Each player is listed below in the format: Name (2022 starting price, 2021 average, 2021 # of games played)
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2022 Starting Rucks
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any love for the witt/soldo combo if theyre both playing?
cheap as chips and stepping stones
Maybe try Grundy and 1 of them as 2 is too much risk in SC for most
Witts will play round one
I’m considering Lycett now that Ladhams has gone to Sydney, otherwise one of the 2 rookies in Hayes or Visenti will be getting game time.
Not completely sold on him but will watch the Port ruck position through preseason
Looking at Grundy & Witts atm
Keep an eye on him in pre-season Maximus, will only be 12 months middle of March/April so might be touch and go come round 1. As long as you have a back up pan you’ll be right.
As I’m writing this it may be the case that with Chol joining them they might do a Nic Nat style of easing Witts back in with low TOG
At this stage I have Grundy and Gawn. Grundy is a lock for me but Gawn I’m not 100% locked, it would be nice to know his ruck split for this season. My guess is it could be 65-35.
Reasons For Starting Gawn-
Priced at 4th highest average making him not at max value (upside)
Fairly durable last few years (4 games missed in 4 years)
Saves trading him in later and trying to find the cash to get him
110 average feels like a minimum
Reasons Against-
Reduced ruck time with Jackson maturing
Top priced ruck
Opposition sole rucks are enticing (Darcy, Nic Nat, McInerney)
Something fairly significant will need to happen for me to change my mind but unlike the last 3 years I could be swayed to not start him
With likely covid misses, I’m backing away from the set & forget big 2 rucks with an R3 floating donut.
Considering alternate strategies :
1. Preuss ($204.7) at R3 > TU
2. B. Williams ($218.6) at R3 / F bench swing with donut floater R/F in the forward line > TD
3. B. Williams ($218.6) at R3 / L. Jackson ($389.8) at F4 > comment
Crazy? Or crazy like a fox?
would you consider 1 of the big dogs at R1, Preuss at R2, R/F bench floater at R3 with Jackson at F6? If R1 or R2 are set to miss then toggle Jackson to R
Darcy hasn’t left my side. Cheering him on when Abs had him last season and then FT’s preview of him has me excited to start him. Massive ceiling, great craft already.
Sort of the Dunkley of the rucks, sure he may get injured but in that time he’ll have been throwing up monsters.
It’s the R2 spot that’s in contention for me. Tentatively have Grundy rn but keep dropping him back to the Big O to put the extra 110k to use elsewhere. Had Big O for the second half of last year and he was superb, but can’t afford to miss Grundy if he goes back to 120s.
On Gawn, 657k a little steep for someone who’s ruck duties are being eaten away by Jackson.
Darcy, G&G and the Big O all have the R14 bye. Then there’s Nic Nat at R13…
Grundy is still in the “good age for rucking” window and given the last 4 years and his health, seems too reliable to miss.
I’d be more inclined to go Nic Nat > Big O if I didn’t want Grundy GD.
Mcinerney did have a great end to the season, but could never see myself chucking the VC / C on him unlike NN + the bye coverage works out favourably.
Look, nobody loves Nic Nat more than me and he did have a capital season last year (22 games, 115.v av., his best SC season) so idk why I’m not juiced on him as a pick – even has a different bye to Darcy, G&G and Big O.
Think his managed minutes will frustrate me as an SC owner.
Very conflicted about rucks this season. We’ll see.
Too many rucks with the R14 bye so Gawn and NicNat for me. With Preuss at R3 it gives me two rucks for each round of the byes.
I’m strongly considering Soldo and one of Darcy or Grundy.
Darcy’s form in the back half of last year was too good to pass up for this year. & he played with injury at the end of the year. Maturing into his big frame beautifully. He’s my lock for R1 atm. I’ll be looking at Grundy for R2 as I expect him to bounce back, but it will come down to available cash for that one. R3; Not sure about Preuss being up & running early? Might be Bailey at R3 unless the big Giant shows us something in preseason games.
Pretty much word for word these are my exact thoughts!
Locked: Darcy
R2 atm: Grundy
3rd slot: Preuss assuming he looks good in PS.
Hey Abs.
Darcy locked in my side too. I talk more on him in the Freo Preview.
Very exiting to have a SC relevant Freo player, I just have to own him.
My lock for R1.
R2 is wide open in 2022.
Grundy
Gawn*
Nic Nat
Marshall*
Big O
ROB.
Lycett.
* I don ‘t like these guys t0 start. Gawn is top priced + the Jackson factor.
* Marshall has no real preseason, and may take awhile to get going.
If he gets Forward status I will be all over it.
The bottom three could be great stepping stones if they start well.
I would only be willing to go there, if this allows you to start an extra Premo somewhere else.
Preuss is a pipe dream 😉
Definitely be a beauty of a write up FT.
Really eyeing up Nic Nat as a POD.
See what pre-season has to offer before making any real decisions on that R2.
Darcy / Witts
Just realised I typed my rucks comments into the teams category……ponder that if you dare…..
Ps when a ruck plays well, is that because he’s the only ruck or the opposition ruck is missing?
Can be both.
Lots of games where both rucks hit 100+
Hit-outs help a ruck notch up a few points here n there (unless like you said it’s against a practice dummy)
However the contested possies, contested marks and usually a goal or two are what contribute to those monster scores.
Must read article just posted on the AFL site re the rucking situation and the expectations of several recruits by the WCE coach.
Big Allen playing full time FWD.
You’d have to expect Bailey Williams to pick up some slack then. Wonder what’s keeping NN out of training atm
I don’t know why Bailey Williams has such low ownership at the moment given the state of the forward rookies and such.
Suspect his ownership to rise
Given the mess rookie rucks had last year, I can’t imagine many will start with him. His price is ok if he is a starter but as a bench option.
I don’t believe that Gawn is must have any more. Jackson will probably get more development time in the ruck as he matures – I can’t think of a similar scenario where there is an elite ruck having competition from an emerging high draft pick.
In terms of Melbourne’s structure there is no issues as we know a 70% ruck and 30% ruck/forward works well; it is just the extremely high production that Gawn has shown must take a hit as the share of ruck duties moves more towards Jackson.
Agree with your commets Peter, surprising how many teams are starting Gawn at his inflated price.
Thoughts on Hickey? Loved his work last season, but thinking too much of an injury risk
I’m interested Witts (GC). Any reason not to go for him? I’ll upgrade him when the time is right though
JG.
On Witts.
He’s still on light duties as far as I know. He may not even get up for Round 1 at this stage. Then you add the fact that Chol went to the Suns on a long term contract with ( you would think ) the promise of more Ruck time.
I just see Chol taking the majority of the Ruck time and Witts getting eased back in after his injury last year.
Just my 2 cents anyway.
Grundy Darcy atm will only consider Pruess if he takes the piss in JLT and shows that he’s 100% number 1 ruck