Position 2022: Ruck Discussion

[Tails]

Goodwin on Gawn & Jackson :-

"We've spoken as a coaching group & to the guys that it's a horses for courses thing in terms of time in the ruck.
We'll identify what's going to give the team the best advantage & those guys are really open to it because they also love going forward & impacting the scoreboard"

So it really depends on matchups as to who Melbourne give the most ruck time to …657K on a guy with a BE of 204 who is no guarantee of being the main ruck pending matchups is very concerning

To me if they are going to build a "dynasty" ... that makes perfect sense ...
- Lets be real ... all the "key" cogs are in place .... and that didn't happen overnight ...

I just wish Roos / Clarko etc would come in and coach the team I support ...
- a real coach with game day awareness and more than one game plan to counter the opposition ...

To me the playing talent is there .... just need a well qualified Ringmaster to swing the whips ...

 

[freowho]

Goodwin on Gawn & Jackson :-

"We've spoken as a coaching group & to the guys that it's a horses for courses thing in terms of time in the ruck.
We'll identify what's going to give the team the best advantage & those guys are really open to it because they also love going forward & impacting the scoreboard"

So it really depends on matchups as to who Melbourne give the most ruck time to …657K on a guy with a BE of 204 who is no guarantee of being the main ruck pending matchups is very concerning

Gawn penned in for Rnd 7 @ $525k.

 

[Zim^zuM]

In two minds at the moment. Factoring in the cost of a trade, realistically 2 trades as I need to use the change straight away to make the most of trading him out.

If there was a stand out it would be easier. English will score as a loan ruck. But shown he still gets mucled out. Naughton in doubt so what happens with selection this week? Bevo can be unpredictable and stubborn. Darcy injured and Marshall went quiet with still Ryder to come hehe. Seems witts is the easiest move as even with a lower score he is scoring at his price and is always going to have miller and Rowell at his feet. Hmm

 

[freowho]

In two minds at the moment. Factoring in the cost of a trade, realistically 2 trades as I need to use the change straight away to make the most of trading him out.

If there was a stand out it would be easier. English will score as a loan ruck. But shown he still gets mucled out. Naughton in doubt so what happens with selection this week? Bevo can be unpredictable and stubborn. Darcy injured and Marshall went quiet with still Ryder to come hehe. Seems witts is the easiest move as even with a lower score he is scoring at his price and is always going to have miller and Rowell at his feet. Hmm

Even as a slow burn it's hard not to see Witt's make $100k.

 

[Zim^zuM]

Even as a slow burn it's hard not to see Witt's make $100k.

For me it's definitely Witts if I trade. Seems even in a poor game Gawns floor is decent (if you don't factor in his price) just depends how you view his fall in price. Do you view it as the dollars you paid for or do you also factor in the value of burning the trade. Then again the loose change I get from witts turns Ward into cripps. So witts/cripps vs ward and gawn seems a no brainer

 

[dlanod]

For me it's definitely Witts if I trade. Seems even in a poor game Gawns floor is decent (if you don't factor in his price) just depends how you view his fall in price. Do you view it as the dollars you paid for or do you also factor in the value of burning the trade. Then again the loose change I get from witts turns Ward into cripps. So witts/cripps vs ward and gawn seems a no brainer

My concern about Witts is - do you plan on getting Gawn back in if he turns it around? Witts is not likely to get DPP, whereas someone like English already has it.

I guess maybe it's even a step back - do you trade Gawn out at all if you think he can turn it around with an eye to get him in later?

Very interesting decisions to be made.

 

[Athomas]

My concern about Witts is - do you plan on getting Gawn back in if he turns it around? Witts is not likely to get DPP, whereas someone like English already has it.

I guess maybe it's even a step back - do you trade Gawn out at all if you think he can turn it around with an eye to get him in later?

Very interesting decisions to be made.

Yep, that's the questions we need to ask. I think if I go Gawn > Witts, I have no interest in getting Gawn back later, unless Jackson gets an LTI, or potentially if Gawn starts to get an 80/20 ruck share and he's cheap, but it sounds like there will be weeks Gawn is 80% CBA and then the next week 40%, so it would probably need an LTI for Jackson.

 

[Beg2Differ]

Prenglish has a nice ring to it.

Prayes even nicer but I am not that brave.

 

[jel]

I mentioned it in my Rd3 review, but I'll ask the question here.

Have the golden days of ruck scoring finished, and have Gawn & Grundy just come back to the pack and are now scoring what mortal ruck scores were previously?

After 3 rounds, only 5 rucks have averaged more than 100, with ROB, Grundy & Witts the only pure rucks (no DPP).

Do we need to reset our expectations now that the heady days of Gawndy delivering 250 - 300 scores between them look to be over.
Is a combined score of 200 - 230 now a more realistic expectation?

Interested to hear other's thoughts.

 

[randomcliche]

I mentioned it in my Rd3 review, but I'll ask the question here.

Have the golden days of ruck scoring finished, and have Gawn & Grundy just come back to the pack and are now scoring what mortal ruck scores were previously?

After 3 rounds, only 5 rucks have averaged more than 100, with ROB, Grundy & Witts the only pure rucks (no DPP).

Do we need to reset our expectations now that the heady days of Gawndy delivering 250 - 300 scores between them look to be over.
Is a combined score of 200 - 230 now a more realistic expectation?

Interested to hear other's thoughts.

I think a fit Darcy can do it, a solo Gawn, reborn Grundy and a NicNat with a long range tank, and a solo BigO. Unfortunately they’re all unicorns atm. So I’m parking Pruess and Grundy there until a unicorn shows up.

 

[Feerits Elf]

I like my ruck combination - Weuss

"Get a bloody HTA you big Weuss!"

Yeah. Like it.

 

[Professor]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1510865151687159809

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/AFL/status/1510865151687159809

 

[wogitalia]

I mentioned it in my Rd3 review, but I'll ask the question here.

Have the golden days of ruck scoring finished, and have Gawn & Grundy just come back to the pack and are now scoring what mortal ruck scores were previously?

After 3 rounds, only 5 rucks have averaged more than 100, with ROB, Grundy & Witts the only pure rucks (no DPP).

Do we need to reset our expectations now that the heady days of Gawndy delivering 250 - 300 scores between them look to be over.
Is a combined score of 200 - 230 now a more realistic expectation?

Interested to hear other's thoughts.

Maybe, maybe not.

Gawn makes sense as he enters a ruck share, it started last year to be fair and he really just had two bad games to start the season where he dropped a lot of marks.

Grundy is not that far off it, throw in a big game and he's back.

NicNat looks like a fat slob out there right now and still scored really well on the weekend.

Darcy hasn't gotten on the park.

English has pretty casually averaged 125 so far though so it's obviously still possible. Jackson from a 2nd ruck is putting up 101, Witts and ROB both career best numbers.

Ultimately though I think it's more that Gawn might not quite be there anymore, Darcy can't get on the park and NicNat being NicNat when it comes to preseasons and showing up like a fat slob. Reckon by seasons end there will still be 3 or 4 guys in that 110+ range though, perhaps the 130 group might not be around this year though.

 

[Zim^zuM]

I mentioned it in my Rd3 review, but I'll ask the question here.

Have the golden days of ruck scoring finished, and have Gawn & Grundy just come back to the pack and are now scoring what mortal ruck scores were previously?

After 3 rounds, only 5 rucks have averaged more than 100, with ROB, Grundy & Witts the only pure rucks (no DPP).

Do we need to reset our expectations now that the heady days of Gawndy delivering 250 - 300 scores between them look to be over.
Is a combined score of 200 - 230 now a more realistic expectation?

Interested to hear other's thoughts.

Was there similar discussion after the introduction of the stand rule and early ruck scores were down? Many said it would sort itself out quickly and return.

 

[Professor]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1510811768515608578

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/FantasyFreako/status/1510811768515608578

 

[Wheedus]

Current top Ruck combo based on averages - Prenglish

Also worth noting ROB's minutes played - 122 Elite tank right there

 

[jel]

Maybe, maybe not.

Gawn makes sense as he enters a ruck share, it started last year to be fair and he really just had two bad games to start the season where he dropped a lot of marks.

Grundy is not that far off it, throw in a big game and he's back.

NicNat looks like a fat slob out there right now and still scored really well on the weekend.

Darcy hasn't gotten on the park.

English has pretty casually averaged 125 so far though so it's obviously still possible. Jackson from a 2nd ruck is putting up 101, Witts and ROB both career best numbers.

Ultimately though I think it's more that Gawn might not quite be there anymore, Darcy can't get on the park and NicNat being NicNat when it comes to preseasons and showing up like a fat slob. Reckon by seasons end there will still be 3 or 4 guys in that 110+ range though, perhaps the 130 group might not be around this year though.

I guess that's where I'm heading.
So far this year (excluding English), the top tier rucks are around the 100 - 105 mark.
In the recent past, the top tier were 115+ and the 105 mark was considered 2nd tier.

The way things are looking, maybe we need to reset our expectations of what the ruck combo scores and that anything over 200 combined is actually acceptable.

 

[arpod]

Just doing a little checking of a left field idea - must admit partly driven by my MPM selection. A ruckman who should be getting toward the prime of his career at 24, with a six week or so audition to replace a 31 year old 'journeyman'. Any chance he does well enough to keep the gig?

Interesting set of stats when he gets a chance as the #1. Obviously a chance to get injured over the next week or two, but some appeal to grab now if the need arises. Horrible price, but if you were offered a FWD who could (I'd think) average 95-105 balance of the year for $415K suspect it would be worthy of consideration. But there are a lot of 'ifs'!

 

[Wheedus]

If Xerri gets ruck status, I could well end up with six players with ruck eligibility - Grundy, English, Preuss, Xerri, Hayes, and Dixon (and none of them was a floating donut pick). What a funny old season.

 

[BarginHunter]

2 questions;
1 why is everyone jumping on Preuss already? He had 1 109 game in a unpredictable side with an unpredictable coach, yes he is rookie priced, yes he has trained under gawn and Goldstein (some of the best rucks of this generation)
But its one game? Hes not even on the bubble yet? AND It seems hes second to Flynn (who was a rookie last year and now basically has no.1 ruck)
Maybe im missing something?

2. Is it possible Gawn could get Dpp??