Jump to content

Forward Line & Backup Ruck Issues Going into 2024 and beyond ...

Featured Replies

On 23/02/2024 at 14:50, DeeSpencer said:

Are we sure Fullarton is still out until April? He seems to be advancing fairly quickly with talk he’d play some minutes on Wednesday?

He could be a chance for round 1 or 2 (17 or 23 March).

The other question is are we sure Verrall  can’t play round 0? No expectations he’d play more than about 50% game time (30% ruck, 20% forward) but is he an option? 

 

I liked what I saw from Verrall in the match sim against Richmond. 

If he gives Max a rest either forward or on the pine for 30% of a game, that is a good result I reckon.

 
18 minutes ago, HBDee said:

I liked what I saw from Verrall in the match sim against Richmond. 

If he gives Max a rest either forward or on the pine for 30% of a game, that is a good result I reckon.

Verrall honestly just needs to barrel into Grundy a few times in the first quarter and he will have done his job - any possessions are a bonus.

Schache clearly doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to be a ruckman, and I hate the idea of throwing JVR in the ruck against players 15kgs and 15cms bigger than him - we're just going to destroy him.

1 hour ago, poita said:

Verrall honestly just needs to barrel into Grundy a few times in the first quarter and he will have done his job - any possessions are a bonus.

Schache clearly doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to be a ruckman, and I hate the idea of throwing JVR in the ruck against players 15kgs and 15cms bigger than him - we're just going to destroy him.

Not many Ruckman are 15cm/15kg bigger than van Rooyen tbf. Would make a ruckman 209cm/115kg

Verrall will be our 2nd choice option come Gather Round with being the #! in the VFL.

Schache/Fullerton could pinch hit for now while being permanent forwards whilst Petty is in rehab 

Edited by SthSea22

 
2 hours ago, HBDee said:

I liked what I saw from Verrall in the match sim against Richmond. 

If he gives Max a rest either forward or on the pine for 30% of a game, that is a good result I reckon.

Look at his draft highlights

He is very skillful below his knees and can take a mark

Only worry is he isn't really massive (199cm)

9 minutes ago, SthSea22 said:

Look at his draft highlights

He is very skillful below his knees and can take a mark

Only worry is he isn't really massive (199cm)

Does he have any aggressive aggro though ?  Or will he be pushed aside?

 


3 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Does he have any aggressive aggro though ?  Or will he be pushed aside?

 

Very raw

 

Aggression will come with more game time in the VFL against mature bodies 

 

(Sorry – just realised that I’ve gone into a bit of a rant. Might be a TLDR? In which case, just read the first sentence)

There really isn’t anything to see here.
We will get players back into the forward line. Looks like the training loads have pushed players to their limits. Better now than September.

We have coverage for Max. Granted, it’s not as good as last year with Grundy, but it’s not too bad.

Having reviewed the practice games and some of last years games, there are not many ruckmen that I would see as an upgrade to our list. And even some of them are getting a bit old.

These are the players that I think consistently provide real value for their side in the ruck: McInerney, Goldstein, Darcy, Briggs, Stanley, Witts, Gawn, Nankervis, Marshall, Grundy, and English.

Most of the rest are either forwards/utilities that spend little time in the ruck, or they are unproven, or they have some serious skill deficiencies. I would expect all of our backup talls (JVR, Schache, Verrall, Fullerton, TMac) to at least break even with other listed ruckmen.

In any case, this is a non–issue while Max is fit and playing. But that is the same for all 18 clubs. Not many would be unchallenged with their main ruckman on the sidelines for an extended period. Even if Gary doesn’t rate them.

 

 
On 11/02/2024 at 09:34, old55 said:

I think the injury "crisis" is overblown.

 

Haven't been in this thread for a couple of weeks and this is where I landed.

Was a very good call old.

Unfortunately since then we have lost Gus.

But clarry looks in good nick and will be in the ones by round 3, perhaps earlier.

BB had said he hopes to be back with main group in 2-3 week. 

Fullarton is apparety two weeks away, as is mcadam.

Petts still sounds a couple of weeks away, but is on track for being back by round 2-3.

Tmac is out of rehab and salo is up and running.

Turner is a bummer, but will back before the mid season bye and melk seems in great shape and on track for aprox round 15.


5 hours ago, Roost it far said:

Gawn should play a maximum of 18 games prior to finals…..Who plays the rest?

I'm 174cm, but I'll have a crack.

  • 3 weeks later...

If he stays fit and firing then yes!  Please just manage him because when he's on he makes a world of difference, such a class act.

When we have the full compliment to pick from our forward line is good enough to win a flag, given our midfield and defence.

The big question is continuity and injury, with some luck we are every chance this year.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Featured Content

  • NON-MFC: Round 13

    Follow all the action from every Round 13 clash excluding the Dees as the 2025 AFL Premiership Season rolls on. With Melbourne playing in the final match of the round on King's Birthday, all eyes turn to the rest of the competition. Who are you tipping to win? And more importantly, which results best serve the Demons’ finals aspirations? Join the discussion and keep track of the matches that could shape the ladder and impact our run to September.

      • Thanks
    • 133 replies
  • PREVIEW: Collingwood

    Having convincingly defeated last year’s premier and decisively outplayed the runner-up with 8.2 in the final quarter, nothing epitomized the Melbourne Football Club’s performance more than its 1.12 final half, particularly the eight consecutive behinds in the last term, against a struggling St Kilda team in the midst of a dismal losing streak. Just when stability and consistency were anticipated within the Demon ranks, they delivered a quintessential performance marked by instability and ill-conceived decisions, with the most striking aspect being their inaccuracy in kicking for goal, which suggested a lack of preparation (instead of sleeping in their hotel in Alice, were they having a night on the turps) rather than a well-rested team. Let’s face it - this kicking disease that makes them look like raw amateurs is becoming a millstone around the team’s neck.

      • Thanks
    • 1 reply
  • CASEY: Sydney

    The Casey Demons were always expected to emerge victorious in their matchup against the lowly-ranked Sydney Swans at picturesque Tramway Oval, situated in the shadows of the SCG in Moore Park. They dominated the proceedings in the opening two and a half quarters of the game but had little to show for it. This was primarily due to their own sloppy errors in a low-standard game that produced a number of crowded mauls reminiscent of the rugby game popular in old Sydney Town. However, when the Swans tired, as teams often do when they turn games into ugly defensive contests, Casey lifted the standard of its own play and … it was off to the races. Not to nearby Randwick but to a different race with an objective of piling on goal after goal on the way to a mammoth victory. At the 25-minute mark of the third quarter, the Demons held a slender 14-point lead over the Swans, who are ahead on the ladder of only the previous week's opposition, the ailing Bullants. Forty minutes later, they had more than fully compensated for the sloppiness of their earlier play with a decisive 94-point victory, that culminated in a rousing finish which yielded thirteen unanswered goals. Kicks hit their targets, the ball found itself going through the middle and every player made a contribution.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 1 reply
  • REPORT: St. Kilda

    Hands up if you thought, like me, at half-time in yesterday’s game at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs that Melbourne’s disposal around the ground and, in particular, its kicking inaccuracy in front of the goals couldn’t get any worse. Well, it did. And what’s even more damning for the Melbourne Football Club is that the game against St Kilda and its resurgence from the bottomless pit of its miserable start to the season wasn’t just lost through poor conversion for goal but rather in the 15 minutes when the entire team went into a slumber and was mugged by the out-of-form Saints. Their six goals two behinds (one goal less than the Demons managed for the whole game) weaved a path of destruction from which they were unable to recover. Ross Lyon’s astute use of pressure to contain the situation once they had asserted their grip on the game, and Melbourne’s self-destructive wastefulness, assured that outcome. The old adage about the insanity of repeatedly doing something and expecting a different result, was out there. Two years ago, the score line in Melbourne’s loss to the Giants at this same ground was 5 goals 15 behinds - a ratio of one goal per four scoring shots - was perfectly replicated with yesterday’s 7 goals 21 behinds. 
    This has been going on for a while and opens up a number of questions. I’ll put forward a few that come to mind from this performance. The obvious first question is whether the club can find a suitable coach to instruct players on proper kicking techniques or is this a skill that can no longer be developed at this stage of the development of our playing group? Another concern is the team's ability to counter an opponent's dominance during a run on as exemplified by the Saints in the first quarter. Did the Demons underestimate their opponents, considering St Kilda's goals during this period were scored by relatively unknown forwards? Furthermore, given the modest attendance of 6,721 at TIO Traeger Park and the team's poor past performances at this venue, is it prudent to prioritize financial gain over potentially sacrificing valuable premiership points by relinquishing home ground advantage, notwithstanding the cultural significance of the team's connection to the Red Centre? 

      • Thanks
    • 4 replies
  • PREGAME: Collingwood

    After a disappointing loss in Alice Springs the Demons return to the MCG to take on the Magpies in the annual King's Birthday Big Freeze for MND game. Who comes in and who goes out?

      • Thanks
    • 385 replies
  • PODCAST: St. Kilda

    The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 2nd June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we have a chat with former Demon ruckman Jeff White about his YouTube channel First Use where he dissects ruck setups and contests. We'll then discuss the Dees disappointing loss to the Saints in Alice Springs.
    Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
    Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

      • Thanks
    • 47 replies