Tim English and the ruck dilemma

[Bornadog]

IMO he has been pretty influential, despite the low disposals.

He is a great Tap ruckman

[Bornadog]

It’s rare that 1 player is the reason you win or lose. If you want justification of lack of influence, rewatch any of 6 finals loses. That lack of influence is continuing this season.

6 finals losses there were 22/23 players who also lost.

[JanLorMill]

6 finals losses there were 22/23 players who also lost.

Read my first line again

[jeemak]

HTA were Tim 10, Oscar 9

Tim usually does well with HTAs, just felt he needed a bit of a chop out given the heat etc., thus saying he was worked over and his effectiveness might have suffered.

[Bornadog]

Tim usually does well with HTAs, just felt he needed a bit of a chop out given the heat etc., thus saying he was worked over and his effectiveness might have suffered.

Don't worry I agree with everything you said, I was just adding my favourite ruck stat to your comment

Here is a great Ruck stat and to show how rucks are not that important:

Gawn, 22 disposals, 49 hitouts and Melbourne lost by 39 points.

[jazzadogs]

Don't worry I agree with everything you said, I was just adding my favourite ruck stat to your comment

Here is a great Ruck stat and to show how rucks are not that important:

Gawn, 22 disposals, 49 hitouts and Melbourne lost by 39 points.

Rucks aren't important when they're surrounded by blokes who have either given up or are just no good.

[jeemak]

Who played better out of Meek and Sweet today?

[Bornadog]

Who played better out of Meek and Sweet today?

I think Sweet in the first half and Meek in the second half. Meek kicked two goals as well.

[Garbs_7]

I thought Tim was pretty good on the weekend. Competitive in the hitouts against a good tap ruck and was much better around the ground taking marks and getting to contests, worked really hard.

The running back with the flight almost mark in the fwd line with about a minute to go was very courageous also for a guy with his concussion issues.

[JanLorMill]

I think Sweet in the first half and Meek in the second half. Meek kicked two goals as well.

So Sweet helped Port to a 71? point lead in the first half (game over) and Meek helped the hawks get within 3? goal in the last.
Rucks aren't influential.

[doggies ftw]

So Sweet helped Port to a 71? point lead in the first half (game over) and Meek helped the hawks get within 3? goal in the last.
Rucks aren't influential.

The rucks aren’t influential talk is crazy IMO, it might have been the case for a period of time in the rolling mauls of the 2010s, but in 2025 which is all about getting the ball from inside to outside as cleanly as possible - how anyone can possibly say getting first use isn’t important is beyond me to be honest.

Ruckmen winning the tap also means the oppo ruck isn’t directing the tap themselves, and then even more important is the follow up at ground level, laying blocks for their midfield to stream forward, and defensively throwing their weight around to stop the opposition clearing the ball into space, which is where all the damage is done in a 6-6-6 and fast flowing footy environment that we’re currently playing in. The best rucks in the game right now are absolute brutes at ground level, they’re contested ball/inside mids when it hits the deck, just watch Xerri closely and tell me rucks aren’t influential.

Our ruckman would rather run forward for a handball and become a link in the offensive chain, which is fine when it goes our way and you can catch the opposition out too when the opposing ruck doesn’t go with him, giving us an extra number - but it leaves us pretty open when it doesn’t go our way, and would contribute to us not being able to stop a run on when we’re getting smacked around the ball

[doggies ftw]

Whilst I think English is still down on confidence and form, I think right now he is the most influential he’s ever been in this side last 3 weeks. His inside work and ruck craft is genuinely the best it’s ever been, massive props the ball has dropped a bit and he’s playing the ruck game with intent. Think he’s geniuinely thrashed Oscar, Marshall and Briggs in consecutive weeks in the middle.

If he starts holding his marks he’d be a huge upside in this team right now, I’m really happy with the performances he’s putting in as a ruckman first & foremost. And no surprise our midfield is enjoying it too, this is all I’ve been asking for from him - a contest.

[Garbs_7]

Very good game tonight from Tim and has now beat his opposing ruck maybe 4 games straight? He's a few dropped marks away from really putting a BOG performance together and is back to becoming an asset for us in the ruck again, especially around the ground and using the footy in transition.

[merantau]

I thought Tim's second half was excellent. He got better as the game wore on. His handball was very attacking. But best of all was his intent. He really contested hard at every stoppage to get front position, to get us first use. He is looking good.

[Bornadog]

Very good game tonight from Tim and has now beat his opposing ruck maybe 4 games straight? He's a few dropped marks away from really putting a BOG performance together and is back to becoming an asset for us in the ruck again, especially around the ground and using the footy in transition.

As supporters we tend to concentrate on the few mistakes here and there and dropped marks stick out. But, in the big picture, Tim is marking the ball around the ground. I would like to see him take more contested marks.

image.png

In the table above, Sam DK is yet to play, but Tim is showing he is going ok with his marks