Yep, completely agree @rpfc.

19 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Seen a few comments after his efforts in the ruck yesterday.

Unless we are trying to find a direct unicorn replacement for LJ I think the better option would be Weideman to back up Gawn with a ‘cheap’ or young ruckman at Casey to back both up. Then I would make a play for an established tall forward with the cap space and the draft capital revived for LJ.

With Brown/TMac 2 years away from kaput - this year or next we need to source their replacement. Is it van rooyen? Maybe. Is he big enough? 

Sam as back up takes the pressure off his forward craft and positioning and allows us to play a ruck who is good enough forward while also good enough in the ruck.

Can Sam be an adequate back up ruck in a top 4 team?

IMO he is close, played ok when LJ and Max were out. If LJ goes as expected he could hold down that position. 

21 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Seen a few comments after his efforts in the ruck yesterday.

Unless we are trying to find a direct unicorn replacement for LJ I think the better option would be Weideman to back up Gawn with a ‘cheap’ or young ruckman at Casey to back both up. Then I would make a play for an established tall forward with the cap space and the draft capital revived for LJ.

With Brown/TMac 2 years away from kaput - this year or next we need to source their replacement. Is it van rooyen? Maybe. Is he big enough? 

Sam as back up takes the pressure off his forward craft and positioning and allows us to play a ruck who is good enough forward while also good enough in the ruck.

Can Sam be an adequate back up ruck in a top 4 team?

I don't trust him

Weid's game yesterday was as well as I've seen him play in years. Yes, he's previously kicked bags at Casey against ordinary opposition, but he was up against seasoned AFL ruckmen, and competed very well. But I wouldn't be making a decision on the club's ruck stocks based on one game from Weid. Two weeks prior, he was absolutely putrid, and gave no effort. 

Assuming there's no interest from other clubs, I'd have Weid as the starting ruck at Casey next year. I'd be chasing a young ruckman like Meek, plus a rookie ruckman. Meek played in Freo's last game, so it will be interesting to see if he gets a game this week. 

Weid needs to show the same effort he did yesterday on a consistent basis before I'd consider him as a 2nd ruck.

Sam has a very long way to go as a ruck not because he can or can't ruck but because he can't impose himself around the ground.

He's ok in the handball and follow up area but he just doesn't show that ability to drop back in defence and take a mark or mark the long kick out etc

Sam's developing ruck craft may help him find a team that needs that support and be a hybrid fwd.  Then he is more likely to be a starting 22.. 

Sadly, he will only be considered depth at the Dees.

Best contribution I've seen from Weid for quite some time. He was outsized, but his second efforts were good. As the game progressed he made more hit outs to advantage. It seems, we get more from Weid if we aren't relying on him to mark! He is mobile and he played a good four quarters yesterday. If he remains on our list, I look forward to him getting his opportunity next year... just not as a key forward!

A 197cm bloke who can ruck and play fwd is worth keeping. Sure he doesn’t excel at either but he can play a role. He might not play every week but we need help for Maxy. Big keys tend to play their best footy after 25 so I’d keep him on a small contract. Preferable to paying $700 K per year for Grundy imo. Keep some money in the kitty to snag a fwd when t Mac and brown retire

2 hours ago, Captain Jack Jordan said:

 

That is a very inappropriate comment.

Edited August 28, 20222 yr by george_on_the_outer

RPFC a well reasoned and rationale post. The game he played this year when our regular ruck options were out was one of  his better outings for the season. Demon victory from memory? So not the liability some claim. Although it’s a fine line with Sam.   After an excellent start against the dogs he did fade out, but he was not home alone. The more guys that buy in to the team ethos the greater the chance of success.

May be this preseason he needs to prioritise some resilience training and ‘toughen up’. Boot camp as an extra in a sword and sandal epic rowing a Roman galley would suffice.

26 minutes ago, waynewussell said:

aren't relying on him to mark

He took 6 marks yesterday, 3rd only to Dunstan’s 8 and Tommo’s 7. His contested marking as a key forward isn’t great, but he’s proven to be a good mark when mobile as a ruck. Sam Weideman is a very good footballer, definitely AFL standard by my reckoning, just not a key forward. If he leaves and plays as a utility-ruck, he’ll do very well. If LJ goes, he can well do it with us. 

I reckon he should look for a new club and try to revive his career. New surrounds and environment might be the catalyst. Too much baggage at the Dees

such a quandary......7 years on the list for 59 games, but still only 25

2 massive things in his favour - not carrying 2 primary rucks is a comparative advantage, and his tapwork is actually quite good. Great for a forward.

I don’t want Grundy at the mooted price, Meek is zero fwd craft from what I have seen, other options aren’t worth the move from where I sit… 

It’s a definite need for attention but I hope for Sam still. Last dice roll of course.

9 minutes ago, rpfc said:

2 massive things in his favour - not carrying 2 primary rucks is a comparative advantage, and his tapwork is actually quite good. Great for a forward.

I don’t want Grundy at the mooted price, Meek is zero fwd craft from what I have seen, other options aren’t worth the move from where I sit… 

It’s a definite need for attention but I hope for Sam still. Last dice roll of course.

You have my vote!

36 minutes ago, drysdale demon said:

That is a very inappropriate comment.

Terrible example but unfortunately correct premise.

40 minutes ago, drysdale demon said:

That is a very inappropriate comment.

I have to agree. Totally inappropriate,  when family are still around.  That comment should be withdrawn. 
your sentiment might of might not be true, but for me it was worded inappropriately.

13 minutes ago, rpfc said:

2 massive things in his favour - not carrying 2 primary rucks is a comparative advantage, and his tapwork is actually quite good. Great for a forward.

I don’t want Grundy at the mooted price, Meek is zero fwd craft from what I have seen, other options aren’t worth the move from where I sit… 

It’s a definite need for attention but I hope for Sam still. Last dice roll of course.

Should Max be out injured for any period of time, I wouldn't want a makeshift ruckman like Weid as no.1 ruckman. You can get away with it for a week here and there, but not long term.

Also a forward line the includes BBB, T Mac and Weid hasn't worked in the past. I'd like to see BBB and Fritsch as leading forwards, with T Mac and possibly Meek as a bash and crash forward. Weid hasn't created contests as a forward.

5 minutes ago, mo64 said:

Should Max be out injured for any period of time, I wouldn't want a makeshift ruckman like Weid as no.1 ruckman. You can get away with it for a week here and there, but not long term.

Also a forward line the includes BBB, T Mac and Weid hasn't worked in the past. I'd like to see BBB and Fritsch as leading forwards, with T Mac and possibly Meek as a bash and crash forward. Weid hasn't created contests as a forward.

I would get a Meek type to play at Casey in addition to having Weed play 2nd ruck at AFL.

And I don’t think we have had a great sample size with Weed as back up ruck with this forward line.

I just think it is a cheaper option to mooted alternatives and may mean we can do our search for a tall fwd in a years time when they may be more options. Also bringing money forward for Oliver, Petracca, and Brayshaw that can gives us flexibility in later years. This is the beauty of these long term deals - they provide long term stability and flexibility.

Edited August 28, 20222 yr by rpfc

1 hour ago, daisycutter said:

such a quandary......7 years on the list for 59 games, but still only 25

Like Joel Smith on the list 9 years for 26 games?

For all that Weed has not been what we hoped in the fwd line, he still represents a huge investment in time and method. He is obviously a good clubman and popular so I don’t see the need for him to find himself somewhere else, if he can fill a role in Ruck and execute that is worth something. Neville Jetta was a small forward failure, he went on to be a brilliant backman, Tmac was becoming a liability with his disposal in back half and looping kicks and became a gun forward. Just because Weed is not Tom Lynch doesn’t mean he is without value. And there are no ‘good’ ruckman hiding out there in plain sight. I mean Preuss is still on a list and he offered less than Weid did in his time in the ruck for us. One of the things that makes us potent at the moment is the team synergy, I am not saying it is the only thing or trumps other factors, just that it should be part of the calculus.

He rucked in Adelaide - and I thought he was pretty good that day.

 

6 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

Interesting.

Seems like many of our fringe players (Tomlinson, Bedford, Hunt, Weed, etc.) are looking around.

Maybe signals a more ruthless approach to list management?