What's our best ruck combo?

[georgies31]

Not sure about that Nank can play let's not forget been battling injury to we look like a better side with him there. Let's wait and see how CCJ goes first and progress in 2020.

[Gracie]

Not sure about that Nank can play let's not forget been battling injury to we look like a better side with him there. Let's wait and see how CCJ goes first and progress in 2020.

Yes l would wait until CCJ is nearing peak output. Right now he is just 20 and not 21 until June. This year and next are still development years.

[Diocletian]

Think people are still underestimating Chol...

[Andyy]

Think people are still underestimating Chol...

Do you see him as a ruck or forward primarily?

Would be great if he could be a foil for Lynch and backup ruck to CCJ. Balta to go into Rances key defender role hopefully.

[Diocletian]

Primarily a ruck who can play both ends as  the situation dictates, which is pretty much what most rucks do to varying degrees nowadays anyway, most notably Gawn....fitness & strength will come,.just needs to start holding his marks...

[georgies31]

I rate Chol took big strides last year.Needs to stay involved tho more in games not go quite that's the area he needs to improve.

[mightytiges]

Playing Nank and Ivan together in the finals last year worked but with the shorter quarters now teams aren't going to fatigue as much during games. I know Nank was underdone against Carlton and needed the run and Dimma may go with the same line-up next week to get more match fitness into Nank, but in the long run we may need to play one of them with the more mobile CCJ as their ruck partner. If games are eventually bunched up at some point this year as predicted then we can rotate Nank and Soldo to keep them both fresh throughout the season.

[wayne]

I think Nank will be overtaken quickly and soon be 3rd in line.

[georgies31]

Need to rucks this week to combat Grundy work him over it worked last time was Chol and Soldo tho.

[one-eyed]

Both our rucks played reduced minutes against Carlton. So we played most of the game with only one ruck on the ground.

Time on ground:

Soldo  58 min
Nank  46 min

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2020/031420200319.html

[the claw]

Both our rucks played reduced minutes against Carlton. So we played most of the game with only one ruck on the ground.

Time on ground:

Soldo  58 min
Nank  46 min

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2020/031420200319.html

Both played reduced minutes in the g/f as well im not even sure they were both on the ground at the same time
In fact id say they were rarely on the ground together with both having limited minutes thru the last 4 games of the yr.It really does beg the question do we need both in the team at the same time.

[Andyy]

Both our rucks played reduced minutes against Carlton. So we played most of the game with only one ruck on the ground.

Time on ground:

Soldo  58 min
Nank  46 min

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2020/031420200319.html

Both played reduced minutes in the g/f as well im not even sure they were both on the ground at the same time
In fact id say they were rarely on the ground together with both having limited minutes thru the last 4 games of the yr.It really does beg the question do we need both in the team at the same time.

I don't think we do.

Soldo is a better ruck, and we need our ruck to win ruck contests. Being useful around the ground is great but Soldo has improved in that sense and ideally you want your KPP's to be doing that, not your backup lumbering 199cm ruckman...

[one-eyed]

Death of a ruckman? Why clubs may abandon two big men in 2020

By Mitch Cleary
afl.com.au
11 May 2020

When Richmond won the flag in 2017, Toby Nankervis averaged 82 per cent (102.3 minutes) time on ground during the finals series with the odd chop-out from the 190cm Shaun Grigg.

Nankervis' output dropped to 60 per cent (72.7 minutes) last September as he partnered with Ivan Soldo (52 per cent / 63 minutes) in a combination of two ruckmen who rarely spent time forward. 

In the first scenario of shortened quarters in round one this year, Soldo played 58 per cent (60 minutes) and Nankervis 46 per cent (48 minutes), coming off an interrupted pre-season.
Ivan Soldo spent more time in the ruck than Toby Nankervis in round one. Picture: AFL Photos

Given the Tigers proved a standalone ruckman could play more than 100 minutes during a finals series just two seasons ago, it will be intriguing to see how long they persist with two genuine big men in matches that will run between 96 and 104 minutes in 2020.

Especially considering they're two ruckmen that kicked just 10 goals from a combined 26 games last year and essentially only swap together, leaving the other three rotations to be split among 20 teammates.

"We did discuss that (ruck set-up) earlier this week," Tigers coach Damien Hardwick admitted immediately after round one.

"We do like the two rucks, we think all our rucks are quite talented and we've got another kid in (Callum) Coleman-Jones sitting in the reserves as well.

"We'll make an assessment how it goes, it didn't probably work as well as we'd like it to tonight but it's worked well for us over a period of time."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/433087/death-of-a-ruckman-why-clubs-may-abandon-two-big-men-in-2020

[Andyy]

We only Nank in 2017 by himself because there were no other real options.

Soldo hadn't come on yet.

We are better with both and my preference is Soldo.

One thing the article doesn't address is the other players (mids, wings etc) ability to play reduced minutes also. Maybe we don't need to drop a ruck because the other blokes get less time on the field too and should be fresh...

[one-eyed]

Dimma said we're going with one ruckman now with the shorter quarters/game. Soldo is now ahead of Nank too.