Richmond's ruck stocks soaring: Balme (6PR)

[one-eyed]

Richmond's General Manager of Football, Neil Balme, says the Tigers’ number one ruckman, Toby Nankervis, will receive plenty of ruck support in 2019.

Balme spoke to 6PR on Tuesday morning, saying he was pleased with the depth of Richmond’s current ruck stocks.

He said the Tigers possess a number of players who are capable of supporting Nankervis, and the Club would be confident playing them in place of him if required.

“We’ve got a couple of players that we would be happy to play,” Balme said.

“We’ve got a couple of young kids, Callum Coleman-Jones is a 201cm kid who’s had a terrific pre-season and is a natural ruckman/forward, so he could play if we needed him to, and Ivan Soldo, he’s had a pretty good pre-season as well.

“We would have no problems playing (Soldo) if we had to but we tend to not play two ruckmen, that’s why he doesn’t get a turn."

While veteran Tiger Shaun Grigg has often taken on the role of Richmond's back-up ruck, Balme forecasted Noah Balta and Mabior Chol as another two who could step up.

“Noah Balta, he’s 6.5 and a really good jumper at the ball and even could actually do the job, even Mabior Chol could do the job,” Balme said.

“But the way Nank plays, he’s so tough and he doesn’t give anyone else an opportunity to play.

“We’ve got a couple who can do the job without any doubt.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2019-02-14/richmonds-ruck-stocks-soaring

[mightytiges]

Love ya Balmey but you're being a touch over-optimistic. You can't rely on inexperienced cubs who haven't showed anything yet apart from a few cameos at VFL level to carry the ruck workload at AFL level. While Soldo is a tap only ruckman at best so you lose that follower/ground level big man in the midfield especially against a Grundy, Gawn or NicNat (if fit). If Nank would to go down for a lengthy period then we will be in trouble  .

[skiddymcghee]

Balmey knows what is going on!

[Assange Tiger 😎]

The Knockouts

[one-eyed]

We trialed playing two ruckman today in the intra-club:

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Richmond trialed ruckmen Toby Nankervis and Ivan Soldo on the same 'yellow' team on Saturday, alternating them between the centre square and forward 50m arc.

Both big men showed promise in attack, taking several strong marks between them, while Leppitsch was also buoyed by the performance of 20-year-old Callum Coleman-Jones in the ruck for the 'black' team.

Leppitsch conceded the new rule requiring teams to start six players in each of the 50m arcs and the midfield at centre bounces would make it difficult for Richmond to continue using Shaun Grigg, 190cm, as its support ruckman.

"If the ball is going to come out the front (of the centre square) it's not going to help if you've got a shorter ruckman," he said.

However, Leppitsch said the Tigers had to be careful not to go with a ruck structure that made them top heavy in attack, given they were poised to add Lynch, at 199cm, to their forward mix.

"We'll obviously have Tom Lynch as well, who's not a renowned ruckman, so it will almost be (adding) another one again to our original structure if we had a second ruckman as well as Tom," he said.

"So, it will be a challenge, but we'll look at everything, we'll look at any possibilities to get the result on the weekend if it works.

"If it doesn't (work) we'll obviously keep our small system."

Source: AFL website

[tdy]

This is a real worry for my way of thinking. We had success as a small pressurising side if we add 2 talls then what?

[georgies31]

This is a real worry for my way of thinking. We had success as a small pressurising side if we add 2 talls then what?

Only means midfield needs to run harder tho.Good teams adjust I wouldn't call eagles midfield super yet they were able to carry 2 rucks.No matter what we got caught out playing no support for Nank.

[one-eyed]

Who you gonna call? What happens when the ruckman goes down?

Sarah Black
afl.com.au
25 Feb 2019

RICHMOND

The main man

Possibly more than any other club, Richmond has a clear reliance on its number one ruckman, Toby Nankervis. The 24-year-old contested the fourth-most centre bounces in the competition last year. While not the most effective ruck, his aggression and durability are vital.

Next in line

A former category B rookie and basketballer, Ivan Soldo (the cousin of former Tiger big man Ivan Maric) has played only eight AFL games, developing his craft at VFL level.  Only played one game last year (against Gold Coast), when Nankervis took off a week with a quad complaint.

Can they play together?

The Tigers have traditionally gone with the very unconventional ruck set-up of Nankervis and 190cm midfielder Shaun Grigg. "Nank" and Soldo have played just six games together, two of which while key forward Jack Riewoldt was injured. The new 6-6-6 set-up puts greater emphasis on winning the ball from stoppages, but having both rucks is too slow for Richmond's manic game style.

Break glass in case of emergency

Callum Coleman-Jones, 19, is rated well internally and the club was pleased with his development in 2018, but he is currently a fair way back from AFL level. Rookie Mabior Chol has been used at both ends of the ground and in the ruck in the VFL, but consistency is an issue. At 199cm, key forward Tom Lynch is more than capable of pinch-hitting, but will the Tigers risk an injury to a star recruit who is coming off knee surgery?

Danger signs

The new 6-6-6 rule will expose the use of Grigg in the ruck at centre bounces. The Tigers were content to concede the bounce at times in 2018, especially when they were able to have Kane Lambert running off the back of the square as a sweeper. Nankervis' average hitouts to advantage in 2018 was 7.4, rated below average.

We say

Forget Dusty, 'Nank' is Richmond's most important player.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-02-23/ruck-and-role-how-your-club-is-placed-in-the-big-man-department

[Diocletian]

Soldo....

From all reports Chol didn't ruck at all in the intra-club....

Lynch should go nowhere near the ruck for least 12 months......

[Thrasher97]

Tapouts are an overrated sat, they quoted hit outs to advantage average for Nank last year was 7.4 (below average) yet we finished on top of the ladder comfortably, The game against Freo last year, Sandilands had way more hitouts than Nank, Did that help them win the game? NO they got smashed by 80 points.

Balta should be backup ruck or someone quick, not a slow slug, sorry Soldo...

[Tiger Khosh]

Can someone explain why the 6-6-6 rule impacts our ruck setup so much like they keep harping on about in these articles? Does having another man at the back of the square or on the wing really impact who gets the clearanc? it’s literally only the centre bounce after goals/qtrs where this rule is applied and any subsequent bounce or bounce around the ground will be the same as always. I mean there are still 4 players from each team in the centre square and after that it’s a free for all.

[Thrasher97]

Can someone explain why the 6-6-6 rule impacts our ruck setup so much like they keep harping on about in these articles? Does having another man at the back of the square or on the wing really impact who gets the clearanc? it’s literally only the centre bounce after goals/qtrs where this rule is applied and any subsequent bounce or bounce around the ground will be the same as always. I mean there are still 4 players from each team in the centre square and after that it’s a free for all.

Media wants us to fail??

I don't think it effects us as much as they say, it'll effect the other teams just as much.

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Can someone explain why the 6-6-6 rule impacts our ruck setup so much like they keep harping on about in these articles? Does having another man at the back of the square or on the wing really impact who gets the clearanc? it’s literally only the centre bounce after goals/qtrs where this rule is applied and any subsequent bounce or bounce around the ground will be the same as always. I mean there are still 4 players from each team in the centre square and after that it’s a free for all.

We often played with an extra in the backline in the last two years. The plan was to make sure if we didn't get the clearance then we would make sure that the opposition clearance wasn't a clean one which would give us the advantage of the extra number down back. Now we won't have that luxury. I'm sure that other tactics will ensue. For example, making sure there is a secondary ball up by holding the ball in and then the 6,6,6 rule does not apply......

[tdy]

The other ruck rule change is you can take it and not get penalised so don't hit out against Griigg grab it and do a genuine handball.  Grigg has to be ready to tackle effectively and immediately after the contest. Before he just had to tackle.

[JP Tiger]

We can't stack the back half to get an advantage any more, but neither can the opposition!   
If there will be any change to centre bounce tactics across the league I can see rucks becoming very negative under the new rules - always preferring to protect their backs by holding the ball in & forcing a second ball up (as noted above).   
The second string ruck in each team will set themselves up to wrestle, tackle & hurt their opponent.  Skilled rucks will have to contend with negative hacks.  Ball ups around the ground will turn into a repeat ball up.   
I can see more negative play in the middle, more ball ups & more congestion, professional frees in the ruck while 14 defenders flood the back line. 
The AFL's dream of ballet-like clean clearances from well oiled machines will be hit hard by the wall of muscle coming the other way.