Review Was dispatching Craig a mistake?

[Dirty Bird]

Now that I've drawn you in, making you think I'm a moron talking about Neil Craig like that, I'll just let you know I'm talking about James Craig.

The reason I state this is that he's leading the SANFL in hitouts per game as seen here: http://www.safooty.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38510 ( Chief - If it's not allowed as it's a rival forum for SA sports, tell me and I'll remove it). And currently today in his game, he's up to 19 hitouts..........It just hit time on........In the first quarter. He's on track for a ~100 hitout game!!!!!!!!

He's avoided injuries this year and he's now at a point where he can contribute around the ground. He might not be at a Sam Jacobs (When in form) level, but he's certainly surpassed Matthew Clarke in this regard.

I don't think he's useful enough around the field to be worthy of sharing the duties with Jacobs (and in turn, restricting McKernan to Glenelg), but I do feel that he could have come in while Jacobs was out of form and still contribute to the team.

I feel it would've helped our ruck stocks had we kept him. Then again, this is all with the benefit of hindsight. Late last year I felt he was shit enough to deserve to be dropped, however, I did believe as we had no depth in the ruck, that we should've kept him.

 

[mcday]

Now that I've drawn you in, making you think I'm a moron talking about Neil Craig like that, I'll just let you know I'm talking about James Craig.

The reason I state this is that he's leading the SANFL in hitouts per game as seen here: http://www.safooty.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38510 ( Chief - If it's not allowed as it's a rival forum for SA sports, tell me and I'll remove it). And currently today in his game, he's up to 19 hitouts..........It just hit time on........In the first quarter. He's on track for a ~100 hitout game!!!!!!!!

He's avoided injuries this year and he's now at a point where he can contribute around the ground. He might not be at a Sam Jacobs (When in form) level, but he's certainly surpassed Matthew Clarke in this regard.

I don't think he's useful enough around the field to be worthy of sharing the duties with Jacobs (and in turn, restricting McKernan to Glenelg), but I do feel that he could have come in while Jacobs was out of form and still contribute to the team.

I feel it would've helped our ruck stocks had we kept him. Then again, this is all with the benefit of hindsight. Late last year I felt he was shit enough to deserve to be dropped, however, I did believe as we had no depth in the ruck, that we should've kept him.

No. Too short, and he still offers nothing around the ground. At least Graham offers a big, AFL-ready body

 

[Glenno23]

Thread title enough for card

How old is he? I'm of the belief that young talls should always have longer to develop, as they never really hit their straps till they're 24-25 years old

I always thought he was too short for AFL ruck duties? Or am i thinking of someone else?

 

[Dirty Bird]

He's 22 Glenno.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

No. Too short, and he still offers nothing around the ground. At least Graham offers a big, AFL-ready body

Except he can not play.

Isn't he now Sturts back up ruckman to Kurtze?

We may as well draft the best mature aged ruckman in the SANFL each year and place them on one year contracts.

 

[Glenno23]

He's 22 Glenno.

Can we re rookie him for next year?

If he's playing well, it can't hurt, unless we want to fill other gaps in the list

 

[NTRabbit]

He's an undersized wrestling ruckman, just isn't tall enough or springy enough to play against the new age of ruckmen. He'd have to be considered a key forward who can take ruck duties, which begs the question - can he actually play as an AFL key forward? Has he ever done it in the SANFL?

 

[fairfooty]

Except he can not play.

Isn't he now Sturts back up ruckman to Kurtze?

We may as well draft the best mature aged ruckman in the SANFL each year and place them on one year contracts.

Agree Alex. Graham might have the body but he sure as hell doesn't have the skills or the heart. But yes we've got to find a ruckman somewhere. I still think there's something wrong with Sam... Or is it in his head?

 

[Glenno23]

Agree Alex. Graham might have the body but he sure as hell doesn't have the skills or the heart. But yes we've got to find a ruckman somewhere. I still think there's something wrong with Sam... Or is it in his head?

Fitness

 

[Slippery Pete]

I only have four words. Well, three words and one hyphenated word.

Don't call me Eye-Ven.

 

[mcday]

Except he can not play.

Isn't he now Sturts back up ruckman to Kurtze?

We may as well draft the best mature aged ruckman in the SANFL each year and place them on one year contracts.

My point was that Graham could at least take a tall defender away from Jenkins or Lynch, but yes, he isn't an especially talented footballer. Regardless, Craig offers no more around the ground than Graham does, and Angus is no where near being an AFL footballer

 

[feenix67]

I only have four words. Well, three words and one hyphenated word.

Don't call me Eye-Ven.

Problem is, how were we going to keep both of them happy?

 

[Mike Smyth]

Problem is, how were we going to keep both of them happy?

Not sure but maybe we should try asking some of the other clubs in the competition.

 

[jenny61_99]

The sub rule killed off the possibility of keeping two quality rucks for us (although I acknowledge Nic Nat and Cox play in the same team but they are freaks). Jacobs was all but All Australian last year meaning all we needed was a KPF that doubled as a ruck, rather than a secondary specialist ruckman who was happy to sit in the magoos and only get called up due to injury. Tippett was good in that role last year when Jacobs was flying, but I suspect would have struggled this year due to being required to ruck more and be a forward less, given Jacobs form. We just need to find a freak like Nic Nat is all.

 

[The Karma Bus]

The sub rule killed off the possibility of keeping two quality rucks for us (although I acknowledge Nic Nat and Cox play in the same team but they are freaks). Jacobs was all but All Australian last year meaning all we needed was a KPF that doubled as a ruck, rather than a secondary specialist ruckman who was happy to sit in the magoos and only get called up due to injury. Tippett was good in that role last year when Jacobs was flying, but I suspect would have struggled this year due to being required to ruck more and be a forward less, given Jacobs form. We just need to find a freak like Nic Nat is all.

Maybe with our early draft pick this ye... Ah I won't do it

 

[jenny61_99]

Maybe with our early draft pick this ye... Ah I won't do it

cheers!

 

[NTRabbit]

Maybe with our early draft pick this ye... Ah I won't do it

Maybe this year we'll actually consider the international pool (read African American college basketballers) instead of dismissing it out of hand.

We certainly won't find any 'freaks' hiding in the state leagues. "We've had this 6'6 polynesian guy with a 75cm vertical leap and a 100m sprint time of 10 flat rucking for Werribee the last 2 years, since this Naitanui bloke is doing alright maybe you want to have a look at him? Nobody else has". Doesn't sound likely does it?

 

[The Karma Bus]

Maybe this year we'll actually consider the international pool (read African American college basketballers) instead of dismissing it out of hand.

We certainly won't find any 'freaks' hiding in the state leagues. "We've had this 6'6 polynesian guy with a 75cm vertical leap and a 100m sprint time of 10 flat rucking for Werribee the last 2 years, since this Naitanui bloke is doing alright maybe you want to have a look at him? Nobody else has". Doesn't sound likely does it?

Sorry, just playing on the comments that follow a post like that from Jenny.. My serious mode was off if you couldn't tell..

 

[Sanders]

He's still a dwarf ruckman

Nothing has changed

 

[Mismatched]

No, we made the right decision, he's an undersized version of Jacobs. He's a good SANFL ruckman but doesn't have the height or around the ground ability to play AFL football.

 

[NTRabbit]

Sorry, just playing on the comments that follow a post like that from Jenny.. My serious mode was off if you couldn't tell..

I got that,, but I still feel my point was a valid one - you won't get a top line ruckman in via trade if you already have one (even if he is out of form) because of the sub rule, and all of the AFL standard mature rucks have been plucked from the state leagues already, picked bare by the whole league. Even then, with as many as 4 or 5 ruckmen on their senior + rookie lists each, there's few clubs who can boast having two who are genuinely good AFL footballers.

Since we won't have a #1 pick, we're better off taking a ruckman in the rookie draft, because the number of good ones in the picks in between are few. It's going to take 4-6 years to turn one of those 18 year olds into something resembling a regular style ruckman, why not consider the international system? At 22/23 they already tend to be physically mature and have a good fitness base, professional athlete ethos and experience in teams and tactical gameplans. Teaching them the new sport is the hardest part, and after 2-3 years we could end up with a player just as fast, strong and bouncy as Naitanui.

 

[Allefgib]

Canadian rugby players maybe?

 

[cmndstab]

The problem with Craig was that his body couldn't stand up to an AFL preseason. He isn't fit enough to play AFL, and whenever the club tried to train him up, his body fell apart.

His only position is as a ruckman. They tried to train him as a full back but it just didn't seem to work. He's got the strength and size, but is lacking the necessary pace.

I don't even mind him in the ruck. The dude has a huge leap for his size and is as strong as an ox for the wrestles, but I just don't think he has enough other tools to make it as an AFL player.

 

[NTRabbit]

Canadian rugby players maybe?

If he can move around the ground like Cox at his prime, sure. Pyke is more standard ruckman than Cox though.

If you want a player like that and you don't have the earliest of early draft picks, you have to look further afield and take bigger risks. Dowdell seems like a half measure, as though we decided to do it, got all the way out into the field, then lost our nerve and picked the Australian who could make a decent stock standard ruckman because he played when he was a kid and knew how to kick the ball a little.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Nope, he's too short to be an effective ruck at AFL. Decent SANFL ruckman but that's all he'll ever be.