Hickey or Longer?

[Bernard Shakey]

What is the question?

Hickey is a footballer. Longer is a lumbering ruckman.

Tom is number 1

[Goose is king]

10 clearances

[Playon]

If the selectors decide to play Longer in R1. They are wrong, end of story

Saints ruckman Tom Hickey has dominated this game. He has 29 disposals, ten clearances, five tackles, four inside 50s and 39 hitouts (including ten to the advantage of a teammate)

Compared to Longers 5 disposals the week before

[saintsRrising]

Well after that game by Hickey there is now NO argument. He is a lock!

[Moods]

Yep. I think Tom has all but buried this discussion. Thank God. That's the Hickey from 2016 and clearly our best ruckman on our list.

[kosifantutti]

Not according to Dermie. We have a decision to make.

[Wayne42]

From match thread

tony74 wrote:
Billy is no. 1


Seriously? AFter Hicks was top 5 last year? Billy has been good but not brilliant in these preseason games. Richo does love his big bodied, physical guys. I would be skeptical until R1 is selected. Richo could just be trying to get Hickey to take it to another level by telling him he's no. 2 presently. Unless they want to try Longer main ruck and Hickey in a fwd/relief ruck role. Hickey showed glimpses of that last year but wasn't particularly reliable. I'll believe Longer is 1 when I see it in round 1.

Didn't Tony base that on the pre season , at that point.

Nothing to do with last year, that is done and dusted, in case you hadn't noticed.

[magnifisaint]

Hickey is Numero Uno

[Jacks Back]

Hickey is Numero Uno

The head honcho

[kosifantutti]

From match thread

tony74 wrote:
Billy is no. 1


Seriously? AFter Hicks was top 5 last year? Billy has been good but not brilliant in these preseason games. Richo does love his big bodied, physical guys. I would be skeptical until R1 is selected. Richo could just be trying to get Hickey to take it to another level by telling him he's no. 2 presently. Unless they want to try Longer main ruck and Hickey in a fwd/relief ruck role. Hickey showed glimpses of that last year but wasn't particularly reliable. I'll believe Longer is 1 when I see it in round 1.

Didn't Tony base that on the pre season , at that point.

Nothing to do with last year, that is done and dusted, in case you hadn't noticed.

On that basis we should have let Josh Battle fight it out with Riewoldt for a spot in the Round 1 team.

[saintsRrising]

Not according to Dermie. We have a decision to make.

So do we go with the ruckman who was brilliant tonight and beat Gawn twice last season or do we go with Longer who has shown not as much.....and whose game for Sandy this weekend was so so at best.

Not really much of a decision I would have thought, but what do I know.

[shrodes]

Not according to Dermie. We have a decision to make.

So do we go with the ruckman who was brilliant tonight and beat Gawn twice last season or do we go with Longer who has shown not as much.....and whose game for Sandy this weekend was so so at best.

Not really much of a decision I would have thought, but what do I know.

Hang on, what about Holmes who is second in line behind Longer

[Impatient Sainter]

I was wrong Hickey is far far superior to Longer, I forgot how good he was last year.

[Bluthy]

They're looking at the big picture which is about winning finals. Thats why Longer is still in the picture. Those powerful, physical rucks come into their own in finals where everything is congested and its harder to put it down the throat of onballers with clean takeaways. Longer is only 22 as well - those big rucks peak a lot later. Maybe we have Hickey win us our first flag, then Billy the next one and swapping from there on.

[st.byron]

If the selectors decide to play Longer in R1. They are wrong, end of story

Saints ruckman Tom Hickey has dominated this game. He has 29 disposals, ten clearances, five tackles, four inside 50s and 39 hitouts (including ten to the advantage of a teammate)

Compared to Longers 5 disposals the week before

End of argument. Surely. 29 disposals....for a ruckman.

[desertsaint]

can't believe there ever was an argument. he won the spot well and truly last year, short of a dramatic form loss or injury it was his first up.

[Playon]

If the selectors decide to play Longer in R1. They are wrong, end of story

Saints ruckman Tom Hickey has dominated this game. He has 29 disposals, ten clearances, five tackles, four inside 50s and 39 hitouts (including ten to the advantage of a teammate)

Compared to Longers 5 disposals the week before

End of argument. Surely. 29 disposals....for a ruckman.

If he wasn't best on ground he'd have to be close. I'd be happy if our midfielders had those stats minus the hitouts of course. But of the 39 hitouts, 10 to advantage says enough on its own

[supersaints]

Hickey was. Very very good.
Maybe Richo threw out a challenge and was just testing all the ruckmen out to see who wanted it most, and who had improved off season. Made Hickey earn his spot on where he is and how hungry he was , rather than how good he was last year.
His game certainly stated "here I am take this off me" he dominated. I would be flabbergasted if the Hixter did not line up for another crack at Gawn.

Completion for spots is healthy.. should make Longer work harder for his chance, along with Holmes and Pierce .

[BigMart]

Hickey

[Con Gorozidis]

I don't get how Longer can have been 'better' in the pre season.
Better in the weights room?
Longer needs to get a kick in real games and that includes the VFL.

[MC Gusto]

What a game by Tom

[lennyhaze]

Think this thread can be closed. Should never have been opened. Amazing how we can forget the previous seasons form.

[skeptic]

Think this thread can be closed. Should never have been opened. Amazing how we can forget the previous seasons form.

I think it was only our coaches fell into that trap

[Saint wagga]

I reckon this whole hickey vs longer balony is nothing more than to keep Melbourne guessing for rd 1. I couldn't be any more because I'd so far ahead of all our other rucks, it's ain't funny! If he continues on his upward trend from last season, he could be AA by years end!! And Richo still wouldn't categorically rule him a lock for rd 1 which confirms to me it's nothing more than old fashion selection smoke and mirrors!!

[White Winmar]

Oh Hickey, you were so fine, you were so fine you blew my mind, oh Hickey, oh Hickey. Sorry Billy, don't be a hero. Round 1 belongs to Tom.