Lack of ruck options a good thing?

[BiddiscombeSkills]

Yep, we got smashed in the Carlton game when we couldn't clear the ball from the centre.

But in the Sydney game, against arguably better ruck opposition, we broke pretty even in the clearances.

Interesting.

Could our current lack of any sort of ability to win a ruck contest prove to be a catalyst for midfield development? That is, will our guys learn the trick of getting their hands on the ball at stoppages, regardless of who gets the tapout?

This could be an unlooked for, but valuable, silver lining.

 

[Freezer]

It's certainly a view from left field Skills, but one that might have some merit. Learning to read the fall of the ball off a contest, rather than trying to pre-empt where they hope it might go (and more often than not it doesn't, leaving guys out of position and out of the contest), could definitely hold them in good stead for when we do have a winning tap ruckman.

Sounds good in theory anyway...

 

[Dyer'ere]

Agree BS. Good to see our mids get the footy when outgunned in the ruck.

It's good that Patto and Pole-Hack get a run on the ball too. Great experience for them. Can only help their development.

 

[Sir]

With fear of being shouted down - I couldn't agree more.

For my money the ruck position is the most over-rated in football.

The issue is not the ruck - it is the clearances. Can anyone honestly say that the 6'6 monster tapping the ball 3 metres in a direction is a game winner/clearance creator??

Crap.

If the midfield man-up, go at the ball hard, cover their opposite number - then - (and only then) the ball is always in dispute. (particularly at the centre bounce)

The real value of the ruck man is around the ground - eg - as another tall option up forward, or as a drop back defensive tall.

This is where the value of Simmo is sorely missed - and where Staf/Benny excelled.

Lets stop crapping on about "the ruck" and recognise that the loss is the height.

If we had more midfield players with the intensity of Foley (the new Broderick) we would win games. Throw Patto in to distract/bump into his opposite number - but at the end of the day the ball still gets punched/tapped to ground.

Where a Tiger midfielder should be lurking!

It's a shame he's the only one at the present

 

[Phar Ace]

Sire, for the most part the midfield clearance is a scrap based on visual and physical intensity, intuition, teamwork and evasion, so for the most part I agree, however there are enough times that a quality ruckman can deliver the ball to a moving midfielder that can make a huge advantage over the journey of a game. 2 or 3 good palms or taps to a McDonald who hits a leading Neitz @40m....... Do that and ur full forward looks a match winner. So don't doubt the value of the centre ruck - it's just not the huge advantage it once was - but still can define games.

I like that Patto is getting a baptism of fire - especially last week! I reckon he will have learned more in that game and this week with the assistants than he will have learned over the 20 odd games he's played thus far. The next 4-6 games will see him trying to impliemnt what he learned to vary degrees, sometime good sometime not so, but VALUABLE all the same.

 

[capitaltige]

Spot on Sir

The only people who think that ruckmen have as big an influence on the game as they think slapping the ball around in a ruck contest is other ruckmen or ex ruckmen, but as mobile big men setting up and stopping attacks they are invaluable.

Does anyone really think that Judd would struggle to get the ball even if he was in the same team as Patto who was rucking?

 

[TigerMasochist]

If your ruckman can tap the ball onto the tit of a moving midfielder or crash it five/ten/fifteen metres in your sides favour and your midfield knows it's happening then your ruckman is worth his weight in moolah.
One other ruck aspect that I have not really seen done consistently for a long time is something that Geelongs Damian Bourke excelled at and that was the ruckman clearing a path for his midfielders in Couch, Bews, Bairstow and Whiskas.
Big Bourkey with his monster thighpads really used to fair crash around and clear a path for the little pussies to set up from.

 

[pahoffm]

Spot on Sir

The only people who think that ruckmen have as big an influence on the game as they think slapping the ball around in a ruck contest is other ruckmen or ex ruckmen, but as mobile big men setting up and stopping attacks they are invaluable.

Does anyone really think that Judd would struggle to get the ball even if he was in the same team as Patto who was rucking?

Interesting perspective.

There were many, including myself, that believed Gary Dempsey was a brilliant ruckman who perpetually played a kick behind play. Picked up a heap of possies but did little for the Scrays winning games.

Others, like Farmer & Green, gained early possession and made themselves targets around the ground when going into attack.

 

[Dyer'ere]

If your ruckman can tap the ball onto the tit of a moving midfielder or crash it five/ten/fifteen metres in your sides favour and your midfield knows it's happening then your ruckman is worth his weight in moolah.
One other ruck aspect that I have not really seen done consistently for a long time is something that Geelongs Damian Bourke excelled at and that was the ruckman clearing a path for his midfielders in Couch, Bews, Bairstow and Whiskas.
Big Bourkey with his monster thighpads really used to fair crash around and clear a path for the little pussies to set up from.

Biglands does it. So does Hudson. Adelaide is big on the ruckman pulling his weight at the fall. It's under-rated.

 

[TigerMasochist]

If your ruckman can tap the ball onto the tit of a moving midfielder or crash it five/ten/fifteen metres in your sides favour and your midfield knows it's happening then your ruckman is worth his weight in moolah.
One other ruck aspect that I have not really seen done consistently for a long time is something that Geelongs Damian Bourke excelled at and that was the ruckman clearing a path for his midfielders in Couch, Bews, Bairstow and Whiskas.
Big Bourkey with his monster thighpads really used to fair crash around and clear a path for the little pussies to set up from.

Biglands does it. So does Hudson. Adelaide is big on the ruckman pulling his weight at the fall. It's under-rated.

Don't see much of the crowbaits. Makes you wonder how giving your midfield an armchair ride can be flamin underrated. Me, I'd call it VITAL.

 

[Tigers of Old]

With fear of being shouted down - I couldn't agree more.

For my money the ruck position is the most over-rated in football.

True enough there's plenty of rucks in the league going around just making up the numbers.
I certainly think pure tap ruckmen(ala Knobel) are overated, but a good big man who can win taps & possession around the ground, is worth his weight in gold.
Dean Cox would be damn handy at Richmond to say the least and Troyboy is probably the most valuable player on our list.
Overated perhaps a little but important none the less.