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Opinion
Over the past decade, Geelong’s Achilles heel has been their ruck options. Since the retirement of three-time premiership player Brad Ottens in 2011, the Cats have struggled to find ruckmen capable of feeding the ball to their plethora of elite midfielders.
This problem was exemplified in the 2021 preliminary final against Melbourne, when a rampaging Max Gawn kicked 5 goals in a best on ground performance, leading the Demons to an 83-point crushing of the Cats.
In 2022, the Cats found the right ruck balance with the ageing Rhys Stanley (33 this year) ably supported by the versatile Mark Blicavs. It was no coincidence that Stanley’s best year in a blue and white jumper coincided with Geelong’s first premiership since 2011.
Despite their premiership win, Stanley and Blicavs ranked 11th and 13th for respectively for total hitouts in the AFL, demonstrating the Cat’s lack of dominance in the ruck department.
Of the top 11 hitout winners last season, Stanley had the second lowest hitout win percentage at 42.3% and the third lowest amount of hitouts to advantage (125).
Aside from Stanley, Geelong lacks a legitimate rucking alternative in season 2023 to service their elite midfield brigade of Guthrie, Atkins, Dangerfield and Duncan. Whilst Blicavs can complete ruck duties on an ad-hoc basis, Geelong’s continued preference is to employ Blicavs as a utility due to his elite aerobic capacity and defensive capabilities.
Tom De Koning (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Do the Cats need a top line ruckman for season 2023 and beyond? While their 2022 premiership victory may demonstrate otherwise, the Geelong hierarchy seem to think that a future ruckman is required.
The Cats have invested heavily in recent drafts to find a ruck solution, having used their second selection (Pick 33) and first selection (Pick 24) in the 2020 and 2021 drafts to recruit young talls Shannon Neale and Toby Conway to the club.
In 2022, Geelong also traded in veteran Jonathon Ceglar from Hawthorn as an insurance policy and ensured that 24-year-old Esava Ratugolea remained at Geelong despite his desire to join Port Adelaide for greater opportunities. The Cats also showed significant interest in signing the previously out of favour Brodie Grundy and now contracted Fremantle Docker Sean Darcy.
With the ageing Stanley and Ceglar competing for 2023 ruck duties alongside the inexperienced Neale and Conway, Andrew Mackie and his recruiting team are extremely likely to seek alternative future options in the ruck. Tom De Koning would prove an obvious choice as an excellent long term ruck option for the Cats.
De Koning was taken with Pick 30 in the 2017 national draft by Carlton. After 2 games in 2018 and an injury plagued 2019, De Koning was nominated as Carlton’s best young player in 2020.
De Koning has continued to amass games across the previous two seasons (2021: 13 games, 2022: 19 games) with Carlton coach, Michael Voss, impressed by De Koning’s athleticism and improving competitiveness at stoppages.
So, why Tom De Koning to Geelong? Well, he is yet to commit to the Blues post the 2023 season. The Blues have tabled several attractive contract offers to De Koning. Carlton is enticed by his potential to form a long-term midfield quartet alongside Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra.
All extensions offered by the Blues have been politely declined by the De Koning camp. Secondly, the Cats have proven their expertise to fill list gaps in recent trade periods, with this exemplified through the acquisitions of Jeremy Cameron, Isaac Smith and Jack Bowes.
The Cats have incredible consistency, a strong culture and a feverish appetite to play finals every year. Geelong list manager Andrew Mackie will emphasise to De Koning’s the Cat’s desirability to play him as a starting ruckman as part of a team that is constantly within the premiership window.
Lastly, the chance to play alongside his brother Sam De Koning may also be too great to ignore. Will “TDK” be in the blue of Geelong for season 2024? Let’s wait and see…
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