How far can the saints go?

[saynta]

Worth the read

https://www.saints.com.au/news/848814/- ... 2020-taste

[skeptic]

The best ruckmen win the footy around the ground.

No argument there but they’re not midfielders either otherwise why even have rucks...
They need to have sized based influence

That’s why the Ryder / Marshall combo worked well in 2020... Ryder was competitive in the centre (better than Roman) whilst Marshall had good influence around the ground and up forward

You need both qualities rather than just one or the other

[magnifisaint]

‘To the top. To the very top.’

[B.M]

Don’t ruckmen play in the ‘mid’ field. They are not forwards or backs.

Arguably they are the most important mid as they are the KPP in the middle of the ground. As they get first hand on the ball at stoppage. They are also often used as the down the line target or play a kick behind.

I rated Marshall’s 2019 as the most dominant ruck season since Spider in 2001

[shanegrambeau]

Worth the read

https://www.saints.com.au/news/848814/- ... 2020-taste

Dylan R...

Edit
I wrote about suspecting he was in trouble BEFORE seeing the thread dedicated to it and presser....

So it says it all...

[skeptic]

Don’t ruckmen play in the ‘mid’ field. They are not forwards or backs.

Arguably they are the most important mid as they are the KPP in the middle of the ground. As they get first hand on the ball at stoppage. They are also often used as the down the line target or play a kick behind.

I rated Marshall’s 2019 as the most dominant ruck season since Spider in 2001

I don’t really understand what you’re arguing here... you keep arguing the point that ruckman need to get possessions and I’m not disputing that.
The point I’m making however is that they also need to be good in the middle... at the centre hit outs. You use Spider as an example of a very dominant ruck... absolutely he was. In addition to getting kicks around the ground and being a super dangerous forward... he was a very good tap/centre ruck.

The prominent feature of Marshall’s game is that he is very good around the ground.
He covers a lot of distance, gets to contests and takes contested marks... he’s not however as strong in the middle and to this point in his career he has been known to be prone to letting ruck jump all over him at times especially as the game gets on. As such he’s less suited to the hit out and more around the ground.

Alternatively, Ryder is much much better in the middle but tends not to have as much influence around the ground albeit he was starting to look like a dangerous pinch forward late 2020.

The metres gained in hit outs or the ability to either get/negate advantage to the mids is important... it’s not critical by any means but it’s important and we have a nice balance at the moment

[B.M]

Not arguing anything

Other than stating Rowan is a quality ruckman, as shown in 2019 when he played there.

His 2020 was not as good, because he only played 50% of the time in the ruck

As a forward, he is only handy

Ryder was also good in the ruck, especially in the hit out dept. didn’t win a lot of footy around the ground.

There can only be one ruck at a time though, and if Rowan or Paddy aren’t rucking, they are less effective.

It would be like having two gun FF’s and them having to share time in the goal square. One might have to play out of position to accommodate the other.

[Vortex]

It is true a ruckman gets first hand to the ball at ball ups and/or boundary throw ins however it is only one hand mostly and as we know two hands are better than one and so a ruckman could never be considered the most important midfielder on the ground.

I think RoMo has designs on becoming an elite ruckman so he has time to work on his tap work.

[SaintPav]

Marshall must be learning heaps off Ryder.

Masterstroke recruiting decision!

[B.M]

He has also had two ruckmen as coaches

Brendon Lade and Adam Skrobalak

But at the end of the day, the player has to be good enough.

Marshall will be one of the better ruckmen in the AFL from 2022