Quote Originally Posted by mjp View Post
It's actually a pretty good question.

The first step would be to work out whether he is leading the ruck (> 70% game time) or operating as a backup/support ruckman.

Leading the ruck:

- 50% of hitouts with 1x hit to advantage per quarter.
- 1x mark per half
- 1% count around 10-12
- Possessions in the 6-10 range with high effectiveness (he wouldn't have a kicking license so would be on a handball/kick over 40m rule I suspect.

Support role:

- 35% hitouts whilst in the ruck and 'even' at clearances.
- 3-4 marks for the game
- 6-10 possessions at high efficiency.
- 1% count in the 4-8 range (not as many clearances so tackles and blocks would drop).

Something like that?

The challenge with a player like Sweet is he is going to be like Jack Witts/Dawson Simpson were 6-8 years ago. He will win 70% of the ruck hitouts with 1-2 to advantage per quarter. But wouldn't be capable around the ground and hence couldn't play in the support role...

It is very hard for ruckman as they have no chance to develop outside of being played in the VFL. English is pretty unique at the moment in that he is getting 1st ruck development minutes in the AFL and the club is counting on two things:

1/. It works and he becomes a star.
2/. He becomes a star and stays at our footy club.

Ultimately most good ruckman are > sum of the parts/sum of the stats and sometimes the dominant ruckman in the game from a physical impact perspective appears to have lost the match-up based on the stats. Ultimately, it doesn't matter who wins the hit-out IF the other ruckman is simply contacting the arm (rather than the ball) and ensuring it doesn't get to the defined hit zone...if you compete hard, tackle and provide a strong contest for down the line kicks, what else do you really need to do???

Collingwood got an amazing game out of Grundy last week and it didn't make a lick of difference - they were smashed. Richmond are in a pretty awesome run of form with what (based on names alone) would be the worlds worst ruck division. It is a unique position and one that is particularly difficult to measure on stats alone...
Would the ability to have the aerobic capacity to work and move around the ground be a required skill set if a young ruckman ala English was not able to provide a dominant role at ruck contests? Flipside would a ruckman who was dominant in the primary ruck contest be able to play if they did not have the ability to positively contribute in other facets of play?
I get the impression the club are willing to play English because whilst not yet dominant in ruck contests, he does contribute in other facets of play at a level that is greater than his shortcomings in the ruck contest itself.
Conversely, Sweet might be able to compete strongly at ruck contests, nut at present would not be aerobically ready to work around the ground, and that this would be a liability greater than his contributions at the ruck contest.