Not necessarily
Regardless of maric and tyrone.
Given the delisting of derickx and the age of O. We were at least one ruck short. A hampson (ruck man. Younger Ivan. Older Tyrone/bean/Griff) type was vital and doesn't mean vuckery cannot ruck.
Imo
I could be wrong but good teams seem to have a brigade of ruck man and we were rather dire situation.
As much as I love and care for claw. I don't believe Tyrone and bean will never make it as ruck options due to that being the post ion of the great clawski
not just the fact that we went and got hampson with our second round pick.
the list needed a junior ruckman if vickery had developed.
sheesh he turns 24, he will play 100 games he enters yr 6 and hes physically close to where he needs to be. if he could play the role there was no need to get hampson.
the simple fact is as a ruckman he was shizen and the club had to go out and get a player who could help out.
your right most clubs have a brigade of ruckmen as you say. the need for us was not just a mature ruck in hampson common sense says we could do with a few juniors as well.
lets look at what we have objectively with the blinkers off.
stephenson - at age 31 32 or what ever hes a very short term prospect. imo hes a better ruckman to date than hampson. we need a junior in there now developing in anticipation of him going.
maric - hes 28 we are already having to manage his body he could have 3 yrs left in him he may not hes a short term prospect though imo. again there should be a 20 22 yr old already there developing to take over when ivan goes. this is one reason why i wanted us to go after longer. when ivan goes longer would have been around 23 24 and near his peak.
hampson - hes basically 26 one week into the new season. to date hes a failed 7 yr player we have basically taken a risk on 26yo potential. hes a medium term player if he works out. and im not sold yet he will work out and think we should plan accordingly.
thats it we have just 3 first rucks two short termers and a risky medium termer.
we then have a pile of players who the club tells us could be ruckmen but common sense says we know they wont be front line ruckmen.
griffiths - 22 yo battler. its a last gasp thing playing him in the ruck hoping he can become a player. doesnt have the mindset to play there. hes a kpf.
vickery - well ive said my bit on him.to me you can cross him off the ruck list. kpf.
mcbean - 19yo could possibly pinch hit as a ruckman but fair dinkum who rightly believes hes a ruckman or that he will become a front line one. his scenario is similar to vickery imo. club saying we have a ruckman so dont need to recruit a junior. when clearly hes more likely to be a kpp .
im still asking if the likes of vickery griffiths mcbean and elton are all ruck/for where the hell are the developing pure tall forwards.
elton - 20 21yo ? of this second list is the best in the air imo. at 197cm hes going to struggle in the ruck at this level. kpf.
how many of these 4 could realistically take over from ivan and lead the ruck. not one of em.not now or down the track.
