What would you be willing to pay for our 3rd/4th in line ruck?
For me… nearly nothing.
Why do you think that about Bryan?
To me seems to have ticked all the right boxes for a 21yr old ruck.
Hayes is 3-4 years older.
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Why can’t Phillips’ games be given to Bryan but he’s kept around as a break glass emergency? I’m not sur Bryan’s body is ready to do a full AFL season as the #1 ruck anyway (if something happened to Draper).
You want to give players 4 odd years on the list to maybe get a third rounder? And you complained you think we have too many talls on the list!
Do we know that for sure?
Like Silvagni?
Or Ash Johnson when we played Collingwood?
Ruckmen are more important now.
Who would you rather on the list at the moment, Lord or Naismith?
Or last year MCdonut from Richmond VFL?
I’d rather Reid developed as a ruck than Cox
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Sam Hayes might be a good get.
We have his brother Lewis so we already have a connection.
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Naismith could be on our list right now. We had a slot open in the SSP and didn’t take anyone. Could have had two slots open in the MSD and didn’t. We could have every single player we currently have plus Naismith no worries. So it’s not about “rather” at all.
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Fair point, well made.
Naismith has had what 4 ACL reco’s.
Not sure he’d have been in our minds. There are clubs with far more dire ruck stocks than us that didn’t pick him
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I was thinking - does this need it’s own thread? Then I read the OP and it is A1. Well thought out and researched. Good lesson for me - book/cover and all that.
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Simply…
No. We have too many long term prospects to be keeping a 30+ year old player for a break glass situation should both our rucks be out injured.
We have Wanganeen and Harry Jones who should break out next year (with some luck) or the year after.
Munkarra, JD, Reid, Hayes, Cox are more likely two years away rather than next year given their circumstances. And you may as well add Hunter to this list too.
And I haven’t even mentioned Stewart or Lord who are wasted list spots.
The list is too crammed to be having a ‘break glass player’.
Yes. I’d prefer a ruck prospect on the rookie list. If they are worthy, then upgrade, otherwise, cut your losses and use your resources on the next ruck.
And yes…
We do have too many talls. More of a concern is that they are losing their development period which means we wait longer for them to ‘be ready’ let alone waiting for them to actually show they are any good…
There is no reason why we need Baldwin and James Stewart on the list if one is terminally injured and the other is switching between back and forward at VFL level. I like Baldwin, but his body shape should have been earning games this year. If it doesn’t then we either let Kelly or Hep go and give him his time, or just cut your loses with Baldwin. I don’t think there’s a rush by other clubs to get to Baldwin. I see him more likely as a Josh Walker type player (who played for Brisbane and North) than a Ben McKay one.
Tough decisions need to be made on the list. Otherwise, next year’s decisions will be far more difficult.
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I do think this discussion is further hindered because we have no idea who is going to stand up and be our future CHF. I’m not even sure that they are on the list yet. Whoever it is, it would be great if they could 2nd ruck.
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This is not really related. But who was the last ruckman who went first round in the draft or who was recruited on big money that actually won a premiership? They’re either the most overrated asset in the AFL or the most unlucky. Dean Cox is comfortably the best and most accomplished ruck i’ve seen, and i’m pretty sure he was a rookie. Sam Draper has all the traits to win a haul of flags.
Madden was an outlier. He’d go at pick 1 today but be played as a sole key forward.
Ben McEvoy - pick 9 to Saints
Traded in to Hawks on decent $ I assume
Can’t think of too many. Ottens IIRC was a high pick for Tigers, traded to Cat
Natainui pick 2, missed their flag in 2018 injured though
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From memory McEvoy was forced out, so not sure Hawks coughed up too much for him cap wise or pick, maybe a late first rounder coming off a flag. Worked out great for them though.
So he can get penalised even more for pushing guys in the back?
He’s a $500k pa player at most, and other clubs will offer much more.
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Even that is too much. He’s been in the system 7 years and next year will be 26. He ain’t suddenly going to break out into a game changer.
Darren Jolly went from Swans to Pies and won a flag I think.
Mumford went from Cats to Swans for $$$ and won a flag
Nankervis went from Swans to Tigers for a flag - more $$ and more opportunities.
Sam Jacobs - Fark Carlton Rookie to Adelaide main ruck and made Grand final.
leigh brown North to Pies - as second ruck won flag
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It was McEvoy for pick 18 and Savage. Which may be a late first round pick but it’s still a first round pick. Whether or not he was forced out is kind of depends on your perspective. The hawks were actively seeking a ruckman and went to the saints about McEvoy. The saints were at peak Chris Pelchen and agreed to a trade. Then they told McEvoy.
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