Value of a Ruckman??

[MagpieMad]

for starters I think Mckee did an exellent job last year, for the last couple of years people have said we don't have a good enough #1 Ruck man, with our midfield being a good unit and having depth, is the need for a gun #1 ruckman still a big issue as it was?



MagpieMad
http://magpiemad.magpies.net/

[Culprit]

Yes we need a big strong ruckman, We are vulnerable when we have a ruckman play against us that who is strong and big on body contact. We have the midfielders to take advantage of strong ruckwork, but if we play a team that is equal to us as far as a centerline goes the ruck could be the difference in centre clearances.



[This message has been edited by Culprit (edited 27 February 2003).]

[Pies Premiers 2003]

A big strong ruckman is useless unless he can actually tap it to a team-mate....Mckee just negated the impact "good" ruckman can have on a game....as loong as he is competitve and fraser/rocca can help out we should be OK in that department...
Quality tap ruckman seem to be a dying breed....King for mine is the standout...primus not too far behind him....

THE PIES GO MARCHING ON

[d9 tank]

MagpieMad, watch the first quarter of the Carlton game over again and you will notice that the scum get the centre clearance from the first 8 centre bounces. Sure we were good enough to repel their attacks, but do you think a side like Brisbane would have kicked no goals from them?

We're making it very hard for ourselves having to play rebound footy all the time and it makes it very hard for the defenders, they have a LONG season ahead if our efforts in the centre continue the same as Sunday.

[dimo]

A good mobile ruckman is essentail ingredient to any quality side, if you get the footy first, you can dictate the pace on the game.

Fisrt use of the ball, for the forwards

GO PIES>>>

[AnthonyC]

Agree with you Mad. All in all Mckee did a great job for us last year. But I would love to have someone like Primus for example at our Club. I actually don't place too much emphasis on the centre square bounces. Sure they count, a good fast break out of the centre is a huge plus. But someone who can control the boundary line throw-ins and tap to a roving player within range of goal would be a massive plus. On the flip side it stops the opposition getting the ball in their forward line.


Go Pies!

[stik35]

I hate watching a game to see us getting beaten in the centre bounces over and over again.
To me it seems like we are lacking a good ruckman in this department.
I know that Malthouse thinks it more important to have a good midfield.
McKee did his best and even beat Primus in the final which was great to see but I don't think he's the answer.

If you bleed black and white you'll never walk alone.

[Culprit]

Monky was big strong, agressive and mobile. Another please

McKee has done great in the ruck in the past 12 months. He just gets killed in the centre against some ruckman, he does make up for it with his around the ground play though.

[THE POSSUM PIES]

I agree, McKee is not top shelf, but the way Malthouse rotates Rocca, Fraser and McKee, he enables us to utilise their strengths, sure we get beaten out of the centre from time to time, but we are improving, McKee is only 24 and is still developing, you will find he will come of age this year.

[dimo]

Guys,

we saw the value of a RUCK MAN yesterday, spider killed us in the centre.

At least MCKee kept putting in......

GO PIES..

[Pies Premiers 2003]

Hate to say it....but I agree with Robert Walls....OH AH JOSH FRASER...falls over too much....he has certainly got bigger over summer but gets pushed around too much and falls over all the time....Spider embarrassed us yesterday

THE PIES GO MARCHING ON

[STOKA35]

mckke is not the greatest ruckman we malthouse no this he makes up for it around the ground maybe we may have to man up in the centre bounces and shark of opposition ruckman it hasnt cost us a game yet.Mckee and co will be tested this week against king.

[Pies Premiers 2003]

I like it when Cloke comes over the top as opposed to actually rucking as such......Rocca needs to focus on CHF....he should be all-australian in that position....putting him into the ruck occasionally is OK but it wears him out...

THE PIES GO MARCHING ON

[Culprit]

Cloke was great and does the Job asked

[bokka]

I had always tended to think Mcgee's problem was lack of height - doesn't look all that tall on the paddock to me - so I looked up some of the heights of dominant or potentially dominant ruckmen:
McKee 199 (6'6), Josh 202, Ottens 201, Darcy 196, King 202, Everet 203, Primus 198, Allan 198, Mckernan 197.

So actually he is taller than some of the best in the league.
Given that and that he is IMO a very smart player he should eventually get up there, maybe even this season.
Of course there is probably such a thing as a natural tap ruckman and he may not have that trait for some reason. there's also the possibility he is leap-impaired compared to these blokes, someone else might have an opinion on that.
but anyway my tip is he will become a top tapper in the next couple of seasons.
Otherwise he might make an excellent CHB with defensive rucking duties.