Certainly too early for me to be going the early crow, but wow, I was confident they wouldn't score close to popular expectation (didn't want to sound too crazed lol), but certainly not to that extent.
I ended up going with Martin and Hickey as R1/2 for the added (hopefully) JS the extra $300k spent provided compared to straight 3 rookies, could not be happier atm, but only 1 game in. Martin rucked most of the match with English playing forward and Hickey got very involved. I thought he was a better player than he has been able to show (eg not able to get ahead of McEvoy at the saints several years ago I think and NicNat at the Eagles when not injured more recently), I just hope he gets several weeks run at it and not rested/dropped for Sinclair. But the setup the swans used clearly worked last night.
Not sure if Grundy just struggled with a physical Stef or was perhaps also a bit rusty for Rd1, but he really looked to struggle for most of the match to get involved, other than tapping to the dogs mids.
Gawn was clearly playing more of a team role, sharing some ruck time with Jackson and looking to be a target up forward or push back. When he pushed back May/Lever dominated even more, when he pushed forward he drew enough attention to make it easy for the other fwds to impact. He struggled early with Meeks really taking it to him in the first quarter, but worked his way in as Meeks' impact wore off as the game went on. Not sure it's good for Gawn owners he got more involved as the match went on, or a bad sign it came against a first gamer who was probably gassed by qtr time.
Honestly I don't know what I would do if holding either/both, to get team value from trading 1 out, you need to make 2 trades minimum depending on cash pocketed on the downgrade and team structure, maybe 3, unless you straight upgrade a rookie which would have to be the way to go I suspect. Burning 2 (or even 4 trades if you hold both at this point) prior to Rd3 is possibly shooting yourself in the other foot, but could easily be a better outcome if anything close to this type of scoring for rucks continues. But as we always say, don't trade premos.
Not only do we have fewer stoppages for ruck contests and even repeat stoppages ruckman could get the odd tackle/pressure act in, but the ball is pinging around the field, especially form arc to arc much quicker. So there has been minimal opportunity for the rucks to get set a kick ahead of play (or even just make it a kick ahead) so that they can get involved in as many contests as we have seen in the past. It's kinda pointless rucks chasing the next contest because they won't likely make it/impact and if the ball gets turned over quick, they may not make the next stoppage. So I think we have seen them playing into/taking space in either 50 to help there as a priority instead, something that isn't going to score as many points unless the opposition kicks them the ball and they mark it.
I'm wondering if anyone was bold enough to drop Gawn based on Grundy's match Friday night?
