I am sure Tracc, Clarence and Jack can still dominate the Center square without a dominant Ruckman. 
the Weid will be in there

20 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Yes and also because he had played in the ruck for a few years and was going ok at CHB for Casey as well IMO, meaning he was developing.

I do agree that long term he may not have made it, but with no ruck depth and not getting anyone else, I would have kept him another year.

After our main 2, I think we have about the worst ruck depth in the AFL and we have Key forward issues too just by the way.

a little rough, think we had enough options but maybe not enough specialists?

Just unfortunate that the injuries were clumped together. M Brown/Tomlinson only being considered as Gawn/Jackson/Daw/Tmac are out injured.  

56 minutes ago, CYB said:

and has a tank to expose O'Brien. watch them stack up the talls in their forward line now. 

Reilly O'Brien has a big tank. Plays 85-90% game time most weeks.

Whoever plays 1st ruck if Jako is out needs to see themselves as a ruck rover. Weid should be given the role and just be active around the contests.

Prior to doing his ACL, Tomlinson was the ideal choice, but he looks immobile since returning. 

I think Mitch Brown comes in, and he and Ben share 2nd duties.

 

Interesting that our 3 main on ballers last week, Oliver, Petracca, and Viney , were arguably our 3 best on the field, despite, or perhaps because Gawn wasn’t playing. 
Without Gawn to direct the ball to them far more effectively than Jackson could, the above mentioned 3 had to play different roles last week and had to rely on cunning, experience, and sheer will to attain the ball. 
For this reason Jackson and Gawn’s absence could very well work in our favour…. though I do wish they WERE playing.

Edited July 1, 20223 yr by joeboy

Did he strain his wrist signing the contract?

3 minutes ago, roy11 said:

a little rough, think we had enough options but maybe not enough specialists?

Just unfortunate that the injuries were clumped together. M Brown/Tomlinson only being considered as Gawn/Jackson/Daw/Tmac are out injured.  

It may be glass half full/half empty stuff but I think we’ve been lucky this year. Realistically we’ve had three real first ruck options all year, Gawn, Jackson and Daw the likelihood of them all getting injured was always high, particularly given the crash and bash of ruck and contested marking and the fact opposition seem to get away with belting Gawn at every opportunity. 
The club clearly though it was a risk we could afford to take this year, possibly due to lack of available quality ruckman or draft picks, faith in Daw’s ability or faith in the ability of Weid and TMac to step up or a combination. But this was always a risk and with Majak’s ill timed injury, unfortunate retirement and the lack of other true first ruck backup if it costs us a winnable game it’d be a real shame. I hope Weid tears it up, but this will be his first ever game as first ruck and Reilly O’Brien is no slouch. 

1 hour ago, mo64 said:

I questioned the decision to play JVR as 2nd ruck for Casey last week. If either Mitch Brown or Tomlinson play the role in Jackson's absence, it makes the decision even more ridiculous.

I don't see what that has to do with anything.

If Jackson is out then Weid will take the ruck role, maybe Tomo to take a relief role possibly even JVR.

The Casey decision is based around JVR's development and team development.

Brown is a depth forward, Tomo is a depth defender it's where they should be playing their footy...

 

Are the team travelling today or tomorrow?

6 minutes ago, rjay said:

I don't see what that has to do with anything.

If Jackson is out then Weid will take the ruck role, maybe Tomo to take a relief role possibly even JVR.

The Casey decision is based around JVR's development and team development.

Brown is a depth forward, Tomo is a depth defender it's where they should be playing their footy...

 

You're kidding right? At 193cm, JVR has no potential as a ruckman in the future, and it showed last week. 

2 hours ago, dl4e said:

Make Chandler the ruckman.

The endurance machine Nibbler, to bolt Bowser to his shoulders and there is our penultimate Ruck division!! 😁

Totally against the thought of Mitch Brown coming in, no matter what the situation. He has NO physical presence which is why he consistently fails at AFL level. And as a ruckman it would be even worse. 
 

Get Gus to do it - he has done everything else…😁

36 minutes ago, joeboy said:

Interesting that our 3 main on ballers last week, Oliver, Petracca, and Viney , were arguably our 3 best on the field, despite, or perhaps because Gawn wasn’t playing. 
 

Even when he is playing, Maxie is not the great tap exponent and our three warriors mostly win their own ball in congested and contested battles. They will prevail even without a winning ruckman.

Maxie's great contribution is contesting the ball ups and throw ins but not necessarily tapping down their "throats' whilst denying the oppos ruck. It is because of his contested marking, his mobility, goal scoring and ground play that he dominates.

Maxie and the boys are not the same combination as Jeff White and Todd Viney were before they changes the rules on White.

I'm for Tomlinson and trust his running provides an extra midfielder. 

1 hour ago, Redleg said:

Yes and also because he had played in the ruck for a few years and was going ok at CHB for Casey as well IMO, meaning he was developing.

I do agree that long term he may not have made it, but with no ruck depth and not getting anyone else, I would have kept him another year.

After our main 2, I think we have about the worst ruck depth in the AFL and we have Key forward issues too just by the way.

My view about Aaron Bradtke last year was that he was being played in the key defensive positions because he wasn’t developing as a ruckman. 

In any event, the record shows that Bradtke was registered with VAFA B Section club Old Haileybury on 17 March, 2022 and has only managed 3 games at that level, the last of which was on 28 May, 2022. This indicates that he’s not doing anything to suggest that the decision to delist him was incorrect.

22 minutes ago, tiers said:

Even when he is playing, Maxie is not the great tap exponent and our three warriors mostly win their own ball in congested and contested battles. They will prevail even without a winning ruckman.

Maxie's great contribution is contesting the ball ups and throw ins but not necessarily tapping down their "throats' whilst denying the oppos ruck. It is because of his contested marking, his mobility, goal scoring and ground play that he dominates.

Maxie and the boys are not the same combination as Jeff White and Todd Viney were before they changes the rules on White.

This is factually incorrect. Max is possibly the best tap ruckman of all time. Both his hit outs and hits to advantage are elite

 

Any intel if Gawn is back next week V's Geelong?

We might get away with it tomorrow, but Sam Weideman as our number 1 ruck isn't going to work for more than 1 week you wouldn't think. Does he have the endurance to go 75%-80% in the middle?

 

Dees might give a rookie spot at year end to young Jack Bell from Casey.  Given Daw is retired, need a young ruck development player on the books. 

Conspiracy theory - Does Melb want to find out to what degree Weid can hold down second ruck possy next year, by giving him the full game in ruck this week? 

Edited July 1, 20223 yr by 1964_2

1 hour ago, mo64 said:

You're kidding right? At 193cm, JVR has no potential as a ruckman in the future, and it showed last week. 

Tomlinson is the same height, Brown is not a ruck and at his age it's not the time to start so it made sense for JVR to do some ruck time. It's good for his development and it wasn't taking time from anyone else.

As others have said it looks like he (JVR) is a bit taller than the 193 he was at draft time.

For what it's worth if Jackson misses I think Tommo will probably come in as back up.

8 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Dees might give a rookie spot at year end to young Jack Bell from Casey.  Given Daw is retired, need a young ruck development player on the books. 

Agree he’s looked pretty hood for Casey the last couple of games 

I hope that if Jackson does not get up that they play Tomlinson so that he and Wiedeman can play the roles that Jackson and Wiedeman played last week. I would even rest Tomlinson forward and see what he might add in that area. 
 

 

The Weed will be fine, this is his moment, he will grasp it, he will deliver in a big way!

Jackson is a utility, an undersized ruckman, roving the ground.

He is not a specialist Forward or Defender, calm the farm.

 

Edited July 1, 20223 yr by bluey

Saw on Twitter that Dogga didn't travel.

1 hour ago, rjay said:

The Casey decision is based around JVR's development and team development.

Exactly.

He has also spent some time down back at Casey - and i don't see him replacing any of our key defenders anytime soon. 

35 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

Conspiracy theory - Does Melb want to find out to what degree Weid can hold down second ruck possy next year, by giving him the full game in ruck this week? 

Is this an entry to that new reality TV show -

World's lamest conspiracy theories