Who will ruck this year given the reduced bench?

[liz]

Maybe a quick explosive player who cant run out a full game - how about Vezpremi

I reckon the ideal sub (and the subbee) will be someone who can keep going for close to half a game without being interchanged. A Vez type - capable of playing only in short sharp bursts (unless he has improved his endurance) - would be the worst kind of sub.

[jono2707]

Wont the sub be a utility type such as players like Teddy, Rohan or Everitt?? I would have thought a big reason the sub would come in to use would be to cover injuries. In any event my guess is that you wouldnt normally use the sub until after half time (barring injuries of course) so you'd want a player who is capable of adapting to whatever situation the match is in, or in replacing the injured player.

Its a bit of a tricky one which will take most clubs a while to work out. Will be interesting to see who does what and what works...

[aardvark]

Pity Kirky didn't hang around for another season or two. He probably would have been good for half a game a week.

[aardvark]

We have two very capable ruckmen in Seaby and Mumford. It would not surprise me to see us play both, and develop a game plan for our ruckman that involves one of our ruckmen running the opposition ruckman dead to the point that they need more time to rest, so that our other ruckman can take greater advantage against the "pinch-hitter".

Agree. Sides with two class ruckmen would be mad not to play them. First use of the ball is still a huge advantage.

[Jewels]

Wont the sub be a utility type such as players like Teddy, Rohan or Everitt?? I would have thought a big reason the sub would come in to use would be to cover injuries. In any event my guess is that you wouldnt normally use the sub until after half time (barring injuries of course) so you'd want a player who is capable of adapting to whatever situation the match is in, or in replacing the injured player.

Its a bit of a tricky one which will take most clubs a while to work out. Will be interesting to see who does what and what works...

They were my thoughts also on who would be most suitable.

[Hartijon]

They were my thoughts also on who would be most suitable.

I look at this new rule like this.Your sub is your 19th player. You have to pick them considering all options including who the oppositions sub is. Injuries are unpredictable so the sub must be capable of coming on 5 minutes into the game and playing the entire game. Alternatively if we are being exposed in an area the sub has to be able to shut an opposition player down. My pick for the new sub (19th player) spot is Smith. He is capable of playing forward,Centre and defence. He is good for the whole game. No challenge seems to phase him. It might seem like a waste not to have Smith in the opening 18 but I am pretty sure he would play the majority of time in most games. The other guys (Rohan,etc) are still ideal interchange players rather than subs

[Mr Magoo]

I reckon the ideal sub (and the subbee) will be someone who can keep going for close to half a game without being interchanged. A Vez type - capable of playing only in short sharp bursts (unless he has improved his endurance) - would be the worst kind of sub.

I agree - i just put the name out there after seeing how happy he is at the bulldogs in the story by emma quayle. I was just waiting for the vez lovers to come swarming.

[Primmy]

I am glad to see he didn't choose to diss us like Jolly did. The kid is a credit to us.

[Far Reach]

I'd expect the sub to be a good skilled (but not great) endurance type player. The player subbed will be the same type - barring injuries, shockers, or being way behind on the score. Both tag or run with roles. Subbed runs most of a half and sub does the same. Little difference made to the game and rule scrapped in about three years.

[Mr Magoo]

I'd expect the sub to be a good skilled (but not great) endurance type player. The player subbed will be the same type - barring injuries, shockers, or being way behind on the score. Both tag or run with roles. Subbed runs most of a half and sub does the same. Little difference made to the game and rule scrapped in about three years.

If they dont limit the amount of interchanges per team , I cant see how rotations will go down with this rule change. Theorectically the only reason they wouldnt go up is they cant do four rotations at once but whats to stop the interchanges being just more frequent to take account of this.

One way of using the sub would be in bringing a senior player back from injury without them running around in Canberra. Give them say one or two quarters and then sub them with a fresh player.

[dimelb]

If they dont limit the amount of interchanges per team , I cant see how rotations will go down with this rule change. Theorectically the only reason they wouldnt go up is they cant do four rotations at once but whats to stop the interchanges being just more frequent to take account of this.

One way of using the sub would be in bringing a senior player back from injury without them running around in Canberra. Give them say one or two quarters and then sub them with a fresh player.

That sounds like a good option.

[Nico]

They were my thoughts also on who would be most suitable.

You could take this conservative view but I would take a more positive approach and have that person who could come on and snag a few goals to win the game. TDL perhaps or as I said earlier someone who can tear it up for a quarter forward of centre.

[Hartijon]

You could take this conservative view but I would take a more positive approach and have that person who could come on and snag a few goals to win the game. TDL perhaps or as I said earlier someone who can tear it up for a quarter forward of centre.

or Smith

[ShockOfHair]

Fair enough analysis by The Age here about Leigh Brown as the classic old style second ruck who's not a great ruckman, not a great forward, but good enough at both to be indispensable.

I'm sure the Swans won't go down that path because Mumford is an extra midfielder and Seaby is a great fill-in forward. But this list is interesting food for thought:

WHO IS YOUR CLUB'S LEIGH BROWN?

Adelaide: Kurt Tippett
Brisbane Lions: Mitch Clark
Carlton: Setanta O?hAilpin, Matthew Kreuzer
Collingwood: Leigh Brown, Chris Dawes
Essendon: Patrick Ryder
Fremantle: Kepler Bradley
Geelong: Tom Hawkins
Gold Coast: Jared Brennan
Hawthorn: Brent Renouf (back), David Hale (forward)
Melbourne: Stefan Martin
North Melbourne: Todd Goldstein, Drew Petrie
Port Adelaide: Jackson Trengove
Richmond: Tyrone Vickery
St Kilda: Rhys Stanley, Justin Koschitzke
Sydney: Mike Pyke, Jesse White
West Coast: Nic Naitanui
Western Bulldogs: Jordan Roughead

[goswannies]

On a dry day, Seaby and Mumford rotating out of a forward pocket, forming a twin tower full forward line with White, and Pike being a floating utility in the back-line. The talls will get no shorter as the game goes on and with pinch-hitting ruckmen Goodsey and LRT rounding out CHF/CHB respectively, any passes above shoulder height would be like playing "keepings-off" in the school yard!

That wasn't a serious suggestion BTW!