I reckon with Casboult, Rowe & White even as a swing man that we are top heavy - I agree Bell is the hard body we need in the middle.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I think hammer has to play. Maybe my memory is a bit clouded as not many agree with me but I actually thought hammer showed quite a bit as a forward last year before injury. I think he kicked 3 against the tiges in round 1 last year and I don't think they have a good matchup for him.

He also provides a better back up option for Kreuzer so he can spend a bit more time in the ruck than casboult or Rowe, giving us the ability to really run Maric ragged.

A lot of people are saying they're sick of talking about his potential and he needs to deliver, but remember he's had a lot of injuries and only played 50 odd games. Not to mention he's still very young for a ruckman, only just turned 25. He should just be hitting his prime in the next year or two

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This. I posted a rather lengthy opinion about using bell in this role in his player thread. He can really target a player physically and when he tackles, they will know about it.

I'd put him on Cotchin for sure. He's easily the most damaging of the 3, and I'd be a little worried about Deledio being a bit to quick for Bell.. Not too sure. Does anyone know how quick Bell is?

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Well balanced side Psych but also agree with Agro, I think Bell is a must.
White is neither a tall, small or mid and caught in the middle of the road.
We have Laidler, Duigan for third tall defence and Gibbs, Robinson and Walker for third option forward.
Bell offers a significant amount more on body structure alone.
I also have a feeling Lucas might start or even end up hb with Yarran on the wing.

Makes sense to me. Too top heavy with wet conditions predicted otherwise.

I have no doubt that if either of the Three Ruckman played as No.1 they would thrive. Hammer impressed me greatly in Rd 1 of the NAB Cup and Warnocks pre season has been good and Kruezer played one of his best games in the final. However, playing two is a liability especially since the reliance on rotations these days. It will be worse with a cap next year.

They are simply not forwards and never will be. Pinch hit at times, yes, but when the ball hits the ground or defensively they are a liability and defences have it easy picking them off. I thought that the NAB final showed that.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Yeah I do tend to agree with less is better than more ruckmen argument. But I think Hampson has shown more than Rowe as a forward at this stage. A forward line of Rowe and casboult is extremely inexperienced. In the nab final we were too tall all over the ground it wasn't just the ruckmen, rather the whole team balance of talls vs smalls was wrong

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What's interesting is everyone's pessimism leading up to Round 1 last year (viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31347) with a good deal of our key players already out injured. This year Richmond will be pretty much meeting us at full strength, and I don't see them getting over us for the first time in 4-5 years or how ever long it's been.

Our first priority should be winning the clearances and contested footy.
Having 2 competent ruckmen in the side will assist that so if it reduces our rotations or requires a restructure of our forward line, so be it.
Be proactive. If we control the centre square and stoppages around the ground, we'll more than likely win the game. Thats less likely to happen with an amateur in the ruck.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Agreed. That's why I'd play Warnock ahead of Hammer & Rowe. Casboult is in my side but his ruckwork is about Setanta level, so we need a better #2 ruck option in the team. In terms of pure ruck work, Kreuzer and Warnock are our best combination.

However, MM has said a number of times over the pre season that he doesn't want one position players. That's why I tend to think Hammer will get first crack at it as Kreuzer's partner in crime and Warnock may need to earn his stripes in the VFL early in the season...

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

That is why I would play Hendo forward. In Waite's absence, Hendo strikes me as the only tall forward who can work up the ground and take pressure off Levi (who is still a pup in footy terms and looks much better closer to goal IMO).

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Hopefully Malthouse will go with

Walker Rowe Garlett
Betts Casboult Hampson/Kruezer

This will give us something to kick too and our smalls an opportunity to do what they do best!!!!

Hampson's not AFL standard.

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Premierships: 1869, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1887, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995.

"GIBBS."

Robbo on 360 trying to wind us up again for a big let down

The flaw in that is that there are less and less stoppages in the game now. The new rules have changed the game dramatically. Also, the umpires now are throwing the ball up quicker at any stoppages and ruckman are struggling to get to them.

The tap outs to advantage are also falling. We have a top class midfield and if committed we should win most clearances.

One Ruckman definitely but the positives for having a second ruckman are becoming less and less. Having a guy like Kruezer playing 80% of the game should be enough. To have another playing 20-30% and some time up forward would have a huge reduction on our flexibilty and options.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

No doubt you've heard. Mike Sheahan rates the Thursday night game this year as the most important and significant first round game he can ever remember. He rationalises that a significant loss for either team would seriously derail the 2013 season.

Don't know about that, because I think to do well in September your team needs to progressively build through the season and hit the finals with momentum and peak just at the right time. No better example than Sydney in 2012, a good ordinary team who timed it just right. Peak too early in the season and it is impossible to sustain it.

That said, I LOVE our perennial season opener against the Tiges. I'm always nervous, Richmond are always pumped up by the media, the balmy weather and Frank Dardew's famed walk to the G is just sensational, and we always win.

Think we will again. Fingers crossed.

So I will be in town for this game. Can I expect just to rock up on the day and get in with my home membership? I expect I may need to pre-book???

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As long as you're there early enough Camel, should be all good. The top section of the Ponsford is general admission which your home membership should get you into. Get there too late and at worst you could miss out completely or end up needing the Hubble telescope to see anything

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Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

Any chance that somebody we would normally consider a lock may miss? Walker is one that comes to mind, hasn't troubled the scorers, seems to be struggling with the game plan and copped a couple of sprays from Mick in the Final, before being subbed. Just a thought.

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Patrick Smith - Just another reason to HATE Essendon*!

Can't understand why Rowe is seen to be ready. Apart from some competitiveness in the first practice match (and that is not a fair guide) I am not sure he has done much else. I think I would prefer a lead up ChF (remember wiggins at the start of his last year) rather than another tall to encourage bombing it long. Could Duigan do that? Or white? Or 2e? Failing that I would go for warnock ruck and kruze ChF or Kruze ruck and hammer ChF over Rowe.