Our best ruck combination?

[Albert Parker]

Guys, interested in your thoughts on our best starting ruck and back up/fwd combination.

Combinations of Jolly, Hudson, Witts, Lynch and Grundy as an outsider.

Personally I think Hudson has had a better season than Jolly - less frees against, better tackling and tap work probably slightly ahead. Jolly is a better forward option but hasn't managed to push forward too often and hit the scoreboard this year.

I'm still tempted by Hudson as ruck 1 and Jolly as a fwd/2nd ruck. i think Jolly is a better kick and mark than Witts and Lynch.

Put your best foot forward.

[Brenny]

At the moment I'm on the Hudson / Witts bandwagon.

Though we know Jolly will come back.

For me, it comes down to the second ruck, I'm not sure if Lynch, Wiits or even Grundy are the 'best' option as yet. As in, which one of the three are better.

At the moment I'm going to suggest that Jolly / Lynch will be the preferred option, but Witts is starting to show some form.

I'm hoping in the next few weeks we might get to see Grundy get a game.

I think once we see the three, then we can decide.

I think the biggest spanner of them all has been Reid... He's shown to be Harry Taylor like.

Jolly is better than Hudson, IMHO, at swinging back and forward, in which case I'd want Jolly.

But at this point in time at this very second... I'm going Hudson / Witts.

[Tannin]

Jolly and Witts for me.

Witts has improved enormously this year. His first couple of senior games demonstrated talent, potential, showed that he could well be a player down the track. But this week against Adelaide he didn't look as though he will be a player, he looked as though he is a player, and his performance as a forward was the key. Sure, he's half-decent ruckman and will get better as time goes by. When fit, both Jolly and Hudson are obviously better ruckmen tht Witts @ 2013 ..... but he blew my socks off with his pace on the lead as a forward and ability to hold a mark and then kick it well too. Witts reminds me of Paul Salmon - another very tall player equally adept as a ruckman or up forward. Witts, if he can hold his form, has finished Q. Lynch's career.

Jolly over Hudson because, although Hudson is probably a fair bit better as a pure ruckman these days, Jolly is marginally better in the packs, much better marking up forward or spoiling in defence (Hudson is curiously weak overhead for a ruckman), and - Jolly's secret weapon - has an extraordinary ability to conjure "lucky" goals from boundary throw-ins.

Grundy? He might make life interesting. Wait and see.

[woodys_world69]

this topic is FAR more deeper then just selecting 2 players.

Lynch does a fair amount of miles, more than Witts would as a forward.
And we seem to forget very quickly what Lynch can do when fit, especially that game earlier in the year when Jolly went down and he was solo ruck.

Jolly/Lynch i still think is preference IF both are fit.

Jolly/Witts IF goldsack can be that 3rd leading tall like he played last year.

[King Malta]

I voted Hudson/Witts, but my vote is slightly misleading as the inclusion of Witts depends on his form...if it drops, then it would be Hudson/Lynch for me.

I think Hudson has been miles ahead of Darren this year, who to me looks like he's on his last legs sadly. Hudson's tap work, second efforts and free kick count have all been looking better than Jolly's, and Hudson has some real mongrel in him too which I feel Jolly misses.

I like Witts as the second option at the moment, as he seems to be improving with every AFL match he plays. I also feel he is probably more comfortable playing with Hudson as well, due to the amount of games they've played together now in the VFL.

Whichever system we go with though, I feel that having another tall target Ala Ben Reid or Tyson Goldsack is crucial to making it work.