Our Ruckmen

[Ruddiger]

Even after 1 year, I find it funny that the Journos and commentators keep referring to Gardiner as our number 1 ruckman.

They keep talking as though Cox is a stand-in and is only temporary filling in Gardi's place, despite constant improvement.

Gardiner was a great ruckman, but I think that Cox is actually better and the one that will be better remembered in that role in future.

Seaby too is getting better all the time and is our number 2 ruckman and a good option up forward.

Gardiner seems to be suited to the forward line, but is still being eased back into the season IMO.

 

[Skooks]

Even after 1 year, I find it funny that the Journos and commentators keep referring to Gardiner as our number 1 ruckman.

They keep talking as though Cox is a stand-in and is only temporary filling in Gardi's place, despite constant improvement.

Gardiner was a great ruckman, but I think that Cox is actually better and the one that will be better remembered in that role in future.

Seaby too is getting better all the time and is our number 2 ruckman and a good option up forward.

Gardiner seems to be suited to the forward line, but is still being eased back into the season IMO.

IMO Cox is easily a better ruckman than what Gardi ever was, although they are both brilliant, I think Cox has great ability and continues to get better

The only reason why Cox wont get AA this year is because Spider Everitt is severly dominating but when Gardi got his AA there was no real ruckman in good form to contest him

 

[Mead]

IMO, I don't think Cox's ruckwork is anywhere near Gardiner at his best.

There was a period in 2003 when Gardie was just unbelievably influential- not only was he comprehensively winning taps, he was directing them so flawlessly that the midfielders didn't really have to do much of anything other than run past and get what was pretty much identical to an easy handball receive from ruck contests.

Some good examples of this are versus Fremantle, St Kilda, Port, and Collingwood during the first half of 2003, or versus North in rd 22 of 2002. In those games, there were quarter long periods where Gardiner single handedly dominated the game, and we strung together half a dozen centre square clearance/kick forward/goal combinations on the back of Gardies ruckwork. IMO, a few of those games would rank with the best individual performances ever by an Eagle player.

At the moment I'd still class Cox as a competent tap ruckman rather than a genius- he can beat most opponents comfortably, but he doesn't direct his taps as well as Gardiner (frankly, I don't think any ruckman in the last 4-5 years has).

Th only big area Cox has it over Gardiner is durability and consistency. He's been as tough as nails and touchwood, doesn't appear to be susceptible to some of the typical ruckman injury probs.

Seaby is also worth mentioning- for a young kid, he's extremely promising and actually a fair bit ahead of where Cox and Gardie were at similar stages in their careers. 2 or 3 years down the track, I think he will be definitely our first ruckman, and may very well end up the best in the league.

At this stage, we probably won't see Gardiner back to his best until the 2nd part of this year, but I think given his relatively injury prone nature its not such a bad thing if we find a different position for him to play. One he gains full strength and confidence in the knee, I do like the idea of bringing him into the centre square as a game breaking 'strike ruckman', at critical stages of tight contests.

By rd 22 this season, I think the ideal combination is something like this in terms of gametime, assuming Gardie is fully fit and available for centre square.
Cox- 70% ruck, 15% forward 15% bench
Seaby- 20% ruck, 75% forward, 5% bench
Gardiner- 10% ruck, 80% forward, 10% bench

 

[zero]

yeah, its easy to forget how often the phrase "gardiner to cousins" was used by commentators in 2003.

 

[McDougallcankick5]

I remember that round 22, 2002 game against the Roos for a number of reasons. The comentators (cant remember exactly who they were) were commenting that the Gardiner, Cousins combo was the best or equal to the best ruck/rover combination they had ever seen! This was all before Gardy's outstanding 2003 season. Apart from the fact that I was running around the house hugging my mates throughout the game because we made the finals, the other standout was that great mark by Willo! Top game that one.

 

[Mead]

I remember that round 22, 2002 game against the Roos for a number of reasons. The comentators (cant remember exactly who they were) were commenting that the Gardiner, Cousins combo was the best or equal to the best ruck/rover combination they had ever seen! This was all before Gardy's outstanding 2003 season. Apart from the fact that I was running around the house hugging my mates throughout the game because we made the finals, the other standout was that great mark by Willo! Top game that one.

Yep, Willo's mark was a beauty- huge screamer 55m from goals over Martyn or someone?

Rd 5 v Freo the following year still stands out for me as the single best ruck performance we've ever seen from an eagle. He was up against supposedly competent opposition in Simmonds and Longmuir and just butchered them- midway through the first term, Gardie was practically arranging the ball on a plate with salad and serving it up to the midfielders.

At that point Simmonds was rated highly as a ruckman, and had had a huge game against the Roos the previous week- Ben Allan, in his infinite wisdom, wrote an article in the leadup to the derby about how Gardiner wouldn't be able to compete with Simmonds' leap. Around 25 minutes into the first quarter when Freo won their first clearance for the game (from memory, it was from a free kick, anyway ), he was forced to reassess.

 

[TheReason]

Yep, Willo's mark was a beauty- huge screamer 55m from goals over Martyn or someone?

Ahhh memories....

Willo's mark v Nth Melbourne.

I was at Resteraunt celebrating a birthday. My walkman tucked out of sight, an ear piece through the shirt, up the back and from the neck into my ear, trying to be as discreet as possible.

I was nodding here and there, pretending to listen to conversations...

When Willo took that mark, I stood up and yelled (together with the radio jocks).... WILLLLLLSONNNNNNNNNN!!!!

 

[sinepari]

Ahhh memories....

Willo's mark v Nth Melbourne.

I was at Resteraunt celebrating a birthday. My walkman tucked out of sight, an ear piece through the shirt, up the back and from the neck into my ear, trying to be as discreet as possible.

I was nodding here and there, pretending to listen to conversations...

When Willo took that mark, I stood up and yelled (together with the radio jocks).... WILLLLLLSONNNNNNNNNN!!!!

Im chris judd

 

[hoss]

Dean Cox = Best ruckman in the AFL. Easily.

 

[Cat_flying_high]

Im chris judd

...and I'm a homocidal maniac who likes to maim and kill people who pretend to be Chris Judd.

 

[Jako]

Dean Cox is the best ruckman in the league in you ask me, but he is a long way off Gardiner at his best.

Gardiner at his peak ( how I long for him to return to it ) was absolutely amazing.

If he could have kept up that form ( ie. hadn't been injured ) for the majority of his career he would be remembered as one of the all time great ruckmen IMO.

it is one of the sad stories in AFL if he can never get back up there again.

 

[TheReason]

Dean Cox is the best ruckman in the league in you ask me, but he is a long way off Gardiner at his best.

Gardiner at his peak ( how I long for him to return to it ) was absolutely amazing.

If he could have kept up that form ( ie. hadn't been injured ) for the majority of his career he would be remembered as one of the all time great ruckmen IMO.

it is one of the sad stories in AFL if he can never get back up there again.

Amen

 

[sinepari]

...and I'm a homocidal maniac who likes to maim and kill people who pretend to be Chris Judd.

I take it you didnt detect my sarcasm

 

[willo-selly kenobi]

Ahh the memories.

Anyway I still think Gardy was a better ruckman but Coxy is more than capable of being the #1 ruckman, as we have seen (though apparently some supposed experts have not ). Coxy will continue to improve as he is no longer in Gardy's shadow at the club.

 

[Milenko]

Let's face it people, we are blessed to have the greatest treble combination of ruckmen (Cox / Seaby / Gardiner) in the league bar none, better even than the Charman / Keating / McDonald combination.

Just think back to the old days when we had the honest trundlers like Ryan Turnbull, Ilija Grgic, Paul Harding, Dean Irving and Alex Ischenko.

Now we have 3 guns. You lil beauty!!!!

 

[94_Eagles]

The funny thing is, Seaby is already better than some teams number 1 ruckman.

 

[Bestbird]

What worries me is that other clubs will try and recruit either Cox or Seaby in the next year or two


A fully fit Gardiner next year will command more ruck time after all

 

[94_Eagles]

What worries me is that other clubs will try and recruit either Cox or Seaby in the next year or two


A fully fit Gardiner next year will command more ruck time after all

They probably will, although there is a spot in our best 22 for all 3.

As I understand it, Gardiner's rucking days are over. They don't want a recurrance of his posterior ligament damage.

 

[Mead]

What worries me is that other clubs will try and recruit either Cox or Seaby in the next year or two


A fully fit Gardiner next year will command more ruck time after all

True, but I can't see Seaby or Cox going anywhere- both a good country boys who grew up supporting the eagles and wanting to play for them- would be a huge wrench for either to move interstate.

I think the only way they'd move is if it were absolutely necessary to further their career. As long as they're getting minutes (and given Gardiner and Seaby's value up forward, that's a given), they'll be okay.

 

[jod23]

Geez....Cox better than Gardiner? I think not!

Gardiner was in a world of his own in 03. Absolutely dominated games. That's not to belittle Cox either, it's just that nobody can get near Gardiner when he was in his 03 form.

Cox right now is IMO right up there as the best ruckman in the league. We may never see Gardiner back in the ruck again which is sad but to be honest he isnt as needed as he once was thanks to Cox and also Seaby.