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Gawn is great, but I doubt he will be the game's No.1 ruckman at his peak

TGR
TGR
in Melbourne Demons

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For a change, I hope I am wrong.  But what I have seen from Brodie Grundy lately, I don't think Max can match his mobility and contest impact post-tap.  Credit to Max and how he has done everything right.  Great hands.  Great tap-ruck.  Gut-runs forward to throw his body into a marking contest.  With all that going for him, he might have to settle for no.2 for mine.

 

pTGR

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    I have no idea why this needs to be a thread on it's own, and I don't ever think I'll find out why.

     

     

    pWiseblood.

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    7 minutes ago, TGR said:

    For a change, I hope I am wrong.  But what I have seen from Brodie Grundy lately, I don't think Max can match his mobility and contest impact post-tap.  Credit to Max and how he has done everything right.  Great hands.  Great tap-ruck.  Gut-runs forward to throw his body into a marking contest.  With all that going for him, he might have to settle for no.2 for mine.

     

    pTGR

    I think your right TGR.

     

    Gawny is fantastic on-field, and as clubman. But he will never match Grundy's around ground play.

     

    Unless he learns to do a 'Paul Salmon' up forward, when he's resting off the ball.

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    Max has most of the tools to be the best ruckman in the game, if he isn't already. However he seriously needs to work on his kicking. His long kicks are huge up and unders, and his set shots are sketchy at best.

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    7 minutes ago, Forest Demon said:

    Max has most of the tools to be the best ruckman in the game, if he isn't already. However he seriously needs to work on his kicking. His long kicks are huge up and unders, and his set shots are sketchy at best.

    Those close in kicks for goal, he leans back and pulls his leg across the line towards the points to the left. Striking the ball the same way.

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    Not sure what to make of his game today, 66 hit outs but there seems to an issue with midfield communications or set up. I saw him win numerous hit outs quite easily but how often to our full advantage? From boundary throw ins I saw him flip one out the back but to 2 Hawks, then flip a couple out wide to a nest of Hawks while our guys are on the inside, then when we had a throw in in our forward pocket in the 3rd but we had no one front and centre, all our guys lined up to the side and behind. Max then decisively knocked it straight forward down Sicily’s throat who promptly kicked long over our press and they scored a goal on the break, end to end. And that was the ball game. Dumb stuff but who is not talking to whom? 

    Interestingly enough Max dominated the tap outs enough to just make sure he tapped to where Mitchell wasn’t and maybe Jones then did not need to tag Mitchell and could have been more a creator than negator. 

    Edited by Earl Hood

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    Gawn is the future of the club in the sense that his dominance equals success.

    Like many I fear that we could look back and say we wasted his skills.

    Mid fields are so good at roving to the opposition ruckman I despair of finding a tactic to maximise the advantage. If his round the ground performance is the yardstick.... he's good but there are better.

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    11 hours ago, Earl Hood said:

    Not sure what to make of his game today, 66 hit outs but there seems to an issue with midfield communications or set up. I saw him win numerous hit outs quite easily but how often to our full advantage? From boundary throw ins I saw him flip one out the back but to 2 Hawks, then flip a couple out wide to a nest of Hawks while our guys are on the inside, then when we had a throw in in our forward pocket in the 3rd but we had no one front and centre, all our guys lined up to the side and behind. Max then decisively knocked it straight forward down Sicily’s throat who promptly kicked long over our press and they scored a goal on the break, end to end. And that was the ball game. Dumb stuff but who is not talking to whom? 

    Interestingly enough Max dominated the tap outs enough to just make sure he tapped to where Mitchell wasn’t and maybe Jones then did not need to tag Mitchell and could have been more a creator than negator. 

    I saw what you saw that’s for sure and it happens quite often. Starting to think Max is tall and strong but not very smart at all. A lot of work goes to the opposition and it’s worse when he’s angry so I’m going to blame him for being daft.

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    Everyone's quick to jump on Grundy after 4 good weeks. Max is the better player, more runs on the board, better ruckman... Give it half a season, Grundy won't play like that every week. Meanwhile Max has 66 hitouts against a class ruckman in big boy. 66 is ridiculous, even against a no-ruck team.

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    15 hours ago, TGR said:

    For a change, I hope I am wrong.  But what I have seen from Brodie Grundy lately, I don't think Max can match his mobility and contest impact post-tap.  Credit to Max and how he has done everything right.  Great hands.  Great tap-ruck.  Gut-runs forward to throw his body into a marking contest.  With all that going for him, he might have to settle for no.2 for mine.

     

    pTGR

    So youre saying he will still be awesome and only be the 2nd best ruckman?

    Yeah, Im pretty sure we can all live with that

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    57 minutes ago, Dappa Dan said:

    Everyone's quick to jump on Grundy after 4 good weeks. Max is the better player, more runs on the board, better ruckman... Give it half a season, Grundy won't play like that every week. Meanwhile Max has 66 hitouts against a class ruckman in big boy. 66 is ridiculous, even against a no-ruck team.

    Sure it's ridiculous. But is that good?

    He is 7 cm taller than McEvoy. That's a lot so it's not really that surprising.

    Go and watch his taps, he can be very hit and miss and needs to be much more aware of where opposition mids are standing and dangerous spots that he seems to hit to.

    I love Gawn and when he's on he is one of the best ruckman in the competition without question. But yesterday he missed another sitter in front of goal which would have put more pressure on Hawthorn early and he could have been a lot smarter with his taps on many occasions. 

     

     

    Edited by stevethemanjordan

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    The only thing letting down Gawn at the moment are his set shots (the blatant obvious).

    Watching his two misses on the AFL website it's quite clear he runs out to the right on his approach, which causes him to kick across his body to the left. If he keeps it all straight, it should be an easy fix.

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    Gawny is our shining light no doubt. You have your opinion , that's fine but at least  he gives it his all. 

    Grundy is at the top of his game, so was McEnvoy  before the week end, However Gawn Dog  had the better of him.  That's another scalp for Gawny.  Some team mates of Gawn's should take a leaf out of his book. 

    GAWN FOR ME. 

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    3 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

    Sure it's ridiculous. But is that good?

    He is 7 cm taller than McEvoy. That's a lot so it's not really that surprising.

    Go and watch his taps, he can be very hit and miss and needs to be much more aware of where opposition mids are standing and dangerous spots that he seems to hit to.

    I saw them. He's no prodigy when it comes to tapping to advantage. I've always felt that had more to do with the midfielders brains. Still... it's better if you get a hand to it. Also he identified we were struggling in clearances and would tap for distance, not finesse.

    And yes. It is good. Had he got 40 against a 4 quarter potential AA ruckman from last year that would have been great. 66 is insanely good, height or no.

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    He doesn’t need to be the competitions number one ruckman. He only needs to be OUR number one ruckman.

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    Should beat any rucks aside from Nic Nat at centre bounces and we should take more advantage of that. 

    But boundary throw ins aren't as much a case of tallest man wins. A shorter guy who has a lower centre of gravity can manipulate where his opponent can hit the ball relatively easily. McEvoy forced Gawn to hit it defensive side yesterday and the Hawks mids swarmed on us and forced turnovers. Yesterday really was a game where we would've been better with Pedda (or Tommy Mc) in the ruck to change the dynamic around the throw ins.

    And we don't use his marking around the ground well enough. Plus the game moves so much faster now that he can't get a kick behind the play and take defensive marks.

    Gawn will monster bad rucks. He'll be very good around the ground if used well. And if we defend well he's a weapon when he can get back inside 50 for the high ball. But against good rucks and good teams it becomes very hard for him to be an advantage. 

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    This thread wouldn’t exist if we won yesterday. And who cares what ‘number’ ruck he is in the competition as long as he is doing the job we need him to do. 

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    Any excuse TGR to grab  hold and flagellate ya heart out.
    Look a moi , look a moi.

    Edited by Fork 'em

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    23 hours ago, TGR said:

    For a change, I hope I am wrong.  But what I have seen from Brodie Grundy lately, I don't think Max can match his mobility and contest impact post-tap.  Credit to Max and how he has done everything right.  Great hands.  Great tap-ruck.  Gut-runs forward to throw his body into a marking contest.  With all that going for him, he might have to settle for no.2 for mine.

     

    pTGR

    Are you talking about the same bloke he towelled up on Queens b’day last year? 

    People were saying Martin was the no.1 ruck a week ago and Gawn taught him a lesson. 

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    1 hour ago, Demons11 said:

    Are you talking about the same bloke he towelled up on Queens b’day last year? 

    People were saying Martin was the no.1 ruck a week ago and Gawn taught him a lesson. 

    I'm not talking about 10 months ago.  I am talking about a multi-dimensional mobile tall entering his prime.

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