Who is our most important player?

[MintOnLamb]

Maric is pretty important, I think Lids is electric, Cotch is the trooper on the ground getting in and under along with Tuck.
They all have a role to play BUT interesting noting Maric, we had Ottens who turned into arguably one of the better rucks in the competition,, was he that good at Richmond? I think Maric at Richmond is 3 times better than Ottens was at Richmond and it is to do with attitude. It looks as if the team is excited and bonding well, Is this Cotch, Lids, Dusty, Morris, Tuck? or is Ivan the catalyst holding it all together or is it Dimma? whatever, I am loving the whole year to date and hats off to the whole team. For my money if you had to single a player out who seems to have caused the most change in the team it is Ivan.

[pmac21]

Right at this moment, Alex Rance

[the claw]

big ivan easily. cant win against good sides without him imo. dominates thr stoppages, in the centre as well and gets back to help out in defense. he doesnt just compete in the ruck when he hits the ground hes throwing his weight around creating space and making opposition think. hes also taking contested marks all over the ground. he is the aa ruckman atm thats how good hes been.

imo i think the greatest need we have is to find a bloody good young ruckman because atm i cant see any of browne derickx graham or vickery performing anywhere near this bloke.two very good ruckmen should be the aim.

also i think we would struggle big time if cotchin got hurt but hes just one of a group of 6 who are all travelling well atm. the quality does fall away after these 6 and lose two or three and we can kiss the season goodbye.
 for sure we need another 4 mids in our system to go with arnot and helbig who both show promise. two of the four should be quality we should use our first rounder and the port pick on the best available. lets get ourselves to the situation if injury does happen we arent knocked from pillar to post. like so many sides are atm.
we have played some damn good footy but the real key to any future success will be our depth and how we cope with injuries.

we have used just 27 players this yr. the least of all clubs the average is 32 the most 38.

have a look at those 27 players, 9 or 10 are battlers and im sure over the next few yrs we will be looking to phase them out.
  its what happens  when have to find another 5 or 6 outside of that 27. as far as genuine mids go there is only arnot and helbig and helbig is injured. as far as ruckmen go theres only really graham sheesh its a big step up for him to give even half of what ivan has atm.

look at the defense we were forced to play griffiths when grimes got hurt a 10 game player into a key post what happens if rance goes down?

what happens if jack gets hurt hes had a poor season but hes so far in front of anything else we have its not funny.thing is hes reliant on others getting the ball down there.

nope i think we could name 3 or 4 players as being our most important. but for me ivan is the least replaceable who is having  the most influence on our team.
depth is the real key to this footy club if we want to get anywhere. we have to add to the 16 or so good players we have and get it up to around 30 32 or so. we probably have another 6 or so on the list with kids like ellis, griffiths astbury, dea elton arnot helbig. all show potetential but arent really there yet one or two may fail.

[Coach]

Maric is pretty important, I think Lids is electric, Cotch is the trooper on the ground getting in and under along with Tuck.
They all have a role to play BUT interesting noting Maric, we had Ottens who turned into arguably one of the better rucks in the competition,, was he that good at Richmond? I think Maric at Richmond is 3 times better than Ottens was at Richmond and it is to do with attitude. It looks as if the team is excited and bonding well, Is this Cotch, Lids, Dusty, Morris, Tuck? or is Ivan the catalyst holding it all together or is it Dimma? whatever, I am loving the whole year to date and hats off to the whole team. For my money if you had to single a player out who seems to have caused the most change in the team it is Ivan.

Ottens was fantastic in 2001. Rarely fit after that but you would struggle to find a better tap ruckman than Brad Ottens at his best.

[Penelope]

big ivan easily. cant win against good sides without him imo. dominates thr stoppages, in the centre as well and gets back to help out in defense. he doesnt just compete in the ruck when he hits the ground hes throwing his weight around creating space and making opposition think. hes also taking contested marks all over the ground. he is the aa ruckman atm thats how good hes been.

imo i think the greatest need we have is to find a bloody good young ruckman because atm i cant see any of browne derickx graham or vickery performing anywhere near this bloke.two very good ruckmen should be the aim.

also i think we would struggle big time if cotchin got hurt but hes just one of a group of 6 who are all travelling well atm. the quality does fall away after these 6 and lose two or three and we can kiss the season goodbye.
 for sure we need another 4 mids in our system to go with arnot and helbig who both show promise. two of the four should be quality we should use our first rounder and the port pick on the best available. lets get ourselves to the situation if injury does happen we arent knocked from pillar to post. like so many sides are atm.
we have played some damn good footy but the real key to any future success will be our depth and how we cope with injuries.

we have used just 27 players this yr. the least of all clubs the average is 32 the most 38.

have a look at those 27 players, 9 or 10 are battlers and im sure over the next few yrs we will be looking to phase them out.
  its what happens  when have to find another 5 or 6 outside of that 27. as far as genuine mids go there is only arnot and helbig and helbig is injured. as far as ruckmen go theres only really graham sheesh its a big step up for him to give even half of what ivan has atm.

look at the defense we were forced to play griffiths when grimes got hurt a 10 game player into a key post what happens if rance goes down?

what happens if jack gets hurt hes had a poor season but hes so far in front of anything else we have its not funny.thing is hes reliant on others getting the ball down there.

nope i think we could name 3 or 4 players as being our most important. but for me ivan is the least replaceable who is having  the most influence on our team.
depth is the real key to this footy club if we want to get anywhere. we have to add to the 16 or so good players we have and get it up to around 30 32 or so. we probably have another 6 or so on the list with kids like ellis, griffiths astbury, dea elton arnot helbig. all show potetential but arent really there yet one or two may fail.

so i take you no longer think we paid overs for an average, at best, stop gap ruckman?

[Stripes]

big ivan easily. cant win against good sides without him imo. dominates thr stoppages, in the centre as well and gets back to help out in defense. he doesnt just compete in the ruck when he hits the ground hes throwing his weight around creating space and making opposition think. hes also taking contested marks all over the ground. he is the aa ruckman atm thats how good hes been.

imo i think the greatest need we have is to find a bloody good young ruckman because atm i cant see any of browne derickx graham or vickery performing anywhere near this bloke.two very good ruckmen should be the aim.

also i think we would struggle big time if cotchin got hurt but hes just one of a group of 6 who are all travelling well atm. the quality does fall away after these 6 and lose two or three and we can kiss the season goodbye.
 for sure we need another 4 mids in our system to go with arnot and helbig who both show promise. two of the four should be quality we should use our first rounder and the port pick on the best available. lets get ourselves to the situation if injury does happen we arent knocked from pillar to post. like so many sides are atm.
we have played some damn good footy but the real key to any future success will be our depth and how we cope with injuries.

we have used just 27 players this yr. the least of all clubs the average is 32 the most 38.

have a look at those 27 players, 9 or 10 are battlers and im sure over the next few yrs we will be looking to phase them out.
  its what happens  when have to find another 5 or 6 outside of that 27. as far as genuine mids go there is only arnot and helbig and helbig is injured. as far as ruckmen go theres only really graham sheesh its a big step up for him to give even half of what ivan has atm.

look at the defense we were forced to play griffiths when grimes got hurt a 10 game player into a key post what happens if rance goes down?

what happens if jack gets hurt hes had a poor season but hes so far in front of anything else we have its not funny.thing is hes reliant on others getting the ball down there.

nope i think we could name 3 or 4 players as being our most important. but for me ivan is the least replaceable who is having  the most influence on our team.
depth is the real key to this footy club if we want to get anywhere. we have to add to the 16 or so good players we have and get it up to around 30 32 or so. we probably have another 6 or so on the list with kids like ellis, griffiths astbury, dea elton arnot helbig. all show potetential but arent really there yet one or two may fail.

Great post 

[tiga]

big ivan easily. cant win against good sides without him imo. dominates thr stoppages, in the centre as well and gets back to help out in defense. he doesnt just compete in the ruck when he hits the ground hes throwing his weight around creating space and making opposition think. hes also taking contested marks all over the ground. he is the aa ruckman atm thats how good hes been.

imo i think the greatest need we have is to find a bloody good young ruckman because atm i cant see any of browne derickx graham or vickery performing anywhere near this bloke.two very good ruckmen should be the aim.

also i think we would struggle big time if cotchin got hurt but hes just one of a group of 6 who are all travelling well atm. the quality does fall away after these 6 and lose two or three and we can kiss the season goodbye.
 for sure we need another 4 mids in our system to go with arnot and helbig who both show promise. two of the four should be quality we should use our first rounder and the port pick on the best available. lets get ourselves to the situation if injury does happen we arent knocked from pillar to post. like so many sides are atm.
we have played some damn good footy but the real key to any future success will be our depth and how we cope with injuries.

we have used just 27 players this yr. the least of all clubs the average is 32 the most 38.

have a look at those 27 players, 9 or 10 are battlers and im sure over the next few yrs we will be looking to phase them out.
  its what happens  when have to find another 5 or 6 outside of that 27. as far as genuine mids go there is only arnot and helbig and helbig is injured. as far as ruckmen go theres only really graham sheesh its a big step up for him to give even half of what ivan has atm.

look at the defense we were forced to play griffiths when grimes got hurt a 10 game player into a key post what happens if rance goes down?

what happens if jack gets hurt hes had a poor season but hes so far in front of anything else we have its not funny.thing is hes reliant on others getting the ball down there.

nope i think we could name 3 or 4 players as being our most important. but for me ivan is the least replaceable who is having  the most influence on our team.
depth is the real key to this footy club if we want to get anywhere. we have to add to the 16 or so good players we have and get it up to around 30 32 or so. we probably have another 6 or so on the list with kids like ellis, griffiths astbury, dea elton arnot helbig. all show potetential but arent really there yet one or two may fail.

so i take you no longer think we paid overs for an average, at best, stop gap ruckman?

 I think sometimes reserving judgement on certain individuals is the better way to go. Personally I took the disappointment of Crows fans towards their club for letting Maric go so easily as a sign that we may have a good player that just needs a chance to shine. His enthusiasm, work rate and courage were never doubted IMO.   

[Stripes]

It always worries me when we have so much invested in a few - Maric, Jack, Rance, Cotch....... The gap between some of our important players are their replacement is the surest sign for me of who is the most crucial to our current success and big Ivan followed by Jack are probably the most irreplaceable at the moment. Rance not far behind (amazing to say in such a short period).

Perhaps should be our greatest concern and focus at the club - depth in the ruck and FF role.

[Coach]

How many clubs have gun full forwards and ruckman content with playing reserves until someone gets injured?

[Penelope]

we need to add more glue to harden griffith's paper mache shoulders so he can also pinch hit in the ruck in the future.

[Judge Roughneck]

Griff is too important to risk ruk 

[Stripes]

Griff is too important to risk ruk 

If Jack went down I think we may use Griff forward at a pinch. Vickery will come good - showed good signs last game Gus better start accelerating his education from big Ivan 

[Penelope]

Griff is too important to risk ruk 

i think he had a few runs in the ruck for coburg.
if his shoulders were sound i wouldnt have a problem with it. lets hope it's not required in the near future though

[RedanTiger]

Talking about Griffith being ruck or forward.
Think it's a lot harder on the body to play CHF than Ruck.
At least in the ruck there's only usually one guy attacking you, usually side by side.
At CHF you can cop any extra player (including resting ruckmen) coming from anywhere third up as well as your direct opponent hitting you with everything he's got usually when your arms are up and you're defenseless.

[Coach]

Disagree. Ruck is the hardest spot to play. You have to have SOME courage to play as ruckman when 200cm, 110kg beasts are coming at you with the intention of smashing you to bits with their knees.