Get everyone Darci here off the top of the show, just to let you know that we did record this before the Sean Darcy news on Thursday, February six, if you haven't heard that already, Sean Darcy unfortunately having ankle surgery, a minor surgery by all reports, but a surgery. Nonetheless, Freeman was hoping he's going to be available for the early rounds of the season, but he's insignificant doubtful round one.
Just factor that into the discussion. It's quite ironic looking back, so I didn't want to take it out loving Shawne Darcy in the way he's been looking this preseason. But unfortunately that is a setback that's going to affect some of our rankings in particular mind, but it shouldn't affect Lefdogs too much, who we are going to be talking about on the show today, as he did factor in the Big Fellow's injury concerns within his ranking. So anyway, kickback, relax.
I hope you enjoy the show, if you have been enjoying the extra draft content, if you're a super coach drafter and you're obviously are, if you're listening to this show, please rate and review on Apple's wherever you're listening, give us a like on YouTube. The support really does help because we are trying to build this podcast up. You've been noticing lots more shows this preseason, so I really appreciate the support. If you could do that, that would
be greatly appreciated. But sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Gooday, and welcome back to Drafted, the official super Coach Draft show right here on the official podcast. Bet it's your boy Dossie alongside my fellow super Coach Draft enthusiasts. We've got Patch and Lefdog back for another episode and we're going to be talking all things ruck rankings on this show,
going through Leftdog's top eighteen ranks. We're going pretty deep in the ruck department, Leftdog, but there are some leagues out there that like to go deep or dare I say go the two rucks like.
I mean, do it at your own peril.
That at the flex position will severely impact how early or late ruckman get taken in your draft because there are just not that many to go around.
Yes, we have been going through our ranks. We started with the midfielders. If you missed that podcast that was a longer one. I expect this one to be a little bit shorter than that one. But joining us again, we have Patch. Welcome aboard Patch.
Hello, delighted to be here to chat about my favorite position, the rucks.
Well, without any further ado, let's get started. We're going to go through picks one to five, to start with five to ten and so on. Let's go. Let dogs start with your top five rucks for season twenty twenty five in Super Coach.
Yes, yes, my.
Top five rucks this season. It'll already surprise people. Number one is Max Gorn in Tier one on his own. Number two is Tristan Cherry in Tier two on his own. And then rounding out the top five in tier three is Tim English, Brodi Grundy, and Tom Conning.
All right, keen to talk about this. I'm at the top tier, even though we might you know, as it gets deeper, it's not as exciting a discussion with the rucks. But at the top end, these guys are the uber Uber premiums. Right at the top end of your draft. You might be picking Maxicorn pretty early, even Tristan Cherry. I do want to talk about that top two debate. Gorn versus Cherry, because Cherry finished the season on fire
last year, was there any consideration? I mean, I see here as you said your tears, You've got Gorn on his own. There is an argument that Cherry should be on the same tier level I reckon this year, lector.
There is an argument. There is an argument. So I'll start with Maxicorn. He's consistent. Every single week, he'll give you a five marks, A couple of them will be behind the ball, he'll contest the ruck, he'll have a couple of tackles, and you know he'll have eighteen to twenty disposals. Maxicorn is just consistent. Maxicorn. Your only potential question mark over him is games played, because he's always
going to miss one two games. But I think he'll be the highest averaging ruckman this year, and I've got Cherry slightly lower. So yes, he played more games than Maxicran last year. Yes, he did score more total points than Max Gooran last year, and yes I did have him at a one last year all year, so I understand he's good. However, my biggest question mark over him is the ability to recreate what he did last year, because he had a massive jump and the main one
that people are talking about is the tackle numbers. He jumped from a career average of about three tackles a game to seven point five tackles per game last year. Was that an outlier or was that the new norm for Christian Cherry? A slight step back and that tackle number alone will impact his output this year, and I suspect it's going to be pretty hard to maintain that
massive number. All the other stuff, the mark, the disposals, the rough contest, I think that's all consistent for Cherry, But those tackle numbers, there's a few points in those.
It's big. I'm keen to hear your thoughts Patch as well, the Gorn versus Cherry debate right at the top of the draft. I mean, you'd be happy with either of these guys, but where do you see that landing.
I've got Cherry at one and Gorne at two, and I've got them in the same tier. So I think you know Cherry is still he's still a baby by ruck standard, He's still what twenty five twenty six coming into this season. I think as much as you know that there's every chance that the tackle numbers could be an outlier and he could see a drop off in tackles.
I think there's still that natural improvement to come from Cherry, and even if that's a five percent improvement across every every stack category, that's still going to be enough to offset I think no any any major drop in average or total output of points. Maybe he drops you know, one or two average you know, over the season, or he drops you know, fifteen hundred points compared to last year. But I still certainly see as much room for upside as I see as room for downside in Cherry's growth,
and I'd be happy with either of them. If I'm splitting hairs, I'm probably going Cherry just because of the games played. I don't want one of those games that's missed to be a final or be a must win game to get me into the top eight, or you know, a game that's going to avoid me getting a punishment at the end of the year. I think I'd just rather the consistency with you know. And I know Cherry's had some injury problems way back, but I think Gorn
is getting on a little bit. He worries me a little, just that tiny bit that father time might start catching up with him. I think if not this year, then certainly by next year we'll be having a pretty big discussion about father time in MAXICRN. But I think I'm struggling to split them.
You can clip just DOSSI Max corn is the Lebron James of AFL, and what I mean by that is I don't think Age is going to touch him. I think he's smart in how he uses his body. He rests on field and a lot of his points come from the stuff he does behind the ball, taking interscept marks. I'm not worried about Max Gorn in the slightest, but I can understand that one or two these are the two best rockman I think in.
The comp Yeah, I currently have Chariot number one, but I also have them in the same tier. But it'd be interesting, Yeah, like that, Teering them separately, I think is a distinguished point there for your draft. There, Lefdog that you're happy going Gorne, you know, much higher than Cherry.
Seemingly, while we're on these two, where do you take them overall? Do you do you go in the top three, Do you go bond Decos Gorne for you or do you look at a Ruckman in the top five what's your strategy for rucks? Do you like punting them? Do you do you like grabbing one early and not worrying about it? Do you just middle around and pick up a like a Lloyd Meek or whatever in the middle, Like, how do you go about picking a ruck.
For me Gorne or Cherry? I'm taking with my first pick, unless i have pick one or two, in which case I'm taking BoNT and Decos in almost every circumstance. If you don't get a Gorne or Sherry with your first pick, then I think you can probably wait to your second, third, fourth pick onwards to get at ruckman. But I think these two guys do separate themselves from the rest of the pack when we look back at season twenty twenty five. So yeah, jump early on one of these two guys.
If they're your first player, I think you're going to be happy. The other guys you can probably let slip a little bit further.
Let's talk about a couple other players in the top five. Tim English, You've got a three bit of a down year for his standards, but you've got him bouncing back.
Yeah, I do.
I think he's still really solid. Yes, last year was a bit of a downslide, but.
He's still got that dog's midfield to hit it too.
Even with trelaw Out, who we spoke about in the last podcast. There's guys like Matt Kennedy and stuff that have come in can potentially fill roles. So I think he's still got the opportunity there. Another year under his belt, I think I think he'll be solid. I'm not sure he's going to necessarily get back to that one hundred and twenty eight average he had in twenty twenty three, but somewhere around the one ten range would.
Not shock me.
Right, Tom da Cooney, you're a blues man. We've had lots of discussions about Tom d Cooney over the past few years as someone that's owned him in a keeper league. What are your thoughts this year? There'll be some people not naming names, are very very high on him this year. What point would you be taking him? What do you see his output being? Do you see Carton playing him as a sole ruck? What's talk to me about the wonderful hair that is attached to Tom de Cooney?
Why do I have him three currently in my ranks like.
We have him three because when he's a solo ruck. He's really, really, really good for Carlton. Now, past me might have said that he's not a ruckman and that he'll end up playing behind the ball as an intercept defender in his career, and I still think age thirty five, Tom de Conig might do that. It's upside the biggest query I have because I've got him fifth, so I think he can score the points. I think he has
the role. The de lingering question I have in the back of my head is just Fossy consistently says he wants the two rucks setup. I don't necessarily know if they've been rolling with that this preseason. Tom Deconning announced himself last year as the number one a sort of ruckman at Carton. I do think on a holistic view, he's actually better off as as sharing the rock duty with someone else and being that energizer rather than the
slog ruckman throughout the whole game. If Pitto plays then and you take him with your fifth pick, then you've ruined your draft. If Pindo doesn't play and you take him with your fifth pick, then jeez, you might have won your draft.
It's just so tough. I don't know what Voss he's going to do.
Yes, well, panicking super Coaches is the Carlton social media team putting out there today. Pitto is heading into the twenty twenty five season fit and firing with a muscle emoji and putting out a video and interview with pitten out about how he's came to impact this year.
So don't pick Tom.
I might have to bump him down a bit, just do that risk. But no, Yeah, I think that the ceiling is tantalizing. Yeah, whether we get it for a full season and whether it is solo is the question mark. So fair enough for putting in five. It's probably going to be an up and down season. But you still be happy taking him. You've got Grundy at four, happy with that, just replicating what he did last year. Now let's move through.
So sorry, I just very quickly. I know we've got to rush. But Brodie Grundy was in classic last year, was maligned and traded out and traded in and traded out, ended up being the fourth.
Yeah ranked ruckman. He's just really really good. That's why he's fourth.
Alright, So after Tom deconning, who I think is an upside play, you've got the following guys. So you've got Toby Nan Curvis sitting at six in Tier four. Also in Tier four is Roand Marshall and Lloyd Meek. Now rowand Marshall on a per game basis is probably the best of this bunch.
This one.
This ranking was done after he had that preseason injury concern, so he's been bumped down Nank. He is going to miss three weeks every year, but he's going to score really well in the games he does play. And then Lloyd Meek just had a sneaky good season last year for Hawthorne. And in the same way back when we talked about midfield, as Dosh you talked about the upside in that Hawk's midfield, I think Lloyd Meek really has
an opportunity here. Average one hundred and five last year across nineteen games, he plays twenty three games, he becomes like the fifth best ruckman.
Yeah, it's a huge call. I think the role Marshal. Did you see the news coming out today that you know Ross Lyne, I think it was reported on AFL dot com said that he was definitely he will definitely play Round one. So some of the injury concerns that you might be speaking about. Does with that change just quickly on Role Marshall, With that change your adjust your rankings from him down at seventh.
It might bump him up a couple of spots.
So Roma, every year he's gone, he's played twenty three games the last two years for an average of one hundred and thirteen across those two years. That's elite numbers. So if Ross is not lying to me, Roma jumps up above Tom to Conne. He becomes a safer pick. I still probably take Brodie Grundy and Tim English ahead of him, but again, he becomes a tier three player
if he's fit. It does concern me that they signed a mature age ruckman and they've got seemingly a lot of rock depth, like just old dudes who really want to play. I don't know, I've got some question marks over what Ross says as well.
Yeah, Pat, you've got any thoughts on the six through ten.
Look, I think Roald Marshall's quite good. We haven't you know, Lecky didn't talk about nine and ten there, but we've got Jared Witz and Sean Darcy there in the fifth year. I think Seawan Darcy's you know, obviously there's the injury cloud, which makes it a bit hard. I do really like Seawan Darcy, especially if you can pick up Luke Jackson with him. I want you to talk for a second
about that. You know, handcuffing as a concept is around for a draft as where you take the you know, the number one ruckman if it's Roald Marshall and you take Harry Boyd very late, or if you can take you know, Seawan Darcy and Luke Jackson. I'm intrigued as to what your thoughts are around Shrek. You know, I had a difficult last year with injury. Would you consider, like, if he's if he's fit and firing and dominates pre season, does that move him up? Do you need to take
Jackson if you're taking Darcy as well? What are your thoughts there?
Yeah, Sean Darcy's had one season in his career where he played more than twenty games, and in all those other season he averages about fifteen. So I just can't believe that he's fit and firing. I know he's been over to Qatar, maybe somewhere he's back.
And just before you continue answering, I would just love you to go to Instagram, find Sewan Darcy's Instagram and look at his latest post. Because me, after seeing that, I've adjusted him right up. He's not gone below top five for me now after seeing the big tank Sean Darcy, the man is shredded. The man is an absolute unit. This preseason, he was training straight back in the main
group upon returning from Qatar. So look, we know what elliot yo happened after he went to Qatar last year, not excluding this pre excluding this preseason for Paul Elliot Yoe. But I bounce back, rejuvenated season. Gosh, I think Big Shrek could be in for a big year this year.
I'm not shaming him, but it looks like he's lost forty kilos.
He looks like a different person.
Yeah, So I guess worthy injuries caused by the weight that he was carrying or they caused by something else. That's the question you've got to ask. In terms of handcuffing Patch, I think you're going to struggle to get both Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson just because of how
thin the forward line is. And Luke Jackson won't feature in these rankings because we're considering him a forward, but The concept of handcuffing is really important, and it's the reason I've had Riley O'Brien and Kieren strawn in my keeper league for the last six years, and I'm just waiting for Strawan to break through and get into that main Adelaide Crow's team. But basically, as you said, the concept is if one misses, you've got the guy that's going to replace him already on your team.
I am. I've got a differing rank with you as well. On Jared Witz. I'm off Jared Witz this season. I reckon he's going to start making way for Ned Moyle and Ethan Reid as well to mostly forward and chop out. I reckon he'll kind of break down at some point. He's done that the last couple of years, and I just think Moyle will just hold his spot. Which that's I'm not picking Ned Moyle. I'm not drafting Ned Moyle,
but I'm right off Jared this year. I reckon this is possibly the last hurrah we see for the big Man's.
Yeah that's tea.
Yeah, it could go either way, couldn't it. Because if he's a joint and if he's performing, he's locked into the best twenty two and he's not moving. But yeah, if they decide to, I mean, Moyle is a rising ruckman, they want to keep him, keep him there as well long term. So that's a really tough dilemma for the Suns. But I think I'm probably along with lek In, I
think I have him. I still have wits tenth in my ranks, just because, yeah, if he is fit, and I know it's a big you know, it's an if nowadays rather than a guarantee, but he still just does all the things that you want out of a super coach ruckman, and you know, the hit outs to advantage in particular.
But yeah, I've got no evidence. It's a gut feeling that I'm like, I just don't I'm worried. I don't want to pick him if he's still there with my you know, if he's no one, you know, he's the fifteenth ruck there and he's still there, I'm picking him, but I'm not. Yeah, I don't know, I'm just not feeling it.
Yeah, I just don't think a dimmer led team that's bored in guys like John Noble Daniuriali to impact straight away. They're desperate to play finals. They have they have to play finals. I know everyone's going to say that they have to play finals. I just don't think a team that's been as aggressive in the off season as they were, he's going to potentially hinder their their ceiling by playing
developing ruckman over a guy like Jade Witz. I just think if he's on your list and it's for a range of things, it's for it's for not only his skill, but it's for his leadership and given how dimm has behaved in the past with his ruckman, you know, giving Nank the captaincy, I think he was still there when Nank was captain. I would just suspect that is locked into play as many games as is available for Yep.
Yeah, let us know where you've adjusted. Sean Darcy two in the comments as well after looking at his Instagram posts. So he's top five for all of us.
I've heard hit us up with that eleven to may as well go eleven to eight een. Just hit us with the rest of them.
Yep.
Tier six at eleven, we've got Darcy Cameron, followed by Kieran Briggs. Tier seven and number thirteen and fourteen is Riley O'Brien and Oscar macanony. There you're you know what they're going to give you tier and then Tier eight through nine is Jordan Sweet, Sam Draper, Maddy Flynn, and Toby Conway. That's your top eighteen. And I think that's one ruckman from every team as well, ideally the main ruckman for each team.
Yeah, it's a solid list. I think Kieran Briggs could be I haven't heard too much out of his camp. I thought I saw somewhere he was injured at one point in the preseason. I don't like I need to look more into that. I'd be keen on a Kieran Briggs b out's back season, and he'd be probably one that I'd be very interested in drafting a bit later because he's probably off a lot of people's radars. Had a stinker of a start last season, kind of came
home a bit stronger. But Briggsy could be one that I'd be interested taking in those sort of mid to later rounds if I wanted to kind of not completely punt rucks but get a guy a bit later on.
Agreed, Sorry, I absolutely agreed, And.
A player I have a little bit higher just looking here I have Darcy Cameron quite a bit higher in my ranks this year, just because I think he's pretty much going to have to be the guy that's in there all the time. Now. I don't think they're going to really roll with the Mason cock split as much. I think we saw him sort of perform really well towards the end of the year when he had that solo ruck, and I think it's just his time to kind of take the reins a bit more. That's just
also a bit of a gut feel their patch. We do like gut feelds. And then the other one, Jordan Sweet, I've got at eleven, You've got him down fifteen, and it's I heard him on a podcast good friend of mine, the Keeper League Pod. Jordan Sweet mentioned that he is interested this year in playing a bit more around the ground and he said he's basically got the license to go and get disposals more, get the footy more, which he didn't have in his kind of first season at
the Helm last year. So yeah, Jordan Sweet's one that I'd be kind of interested in as well, picking up a little bit later in the draft patch. Your thoughts on these.
Yeah, I mean Jordan Sweet. I'm very intrigued in I think he's a number one role, but like just the specter of Ivan Soldo looming, what do they do with him? Do they play him as a backup right to the Sweet, spend a bit all time forward. I'm intrigued. I don't dislike him, but yeah, I'd be wanting to take him really late in a draft on that front, Darcy Cameron, I agree with you. I've got him at six, I've got him ahead of Nank, I've got him behind Marshall.
But I think you know, we know what we're going to get last year will basically be the same this year. He's, barring injury, we should play every game, and I just I just think he's kind of reliable and neat and I'm happy to pick him up with my you know, if he's there at my eighth pick, then I'll do a little bit of a swerve and then stop worrying about the Rucks.
Quick bombers thoughts on Sam Draper as well patch as a bombers man.
I want Nick Brian to be the number one ruck.
Me too.
I think Draper is a better forward. Is he a good forward? I don't know, but he's a better forward than Brian is. So I think what Brad Scott will do, as a lover of playing two rucks, will start Draper forward and start Brian in the ruck and then sub Brian out at three quarter time. So I'm not touching Essendon's rucks and if you are, then you're insane.
No, They're the probably the hardest rock lineup to read because and as someone who has handcuffed them in one of our super coach keeper League's patch, I just need one of them to be good, not both of them to be bad, which is what I've experienced today.
That don't be changing.
I've just got them in there at sixteenth Sam Draper because I think as a starting spot he's probably slightly ahead Brian. You're going to be able to get Brian later in drafts, but I've got him just ahead of Matt Flynn for reasons, and ahead of Toby Conway because Toby Conway might not even play for Geelong. He should, but it might still be Rectadly. I don't even know if he's on an AFL list anymore.
He might still play.
It could be Blitzerves, it could be samda Conning, it could be they could bring Mitch Edwin's in, Brad Close could play in the rock for them. They're just as bad as Bevo and they should got more flak for it.
The Jordan's sweet point you made Dossi is interesting. If he does have that license, I probably actually push him ahead of Riley O'Brian and Oscar mcinernie in that you're not what you're going to get to here, because his issue is that he's basically the Pido of Port Adelaide in that he's locked to you are in the center
square and anything else is not allowed. If he's got a bit more flexibility than yeah, he probably does jump in value above those slightly older battlers in O'Brien and mcinennie.
Yeah, a growing interest after that quote. So that was on the keep leg. It was an interview. It was only like a ten minute interview, so if you can to listen, go check out that pod. The other thing that I would say, let's just quickly touch on Matt
Flynn because he's talked about massively in Classic Circus. You've got him at seventeenth, So essentially you're saying, if you are deciding to punt rucks and pick up a ruck super late, you reckon Matt Flynn may be available there, and maybe the classic sort of impact could hurt how high he does go. But I think you'd be pretty safe getting him late. What do you think he can produce for us this year? You've got him seventeen.
If you're picking Matt Flynn, you're probably also taking like a I don't know, a Bailey Williams and sitting him on the bench someone like that. I'm not really sure the reason I've got him there. I think he does get first crack at the main rock roll for West Coast, but we know what.
The risks are. We know the risks are.
He's played four games, nine games, twelve games, and twelve games in the past. He's had flashes of moments where he's scored well, He's never averaged above eighty eighty eight in his career in a season. But if you're getting him, if you're punting Rucks and he's available there late in a draft, you take him at he's going to average eighty plus points, which.
Is decent between the games.
Yeah, yeah, and sleepers. We're going through sleepers again.
Let's avoid sleepers on this one. Yeah. I think there's there's. I mean, I'd be probably happy taking anyone in that sort of top ten range. I think drafting a ruck's always just confusing to me. I don't know where the best spot to draft him is. I think I'll be happy,
as you said, Cherry or gone early. If not, I'm almost happy sort of punting the ruck usually, and I'll just find that sweet spot in the middle of a draft where to pick up my guy, and I'll be picking Saw darst week, Sean Darcy first round, Seawan Darcy first round, or that's sweet Jordan sweet spot later on. Yeah. Well, thanks very much for listening everyone, and for Lefdog and Patch for joining us again on this Rock Draft rankings episode.
You can check out the full list full top one hundred ranks that Lecdog has put together on codesports dot com dot au go check out the article there, and then guys leave a rating and review. If you're enjoying a bit more draft content this preseason on Spotify or Apple wherever you're listening, you can watch on code sports YouTube as well. See our beautiful faces on there. But thanks everyone for listening, and we'll be back to finish the rankings next week. We're going to be going through
the forwards and defenders. We'll see them