angus graham playing like a cardboard cutout

[nikolasmia]

Graham is the best we haave and clearly our number 1 ruck. He outpointed Wood clearly last night.

Kicked a goal and had 36 hit outs. Its up to Browne and the X man to force their way past him, but can'tsee it happening at the moment.

Looks he is trying to be more physical in his approach too, growing into the role IMHO

 

[BrettC]

interesting to note Graham has 24 tackles, that's the 2nd highest in team with only jackson having more on 32.

nahas has 23, white 20.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Graham was the top tackler against Port in the wet last year, too.

 

[Baloo]

What did Collingwood pay for Wood, was it Pick 14 ? On a par with our Mcmahon pick.

 

[Dizaster]

This is a serious question, not sarcasm,,,, Does it usually take Ruck's a long time to become really good?

It's not an area I have usually payed that much attention to, and I seriously could be wrong, but from the little I have observed, usually the dominant ruckmen in the AFL take quite a long time to develop their dominance..... Sure there is a chance a player may never come good.. We have seen thousands of them... But I think Graham hasn't quite hit that peak confidence that allows a player to play his best... I think he still has that sorta lost look in his eyes when he's out there... Not quite as bad as Tambling, but I don't think Graham is completely free with himself out there to give it everything he's got...

But I think Ruck is a tough place to immediately come in and be dominant... I think it takes persisting with someone for a long time with.... A part of it is just sticking it out with someone and hoping... I know that's a really bad coaching policy... And the Tiges HAVE to do a bit better than that...

But I just feel to write Graham off now is really premature... Some people may just not be able to imagine him ever improving up to top AFL level, but just going by what experience I have of Rucks,,, we are just as likely to give up on him and trade him in a year or 2, then 5 years down the track he emerges as one of the top 4 or 5 Ruckman in the AFL,,,, for another team....

Unfortunately unlike the midfield, you don't really get 10 to 15 guys all battling it out for the ruck for you to choose from..... Unless we just recruit an already developed, mature, dominant Ruckman,,,, at SOME point we have to persist with a guy who's not there yet....

Just saying... In my opinion, he's worth persisting with... Especially when we have a lot of other area's that need a lot of work as well, and eventually a great Ruckman will be the final piece in the puzzle.... But it may be wishful thinking to want a fantastic Ruckman from day one...

 

[jackfrost]

You do watch Richmond games don't you........

Last year was very good around the ground and when played forward was taking contested marks and kicking goals.......

Not bad for C3PO

Yep, sure do ...... who's talking about "last year" by the way ?

Very very limited in his ability, read before replying Ok and for what its worth, Ive read some of your posts of late, your one of those supporters that thinks there isn't a single player wearing a Richmond jumper that isn't a flatout Champion, so I'll keep my comments towards any of your posts to the bare minimum as I can tell your nothing but a totally bias blind homer type, who couldn't write a subjective comment if your life depended on it........ good luck with that attitude by the way, should help you sleep easier at night no doubt.

 

[gustiger12]

Angus made some significant steps last year and improved considerably, however with the new sub rule he will now have to shoulder even more of the load and his improvement will need to mirror that of last year, if he is to retain his spot. I hope he can, but I have my doubts. The sub rule has put immense pressure on the ruckmen these days. Will the old style ruckman survive under the current rules, thats the question that will determine the future of a few ruckman IMHO.

 

[Rosy]

Gus I really don't get the sub usage. ld

If you have time would you, or anyone else, mind explaining how it puts pressure on ruckmen and how they'd need to play to ensure their survival please.

 

[nqtiger]

Me i prefer the inanimate carbon rod to gus, at least it doesnt fall over

 

[Elmer]

Me i prefer the inanimate carbon rod to gus, at least it doesnt fall over

 

[gustiger12]

Gus I really don't get the sub usage. ld

If you have time would you, or anyone else, mind explaining how it puts pressure on ruckmen and how they'd need to play to ensure their survival please.

Hi Rosy. The new sub rule basically means that with one less rotation available most teams are no longer prepared to able to go in with two specialist ruckman in the team, preferring to play a more mobile player who can play forward such as a Vickery, Post etc.

It means that the primary ruckman now have to go forward to rest rather than rotate of the bench like they used to in the past, so they need more strings to there bow than just a bash and crash giant ruckman who are limited when they go forward. They have to carry a greater workload, as the option to rotate off the bench is generally not an option.

It just comes down to less rotation, and most clubs not prepared to have another specialist ruckman on the bench any longer as that impacts on the running rotation options you have available and when you have a situation like Essendon had yesterday that would have been a disaster for most clubs.

The Ruckman like Ryder will be more and more in demand whilst the new sub rule is in vogue. All IMHO of course.

 

[St. Jude]

Yep, sure do ...... who's talking about "last year" by the way ?

Very very limited in his ability, read before replying Ok and for what its worth, Ive read some of your posts of late, your one of those supporters that thinks there isn't a single player wearing a Richmond jumper that isn't a flatout Champion, so I'll keep my comments towards any of your posts to the bare minimum as I can tell your nothing but a totally bias blind homer type, who couldn't write a subjective comment if your life depended on it........ good luck with that attitude by the way, should help you sleep easier at night no doubt.

Thats right mate go the man and not the ball........

I also notice that you are one of those posters who beleives theres no player in the yellow and black who is worthy of your obvoiusly ridiculously lofty standards, I sleep well in the fact that I SUPPORT MY TEAM and not slag off at all and sundry when everybody isn't totally perfect. The perfectionistic attitude that you take is far from constructive and realistically I'd prefer that you not comment at all as I can quite plainly see you cannot see through the play and notice the positives in a players games. Reallly if everybody adopted your attitude we should sack everybody and fold the club.

As for Gus, you never mentioned a time frame and if you look at the efforts he has put in last year as well as this year, without being pie eyed for the opposition, you'll see that he has carried the workload for most of the game this year, tackled well, not butchered the ball, contested, and done all of the things you expect a ruck to do, not bad for a 23 yr old country kid. On friday night he gave wood a bath. one of the clear 4 qtr winners on the night, he actually made mark robinsons bests and we all know how he feels about the club. As a former ruck I can see where Gus gets it right and wrong and for all that people expect Gus to be Chris Judd in a 6'7" body he does what a ruck is supposed to do.

So I don't give a s#!t if you don't respond to me but if you keep on slagging off at blokes who do their job I'll keep on crawling up your ring

Have a nice day

 

[johnson2richo2003]

Hopefully My man Big X is the answer by seasons end.With the Sub rule its more important these days that we have to Ruckmen who are capable of going fwd as bonafide options up there when resting.Gus simply hasn,t got those tools up fwd or around the ground.With our list we have a few holes.If Big X comes on then the need to trade for a ruckman eases and we can look at a trade to fill one of the other holes,While we can "recruit" a Young Ruckmen via a late draft pick or Rookie Draft.

 

[DiscoStu]

As for Gus, you never mentioned a time frame and if you look at the efforts he has put in last year as well as this year, without being pie eyed for the opposition, you'll see that he has carried the workload for most of the game this year, tackled well, not butchered the ball, contested, and done all of the things you expect a ruck to do, not bad for a 23 yr old country kid.

If Gus could put both his hands in the air and plunk a few marks his stocks would rise immensely. Right now he is a big body, and little else. Clumsy and all but ignored by the opposition when he goes forward. If he was able to snaffle a few marks, like the premier ruckmen in the league do, things would be sunnier.

 

[scanners]

he,s a chop

 

[Uncle]

The sub rule has put immense pressure on the ruckmen these days. Will the old style ruckman survive under the current rules, thats the question that will determine the future of a few ruckman IMHO.

I keep hearing this type of thinking and I just don't buy it.

If your talking of old style ruckmen surviving I think you have it back to front gus.
The old style(dinosaur) ruckman has the ability to play 4 quaters of footy in the ruck so IMO
the new rule should benefit the team who doesn't need to give their rucks a breather.

 

[jackfrost]

Thats right mate go the man and not the ball........

I also notice that you are one of those posters who beleives theres no player in the yellow and black who is worthy of your obvoiusly ridiculously lofty standards, I sleep well in the fact that I SUPPORT MY TEAM and not slag off at all and sundry when everybody isn't totally perfect. The perfectionistic attitude that you take is far from constructive and realistically I'd prefer that you not comment at all as I can quite plainly see you cannot see through the play and notice the positives in a players games. Reallly if everybody adopted your attitude we should sack everybody and fold the club.

As for Gus, you never mentioned a time frame and if you look at the efforts he has put in last year as well as this year, without being pie eyed for the opposition, you'll see that he has carried the workload for most of the game this year, tackled well, not butchered the ball, contested, and done all of the things you expect a ruck to do, not bad for a 23 yr old country kid. On friday night he gave wood a bath. one of the clear 4 qtr winners on the night, he actually made mark robinsons bests and we all know how he feels about the club. As a former ruck I can see where Gus gets it right and wrong and for all that people expect Gus to be Chris Judd in a 6'7" body he does what a ruck is supposed to do.

So I don't give a s#!t if you don't respond to me but if you keep on slagging off at blokes who do their job I'll keep on crawling up your ring

Have a nice day

Eloquently put there Nige....... crawl all you like there Big fella, but I will be expecting dinner and a Movie at least, I'll slag off on whoever I think is worthy of it from week to week and you can continue to swoon/fondle/daydream over whatever AFL wannabe's you care about.

Totally incorrect by the way ...... I believe that the following players could very easily be a part of the next Richmond Premiership side, just so we have that very clear.

Batchelor, Conca, Connors, Cotchin, Delidio, Grigg, Helbig, Jackson, Martin, Newman, Reiwoldt.

Now find me a solid Ruckman, 2 Key Backs, 1 Key Forward and 3 role-playing forwards to start and a few supersub types and I believe we'd be in business.

We're only about 10 players shy of contesting for a premiership I believe !!!

As for him being a 23 year old kid from the Country ????.........is that supposed to be a first ?.....from what I remember in my playing days, most players came from Country Leagues, so what makes Gus so much different ?
I recall ruckmen once upon a time taking marks around the ground, busting packs open for their crumbing brigade, putting fear into opposition players etc, do you see this bloke doing that ?...hell at 6' 7" I sure as hell HOPE he's winning a few tap outs or I'd be asking myself why aren't I playing Basketball for a living.

Your type make it sound like that every player on the richmond roster is the next Richmond Immortal, if thats the case, please explain to me how we are ...where we are ?....

If you can succeed at that, I promise to stop "slagging off" (some classic oldtime Aussie lingo there I might add) and will join you in singing the praises of Lanky Country kid types.

 

[Col.E.Kurtz]

Gus I really don't get the sub usage. ld

If you have time would you, or anyone else, mind explaining how it puts pressure on ruckmen and how they'd need to play to ensure their survival please.

A few team when asked to cut down on one player in the 22 chopped the second ruck. Hasn't happen in our case, we're still playing TV.

First rucks are now playing more game time than last year. I actually think its helping Gus because he is a pretty hard worker.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Outpointed Wood without being overly damaging. Let's see how he goes against a 22yo second-stringer next week.

 

[Joe Lynn Turnip]

I liked the look of Post during his brief stint in the ruck last year.