Will Griffiths Play?

[JR82]

Yeah, it was only a pre-season game (eg training run), but **** me, are they seriously planning to have a 19 year old, 7 game player as the number 1 ruckman all season? It's not worth making a call on whether he is worth keeping until he has played 50 games, let alone giving him 1st ruck responsibilities for an entire season.

I really don't rate Lynch on anything but long kicking and mustache growing, and White is too short to be a decent ruckman.

If Griff didn't ruck well against the Pies, he wouldn't ruck well against anyone.

I'm looking forward to having a look at him ruck against Ryder and Bellchambers. We'll learn something there.

Bellchambers will miss the start of the season (injury) so won't be playing next week

 

[theflea]

Nothing has changed there from what I've seen, the rules regarding TPP discounts for veterans has changed, but list sizes haven't.
You can have a veteran who is either inside or outside of the main list. For every veteran outside the list, you reduce your number of rookies by the same amount. If you have no veterans outside the list then you can nominate 2 rookies to be elevated to the list prior to the start of the season.

No I don't think so. A veteran gets a discount on his salary ($118,000) and that's it. No inside/outside as far as I know now. The cats had 40 on their list, 4 rookies(for a total of 44 players like all clubs), and about 6 or 7 veterans. They make no difference. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

 

[Infamy]

No I don't think so. A veteran gets a discount on his salary ($118,000) and that's it. No inside/outside as far as I know now. The cats had 40 on their list, 4 rookies(for a total of 44 players like all clubs), and about 6 or 7 veterans. They make no difference. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

I can't find a copy of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement online, the only one I can see that is on the AFL site finished in 2011
I know the TPP changed, and there is information on list sizes being fixed at 44, made up of 38-40 main list and 4-6 rookies, but nothing about the veteran changes are there

 

[RunningBounce]

Bellchambers will miss the start of the season (injury) so won't be playing next week

That's a pity. I reckon a game from Griff as a ruck / forward against two quality ruckmen and a decent backline would tell us something. Hopefully, he'd play to the same level and start to truly believe he can play at AFL level

 

[theflea]

I can't find a copy of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement online, the only one I can see that is on the AFL site finished in 2011
I know the TPP changed, and there is information on list sizes being fixed at 44, made up of 38-40 main list and 4-6 rookies, but nothing about the veteran changes are there

http://www.fiveaa.com.au/photo_collective-bargaining-agreement_316987
here is a link for the new cba. There isn't anything in there about vets, but im pretty sure the inside/outside stuff is gone. The only benefit is all vets (10 year players) get a 118k reduction and that's that.

 

[cairo tiger]

unleash the beast

 

[NUFC Tiger]

Probably against the trend here but I think Griffiths is just a depth player. I haven't watched last weeks game yet so I stand corrected but didn't he ruck against a 19 year old 7 game player in Brodie Grundy? Lets see how he goes against reasonable opposition before considering him as a ruck option in the senior team.

Yeah, it was only a pre-season game (eg training run), but **** me, are they seriously planning to have a 19 year old, 7 game player as the number 1 ruckman all season? It's not worth making a call on whether he is worth keeping until he has played 50 games, let alone giving him 1st ruck responsibilities for an entire season.

I really don't rate Lynch on anything but long kicking and mustache growing, and White is too short to be a decent ruckman.

If Griff didn't ruck well against the Pies, he wouldn't ruck well against anyone.

I'm looking forward to having a look at him ruck against Ryder and Bellchambers. We'll learn something there.

I think the think that most people are excited with about Griffiths is that he was a high draft pick who (for a number of reasons) hasn't been able to hit the highs many tipped he could hit as a highly rated junior.

Sure Lynch and White might not be the most impressive rucks going around and it was only pre season but the fact that Griffiths comprehensively beat both (who are both more seasoned and experienced than him) as well as Grundy is pretty exciting.

Remember this is a guy who is 200cm and about 100kg and can hoof a ball comfortably 60-75m at will. He was getting around the ground, competing (and not nursing his body like a player who has suffered many injuries might do). As far as I know, he has only started rucking this preseason so is relatively raw in that sense as well. At the end of the day, there is a lot of potential there that we can hopefully turn into ability. That will come with games and experience and confidence but certainly this is the most promising pre season we've had from him so far.

I don't think he can cut it as a pure ruck but as a back up ruck/forward (like Vickery has played in recent years), he looks the goods so far. The other big plus of this is that it means Vickery (who IMO has been equally impressive as a pure forward) can stay as a permanent forward where he is also having a great preseason so far.

 

[THE_GUN]

Griffiths /Vickery /Riewoldt is a Nightmare for any opposition coach

 

[TigermanM2]

Griffiths /Vickery /Riewoldt is a Nightmare for any opposition coach

Opposition coaches will have pretty good plans to counter these guys. Their style of play means that you know what they are going to bring to the table every week. It will be the impact of quantity and quality of other players going forward that will be the real nightmare I reckon.

 

[RunningBounce]

I think the think that most people are excited with about Griffiths is that he was a high draft pick who (for a number of reasons) hasn't been able to hit the highs many tipped he could hit as a highly rated junior.

Sure Lynch and White might not be the most impressive rucks going around and it was only pre season but the fact that Griffiths comprehensively beat both (who are both more seasoned and experienced than him) as well as Grundy is pretty exciting.

Remember this is a guy who is 200cm and about 100kg and can hoof a ball comfortably 60-75m at will. He was getting around the ground, competing (and not nursing his body like a player who has suffered many injuries might do). As far as I know, he has only started rucking this preseason so is relatively raw in that sense as well. At the end of the day, there is a lot of potential there that we can hopefully turn into ability. That will come with games and experience and confidence but certainly this is the most promising pre season we've had from him so far.

I don't think he can cut it as a pure ruck but as a back up ruck/forward (like Vickery has played in recent years), he looks the goods so far. The other big plus of this is that it means Vickery (who IMO has been equally impressive as a pure forward) can stay as a permanent forward where he is also having a great preseason so far.

I really like your optimism NUFC, and I truly hope Griff can make a go of playing 2nd ruck/forward. There's no doubting that his natural attributes of size and kicking skill are amazing, and I'd love to see him cement a spot in the 22.

Here comes the but... IMO, he hasn't "looked the goods" yet, because 2 pre-season games against average (at best) opposition doesn't prove much, especially for a young ruckman.

It's the same thing I say about Grundy at Collingwood. Young ruckmen get bullied. Doesn't matter how much mongrel, size or strength they have. Sandilands wasn't much chop until he got 50 games in him. Grundy, for all his fire, won't do much better than break even against a seasoned opponent until he has 50 games in him.

If you want a Tiger-friendly example of what I'm trying to say, watch the replay of last year's Greater Western Sydney game, particularly the 2nd quarter. Brogan goes off for a spell. Then Ivan proceeds to win ~5 clearances in a row, just by bullying Giles. Giles has played ruck as a junior, 200cm, 100kg, averages 24 hit outs a game. He will be a great ruckman in time. His just inexperienced, and in the ruck, experience counts for a lot.

Griff has one more pre-season game, and one game against GC before he is competing against Warnock and Kreuzer. We have a history of losing to Carlton because we are flogged for 5 to 10 minute periods at the centre bounces / clearances, and I ****ing hate losing to Carlton. I'm holding off until that game, and hopefully, while I'm leaving the 'G singing Tigerland after a glorious victory, I'll feel optimistic about Griff getting to 50 games so we can make a fair assessment of his rucking.

 

[Spanish_Fly]

He only needs to compete well at this stage with the oppositions third tall defender and relief ruckman. I hope the coaching staff get behind him and give him the confidence to atleast see what he is really capable of. Give him a decent run at it with the full backing of the coaching staff and lets see whether this kid can be any good or not. Has shown enough this pre season IMO to be given that opportunity

 

[THE_GUN]

Opposition coaches will have pretty good plans to counter these guys. Their style of play means that you know what they are going to bring to the table every week. It will be the impact of quantity and quality of other players going forward that will be the real nightmare I reckon.

Tyrone & Ben are pretty quick and agile + 200cm tall - Not many teams have key position defenders that matchup against these types and combined with jack which in previous years has taken the best defender and sometimes 2 of them against him this will no longer be possible
They will be concentrating on locking down Tyrone at FF and jack will be mobile across hf

Hawks did this really well last year with Franklin,Roughead,Gunston & Hale
Sydney have also this year look like going the same path with Franklin,Tippett,Ried

I certainly wouldnt want to be a backman in these times

 

[Tiger Titus]

I'm quietly optimistic about Big Ben's chances this year. This year is not the first time we've thrown him in the ruck. Most Tiger fans probably don't remember (read: have deliberately forced themselves to forget) the Fighting Tiger Fund game against the Blues in 2012. We got smashed in an embarrassing display, one of the sole highlights was the work of a young B. Griffiths around the ground.

The thing I love about Griff playing on-ball (and the thing that scares me a little about Hampson) is that for quality, consistent link-up plays sometimes you need your ruck to participate (ie, actually run into space then kick neatly) and Griff is a beautiful kick. A ruckman that doesn't have the ability to consistently hit a target is a liability in these situations and it really stood out to me how much more useful Maric was than Browne and Graham. When you have to ignore a member of the team because their ability to retain possession is suspect it really hurts your ability to move the ball from the backline into the forward 50.

Maric is an underrated player with the ball in hand by most casual observers and I'm not convinced that Hampson is anywhere near as solid, hence my positive feelings about Griff in the ruck. Hampson should take every centre bounce then float forward or back depending on where we need the marking presence. Griff can start at CHF but play most of the game in between the two forward 50 arcs helping to set up play.

 

[TigermanM2]

Maric is an underrated player with the ball in hand by most casual observers and I'm not convinced that Hampson is anywhere near as solid, hence my positive feelings about Griff in the ruck. Hampson should take every centre bounce then float forward or back depending on where we need the marking presence. Griff can start at CHF but play most of the game in between the two forward 50 arcs helping to set up play.

I think Hampson's stats as a ruckman (taps to advantage etc) are actually better than Maric's. I would prefer him to be feeding our midfield rather than our 2nd stringers.

 

[Tiger Titus]

I think Hampson's stats as a ruckman (taps to advantage etc) are actually better than Maric's. I would prefer him to be feeding our midfield rather than our 2nd stringers.

I agree that Hampson looks like he'll be rolled gold at the stoppages, but as a team we create close to the lowest amount of around the ground stoppages in the competition and I reckon Griff is more useful than Hampson in general play, hence using Hampson to plug gaps and take contested marks at either end, while Griff roams between the arcs.