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

[Macca 16,961]

With Fullarton & Brown not being available for the first month of the season (that's a guess) here's the make-up of our Rucking & Forward line as I see it

R     Gawn (80%-85% game time)

HF  Kozzie/Trac  JVR          ANB/T-Mac

F       Fritsch       Petty     Chandler/McAdam

T-Mac is the relief ruckman as it's either him or Schache as I see it (or JVR at a stretch) 

I understand that T-Mac is training with the backs but with Brown & Fullarton being injured, that thinking will possibly change

Unless, we use JVR only as the back up ruckman but if that happens and T-Mac doesn't play, we'd only have one tall forward as a target in JVR's absence (Petty) ... Fritsch as a forward works best when he's the 3rd forward

Gawn could go forward occasionally (as he once did) but it's his time on the bench as he gets older that creates the issue

We need to at least neutralise the ruck contests in Gawn's absence as we can't lose them pointblank

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 5,118]

Can we please stop all this risky talk of players being rucked? It's rrightening.

[poita 3,902]

Imagine if a team was dumb enough to give a contract to a 32 year old who will miss most of the season with a serious knee injury, instead of giving its 32 year old star ruckman the experienced backup that he needs and deserves.

[layzie 33,793]

Surprise surprise, we don't have a backup ruckman. What did you really expect? What's next? Not enough key forward depth?

[Deestar9 1,615]

30 minutes ago, poita said:

Imagine if a team was dumb enough to give a contract to a 32 year old who will miss most of the season with a serious knee injury, instead of giving its 32 year old star ruckman the experienced backup that he needs and deserves.

Interested who the experienced ruck back up that was available in the draft that we didn’t look at ? 

[Sir Why You Little 37,033]

7 hours ago, Deestar9 said:

I’m assuming you mean BB & TMac. If so (& I’m sure this has been said ad nauseum) they are premiership players & deserve to see out their contacts & more importantly for the club to honour them. I still think the JMac decision all those years ago broke our club at the time …

All contracts should also have a performance clause in them. Yes both TMac and BBB are premiership players and will always be revered, but they are simply not Best 22 anymore

Which means in 2024 we are very lean list wise. I was hoping for more cuts after September last year

[Demon Disciple 12,119]

So much for our supposed depth, lol.

[dazzledavey36 54,861]

2 hours ago, Deestar9 said:

Interested who the experienced ruck back up that was available in the draft that we didn’t look at ? 

We spoke and interviewed Scott Lycett. Clearly we saw more in Tom Fullarton. 

2 hours ago, layzie said:

Surprise surprise, we don't have a backup ruckman. What did you really expect? What's next? Not enough key forward depth?

Not sure if Marty Hore selection was a significant need considering we already have Howes, Adams and Turner as talls that play in similar position. 

Had we been better using that selection on a mature age ruckman which CLEARLY was/is a much bigger need?

Edited January 28 by dazzledavey36

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 3,293]

6 hours ago, rjay said:

You're right 'dazz', but he has spent some time in the ruck for GWS.

Didn’t he ruck in their Gran Final ??

Edited January 28 by Kick_It_To_Pickett

[John Demonic 5,789]

[monoccular 17,424]

12 hours ago, Redleg said:

IMO JVR should not be rucked at all.

He needs to concentrate on his forward craft and not be taken away from his position, confused and increasing the risk of injury.

We have others to be the backup ruck, who aren’t as valuable to our forward hopes.

I suspect that the poster meant JVR to do some of the ruck work some of the time deep forward, as have many successful KPP forwards over the years at many clubs.

7 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

We spoke and interviewed Scott Lycett. Clearly we saw more in Tom Fullarton. 

Not sure if Marty Hore selection was a significant need considering we already have Howes, Adams and Turner as talls that play in similar position. 

Had we been better using that selection on a mature age ruckman which CLEARLY was/is a much bigger need?

and didn't look into the Time Machine to see Fullerton do a hammy !!

How negligent.  Sack Taylor now.

[dazzledavey36 54,861]

4 hours ago, monoccular said:

I suspect that the poster meant JVR to do some of the ruck work some of the time deep forward, as have many successful KPP forwards over the years at many clubs.

and didn't look into the Time Machine to see Fullerton do a hammy !!

How negligent.  Sack Taylor now.

Strange comment..

No one is questioning Fullarton as the selection, the question was whether we had other options for that back up experienced ruckman which it's well known that we did in Scott Lycett.

Fullarton is more forward then ruck and that's been evident all along. If you go through training reports for instance, Will Verrall has dominated over him in the ruck duels in the match sims.

[DistrACTION Jackson 8,721]

I think most teams have back up ruck issues. Probably Freo are the best in that regard and then it's a bit of a raffle. Brisbane have Darcy Fort, Pies have Mason Cox (enough said), Power have Ivan Soldo and Jordan Sweet so they actually have a back up as their first ruck.

[DistrACTION Jackson 8,721]

If Fullarton is put on the long term injury list, does that mean we could pick up a ruck in the mid season draft if required?

I do agree with DD36 though, I was surprised we didn't go get an experienced ruck as pure back up. Perhaps we feel the money spent on them and list spot is better spent elsewhere, given the level of performance they will give you may not be much more than a Schache or Verrall.

[Deestar9 1,615]

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Strange comment..

No one is questioning Fullarton as the selection, the question was whether we had other options for that back up experienced ruckman which it's well known that we did in Scott Lycett.

Fullarton is more forward then ruck and that's been evident all along. If you go through training reports for instance, Will Verrall has dominated over him in the ruck duels in the match sims.

Is this the PA Scott Lycett whose 2023 season was wrecked with knee injuries forcing him to hang up his boots at the end of the season or  is there another one ?

[dazzledavey36 54,861]

7 minutes ago, Deestar9 said:

Is this the PA Scott Lycett whose 2023 season was wrecked with knee injuries forcing him to hang up his boots at the end of the season or  is there another one ?

[DistrACTION Jackson 8,721]

5 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

So we were interested, but seems he wasn't fully invested anyway

[dazzledavey36 54,861]

10 minutes ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

So we were interested, but seems he wasn't fully invested anyway

Yep, seems it.

[DeeSpencer 25,678]

16 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Not sure if Marty Hore selection was a significant need considering we already have Howes, Adams and Turner as talls that play in similar position. 

Had we been better using that selection on a mature age ruckman which CLEARLY was/is a much bigger need?

Hore was added to cover Joel Smith. Howes can’t defend, Adams is a baby. 

It’s either Disco or the Tomplods, I’m happy to have Hore to cover our 2nd and 3rd talls.

We need to add forwards/rucks as the list spots come available. Some finality on the Smith ban should open a spot

[DeeSpencer 25,678]

1 hour ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

If Fullarton is put on the long term injury list, does that mean we could pick up a ruck in the mid season draft if required?

I do agree with DD36 though, I was surprised we didn't go get an experienced ruck as pure back up. Perhaps we feel the money spent on them and list spot is better spent elsewhere, given the level of performance they will give you may not be much more than a Schache or Verrall.

Fullarton can go on the Inactive List if done for the year but surely worst case scenario is tendon tear and missing 12 weeks.

[58er 6,422]

1 hour ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

So we were interested, but seems he wasn't fully invested anyway

Frankly it seems we were the ones not full invested in Lovett probably due to the medical possibly and didn’t have a great year last season also. 

[Deestar9 1,615]

8 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

So Melb did their due diligence & chose not to go down that path ..🤔

[dazzledavey36 54,861]

22 minutes ago, Deestar9 said:

So Melb did their due diligence & chose not to go down that path ..🤔

No, seems like they were wanting to go down that path but Lycett chose not too.

[Deestar9 1,615]

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

No, seems like they were wanting to go down that path but Lycett chose not too.

That’s your opinion & taken into consideration he did retire …my opinion is that “ he wasn’t quite up to it”. Not sure that if there was so much “genuine”  interest by different clubs & us..he either didn’t get an offer or the club (s) knew his knees weren’t up to it. Hardly think we’d need another older player with dodgy knees.

[dazzledavey36 54,861]

4 minutes ago, Deestar9 said:

That’s your opinion & taken into consideration he did retire …my opinion is that “ he wasn’t quite up to it”. Not sure that if there was so much “genuine”  interest by different clubs & us..he either didn’t get an offer or the club (s) knew his knees weren’t up to it. Hardly think we’d need another older player with dodgy knees.

Mate read the article.. 

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/11/07/why-lycett-retired-despite-having-interest-from-victorian-clubs-and-offers/

He literally says he met with other clubs and completed medicals including Melbourne, but he made the decision himself based on the doctors advice and his own health benefit.

The fact that we interviewed him and requested a medical means our interest was strong and there was certainly a consideration. 

No one is saying we needed Lycett, but the fact the club showed genuine interest means we certainly exhausted options for a mature age back up ruckman whether you like it or not.