Well Ruck Me.

[G-Mo77]

Ayce back on the rookie list?

Possibly. He's likely to play at Footscray anyway.

[KT31]

Ayce back on the rookie list?

Hell no.

[1eyedog]

I wouldn't waste time or a pick on a ruck. I'd put my hard earned on Campbell. He's going to have to sink or swim next year with support from Minson and potentially Roughie. I hate the idea of drafting young rucks and would rather put my eggs in the free agent / trade basket on someone who is serviceable over the next few years (if need be of course). Young rucks these days are too hit and miss, usually miss.

[jeemak]

Ayce on the rookie list is equally as stupid or smart as many other things we've all mentioned. If we come to a point where we're not seeing any value in available players at rookie time then stranger things than Ayce being picked up again could happen.

[bulldogtragic]

I guess we recruited Roughead to the ruck tonight. Hopefully a rookie list ruck later on.

[bornadog]

I guess we recruited Roughead to the ruck tonight. Hopefully a rookie list ruck later on.

He was originally recruited as a ruck

[comrade]

I guess we recruited Roughead to the ruck tonight. Hopefully a rookie list ruck later on.

Goetz or Galloway are names on the radar.

[Mofra]

Goetz or Galloway are names on the radar.

I'd be very surprised if we don't rookie a ruck

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I'd be very surprised if we don't rookie a ruck

We now have nearly all the parts of our juggernaut.
Now for development, team building, training.
Put your seat belts on. The shuttle is about to be launched with rocket fuel and massive afterburners.

[bulldogtragic]

Recruited defenders to release Roughead to the ruck
Recruited Goetz to the rookie list.

Great after a couple of years to be finally rucked by Simon.

[Rocco Jones]

We have drafted a rookie ruck and 2 key backs to release Roughy meaning our ruck depth in terms of at least quantity is improve.

How do balance the depth with ruck time playing for Footscray. Say Roughy gets the #1 spot, with T Boyd/Redpath as the 2nd ruck. We then have:
- Minson and Campbell as out and out ruckmen
- I would want T Boyd/Redpath playing 2nd ruck role in VFL tuning for AFL
- Goetz

[GVGjr]

We have drafted a rookie ruck and 2 key backs to release Roughy meaning our ruck depth in terms of at least quantity is improve.

How do balance the depth with ruck time playing for Footscray. Say Roughy gets the #1 spot, with T Boyd/Redpath as the 2nd ruck. We then have:
- Minson and Campbell as out and out ruckmen
- I would want T Boyd/Redpath playing 2nd ruck role in VFL tuning for AFL
- Goetz

I suspect this won't play out well for Will Minson and he would be behind Campbell. If Redpath is playing for Footscray I don't think we will use him much in the ruck but it's a role he will have to fill from time to time if he is in the seniors.

Goetz might be played as a defender.

[boydogs]

Goetz might be played as a defender.

What makes you think that?

We have a lot more KPD depth (Collins, Adams, Cordy) than KPF depth (Redpath) for Footscray to use, and most rucks rest forward not back, so I would have thought he would play forward

[GVGjr]

What makes you think that?

We have a lot more KPD depth (Collins, Adams, Cordy) than KPF depth (Redpath) for Footscray to use, and most rucks rest forward not back, so I would have thought he would play forward

More around development.

[bornadog]

Form will decide ruck role

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says that the NAB Challenge will provide players with an opportunity to press their claims for round one selection against Fremantle on March 27.

Beveridge will take an experienced squad to Canberra to face the Giants on Thursday, the second year coach telling reporters that the competition amongst the group for spots is healthy.

“I think it helps, it definitely helps,” Beveridge said.

“We get Libba back, we get Koby (Stevens) back, we got some experience in, in Jed (Adcock) and Matty Suckling, and some bright young prospects who’re already putting pressure on our second and third year players, so it’ll help as it does in any organisation.”

The first ruck position is one in particular that will be hotly contested across the next month of the preseason competition.

A handful shared the responsibility in 2015, and Beveridge said form will be the ultimate decider for who’s rewarded with the round one start.

“All of our potential candidates will play through there during the NAB series and whoever plays the best will grab the one or two, or even three spots for that first game against Fremantle,” he said.

“It’s between Will [Minson], it’s between Tommy Campbell, Tommy Boyd, Jack Redpath who we know pinch hit there last year, and Luke Goetz.

“It will take him a while, but it’s probably between those five guys, whether or not they’ll share the load or we’ve got one or two who have a 50/50 type approach.”

Bulldogs fans will get the chance to see four new faces step out onto StarTrak Oval on Thursday night, including former Hawthorn premiership player Suckling, ex-Lion Adcock, and draftees Kieran Collins and Marcus Adams.

Speaking to media from the historic Sun Theatre in Yarraville as part of as part of Western Bulldogs Community Club week, Beveridge said Suckling’s role was still evolving and Adams, at 23 years old, was a special case.

“They’ve all had good pre-seasons,” he said.

“Marcus comes to us as a mature athlete who we don’t need to protect from the rigours of the whole pre-season because he’s had a number of them, so where we would take first year players out, he’s stayed in and done the whole lot.

“And Kieran has been quite impressive in our match simulation and in his ability to absorb how we want him to play in our systems.

“So they both deserve to be in the squad and both will be playing on Thursday.

“Most of the boys have had pretty productive preseasons and we’re going to pick our best side this week on availability and we’ll probably give as many players as we can a chance in the second one.”