5?
Belly
Leuey
Draper - has very limited football experience & is not remotely ready for AFL nor has played one game at that level
Lavender - project player with limited football experience, kidding if think will step in.
Who else you got?
IMO Smack or other state leaguer will be needed as back up should Leuey or Belly get injured as we will not be able to put Draper or Lav2.0 in yet.
We also don’t have any big bodied kpf cover, beside Francis but his fitness the big unknown.
Joe D
The tiges had Shaun Grigg as back up ruck and we have Patty Ambrose.
He’ll get Francis to be a ruckman. He will get fit quick doing that and he can be getting involved in the contest.
Joe D is our most important fwd
We aren’t playing him in the ruck permanently on account of an extremely poor list management strategy of not having any experienced back up when our main two are very injury prone.
Woosh even said he does not want JD in ruck at all.
As for Tigers 2nd ruck in games. Pinch hit for 5mins a quarter is not the same as a full timer.
Tigers actually had Nankervis, Hampson, Soldo, Chol & Maric on their list as rucks.
There is no chance we go into season with just Belly, Leuey and the two rookie project rucks.
2018 All Australian team:
xxx xxx. xxx
xxx Hurley xxx
Smith Heppell xxx
Stringer Daniher Tippa
Fantasia Hooker xxx
xxx Zerrett Parish
Bench: xxx xxx xxx xxx
Coach: Woosha
But when Watson missed, it was Bird who came in. Howlett came in for Green, and wasn’t played through the middle. Based on who else came in, its Howlett’s role that has been upgraded (Smith & Stringer).
I don’t think you can do that. And anyway, if they’ve offered him a contract presumably they want him to sign it.
That’s how we got Green last year. As you say, if richmond actually want to keep him, then he won’t be a DFA. Otherwise there’s no reason they couldn’t retract their contract offer. I suppose someone could theoretically game the system, but I’m not sure how.
Were are we going to play them all though.
We only play 1 in the firsts. That means 4 in the VFL, our project ruckman aren’t going to get much development.
Of those Richmond 5, Maric was basically put to pasture, and they did often play 2 rucks during the year, which we never did.
I wonder if we’re looking at Zac Clarke as a rookie. I’m pretty sure we were keen on him before.
They’d offered him a contract earlier in the year. By the time trade week came around it had been rescinded. There is currently a contract in front of Miles.
Clarke would be a better option over McKernan, but I would have thought someone would give him a senior list gig as backup.
They only did that when Griffiths got injured
Then decided they were better off pinch hitting with Grigg over playing Chol / Soldo etc because they provided next to nothing around ground.
Fairly simple for mine
Smack would play permanent fwd for 2’s
Lavender fwd/ pinch hit ruck, they will likely have him on restricted game time / missing weeks etc
Leuey / Draper main ruck duties
It’s almost a given one of Belly or Leuey will get injured throughout year.
If there is a better option out there than Smack we can get i’m all for it but if not I think he stays as depth.
Richmond did have Ben Elton as well. Useless, but not so useless that he couldn’t kick a goal against us.
I’m almost inclined to platoon TBell and Leuney. Play them for roughly half a season each. Play Leuney against the weaker teams when TBell is inclined to bludge.
Added benefit is that both Lavender and Draper get to actually ruck in the magoos rather than park on their freckles.
Queef
Thought Watson missed more than 2 games
And if it’s for one year and if he gets offered three years somewhere else, richmond could rescind their contract and let him walk. I would hope we would do the same thing for one of our players if we were in the same situation.
I would hope we ■■■■■■ well wouldn’t. If they wanted him, they can trade for him. How on earth is what you’re describing above different to what McPhee did to us?
Richmond have to delist him first. No-one can go after him unless they do.