'm happy to try to play both of them in the same team, because so far we are 2 from 2 this year and the team is playing well. But if there are hiccups, this midfield structure is one of the first things I'd be looking to augment.

 

[rainwizard39]

In the event that 1 of Wines or Rockliff was dropped for more speed. Who would actually replace them? Gray, SPP, Houston and Ebert don’t add speed over either of them.

 

[Incarnate]

I see a lot of similarities between how the hawks utilised Sam Mitchell and how we use Rocky, a defensive on ball quarterback. They sit defensive side of ruck and are used as a pressure valve to distribute the ball out to high percentage/uncontested contests.

 

[jakey]

I'd have had Rocky before Wines everytime last season. This year Wines seems to have finally reversed the trend toward making himself ever more massive and regained a smidge of the agility he had when drafted. Rocky is still the smarter ball user, but Wines is better in the contest. I can't split them now.

This is where a decent coach makes a hard call for team balance. Continuing to pick wines and rocky in the same side as Boak and SPP is squibbing it.

 

[GremioPower]

Continuing to pick wines and rocky in the same side as Boak and SPP is squibbing it.

Do you think? We need a ruck-rover, a rover, and a center. It's three positions for four players. The key is rotation.

The only specialists would be Wines and Rockliff, since Boak and SPP can spend some time forward — just like Gray and Rozee. Houston can play in the back.

The question is whether we need two inside specialists. I believe the answer depends on the circumstances. It may vary from one week to another.

 

[Tibbs]

Do you think? We need a ruck-rover, a rover, and a center. It's three positions for four players. The key is rotation.

The only specialists would be Wines and Rockliff, since Boak and SPP can spend some time forward — just like Gray and Rozee. Houston can play in the back.

The question is whether we need two inside specialists. I believe the answer depends on the circumstances. It may vary from one week to another.

What you say makes sense, and although they are both inside mids, they actually play a different type of game, with Ollie being a bull, and Rocky more of a ferret!

Another thing to consider, when we had Rocky Ollie & SPP in the middle, we looked unbalanced, especially in view of the outside mids we were using. This year our use of Rozee, Butters, and the return of Boak, has created a different dynamism. I think we need to persist with Wines & Rocky playing together at this stage.

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

I don't get why he only appears to play at an elite AA level when Wines is out of the side.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I don't get why he only appears to play at an elite AA level when Wines is out of the side.

Because they can both only play effectively as centre square midfielders and there are only so many centre square midfield minutes to go around.

 

[jac147]

So much this. Rockliff converts a pressured possession to an unpressured possession with his short kicks.

He also has an uncanny knack for getting the ball to his boot incredibly quickly which I think is an underrated skill - much like Burton actually.

I know I’m on the memory trail, but Jack Cahill had the skill to put the ball incredibly quickly to his boot. I would say the quickest ever!

 

[jakey]

Do you think? We need a ruck-rover, a rover, and a center. It's three positions for four players. The key is rotation.

The only specialists would be Wines and Rockliff, since Boak and SPP can spend some time forward — just like Gray and Rozee. Houston can play in the back.

The question is whether we need two inside specialists. I believe the answer depends on the circumstances. It may vary from one week to another.

I believe it is better to maximise diversity in the midfield mix. Houston or Rozee splitting time in 4th mid spot brings a different threat than Rocky and Ollie.

The difficulty with going with a slow midfield mix like we have at the moment is that, when you aren't winning the clearances, you're more or less ****ed, unless your defence is on fire and rebounding well.

 

[tribey]

$700,000 this year and next to play as the rough equivalent of Dom Cassisi 2014.

D’oh.

 

[finbarr]

The issue is not so much is Rocky a reasonable player. Or Wines. Or Boak. It's can we carry so many similar (inside mid's lacking speed) against sides? Or at least against fast sides. Given who we've played this year, the jury is still very much out on it.

Boak is nothing like Wines and Rockliff. Yes, he wins his own ball in close, but he also links up well and is much quicker across the ground than people give him credit for.
In short, Boak is a multi-faceted player, the other two are one trick ponies.