The much maligned Rucks are often the trickiest line to figure out and lock-in due to limitations and constant injuries. This year has handed as a few new rucks to play with such as Blicavs, Gawn, Tommy Nicholls to name a few. I started with Goldy and Krooz, I took a punt on Krooz to save a few bucks knowing that whoever I picked, injury was a risk, Krooz was then injured shortly after. I then turned to L-Burger who was rock solid and filled the void until also falling to injury. I then downgraded to Nicholls who I have stuck with, whilst I have cash and trades to upgrade, I’m quite happy letting Nicholls and Blicavs take me up to finals using the loophole with Currie. I should also mention I’m stoked to have Goldy from the start who with Minson have clearly been the best ruck selections, and I almost didn’t get Goldy after Brad Scott kept saying it was fine-line who he’d start out of Currie and Goldy at the start of the season…. glad I didn’t buy into that, even happier when Currie got injured.
My next step will likely be Nicholls to Cox for a very small fee on the eve of finals.
Here is my Ruck-rabble, how is your’s looking?
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Started with Massive, Zmith, Blitzer, Rowe. Then went
Zmith >> Goldy
Massive to fwds, and Karnezis >> Berger
Blitzer >> Gaaawwwnnn
Berger >> Krooozer
Gaaawwwnnn >> Nicholls
Rowe to fdws, and Sumner >> MrBean
So have ended up with Goldy, Krooozer, Nicholls and MrBean, with Massive and Rowe as ruck swingmen. Happy with that.
Goldy, Maric, Nichols, Rowe.
For (excessive) coverage I’ve got Cox and Nic Nat forward as well which I’m Not happy about as their form has dropped.
I started with Goldy and Lewy and would still have this combo if it wasn’t for his ‘six’ week injury.
If I end up with a spare trade come finals I planned to upgrade Maric to Big Willy or Sandi if he is playing but it is more likely I’ll use it to deal will my forward issues.
Started with:
Goldstein, Cox (Blicavs, Daw)
Traded:
R3: Varcoe > Berger (Cox FWD)
R10: Berger > Staker (Cox RUC)
R11: Daw > McBean (loophole & swinger puposes)
R12: Blicavs > Nicholls
Got NicNat and Roughead in the forward line, but NicNat looks like trade bait at this stage.
Overall, it’s been fairly smooth sailing in the ruck stocks this year, after the nightmare than was Shane Mumford last season, Sandilands in ’11 and Mitch Clark in ’10, it’s been a nice change.
Who cares about the ruck what’s happening to the defence! HANLEY out for 2 – 4 weeks!
I got godly, cox, Nichols and Hanneth. Great having Hanneth and using him as a loop hole!
Cox in forward line.
Zac Clarke and Tom Nicholls on field. NicNat and Daw on bench.
Sad ruck situation.
Started with Cox, Longer, Blicavs, Currie
I went:
Longer>Luey
Karnesis> Rowe
Luey > Minson
Rowe> Nicholls, (Moved Cox to fwd line)
Blicavs > Goldy
atm I’ve and verry happy =]
I got Mison, Goldy, ( Nicholls, Currie)
Cox in fwd line =]
Started with: Cox, Maric – Blicavs, McBean
Cox was obvious, the only question for people was whether to start him in the ruck or forward line.
Maric I got as I didn’t see a reason why he couldn’t maintain his 2012 form. Still the predominant ruckman with a good midfield in an emerging side. Hasn’t quite lived up to the billing with injury issues but hasn’t dipped below 75 which is handy. He has averaged 103 over his last four so hopefully he is returning to form.
Very happy to have started with McBean. His R/F eligibility and loophole potential have been exactly what I wanted it to be. One of my better starting decisions of the season.
R2: Watts to Griffin (via Cox).
Having to do this trade annoyed me on two fronts as a) why did I buy into Watts? (at least I cut my losses after watching him closely in week 1) and b) I would have started with Griffin if we had known how bad Sandilands’ injury was a few day earlier.
R9: Griffin to Naitanui.
Griffin went down, so had to go. Naitanui uninjured is a SC gold mine (and will definitely be in my 2014 side barring any continuation of his current injury issues).
R12: Blicavs to Nicholls.
Had to be done.
R13: Dwyer to Goldstein (via Naitanui).
Had to pick between Goldy and Minson. It was a tough call with such similar remaining fixtures, both have been amazing this season.
Currently: Goldstein, Maric – Nicholls, McBean
Another joy of McBean is that I can continue to loophole my ruckman each and every week, which is a nice luxury to have, especially with an over-performing rookie and under-performing premium in the mix.
On to a league wide check of the rucks…
The ‘Best 2’ – in pure average terms:
111 – Minson
110 – Goldstein
For a little over a million dollars pre-season you could’ve picked up these two guys. Both rucking almost alone. Both haven’t missed a game. Minson has only gone under the ton four times, Goldstein five. Minson has six 120+ scores, Goldstein five. You should have started with both, simple as that and serious kudos to anybody who did!
The ‘Fan Favourite 2’ is possibly a touch misleading here. The top 8 most selected rucks read as follows:
153k – Cox
109k – Nicholls
85k – Currie
78k – Roughead
76k – Rowe
68k – Blicavs
56k – Daw
55k – Naitanui
That list is made up entirely of 2013 rookies and R/F DPPs, so it is quite difficult to tell who people are actually running in their rucks. Despite his DPP status, I suspect that a lot are still running Cox at R1 or R2, so I think the ‘Fan Favourites’ here are:
153k – Cox
46k – Leuenberger
You could easily have started with this tandem and I suspect a lot did, even knowing that the Berger missed the first round. Considering his $300k starting price tag and 100 average, including playing 14 of 16 games, he was a very worthy selection.
The ‘Unloveds’ is interesting in the ruck. Given the way that Champion Data score their position, you really have to be averaging at least 95 in the ruck to even get a look in (11 guys are going it this season). I’m eliminating Dawson Simpson from this analysis, just because he has only played the five games. With that in mind:
18k – McEvoy (101 avg – 4th)
25k – Kreuzer (98 avg – 8th)
29k – Minson (111 avg – 1st)
I was having a conversation here in the pre-season arguing against those who wanted to select Sam Jacobs but were ignoring Ben McEvoy (not necessarily saying don’t get Jacobs, just why get Jacobs over McEvoy). This was done on the basis of their previous performances averaging over 100 and the fact that Big Ben is younger. As it has turned out, Sauce is languishing with only an 83 average, whilst McEvoy is on track to record his third straight 100+ average season. Remarkably he only turned 24 a couple of weeks ago, but he feels like he has been around forever. His problem is his consistency with five scores over 120, counterbalanced by two 50s and two 70s. Regardless, he is averaging 101 in a poor side and would have been a very acceptable starting R2. He has all the hallmarks of becoming an absolute elite AFL ruckman and if he could eliminate his inconsistency, it could happen as soon as next year.
The lack of love for Kreuzer is understandable as he constantly teases a breakout but hasn’t delivered yet. With his recent form though, how many of you are now thinking about him for next season? Go on, admit it, you know you are. Like McEvoy, he is only 24. Clearly the best ruckman at Carlton (due to his all-around ability) and six hundreds in his last seven games. Will be in plenty of 2014 sides, but will he let us down again, or finally take the step to the AFL elite? Has so much ‘Cox’ about him – solid in the ruck, elite for a big around the ground and more than handy in the forward line. Cox first put it all together as a 24 year old, plateaued a bit and then became the all-time fantasy great we all love at 27. Food for thought there…
It’s kind of an indictment of the playing community that Minson sits in the Unloveds list, but as with Maric last season, sometimes it is quite difficult to tell when a ruckman will take the step from serviceable to All-Australian consideration. Since I sit with the 282k who don’t have him it is hard to get too stuck in, but why have so few of us picked him up over the journey? He has only been over $550k for two rounds this whole season (Goldstein has been over for eight as a point of reference – hat tip to Gerard Whateley there)
Rucks do my head in every year. I started off with Mumford, Longer, Bilcavs and Currie.
In R3 I traded out Longer for Leuy.
R4 Mumford to Cox and Siposs to Rowe
R6 went early on Bilcavs and traded him to Gawn.
R9 Rowe to Staker.
R10 Found out Leuy was going to miss 4-6 with a injury, so I traded him out for Krooz ($380K) half a win 😉
R12 Dwyer to Nicholls
And finally (fingers crossed 😉 ) Gawn to McEvoy.
Currently have Krooz, McEvoy, Nicholls and Currie
I hate the Rucking Rucks, used 8 trades thus far happens to me every year 😉
Started Cox Mumford Blicavs Rowe
Traded out mumford for daw, daw for currie, then moved cox forward brought in nicnat. Then nicholls in for blitzer.
Have to say blicavs and nicholls have been the only ruck choices I have made right all year, after trading goldy out before rnd1.
The rucks haven’t caused me too much drama this year, so far that is.
I started with Roughead, Kreuzer, Blicavs and Rowe. (Cox as a FWD)
I offloaded Roughead early when his scores were below expectation and picked up Leuenberger on the bubble. I then traded Blicavs for Nicholls mid-season, also on the bubble.
That’s it! I held firm on Kreuzer and Leuey through injury and they’ve rewarded me by pumping out great scores recently.
I agree with PA rucks kill me every year
Started with Mumford Luey with Bilcav and Rowe warming the pine and Cox up forward.
Then traded as follows for Rucks
Varcoe to Sinclair FWD
Bilcav to Gawn Ruck
Luey to Krozzy Ruck
Rockcliffe to Nic Nat FWD
Mumford to Nicholls Ruck
Since traded Sinclair out for Jordan Lewis.
The Brissy injury I am out for 4- 6 only to be back in 2-3 cost me a couple of trades and Nic Nat over the last 4 has been dissapointing although based on ability and not knowing the future I would always have traded in Nic Nat somehere.
The finish Kroozy Nicholls Nic Nat on the pine with Gawn
FWD flex Cox and Rowe on the FWD bench.
Cox, Nicholls, Blicavs, Daw. (Cox can swap with Rowe, I’m fine with fielding Blicavs if I’m forced to with injuries and suspensions). Hasn’t been bad for the last 6 weeks or so.
The rucks have been my bain of my SC existence. This year I have traded out Kruz, Berger, Bilcvas, Gawn, Rowe and Roughhead due to injury, form the perceived bubble. I am now relying on “The Crazy 88” (last w/e scores for both Nicholls and Pyke) for the run home. Pike is obviously not the premium R1 choice, however, he was one of the few ruck men at the time that was on the park every week punching out 90 -100 in my price range. Currie (Mr Loophole) and Cox / Nit Nat make up the rest of my ruck division.
With only 3 trades left Nit Nat is destined to sit on the pine. This weeks trade will be Goodes to Rockliff (Staker from fwd to back) and save my last 2 trades.
Rockcliff seems like the best option ($276k currently in the bank and looking to trade up Mitchell for a premium M8 down the track).
T/U – Rockliff trade
T/D – Better options available (suggestions highly valued)