Toast Ruggles delisted

[catswhiskers]

My nickname for Tom Ruggles is "Butcher", because that is what he does with the ball.

Ruggles performed well above expectations last year. Like a number of other players he has things to work on. Now a weakness at AFL is identified his preseason can be tailored better.

Last year must seem a bit like a blur to him. He seems tho to be the type who won't let this hard won opportunity slip.

Hopefully you you will be able to change that unkind nickname to something more positive next year.

 

[dazbroncos]

Ruggles performed well above expectations last year. Like a number of other players he has things to work on. Now a weakness at AFL is identified his preseason can be tailored better.

Last year must seem a bit like a blur to him. He seems tho to be the type who won't let this hard won opportunity slip.

Hopefully you you will be able to change that unkind nickname to something more positive next year.

Ruggles has his shockers for sure - but what first year player hasn't - and im pretty sure PFD, Sel and Jimmy has some head in hands moments last year too.

It happens. Ruggles had more - yes - but for a bloke that this time last year was on no list of note and his biggest decision was how to phrase his text to Wells for list consideration, Id say he did pretty well.

Now, year two I'd expect more improvement with fitness and results, but id also give him the time to do it.

Go Catters

 

[GTOA]

My old man says the same, I disagree with him all the time. Wait a sec, GTOA .....Grumpy Testy Old Arse.

No Christmas pressie this year old man

Well, I just did turn 45 the other week. LOL.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

My nickname for Tom Ruggles is "Butcher", because that is what he does with the ball.

His mind doesn't work fast enough for AFL football.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-12-05/former-cats-delisting-still-hard-to-take

LEARNING to love the game again is Tom Ruggles' goal for 2018, as the discarded Cat returns to the Geelong Football League and tries to put the heartbreak of his abrupt delisting behind him.

The 25-year-old, who recently signed a two-year deal with local club Leopold as a playing assistant coach, remains devastated with how his career with the Cats ended last month.

He harbours no ill feelings towards the club that gave him two years on its list, and in fact, remains grateful he was given a chance as a rookie in the first place.

But, along with Leopold president and family friend Brendan Thompson, Ruggles is struggling to comprehend why it ended so quickly after he was told two hours before the NAB AFL Rookie Draft it was all over.

"It was a bit hard to take. I mean, in two months, they told me twice I wasn't going to be there," Ruggles told AFL.com.au this week.

"I'm still disappointed with only being able to have two years in the AFL system and now it's all over.

"I have no regrets for what I did. I laid everything out there.

"Obviously life goes on and we move on now."

Ruggles was first delisted on October 30, but was told he could keep training at the club with the possibility he would join Matthew Hayball as delisted Cats to be re-drafted as rookies.

He took the Cats up on their offer and trained alongside his close friends, occasionally running into coach Chris Scott.

That was the last time he saw Scott, as he trained on his own after pre-season officially started on November 20 and the first-to-four-year players came back in force.

A meeting with list manager Stephen Wells and football manager Simon Lloyd on rookie draft day then severed his final connection with the club.

"Leading up to the rookie draft, I was pretty hopeful, but I think it was about 3 o'clock that day they rang me and asked if I could come in and meet them," he said.

"They told me that they were going in a different direction and they weren't going to use their pick on me.

"They didn't tell me they were going to go with [ex-Bulldog and Bomber] Stewart Crameri, but I obviously found out a few hours later.

"They just said they had a bit of depth now in the role I play, and said I was the only one coming out of contract that plays that position, which was their reasoning."

Thompson, who has welcomed Ruggles back into the Leopold fold after he played for the club in 2014, also can't understand the Cats' decision.

After 18 promising games in his first year, Ruggles battled injuries in his second season; first, a concussion in round four against Hawthorn that saw him return in the VFL.

Then, he broke his collarbone in round 13 and missed six weeks.

"He probably struggles to understand, like I do, his age and the amount of games he'd played," Thompson said.

"A lot of people are struggling with what they've done, and hopefully it pays off for them.

"If it doesn't, it might be a bit of egg on the face stuff, but we'll wait and see, I suppose.

"For Tom, he's just turned 25, he's had a couple of injuries, but when he plays, he plays good football, he's hard at it and uncompromising.

"At the end of the day, he was good enough to be picked up two years ago and you just wonder why he wouldn't have got that one last opportunity."

Ruggles will join Billie Smedts, fresh from one season at Carlton after six at Geelong, as 2018 Leopold recruits, along with the club's new coach, Guy Morphet.

He will combine his playing duties with his level two coaching course, and resume full-time work as a landscape gardener after Christmas.

Now, Ruggles just wants to get back to loving football, and believes he will in 2018 after an encouraging first training session at Leopold last week.

But he also refuses to close the door entirely on his dream of playing in the AFL.

"It's shown in the last five or six years players are getting picked up a lot later and clubs are starting to look at players who can come in and fill a spot and help win a premiership," Ruggles said.

"They're starting to look for role players who are a bit mature and ready to come in.

"I think there's always that aspect to look forward to, and you just never know what will happen.

"But, if I could go back and knew this was going to happen, I'd do it all again and change nothing about it.

"It's disappointing it's ended so quickly, but I'm still thankful for the opportunity I got."

 

[Seeds]

So he was delisted cos he was the only small defender out of contract. But dont we still have two free list spots?

You would of thought with injuries forcing us to play multiple rookies in the same games last year we may of been willing to improve our depth and he was more then capable of playing afl level. IS our salary cap now really that tight?

 

[Landgraft]

So he was delisted cos he was the only small defender out of contract. But dont we still have two free list spots?

You would of thought with injuries forcing us to play multiple rookies in the same games last year we may of been willing to improve our depth and he was more then capable of playing afl level. IS our salary cap now really that tight?

I've had suspicion for a while that they've been trying to front-end deals with an eye on FA... but maybe Guthrie and Blicz are just making bank, it wouldn't surprise me too much.

 

[Stocks_go_Up]

but maybe Guthrie and Blicz are just making bank, it wouldn't surprise me too much.

I hope not... Their recent performance does not warrant it.

 

[dazbroncos]

I think Zuthrie sealed his fate. 6 years younger, a bit better disposal, not as strong physically yet, but seemed well assured with ball in hand for a rookie.
And put his head over it when needed to.

I liked the underdog story of Ruggles and he did some good things - but I just think he didnt do enough regularly and then got the rough end of the timing pineapple with his injuries.

Go Catters

 

[Landgraft]

I hope not... Their recent performance does not warrant it.

One thing I would guarantee is that they're being paid an amount that would outrage more than a few on this board. Plenty wouldn't even be happy to see them on even the "average" (mean) AFL player salary of 300k/year.

 

[Strange Cat]

I think Zuthrie sealed his fate. 6 years younger, a bit better disposal, not as strong physically yet, but seemed well assured with ball in hand for a rookie.
And put his head over it when needed to.

I liked the underdog story of Ruggles and he did some good things - but I just think he didnt do enough regularly and then got the rough end of the timing pineapple with his injuries.

Go Catters

Yep I loved what Ruggles has achieved in his time, but the unfortunant timing of his injury and the emergence of Zuthrie and co just meant that they could no longer have him on the list.

I’m still surprised that there wasn’t any other club interested in him tbh

 

[Seeds]

I think Zuthrie sealed his fate. 6 years younger, a bit better disposal, not as strong physically yet, but seemed well assured with ball in hand for a rookie.
And put his head over it when needed to.

I liked the underdog story of Ruggles and he did some good things - but I just think he didnt do enough regularly and then got the rough end of the timing pineapple with his injuries.

Go Catters

still doesnt explain why we arent using him as depth on minimum wage on one of our two free list spots. he played 18 games in his first season and some pretty decent games too. played the first four games this year and was plagued by injuries for the rest of the year. Sure he was never going to be a great player but he was a capable plug, much like josh hunt.

we lost mackie who was often used as a small defender. We basically have only touhy and Bews as smalls in the starting 22. zuthrie is still a rookie and probably a couple of years away. Big question marks on Thurlow right now after an incredibly ordinary comeback season. cam guthrie had a stinker in defence in the first half of the season and looks far better in a defensive mid role. Our small defender depth isnt that great. one or two go down and we will be scratching out heads as to why we didnt keep Ruggles in one of those two free list spots.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I think Zuthrie sealed his fate. 6 years younger, a bit better disposal, not as strong physically yet, but seemed well assured with ball in hand for a rookie.
And put his head over it when needed to.

I liked the underdog story of Ruggles and he did some good things - but I just think he didnt do enough regularly and then got the rough end of the timing pineapple with his injuries.

Go Catters

Zuthrie's definitely one piece of the puzzle but there were others too. When Ruggles played his last game Stewart was a 4-gamer who nobody was sure about yet and Bews was playing as a small forward in the VFL. So that's 2 guys who were unknown quantities who are now locks in the defense. Also Scott Selwood was still perennially injured meaning Cam Guthrie was needed through midfield a lot more.

If you just name the guys who are definitely better in that small/medium defender category you've got Tuohy, Stewart, Bews, C Guthrie and Kolodjashnij. Then you've got Thurlow and Zuthrie who are comparable at the moment and have much higher potential. So yes he was very unlucky that a lot of guys shot past him in quick time but looking at our list it's hard to justify keeping a depth player in an area where we've got plenty of depth. If he had exactly the same level of talent but was a key forward he probably would've got a 2-year contract.

 

[Deep]

Please come back...

My favourite Cat since Mooney...

And they both have a resemblance in attitude

 

[Footy Smarts]

still doesnt explain why we arent using him as depth on minimum wage on one of our two free list spots.

It doesn't work like that. Our 2 "free" list spots are replaced by 2 extra rookie spots (38 on the senior list plus 6 on the rookie list). To keep him would've meant somebody on our main list or rookie list wouldn't be there. You can argue we should've kept him ahead of someone else but it's not just a case of putting him on the list and that's it.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

It doesn't work like that. Our 2 "free" list spots are replaced by 2 extra rookie spots (38 on the senior list plus 6 on the rookie list). To keep him would've meant somebody on our main list or rookie list wouldn't be there. You can argue we should've kept him ahead of someone else but it's not just a case of putting him on the list and that's it.

I'd have rookied him over Hayball but none of the other rookies. They must see something in him and must think Ruggles has peaked.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

still doesnt explain why we arent using him as depth on minimum wage on one of our two free list spots. he played 18 games in his first season and some pretty decent games too. played the first four games this year and was plagued by injuries for the rest of the year. Sure he was never going to be a great player but he was a capable plug, much like josh hunt.

we lost mackie who was often used as a small defender. We basically have only touhy and Bews as smalls in the starting 22. zuthrie is still a rookie and probably a couple of years away. Big question marks on Thurlow right now after an incredibly ordinary comeback season. cam guthrie had a stinker in defence in the first half of the season and looks far better in a defensive mid role. Our small defender depth isnt that great. one or two go down and we will be scratching out heads as to why we didnt keep Ruggles in one of those two free list spots.

We dont have 2 free spots we have a full list of 44 + oconnor.

We only took in 4 nd + 1 new rookie as we had very few players ooc to cut if more fringe players were OOC we would have kept Ruggles but he was OOC at the wrong time.

 

[Seeds]

It doesn't work like that. Our 2 "free" list spots are replaced by 2 extra rookie spots (38 on the senior list plus 6 on the rookie list). To keep him would've meant somebody on our main list or rookie list wouldn't be there. You can argue we should've kept him ahead of someone else but it's not just a case of putting him on the list and that's it.

thanks for clarifying that i wasnt aware.

 

[Vdubs]

Thread should be stopped or renamed?

 

[dazbroncos]

The thread on cat scan with his player profile has been updated but yeah we can change the title here too.

Go Catters

 

[Strange Cat]

I hope Ruggles works hard and a club picks him up next year, he’s still young enough to come back from this.

 

[CatRiot]

Is he staying on our VFL list?

 

[Boxhead_31]

Is he staying on our VFL list?

Nope playing for Leopold I believe

 

[CatRiot]

Nope playing for Leopold I believe

What a shame, he was ok.

 

[Benny78]

While the decision itself isn't terrible. It's a terrible decision to delist him with Aaron Black still on the list. Defender/Forward whatever don't care. Ruggles imo wasn't going to make it but showed something. Aaron Black and others are like Sam Blease all over again. Why are we delisting reserve players over token recruits that will be lucky to play an AFL game? Ruggles might actually be worth another 5 games in his career unlike these token players we keep recruiting.