Saints excited about Max.

[saynta]

From herald sun.com.au

Why the Saints are excited about Max King
Chris Cavanagh, Herald Sun

May 30, 2020 3:20pm

St Kilda coach Brett Ratten says the physical development of young forward Max King has been a silver lining of the AFL’s hiatus and has hinted the Saints could play only one ruckman in some games this season.

The No. 4 draft pick in 2018, King made his AFL debut for the Saints in Round 1 in March and was flashy as he kicked two goals, but has used his time away from the club to build his light frame.

The 19-year-old was listed in pre-season at a towering 202cm and weighing 90kg.

“Sometimes during the isolation period everyone’s thinking it’s a bit of doom and gloom but one of the real positives was Max with his body shape,” Ratten said.

“He’s starting to put a few more kilos on and (on Friday) in our game simulation he clunked the ball three or four times deep forward and kicked goals and that was promising, that’s he’s got some real confidence in his body and he’s starting to put on some good size as well.”

Ratten said former Hawthorn star turned St Kilda football department staffer Jarryd Roughead had been in King’s “back pocket” trying to fast-track the young forward’s development and the club hoped to get plenty of games into King this year.

“He missed two years of football and to get him back and get a year into him this year, he’ll understand what AFL is by the end of this year and that will be a real motivating force for him to kickstart his career moving forward,” Ratten said on Fox Footy Live.

The Saints played two ruckman in Round 1 in Rowan Marshall and recruit Paddy Ryder.

However, Ratten said shorter quarters this season could mean a move to playing only one ruckman.

Marshall finished second in the Saints’ best-and-fairest last year, playing much of the year as a sole ruckman.

“I think we’ll need to be flexible with the combination because of Rowan’s ability to stay in the ruck and ruck all day,” Ratten said.

“Now with the game reduced, it might be that for some games we just take the one ruckman into the game and use somebody smaller to be a support act for him. That’s something that we’ve thought about.”

[Jacks Back]

Why do we have to have shorter quarters now? Go back to what we recruited for - a second ruck due to the length of game time being 20 minutes+.

[bigcarl]

Interesting re the rucks.

I thought they might have persevered with two rucks, particularly since they are both good players. You know, give it a decent trial.

Granted, we didn't win Round 1, but really, we should have had that game wrapped up.

[Kate]

Glad to see that we are not going to persevere with Ryder forward.

[Joffa Burns]

However, Ratten said shorter quarters this season could mean a move to playing only one ruckman.

He's dropping Marshall???

[saintsRrising]

However, Ratten said shorter quarters this season could mean a move to playing only one ruckman.

He's dropping Marshall???

Has Paddy changed his first name to Rowan?

“I think we’ll need to be flexible with the combination because of Rowan’s ability to stay in the ruck and ruck all day,” Ratten said.

[The_Dud]

Hopefully King didn't spend all his time in the weight room and practiced some goal kicking...

[fugazi]

Why do we have to have shorter quarters now? Go back to what we recruited for - a second ruck due to the length of game time being 20 minutes+.

Makes no sense.

Games feel even more half hearted when quarters are reduced.

[freely]

I think it's a safety issue - they haven't played. There'd be more soft tissue injuries than ever.

[Gershwin]

But who is that shorter player that is Marshall’s ruck support. Clearly not talking about King. Marsh? Battle?

[Jacks Back]

But who is that shorter player that is Marshall’s ruck support. Clearly not talking about King. Marsh? Battle?

Well the Ryder pick has gone out of the window now. Had we known at the time that the quarters would be shortened we could have recruited a different 32 year old.

[CQ SAINT]

But who is that shorter player that is Marshall’s ruck support. Clearly not talking about King. Marsh? Battle?

Membrey.

[Gershwin]

But who is that shorter player that is Marshall’s ruck support. Clearly not talking about King. Marsh? Battle?

Marsh is certainly training with the Forwards. He was recruited to Collingwood as a forward. He has speed and is aggressive but could he pinch-hit in the Ruck at 194cm ??

[bigcarl]

Battle not such a bad idea. Has some size and a bit of mongrel and could be very handy resting forward.

[freely]

Ah, Blake Acres, missing you already!

[CQ SAINT]

Marshall will ruck 85-90%. Does it matter? It might as well be Battle. He can just drop back and then play a utility role off the bench. Id like to see him play a traditional ruckrover role or follow Cripps, Bontempelli and the likes around.

[samoht]

Battle will get the ball 15 plus times around the ground on average - and he averaged 6 marks per game in 2019.
He kicks the ball well.
I like it.

More than a pinch hitter - he'll be our diamond in the ruck.

[ace]

Glad to see that we are not going to persevere with Ryder forward.

The Gehrig problem only worse.
Late in his career Gehrig was still a genuine goal kicking threat but once the ball hit the ground his opponent effectively became a spare man for the opposition.
That made clearing the ball out of defence a doddle for the opposition.
Ryder is just as incapable of defending as Gehrig but nowhere near the goal kicking threat.
When not rucking Ryder must sit on the bench.
If Ryder is not going to do a lot of rucking that becomes a waste of an interchange player.

[ace]

Hopefully King didn't spend all his time in the weight room and practiced some goal kicking...

What is goal kicking ?
Is that something useful in a game of football ?
Would certainly be something new at St Kilda.