Our best ruck mix

[AN_Inkling]

At the start of the season I thought 2014 looked a lot like 2010. We were a team with exciting prospects, and almost certain finalists, but not quite ready to challenge for the flag. We were maybe a year away. Now that we're part way through the year, it's looking even more like 2010 and top 4 seems a very real possibility.

Taking that as a given (even if you disagree, which I'm sure some of the "realists" on the board do ), this year is no longer a development year, it's a pull out all stops for the win year. If you're going to finish in the top 4, you need to be serious about challenging for the cup.

That sets up a difficult dilemma, and one I don't think we have an ideal answer for. We have two very young rucks. Neither of which are really ready to compete at flag winning level. Our only backup is Hudson, a 35 year old veteran. It is our one weakness and it will be exploited on the big stage. So, the question is how do we best ameliorate it?

1) Witts & Grundy - play both of the kids and hope they are able to stand up against bigger, stronger opponents (ok, only stronger in the case of Witts). This is a risk. We know that in finals the stronger, more experienced players will take advantage of those weaker and less experienced. Playing two, not just one, doubles that risk. One simple example we've seen of this already is Sydney directing a large number of their kickouts to Grundy and his opponent (mostly Pike), and getting a clear mark almost every time. In finals, opponents will look to isolate such weakness even more. For most of the season, and for most of a finals game, playing these two young rucks together will be fine. It's that critical stage late in a close final that you'd worry. Still, it has worked well for us so far this year, and these two still have almost a year of development ahead of them. Playing them both also means we have another option when it's not working for one of them. I wonder if we can fit all of Cloke, White, Reid and Grundy/Witts in our forward line though.

2) Witts and part-time backup - Witts has been coming along very well the last couple of weeks. Against Essendon he spent more time on the field than Grundy (87% to 71%) and played a more composed and complete game. He is older and more physically mature than Grundy, and is competing better in marking contests, even if he rarely actually takes the grab. The question mark, and it is a question, because I'm not sure of the answer, is whether he's able to ruck out a game.

3) Grundy and part-time backup - Grundy's tap work has been very impressive for such a young player. He has shown an ability to compete against much bigger and stronger opponents and even come out on top. The concern is the number of frees given away (8 last week) and his inability to compete in marking contests around the ground (gets easily outmarked too often). The big plus for Grundy is that he has already played finals and acquitted himself well. We know he's able to ruck out a full game.

4) Hudson and part-time backup or Grundy/Witts - I don't see this as a viable option given Hudson's age. There's no doubt he's a great competitor, but the risk of him injuring himself or fatiguing so badly that he can't compete by the end of the game is too great.

Those are the main options as I see them. There is also the possibility that we could play one ruck with another as sub. This could make option 4 more possible. I've left that out of the poll for the sake of simplicity and because we are far more likely to favour a runner as sub than a ruck.

I'm not going to say that this one area of weakness is the only thing keeping us from a flag, or even that we should yet be considered as serious contenders (if we beat Hawthorn at some point, that lid will be off). But we are improving at a rapid rate with a number of young players still to be given a chance. There is no ceiling on this season. We will be far better at the end than at the beginning, and it is not ridiculous to suggest we could improve enough to seriously challenge come finals time. This means that the ruck question is now a crucial one, it's not just about how to best develop two promising prospects.

[Dave The Man]

Witts and Grundy. They work well together and we have won games they both played in.

Best for the Development as well

[Albert Parker]

^Hawks won a flag last year with Max Bailey on one leg.
Cats often had Ottens by himself.
2010 we had Jolly and Brown

Let's have more nimble types in the team. Can win a flag without a dominant ruck performance. Just manage Grundy and Witts through the season.

[AN_Inkling]

I think it's a difficult one. A ruck and a part-timer or very mobile second ruck is, for me, clearly the best structure. We have good options for the part-timer in White or maybe Keeffe. But are Witts or Grundy ready to ruck 85% of the game at the level required? Grundy did it quite well last year, but it's still a big ask.

In the end, the deciding factor for me is Reid. If he's playing forward, we can't play Witts and Grundy. A forward line of Cloke, Reid, White, Grundy/Witts is not going to work. White is looking too good to drop, so we're left with playing one of Grundy or Witts, not both.

If Reid is in defense then we have Cloke, White Witts/Grundy up forward. No problem. It does however mean that Keeffe and Frost are both likely out of the team, with Brown and Reid our key defenders (maybe Frost could take Maxwell's spot as the floating medium/tall).

Those to me are the two options. Play one of Grundy or Witts and have Reid forward. Or play them both and have Reid in defense.

[simon tonna]

i see Witts with more upside than Grundy atm.
he's played a lot at forward while resting as a ruck
and kicking match winners in the twos and its just
a matter of time he starts kicking them in the AFL.
the versatility this guy has is unreal.
Grundy needs another string in he's bow, great goal on the
weekend but needs some composure with ball in hand.
if he's was cleaner with the ball you'd have them both in the
same team week in week out.

[Stupied]

Impossible to tell until Reid returns and a Cloke/Reid combo is tested for a few games with White as 2rd ruck/3rd forward. The a Grundy/Witts combo is currently working well, but you can't discount the structure that was planned on in the preseason until it has been tested out for a few games in the season proper.

I personally think that while using Jesse as a ruck/forward might lessen his impact, the overall structure will provide more flexibility. Time will tell.

[Tyke]

If it ain't broke..

[Dave The Man]

[AN_Inkling]

[Piesnchess]

Witts is a long work in project, huge units like him take time, a lot of time, to develop, as Lou Richards pointed out re big ruckmen.

[Scribe]

The way I see it is, in a perfect world, when Reid returns, he goes forward and White plays as 3rd forward and part-time ruck.

That leaves the question as to who you go with out of Witts and Grundy.

I for one am enjoying them develop together and believe that our future plans involve them both always playing once they have fully developed in 2-3-4 years time.

Right now, if you had to choose, Grundy gets the nod, but we wouldn't lose much with big Wittsy - he's making strides every week.

One way or another, in time, we'll have the best ruck combination in the competition, hands down.

[Lazza]

[MJ23]

[Member 7167]

Witts and Grundy. If they remain fit and continue to develop they are our ruck future. Will a bit of luck our rucks will be the envy of the competition within a few years.

[AN_Inkling]