Musical chairs for top ruckmen

[Twizzle]

Musical chairs for top ruckmen

December 12, 2006

TODAY's pre-season draft is expected to be a ruckman's merry-go-round, with as many as five of the league's big men tipped to be given new homes.


That would make up more than half of the draft's nine possible selections. The pre-season draft is open only to the eight clubs which have left at least one space on their playing lists, with Carlton the only club to have two choices.
The Blues, who have the first pick, have committed to drafting ex-St Kilda ruckman Cain Ackland to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Barnaby French.
The Saints, in turn, are expected to fill the gap left by Ackland by drafting ex-Adelaide big man Matthew Clarke.
The Crows will be left vulnerable in the ruck after losing Clarke and Rhett Biglands, who is expected to miss the 2007 season with a knee injury, but they do not have a pick today.
The Saints had already strengthened their ruck division by trading with West Coast for Michael Gardiner, before Ackland's decision to join the Blues prompted them to pursue Clarke.
Carlton is expected to be involved in a separate shuffling of ruckmen between clubs, with Collingwood believed to be committed to picking up ex-Blue Chris Bryan, 24.
To fill that gap, the Blues are likely to pick up discarded Magpie Cameron Cloke, 22.
Hawthorn is also likely to bolster its ruck depth by recruiting former Essendon fringe player Tristan Cartledge, after losing Peter Everitt to Sydney.
Essendon, which has the second selection, has committed to former Brisbane Lions premiership full back Mal Michael.
The rookie draft -- for players aged under 23, or who are over 23 but have not been previously registered for a draft -- will be held immediately after the pre-season draft, with clubs having a total of 64 selections.




http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20910788-23211,00.html

 

[Twizzle]

fight over the dregs everyone,

we've got ruckmen to spare

 

[lockyno1]

Lol, Hawthorn. A ruckman that is worse than Hille at our club is a very ordinary selection!

 

[Twizzle]

is it too late to get Spida back ?

 

[CyberKev]

fight over the dregs everyone,

we've got ruckmen to spare

Twang Chung, Twizzer!

Geelong is not only a ruckman short on its list, but doubts exist on all the ruckmen it does have.

Stephen King - good player, but past his best due to neverending injury woes;

Brad Ottens - good player, but not as brilliant as he should be; and

Trent West - second year player with it still all ahead of him, has talent but is vulnerable due to being shorter than 2m.

Hardly "ruckmen to spare"... :roll:

 

[CyberKev]

Lol, Hawthorn. A ruckman that is worse than Hille at our club is a very ordinary selection!

110% correct assessment, sob!

 

[CyberKev]

Phew, we didn't run with Cartledge!

On the downside, I don't much see the point in delisting Thurgood only to pick him up again!

I still reckon the Pez dispenser would have been a better choice!

 

[Twizzle]

Twang Chung, Twizzer!

Geelong is not only a ruckman short on its list, but doubts exist on all the ruckmen it does have.

Stephen King - good player, but past his best due to neverending injury woes;

Brad Ottens - good player, but not as brilliant as he should be; and

Trent West - second year player with it still all ahead of him, has talent but is vulnerable due to being shorter than 2m.

Hardly "ruckmen to spare"... :roll:

Blake (good breeding)

Henry Playfair

and how could you forget big Cam

and our new recruit Tom Hawkins

ruckmen to spare

 

[meltiger]

Brad Ottens - good player

:lol: :lol: :lol:


Have we undertaken some form of timeshift back to 2001 prior to when Brad had his heart transplanted with an orange?


Good player ... :lol:

 

[CyberKev]

Blake (good breeding)

Henry Playfair

and how could you forget big Cam

and our new recruit Tom Hawkins

ruckmen to spare

Fair slack of the reins.

I'll give you Blake, who still has a mile of work in front of him to make it at AFL level, but...

Mooney is too small to be anything other than a desperation pinch-hit option...

Hawkins is not only a new recruit, but he also plays all his football up forward.

Playfair is also a forward moreso than a ruck.

By your reckoning, every club is set for ruckmen simply by having players with a 194cm+ height reading on their lists.

 

[Twizzle]

Playfair was a ruckman till we had a vacancy at CHF, so they are trying to convert him to a key forward

I agree on Ottens, I see why the Tigers let him go, one good game a year isn't enough

We just let Kingsley go as well although he's was more of a key forward

Big Cam can do it all, he's my fav players and plays with more passion than ability, but you gotta love him

 

[CyberKev]

Big Cam can do it all, he's my fav players and plays with more passion than ability, but you gotta love him

Mooney would have worked better as an option under the previous ruck rules, where he could better exploit his physical approach to contests.

The new rules strongly favour players 2m tall or greater with good spring and sound endurance levels.

 

[CyberKev]

:lol: :lol: :lol:


Have we undertaken some form of timeshift back to 2001 prior to when Brad had his heart transplanted with an orange?


Good player ... :lol:

Just luring you in, young man!

Your capcity for sniffing out an Ottens reference across the vastness of Cyberspace is as unerring as it is extraordinary!

 

[lockyno1]

Kev, you should be happy!

 

[meltiger]

Just luring you in, young man!

Your capcity for sniffing out an Ottens reference across the vastness of Cyberspace is as unerring as it is extraordinary!

lol

Unlike Carlton and their threats this year to re-draft that bloke who wanted to go to Hawthorn, Richmond (With #1 pick in the PSD) still adhered to Brad's wishes and moved him on. He shouldn't have bagged the club on the way out the door.


Richmond may not have changed but those with pea-sized hearts in glass houses shouldn't throw stones! ;-)


So yes, I do take an active interest in watching Brad fail.

 

[Collingwood Storm]

who the hell is chris bryan? all i know is he has a mullet and a booming left foot

lmao @ carlton for getting cam cloke.....everyone knows he only has 1 good shoulder

 

[Twizzle]

lol

Unlike Carlton and their threats this year to re-draft that bloke who wanted to go to Hawthorn, Richmond (With #1 pick in the PSD) still adhered to Brad's wishes and moved him on. He shouldn't have bagged the club on the way out the door.


Richmond may not have changed but those with pea-sized hearts in glass houses shouldn't throw stones! ;-)


So yes, I do take an active interest in watching Brad fail.

Ottens for Kingsley

fair swap ??


http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200612/s1810099.htm


Kingsley looking for fresh start with Tigers

Former Geelong forward Kent Kingsley says he is determined to finish his career on a high note, after being picked up by Richmond in the AFL preseason draft on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old was the leading goal kicker in four of his six seasons with the Cats, however injury saw him post just 10 majors from nine matches in 2006.
Kingsley said he felt he had a lot to offer to the Tigers.
"I probably had a lot of confidence in myself that I still had some value to a side," he said.
"I wasn't too far off my best form I don't think early last year and I've just turned 28, so I still like to think I've got a few years left in me."
Richmond coach Terry Wallace said Kingsley had been training with the Tigers squad for the past month and was confident he could make an impact.
"We wanted to sort of see him on the training track and make sure that he was playing for all the right reasons and that's exactly what we saw," he said.
"A professional player wanting to finish his career on a high note."
Kingsley made his senior debut for the Kangaroos in 1999 before moving to Geelong in 2001.
He has so far played 122 matches while managing to register 237 goals.

 

[CyberKev]

lmao @ carlton for getting cam cloke.....everyone knows he only has 1 good shoulder

I think they've squared you away on the laughs front with the unbrilliant Bryan.

 

[meltiger]

In fairness to Cam Cloke, I think maybe I may be blinded by my disgust for the old man Damir Cloke and the horrid mother.


Reading the paper this morning had me thinking, if he can get himself fit, he is on 22yo - As a ruckman, he still has a few years before you would expect him to peak.


It may not turn out to be as bad a selection as what it looks like at first.

 

[meltiger]

Ottens for Kingsley

fair swap ??

Well I'm not too sure about taking Kingsley TBH but meh, there was nothing overly sensational on offer this year in terms of recyled players and unlike at Geelong, he will only ever be playing as the 3rd tall option in the forward line except in the case of injury.

Given we took Kingsley with a PSD pick and offloaded Brad for Danny Meyer and Adam Pattison - Yeah I'll take it.


Btw ... Kent kicked twice as many goals as Brad the superstar did last year.


& Brad has a zillion times more potential & talent than Kent does... Just a shame he lacks courage and a heart.