Let’s look into the preseason shape of the AFL ruck divisions. This is not an exercise in predicting the form of teams, players or divisions, but the current shape and value of each division.
Grades should not to be used to compare against other teams, but as a form of evaluating the current situation at the club in question.
Carlton Blues
Number one ruckman: Matthew Kruezer
Backups: Robert Warnock, Sam Rowe, Shaun Hampson
What I said last year: Kruezer fit, Warnock excellent deputy. Grade A+
2013: Carlton is going to be my ‘team to watch’ in 2013.
There are just so many possibilities across every line, and so much expectation placed on Mick Malthouse’s shoulders. Will he return them to finals contention? Or will his coaching and game plan prove too much to grasp and the Blues suffer a Melbourne-esque slide?
One thing Mick doesn’t need to concern his moustachioed head about is his new ruck division.
Last year, a group of men I gave an A+ probably only put in a B+ to an A- level performance. I know, I’m a harsh marker.
It’s hard for a ruck brigade to look good when the rest of the team is so up and down and have their colours lowered by lesser teams (like the Gold Coast). Injuries did not help across the board and the loss of their prime target Judd to suspension made life very hard for the big men.
Carlton’s great white hope Kruezer limped through most of 2012. Back up Hampson (13 games) suffered from inconsistency.
Warnock (5 games) suffered from ‘VFLitus,’ despite being re-signed on for another three years.
This year, however, Kruezer is training the house down, and is gifted with confidence in his body might finally start rag-dolling opponents and revealing his true physical presence.
We all know Mick likes a big full forward, so I would expect Hampson to primarily fill this role, and a change in coaching could well be the opportunity Warnock needs to fully realise his potential.
Last years performance reminds us that potential isn’t always enough. But all signs are positive, and Blues fans have the right to feel optimistic about their ruck stocks at least.
Grade: A
Collingwood Magpies
Number one ruckman: Darren Jolly
Back Ups: Ben Hudson, Jarrod Witts, Brodie Grundy, Quinton Lynch and Corey Gault.
What I said last year: Jolly soldiers on, but stocks not as a deep as they appear.
Collingwood pulled of the most audacious move of draft night in 2012, drafting the number one bigman in last year’s pool, Heath Grundy.
Watching this kid at the under 18s carnival you can see why he got such high praise- he’s a beast.
He still has a boy’s body, and will take along time to get to the ideal weight for his style of play. However, against men his own age he played like the biggest man on earth with an attitude to match.
How he was left for the Pies is anyone’s guess but the point is now moot.
Grundy has been added to a new-look ruck brigade, joining newly acquired recent retiree Ben Hudson and champion Darren Jolly.
Under the tutelage of Hudson, expect Grundy to grow into Jolly’s heir. He’ll be smashing packs and crippling lesser mortals in a few years.
Hudson will probably fill a role not unlike Dean Brogan at the Giants as an on-field coach and off field mentor, and former Eagle forward Quinten Lynch will probably be better suited as a key forward and will fill in some ruck duties at times.
In the meantime Jolly, Hudson and Lynch make up one of the most experienced ruck divisions in the game. Many will argue that Hudson is past it, and an injury to the former Crow turned Bulldog turned Lion turned Magpie may expose Collingwood.
But the example of Dean Brogan proves that a mature aged ruckman (properly managed and with the right support) can play the fill in role required, while proving invaluable as un official coach.
Grade: A
Chris
Guest
If collingwood gets an "A"..... Is it a reverse scale or something where that is A bottom team.... Because a lot of other teams have much better ruck departments... Just as an example .... What would you give the WCE?
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Damo, good ruck men are invaluable, no doubt, but you can still buy them further down the draft order. Risky I admit. Kreuzers OK, but Cotchin is shaping to be better than Murphy & Gibbs, let alone Walker, and Judd, whilst an absolute gun, is getting towards the end. Anyway, we still need to wait & see. Good to talk footy that doesn't involve the current bad news. Cheers.
AndyMack
Guest
Who gives a toss about "boo-hiss" Carlton? Just happy the Pies look OK in the ruck department. Think that the big Q-stick will give some solid support to both Cloke and Jolly in their main roles.
Brewski
Guest
Can't say i watch a lot of Carlton games, but Kreuzer seems to give 100% and you can't ask more than that, seems to me to be a pretty good player. Warnock was traded by the Dockers, so ...... !! there you go. Warnock to me, shows the lack of quality good big men in the AFL, no wonder we are chasing American basketballers etc .
damo
Guest
Bunny, was probably a bit of a cheap shot mate sorry. Floyd, lets just let the guy develop. It's always a risk taking a ruckman over a mid. The Blues have a glut of midfielders, so regardless of Cotchins undoubted class, its hard to say if he'd even still be at the Blues. After getting Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Walker etc your natural thinking is 'we need a ruckman.'
jack@hotmail.com
Guest
I reckon the blues are a massive chance for the flag this year. Will be really hard to beat, they had the bad year they had to have befoer making a charge. Essendon where my other one but now half there players might be suspended lol
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Damo, all clubs make mistakes with high end draft choices, but Carlton's decision to go with Kreuzer over Cotchin is beginning to take on more significance with each passing season.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
I wouldnt be so sure of that. Casboult shows promise up forward, and I wouldnt be surprised to see both named and Warnock in the seconds. All being well i expect the Rucks to rotate.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Im also a carlton supporter and this is one of the oddest things ive ever read on this board. And ive lived through oikee and fussball. We started the season knowing that Hampson was the second string ruckman, and most people thought if we could get a goal a game out of him up forward then we were on a winner. As it stands he playing 14 games, was injured very early in the 15th, and kicked 16 goals while still getting his fair share of hitouts. In fact his early season work was highly rated by experts, some of whom rated him the leagues most improved player. He didnt play after round 15 through injury. Warnock started the season injured, got suspended in the VFL, played in the "game of three rucks" and finished the season injured. Kreuzer was unfit most of the season, but we had no alternatives, even the backups for the backups were injured and in round 17 when we had no kreuzer as well, thornton and casboult got smashed by the Bulldogs rucks, We still won though. Casboult is far from being a ruckman, but he can mark the footy Ill grant that. His goalkicking tends to vary from horrendus (see the gold coast match) to ok.
Bunny Colvin
Guest
Fair enough Damo. Actually, I completely forget, as another poster pointed out correctly young Levi Casboult looks to be a beauty. So, Kreuzer so far has been a major let down, Warnock is just a knock out ruck and that's about it, Hampson is the pin up boy to get females along to matches but Levi Casboult seems to have what we have been missing. A mobile ruck, who can take a grab in a pack. Sorry about the spelling, just scriblbing when I get a moment at work.
Damo
Roar Guru
Bunny, Cheers for your interest and opinion. Firstly, I gave them a B+ to an A- for last season based mainly on effort. And largely that effort was Kruezer I will concede. I will concede further and say perhaps I should have graded harsher, but the point of my article is to grade the CURRENT state of the rucks. Secondly, The only reason I didn't judge them harsher was ( as I mentioned in the article ) because of the poor or inconsistent performance in the midfield. At no stage did I say anything about Hampson other than he was "Inconsistent," likewise with Warnock who I described as having "VFLitus." And i have addressed Kruezer's past lack of form due largely to injury and that, according to my info (which includes Carltons website) the guy is fit and firing. Thirdly, I rate on a basis of how complete the ruck division is. By this I mean whether there are any glaring deficiencies (depth, injuries etc). Right now you have three fit Ruckman, Rowe who has other issues presently (and i wish him the best) and no reason to fear a repeat performance. Based on this preseason, your ruck looks solid. I don't doubt that a three year extension for Warnock was foolish to say the least, and that Hampson has been frustrating for a long time, but changes in form happen and Malthouse may be the difference for these two (again something I mentioned in the article). Fourthly please do not presume ignorance of other fans. This site is about ones sporting opinion, and my opinion is that Carlton supporters should be optimistic about their ruck options. Including you. Lastly, invest in spell-check.
ty
Guest
hampson won't be in the team at all, he is a third option in ruck behind Warnock and kruez and Levi casboult will be at full ford.
Bunny Colvin
Guest
Am a mad Carlton supporter and I went to a lot of Carlton matches and watched the others on the tele. I can tell you this, our rucks were lousy last year. I do not understand why they re-signed Warnock and Hampson is probably in the team because his girlfriend brings glamour to the club. I think he is a pretty hopeless footballer and possibly the worst I have seen playing in all the years I have watched the club. He is just not agressive, very soft for a league footballer, and a shocking kick for goal. Warnock, cannot mark above his head which kind of makes him pretty much a lamppost out on the field and the rest of his team mates try to kick to someone else because he just cannot hold a grab. In short, cannot be trusted out there which makes him a liability. Kreuzer had a forgettable season last year and if he does not pick up his act, could go down as the biggest dud ever drafted at pick number 1. So far he has been a major let down. He was injured, but if that is the case maybe he should not have been out there. I cannot possibly see your grading system when they finished that badly. A team of #1 draft picks finished 10th when they should have been in the top 6. It was an "E" as in sub 50 percent. The put in an absolute shocker and please do not sugar coat it as it shows a lot of ignorance about your understanding of how football is played.