Ruckmen.

[Doctor]

Harsh. Derickx was picked up as a free agent as our back up ruckman if Pyke went down and he has done everything asked of him. Whoever you think we'll pick up has to be better than Pyke or prepared to play in the reserves.

[Go Swannies]

Tom has played, what, 16 games of AFL? Would you say he's a lot worse than Mike was at the same stage of his development?

And RWO over the years has been full of ridiculous aspirations for junior ruck men who were going to dominate. Then one by one they faded or broke (Dan Currie, Donkey Doyle, etc . . .). He's been better value than Seaby. In fact Tom has showed remarkable resilience for a ruck man asked to step up earlier than expected. And I don't think he's been the worst Swan on the ground in any of the games he's played. Good prescient recruiting I'd say.

[jono2707]

I'd doubt we'd have much money to go splashing around on ruckmen for a year or 2. Therefore I'm happy to have Tom D as a good back up option, which he has been to date, until perhaps one of our Ressies ruckmen develop enough to get some game time in the 1s (which may or may not happen)...

[Ludwig]

Tom has played, what, 16 games of AFL? Would you say he's a lot worse than Mike was at the same stage of his development?

Pyke is only in his 6th year of playing footy. Tom must be at least in his 10th, albeit mostly at lower levels of competition. I still feel that Pyke can develop more, but I haven't seen any improvement in Tom during his stint at the Swans. I just find it hard to see where the improvement is going to come from with Tom. Sometimes his timing is so far out that he doesn't even compete in the ruck contest, and he usually wanders around the ground aimlessly as the play goes past him, seeming not knowing what to do. At 26, he should be at his peak in development.

Going forward, I would hope that both Nanka and Naismith will be fit enough to compete at AFL level. They both show a better skill set than Tom does. With Reid and Tippett, I don't think we will play 2 ruckmen in the side unless injury dictates. So how many ruckmen do we need on the payroll?

[Melbournehammer]

Pyke is only in his 6th year of playing footy. Tom must be at least in his 10th, albeit mostly at lower levels of competition. I still feel that Pyke can develop more, but I haven't seen any improvement in Tom during his stint at the Swans. I just find it hard to see where the improvement is going to come from with Tom. Sometimes his timing is so far out that he doesn't even compete in the ruck contest, and he usually wanders around the ground aimlessly as the play goes past him, seeming not knowing what to do. At 26, he should be at his peak in development.

Going forward, I would hope that both Nanka and Naismith will be fit enough to compete at AFL level. They both show a better skill set than Tom does. With Reid and Tippett, I don't think we will play 2 ruckmen in the side unless injury dictates. So how many ruckmen do we need on the payroll?

Much of what you just said I would have said, repeatedly, about LRT.

he is a cheap back up ruckman in a list which is very expensive. You have to manage the stars with role players.

[tasmania60]

Totally agree should be coaching ?

[Matt80]

Our best combination is one solo ruckman with Tippett and Reid for some back up.

That arrangement is very physically taxing for the solo ruckman and the evidence suggests that you can't do it week after week for a whole season. On Saturday night we saw Mumford (the form ruckman of the competition) not be as effective. Mumford had been rucking solo for a couple of weeks and was probably tired.

It's for this reason that I propose that Pyke has two games on and one game off. Pick Pyke solo for the West Coast game, but rest him for the game after. Tom D comes back in solo for Carlton and we rest Pyke. We then bring back Pyke for two more games.

This weekend Toby N should be the traveling emergency so we can get half a game of ruck time in the reserves for Tom D.

[Flying South]

Early on I was not a Derickx fan. But correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe we are unbeaten with him playing his role. That is against some of the big hitters in Hawthorn, Fremantle, Port and Geelong. I'll take that. Happy for him to keep filling in until Sam or Nank develop enough to get a game hopefully next year.

[goswannies]

Much of what you just said I would have said, repeatedly, about LRT.

he is a cheap back up ruckman in a list which is very expensive. You have to manage the stars with role players.

Yeah but LRT was/is an effective KPD & pinch hitting forward. Tom D is ... well, he flies for marks spectacularly (without reliably landing them) & is a good ladder at centre bounces when the other ruckmen jump all over him (though he somehow seems to win a few contests with this strategy).

[altmattr]

Oh my, you guys are nuts. I think you expect too much from the big men. Pyke and Derrickx have been fantastic. How fast do you expect Derrickx to improve? Pyke did a number on Mumford on Saturday, a massive comeback from the first round match, what more do you want? Actually, don't answer that, I know what more you want but it is too much to expect!

Get another ruckman....... I have never heard anything so preposterous in my life.

[barry]

Derickx has proven Leigh Matthews correct that ruckmen are overated. We won games even when losing the hitouts.

[Conor_Dillon]

Derickx has proven Leigh Matthews correct that ruckmen are overated. We won games even when losing the hitouts.

They're overrated purely in a hit-out/clearance sense but very important in regards to clearing space for midfielders and using their considerable bulk to 'impact' opposition mids. Mummy was never a hitout to advantage specialist and still isn't but his influence on contested footy is worth the weight of the sausages he can eat in gold!

[Reggi]

Interesting that Horse intimated tgat Tom D might come straight back in after a rest

[aguy]

Interesting that Horse intimated tgat Tom D might come straight back in after a rest

Yes it was interesting. I wondered about that too. If he plays Tom and pyke to cover nic nat and cox who would he leave out ?

[Ludwig]

Interesting that Horse intimated tgat Tom D might come straight back in after a rest

Horse was just being diplomatic. He didn't want Tom to get down on himself for being dropped. We also need to bring an emergency ruckman just in case Pyke get's injured or ill.

If I were the coach I would have said: We're taking him to Perth, putting him in small boat, and tell him to keep rowing until he hits Madagascar.

Not really! That's a bit cruel. Tom has done his best to fill in when he was really needed. But Pyke's the main man. We don't need to play 2 full-time ruckmen.