Ruck

Hiya-and-Higher · Joined: 03 Mar 2001 Location: South Australia

I'd be interested to hear from those astute observers of the game WHY our ruck performance is so hugely out of whack.

I have always believed that anyone playing at AFL level has the capacity to be pretty competetive, certainly enough to not be massacred.

McKee we all agreed after a slow start last year, was OK. He has height agility and footy smarts, yet we always seemed to lose badly in the comparative ruck stats.

As we are unlikely to magically find a ruck collosus any time soon, what do our guys need to do to even those stats out?

Opinions?

DaicosMagic · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2003 8:35 pm

Make Josh Fraser EAT, EAT, EAT, & EAT!!! And when he can't eat no more, make him EAT!!! (and perhaps some weight work so he doesn't just get fat).

clokefield_34 · Joined: 14 Dec 2002 Location: vic

G'day all i just wanna see if my logo thing worked
Todd Rolling Eyes

TRELOS · TRELOS Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: Taylors Lakes

get that forgotten man Mark Richardson to ruck

MargOZ · Joined: 08 May 2001 Location: Vic, Australia

I don't think there's a simple solution, particularly for this season, other than perservere with the guys we've got. Macca does some great work around the ground and I have no doubt Josh will still bulk up more in future seasons (I agree DM, keep feeding him! LOL!). Rocca does good stuff in the ruck but needs a break at times and is also needed in other positions. And we still have a couple of tall young kids coming through.

I think the guys in the centre and around the ball-ups need to keep their eye on the ball, read the play and work harder to keep the ball in and/or clear it our way.

Love the logo Todd!

GO PIES!
Marg

dimo · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Melbourne

Fraser will came good, all he needs is time and about 15 more KG's

Just look at Darcy and Gardener at a simular age, this should answer your question.

GO PIES>>

MarkT · Joined: 07 Aug 2001 Location: Melb

In a nutshell, Steve McKee is not good enough to play ru8ck in the AFL. He is not and never will be an AFL ruckman. He has done some good work around the ground but in the ruck the absolute best he has ever done and ever will do is nullify a quality opponent. His effort in the night grand final was nothing short of second rate. His work ethic etc is unquestionable. The problem is he lacks the ability to ruck.

Josh Fraser has proven time and again the he is not a ruckman. he may develop into one in a couple of years but anybody who thinks it's just a question of weight does not really watch the game. He has no idea how to contest a centre bounce. In any case, he is too valuable as a forward IMO to be bashed about in the ruck at this stage.

Rocca is a good ruckman. Unfortunately he does not have the tank to do it for long enough.

Time to try Richards or someone else. It is not possible that he could be worse than McKee in the centre.

swooper_101 · Joined: 23 Nov 2002 Location: Victoria

i just think he is jumping WAY to early watch him

fan4collingwood · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:42 pm

When its 61 hitouts to 8 as it was on Saturday night, then its a big problem...........maybe Jason Cloke could be an outstanding ruckman with his ability to read the ball......even from an umpires bounce, and he can jump and also reach that right hand of his very very high.
Maybe Andrew Gaze is available????????

drew1602 · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Location: Northcote Victoria

Is Guy Richards on our list to play for Collingwood or Williamstown ?? He is 200cm and weighs in at 91kgs...Let Fraser play in forward line to stretch any defence for hieght with him and Rocca their. Josh can ruck in the forward line and this would leave Mckee and Richards to rotate of the bench for centre bounces and backline ruckwork.

fan4collingwood · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 5:33 pm

May I just add that I understand that Stunner had a back injury of some sort on saturday.....hence he wasn't in his usual stunning form, and we need to have a back up for that reason.
I am a huge fan of Steve Mckee, and am amazed at his usual workload.........but I bet even he would welcome a good backup ruckman.

STOKA35 · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Location: Mount Barker. South Australia

mckee is 200cm so he aint small no doubt we are conceding that we are going to lose most hit outs and steve makes up for that by picking up posesions around the ground sort of being an extra midfielder.
CENTRE BOUNCES
His tactics by coming in from the side does not work against opposition ruckmen who can leap because they jump all over him.I think he needs to jump into opposition ruckmen this will then put pressure on the opponent ruckman because he will no gee this guy keeps jumping into me hence this will put pressure on the opponents hit outs and they might not be as well directed.If Mckee continues to run from the side and not jump his opponent then can out leap him and have a free reign of were he can direct his hit outs as there is no body pressure.Also if he comes from the side the midfielders need to stand next to there opponents i mean right on there toes and maybe shark there hit outs then if they get the ball and our midfielders are standing next to them we can exert pressure straight away.
AROUND GROUND
steve can body around the ground bounces or throw ins as most ruckmen prefer this as rucking is fairly taxing on the body.By bodying at around the ground bounces he could be favoured by the umpires bounce and gain hit outs that way

Nicholas · Joined: 06 Mar 2003 Location: Melbourne

It's not about Joshy eating, it's about him learning to play ruck.