Position Rucks Discussion
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Gawn is ready and willing to work in tandem with sidekick Braydon Preuss.
The Demons’ best and fairest winner said he will “park his ego” if instructed to share the big-man duties this season..........It gives Demons coach Simon Goodwin the option of twin talls if Port Adelaide loads up with height in the opening round.........“It’s not an ego thing. You have to park your ego when you play footy and you’ve got to be able to do what the coach says. As much as I love the No. 1 ruck, I like kicking goals and helping down back. And Preussy likes to do that as well.”........Gawn is physically sound despite the battering nature of his craft and he has been virtually injury-free since damaging the right knee in the last game of the 2014 season.........
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...e/news-story/da911a86fc5827318d35fc3d69bf2a47
The Demons’ best and fairest winner said he will “park his ego” if instructed to share the big-man duties this season..........It gives Demons coach Simon Goodwin the option of twin talls if Port Adelaide loads up with height in the opening round.........“It’s not an ego thing. You have to park your ego when you play footy and you’ve got to be able to do what the coach says. As much as I love the No. 1 ruck, I like kicking goals and helping down back. And Preussy likes to do that as well.”........Gawn is physically sound despite the battering nature of his craft and he has been virtually injury-free since damaging the right knee in the last game of the 2014 season.........
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...e/news-story/da911a86fc5827318d35fc3d69bf2a47
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It's all total BS, Pruess will hardly ever play if at all. Gawn HAS TO keep talking up Pruess for the sake of morale, and well...of course if the coach puts Pruess in the team Gawn will ''check his ego'' rofl but a doubt Pruess sees 3+ games this year, just my opinion.
Thanks for posting though Berm.
Thanks for posting though Berm.
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After going through the same motions as most others this pre-season I have decided to take the plunge on the Non-Gawdy route.
The principal I like to stick to - even with my absolute premiums - is that I need to be able to see upside in the player before I pick them.
Based on history I just can't see Grundy or Gawn increasing in scoring average in 2019. In my opinion they will be the top 2 ruckman, but they do not provide the points per dollar value I want. I understand there is the captain issue to consider and I am happy to run a combination of Cripps/Oliver/Danger as my VC/C.
If possible I would rather not choose a placeholder so at this stage I am planning on Smith and Clarke being named (with Daniher injury). I'm treating these 2 like any other rookies, their scoring potential is very good and I think they can make money quickly. By starting 2 rookie rucks it allows me to run with 1 extra premium in forward and defense and bypass the mid pricers I see as traps.
If either of the above 2 aren't named I will drop fwd/back premo down to a rookie which allows me to bring in either Goldy or Witts. I did say I'm not keen on placeholders but I see upside in both these players.
Goldy - 9 of first 13 at Etihad or Tassie - averaged 108 at these venues last year. Also averaged 110 after the byes. I do believe he has some personal issues which affected him last year.
Witts - more of a gut-feel choice but he is coming into a very good breakout age for a ruck and his early draw looks very favorable against sides with poor ruckmen. Has been made captain and hearing him speak he seems to be in a very good place with plenty to prove. This is obviously a terrible argument for the number-crunchers but sometimes you've got to run with that gut-feel.
Round 15 last year seems like so long ago where i was telling myself that i would never start without Grundy and Gawn!! Why do we do this to ourselves.
The principal I like to stick to - even with my absolute premiums - is that I need to be able to see upside in the player before I pick them.
Based on history I just can't see Grundy or Gawn increasing in scoring average in 2019. In my opinion they will be the top 2 ruckman, but they do not provide the points per dollar value I want. I understand there is the captain issue to consider and I am happy to run a combination of Cripps/Oliver/Danger as my VC/C.
If possible I would rather not choose a placeholder so at this stage I am planning on Smith and Clarke being named (with Daniher injury). I'm treating these 2 like any other rookies, their scoring potential is very good and I think they can make money quickly. By starting 2 rookie rucks it allows me to run with 1 extra premium in forward and defense and bypass the mid pricers I see as traps.
If either of the above 2 aren't named I will drop fwd/back premo down to a rookie which allows me to bring in either Goldy or Witts. I did say I'm not keen on placeholders but I see upside in both these players.
Goldy - 9 of first 13 at Etihad or Tassie - averaged 108 at these venues last year. Also averaged 110 after the byes. I do believe he has some personal issues which affected him last year.
Witts - more of a gut-feel choice but he is coming into a very good breakout age for a ruck and his early draw looks very favorable against sides with poor ruckmen. Has been made captain and hearing him speak he seems to be in a very good place with plenty to prove. This is obviously a terrible argument for the number-crunchers but sometimes you've got to run with that gut-feel.
Round 15 last year seems like so long ago where i was telling myself that i would never start without Grundy and Gawn!! Why do we do this to ourselves.
I think this post nicely encapsulates the journey a lot of us have taken over the months since RD15 last year. Many of us have taken that last step back to thinking Grundy and Gawn are the best picks of a bad lot.
FWIW I agree with the principle but reality doesn't always leave room for such things. Good luck in the rucks! Someone will get it right, I'm sure.
FWIW I agree with the principle but reality doesn't always leave room for such things. Good luck in the rucks! Someone will get it right, I'm sure.
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Really thinking of just starting Westhoff in the rucks and upgrading to Grundy later.
Have been on Gawn + Grundy/Goldstein all pre-season. But Grundy just cannot sustain an avg of 130, and with his injury-affected pre-season he's a big chance to fall back to the pack a little bit I reckon. Going without him allows something like M.Crouch instead of B.Crouch/Rockliff; an upgrade of a midpricer to a safer premium without losing a premium.
If Grundy has a slower start to the year and falls to 570-590k at an average of 110 or so, I'd count that as a win. Obviously if he keeps scoring at a 130 average and Westhoff falls back to averaging 90 then it's a big loss, but one that will at least be o***et somewhat by an extra premium player in my lineup. Also has the downside of removing a captain option (Grundy).
I feel like this is a safer strategy for going without Grundy. If you pick Goldstein and he fails (<105 avg) then you're basically stuck with him. At least with Westhoff you're picking him as an extra forward premium and treating Setterfield as a ruck rookie to be used to acquire Grundy later on.
Have been on Gawn + Grundy/Goldstein all pre-season. But Grundy just cannot sustain an avg of 130, and with his injury-affected pre-season he's a big chance to fall back to the pack a little bit I reckon. Going without him allows something like M.Crouch instead of B.Crouch/Rockliff; an upgrade of a midpricer to a safer premium without losing a premium.
If Grundy has a slower start to the year and falls to 570-590k at an average of 110 or so, I'd count that as a win. Obviously if he keeps scoring at a 130 average and Westhoff falls back to averaging 90 then it's a big loss, but one that will at least be o***et somewhat by an extra premium player in my lineup. Also has the downside of removing a captain option (Grundy).
I feel like this is a safer strategy for going without Grundy. If you pick Goldstein and he fails (<105 avg) then you're basically stuck with him. At least with Westhoff you're picking him as an extra forward premium and treating Setterfield as a ruck rookie to be used to acquire Grundy later on.
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Bruised toe puts a dent in gun Magpie's pre-season
COLLINGWOOD ruckman Brodie Grundy is expected to miss a fortnight of training with a bruised little toe.
The 2018 All Australian big man didn't take to the training track on Monday.
The Magpies told AFL.com.au that Grundy was sore after a teammate had accidentally stood on the toe.
Grundy later revealed on Twitter the culprit was new teammate Jordan Roughead.
However, it is anticipated the injury will simply be a minor inconvenience and it won't affect Grundy's preparations for the season.
Dated 21 Jan
https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-01-21/bruised-toe-puts-a-dent-in-gun-magpies-preseason
COLLINGWOOD ruckman Brodie Grundy is expected to miss a fortnight of training with a bruised little toe.
The 2018 All Australian big man didn't take to the training track on Monday.
The Magpies told AFL.com.au that Grundy was sore after a teammate had accidentally stood on the toe.
Grundy later revealed on Twitter the culprit was new teammate Jordan Roughead.
However, it is anticipated the injury will simply be a minor inconvenience and it won't affect Grundy's preparations for the season.
Dated 21 Jan
https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-01-21/bruised-toe-puts-a-dent-in-gun-magpies-preseason
