Ruckman Roughy?

[Rocco Jones]

Our four young tall defenders are all showing promising signs this season. Talia has improved massively under Beveridge and looks at least a good enough KP defender option in a good side. Roberts had his best game on the weekend against the best of opposition. Should only get better. Really, really like the look of Hamling and Zaine Cordy as both athletes and footballers.

Basically I rate (at least in the long term) our fourth young tall defender outside of Roughy more than any of our rucks. Do we move Roughy back to the ruck? Only issue IMO is that Talia is the only one of the four who suits playing on a gorilla.

[Doc26]

Call me outdated but I'd prefer to see Will come back in this week for Ayce and leave our backline as it is to continue to develop as a tight unit. Will's effort, particularly his work on the spread, has lifted enough to deserve a recall and provide some needed big body support around the stoppages.

[bulldogtragic]

I think so. I'd like him to be our swing man, a much better option of Leigh Brown. He's a solid to good defender on tall and slow forwards, he's a good ruckman and with education can be a better forward. I think he's good enough to play most roles for a guy his size, and I think Bevo would love the flexibility he would offer the team. I still think we should go after a top line tall defender to seal this deal, but our kids are looking much better down back.

[Rocco Jones]

I am meaning more long term than this week. As in the long term future of this squad/team.

[Doc26]

I am meaning more long term than this week. As in the long term future of this squad/team.

If it's beyond Will's tenure with us then I would hope that Tom Campbell has progressed enough to hold down our number 1 ruck position. He's not there as yet.

I would like to see Jordan continue his development as a key defender and if / when both Talia and Roberts can hold down these posts then look to use Jordan like Hawthorn does his cousin.

[kruder]

Hows Rougheads endurance? He always seem to be struggling throughout a game particularly after a second effort. Anyone know where he sits at the club?

[jeemak]

I'm not sure he's rucked very well in the spurts he's rucked this year, and I think offers us more as a key back. I've also seen him do plenty of good work cutting balls off as a defender, but not as well - albeit from limited exposure - leading to the ball.

Put it this way, I think the team loses more through having him ruck moderately well and leaving a hole in defence, than what we lose with him in defence and Cordy rucking poorly and doing moderately well around the ground.

We just need Cordy to get stronger over the next year or two, Campbell to get a shot when he's earned it, and our recruiting team to coax a competitive ruck from another club at the end of this year.

Let's not weaken a building part of our line up just to maybe improve an obvious weakness.

[GVGjr]

I couldn't make that move at the moment but maybe Bevo might. I'd wait until Morris was available before considering it.

[bornadog]

Our four young tall defenders are all showing promising signs this season. Talia has improved massively under Beveridge and looks at least a good enough KP defender option in a good side. Roberts had his best game on the weekend against the best of opposition. Should only get better. Really, really like the look of Hamling and Zaine Cordy as both athletes and footballers.

Basically I rate (at least in the long term) our fourth young tall defender outside of Roughy more than any of our rucks. Do we move Roughy back to the ruck? Only issue IMO is that Talia is the only one of the four who suits playing on a gorilla.

We are at least a year away from making that move, but do like your thinking.

[stefoid]

He always was a ruckman and in the phantoms they said his tapwork was a highlight. He hasnt played as a ruck for a couple of years so it might take him a while to get back to it.

http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthread.php?4054-Jordan-Roughead

[bulldogtragic]

He always was a ruckman and in the phantoms they said his tapwork was a highlight. He hasnt played as a ruck for a couple of years so it might take him a while to get back to it.

Was the only ruckman to beat Nic Nat so most scribes said. As you say, tap work was his strength.

[Remi Moses]

Like his work as a backman, and haven't been convinced by any of his ruck work.
Word is Will's defensive efforts are keeping him out of the side.
Not convinced him or Campbell get across the ground well enough .

[Mofra]

Pre-draft he was the most natural of the "tap" ruckman available that year.
He jumps noticeably higher than Cordy in the centre contests and he is certainly flexible being able to play multiple positions.

Perhaps the longer term plan is to have him share duties with Cordy 50/50 and they can both stay on the ground in different positions when not rucking?

[Ozza]

Personally, I think Roughead is too important in defence to be moved into a permanent ruck role.

These days, most teams have a 200cm forward, so there is always a natural match up for Roughy. But also, Roughead's ability at marking the high long ball in defence is incredible valuable. He is also a super reliable kick and good decision maker. I always feel we are pretty safe with the ball in his hands. Even when receiving a handball or gathering a loose ball, he is pretty competent in getting around a tackler (or getting his arms free) to distribute the ball.

Overall, I just think he is a really important defender for us and a real steadying influence.

[Greystache]

Personally, I think Roughead is too important in defence to be moved into a permanent ruck role.

These days, most teams have a 200cm forward, so there is always a natural match up for Roughy. But also, Roughead's ability at marking the high long ball in defence is incredible valuable. He is also a super reliable kick and good decision maker. I always feel we are pretty safe with the ball in his hands. Even when receiving a handball or gathering a loose ball, he is pretty competent in getting around a tackler (or getting his arms free) to distribute the ball.

Overall, I just think he is a really important defender for us and a real steadying influence.

Agree. I think Roughead is a very good key defender and a potentially average to good ruck/forward. He needs the support of a quick key defender, along with Talia as an endurance type tallish defender. If we can find that player then we're pretty set for most teams set ups.

[1eyedog]

Can Talia / Roberts take the really big forwards though? I'm talking Tippett, Carlisle, Daniher et al. These guys are 200+cm.

Roughies tank is fine for ruck, he's had 7-8 preseasons.

[Maddog37]

Roberts can handle the really tall players IMHO.

[1eyedog]

Roberts can handle the really tall players IMHO.

He's got that really long neck. His shoulders are where you would expect someone around 192-193cm would be.

[wimberga]

He's got that really long neck. His shoulders are where you would expect someone around 192-193cm would be.

Love the analysis - probably the most astute observation I have ever seen on Woof!

[1eyedog]

Love the analysis - probably the most astute observation I have ever seen on Woof!

Ha ha cheers but it is true!

http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Fletcher+Roberts/AFL+Rd+8+Melbourne+v+Western+Bulldogs/d4Bu-ah1-NK

Will's not even 200cm. Fletch may be 196cm but his shoulders are around 192-193cm. I don't know about you but I've played on guys with significantly more reach than me and in the air every cm makes a massive difference.

This would have to be my weirdest post I agree. I guess what I'm saying is Fletch isn't tall enough to play on the big guys and taking Roughie from FB and playing him in the ruck scares me a bit. It's one thing to pull your number 1 ruck out of the game but when you start pulling your most important defender out of defence it just seems to me that you're doing nothing but making two key positions on the ground poorer.

[dog town]

I really liked the progress Roughy was making as a key back. I feel like it has stifled him a bit moving around. He looked quite commanding down back when he was solely a defender and very much a leader.

Not doubting his ability to ruck but I just think he is developing into a really good defender.

[Flamethrower]

IMHO we must keep developing Jordan as our monster key defender, and stick with Ayce, Will and TC as our ruckmen for 2015.

Then we chase a ruckman from another club in the offseason that fits Bevo's gameplan. Matt Leuenberger and Tom Bellchambers are restricted free agents, while Dawson Simpson, Aaron Sandilands and Mark Jamar are unrestricted free agents. I'm sure there are others in lower leagues that are late developers too.

[F'scary]

Ha ha cheers but it is true!

http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Fletcher+Roberts/AFL+Rd+8+Melbourne+v+Western+Bulldogs/d4Bu-ah1-NK

Will's not even 200cm. Fletch may be 196cm but his shoulders are around 192-193cm. I don't know about you but I've played on guys with significantly more reach than me and in the air every cm makes a massive difference.

This would have to be my weirdest post I agree. I guess what I'm saying is Fletch isn't tall enough to play on the big guys and taking Roughie from FB and playing him in the ruck scares me a bit. It's one thing to pull your number 1 ruck out of the game but when you start pulling your most important defender out of defence it just seems to me that you're doing nothing but making two key positions on the ground poorer.

Ha-ha-ha LOL. Case proven.