Unofficial Preview Best 22! Who’s in the team Round 1, 2023?

[Yardie]

Thanks Yardie, can you please enlighten me to HTW ? HTA = hit outs to advantage. HTW = hit outs to wherever?

Percentage of ruck contests resulting in a hitout win. This is the definition from the site.

So I am assuming that for a ruck it includes how they and the team follow up.

Must say below link is pretty good with stats (surprised because it is AFL)

AFL Stats - AFL.com.au

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www.afl.com.au

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

Percentage of ruck contests resulting in a hitout win. This is the definition from the site.

So I am assuming that for a ruck it includes how they and the team follow up.

Must say below link is pretty good with stats (surprised because it is AFL)

AFL Stats - AFL.com.au

Share

www.afl.com.au

im pretty sure it just means, from the number of ruck contests that player contested, the percentage of which they clearly won the hitout, regardless of whether it's to advantage, to a teammate etc.

and there aren't many players above 50% because not every ruck contest results in a clear tap

so based on the stats, Reeves is an above average ruckman at winning the tap, but below average in terms of directing it to a teammate

 

[HedgeFund]

so based on the stats, Reeves is an above average ruckman at winning the tap, but below average in terms of directing it to a teammate

Taller than most, but doesn’t put it where we can take it away (yet)

That was what I observed as the glaring difference when Big Boy returned - he may not have got his hands on the tap as often as Ned, but when BB won it, we more often cleared it, because he connected better with the mids.

 

[Brant]

Taller than most, but doesn’t put it where we can take it away (yet)

That was what I observed as the glaring difference when Big Boy returned - he may not have got his hands on the tap as often as Ned, but when BB won it, we more often cleared it, because he connected better with the mids.

Mids he’s (BB) worked with for 5+/80+ games, but for most of that period, they still lacked chemistry. I’m pretty happy that Reeves will develop with a new set of Mids (although, I wish we’d have kept JO’M).

As for the comparison with other Ruckmen about his age, Reeves is/was a late developer, so he’s coming from further back than others & catching/overtaking them quickly. He’s had an injury interrupted career to date, so is lacking continuity compared with others that have played similar no. of AFL games.

As you’ve pointed out, he hasn’t quite demonstrated sustained performance to match the belief/optimism in which most posters on here afford him (me included), but I think you’d have to be trying pretty hard to ignore his continued improvement (to date) & not see the development left in him.

 

[HedgeFund]

Mids he’s (BB) worked with for 5+/80+ games, but for most of that period, they still lacked chemistry. I’m pretty happy that Reeves will develop with a new set of Mids (although, I wish we’d have kept JO’M).

As for the comparison with other Ruckmen about his age, Reeves is/was a late developer, so he’s coming from further back than others & catching/overtaking them quickly. He’s had an injury interrupted career to date, so is lacking continuity compared with others that have played similar no. of AFL games.

As you’ve pointed out, he hasn’t quite demonstrated sustained performance to match the belief/optimism in which most posters on here afford him (me included), but I think you’d have to be trying pretty hard to ignore his continued improvement (to date) & not see the development left in him.

I’m not saying he won’t become a decent ruck, and that he hasn’t improved.

However, he has only played 17 games and that’s not enough of a sample to convince me he is a walk up for starting / 1st ruck, nor that our ruck division will be a definite strength of the side in 2023.

Frankly there’s no reason a fit Lynch / Meek combination couldn’t push Ned back to 3rd ruck, such is the paucity of actual AFL games (42) those 3 have cobbled together in 14 total seasons.

The door is completely wide open for those 2 ruck spots IMHO.

 

[Yardie]

im pretty sure it just means, from the number of ruck contests that player contested, the percentage of which they clearly won the hitout, regardless of whether it's to advantage, to a teammate etc.

and there aren't many players above 50% because not every ruck contest results in a clear tap

so based on the stats, Reeves is an above average ruckman at winning the tap, but below average in terms of directing it to a teammate

I think you are right on the definition of HTW.
Below is McEvoy's stats from 2013 (Prior they didn't do the extra stuff). Followed by Ned's. He is tracking a similar path if not better for an age to age comparison.


Ned

 

[bigmaxi]

I think you are right on the definition of HTW.
Below is McEvoy's stats from 2013 (Prior they didn't do the extra stuff). Followed by Ned's. He is tracking a similar path if not better for an age to age comparison.

View attachment 1580055
Ned
View attachment 1580057

Wow ‘17,’18,’ 19 he smashed it !

 

[peetoo]

Wow ‘17,’18,’ 19 he smashed it !

Without bigboy, we may well have been tanking

 

[KermitJagger]

Wow ‘17,’18,’ 19 he smashed it !

I think he was consistently rated in the top handful of rucks for that period. He never reached the heights of some others, but for a big period of time he was between 3rd and 5th. Usually it was just a combination of Naitanui, Gawn and Grundy who were better and more consistent than Big Boy.

 

[fairdinks]

I’m not saying he won’t become a decent ruck, and that he hasn’t improved.

However, he has only played 17 games and that’s not enough of a sample to convince me he is a walk up for starting / 1st ruck, nor that our ruck division will be a definite strength of the side in 2023.

Frankly there’s no reason a fit Lynch / Meek combination couldn’t push Ned back to 3rd ruck, such is the paucity of actual AFL games (42) those 3 have cobbled together in 14 total seasons.

The door is completely wide open for those 2 ruck spots IMHO.

There is a lot to play out with our rucks, but I am really bullish on what Ned may be able to do. That is just based on a few pieces of play where he impressed last year. Needs to develop that week by week consistency.

it seems our ruck situation will be very competitive this year and if Ned is our 3rd ruck in 2023, it will mean Lynch and Meek are going super well. A plus all round!

 

[Gut Runner]

I'd be really interested in the contested marks and goals comparison.

Hit Outs are only part of the picture.

Hopefully big noodle stays fit. As we have seen lately, our skinny players seem to cop too many injuries.

 

[Accipiter]

I'd be really interested in the contested marks and goals comparison.

Hit Outs are only part of the picture.

Hopefully big noodle stays fit. As we have seen lately, our skinny players seem to cop too many injuries.

Makes me think that Meek should be the no 1 ruck to take on the burden when the game is most hot, then pinch-hit with Ned to catch the enemy off guard. Really intriguing this one ....

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I'd be really interested in the contested marks and goals comparison.

Hit Outs are only part of the picture.

Hopefully big noodle stays fit. As we have seen lately, our skinny players seem to cop too many injuries.

And our solid units in Hardwick, Newk, (even Sicily since he came back from his knee injury) and all the other more well built play all year long.

I still maintain our conditioning team had our players too lean in recent seasons. I remember seeing pics of them in pre season training a couple of years ago and they looked like they had been training for the London marathon!

I would prefer they come into round 1 ever so slightly on the heavy side of their designated weight range and then they can strip down during the year just through playing pretty much impossible to put on bulk once the season starts.

 

[HedgeFund]

I'd be really interested in the contested marks and goals comparison.

Hit Outs are only part of the picture.

Hopefully big noodle stays fit. As we have seen lately, our skinny players seem to cop too many injuries.

Lynch - 10 games - 0.5 CM & 0.4 gls
Meek - 15 - 0.6 & 0.2
Reeves - 17 - 0.65 & 0.47

McEvoy - 252 - 1.5 & 0.4

For me - total marks might be more useful as it can give an indication of mobility around the ground (ability to get free and mark unhindered)

McEvoy - 4.2, Lynch - 1.8, Meek - 1.6, Reeves - 1.47

 

[Yardie]

Lynch - 10 games - 0.5 CM & 0.4 gls
Meek - 15 - 0.6 & 0.2
Reeves - 17 - 0.65 & 0.47

McEvoy - 252 - 1.5 & 0.4

For me - total marks might be more useful as it can give an indication of mobility around the ground (ability to get free and mark unhindered)

McEvoy - 4.2, Lynch - 1.8, Meek - 1.6, Reeves - 1.47

Big Boy is considered Elite (1.3avg) for intercept marks over his career!

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Lynch - 10 games - 0.5 CM & 0.4 gls
Meek - 15 - 0.6 & 0.2
Reeves - 17 - 0.65 & 0.47

McEvoy - 252 - 1.5 & 0.4

For me - total marks might be more useful as it can give an indication of mobility around the ground (ability to get free and mark unhindered)

McEvoy - 4.2, Lynch - 1.8, Meek - 1.6, Reeves - 1.47

Total marks basically explains how good each of them are with their tanks.

Reeves has the worst tank, McEvoy by far the best.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Big Boy is considered Elite (1.3avg) for intercept marks over his career!

Always had an excellent set of hands on him did Big Boy.

He was quite a unique package as a ruckman in a lot of ways.

Not particularly tall, slow, not blessed with a great leap with and a turning circle like the Titanic.

But he could run all day, play all across the ground, was an excellent contested mark and a beautiful kick for goal. Was also hard as a cats forehead of course.

Probably not a coincidence that we seemed to turn out season around last year when he made it back into the side from his neck injury.

 

[Gut Runner]

From the Stats it looks like the ruck spots are anyone's for the taking.

They all need to improve too. Still very raw in terms of games. All of them need another 2 seasons to get to the sweet spot of >50 games too.

Hopefully at least 1 makes it to the McEvoy level, 2 would be awesome.

 

[threesixpio]

So basically I can't voice a negative opinion on any of our players, coaches or team performances.

I think he is saying that context is important. I also personally get annoyed with how final people’s opinions can be.

That was a shit game from player x is always better than player x played a shit game once and therefore will never be good ever ever ever

 

[burner1]

Frankly there’s no reason a fit Lynch / Meek combination couldn’t push Ned back to 3rd ruck, such is the paucity of actual AFL games (42) those 3 have cobbled together in 14 total seasons.

The door is completely wide open for those 2 ruck spots IMHO.

Yep. Our ruck division is more based on hope of development than proven performance. 42 games across 14 seasons for our 3 rucks. All three are at the right age to start to deliver at afl level - but we’ll know far more over 2023. Reeves had some very promising games but seems a bit injury prone ina physically demanding role. Meek has a lot of tools but couldn’t get a game at freo - but could easily be our no 1 ruck. Lynch seems arguably a bit less talented but with concussion issues.

I do wonder if the plan is to play meek as #1 ruck and reeves as 2nd ruck/fwd. Reeves had a knack of grabbing a few marks up forward (as we’re not overflowing with tall targets) although defensive pressure an issue. Reeves against most teams 2nd ruck would dominate the taps.

 

[Accipiter]

Yep. Our ruck division is more based on hope of development than proven performance. 42 games across 14 seasons for our 3 rucks. All three are at the right age to start to deliver at afl level - but we’ll know far more over 2023. Reeves had some very promising games but seems a bit injury prone ina physically demanding role. Meek has a lot of tools but couldn’t get a game at freo - but could easily be our no 1 ruck. Lynch seems arguably a bit less talented but with concussion issues.

I do wonder if the plan is to play meek as #1 ruck and reeves as 2nd ruck/fwd. Reeves had a knack of grabbing a few marks up forward (as we’re not overflowing with tall targets) although defensive pressure an issue. Reeves against most teams 2nd ruck would dominate the taps.

I'm thinking more & more that it will end up a horses for courses deal, hone in on their strengths and use them tactically.

Hope to see both in the round 1 team.

Q: Who is the ruck coach atm?

 

[tommyk72]

I’m pondering who I would have in a fantasy team. As it stands I would choose Meek. Marine draft in Reeves for a bench spot.

 

[HedgeFund]

Q: Who is the ruck coach atm?

I don’t believe we currently have one.

 

[KermitJagger]

I don’t believe we currently have one.

Hale is midfield coach, which covers ruck. Hickmott is contest coach, which covers stoppages. No need for a specialist ruck coach.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Reeves is as big a talent as we have on our list. Surprised more don't see that.

Meek is the perfect compliment. We will play both. Especially as Reeves builds his tank.

Very different. Meek has a bit of Lade, he's a brute. Will seriously open it up for Reeve's tap work that's already unbelievable, he just needs to build a tank ... we're set here long-term, especially if they can impact forward as Reeve's started to show.

Can we play Reeves, Meek, Mitch Lewis and Kosi all in the same side though?