rather than baggin the team i kinda feel it is a little more important to get behind them. i personally think this aquisition is a step in the right direction.

just wondering could someone tell me who the second best ruckmen in this draft is?

Ackland is a solid player and will get better in the next couple of years.

As previous posts have said, he battled knee complaints and OP in the first half of 2006.

A better reading of his ability is to look at 2005, where he finished 8th in the B&F of a side that enjoyed some finals success.

His first 15 games of 2005:



And a comparison between his 2005 season and Barnaby French's:



And FWIW, the Blues would be stupid to pass on Gibbs ... you can pick up a very good ruckman in the second round of the draft, but a midfielder of the class of Gibbs is harder to come by ...

Gibbs will go number one because midfielders win flags(as do ruckman)Lets fix one problem at a time.Why would you recruit Hansen or Gumberton when we have Kennedy already. Hartlett may finally get an injury free run and finally shows what he can do in a key position. We need to get Gibbs to cement the midfield .He is the best theres been for a while. The fact that we went for Ackland tells me that Leunberger is going somewhere else.Gibbs is the safest bet for a ready made player from round one 2007.

Tity read the descriptions of the players by mojo in the recruiting section. Gibbs is a player that comes along once every couple of years not every year. He starred for the Glenelg seniors and will only get better.

Want me to continue. If Gibbs doesnt go number one after we have recruited Ackland TC will go into meltdown.

OMG, an intelligent post from a Saints supporter. Informative and not designed to upset people. Well done.

Go to hell!

This 20 page thread can be summarised as follows
1) Ackland IS A DUD. Synbad articulated the reasons why better than anyone else
2) Wer'e f@#$ing stuck with him for 3 years so with clenched teeth I say, welcome Cain. Let's hope you're Able
3) Synbad's negativity is why we were a successful club. We were the most autocritical and cynical supporters who refused to accept mediocrity. Now we get excited about the most pathetic things. I'd never want us to be like Saints supporters who used to clap their side off at half time when they were only 6 goals down at Princes Park.
4) Pick the best ruckman in the league. Pick the best midfielder in the league. Now pick one from those two. Who would you pick????? IT'S THE MOST OPEN AND SHUT CASE SINCE OJ SIMPSON. Bring on BRYCE!!!!!!!!!!!
5) StKilda are goin nowhere very fast. Except Hamill, he's going nowhere slowly (you know, battered body and so on.......)
6) Denis Payagain couldn't develop a young ruckman if it landed on his front door
7) THORNTON gets treated like a piece of shit and the supporters have to go through a week of grief while ACKLAND is welcomed in with 300K times 3 years. Carlton Board, it's time to go!!!!!!!

OMG, an intelligent post from a Saints supporter. Informative and not designed to upset people. Well done.

Ackland is a solid player and will get better in the next couple of years.

As previous posts have said, he battled knee complaints and OP in the first half of 2006.

A better reading of his ability is to look at 2005, where he finished 8th in the B&F of a side that enjoyed some finals success.

His first 15 games of 2005:



And a comparison between his 2005 season and Barnaby French's:



And FWIW, the Blues would be stupid to pass on Gibbs ... you can pick up a very good ruckman in the second round of the draft, but a midfielder of the class of Gibbs is harder to come by ...

And yes, Synbad has all the answers.