Ted Richards/Simon Phillips

[ScottH]

Originally posted by Sanecow
I am guessing that most of the decent ruckmen in the VFL, WAFL and SANFL are already on AFL team lists or wouldn't have made our seniors this year any more than the junior ruckmen on our list have.

Besides, he's ranked 24 here.

That ranking is based purely on getting hand to ball b4 the other bloke. Has no bearing on the quality of the player as a ruckman.

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by ScottH
That ranking is based purely on getting hand to ball b4 the other bloke. Has no bearing on the quality of the player as a ruckman.

It is the only measurement that directly compares ruckmen. Any time he gets his hand to the ball first, the opposition ruckman may as well be Saddo.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
You mean they worked out they had stuffed their pre-season planning for the ruck division for 2006 and planned ahead for the bandaid solution they are now implementing?

Chambers' performance is old news.
Now while everyone makes mistakes (and thus far Chambers appears to be a boo-boo) everyone makes them.

The point that I found interesting is that the Swans were working on contingency plans months before the Chambers chorus reached it's crescendo. The SMH for example was churning out Swans officiall-line Chambers stories (and misquoting poor Ruckman) while at the same time the coaches were preparing Ted for the ruck.

It seems to me that there's an awfull lot goes on at a club that we never hear about. Being a fly on the wall would be facsinating.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by ScottH
That ranking is based purely on getting hand to ball b4 the other bloke. Has no bearing on the quality of the player as a ruckman.

That's true, but cuts both ways. Getting a tap is not an interesting stat for its own sake (unless it's a 30 metre thump); it's supposedly a means of improving your team's chance of winning the clearance. In the Geelong game, we got spanked in the tapouts, but killed them in the clearances, so who cares? Chambers did his job that night.

That said: we have 5 specialist ruckmen in our squad, plus Wall who can't be picked (barring further long-term injury to someone). Up to those who have been watching the 2nds most closely to say who, but we have to pick one of the 4, who are surely in the squad for a reason.

Richards was fine as a shock-tactic, but Simmonds had him sorted pretty shortly and had fair success at grabbing the ball and kicking it himself. If he keeps playing in that position (for any longer than 5 minutes a quarter when the opposition big guy is buggered), the story will repeat itself with every specialist ruckman he faces.

The next 6 weeks is (or should be, if he hasn't already been written off) make-or-break time for Doyle's career; I'd love to see him be given a decent dip. If he does his knee in the first quarter of the Port game, at least everyone will know his fate; while he's in the squad of 38, fit and seemingly in some kind of form, he should get fair consideration for a game.

[caj23]

I would be extremely suprised if Doyle isn't selected to play within the next fortnight

[ugg]

Originally posted by SimonH
That said: we have 5 specialist ruckmen in our squad, plus Wall who can't be picked (barring further long-term injury to someone). Up to those who have been watching the 2nds most closely to say who, but we have to pick one of the 4, who are surely in the squad for a reason.

6 specialists in Jolly, Doyle, Chambers, Shaw, Ericksen and Rowe. Not sure whether Wall rucked at his junior club but if he came up against a Brendon Lade he'd be snapped in two, he's such a skinny lad. A stick insect if I ever saw one.