Opinion The Ruck. We need to talk.

[Junk yard]

Xerri will never be a 1st ruck at AFL level for anyone other than a side desperate for one.

He just doesn't have it.

He's still developing, but he's not a great mark for a ruckman, he doesn't have particularly good ruck craft despite OK hitout numbers, he's lumbering and more than a bit unco.

Throw whatever we can at Briggs.

I'd be asking the question of Grundy's management also.

Xerri rely's on aggression and size at VFL level. The problem is, he's can't bully rucks at AFL level, because doesn't have a physical advantage, he's mostly at a physical disadvantage.

Hahaha, Briggs.

 

[Luke72]

Hahaha, Briggs.

Briggs has been good

 

[Chadwiko]

Can people please post their apologies below ?

I don't think this is a case of any apologies needed.

Xerri was undeniably bang average at best prior to this year.

His development leap in 2024 has been fantastic but I genuinely don't think anyone saw it coming like this.

We should all be thrilled!

 

[Junk yard]

I don't think this is a case of any apologies needed.

Xerri was undeniably bang average at best prior to this year.

His development leap in 2024 has been fantastic but I genuinely don't think anyone saw it coming like this.

We should all be thrilled!

He was killing it at VFL and had a bit of a run of injuries. You certainly don't need to apologise but you should be a bit more honest about about getting it wrong and stop trying to justify why.

 

[King Hansen]

I don't think this is a case of any apologies needed.

Xerri was undeniably bang average at best prior to this year.

His development leap in 2024 has been fantastic but I genuinely don't think anyone saw it coming like this.

We should all be thrilled!

Not really. He always showed small signs as he was developing. People just put a line through developing kids just like they're doing with Goad right now.

 

[Junk yard]

Briggs has been good

Good, not great. Imagine trading Xerri and having Briggs. The season has been bearable and most of that is due to watching Xerri smash most of the rucks in the comp, if he was doing this against us it would be devastating.

 

[susurrar]

His development leap in 2024 has been fantastic but I genuinely don't think anyone saw it coming like this.

they did. they told you directly when you were obnoxiously shitting on X all the time. you were a tool to them about it.

 

[Chadwiko]

He was killing it at VFL

And he was poor at AFL level. Let's not ignore the facts.

He played the last 8 games of the year in what was clearly an audition for 2024 and did not look great at all. "Killing it at VFL" doesn't equate to success at AFL level at all, as we've seen numerous times. (Just like the opposite is true; some players don't set the world on fire in the VFL then play out of their minds at AFL level).

Go back and look at some of the comments in his player thread from that stretch of 8 games and see what the sentiment was based on his AFL output. I'll put a few of them here;

(And to any posters I've quoted here - this is not a 'gotcha' and you have nothing to be ashamed about for these opinions. I've included myself to be fair as well. The facts were that Xerri did look poor last year)

Goldstein has more good years of AFL football ahead of him than Tristan.

Not fit to polish Goldsteins boots

I just can’t see it.

I hope I’m completely wrong but I will be very very worried if we go into next year with him as our number 1 ruck

Goldi may be finished but this bloke will never be AFL standard. He’s not the answer.

For me, it's simple.

Do we want to win games this year? If so; play Goldstein.
Do we want to use the remaining games to analyse players on our list as our main priority? If so; play him to see if Xerri has a future.

Sorry. I just don't see it.

Would rather play Goldy until he's 40.

Xerri gets an LOL as well, ten disposals and has given away six free kicks.

Delist the dud at 3 qtr time.

 

[Junk yard]

And he was poor at AFL level. Let's not ignore the facts.

He played the last 8 games of the year in what was clearly an audition for 2024 and did not look great at all. "Killing it at VFL" doesn't equate to success at AFL level at all, as we've seen numerous times. (Just like the opposite is true; some players don't set the world on fire in the VFL then play out of their minds at AFL level).

Go back and look at some of the comments in his player thread from that stretch of 8 games and see what the sentiment was based on his AFL output. I'll put a few of them here;

(And to any posters I've quoted here - this is not a 'gotcha' and you have nothing to be ashamed about for these opinions. I've included myself to be fair as well. The facts were that Xerri did look poor last year)

Like I said no need for an apology, I don't know you. Attaching yourself to others shit takes doesn't change the fact that you were so far off the mark and are still trying to justify it. Club officials and plenty of supporters who watched him play VFL saw a player, you wrote him off. You definitely didn't quote your more critical posts on Tristan.

 

[Uncle_Leo]

Like I said no need for an apology, I don't know you. Attaching yourself to others shit takes doesn't change the fact that you were so far off the mark and are still trying to justify it. Club officials and plenty of supporters who watched him play VFL saw a player, you wrote him off.

He showed nothing at AFL level last year. Zero.

I thought coming to the end of this year we would need to recruit in another ruck. I was completely wrong and very happy to be so.

But on exposed form in the AFL no one could see this coming.

VFL form means very little.

 

[Chadwiko]

He showed nothing at AFL level last year. Zero.

I thought coming to the end of this year we would need to recruit in another ruck. I was completely wrong and very happy to be so.

But on exposed form in the AFL no one could see this coming.

VFL form means very little.

Agreed 1000%.

 

[Junk yard]

He showed nothing at AFL level last year. Zero.

I thought coming to the end of this year we would need to recruit in another ruck. I was completely wrong and very happy to be so.

But on exposed form in the AFL no one could see this coming.

VFL form means very little.

When that's the level your playing at it means everything. His contested work was always going to translate to AFL and ruck craft is not rocket science, that was always going to improve. He's a great runner and trainer. I agree that no one would've expected an all Australian quality year out of Tristan this year but the signs were there that he would be a quality ruck. I think alot of people post without watching and that's fine, just be prepared to cop your medicine when you're wrong.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Like I said no need for an apology, I don't know you. Attaching yourself to others shit takes doesn't change the fact that you were so far off the mark and are still trying to justify it. Club officials and plenty of supporters who watched him play VFL saw a player, you wrote him off. You definitely didn't quote your more critical posts on Tristan.

Anyone who was paying attention in the 2023 pre-season could see that X was well and truly on track to take the position away from Goldy, and team selection for round 1 was the clearest indication that Clarko thought so too. An early injury in that game was most unfortunate as it sidelined him for months and when he did return, he was underdone. I don't think anyone could have predicted how good he would be this year, but those who wrote him off last year were clearly wrong.

 

[Junk yard]

Agreed 1000%.

Doubling down, you're tenacious AF! Love it.

 

[ferball]

And he was poor at AFL level. Let's not ignore the facts.

He played the last 8 games of the year in what was clearly an audition for 2024 and did not look great at all. "Killing it at VFL" doesn't equate to success at AFL level at all, as we've seen numerous times. (Just like the opposite is true; some players don't set the world on fire in the VFL then play out of their minds at AFL level).

Go back and look at some of the comments in his player thread from that stretch of 8 games and see what the sentiment was based on his AFL output. I'll put a few of them here;

(And to any posters I've quoted here - this is not a 'gotcha' and you have nothing to be ashamed about for these opinions. I've included myself to be fair as well. The facts were that Xerri did look poor last year)

I said he could become a dominant ruck for us early in 2022. You'll find that comment in his thread.

Off the top of my head LuvtheKangas and zoomba23 both said similar either before or not long after and there's a whole bunch of others who I can't think of and can't be bothered searching up who were of a similar opinion. He showed heaps in the VFL and the best stuff he showed in AFL games was enough to show he was capable of the same stuff at that level.

One of the key indicators with X was how his endurance improved and it was obviously because he worked incredibly hard on it.

I remember Gawn and English both being written off in a similar manner as well. Rucks take a long time to develop.

 

[Chadwiko]

Rucks take a long time to develop.

BMTT.

 

[roospur]

Great bump!!! I love these threads. Lots and lots of egg on faces. Been an absolute behemoth has big X. Should be a lock for AA squad. Shinboner personified, love him!

 

[Marstermind]

And he was poor at AFL level. Let's not ignore the facts.

He played the last 8 games of the year in what was clearly an audition for 2024 and did not look great at all. "Killing it at VFL" doesn't equate to success at AFL level at all, as we've seen numerous times. (Just like the opposite is true; some players don't set the world on fire in the VFL then play out of their minds at AFL level).

Go back and look at some of the comments in his player thread from that stretch of 8 games and see what the sentiment was based on his AFL output. I'll put a few of them here;

(And to any posters I've quoted here - this is not a 'gotcha' and you have nothing to be ashamed about for these opinions. I've included myself to be fair as well. The facts were that Xerri did look poor last year)

I'll stand by what I said at the time, but I'm delighted to be wrong.

 

[Reagan Smash]

A winners ribbon to all the posters who thought he would be a AA calibre player this year

I doff my hat to you

 

[lockheed]

At the start of the season, Tristan had just turned 25 and played 33 games. Far too early to so definitively write off a ruckman.

The evidence for Tristan at AFL level wasn't huge last year, but you all wrote him off far too quickly.

Thankfully, Clarkson has more idea.

 

[Uncle_Leo]

When that's the level your playing at it means everything. His contested work was always going to translate to AFL and ruck craft is not rocket science, that was always going to improve. He's a great runner and trainer. I agree that no one would've expected an all Australian quality year out of Tristan this year but the signs were there that he would be a quality ruck. I think alot of people post without watching and that's fine, just be prepared to cop your medicine when you're wrong.

I was watching him at AFL level. He was producing very little.

 

[zoomba23]

I said he could become a dominant ruck for us early in 2022. You'll find that comment in his thread.

Off the top of my head LuvtheKangas and zoomba23 both said similar either before or not long after and there's a whole bunch of others who I can't think of and can't be bothered searching up who were of a similar opinion. He showed heaps in the VFL and the best stuff he showed in AFL games was enough to show he was capable of the same stuff at that level.

One of the key indicators with X was how his endurance improved and it was obviously because he worked incredibly hard on it.

I remember Gawn and English both being written off in a similar manner as well. Rucks take a long time to develop.

There were a dogged few of us defending him, Ferbs. 2022 is bloody impressive. I don't think I developed a strong opinion either way until early 2023, when I saw him at training. Very happy to admit that I didn't expect him to elevate himself to top 2 status, but top 5 or 6 was easily achievable from what I saw of his traits.

There are some on here who literally think football is played in a vacuum and that a guy can't improve himself with the right mix of resources from his club, a bit of good fortune, and a physical foundation. His thread upon his comeback last year makes for ridiculous reading

 

[Uncle_Leo]

A winners ribbon to all the posters who thought he would be a AA calibre player this year

I doff my hat to you

Amazing how many good judges there are in here! They should be employed by clubs!

 

[Junk yard]

Amazing how many good judges there are in here! They should be employed by clubs!

More shocked at how many morons there are that post and don't actually watch the lower levels. All power to you, just be prepared to look the fools you are.

 

[Junk yard]

I was watching him at AFL level. He was producing very little.

That's the whole point mate. Development is generally not done in the AFL, especially when rucking.