(05-03-2018, 01:10 AM)Thryleon link Wrote:To go with that, ruck him at VFL level this week. If he proves he can get through 4 quarters, play him at AFL level.
I don't see what message you send to Phillips and by extension the group, if Kreuzer walk up starts against Adelaide this week.
He is our number 1 ruckman, and he has had his fair share of injuries, and didn't finish the game at Blundstone in his last outing, because we were getting hammered. That means others have to carry his load whilst he sits out.
Lets not repeat that mistake.
In reality we now know he sat out because of injury, not because he wasn't fit enough and being managed. And it is true that sitting Kreuzer out meant others had to be on the ground injured, if I recall correctly both Kennedy and Weitering went back on the ground with ankles and corkies. But that is part of football.
But that is no different to a 100% fit player getting injured in the first few minutes. The problem you write about really becomes an issue if you start playing too many unfit players from the get go, like Kennedy, Kreuzer, Marchbank and Weitering all at once. But we've heard the coaches talk about players needing to learn to cope with adversity as part of their development. However, too many at once is clearly a problem.
On that issue, I'm pretty sure if we keep pushing Cripps he'll break down eventually, he needs to find another string to his bow so he can have a natural chop-out form the crash and bang stuff.
"Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck ....... Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck"