Ruck or Mids ????

[Colliwobblers]

So....... As we all work and re-work our teams, read articles, read experienced members posts and try to get "the perfect DT", partly because we want the perfect DT and partly because it's 3 months approx till the season starts and we are plain and simply DT AFL junkies gettin our fix any way we can...

Anyway i digress, my choice is a simple one Ruck vs Mid.

Option 1 : Sandi and Mcevoy in the ruck allowing Barlow as 4th mid
Option 2: Sandi and HMac in the ruck allowing Rocklifffe as 4th Mid

Mids currently (worth noting) - Swan/Gaj/Thompson/Barlow/ rooks

Question here i guess is two fold, first will Hmac score decently in the rucks and or be a rapid cash cow, and will rockliffe outscore barlow by enough to offset mcevoys possible outscoring of hmac?

[PurpleArmy]

Hard to say. Hmac has only played 1 game with goldy in as 1st ruck and he scored a 79 which is good if he can score that each week at his price. Gonna have to see how he goes in the nab cup. Barlow will be back to his 2010 self (without the broken leg), he's had a bit of a delay in preseason training due to surgery but don't let that phase you. Rockliff is an absolute gun on the other hand who I think might not increase his average too much but when you score 11x100's in a row to end out the year with 10 of the last 110+ you won't complain. At the moment I'd go with mcevoy and Barlow mainly because Barlow should hopefully average 100+ this year plus if hmac has any setbacks you'll have to burn a trade or 2 to get in a premo. Touch call at the moment

[The It]

Got the exact same problem but I believe that you should set up with two premium ruck at the beginning of the season and except for injury keep them. I would go with mcEvoy and Barlow

[nichsa673]

McIntosh will not score as what people think in my opinion. Even though he got 90 in his one game last year, he relies on heaps of hitouts to get his points. He is no longer the number one ruckman, and will no longer get the time in the ruck he needs to be a good scoring option, and he lumbers around too much to be able to play as a permanent forward who pinches in the ruck, a spot that has already been taken by Drew Petrie anyway. Don't think you should plan McIntosh in your team, but thats just my opinion.

[Ziplock]

so Hmac, in his one game this year scored 79 DT points. Most people are picking him up for an 80 odd average, so fair enough considering it was his first game back from injury, and he only had 10 hit outs...

his highest score in 2010, rd 19 vs fremantle, he had 13 hit outs for 128 points.

In 09 he was far more dependent on hit outs, but for an 80+ average, he averaged 18 HO a game.

so he doesnt really need a huge HO number to score ok at his price....

[elephants]

In my opinion I'd take the first option. If you have Thompson and Rockliffe as well as up to 4 GWS rookies that up to 6 players missing from your midfield....

Althought Hmac provides great value I'd go option 1.

Yes I am biased as I am a strong strong believer in the "set and forget" ruck combination.

[Matty411]

I'm steering clear of HMac based purely on the uncertainty of his scoring being in the same team with Petrie and Goldstein.

Barlow will be in the top 10 mids if he stays fit so looks too good to pass up at his price. McEvoy also is a great choice - one of the most popular for 2012 imo. So of those I'd go Barlow and McEvoy every day of the week.

[Tex-Factor]

i just dont see how anyone can pass on barlow this year...

[elephants]

i just dont see how anyone can pass on barlow this year...

Apparently he is on a modified training program through shin soreness. Haven't got a source. Read it on here somewhere.

[Off Tap]

i just dont see how anyone can pass on barlow this year...

Apparently he is on a modified training program through shin soreness. Haven't got a source. Read it on here somewhere.

I heard that as well. I'm a bit suss on him still but his price and scoring ability is hard to go past.

Those sort of injuries are hard to come back from, especially if you have been averaging 109 pts previously. It will be intersting to see how he pulls up from the NAB.

[Kuruki]

i just dont see how anyone can pass on barlow this year...

Apparently he is on a modified training program through shin soreness. Haven't got a source. Read it on here somewhere.

Shin splints is more an annoyance then anything else. I played four years of rugby with them. it doesn't hinder you too much in the game if you manage your workload during the week when it flairs up, so you are right for the weekend. Im guessing he is still going to be fit as hell, he just wont be doing so much  road work. If they turn to stress fractures then he's in trouble.

[SydneyRox]

I'm steering clear of HMac based purely on the uncertainty of his scoring being in the same team with Petrie and Goldstein.

Barlow will be in the top 10 mids if he stays fit so looks too good to pass up at his price. McEvoy also is a great choice - one of the most popular for 2012 imo. So of those I'd go Barlow and McEvoy every day of the week.

+1 - Dont think I could have written it better! Cheers to you Matty!

[Colliwobblers]

Yeah thanks guys, really awwesome that people here answer other peoples questions and give advice for no benefit at all. Love your work, and i think i might stick to option 1 but i got a feeling im a be in a hurry to get a couple of cows to the slaughter yards to get rockliffe in my team as an upgrade asap.

[Rolder]

i just dont see how anyone can pass on barlow this year...

Apparently he is on a modified training program through shin soreness. Haven't got a source. Read it on here somewhere.

I heard that as well. I'm a bit suss on him still but his price and scoring ability is hard to go past.

Those sort of injuries are hard to come back from, especially if you have been averaging 109 pts previously. It will be intersting to see how he pulls up from the NAB.

Not true - someone's previous average has no bearing whatsoever on how hard an injury is to come back from ... if your point was that we are buying an injured player but paying for a 109 average that would be valid - but it would also be wrong because we are not.  Chris Newman (whilst more of a SC specialist) seemed to do OK coming back from the same sort of injury.  Nathan Brown was never the same, but that was a worse break.

[Matty411]

Yeah thanks guys, really awwesome that people here answer other peoples questions and give advice for no benefit at all. Love your work, and i think i might stick to option 1 but i got a feeling im a be in a hurry to get a couple of cows to the slaughter yards to get rockliffe in my team as an upgrade asap.

That's what these boards are for afterall... although once the season starts don't expect as much free advice due to the competitiveness kicking in...  ;D