Jordan Roughead

[boydogs]

I was surprised at the number of time Roughead got the ball to Boyd last night. Seemed to be quite a bit for a guy who has only a handful of VFL seniors games, and is coming off a shoulder reco so has had an interrupted pre-season. Was blowing hard in the 4th but that will improve the longer the season wears on.

I'll admit I thought we should have kept Skipper for another year as back-up, and based on what I saw last night I was wrong. Roughy can play a role if need be as our no 2 ruck; perhaps not a full season yet, but is adequate injury cover already.

You might change your tune if Hudson and Minson both go down, but I agree he is ready

[Mofra]

You might change your tune if Hudson and Minson both go down, but I agree he is ready

Of course - but name one side that could handle their no1 & 2 ruck pairing going down?

[boydogs]

Of course - but name one side that could handle their no1 & 2 ruck pairing going down?

Obviously that would hurt every side badly, it's just that we have no 4th ruck at all. Cordy hasn't played and isn't ready, we would have to turn to a non-ruckman such as Everitt, Hahn or Williams. Added to this is the fact our number 1 is over 30, and our number 2 has had no pre-season.

Fingers crossed it's a non-issue, but for the last spot on the list Skipper may have been handy for one more season.

You only need to watch Adelaide v Essendon in the finals last year to see what damage this can do to your side

[LostDoggy]

I agree. He has the makings of a very good ruckman. A young bloke in a mans body, lets hope he develops a good football brain quickly.

[Mantis]

Obviously that would hurt every side badly, it's just that we have no 4th ruck at all. Cordy hasn't played and isn't ready, we would have to turn to a non-ruckman such as Everitt, Hahn or Williams. Added to this is the fact our number 1 is over 30, and our number 2 has had no pre-season.

No is a strong term. Sure he hasn't joined in full training all that often, but he has still been doing some work

Fingers crossed it's a non-issue, but for the last spot on the list Skipper may have been handy for one more season.

Are you a fan of tipping money down the sink?

Skipper played 1 game in 2008 & 0 games in 2009... At some point you have to cut your ties.

[Before I Die]

Possibly.

St.Kilda took Rhys Stanley with their 2nd pick in the draft (#47) so they were on the hunt for a ruckman.

He won the Grand Final sprint and has done a few good things against the Swans so far tonight. I might hold off on the bragging rights for a few weeks yet.

[boydogs]

No is a strong term. Sure he hasn't joined in full training all that often, but he has still been doing some work

I hope that is enough

Are you a fan of tipping money down the sink?

Skipper played 1 game in 2008 & 0 games in 2009... At some point you have to cut your ties.

Is your house or car insured? Is that tipping money down the sink?

Sometimes, there are things you can't afford to lose, that you take out insurance on.
You know you are paying over the odds, and if you had 100 houses you would go without insurance as the insurance payments would be more than the likely cost of repairs, but when you only have 1 that you couldn't afford to repair/rebuild yourself, you pay the insurance to remove the risk.

With Skipper and the rucks, we can't afford for them to go down, and I would have thought that his salary would not be much if on the cusp of being delisted.

I don't understand the argument that you have to cut your ties at some point - if your house is not damaged for a couple of years, do you drop the insurance?

When Skipper was delisted, we would not have known that Minson was going to struggle over the pre-season, but we also may not have known Roughead was going to come along as he has. Wight, probably our 4th or 5th ruck option last year with Roughead, was also delisted, and Hudson was going to be another year older. Skipper had a great year, persisting despite not getting an opportunity, and the need for him on the list as backup was as great if not greater for 2010.

All just my opinion of course. I hope that this doesn't become an issue.

[LostDoggy]

I ...When Skipper was delisted, we would not have known that Minson was going to struggle over the pre-season, but we also may not have known Roughead was going to come along as he has. Wight, probably our 4th or 5th ruck option last year with Roughead, was also delisted, and Hudson was going to be another year older. Skipper had a great year, persisting despite not getting an opportunity, and the need for him on the list as backup was as great if not greater for 2010....

Lists aren't long enough to retain backups like Skipper and it's unfair on the lad, too. He's had the opportunity of rescuing a career at Hawthorn. The club made the correct decision. Risks are inherent in success.

[GVGjr]

When Skipper was delisted, we would not have known that Minson was going to struggle over the pre-season, but we also may not have known Roughead was going to come along as he has. Wight, probably our 4th or 5th ruck option last year with Roughead, was also delisted, and Hudson was going to be another year older. Skipper had a great year, persisting despite not getting an opportunity, and the need for him on the list as backup was as great if not greater for 2010.

All just my opinion of course. I hope that this doesn't become an issue.

It's a fair argument and I think it's a weakness of our list. To only have two ruckman and have to rely on a 2nd year player with a history of shoulder injuries as the support to them is not ideal for a team genuinely contending for the flag.
I was speaking to a mate on Friday night who with the power of hindsight mentioned that if we had have selected Ben McEvoy instead of Jarrad Grant we would have had a far better balanced side.

Getting rid of Skipper I can understand because as D Mitchell says it's better for the player to be given an opportunity elsewhere but not either trading for another back-up or drafting a more mature aged one could come back to haunt us.

[ledge]

I am confident Roughead can do the job, and the more games he plays the better he will get.
Also believe he will take more marks and be more damaging up forward than Hudson if he is the one who gets injured.
As for Minson , Roughead looks more mobile, so we lose one strength but gain another.

[Bulldog Revolution]

If anything it seems to throw more responsibility on to Hudson who looks to be enjoying it and thriving. He doesn't get a lot of attention from our supporters but Huddo has looked v.good pre-season.

Gambling on Grant over McEvoy was Claytons decision to make. McEvoy hasn't set the world on fire, but has done more than Grant. How do you see McEvoy developing GVG?

I guess Eade and co have gambled on the fact that when Minson and Hudson aren't both available that Roughy can play second fiddle. I guess if two of those three go down then we are looking at Cordy, Prato etc.

On Skipper - hard to believe he isn't the Hawks no.1 ruckman - given how pathetic Taylor is most of the time. Taylor is really just a cheap shot specialist.

[mighty_west]

It's a fair argument and I think it's a weakness of our list. To only have two ruckman and have to rely on a 2nd year player with a history of shoulder injuries as the support to them is not ideal for a team genuinely contending for the flag.
I was speaking to a mate on Friday night who with the power of hindsight mentioned that if we had have selected Ben McEvoy instead of Jarrad Grant we would have had a far better balanced side.

On the flipside, had we selected McEvoy, we already knew Cordy was ours, another developing ruckman, i wonder if that would have slightly changed our thought process with that Cordy/Roughead/Jones draft, and not going for Roughead, because we already had Ben developing and were bringing in Cordy as well.

Tommy Lee [noe delisted from the Crows] was also on Claytons radar in that draft.

[Mofra]

Obviously that would hurt every side badly, it's just that we have no 4th ruck at all. Cordy hasn't played and isn't ready, we would have to turn to a non-ruckman such as Everitt, Hahn or Williams. Added to this is the fact our number 1 is over 30, and our number 2 has had no pre-season.

Name one quality 4th ruck - in any team.

Port have one experienced ruckman to choose from so their round 1 2nd ruck will be a debutant! Carton would probably come closest with Sam Jacobs as a 4th ruck (rookie) but that assumes Kreuzer will play as a ruck this year - he wont, he'll be at CHF.
I think you're stretching the level of cover a team is supposed to have - even 3rd ruck options at Brisbane & Essendon developed as CHB types who rucked last year out of necessity. Keeping 5-6 list cloggers on any list as "back-up" will hurt the system of development required to find the players who will make the grade at senior level.

Sometimes you need to take a gamble, as safe football & safe options will not win a flag.
We have gambled on ruck cover & a Bazza Hall to take then next step - if that means using a Prato, Mulligan, Williams or Everitt to pinch hit for one or two games per year if (heaven forbid) Hudson & Minson both go down at the same time, then so be it.

[bornadog]

I hope that is enough



Is your house or car insured? Is that tipping money down the sink?

Sometimes, there are things you can't afford to lose, that you take out insurance on.
You know you are paying over the odds, and if you had 100 houses you would go without insurance as the insurance payments would be more than the likely cost of repairs, but when you only have 1 that you couldn't afford to repair/rebuild yourself, you pay the insurance to remove the risk.

With Skipper and the rucks, we can't afford for them to go down, and I would have thought that his salary would not be much if on the cusp of being delisted.

I don't understand the argument that you have to cut your ties at some point - if your house is not damaged for a couple of years, do you drop the insurance?

When Skipper was delisted, we would not have known that Minson was going to struggle over the pre-season, but we also may not have known Roughead was going to come along as he has. Wight, probably our 4th or 5th ruck option last year with Roughead, was also delisted, and Hudson was going to be another year older. Skipper had a great year, persisting despite not getting an opportunity, and the need for him on the list as backup was as great if not greater for 2010.

All just my opinion of course. I hope that this doesn't become an issue.

If Skipper was any good, we would have kept him. Too many supporters were just hoping he was going to make it in the AFL. He is too short to be a genuine ruckman and too slow to be a KPP.

[Bulldog Joe]

Roughead shows a lot of promise and plenty of supporters seem to believe he already has the body to play.

Against Brisbane he was easily pushed aside, although he competed well. Against Hawthorn he was matched most of the time against a player even more raw than himself.

He looks good and I believe he will be a great acquisition. I would be happy for him to own No. 1 ruck at Willy this year and push for a place based on his form there.

At this stage we need Big Will for his aggression.