optimistic again however..

[yoshi]

The road ahead is looking a lot better for the swans. THey can pick up some very good momentum now before the finals and even clinch a top 4 position. However i feel the 2nd ruckman problem will kill them once they get to September..

HOw can they overcome this problem? i haven't really watched the last couple of games. r they surviving well without torture ?
can they beat the likes of adelaide in a final with only one decent ruckman. i know this topic has come up a billion times. what's the solution for sept ??

and which youngsters should stay ?

cheers

[barry]

Re: optimistic again however..

Originally posted by yoshi
The road ahead is looking a lot better for the swans. THey can pick up some very good momentum now before the finals and even clinch a top 4 position. However i feel the 2nd ruckman problem will kill them once they get to September..

HOw can they overcome this problem? i haven't really watched the last couple of games. r they surviving well without torture ?
can they beat the likes of adelaide in a final with only one decent ruckman. i know this topic has come up a billion times. what's the solution for sept ??

and which youngsters should stay ?

cheers

A good double ruck team is critical to a premiership. Look at Brisbane, Port and Us last year.

We are no worse off not have chambers in the team at the moment, but need to either get him up to AFL level fast, or Doyle, or someone for a finals campain.

[NMWBloods]

I think the lack of a proper backup ruckman will be a significant handicap in finals. In the last quarter of tough games I think we will notice the difference.

[cruiser]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I think the lack of a proper backup ruckman will be a significant handicap in finals. In the last quarter of tough games I think we will notice the difference.

But we have LRT, Goodes and Hall who have all proven they can do short term ruck work very well. Its not ideal not to have a 2nd ruck specialist but its not critical when you consider our fallback options. (not sure about Richards - has he proven himself in this role as well?)

[barry]

Originally posted by cruiser
But we have LRT, Goodes and Hall who have all proven they can do short term ruck work very well. Its not ideal not to have a 2nd ruck specialist but its not critical when you consider our fallback options. (not sure about Richards - has he proven himself in this role as well?)

LRT is our one tall defender to take the gorillas. In finals we wont have the luxury of being able to move him.

Ditto Hall. Our forward line weakens without him there.

I guess Goodes is an option for non-centre bounce rucking.

[dread and might]

Goodes around the ground surely!

Given Doyle's dubious ability to stay in one piece, Chambers' general hopelessness as anything but an average tap ruckman, i.e his mobility around the ground, marking and disposal can not be counted on, and the fact that Richards and LRT are part-timers at best, I think Goodes should start doing some of the around the ground ruckwork.

Hall could also contest more throw-ins apart from in F50, especially given his famed "engine" for a big man.

I also think that LRT has become too important to our structure playing in the backline to be used too much in the ruck.

[cruiser]

Originally posted by barry
LRT is our one tall defender to take the gorillas. In finals we wont have the luxury of being able to move him.

Ditto Hall. Our forward line weakens without him there.

I guess Goodes is an option for non-centre bounce rucking.

But we can have the three share the 2nd ruck work: LRT ruck in defence, Hall in our forward line and Goodes across midfield.

[dread and might]

Wow that was some weird simultaneous posting!

[cruiser]

Originally posted by dread and might
I also think that LRT has become too important to our structure playing in the backline to be used too much in the ruck.

I love reading that - almost all of us were so wrong.

[yoshi]

i think ill blame everitt for sydney losing out this year.... forseeing sept final campaign.

i remember he resigned with hawthorn june 2005 for 2006, then decided in july 2005 he wanted to be traded to sydney.

what an idiot and he has cost us a double premiership i'd say

[yoshi]

ill midfielders are always on the backfoot now with only one ruckman

[GB85]

Seeing as the new rules for rucking (at centre bounces) have been brought in (and the official injury report states that no PCL injuries occurred in '05 as a result of rucking incidents). Do you think it might be time to put goodes in the centre a la 2003? Personally i can't see him getting injured. Only concern i would have is whether it would reduce his effectiveness around the ground and lose him his chance for a second Brownlow.

[NMWBloods]

I suspect that Jolly in the centre bounces plus Goodes as backup and around the ground will be the way we do it. In some ways Goodes as ruck works for us as it gives us an extra midfielder.

LRT will be needed in the backline for most of the time, although I can imagine that somehow they use him in the centre on occasion. It may mess up our backline structure though. I'm not sure how good LRT will be rucking in the backline. It creates an issue of where his man is at the time.

Hall can, and does, do the ruckwork in the forward line, so that's never been an issue.

I'm disappointed we haven't managed to get one of our younger ruckmen ready yet.

[punter257]

the problem having goodes in the ruck is that it'll take away the only player in our team who does creative things around clearances

cmon doyley, its time to repay the faith

[hammo]

Doyle should be given a chance over the next few weeks and if he stays injury free will be a real wildcard for the finals.

Apart from trying to get as another flag, he will need to prove he's worth another contract.