Tough test for dogged defender

[Hotdog60]

Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney believes emerging key defender Jordan Roughead is getting the best apprenticeship possible and is backing him to stand up to an early-season blitz of power forwards.

The 19-year-old looked set for a tough day against Fremantle on Saturday when star forward Matthew Pavlich kicked 2.2 on him in the first quarter of the NAB Cup match at Mandurah.

But even though the delivery from the Dockers' midfield was of a high standard and constant, Pavlich added only once more to his tally in the last three quarters of his team's whopping 109-point win.

Granted it was the Fremantle skipper's first hitout of the pre-season, but Roughead's performance was not lost on his coach.

http://images.theage.com.au/2013/03/10/4098463/art-353-svROUGHEAD-300x0.jpg

''Roughead is getting the best forward each week,'' McCartney said of the 18-gamer.

''He got them for five to seven games at the end of last year, too. He's had a few goals kicked on him, but he's been saving goals and moulding players around him. The end result will be good.''

It won't be long before Roughead gets another crack at Pavlich. They are scheduled to lock horns again in round two at Etihad Stadium.

Before that though, the 19-year-old is likely to face Brisbane power forward Jonathan Brown in round one, and it doesn't get any easier,


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tough-test-for-dogged-defender-20130310-2fu6n.html#ixzz2NB8WKuon

[Maddog37]

Is he really only 19 still?

[Cyberdoggie]

Is he really only 19 still?

Turning 23 in november.

[AndrewP6]

What terrible reporting, twice referring to him as a nineteen year old!

[SlimPickens]

Have been reasonably impressed with some of Roughys efforts over the preseason, think he reads the play quite well which has helped with his positioning and ability to spoil. We need him to step up this year as the other options around him (Marko, Austin, Talia etc) are below his standard.

[westdog54]

Roughead is starting to look like an inspired choice to inhetrit the full back role and still has plenty of development left in him. I think Mccartney will have a lot of us eating our words in a season or two.

[Greystache]

He's 22 and has played 35 games, the standard of journalism these days is atrocious.

On Roughead he's seems to have noticeably changed his body shape this year, he looks more muscular yet leaner through the waist, more athletic.

[bornadog]

Played Fullback as a kid, but when he kept growing and was taller than every one, they chucked him into the ruck - as you do at that age.

The MC has backed him, he has a great mentor in Scarlett so lets hope it succeeds.

[Rocco Jones]

Like the 'risk'.

If he continued his development I think he would have become a serviceable 2nd ruck type but he has shown signs of greater potential as a KP defender.

Thing is we can always send him back to the ruck if it is not working out well and by then he should have naturally matured a bit meaning his body is more ruck ready.

Only issue to me is it leaves a hole in my much loved 2nd ruck stocks.

[bornadog]

Like the 'risk'.

If he continued his development I think he would have become a serviceable 2nd ruck type but he has shown signs of greater potential as a KP defender.

Thing is we can always send him back to the ruck if it is not working out well and by then he should have naturally matured a bit meaning his body is more ruck ready.

Only issue to me is it leaves a hole in my much loved 2nd ruck stocks.

I think Ayce should be taking that spot, and we should be looking at Jones, Roberts, Stringer up forward.

[Rocco Jones]

I think Ayce should be taking that spot, and we should be looking at Jones, Roberts, Stringer up forward.

Thing about the 2nd ruck role is a play spends about twice as much time forward/not in ruck than they do in the ruck. So basically Cordy would be 2/3rds forward, 1/3rd ruck.

It shows a bit about Stringer but so much more about our depth that he is so needed short term.

[F'scary]

Thing about the 2nd ruck role is a play spends about twice as much time forward/not in ruck than they do in the ruck. So basically Cordy would be 2/3rds forward, 1/3rd ruck.

It shows a bit about Stringer but so much more about our depth that he is so needed short term.

No...No...anyone but Cordy in the forward line.

[Rocco Jones]

No...No...anyone but Cordy in the forward line.

Haha yep. Thing is the only other option is Tom Campbell.

[F'scary]

Haha yep. Thing is the only other option is Tom Campbell.

Sorry but the Minson experiment of a few seasons ago and the more recent Cordy experience has put me off the Dogs playing ruckmen as forwards forever.

Bring on Stringer.

Bring on Roberts.

Keep your act together Jones!

Find some form Grant - we need you.

We want marking and leading forwards who do not play as if someone has put their feet into buckets of cement whenever they line up in the goal square.

We want forwards who look confident that they can outmark the opposition's rover.

We want forwards who do not go for marks as if there is a big rubber band between their hands.

We want forwards who lead when its needed, not when someone else is taking a set shot from 10 meters out with a "oh why didn't you kick it to me" look on their dial.

We want forwards who are not hanging around week after week waiting for the ump to give them a soft free out of sympathy.

[Rocco Jones]

I don't want to F'scray but where else are you going to play the 2nd ruck?

Footy has well and truly moved past days where 2nd ruck is a pure ruck and spends heaps of time on bench. If a player can't spend at least 75% TOG then they simply don't get a game due to the pressure on rotations.

Minson hopefully can spend about 80% TOG as a ruck. That leaves 20% relief time with 55% or so elsewhere.

Oddly enough I think the mutated 2nd ruck role will become a rare specialist position in our modern game.

[Dry Rot]

Long term, will Roughead make a better FB or CHB?

[Ghost Dog]

Sorry but the Minson experiment of a few seasons ago and the more recent Cordy experience has put me off the Dogs playing ruckmen as forwards forever.





We want forwards who are not hanging around week after week waiting for the ump to give them a soft free out of sympathy.

Williams was looking good until injury number #234. What did you think of him F'scray?
I hope he gets back into the team asap. Our forward line is the biggest area of concern.

[jeemak]

In 2008 Minson played the second ruck position very well. If we had have had a genuine KPF to whom he could play alongside he might have done an even better job, and we might have had a flag then and or in subsequent seasons. His 2008 was underrated from this perspective, as he was seen by many as a KPF rather than a second ruck.

Cordy like Minson, will only be effective as a second ruck if he has a good KPF to play alongside. He's not likely to be able to cope with the best defender once he matures, but hopefully he'll be able to take on the second or third best and compete to a high standard.

All that aside, as it's off topic, I'm hopeful Roughead will become an extremely rounded footballer as a result of his experience in the back six.

If he also becomes an extremely good defender that can take on the monsters of the competition then I'll be even happier, as we don't have anyone on the list who I believe at this stage can take on the biggest forwards.

[F'scary]

Williams was looking good until injury number #234. What did you think of him F'scray?
I hope he gets back into the team asap. Our forward line is the biggest area of concern.

It would be good to start the season with Williams & Jones: not sure which at CHF, which at FF. But yes, Williams showed he can play as a forward last year. I like seeing him there too given the direness of the forward situation at the moment

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

It would be good to start the season with Williams & Jones: not sure which at CHF, which at FF. But yes, Williams showed he can play as a forward last year. I like seeing him there too given the direness of the forward situation at the moment

I do not see Williams playing as a regular KPF. At this stage he is our best and only option to play at CHB. Talia with more experience may eventually hold down that role but needs more time. Our other options like Markovic and Austin are simply handy fill ins. My hope is that Roberts and Stringer with more experience together with Jones will become our taller marking forward options. Cordy looks and plays like a ruckman and he together with Campbell appear to be vying as the second ruckman to Minson.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I still think Roughy will develop into a very good ruckman who can have an impact up forward. Although his goal kicking is horrible, he's not a bad kick -- much better than our other talls.

He presents at the ball reasonably well, hits the contest hard, can get off the ground and has a nice pair of hands.

Hopefully he does well for us at FB but IMO he has great potential further up the field.