Training 2025 Pre-Season

[tinman]

These training reports have me giddy with excitement. Curtin! Rankine! Rachele! I haven't felt this optimistic about our chances since 12 months ago

If only we could just keep training and never have to play anyone!

The season starts and reality sets in. Last year after the hurt of missing finals by an umpiring error we had harnessed that disappointment and used it to propel us upwards. Even the experts were predicting us to be big improvers.

We live in hope that this year will be a better one. I’m getting tired of us being dead set ordinary.

 

[George Kramer]

Ruckman dont matter.

Play a good one, play a shit one, play 3 of them, play one of them. Ruckman very very very very rarely decide premierships.

Do you acknowledge having a good ruckman helps you win enough games to make finals and a GF or they don’t matter at all and someone like Strachan could have led Swans or Lions ruck last year and made the GF anyway?

 

[1990crow]

Do you acknowledge having a good ruckman helps you win enough games to make finals and a GF or they don’t matter at all and someone like Strachan could have led Swans or Lions ruck last year and made the GF anyway?

Yeah I just can't subscribe to having a better player in any position makes no difference.
Yes, it takes a whole squad to win one, but if you have a deficient player in a spot, the rest of the team has to be better than their opponents every else to make up for it.

We finished 15th, so ROBs flaws just exasperate our shitness.

 

[Cromulant]

Yeah I just can't subscribe to having a better player in any position makes no difference.
Yes, it takes a whole squad to win one, but if you have a deficient player in a spot, the rest of the team has to be better than their opponents every else to make up for it.

We finished 15th, so ROBs flaws just exasperate our shitness.

They do, but i get the poster is coming from.

The teams with the very best rucks over the last 25 years or so don't win as often as sides without them. Cox and Gawn were THE dominant rucks of their time and won 1 each, Jacobs was a gun, he got to a GF when he was at his peak but never won.

If you've got 95% of your side right, you don't need a fantastic ruck and whilst ROB is certainly not one, you put him in that Brisbane side last year and they still win.

But having a good one can't hurt.

 

[spenze]

What does priority access give us though?

 

[Tex Danger]

Was interested to see jarryd Lyons looking on today. (Noticed as saw a kid on a lions guernsey so made me look back)

 

[George Kramer]

What does priority access give us though?

We can match bids and get some discount

 

[George Kramer]

They do, but i get the poster is coming from.

The teams with the very best rucks over the last 25 years or so don't win as often as sides without them. Cox and Gawn were THE dominant rucks of their time and won 1 each, Jacobs was a gun, he got to a GF when he was at his peak but never won.

If you've got 95% of your side right, you don't need a fantastic ruck and whilst ROB is certainly not one, you put him in that Brisbane side last year and they still win.

But having a good one can't hurt.

Rob maybe yes, Strachan definitely no and the point he’s making is rucks don’t matter.

The other thing is the onus on the ruck being the deciding factor for a GF win or loss. The losing ruckman could have played well but if your mids, forwards or defenders have a bad one you can still lose.

Sydney’s much vaunted midfield sucked, their pressure sucked. That has nothing to do with the value of the ruckman. Had they played well, had the team pressure been up to scratch, would Grundy have got the credit for the win? Nah and he shouldn’t have because that’s too simplistic just like a ruckman can’t take the blame for not winning it.

In terms of allocating list resources, clubs use numerous list spots on mids, forwards and defenders and years of development with only a limited number making it. Those advocating for drafting a young ruck aren’t saying to draft a young ruck every year, but the last one we have is ROB and even he was a rookie. So is it too much to ask for one developing ruck on your list? Especially when it’s just not that easy to get players to our club. I will piss myself laughing if we offer an average Draper a decent contract and he’s our new ruck, I know which route I would have preferred.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

They do, but i get the poster is coming from.

The teams with the very best rucks over the last 25 years or so don't win as often as sides without them. Cox and Gawn were THE dominant rucks of their time and won 1 each, Jacobs was a gun, he got to a GF when he was at his peak but never won.

If you've got 95% of your side right, you don't need a fantastic ruck and whilst ROB is certainly not one, you put him in that Brisbane side last year and they still win.

But having a good one can't hurt.

Rehn was pretty important to our 2 flags.

It's easier to win if your midfield is getting good service & winning most of the clearances.

 

[Cromulant]

Rehn was pretty important to our 2 flags.

It's easier to win if your midfield is getting good service & winning most of the clearances.

Far different game then, we were 2 players down early in the first quarter in 97. In all likelihood you don't win too many GFs like that.

Plenty of average to solid rucks have won flags too.

 

[ABAB]

If only we could just keep training and never have to play anyone!

The season starts and reality sets in. Last year after the hurt of missing finals by an umpiring error we had harnessed that disappointment and used it to propel us upwards. Even the experts were predicting us to be big improvers.

We live in hope that this year will be a better one. I’m getting tired of us being dead set ordinary.

Nicks admitted he made major change to the game plan which doesn't work that only the Hawks played a similar plan for one game, got thump and Mitchell had to apologies to the Hawk's supporter and smartly didn't play it again and they end up playing Finals. Surely Nicks isn't going to double down again.......

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Far different game then, we were 2 players down early in the first quarter in 97. In all likelihood you don't win too many GFs like that.

Plenty of average to solid rucks have won flags too.

No doubt, but easier to control the midfield if getting at least 50% service from your ruckman.

 

[George Kramer]

No doubt, but easier to control the midfield if getting at least 50% service from your ruckman.

And they can mark and contribute around the ground

 

[Cromulant]

And they can mark and contribute around the ground

That's the bit.

We do get 50% or even more at CB from ROB, it's the other bits.

At his best he's good enough to contribute, big Strachan..... is not.

 

[George Kramer]

That's the bit.

We do get 50% or even more at CB from ROB, it's the other bits.

At his best he's good enough to contribute, big Strachan..... is not.

Coaches clearly aren’t happy with what he’s doing

 

[Cromulant]

Coaches clearly aren’t happy with what he’s doing

Very true, but he can.

Not to a very high level, but enough to contribute.

The fact we havent got anyone else who can either, aside from RT who's far too important, is worse.

 

[dogs105]

You'll let me know when the Crows list Murray as a developing ruck won't you?

From the Crows website...

View attachment 2205027

Bugger.


I was hoping Curtin was gonna be a midfielder.

 

[Mutineer]

The 2024 top 30 Hit Out Ruckmen average marks per game
Reiily O'Brien 2.3
Jarrod Witts 2.4
LLoyd Meek 2.4
Jordan Sweet 2.1
Tristan Xerri 2.9
Max Gawn 5.2
Toby Nankervis 3.3
Oscar McInerny 1.9
Brodie Grundy 2.3
Keiran Briggs 2.0
Sean Darcy 1.6
Darcy Cameron 4.6
Ned Moyle 2.6
Ivan Soldo 2.2
Tim English 6.0
Rhys Stanley 2.4
Rowan Marshall 5.8
Mark Pittonet 1.5
Liam Reidy 0.0
Todd Goldstein 1.8
Toby Cinway 2.4
Matthew Flynn 2.0
Dante Visentini 1.3
Ned Reeves 1.8
Bailey Williams 1.9
Nick Bryan 2.2
Tom De Koning 3.3
Darcy Fort 2.3
Sam Draper 3.1
Lachlan Keefe 1.6

 

[PeterSalt]

lol

 

[maxlilly]

I'm annoyed already watching ROB struggle against a D grade ruck that isn't on an AFL list.

That was the obvious thing that stood out from those four clips

 

[maxlilly]

lol

Is the 'Beard' going to pop a bicep there ? Wow

 

[Cromulant]

That was the obvious thing that stood out from those four clips

Unlikely they were really trying....

 

[maxlilly]

If only we could just keep training and never have to play anyone!

The season starts and reality sets in. Last year after the hurt of missing finals by an umpiring error we had harnessed that disappointment and used it to propel us upwards. Even the experts were predicting us to be big improvers.

We live in hope that this year will be a better one. I’m getting tired of us being dead set ordinary.

Yep, our genius coach thought we be better off with a slow precise chippy game plan.
And we ended up 15th after going 0-4.
Is it any wonder we are going with a completely opposite game plan this year of 'move the ball on at all costs'

 

[maxlilly]

It's great to see Tex doing well this pre- season
Hopefully he can do it for most of the season.
We've seen plenty of veterans do great in the pre-season and the first 6 games, and then fall off the cliff

 

[maxlilly]

Unlikely they were really trying....

Well that's been ROB's problem for the last couple of years