Toast Robbie Warnock clearly our no 1 ruckman

[lionel_luthor]

The D-Bate is over folks, now granted Melbourne fielded a team of witches hats today and Jamar didn't play, but without a doubt that was Robbie's best game for the club and he also has been in great form in the last few weeks, all those peanuts who kept bagging and asking him to be traded - YOU WERE WRONG !!!

He and Humphrey are a fantastic ruck tandem, and was thrilled when the big fella finally went down and kicked a goal.

He also nearly broke the world record for hit outs/clearances today.
Clearly Hampson is now surplus to requirements, you can't carry 3 rucks in your starting 22 anymore, and he look for oppotunities elsewhere i suspect.

Anyhow Warnock has been a great recruiting success and Freo fans Are still bitter at his departure

 

[The_Wookie]

way to make a premature call based on one game.

 

[le dominateur]

Yes he is, but we still need Hammer for backup!

 

[lionel_luthor]

Yes he is, but we still need Hammer for backup!

Yeah but other clubs like Richmond and Port badly need ruckmen as well.

And Damn, those sides will have the first picks in the pre season draft ...

I am not saying get rid of Hampson but i feel he will leave for pastures new if he gets an insane offer.

 

[Beloved]

You do realise he was facing Max Gawn, right?

Premature. Do it against better teams and more consistently, then we'll talk.

 

[Beloved]

Don't know about premature as he's had four quality games on end.

I just think that Warnock may just be the sort of player that some would like to see falter.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see the guy succeed as much as the next, but I'm not ready to say he is the best we have to offer after some decent but not super efforts (I don't really count today - was partially a ruck bye).

 

[branedotorg]

Played well today, great hitouts but needs to be prominent up forward & around the ground regularly.

 

[Thrawn]

You do realise he was facing Max Gawn, right?

It was funny hearing on the radio how many puns they could create with that name.

 

[Poseidon]

Yeah Warnock is good, would like to see him have more of a presence around the ground though.

What I'd like to see from both of our ruckmen is an improvement in contested marking. Granted our delivery isn't always sublime, but a few too many times I see Kreuzer getting out-positioned or the ball bounces out of his hands.

 

[Donstuie]

Assuming Sandilands comes back this week, his biggest test is yet to come.

 

[Faz 2000]

Warnock is clearly our no 1 TAP ruckman.

When he's against less-than-stellar opposition he really can dominate the hitouts/hitouts to advantage and give our already-good midfield a major boost. See yesterday, Richmond game, and others for examples.

Warnock still has plenty to prove, though. He's not much of a presence in the air for a guy 206cm tall, nor a physical presence. He has been manhandled by some bigger, better ruckmen around the league, and has struggled to make any kind of regular impact when forward.

I would love him to make the #1 ruck role his own - and I think it's his to lose at this stage - but he's not an all-round convincing clear-cut #1 to me. Before his injury, Hampson was playing noticeably better football than Warnock at the time... and perhaps has attributes and skills Warnock doesn't at all.

Regardless... it's a luxurious position to have Warnock, Hampson and Kreuzer on the list. If Hampson demands to be moved, we should ship him to Richmond or GWS for a first-rounder, otherwise we should keep the lot and let 'em spur eachother on in competition for a place in the team.

 

[VicO]

If Warnock plays close to how he's played the last few weeks every week, then yeah, I'd say he's our number one ruckman. However, he gets very tired very easily and you do have to question his engine room.

 

[mickelboy182]

Don't know about premature as he's had four quality games on end.

I just think that Warnock may just be the sort of player that some would like to see falter.

Tends to be a trait shared by most players we have traded in bar Judd...

 

[SurreyBlue]

I think Warnock will be one of best ruckman in the AFL shortly. Has all the tools just needs to believe and want it. Might have Sandilands and then the finals to prove his worth in 2011 though.

 

[Dennis]

Not sold on this at all

If Jacobs were still here, he would be #1

Warnock doesnt take enough marks around the ground or impose when starting out of the square

Hampson does both and is rapidly improving

Hampson and Krooze for me as the 1 ..2 punch in the ruck

 

[The_Wookie]

Warnock gets the job done - as a tap ruckman. But at the moment thats all he is. He doesnt have the body to outdo ruckmen of a similar height, and he's easily outdone in a physical capacity. Hampson was giving us a lot more in the weeks before he was injured, enough that the blues would want to keep him around.

 

[OldBlueFan]

Contested marking is our number one issue as a club. I think it's a sorry tale when our best contested marks are Kade Simpson, Heath Scotland and Nick Duigan.

There's no doubt that Warnock CAN be our best ruck option, I just hope he doesn't have that Dean Kemp/Kade Simpson type body that just never manages to add bulk no matter how much time they spend in the gym. If that happens, then all he'll ever be is a tap ruckman.

As others have said, his lack of presence around the ground definitely hurts at times.

 

[Knackers26]

Before Hammer was injured, he was in the 1's because his form said he was playing better than Warnock.
They are both deserved of a senior ruck spot, Hammer having 8 weeks off solves this riddle for the MC. Hopefully hes fit soon to keep the pressure on Knockers.

 

[BLue_Bloys]

He's an outstanding tap ruckman but does very little around the ground.

For a guy of his size he should be intimidating the shit out guys who stand in front or next to him at a marking contest, yet he gets pushed out far too easily.

Hopefully the guy bulks up a little more over summer and is able to utilise his size more. He's not 'clearly' our number one ruckman because Hampson was playing very good football prior to his injury, but it is a good problem to have with both of them playing well.

Going to be a great battle between both he and Hampson

 

[la47]

Hampson

<daylight>

Warnock

For me anyway. There's a LOT more to it than being a tap ruckman, and Warnock looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane around the ground. Criminal for his size.

 

[chaser1]

Needs to bulk up big time to compete with the likes of Sandilands, MUmford etc. is not physically imposing enough. Okay tap ruckman, but does not take enough contested makes around ground and goals!!

 

[mickelboy182]

Hampson

<daylight>

Warnock

For me anyway. There's a LOT more to it than being a tap ruckman, and Warnock looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane around the ground. Criminal for his size.

Yet statistically Robbie leads Hammer in every stat.... We seen to always want what we don't currently have around here.

 

[la47]

Yet statistically Robbie leads Hammer in every stat.... We seen to always want what we don't currently have around here.

Shows how misleading stats are. Hammer is physical around the ball and we need that. Doesn't show on stats sheet

 

[Big Sim]

Warnock's tap work has been great and he competes at ground level too. Doesn't take enough marks or impose himself on marking contests but Kruze hasn't been clunking many either, nor was Hammer. All three have their strengths and I'm glad they're all with us.

Jacobs is OK but would be last in line if still with us.

 

[mickelboy182]

Shows how misleading stats are. Hammer is physical around the ball and we need that. Doesn't show on stats sheet

I've seen Robbie contest some great inside ball, I honestly believe he is treated rather harshly around here... The difference between him and Hampson this year is minimal regardless.