04-11-2023, 01:42 AM
There is a lot of discussion around footy circles about how teams don't need dominant ruckmen like they may have a decade ago. We have gone down the path of using undersized Jack Silvagni as a stop-gap measure too. On the flipside, the Dees added Grundy to tag-team with Gawn which gives them a clear advantage at stoppages and around the ground.
A while ago, we had four reasonable big men (Kreuzer, Hampson, Jacobs & Warnock) but traded out the one we should have kept & kept the ones we should have traded.
Given I'm an old coot, I prefer the bigger dominant ruck plan to all other possible options so I'm putting the microscope on what we currently have on the list. To be brutally honest, I'm not convinced we have what it takes right now and it may hold us back from really challenging.
Tom De Koning - is he a forward or is a he ruckman ?? He has some serious limitations in his game and tends to spoil Curnow & McKay in marking contests. Should he be traded ?? I'm leaning towards "yes", I'm not convinced he is going to be any better than what we are seeing right now and he certainly isn't worth the crazy money that is being bandied about in the media. The scuttlebutt suggests we are going to sign him for another two-years though.
Marc Pittonet - doesn't take enough marks around the ground and is a horrible kick, his tap work is 'okay' but nothing startling. In a perfect world, he should be in the VFL all year and only called up in emergencies.
Hudson O'Keefe - a raw beanpole project ruck who will probably take some time to kick on, great that the club has invested in a long-term plan but he will not play seniors unless there is a spate of serious injuries.
Alex Mirkov - another beanpole (210cm) project ruck who apparently is coming on quite well but is still a fair way away from being seniors ready.
Anyone share similiar views or are they content with what we have at present ??
A while ago, we had four reasonable big men (Kreuzer, Hampson, Jacobs & Warnock) but traded out the one we should have kept & kept the ones we should have traded.
Given I'm an old coot, I prefer the bigger dominant ruck plan to all other possible options so I'm putting the microscope on what we currently have on the list. To be brutally honest, I'm not convinced we have what it takes right now and it may hold us back from really challenging.
Tom De Koning - is he a forward or is a he ruckman ?? He has some serious limitations in his game and tends to spoil Curnow & McKay in marking contests. Should he be traded ?? I'm leaning towards "yes", I'm not convinced he is going to be any better than what we are seeing right now and he certainly isn't worth the crazy money that is being bandied about in the media. The scuttlebutt suggests we are going to sign him for another two-years though.
Marc Pittonet - doesn't take enough marks around the ground and is a horrible kick, his tap work is 'okay' but nothing startling. In a perfect world, he should be in the VFL all year and only called up in emergencies.
Hudson O'Keefe - a raw beanpole project ruck who will probably take some time to kick on, great that the club has invested in a long-term plan but he will not play seniors unless there is a spate of serious injuries.
Alex Mirkov - another beanpole (210cm) project ruck who apparently is coming on quite well but is still a fair way away from being seniors ready.
Anyone share similiar views or are they content with what we have at present ??
[size=8pt]"The Other Teams Can Rot In Hell"