WE NEED A RUCK!!!!!

[swooper_101]

We got our butts kicked, I'm affraid Mckee was not good enough and when Fraser went off injuried that didn't help, infact I think Mckee hasn't played a major role yet this season I think its been all Rocca myself. Just my little rant.

[creedymagpie]

Swooper im with you!

Collingwood are a Good Ruckman away from a premiership!

Though lets give it a few Weeks im sure Fraser and Macca will get it together!

[ramjet21]

personally i dont think fraser will ever be a ruckman but thats fine - he wasnt recruited to be one. not chasing barnaby french might have been a mistake.

[Wearmouth]

I now know the answer to the question,"What value a Ruckman?"

One Grand Final
One Wizard Cup
$200,000 in prizemoney
The real possibility of going over 40,000 members

And still mounting !

[MissMagpie_20]

So it was all Josh and Steve's fault hey. This pisses me off

[Proud Pies]

No, I don't think it's Josh and Steve's fault, but they are saying it here too.

Magpies fall in a big hole
By KEN PIESSE
16mar03

THE rucking demons that cost Collingwood a premiership last year returned to haunt the Magpies and whisk away another flag last night in front of almost 44,000 fans at Telstra Dome.


Thrashed all night in the ruck and with key big men injured, the Magpies could kick only six goals to three-quarter time.

While they charged home in the last half, having trailed by 32 points at the major change, they could not sustain their late momentum, Adelaide winning their first preseason flag by 31 points.

Best man afield Matthew Clarke dominated the hitouts as Brisbane's Clark Keating did in last year's playoff.

The Crows' boom recruit, Wayne Carey, kicked two telling second-half goals, having come on to the ground halfway through the second term.

The absence of Josh Fraser, who rolled his ankle, and fullback Simon Prestigiacomo (ankle) were great blows for the Magpies who ran out of big men.

Full-forward Chris Tarrant also must answer a report after crunching young Crow Brent Reilly in the third term.

For Adelaide coach Gary Ayres, a premiership specialist as a player, it was his first success as a coach.

For large periods of the game Ayres's interchange included captain Mark Ricciuto, Mark Bickley and, in the early stages, Carey.

The large crowd lifted when Scott Burns and Tarrant reduced Collingwood's deficit to 13 points after seven minutes of the last quarter.

But a long snapshot from Carey eased the pressure and helped give Adelaide the season's first silverware.

The supremacy of Clarke and co-ruckman Rhett Biglands helped the Crows to control the centre clearances, Collingwood's lone ruckman Steve McKee being well beaten.

When Anthony Rocca also tried to take on Clarke with extra muscle it robbed the Magpies of one of their few forwards capable of kicking goals.

Alan Didak kicked two in mid-match, but Tarrant was well held by Nigel Smart and Jarrod Molloy struggled to exert any influence opposed to Nathan Bassett.

The Crows' running brigade, led by one of the competition's glamour players Andrew McLeod and fellow All-Australian Simon Goodwin, was a vibrant influence, kicking five unanswered goals in the second quarter.

Goodwin, with seven possessions, McLeod (nine) and young Matthew Bode (nine) were all brilliant as Adelaide extended a five-point, quarter-time advantage to 32 points at halftime.

Biglands, having almost taken the mark of the match, sealed the game close to time-on with a smart goal from the square.

Ayres said afterwards the Crows were hungry for success in the day competition and with the recruiting of Carey had a star forward who would only improve with more match practice.

Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley spent much of the second quarter at interchange having come off the ground late in the first term.

He failed to have his normal influence – or disposals.

Carey was shadowed by James Clement for the last 2 1/2 quarters and used his strength cleverly in his first match for more than 12 months.

He was booed by the pro-Collingwood crowd even before the choice of ends and every time he went near the ball.

When he kicked the first of his two second-half goals he was engulfed by teammates who realised the importance of having a player of his quality at the club.

The 50m goal allowed Adelaide to lead by 33 points, its biggest lead of the night.

One of Collingwood's better players earlier in the match, Jason Cloke, drifted out of the game as the Crows continued to bombard the goals.

Early in the match, when Collingwood opened with two goals in the first six minutes, it seemed the Magpies were determined to make up for going so close in last year's day Grand Final.

But Adelaide hit the front late in the quarter thanks to fast-leading full-forward Ian Perrie, who kicked two goals on the hamstrung Prestigiacomo.

Big-name Magpie recruit Shane Woewodin was also quiet, but finished the match with a goal on the siren to reduce Adelaide's winning margin to 31 points.

[Black_White]

Certainly was not Josh and Steves fault.
The fault lays with our recruiting/coaching staff.
Last year, after we lost the GF to the bears 3rd string ruckman, several tried and true rucks came on the market, including the 3rd stringer.
Instead, we recruit another midfielder.
I'm only stating the bleeding obvious, but even a genuine contest in the middle gives our midfielders a chance to shark the tap, but the clear, unnopossed tapping in the centre and at throw ins cost us last year, and now again this year.
If we are lucky enough to reach the pinnicle match in September, be warned that it will cost us again.

-Craig

[Bones]

Even blind freddie can see we get murdered at 80% of ruck work, been like that since monks left.. Last night it was 98%.

I would like to kown the true story on Everett slipping away.

[JLC]

If we reach the Grand final again it would depend who we play wouldnt it ?

The season hasnt even started yet so there may be a few surprises along the way. Who would have thought at the start of the season last year that McGough would have played?

Arguably the best ruckman in the competition is Primus. We managed to beat Port in the finals and were VERY unlucky to lose to them first time around.

so you just never know what will happen....

jlc

[bokka]

I just read in article on collingwood.com that Mckee had a back strain, and Fraser apparently played just about his best game in the ruck last week (acc to another article, I haven't seen any of the play). So things are probably not nearly as bad as the crow's game makes it look. I think both players will develop significantly.
It might be that Fraser needs another year just as a forward however, it might be putting too much pressure on him to take on first ruck at this stage until he develops for another season.
I think we've only got one other tall ruckman - forget his name but his development seems pretty slow, hopefully he can take a step this year otherwise he might be history - but if he comes good our ruck reserves will be pretty decent I reckon.
then you've got Cameron cloke not quite as tall but might develop into a genuine tap ruck nevertheless down the track. Actually I've seen Richardson do really well at center bounces as well, it is the ojnly time I've seen him play with real aggression, might be worth a try. If some of our young tall forwards step up that will free Rocca into the ruck more also.
Still we probably should recruit a couple more next year.

[hotpies]

Collingwood we're playing there ruck last night to close to each other, they need a few players like Wowodin to push off and let someone give him a handball so he can run clear and kick it far, the way we were getting goals last night, was to kick far and deep into the forward center, not to the wings then making them set it up. THe players around the ruck that are not contesting for the ball need to be looking around for the guys that are waiting for the handball and watch them.

[MargOZ]

I don't think ruck is the most cricital position on the ground. Sure it's always going to help to get as many hit-outs as possible but why can't the players in the centre (or around the ball-up) work harder - firstly to stop their opponents from clearing the ball - and secondly to try and clear the ball themselves regardless of which ruckman gets a hand on it. After all, a tap doesn't go very far - I could understand the value of a ruckman who thumps the ball a mile but you don't see that done by many ruckman any more. (In fact I've never understood the value of tapping the ball down into a pack - just give it an almighty punch!).

I think we also forget the amount of great work McKee does around the ground and particulary when he drops back. Josh's main problem is that he's still too light - but that will change in time - and his goal sense and ability to read the play is fantastic.

Regardless of who's in the ruck for us - I just think they need to get a bit more mongrel and toughness into them - if they can't beat them physically then worry them with a bit of timely agression! Rocca has certainly brought more agression and physical presence into his game and I think it would also benefit Macca and Josh (and any future ruckmen).

And it's easy to say we should have gotten this ruckman or that one, but we don't know what went on behind closed doors in regard to recruiting and drafting - we could have tried our best but it didn't work out for one reason or another. We've got a good solid team and Mick will work out the best way of utilising each of their talents - very few sides have 'stars' in every position so every club has to make the most of what they've got.

GO PIES!
Marg

[Brown26]

what was the ruck stats for the first quarter? cause with josh in the middle (after about the first 10 mins) I thought he was doing really well, and I'd be interested to see if the stats back that up.

McKee tried his best but agaist two ruckman he was never really going to win all game. Combine that with the umpires interpretation of what the adelaide players were able to do to him all night (and yet he gave away the free kicks!) and he was a goner.

I hope Frasers ankle isn't serious, because I think he was on track for a nother good game (yes, in the ruck again) yet it wasn't meant to be.

[STOKA35]

just for the record mckee is listed at 199cm and clarke 203cm not much height difference?

[AnthonyC]

Agree a star ruckman would be great. That is not to say that Mckee and Fraser are no good at it. A star any position would be great, I'll take whoever, wherever. The only problem is that they don't grow on trees. I disagree that the "lack" of a ruckman cost us the Wiz Cup GF. Sure we were well and truly beaten in the "ruck contests", but we were just outrun everywhere else. IMO, the ruck contests meant little compared to the crows midfield. We wasted a lot of opportunites to score and they made the most of theirs.