Aaron Sandilands' legacy

[stui magpie]

Cox changed the way the position is now played. That's a legacy

Really? I take it you never saw Peter Moore or even Jim Stynes play then? There have been mobile rucks before Cox and some bloody good ones. Cox was a very good ruck but to say he changed the way the position was played is putting serious mayo in it.

As far as Sandilands, my opinion is that while he has been very good he has somewhat underachieved when you look at his sheer size. He wins hitouts as you'd expect but he could be better at putting the ball to advantage. For the amount of ball he gets his hands on, he should have got more hitouts to advantage. Likewise, playing in an era where backmen aren't allowed to chop the arms in a marking contest he should have taken more marks. If he was a better mark he could play for another 5 years by standing in the goalsquare for 3/4 of the game.

 

[Clems Knee]

Really? I take it you never saw Peter Moore or even Jim Stynes play then? There have been mobile rucks before Cox and some bloody good ones. Cox was a very good ruck but to say he changed the way the position was played is putting serious mayo in it.

As far as Sandilands, my opinion is that while he has been very good he has somewhat underachieved when you look at his sheer size. He wins hitouts as you'd expect but he could be better at putting the ball to advantage. For the amount of ball he gets his hands on, he should have got more hitouts to advantage. Likewise, playing in an era where backmen aren't allowed to chop the arms in a marking contest he should have taken more marks. If he was a better mark he could play for another 5 years by standing in the goalsquare for 3/4 of the game.

You've forgotten the Sandilands rule. No chopping the arms in a marking contest *except if the marker is 211cm high.

 

[Scotland]

Sandilands' legacy will be being really tall.

That's not meaning to downplay his career, but that is how people will remember him - so that's his legacy.

Winning 69 hitouts is remarkable for two reasons. Firstly, the average for the season is 85 a game. In the Adelaide/Freo game there were 113. The game was won 10 goals to 7, so that's a lot of stoppages for hitouts to be won from. Secondly, he was up against Sam Jacobs - a bloke who is 202cm tall and has been in or around the AA 40 man squad. It's all well and good to win 90% of the hitouts against Ayce Cordy, but Sauce is no mug.

 

[gaskin]

You've forgotten the Sandilands rule. No chopping the arms in a marking contest *except if the marker is 211cm high.

This is what people don't understand when talking about him not taking enough marks up forward. He gets pushed, held, arms chopped, 5 blokes hanging off his arms and still can't get a free kick. The rules go out the window when he is in the forward 50. It's why he can take contested marks anywhere else on the ground quite easily. Sure, he is prone to drop a sitter here or there, but so is every other player.

 

[Deathsquad]

This is what people don't understand when talking about him not taking enough marks up forward. He gets pushed, held, arms chopped, 5 blokes hanging off his arms and still can't get a free kick. The rules go out the window when he is in the forward 50. It's why he can take contested marks anywhere else on the ground quite easily. Sure, he is prone to drop a sitter here or there, but so is every other player.

Came in to mention this, he is routinely infringed without reward in marking contests and has done the majority of his career. In saying that his marking has only really been consistent the latter part of his career.

 

[Scotland]

If he can't get a free kick he's a shit ruckman, then.

 

[The Joker]

He is The Truth! You think you are the best ruckman in the game, find out the truth about yourself vs Sandilands.

#thetruth

 

[Jiggyman]

Excellent tap ruckman, takes clinch marks now and then, and a sheer presence sometimes for sure, but to be honest I've never thought he was a superstar. Held back by injuries and his movement around the ground has always been somewhat limited.

If Freo's midfield didn't run as deep, there'd be more knocks on his game these days.

 

[My Tilly]

One has to wonder, with the decline of quality rucks around the league, and the rule changes preventing unnecessary injury to the ruckman, Sandilands would have stood out like Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

32

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

.

 

[errant bounce]

One has to wonder, with the decline of quality rucks around the league, and the rule changes preventing unnecessary injury to the ruckman, Sandilands would have stood out like Max Gawn.

Gawn is incredibly overrated but Sandilands was without doubt one of the dumbest footballers I've ever seen, he just never grew or adapted. very good with the taps but he couldn't take a mark to save his life (probably due to always wanting to take them with his eyes looking down at his toes) and his penchant for giving the ball off straight after a mark/free was shocking. how clubs never realised 'when Sandilands marks it, he always handballs it off' was bizarre.

Jon Griffin was a better ruck.

Zac Clarke however maybe the softest, most disinterested, shittest footballer I have ever seen. put Griff in the ruck instead in 2013 and you might be a bit more competitive in the Grand Final.

 

[Freomaniac]

One has to wonder, with the decline of quality rucks around the league, and the rule changes preventing unnecessary injury to the ruckman, Sandilands would have stood out like Max Gawn.

I remember 1999 when the AFL brought in a plastic spot on the grass. It gave knee injuries to ports Matty Primus and crows Shaun Rehn.

AFL scrapped that plastic spot after the 1999 pre season.

I might be a bit biased. Sandilands did deserve his all Australian spots in his playing career.

Yeah he was 211 cm tall. He used his height to an advantage.

No different to NBA players that are 210 cm tall or 7 foot tall exactly playing as a centre or Power forward scoring with lay ups or getting rebounds

 

[Macca180]

Gawn is incredibly overrated but Sandilands was without doubt one of the dumbest footballers I've ever seen, he just never grew or adapted.

I'm not sure about that. Gawn is one of the best Ruckman ever.

What other huge Ruckman do what Gawn does... win matches for you, kick goals, marks, get around the ground play almost like a midfielder at times.

 

[Freomaniac]

Sandilands' legacy will be being really tall.

That's not meaning to downplay his career, but that is how people will remember him - so that's his legacy.

Winning 69 hitouts is remarkable for two reasons. Firstly, the average for the season is 85 a game. In the Adelaide/Freo game there were 113. The game was won 10 goals to 7, so that's a lot of stoppages for hitouts to be won from. Secondly, he was up against Sam Jacobs - a bloke who is 202cm tall and has been in or around the AA 40 man squad. It's all well and good to win 90% of the hitouts against Ayce Cordy, but Sauce is no mug.

Sam Jacobs wasn't a bad ruckman in his prime.

Still shocked he didn't get All Australian once between 2012 to 2018.

He should of worst got a bench spot in 2012.

More than happy to give up Aaron Sandilands 2014 ruck spot for Sauce Jacobs. Sandy already had 3 not including 2014

 

[Schauermann]

he couldn't take a mark to save his life

That is probably a myth. 2nd in contested marks and 6th in marks for player in top 10 for career hitouts. All (except Madden) played around he same era as Sandilands. So he went ok. Most rucks just don't get a lot of ball. A few like Cox or Stynes back in his days got good number and probably increased expectation for rucks in general.

Mark/contested marks for the top 10 career hitouts:

T. Goldstein 2.98/0.80
A. Sandilands 3.49/1.24
M. Gawn 4.58/2.05
B. Grundy 3.27/0.85
S.Jacobs 3.53/0.89
D.Cox 5.31/0.85
J. Witts 2.50/0.55
J. Madden 4.02/?
P. Ryder 3.73/1.11
N. Naitanui 1.75/1.09