Concur.
Which is why there was a mighty caveat in my post.
On the other hand, if they’re both back-ups, Smack is a back-up for two things.
My main point was for all that is good and true, please don’t draft a ruck with a high pick this year.
Pretty please. With sugar on top.
I read plenty of comment on here about how inept our midfield is and while I believe that has some merit, IMO, our ruck is a contributing factor as well. I though Bellchambers was very soft in a number of games this year but Naismith monstered him on the weekend & that mark he dropped at CHB when body spoiled by JAck was pathetic. When was the last time he really advantaged our midfield by giving them decent rucking to work with? Have a look at the throw in at the end of the first swans game. Flops to the ground with minimal contact. Needed to stand strong & thump the ball on the 45 toward our goal & boundary. Gleeson & Goddard got caned for their last effort yet Teflon Tom escapes criticism. The sooner Draper comes on the better our midfield will be IMO.
Stewart is 198cm and will be a season older so why can’t he pinch hit, I think he would be good round the ground as he is mobile.
Every other Saga player has been below their best this year, I don’t see why that wouldn’t apply to Belly as well. I’ve also got to admit, at the ground I put him in our best 5 on ground. Thought he dominated the taps, but Sydney sharked a lot of them. But some were put down our throats, not his fault players like Heppell couldn’t pick them up.
Promote Draper and pump games into him ahead of leunberger.
Tommy won hitoutsand hitouts to advantage, but hardly got the ball, and his opponent had about 6 clearances .
This is the thing, if you area good tap ruckman like belly, but the opponent gains clearances the ruckmen virtually cancel each other, which is imo what happened in the game.
Others say naismith destroyed tbell.
Imo, tbell needs to gain more possessions and thus clearances, and take more contetsed marks, which is the reason why he was preferred to berger, then ultimately failed to deliver that in the final. ( and in some other games)
So who are we going to recruit, as the thread title asks? Also, who are we going to delist to make space for this new ruck? Or, are we going to have 5 rucks on our list?
Four rucks is the limit, and l nominate SMack as the most vulnerable to be delisted.
Well it sounds like we’re getting a Rookie B. That’s a free hit. I’d be drafting another one either in the national or rookie draft. That gives us 5 but one being the free hit. Draper would start the year 3rd in line.
Or, fill our rookie list entirely with rucks.
Keep one, trade the others for second round picks in a few years time.
Profit.
5 ruck types on a list never works because if all rucks are fit, then the number 4 and 5 ruck never have a chance to develop their craft.
I’d be hoping the replacement for Smack is a ruck/forward so he can spend a fair bit of time playing forward if everyone is fit. Like Smack has done this year
Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say it was that hard to get into our top 5 on Saturday…
I thought Belly was one of our better players out of a very sorry bunch, because of his ruck work.
TBC, JOE, Stewart, Draper, and Looney if they keep him
Who’s this category B guy that people are afraid to speak the name of?
Chris Judd?
So we circle back here with the leuey retirement. Draper is still another 1-2 seasons off with his skills/work around the ground, and bellcho will be number 1, so surely we just need a backup option here? Is there a state league player we should look at?
Surely we look at Zac Clarke whos been killing it in the WAFL after overcoming his knee issues?
I am firmly on the Tom Campbell bandwagon.
Other options worth considering include Zac Clarke and Jake Spencer. The best State League prospect by the length of the field is Nick Meese who is a bit short and old but has dominated AFL listed ruckmen for years.
I’m still for backing Draper in.