Pies Underestimate Influence of Ruckmen

The Pies pride themselves on their forward defensive pressure to keep the ball in their fifty to force turnovers and allow them to kick goals.

However, their loss to Geelong on the weekend wasn't because their pressure was down on their usual high standard, but because Geelong kept winning the ball from the stoppages.

No matter how much pressure you put on an opponent, you aren't going to get goals if you can only force stoppages and not turnovers. Geelong's ability to ensure that the ball went to a stoppage rather than to the opposition was what allowed them to have a great win last weekend.

Brad Ottens was absolutely dominant in the ruck and around the play. Assisted by his ever-faithful midfield with the likes of Selwood and Bartel, the Cats were able to clear the ball away without Collingwood really getting enough of the ball in a contested situation to make an effect on the scoreboard.

Out of the middle, Geelong would get clearance after clearance. In their defence, Geelong would clear the ball with ease and, in the forward line, Geelong was able to get shots on goal from their crumbers like Stokes.

Highlighted was one of Collingwood's biggest weaknesses; competency in the ruck. No doubt Jolly and Wood are agile ruckmen who are good enough for the AFL level, but neither of them are elite in the hit out capacity.

Collingwood's midfielders have been able to negate the effect of having ruckmen who do not acquire many hit outs with their hard work and in-and-under style of play, but against a team with a midfield like Geelong's, their work rate was diminished and more class was needed from the man doing the tapping.

The Pies don't recognise how powerful the ruckman can be on the game, but it's obvious in the football world when you look at players like Cox and Sandilands how influential they can be to a team's confidence and ability.

In a year where ruckmen have begun to play a bigger part in the game (Cox, Sandilands, Ottens, Goldstein, Ryder, Jamar), especially with the introduction of substitutes lessening their rest time on the bench, Collingwood needs to have  serious look at upgrading their team in this department for the future.