Dinosaurs once ruled the Earth. Then, due to the great flood of the 1960s, they no longer did.
Which brings me to my point. The game might not be as fast as it was in previous years, but it’s still bedlam.
The players – the good ones anyway – are constantly zipping and zigzagging and whishing and whooshing. The ball moves frenetically, switching across and moving into the distance so quickly that, if you close your eyes for a moment, the ball is on a different side of the ground.
The pace of the game adds to its allure. It’s almost hypnotic.
However, teams can still afford to have their goliath. More than afford, the unlovable, unstoppable behemoth of a ruckman – who watches as the ground crumbles under their feet – is a necessity.
With their presence alone, they command and destroy. Look no further than Shane Mumford, the glue that holds Greater Western Sydney together.
But there is an experiment that is persisted with by some sides. They play two genuine ruckman, so they can work in tandem and demolish that which they can see. Which is nice, but unless they are incredible nimble and versatile (see Geelong) it just doesn’t work. They slow down production, slacken the pace and cruel momentum.
The smart players have recognised that they don’t need to climb over the wall. It’s much easier to just run around it. Most teams seem to be of a similar mindset.
On my count (bearing in mind that counting is often a skill that eludes me) there are five teams that play two genuine rucks: Hawthorn, West Coast, Fremantle, Geelong and Carlton. The others tend to go with one ruckman, and a second forward who pinch hits in the ruck, while the other enjoys a pleasant sit-down.
I’m going to focus on Carlton, because the other teams don’t really suit my argument. Well, Fremantle kind of does, but they’re too easy a target at the moment and I get a kick out of deconstructing the team that has given me so much (joy, stress, anguish, pain, sadness, infertility. Insert one).
On the weekend, the Blues won. They won. I contributed nothing and achieved everything. It was the worst game I’ve ever seen, but it was fantastic. Truly, it was the best of times, it was the blurst of times.
But there were, are, problems. And if they are illuminated in a victory, and stick in your memory, they are really big problems.
The team of Andrew Phillips and Matthew Kreuzer isn’t working.
Pick one, I don’t mind which, and stick with him. Play one of those quick, playful and happy-go-lucky blokes lurking in the VFL instead of the other guy.
My affection for the big Krooooze knows no bounds, but as a pair they are too cumbersome and offer squat up forward. The opportunity cost of playing them both is just too great.
If I was to choose, I’d probably pick Phillips.
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The Blues have truly stood up and are a genuine flag threat in 2024 and they have their younger brigade of troops to thank for it.
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