POLL: Longer or Hickey vs. GWS?

[saintspremiers]

That is the talking point this week folks!

Can't find any stats re Hickey at Sandy, but we all know how phenomenal Longer wasn't yesterday!

[bigcarl]

You can only assume the club is making sure it doesn't burn Hickey out by flogging him every week.

Sharing the load this way isn't such a bad idea, I guess, if the decision has been made that we are rarely going to go in with two rucks.

I voted Hickey as he is the better footballer by a margin, but Longer probably shades him for physicality and strength.

[BigMart]

Longer

Mumford will smash Hickey in the ruck

[Proph3t of egan]

Mumford is an enforcer. Hickey may be more skilful, but Billy is tougher and should try to throw his wait around against him. Could be a good learning experience for him as well

[Leo.J]

36 hit out is not bad, considering it was against Big Mac

But 0 kicks and 5 handballs... is that enough?

[sainttas]

Longer

Has the strength to compete with Mumford and gives protection around the ball

[citywest]

Lewis Pierce.

[Goose is king]

Hickey had a break out game against Mumford two? years ago so I'm not sure why people think Mumford would destroy him. They have Lobb as well so maybe Hickey and Longer.

[Bluthy]

You anti-Longer people are just obsessed - you can't admit you were wrong writing Longer of as a total dud. Lucky we don't have you lot at the selection table. You want to change a winning team, where we dominated the clearances for the first time all year? Are you joking? Honestly is this a joke? How glorious was it to get first use and the mids loved sharing it around.

Possessions for ruckmen are over-rated. Why do you want a 6ft giraffe trying to use the ball and often turn it over. The most they usually do is shovel it out with a handball standing flat footed. Let the mids deal with ball delivery - that's their job. Rather than focusing on taking possession Hickey should be exhausting himself in the ruck to wear down the oppo ruck. Thats' what Longer did brilliantly to McEvoy who waned badly in the second half. I gave Longer a vote for a great physical job done.

Mumford would rag doll Hickey and then go on a rampage around the rest of the ground. Longer will grind him down. No question Longer plays.

[wasaintsfan]

Had to go longer. Hickey had 4 attempts to show he is off pace this year both around ground and in ruck. Longer should get the same especially against the monster rucks IE Mumford

[Milne]

Based on a post by Tony74 in the Team vs Cats thread, Longer was brought in to the team in managing the two 6 days breaks in a row.

Have a feeling Hickey is back this week ready to go 100% for what is going to be a very tough assignment against Mumford.

Players are managed during pre season.
Players are managed during pre season games.
You can't manage them all at the one time.
And most importantly- we have two superior ruckmen with two 6 day breaks coming up. No one ruckman doing 80% of the work would have been able to give 100% in all seven games. Hence managed.

[samoht]

In Hickey's break out game vs Mumford we won the clearances (by 3) - I don't care how many hitouts Mumford had (he may have had 15 more than Hickey, offhand - but they didn't amount to anything) . HIckey also kicked 3 goals on him!

[Linton Lodger]

There's a query on Mumford's fitness for next week. I think Hickey is our No.1, however we won clearances with Longer yesterday, so I don't think Richo will change it.

[samoht]

5-8 possessions (mostly handballs) vs 12-20 and chance of a goal - has to be Hickey, surely!
Hopefully Hickey's over whatever niggle he had and is back fit and well for this important game.

[BigMart]

Hickey kicked 3 goals against Hickey and had 18pos

Yes

But in that game
Mumford had 46ho, 19pos, goal, a huge number of tackles and clearances and was listed as their 2nd best.

[samoht]

[quote="BigMart"]Hickey kicked 3 goals against Hickey and had 18pos

Yes

But in that game
Mumford had 46ho, 19pos, goal, a huge number of tackles and clearances and was listed as their 2nd best.[/

DId we win the clearances by 3 over GWS?
HOw many goals would Longer have kicked against Mumford that day?
HIckey's 3 goals won the game for us!
WIll Longer ever get to 12 possessions?
DId you see Hickey run down TObey Greene that day?

[Mr Magic]

I believe there is every possibility that Mumford will not play.
In that case who is the GWS ruckman?

[samoht]

There's another stat that I found interesting - Hickey averaged 3.6 clearances per game himself over last year - which means that around 4 times every game, on average, he clears the ball himself.
He becomes yet another clearance player for us!!!! A very effective and important one at that!

Longer is averaging 1 such clearance this year (probably the lowest among the ruckmen) - whereas Hickey is averaging 4 (might just about be the highest?) !

[takeaway]

You play your best ruckman - Longer

[saynta]

There's a query on Mumford's fitness for next week. I think Hickey is our No.1, however we won clearances with Longer yesterday, so I don't think Richo will change it.

Might get rubbed out too

[Toy Saint]

Pretty sure the selectors know more than most of us keyboard experts.

And I reckon the selectors will pick Billy Longer.

[Leo.J]

36 hit out is not bad, considering it was against Big Mac

But 0 kicks and 5 handballs... is that enough?

And Big Mac had 6 kicks 12 handballs 26 hitouts and 2 goals.

[WellardSaint]

There's another stat that I found interesting - Hickey averaged 3.6 clearances per game himself over last year - which means that around 4 times every game, on average, he clears the ball himself.
He becomes yet another clearance player for us!!!! A very effective and important one at that!

Longer is averaging 1 such clearance this year (probably the lowest among the ruckmen) - whereas Hickey is averaging 4 (might just about be the highest?) !

talk about irrelevant.
Last year was 3rd man up. It's gone now.

Longer averages 1 clearance himself. What round are we in? bit early to quote averages?
And how many clearances is Hickey averaging this year (you conveniently omitted that)

[kosifantutti]

There's another stat that I found interesting - Hickey averaged 3.6 clearances per game himself over last year - which means that around 4 times every game, on average, he clears the ball himself.
He becomes yet another clearance player for us!!!! A very effective and important one at that!

Longer is averaging 1 such clearance this year (probably the lowest among the ruckmen) - whereas Hickey is averaging 4 (might just about be the highest?) !

talk about irrelevant.
Last year was 3rd man up. It's gone now.

Longer averages 1 clearance himself. What round are we in? bit early to quote averages?
And how many clearances is Hickey averaging this year (you conveniently omitted that)

15 in 4 games, my math isn't so good but I think that's a little bit more than one per game.

[BigMart]

AR has openly stated that the ruck effort of Hickey in R1 to R4 was below par and was about to be dropped

He was nearly satisfied with Billy R5

I would suggest happy with R6

Hickey will not be selected R7