Tom Fullarton - back up ruck?

[mrnolsy 9]

Hi Demonlanders

Just really confused as to why they did not play Tom Fullarton this week? Is he not afl ready. We seem to have the curse of the ruckman. Jackson gone to freo. Brodie Grundy couldn’t play either due to maxs ego or desire to be solo ruckman.

i would like to here people’s thoughts.

noah from brighton

go dees!!!

[DubDee 26,342]

he hasn’t earned a spot yet due to his VFL form

He was recruited I think mostly as a Fwd that can ruck. he is not a Number 1 ruck

The club think it’s better to utilise existing talks that offer other things at the moment 

[The heart beats true 18,183]

26 minutes ago, mrnolsy said:

Brodie Grundy couldn’t play either due to maxs ego

If I had 6 All Australian jackets and counting, and was one of the greatest ever players to pull on the red and blue I’d have a sizeable ego too, yet I don’t think that was ever the issue.

[whatwhat say what 23,491]

55 minutes ago, mrnolsy said:

Hi Demonlanders

Just really confused as to why they did not play Tom Fullarton this week? Is he not afl ready. We seem to have the curse of the ruckman. Jackson gone to freo. Brodie Grundy couldn’t play either due to maxs ego or desire to be solo ruckman.

i would like to here people’s thoughts.

noah from brighton

go dees!!!

 curse of ruckman, ya say?

i say a blessing...

• gawn - the greatest ever
• jeff white - they literally changed the rules to stop his dominance
• jim stynes - the original indestructible warrior

fullarton is a forward who can ruck a bit, and jvr / petty / turner are far more effective at it than he is

[Dee-tonator 263]

47 minutes ago, mrnolsy said:

Brodie Grundy couldn’t play either due to maxs ego or desire to be solo ruckman.

On the field Max is a wonderful player and an inspiring leader.

Off the field he comes across as the kind of person everyone would love to have as a teammate.

Even to suggest he has an inflated ego is absurd.

 

[DeeZone 10,425]

Tom Fullarton had 20 touches and kicked a goal in the VFL on Sunday against the bombers, he was in our best 5 and even though he rucked for more than 50% of the game he only had 8 hit outs. Whereas JVR won 17 hit outs against Draper and Wright and helped wrestle the game back from the bombers. Fullarton may have been as effective as Petty who got soundly beaten but he now needs to step up and force his way into the side or he will go the same way as Schache.

[Little Goffy 14,770]

Gawn was a better ruck and on-field presence than Grundy and neither of them were able to adapt effectively to being a 50-50 ruck so Gawn was selected ahead. No ego issue to it, and I must say such scuttlebutt isn't going to endear you to anyone . I think you do however get a pass if you bring in a medical note from your MFCSS specialist!

Fullarton didn't play against Essendon because of the weather forecast and because Draper is a Butter Tarzan who could be neutralised by an effective effort from a solid tall, which turned out to be mostly Van Rooyen.

I suspect Fullarton is more likely to be given a role against Freo because Jackson is harder to nullify and at the least Fullarton can be given the explicit task to stay with him all day (can there be such a thing as a ruck-tagger?).

We'll want to have our tall forwards in their position a bit more because Freo's defenders aren't likely to do a Ben McKay and have four metres gained per disposal. Seriously, McKay had 17 intercepts against us, 12 kicks, 9 handballs, and yet just 82 metres gained. Freo defenders don't try to hatch a chicken from the sherrin before deciding what they want to do.

For all that, rain is expected out west for much of this week and the coming weekend, so who knows?

EDIT: Sean Darcy is expected to be back in. I think against two top-shelf rucks with very different styles we're just going to have to commit to throwing Fullarton in there.

Edited July 15, 2024 by Little Goffy

[Deelectable 1,043]

22 minutes ago, DeeZone said:

Tom Fullarton had 20 touches and kicked a goal in the VFL on Sunday against the bombers, he was in our best 5 and even though he rucked for more than 50% of the game he only had 8 hit outs. Whereas JVR won 17 hit outs against Draper and Wright and helped wrestle the game back from the bombers. Fullarton may have been as effective as Petty who got soundly beaten but he now needs to step up and force his way into the side or he will go the same way as Schache.

Petty was way more effective than you're giving him credit for. He provided a decent physical presence.  Fullarton was absolutely monstered in virtually every ruck contest. Bryan brushed him off like a twig. Even the Bombers back up ruck completely outbodied him.Hate to think what might have happened against Draper & co. 20 disposals. Well done. Doesn't really help our cause. Forward craft is negligible. A ruckman he ain't.

[Maldonboy38 6,406]

If it is not wet and slippery there is a higher chance of Fullerton playing against Freo than there was any chance he played against the Bummers. Darcy & Jackson are both quality ruckmen with different strengths, both much better than Draper, and I am not sure we can cope with no ruck versus these 2. With no inside knowledge this is total an opinion based on observation but it makes sense to me. 

I have watched a number of Casey games, and Fullerton is is no spud. I didn't think Moniz-Wakefield's game would transfer up to the AFL and I was totally wrong so Fullerton might surprise a few as well.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Dee-tonator said:

On the field Max is a wonderful player and an inspiring leader.

Off the field he comes across as the kind of person everyone would love to have as a teammate.

Even to suggest he has an inflated ego is absurd.

 

Absurd????  It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Max - or any player - has a huge ego. 

[DiscoStu17 848]

4 hours ago, DeeZone said:

Tom Fullarton had 20 touches and kicked a goal in the VFL on Sunday against the bombers, he was in our best 5 and even though he rucked for more than 50% of the game he only had 8 hit outs. Whereas JVR won 17 hit outs against Draper and Wright and helped wrestle the game back from the bombers. Fullarton may have been as effective as Petty who got soundly beaten but he now needs to step up and force his way into the side or he will go the same way as Schache.

It’s not Fullarton's fault - he is being played out of position. As others have said, he is predominantly a forward that can ruck a bit if there is nobody else and you’re really desperate. It seems like the FD wants to make him a number one ruck. 
Everyone was raving about his 20 possessions on the weekend but I didn’t think he was going that well. So I started watching the first half again.

It is not pretty.

Q1 Fullarton Rucking 0:00-approx 18:30, then approx 24:00-31:47

8 possessions - 3 direct turnovers, 4 to ground, 1 behind (from a Verrall ground/hard ball get and lh handball)

0 hitouts

WV 3 hitouts from 6 attendances

4:40 Crashes into Verrall in front of the goals with Bryan instead of protecting him!!

Q2 0:00-20:25 Fullarton in ruck

4:45 mark in front of goal behind forwards 9:15 First hitout
11:00 receives questionable free
15:00 another free for in the back Kicks to BBB who marks - first disposal to advantage! (13th??!!)

Total of 13 possessions 2 hitouts for Fullarton in the first half. 1 possession to advantage/retained.

20:25-30:25 Verrall off bench and in ruck

20:30 Schache behind his player who body spoils marking attempt by WV - May or Lever would be going off their nut.

Verrall 5/7 hitouts/attendances

Not sure if I can watch the second half. FD is taking the [censored].

[monoccular 17,662]

4 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Absurd????  It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Max - or any player - has a huge ego. 

Depends on how one actually defines ego.   I am sure every successful AFL player has enormous self belief and thinks that they are the or among the best in their rôle.    In some it transfers to arrogance which does not appear to be the case in Max.   Self esteem vs self importance.

[Kent 2,918]

10 hours ago, The heart beats true said:

If I had 6 All Australian jackets and counting, and was one of the greatest ever players to pull on the red and blue I’d have a sizeable ego too, yet I don’t think that was ever the issue.

what issue?

 

[Dee Viney Intervention 1,981]

10 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

 curse of ruckman, ya say?

i say a blessing...

• gawn - the greatest ever
• jeff white - they literally changed the rules to stop his dominance
• jim stynes - the original indestructible warrior

fullarton is a forward who can ruck a bit, and jvr / petty / turner are far more effective at it than he is

I would like to add “the Russian” Mark Jamar to that list.

[Wells 11 5,467]

8 minutes ago, Dee Viney Intervention said:

I would like to add “the Russian” Mark Jamar to that list.

He was good yes, but not in the same league as those three imo. He had one great season ...and also a lot of good ones. He was very handy for us though and I  remember the Jamar / Maloney combo in the dark years. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Kent said:

what issue?

 

The issue is the failed Gawn/Grundy combo. Call it ego, arrogance, self-belief, whatever; sometimes one club isn’t big enough to house two of them. Of course, that’s my opinion looking from the outside in, as we all are. 

[whatwhat say what 23,491]

1 hour ago, Wells 11 said:

He was good yes, but not in the same league as those three imo. He had one great season ...and also a lot of good ones. He was very handy for us though and I  remember the Jamar / Maloney combo in the dark years. 

i could be wrong, but i have a memory of jamar being a mollydooker really setting him apart as a ruckman at the time?

he was very good, but - as @Wells 11 said - not in the same echelon as the three i called out

[spirit of norm smith 16,618]

Dees will need to have Fullarton this week.  Darcy and Jackson will destroy us.  Hoping he debuts in the west.  

[Docs Demons 1,792]

7 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Dees will need to have Fullarton this week.  Darcy and Jackson will destroy us.  Hoping he debuts in the west.  

Not sure on this spirit. If we go in same as last week and the mids etc. take control, then I reckon we will win without a ruck. If we play him, we are still without a ruck and someone else has to go out of the side that played Ok last week.

[Demon Time 41]

35 minutes ago, Docs Demons said:

Not sure on this spirit. If we go in same as last week and the mids etc. take control, then I reckon we will win without a ruck. If we play him, we are still without a ruck and someone else has to go out of the side that played Ok last week.

I can see the logic but despite their loss this weekend, Freo are much better side than the bombers. Their midfield  (Serong, Brayshaw, Young) is up there with the best in the league when they are firing. The Darcy/Jackson ruck duo is a real threat and I think we lose if they are left to dominate.

I agree that Fullarton is not a genuine ruck and JVR would probably win more hitouts, but I think we'll need him forward in this game. I feel more comfortable with trialling Fullarton than having Petty ruck most the game. Max will hopefully be back next week so it gives him one good opportunity to show something on the big stage.

[layzie 34,363]

If Fullerton plays this week I'll build you a church.

[Tracca 862]

31 minutes ago, layzie said:

If Fullerton plays this week I'll build you a church.

start building

[old dee 24,006]

On 15/07/2024 at 20:44, whatwhat say what said:

 curse of ruckman, ya say?

i say a blessing...

• gawn - the greatest ever
• jeff white - they literally changed the rules to stop his dominance
• jim stynes - the original indestructible warrior

fullarton is a forward who can ruck a bit, and jvr / petty / turner are far more effective at it than he is

If we are going by last weeks play against the bombers I would say he will never be picked as a ruckman. He got towelled up good and proper by the bombers ruck. I now understand why we went with Roo and company. Unless he has a contract for 2025 I think he will be gone at years end. 

[Deelectable 1,043]

7 minutes ago, old dee said:

If we are going by last weeks play against the bombers I would say he will never be picked as a ruckman. He got towelled up good and proper by the bombers ruck. I now understand why we went with Roo and company. Unless he has a contract for 2025 I think he will be gone at years end. 

Unfortunately he does have a two year contract. In the unlikely event he does play he will be monstered by Darcy and Jackson.  His ruckwork against Bryan and co. last week was nothing short of embarrassing. 

[dazzledavey36 55,917]

12 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Dees will need to have Fullarton this week.  Darcy and Jackson will destroy us.  Hoping he debuts in the west.  

Fullarton was destroyed by Nick Bryan in the ruck.. at VFL level.

Imagine what Darcy and Jackson are going to do to him.