I just want to talk about the potential cost of ruck failure in a game. And the reason you need a ruck who can touch the ball when it's in the air.
It's a problem for a team when their ruck cannot touch the ball in the air. But it's a disaster when the other side knows it especially at a CB.
This is why we can't just abandon rucks or play a ruck whose only game is secondary bounces, throw ins and actual football. Otherwise we would.
2016 Round 13, North Melbourne vs Hawthorn -
Third Quarter, 1:40 remaining (NM 50 - HAW 58)
Centre Bounce. Fat Boy McEvoy watchfully takes position under a good vertical bounce but doesn't/can't jump. Goldstein works past by 30cm and behind him, cleanly tapping to Dumont who forces a half-smothered handball through a block to Dal Santo. NDS handballs cleanly behind to Wells who chips to Goldstein on the spread. Goldstein by foot on to NDS who has half an hour on the edge of the arc to send the ball in. Almost bungled by NDS but Mason Wood takes a hanger and kicks the goal.
Third Quarter, 0:55 remaining (NM 56 - HAW 58)
Centre Bounce. Fat Boy McEvoy runs past the vertical line of another good bounce. Goldstein deftly steps around him. And taps it cleanly to Dumont, this time he cleanly handballs to NDS, quickly backwards by hand to Wells who sends a long low kick deep beyond the arc where Ben Brown gets a little under the ball. OOB.
Third Quarter, 0:48 remaining (NM 56 - HAW 58)
Boundary throw in. Goldstein runs Fat Boy under the ball a little, taking position to tap. Probably hearing a call from Harvey he lets it fall behind him. Wells gathers. Quick hands to Harvey. Behind.
From the kick in the Hawks brilliantly transitioned for a goal. Siren. But had Harvey kicked truly there would have been another CB.
Fourth Quarter, 20:00
Jon Ceglar contests. He jumps clean over the conspicuously hobbled Goldstein, tapping to a contest between Mitchell and Dumont.
It's a disaster when everybody knows your ruck can't touch the football when it's in the air. (We can look at Sandilands another time.)
It's a problem for a team when their ruck cannot touch the ball in the air. But it's a disaster when the other side knows it especially at a CB.
This is why we can't just abandon rucks or play a ruck whose only game is secondary bounces, throw ins and actual football. Otherwise we would.
2016 Round 13, North Melbourne vs Hawthorn -
Third Quarter, 1:40 remaining (NM 50 - HAW 58)
Centre Bounce. Fat Boy McEvoy watchfully takes position under a good vertical bounce but doesn't/can't jump. Goldstein works past by 30cm and behind him, cleanly tapping to Dumont who forces a half-smothered handball through a block to Dal Santo. NDS handballs cleanly behind to Wells who chips to Goldstein on the spread. Goldstein by foot on to NDS who has half an hour on the edge of the arc to send the ball in. Almost bungled by NDS but Mason Wood takes a hanger and kicks the goal.
Third Quarter, 0:55 remaining (NM 56 - HAW 58)
Centre Bounce. Fat Boy McEvoy runs past the vertical line of another good bounce. Goldstein deftly steps around him. And taps it cleanly to Dumont, this time he cleanly handballs to NDS, quickly backwards by hand to Wells who sends a long low kick deep beyond the arc where Ben Brown gets a little under the ball. OOB.
Third Quarter, 0:48 remaining (NM 56 - HAW 58)
Boundary throw in. Goldstein runs Fat Boy under the ball a little, taking position to tap. Probably hearing a call from Harvey he lets it fall behind him. Wells gathers. Quick hands to Harvey. Behind.
From the kick in the Hawks brilliantly transitioned for a goal. Siren. But had Harvey kicked truly there would have been another CB.
Fourth Quarter, 20:00
Jon Ceglar contests. He jumps clean over the conspicuously hobbled Goldstein, tapping to a contest between Mitchell and Dumont.
It's a disaster when everybody knows your ruck can't touch the football when it's in the air. (We can look at Sandilands another time.)
