was just looking at some stats from this round and found out the martin had 40 hitouts..looking better everyweek without jamar

has been excellent. much improved this year. can also defend in the back half as well.....def required going forward.

Absolutely love the way Martin goes about it, gotta love a ruckman that can get the hit out and follow up his work with a tackle or a clearance. Definitely a good back up to Jamar, however should be played every week even if down forward in place of Newton!

You're baiting me aren't you? This player needs to go back to Casey for the rest of the year.

Absolute shocker.

prefer if he could play forward as competently as he can play down back- that's where he's really needed, ala Leigh Brown. then he'd be a true swing man.

Agree re needed going forward. super athlete, just needs some good forward line coaching (something which i doubt Melbourne is able to give him currently, given the dysfunctional nature of our forward line for the past several years under Josh Mahoney's guidance).

You're baiting me aren't you? This player needs to go back to Casey for the rest of the year.

Absolute shocker.

AHAHAHAHAAHAHAH needed a good laugh, thanks for that.

If Jamar is not playing he is usually rucking full time with hardly a breather. If Jamar plays he pinch hits off the bench to given the Russian a rest.

His centre bounce would has been good this year (better than expected. However he needs to become accountable around the ground for his direct opponent when not in the centre bounce.

Has been sensational under immense pressure. Highlight of the season for me

AHAHAHAHAAHAHAH needed a good laugh, thanks for that.

I know, you got me - moth to a light.

was just looking at some stats from this round and found out the martin had 40 hitouts..looking better everyweek without jamar

Reminds me of a former player, Glen McLean, (No 26), of the eighties. He came in when the No1 ruck was injured. It may have been Gary Baker. McLean took the world by storm. a similar frame to martin.

Reminds me of a former player, Glen McLean, (No 26), of the eighties. He came in when the No1 ruck was injured. It may have been Gary Baker. McLean took the world by storm. a similar frame to martin.

....who then went to Collingwood and hardly played a game. Different era, hard to compare. I'm frustrated by Stef's lack of development. Look at Cox of West Coast - when he was drafted he could hardly bounce the ball and 3 or 4 years later he was the league's most dominant ruckman, culminating in a flag in '06. Someone coach the kid, or delist him. At the moment, he has no clue about AFL footy.

Anyone else think if he can play 60% match time in the Ruck when Jamar is back we could benefit by using the Russian as our gorilla forward we're so desperate for? Martin first ruck, Jamar from the goal square - reverse their roles from earlier this season?

....who then went to Collingwood and hardly played a game. Different era, hard to compare. I'm frustrated by Stef's lack of development. Look at Cox of West Coast - when he was drafted he could hardly bounce the ball and 3 or 4 years later he was the league's most dominant ruckman, culminating in a flag in '06. Someone coach the kid, or delist him. At the moment, he has no clue about AFL footy.

Yeah, Dean Cox is the development trajectory that every kid should be put on

*circus music*

Anyone else think if he can play 60% match time in the Ruck when Jamar is back we could benefit by using the Russian as our gorilla forward we're so desperate for? Martin first ruck, Jamar from the goal square - reverse their roles from earlier this season?

Don't think so - Beamer is a chance to break his world record 19 clearances if Jamar is in the ruck. If Stef pops in there, he becomes almost ineffectual.

Time for Casey, get some junk time into Gawn whilst Stef learns to play to a structure, rather than the U13's.

Anyone else think if he can play 60% match time in the Ruck when Jamar is back we could benefit by using the Russian as our gorilla forward we're so desperate for? Martin first ruck, Jamar from the goal square - reverse their roles from earlier this season?

Definitely, as much as the injury to Jamar has massively sucked, it has fast-track a fair bit of development with Stef and i really think he's done quite well (under the circumstances). I reckon it will ease the pressure off Jamar, and as you said, play him as a forward more often.

....who then went to Collingwood and hardly played a game. Different era, hard to compare. I'm frustrated by Stef's lack of development. Look at Cox of West Coast - when he was drafted he could hardly bounce the ball and 3 or 4 years later he was the league's most dominant ruckman, culminating in a flag in '06. Someone coach the kid, or delist him. At the moment, he has no clue about AFL footy.

He played Colts for East Perth in 1999 and starred s much that he was drafted by WCE the following year as rookie only to be upgraded. He is achievement is even more meritorious given he could hardly bounce the ball.

Dean Cox is a superb athlete and an elite ruckman for a number of years. Using Cox as a benchmark would mean nearly all ruckman bar Sandilands in the past decade are inferior. If Martin gets even close to Cox he will be very good. And if your using Cox as a benchmark then Mark Jamar is fail as well.

world record 19 clearances

wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.

AFL record 19 clearances... pretty sure guiness werent counting.

does this mean collingwood are world champions too?

Anyone else think if he can play 60% match time in the Ruck when Jamar is back we could benefit by using the Russian as our gorilla forward we're so desperate for? Martin first ruck, Jamar from the goal square - reverse their roles from earlier this season?

Stef has been particularly good at the center bounces. If he took some of them with Jamar in the goalsquare it would make a hell of a quick clearance-mark-goal combo. Scary to be a fullback with that facing you.

He played Colts for East Perth in 1999 and starred s much that he was drafted by WCE the following year as rookie only to be upgraded. He is achievement is even more meritorious given he could hardly bounce the ball.

Dean Cox is a superb athlete and an elite ruckman for a number of years. Using Cox as a benchmark would mean nearly all ruckman bar Sandilands in the past decade are inferior. If Martin gets even close to Cox he will be very good. And if your using Cox as a benchmark then Mark Jamar is fail as well.

I was alluding to the fact that Stef's development has stalled. Cox was recruited but everyone thought that the gods had gone crazy - the rest is history. Stef, too, is a superb athlete who isn't going to make it.

are you blind? compare stef this year with last year....huge improvement.

I was alluding to the fact that Stef's development has stalled. Cox was recruited but everyone thought that the gods had gone crazy - the rest is history. Stef, too, is a superb athlete who isn't going to make it.

You're kidding

I was alluding to the fact that Stef's development has stalled. Cox was recruited but everyone thought that the gods had gone crazy - the rest is history. Stef, too, is a superb athlete who isn't going to make it.

Stef has had his issues and I didn't think he would survive past 2011 but you change your opinion as the facts change.

The sub rule means we must take in someone to help Jamar ruck who can also play another role - Stef is not there at the moment in the forward line but is solid in defence.

This month has been great for Martin to accelerate his ruckwork and he has done that. When Jamar comes back he can work on his forward displays.

If it gets even slightly better, he has got the second ruck position nailed.

Never underestimate ruck dominance - Jamar and Martin will give us that.

Been thrown in the deep end and doing a fantastic job considering. I think this has really shown what he is made of. May not be a serious ruckman going forward, but has shown that he has the right attitude, work ethic and adaptability to make it.

One of the few positives this year.

are you blind? compare stef this year with last year....huge improvement.

Have a footy debate - don't be rude.

What do you base your facts on? Stats? They can be meaningless. 40 hitouts that miss a target? Not good enough.

Bombing it long? Not good enough. Not manning up? Not good enough.

great improvement from Stef, fantastic around the ground and holding his own in ruck contests... Rather than being used sparingly in the ruck like he was before Jamar went down, we'll see him play 30-40% (perhaps even 50%) ruck once the russian is back, allowing Jamar to play forward...

if stef can learn where to lead as a forward, then we have a real player... as the work rate is there, just needs to position himself well... skills are there too, they've improved greatly with his increased confidence...