10-07-2020, 03:47 AM
We also have Gibbs who at 186cm is a decent ruck size and played a bit in the ruck albeit more of a forward before coming to us. The more cogent reason for not picking up a ruck (or key forward - we only have Gibbs and Harris if Vescio is counted as a flanker which is where she played best last season). I think Maggie Caris is the only pure ruck drafted (at pick 17) and perhaps Amelia Velardo who plays more as an extra midfielder but does take the tapouts so I guess you class as a ruck. We would have needed to use our first pick in order to secure either. I could have handled using it on Caris but probably not Velardo. No-one else drafted in the Victorian pool with pure ruck credentials and the only pure ruck overlooked amongst those touted a chance to be drafted was Charlie Vandenberg from Tassie but she was a bit of a long shot to be drafted. Personally would not have looked at her even with our last pick. Olivia Barber primarily a full forward (AAU18) can also run through the ruck and went at 21 so again would have taken our first pick. Again might have been worth it. Georgia Hammond at 44 to North is a forward-cum-ruck. Not many other KF in the mix let alone with ruck potential. Alyssa Bannan went before our first pick.
Personally I'd have grabbed Barber with our first pick, or Caris if we really wanted a ruck rather than a ley forward who can take a turn in the ruck. They and Sarah Hartwig (defender) were the 3 on my board I rated above Hill when our first pick came and Hartwig and Hill were neck-a-neck and I probably would have gone the mid in Hill if it came down to a choice between them.
I think passing on Barber was a mistake but that in no way is a criticism of Hill, it is more a view that we probably needed a key forward or ruck or key forward who can ruck and they were only around at the top end of the draft rather than taking the mid.
Personally I'd have grabbed Barber with our first pick, or Caris if we really wanted a ruck rather than a ley forward who can take a turn in the ruck. They and Sarah Hartwig (defender) were the 3 on my board I rated above Hill when our first pick came and Hartwig and Hill were neck-a-neck and I probably would have gone the mid in Hill if it came down to a choice between them.
I think passing on Barber was a mistake but that in no way is a criticism of Hill, it is more a view that we probably needed a key forward or ruck or key forward who can ruck and they were only around at the top end of the draft rather than taking the mid.