Rucks are measured against Cox and Sandilands atm. Both get hitouts and are good around the ground. None of our ruck stocks come close to either of them as all rounders.

A great ruckman is a fantastic asset and we should be finding/developing one to complement the midfielders we have. That seems to be the plan for Warnock. I am not a fan of rucks who get the tap but put it to a space where it can't be used well. Warnock's taps occasionally go to one of out players on the burst. Occasionally. Usually they go to a player standing at his feet with a tagger waiting. Judd has so many contested possessions because he goes in and gets it but also because when he is given it by Warnock, usually he has to wrestle it away from the pack. It can't be rocket science to tap the footy to a space every now and then so a runner can run on to it. All it takes is a finger signal to the 'rover' that we are up for set play #1. It also confuses the opposition midfield setup.

Warnock's marking around the ground is useless for a player of his size. Hampson has improved much more than Warnock at this aspect and IMO should be in the side when he is fit and available. He may not get so many hit outs but when the majority of the hit outs are wasted, I don't think it matters as much.

Kreuzer won't be ready until next year. He doesn't take enough marks and his tap work isn't as good as Warnocks at bounces but is better at throw ins. IMO he needs a big pre-season and then should be played as an old fashioned ruck-rover a bit like a less agile Kouta, resting in the forward pocket.

Setanta is less skilled at rucking than all of them. What he brings to the team is competitive attack on the footy. He is a better mark than Warnock and Hampson although Hampson gets his hands to the footy as often and doesn't hold as many. That will come. Megan should be showing him the advantages of soft hands. Setanta is in my best 25 for this reason. I like him at FF when Waite isn't available because he marks or spills the footy where Garlett Betts and co can get their stuff done. They were at their most devastating when Setanta was playing and Eddie didn't have to be a lead up forward.

I would have Hampson in my team ahead of Warnock and he Kreuzer rotating through the bench and forward pocket. I would not have Setanta as a ruckman, only as FF with Waite out but he could pinch hit if one of the others goes down during the game Warnock can not be allowed to play just for his tapwork. If he doesn't start taking a few marks, he should be dropped.

If you want to see what a good ruckman looks like, IMO you have to look at what some of the old timers were about. Nicholls and Farmer were the stand outs of their generation. (Unfortunately there is bugger all footage of them at their prime because it was B&W television with about three cameras at the ground where the match of the day was being played and no zoom to speak of.) Dempsey of his, Moore and the Maddens of theirs. Sandilands and Cox of the present, especially Sandilands a couple of years ago before he started getting injured. IMO, Natanui will set a new standard by which ruckmen of the near future will be judged. Warnock, Hampson and Kreuzer will be judged against him.

IMO, only Hampson has the ability to come close because he is the most athletic and has not played a lot of footy so is still learning the art of tapwork.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

Why? He saw a chance to go home and be a leading ruckman, something he wouldn't have had here.

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Warnock
Tapwork 4
Around the ground 0
Forward play 0

Kruezer
Tapwork 3
Around the ground 3
Forward play 2

Hampson
Tapwork 3
Around the ground 1
Forward play 1

O'Hailpin
Tapwork 1
Around the ground 2
Forward play 3

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

I think that sums it up pretty well.
He lacks the physical/strength side to his game more than anything else, he very rarely holds his ground in marking contests.

16 pos- 9 kicks 7 HB 6 mrks 1gl 1 bh - 12CP 6 tkles- 54HO

I would kill to have that bloke in our side


Get Big Mummy

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Well summed up however I wouldn't rate O'Hailpin's forward play as a 3....he is probably a 2 IMO.

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There is no footy god

Warnock has been okay and his tapwork is good, although a lot of the around the ground stuff is wasted because stoppages are so crowded it is very hard to get clear even when the ball is put down your throat. I actually think Big K has the best tapwork. Hammer gets his hand clearly to the ball the same as Warnock but needs to improve his directing. The problem with Warnock is that he can't mark and provides little physical presence. He has been unable to dominate younger ruckmen like Goldstein, Bailey, Zac Clarke. If he had been drafted by us he deserves more slack but he came over on big money, a long contract and cost us draft picks so it is reasonable, 3 years in, to have high expectations. Hammer has a chance ag NicNat and Cox because he is strong, has a leap and is athletic. The big winners out of the trade are Freeo who picked up Zac Clarke the year they let Warnock go. Warnock is not a bad ruckman, but given we already had Hammer, Big K and Jacobs, and various other promising rucks have come through the draft since, not sure why we went so hard after him - he is basically our back up if Big K or Hammer are injured.

I think Ratts saw him as a new Justin Madden, but Madden's height advantage was much more decisive than Warnocks and the game was less crowded so knockouts were more decisive 20 years back when Harry was at his best.

I am always biased tho and think you rarely do well out of trades compared with drafting - Juddy was the obvious exception but we knew we were getting the best in the league. There are great players in every draft and the more picks you have the better the chance of getting them. Retrospective drafting is for fools, and I am a fool so wouldn't it be great if we had got Z Clarke in the draft instead of swapping picks for Warnock. Cheaper, less hassle, more upside

We went after Warnock because we had 3 young rucks and need someone to lead them. We targeted Warnock. It hasn't quite gone to plan, but there's still hope for the bloke.

In the mean time, Hampson & Kreuzer are our best bet.

Let's get serious about these 'ratings':

Warnock
Centre bounce work 4
Stoppage work 3
Direction of taps 2
Second efforts 3
Midfield play 1
Forward play 1
Contested marking 1

Kruezer
Centre bounce work 3
Stoppage work 4
Direction of taps 3
Second efforts 5
Midfield play 4
Forward play 2
Contested marking 2

Hampson
Centre bounce work 4
Stoppage work 4
Direction of taps 4
Second efforts 3
Midfield play 3
Forward play 2
Contested marking 2

O'Hailpin
Centre bounce work 1
Stoppage work 1
Direction of taps 1
Second efforts 3
Midfield play 2
Forward play 3
Contested marking 2

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

From what I remember .... doesn't Hampson drop lots and lots of Marks?

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

They all do. Let me be clear, I assume we're rating them 1 to 5 using other talls & rucks as a comparison point.

1 - Well below average
2 - Below average; an acceptable level if they bring other attributes into the game
3 - AFL standard
4 - Above average; worth taking note
5 - Well above average; top standard in the league

It's a bare bones ranking system, but I think it demonstrates the point I'm trying to make about Warnock. He has scope for improvement of course.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

Where does Cain Ackland rank?

-100

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