We need to start looking at another ruck option to play in tandem with Gawn. This will allow both Rucks to have spells on the bench and resting forward, and also help Gawn and his longevity in the game. We can't keep hedging our bets, and putting all our eggs in one basket by relying on Gawn week in and week out. Look at the way Collingwood tore us up with Cox and Grundy. 

Thoughts on targeting someone like Two Metre Peter? Is a decent tap ruckman, and can kick them dead straight from 60m out with ease. Another hole that we have in key marking forwards are confident in slotting them from outside 50. Wouldn't come overly expensive either I would have thought.

Cheers.

Two-metre Peter?

Edited June 12, 20186 yr by Ethan Tremblay

Gold Coast aren't giving him up cheaply and he's not the mobile player we like.

Tommy Mc can ruck if needed, I hope it's a card they are waiting to play later in the year.

Tim Smith will come back in and do the job as back up. Or Weeds long term, or Pedda with a run of games against lesser opponents.

Wright isn't any better than Sammy Weeds, he's just had more games at GC to get some cheap goals. 

I think it's important not to base your list management strategy on one game. A game in which we clearly didn't put our best foot forward. 

We matched Collingwood for clearances last year without Gawn. I think we have to be prepared to revert to more defensive/less aggressive set ups at stoppages if Gawn is being nullified or beaten.

Peter Wright is a decent footballer, but I'd prefer we kept using Smith or Weideman as second ruck and kept Hogan and Tommy as midfielders or forwards.

I think we just have to "Feed the Weed" by playing him the rest of the season.

If he can develop then we don't need to worry about trying to trade for someone else. If he doesn't pan out at least then we know what we have with Weed.

3 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Gold Coast aren't giving him up cheaply and he's not the mobile player we like.

Tommy Mc can ruck if needed, I hope it's a card they are waiting to play later in the year.

Tim Smith will come back in and do the job as back up. Or Weeds long term, or Pedda with a run of games against lesser opponents.

Wright isn't any better than Sammy Weeds, he's just had more games at GC to get some cheap goals. 

 

18 minutes ago, A F said:

I think it's important not to base your list management strategy on one game. A game in which we clearly didn't put our best foot forward. 

We matched Collingwood for clearances last year without Gawn. I think we have to be prepared to revert to more defensive/less aggressive set ups at stoppages if Gawn is being nullified or beaten.

Peter Wright is a decent footballer, but I'd prefer we kept using Smith or Weideman as second ruck and kept Hogan and Tommy as midfielders or forwards.

After the last few weeks, if nothing else surely now TMac plays at full forward and no where else.

29 minutes ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

 

After the last few weeks, if nothing else surely now TMac plays at full forward and no where else.

Very keen for him to stay forward and if possible not even go on the wing for the next little while, but if we do come up against a team with 2 genuine rucks he has a fair bit to offer in that role. Certainly a lot depends on the match ups.

Collingwood are a threat because Grundy's work rate means Gawn probably needs a decent break each quarter. Against lesser first rucks we can leave Max out for longer. And against teams without a legitimate 2nd ruck it's not issue at all.

I was thinking about him too.  He's not a popular man at GCS right now, wasting his time in the reserves.  I don't think Dew really rates him or possibly just doesn't like him.  Either way, if he can't get back into the firsts I think he could be very gettable and he certainly has talent. 

Also of note is that he was said to be very good friends with a certain defender who recently moved back to Melbourne.  Pretty sure he'd like to move back to Melbourne and hang with Jake again. 

Wright would be a more than handy backup.  Not getting a game with the Suns which is a joke. 

He would come with a 2nd round pick prize tag. Maybe we offer a player like JKH & MFC 2nd round for Wright & Suns 3rd round pick. 

11 hours ago, A F said:

I think it's important not to base your list management strategy on one game. A game in which we clearly didn't put our best foot forward. 

I agree. However, we can't just put all our eggs in one basket. Every team should have depth and backup options. If Gawn goes down, we're pretty much screwed. Trading in someone like Wright, who wouldn't cost the world would give us some breathing space of having him as a second ruck option.

Additionally, a two prong ruck attack and Gawn / Wright resting forward would allow Hogan to play more up the ground and give defenders another big target to worry about defending, giving Tmac the best opportunity he can. It's another strategy that Goodwin could utilise and have up his sleeve. Otherwise, relying on players like Weideman, Smith and Pedo to be that back up ruck and rest forward isn't really helping our case I feel.

Midfielders and half back flankers with speed and kicking skills are the much bigger need.

I agree with the OP – Peter Wright would be a very handy acquisition. Not only as back-up if Gawn goes down.. But atm he immediately replaces Pedo and rotates more frequently with Gawn in the ruck. His height, great hands and booming kick are exactly what we need - we don't really have any players, maybe other than Melksham and Bernie who can kick goals from outside 50. The only question mark I have is his defensive mindset and endurance.. But still has tonnes of improvement as he's still only 21. 

I also think considering he's struggling to get games for GC we could get him for reasonably cheap. We are always complaining about our backup ruck stocks.. So why not?

3 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Wright would be a more than handy backup.  Not getting a game with the Suns which is a joke. 

He would come with a 2nd round pick prize tag. Maybe we offer a player like JKH & MFC 2nd round for Wright & Suns 3rd round pick. 

Wright is playing in the reserves for a side that is bottom four with a percentage of 62. They can't kick more than 5 goals a game, yet he can't get a game.

I don't see how he'd help, let alone giving away JKH and swapping a worse pick.

12 minutes ago, mauriesy said:

Wright is playing in the reserves for a side that is bottom four with a percentage of 62. They can't kick more than 5 goals a game, yet he can't get a game.

I don't see how he'd help, let alone giving away JKH and swapping a worse pick.

The bloke can play though, and has shown it at this level.  

So what's wrong?  Dew doesn't like him?  Has he already told them he wants out?  Not putting in enough at training?  You would want to know more about it, but he isn't languishing in the reserves because he doesn't have the ability to contribute.  It's something else.

14 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Very keen for him to stay forward and if possible not even go on the wing for the next little while, but if we do come up against a team with 2 genuine rucks he has a fair bit to offer in that role. Certainly a lot depends on the match ups.

Collingwood are a threat because Grundy's work rate means Gawn probably needs a decent break each quarter. Against lesser first rucks we can leave Max out for longer. And against teams without a legitimate 2nd ruck it's not issue at all.

Understand your points with regards to match ups but ideally that’s why we are playing the 3 talls. 

Out of interest (I’d have to look) since TMac has been dominating up fwd how many of those games has Garlett been in the team. 

2 hours ago, Watts Jurrah Dunn? said:

Midfielders and half back flankers with speed and kicking skills are the much bigger need.

Yes but no reason we can’t target both. A club can’t expect too much for a bloke not getting a game.