AFL Rd 24 2023 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs GWS

[DJC]

That is essentially a clearance....usually.

I can check those stats, but its not 100% accurate as a player may win a clearance despite not being the ruck. Probably applies to Jack more than the others as he is more likely to be at a clearance while not rucking.....but still wouldn't be a regular thing.

These are career totals to get a better idea (bigger numbers, more accurate )
Likelyhood a player will get a clearance from RC...
4.3% - Young
5.5% - Pittonet
5.8% - TDK
6.5% - Harry
17.0% - Jack

To get a more complete picture, either win the ruck OR get the clearance....
HTA + Clearance % from RC.....
11.3% - Harry
12.4% - Young
16.6% - TDK
20.1% - Pittonet
25.8% - Jack

Again, not as accurate as the pure ruck contests because you can attend a contest NOT as the ruck. You can technically get a hitout to advantage and also a clearance if they handball it back to you....although this is uncommon for rucks as we know.
But i think its pretty clear that the reason i've been pushing the Jack barrow as the 2nd ruck option is for team balance around the ground, including at stoppages.
1 out of 4 contests he attends, he gets a clear advantage from.
1 in 5 from Pittonet is a lot more accurate because he doesn't attend a stoppage unless he is rucking.....and similar for the others.

Regardless of the specifics of the numbers, its clear Harry is far from our best option as a ruck and backup ruck.

I suspect the experiment may work once, or even twice in the right circumstances. I can't seeing it being a flag winning move though.

It may be counted as a clearance if the player gets a disposal.    A "ruck hardball get" is a specific category used by Champion Data.  Midway through last season Tom Hawkins had 20 "ruck hardball gets", something like twice as many as the next best.

I noticed when Jack took clean possession from a ruck contest and kicked a goal (when he injured his knee) that he wasn't credited with a hitout to advantage but was given a contested possession.  I imagine that if you drilled down further, there'd be a "ruck hardball get".

I know that Harry has got several this season and Charlie has at least one.

I will be expecting Harry to go for clean possessions whenever he can.