Blue Sombrero wrote:
jim wrote:
Blue Sombrero wrote:
Disagree. WCE rest their rucks in the forward line AND on the bench. We could have a three wat rotation going with Warnock and Hampson in the ruck, Hampson and kreuzer in the forward line and all of them on the bench at some stage. The key to a tall forward line is mobility. If you have tall fast forwards, they can mark over their shorter opponents or can still make a contest of it on the ground.
That mark reminded me of Kouta. Not the actual mark, but the way he tucked it under one arm on the way down and landed on his feet.
Take a few of those and you'll do me as a leading forward.
We nearly beat the Eagles, actually should've, virtually without a KP forward, especially after Thornton went down, so the balance has to be right.
We'll already have 3 talls in the forward line, Kreuzer, Waite and Thornton. The latter two are our KP forwards and do a good job. Think we found, especialy after the EF, Thornton was easily our best bet at CHF for now. Much better idea than another ruckman there that drops everything. When Kreuzer rucks Warnock or Hampson, not both, either has a bench spell or rests forward. Don't want to be clogging the bench throughout the game with ruckmen sitting there when we need to rotate our mids.
You're right. Hawthorn were useless with Franklin, Roughead and a third tall (forgotten his name, went to Essendon*) PLUS a ruckmen
Tall is OK if they are mobile. My point is that Hampson is as fast as Eddie so why does being tall have to be a disadvantage? Waite is also quick over the ground. Kreuzer and Warenock are like a couple of lanky dinosaurs but IMO we can have them all in the team against the right opposition. If we play Kreuzer and Warnock, What's the point of having Hampson for 3 years only as insurance?
I reckon they have a cunning plan.
I think I was arguing that despite their talls we should've beat them without any. Can't remember for what reason now...lol!!!Not that we'd or anyone else ever win a flag in a million years without one so don't mistake that one.
Hawthorn actually had nothing in the ruck department when they won the flag. Renouf was the first ruck. Buddy and Roughie were true forwards and the other bloke was Mark Williams, more a Walker height.
One of the rucks is basically insurance for sure. Even most of the Eagles talls up forwards are genuine forwards. One is a ruckman these days our of necessity due to the sub rule. Playing forward is a skill on it's own, as is the ruck. Nic Nat and Cox add alot going forward as a support for Kennedy, Lynch, Darling etc.. as they can really mark, not as KP forwards themselves. Play them as KP forwards as they won't be as effective.
If you play 3 ruckmen you lose run and bite in the forward line as our's can't mark and have no forward nous. Remember Hampson's effort up forward early in the year, he was terrible. Given he wasn't first ruck this stood out more. He struggled to the extent that we dropped him and played Setanta with Warnock until Kreuzer came back. Supporters do forget quickly. He and Warnock, unlike Ottens, Cox, Nic Nat, Kreuzer, struggle to take a mark, important if you play forward. That would drive us crazy. We either play Warnock or Hampson in the ruck, both excellent ruckmen, with Kreuzer. That's why we have Waite and Thornton, the latter a way better option as a forward than Warnock and Hampson. Thornton had a good year up forward when there and had a great game at CHF in the EF and looked like he belonged there.
Hampson would've been handy in the end last week for sure when we had nothing but other weeks, no. Notice the Eagles and Geelong just play the 2, the rest are tall KP forwards as that's their skill. Hampson is quick over 50m but probably not as fast as Eddie over 10. Plus Hampson is fast in straight lines, changing direction quickly is an other thing.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
.. now where did I hear that before. 
