Well Ruck Me.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

Two years running? There have been no ruckmen or key defenders either available or vulnerable to a superior offer from us for two years running?

Stefan Martin doesn't count, he was a cooked 35 year old who's position had been made redundant by McInerney.

I really rate what Sam Power has done with his deals, and he has shown he can attract good players with Keath and Bruce, but for him to truly be talked about as a God on here I'd like to see him actually address our weaknesses given multiple chances at it.

I completely agree. It’s a poor outcome to say the least. We just can’t lay the blame at Powers feet from the outside looking in. If Bevo has demanded a ruck and Sam has failed to deliver then absolutely he has failed. I just don’t think that’s the case. There’s gotta be more to it. End of the day, we’ve failed to bring a ruck in once again and wherever that failure rests is up to the club. For us fans, with the lack of insight and the mixed messages, we’re left frustrated and scratching our heads as we endure yet another year of the same frustrations. I’m as pissed as anyone believe me. I just don’t like casting blame in this situation when I have no idea what is going on internally.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

I think that's an unfair bar to set. Of course we aren't going to recruit a Gawn beater, there isn't one in the entire league.

There are a multitude of options that would at least show we are trying to fix the problem.

A Hickey, Ceglar, Stanley, Cameron, Sinclair type would be cheap and surely could be sold on the idea of opportunity in a very good side, I mean Hickey, Nankervis and Witts would've all fit in that category in the past and are now good.

Could try to pry out an established senior ruck like Goldstein, Nankervis, McEvoy. They're short term fixes but it'd be like Hawthorn grabbing Brian Lake to top up their excellent side.

Or we could try and get in ahead of one of the young guys emerging, like Williams, Meek, Hayes, CCJ, Flynn, Briggs, Strachan, Xerri, Reeves, Bryan. They seem speculative, but rewind 2-3 years and names like O'Brien, Darcy, Ladhams, Draper and McInerney would have sat comfortably in that list of unproven rucks.

Just whatever we do, don't go for Preuss.

So if the only real team we can't beat due to our ruck stocks is the Demons, the point you've made is exactly right.

Why get upset about the ruck, if the only team it matters against we've got no chance of matching?

Let me qualify that by saying I'm not sure our long term strategy has been great, but hey did we know English wasn't going to be very good in the ruck at this point when we took him with a prized pick?

There's no quick fix. None of those mentioned are that exciting and remember the second best guy Grundy is also struggling.

[Bornadog]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

So if the only real team we can't beat due to our ruck stocks is the Demons, the point you've made is exactly right.

Why get upset about the ruck, if the only team it matters against we've got no chance of matching?

Let me qualify that by saying I'm not sure our long term strategy has been great, but hey did we know English wasn't going to be very good in the ruck at this point when we took him with a prized pick?

There's no quick fix. None of those mentioned are that exciting and remember the second best guy Grundy is also struggling.

Agreed. We must be doing something right if we made a granny.

[chef]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

We ain't targeting a ruck this trade period is all I've heard re. our intentions this trade period.

All we can do is just accept it and hope it works out.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

All we can do is just accept it and hope it works out.

Agree Chef.

It's not like 17 other clubs are ranking up their ruck stocks.

[azabob]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

So if the only real team we can't beat due to our ruck stocks is the Demons, the point you've made is exactly right.

Why get upset about the ruck, if the only team it matters against we've got no chance of matching?

Let me qualify that by saying I'm not sure our long term strategy has been great, but hey did we know English wasn't going to be very good in the ruck at this point when we took him with a prized pick?

There's no quick fix. None of those mentioned are that exciting and remember the second best guy Grundy is also struggling.

OK elephant in the room time. Saturday night of the GF what did you think of our ruck performance and midfield application during the third quarter?

Surely if we upgrade our ruck our chance of beating the Demons increases?

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

OK elephant in the room time. Saturday night of the GF what did you think of our ruck performance and midfield application during the third quarter?

Surely if we upgrade our ruck our chance of beating the Demons increases?

I still hold that our mids let us down the most. They change their positioning and their role when we're 19 points up, and their mids don't run riot off the back of Jackson's tapwork.

Yes it would be good if we could get a decent ruckman in at a cost that was acceptable to Power and Co.
But I think the sinkhole that was the last 8 or so minutes of the 3rd quarter lays squarely with our mids and their structure, posturing or whatever you want to call it around the centre bounce.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

OK elephant in the room time. Saturday night of the GF what did you think of our ruck performance and midfield application during the third quarter?

Surely if we upgrade our ruck our chance of beating the Demons increases?

Did you see my posts on GF night? I wasn't of sound mind.

We were 19 up... I don't know mate it was Jackson that turned it, I just don't know who is out there that makes that difference?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

If it was down to Jackson turning the game around then we completely fluked making the grand final. Hell we fluked making the 8 if that was the case. A better ruck helps us but our mids completely dropped the ball.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

I still hold that our mids let us down the most. They change their positioning and their role when we're 19 points up, and their mids don't run riot off the back of Jackson's tapwork.

Yes it would be good if we could get a decent ruckman in at a cost that was acceptable to Power and Co.
But I think the sinkhole that was the last 8 or so minutes of the 3rd quarter lays squarely with our mids and their structure, posturing or whatever you want to call it around the centre bounce.

For you are wise.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

If it was down to Jackson turning the game around then we completely fluked making the grand final. Hell we fluked making the 8 if that was the case. A better ruck helps us but our mids completely dropped the ball.

Agree. Jackson was big though right?

[1eyedog]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

OK elephant in the room time. Saturday night of the GF what did you think of our ruck performance and midfield application during the third quarter?

Surely if we upgrade our ruck our chance of beating the Demons increases?

Jackson got hold of us and a solid second ruck would have helped but our mids went into cruise mode being 19 points up. I dunno what happend. Arrogance? Assume Bevo sent out a message to hold the lines and slow things up, retain possession etc. but we couldn't even get near it to implement anything. Our best accumulator and clearance player went awol.

It's hard to accept that we were simply 'cooked'. It seemed to be a mental lapse.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

Agree. Jackson was big though right?

Tbh I need to watch it back to really know. Live, I only recall our mids being flat footed rather than the ruck dominating.

It’s fair to say our ruck has let us down plenty of times in the past. That’s mostly due to English being completely useless. If he can just get his worst to be at least competitive then we’re a lot better off. Just not sure if we’ll ever see that.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

Ladhams wants to go to Sydney.

Ladhams, Hickey, Naismith (inj), Sinclair and McLean a hybrid.

They don’t need all of them…

[GVGjr]

Re: Well Ruck Me.

Ladhams wants to go to Sydney.

Ladhams, Hickey, Naismith (inj), Sinclair and McLean a hybrid.

They don’t need all of them…

I think Sinclair could be a decent option and he will be the one that gets starved for opportunities.
Not sure he is what we are really after though. Naismith is OK