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Ruck stocks 2023

deejammin'
deejammin'
in Melbourne Demons

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With Majak Daw retiring and us going into this season light on for developing rucks on our list (with the great development of Taj, Bedford, the excitement around Howes, Disco and JVR in the VFL I think the formerly thin wing and KP stocks now look ok, leaving back-up ruck our biggest weakness). 

Regardless of LJ’s decision, which would leave us even lighter obviously should he opt to leave. I think we need to draft in two possibly 3 rucks regardless.

I would be getting a ruck through the national draft, a developing speculative rookie (Jack Bell has looked good at VFL level perhaps he sneaks through as a rookie or gets drafted?). And importantly, an AFL level backup, like a Majak, who is starved for opportunity or a bit speculative but will play well at Casey, I’m not sure who this would be, any ideas?

This is our greatest area of need, thought I’d get the ball rolling on who might be available?

Edited by deejammin'

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    TBH you would probably get better value turning Weid into a ruckman.

    Ruckmen who can also contribute in a meaningful way around the ground are not easy to find.

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    I'd like to look at Sam Hayes from Port Adelaide.

    205cm ruckman who was an All Australian ruckman at under 18 level. Has had past history of knee concerns very similar Max Gawn at the same age.

    Though, he is contracted to Port until 2023.

    Matthew Flynn from GWS who we put in a bid for in the 2015 draft is also someone else I'd look at potentially. 

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    37 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

    TBH you would probably get better value turning Weid into a ruckman.

    Ruckmen who can also contribute in a meaningful way around the ground are not easy to find.

    Through a mixture of wisdom and necessity the club had Weid doing ruck work all pre-season and he’s been ok as 2nd ruck/forward in the two games he’s had to do it this year. But as a first ruck Sam would worry me, Brisbane got two goals directly from Oscar McInnerny muscling him out of forward boundary throw ins and taking the ball, or punching it 10 metres. We are one, two once Gawny gets back, injuries from Sam being number 1 ruck and that would be trouble for us. 
    We are ok for backup ruck forward options, Luke is one of the best in the league as he is a pure ruck who can go forward, Sam does a decent job, TMac did it well in 2018, BBB takes occasional forward hit outs and does ok and the club has even started giving JVR time in the ruck to have him as another forward/ruck option.

    What we are light on for us pure rucks. The AFL average is four on a list, with Majak retiring we join Adelaide as the only two teams with only two pure rucks on our list. We need to draft at least one for the future and one for now this off-season. More if Luke leaves.

    16 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    I'd like to look at Sam Hayes from Port Adelaide.

    205cm ruckman who was an All Australian ruckman at under 18 level. Has had past history of knee concerns very similar Max Gawn at the same age.

    Though, he is contracted to Port until 2023.

    Matthew Flynn from GWS who we put in a bid for in the 2015 draft is also someone else I'd look at potentially. 

    Those are both great options, I rate Flynn, he was great against Max last year, what about Max Lynch from Hawthorn also?

    Edited by deejammin'

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    ill throw in Lloyd Meek who could be an option particularly if LJ is freo bound, he'll be pushed further down the order but regardless he could be an option. and i wonder if we decide to go in for Lobb if he requests a move east again to play CHF and pinch hit instead of a tmac possibly

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    Brody might be on the market at a discount price.

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    20 minutes ago, deejammin' said:

    We are ok for backup ruck forward options, Luke is one of the best in the league as he is a pure ruck who can go forward, Sam does a decent job, TMac did it well in 2018, BBB takes occasional forward hit outs and does ok and the club has even started giving JVR time in the ruck to have him as another forward/ruck option.

    What we are light on for us pure rucks. The AFL average is four on a list, with Majak retiring we join Adelaide as the only two teams with only two pure rucks on our list. We need to draft at least one for the future and one for now this off-season. More if Luke leaves.

    Those are both great options, I rate Flynn, he was great against Max last year, what about Max Lynch from Hawthorn also?

    Has van Rooyen grown? At the beginning of the year he was listed as 194cm. That's not nearly tall enough to compete against any other genuine ruckman.

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    25 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

    Has van Rooyen grown? At the beginning of the year he was listed as 194cm. That's not nearly tall enough to compete against any other genuine ruckman.

    I think he may have, he looks taller, he was played as second ruck this weekend in the VFL and did pretty well. I’d say he’s more of a Weideman/TMac emergency backup ruck than a true ruck option.

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    57 minutes ago, deejammin' said:

    the club has even started giving JVR time in the ruck to have him as another forward/ruck option.

    When have they done this? I haven't seen it/certainly not any consistency to it. 

    Weid needs to spend more time in the ruck at both VFL/AFL level. It's the best solution to improve his overall game/forward presence. 

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    1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    I'd like to look at Sam Hayes from Port Adelaide.

    205cm ruckman who was an All Australian ruckman at under 18 level. Has had past history of knee concerns very similar Max Gawn at the same age.

    Though, he is contracted to Port until 2023.

    Matthew Flynn from GWS who we put in a bid for in the 2015 draft is also someone else I'd look at potentially. 

    They talked about Hayes on SEN recently

    https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/06/21/the-young-ruckman-whose-future-may-sit-at-another-club/

    But would he want "In case of emergency break" status?

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    21 minutes ago, Ham said:

    When have they done this? I haven't seen it/certainly not any consistency to it. 

    Weid needs to spend more time in the ruck at both VFL/AFL level. It's the best solution to improve his overall game/forward presence. 

    This weekend in the VFL vs Gold Coast. JVR played second ruck to Jack Bell as first, Mitch Brown as the stay at home forward. He took at least 5 centre bounces that I remember and quite a few boundary throw ins, did ok. 
    Sam is the normal backup ruck option for the VFL if one of Majak and Jack hasn’t been there but obviously he was playing AFL this week. 
    Sam will get a lot of backup ruck time in Majak and Gawny’s absence but I like the club taking the opportunity to add another string to JVR’s bow and give us another contingency in the case of a ruck emergency.

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    From what I have seen of Casey, the very tall ruck, whose name I don't know, looks worthy of a go. He is thin but lanky and reminds me of Oscar McInerny. The other tall at Casey is more a key position player, but Corey Ellison can take a great grab.

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    9 minutes ago, Older demon said:

    From what I have seen of Casey, the very tall ruck, whose name I don't know, looks worthy of a go. He is thin but lanky and reminds me of Oscar McInerny. The other tall at Casey is more a key position player, but Corey Ellison can take a great grab.

    The OM lookalike is Jack Bell, I agree he looks worth a go. Many of the Casey watchers in the KC thread tend to agree. I had seen the other solidly built bloke but I hadn’t heard his name, nor do I think he is a great ruck option at the moment.

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    While Bell has showed promise he has only played 3 or 4 games for Casey and his competing ruckman has on most occasions not been stellar.

    Too early at present to make a call

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    I watched bits of Will Hayes first two games. The thing that stood out was how absolutely gassed he was at the start of the third quarter in one game. I get that it's his first taste of the big league but sheesh, he's got to have been in the system for 5 years or so. He couldn't get to ruck contests and I would expect him to be fitter after that long in the system. So, while I'm not writing him off yet given the step up between AFL and SANFL, but at this stage, I'd want to see more, and, at the very least, a tank.

    Flynn from GWS is the one I really like the look of as a genuine ruck and handy forward.

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    7 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Matthew Flynn from GWS who we put in a bid for in the 2015 draft is also someone else I'd look at potentially. 

    Flynn or Briggs could potentially be gettable with Preuss the preferred#1 at GWS.  I like both as AFL ready rucks and find it hard to split them (GWS seem to have Flynn marginally ahead) but the issue is if Dogga stays it will be really hard to attract one of them (probably Briggs) to be third banana.  Preuss saw the writing on the wall when Dogga was recruited and left.    If Dogga leaves then it makes us a more attractive option.

     

    Edited by grazman

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    Tall ruck/forwards are definitely our area of concern going forward, we have the backs, mids and small forwards covered. I believe that JVR is going to be another Gunn for us but There are always diamonds in the rough, we have been very successful building our list just need two additional young talls to help cover our weakest link. Comeon JT and co ease our tension.!!!!

    Edited by DeeZone
    Grammar

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    Holler For A Marshall i would’ve said, but he signed on for 5 more years at the Saints. 

    Edited by Dee Zephyr

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    you'd think the swans wouldn't stand in the way of either naismith (likely to retire due to injuries) or cal sinclair (32yo OOC) if we asked the question given they've got hickey and ladhams backed up by mclean, amartey, reid and at a stretch mcdonald plus a youngster in mcandrews who played some pre season games on their list already

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    I think we can get by with Gawn, Jackson and Weideman. I don't think we have a first rounder which is unfortunate as the top 20 has heaps of key position and ruckman type players but surely we will pick up a ruckman to develop in the coming years. Which pick he should be I'm not sure.

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    Give Cam Pedersen a call I reckon!

    Edited by Tom Dyson

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    6 hours ago, dee-tox said:

    Time to get Preussy back! :)

    Doubt it. But I wouldn't mind somehow getting their 1st round pick and Hogan involved in a 3way trade W Freo if LJ wants to go.

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