I think i had him in at some stage this year, and definitely parts of last year, but i don't see a huge upside to him over McGovern or Kemp playing similar roles, so i think his days might be limited unless he can work out that 'fit/uninjured' part.
Yep I just can't see it happening...and in the long term you can't make a cornerstone of your defence a block of sand. That's nothing against the character of the bloke who has worked hard each time to make it back, You wish him well each time, and he shows enough to suggest he's a real asset...but then.
That's a stretch too far for some of these blokes. I included Marchbank in my 22, given the criteria... But 'Fit' and 'uninjured' are mutually exclusive terms when combined with 'Marchbank'
Think we need to cool the jets on the idea we can play 2 rucks most weeks. Pitto had his best game for the club and contributed around the ground which is out of the box for him as he is generally only effective as a bullocking tap ruckman and does sfa around the game. Last week was the perfect game but its one out of how many?
TDK was ultra effective as a forward and snagged 3 and should have had 4.
My point is both played blinders and the game was on a dry track. Wont work every week and personally i prefer going in with the one tall in TDK.
Ideally I hope last week becomes a regular occurrence as its so difficult for the opposition to play against it but i need to see it as good as last week again and again before im convinced.
I think we've probably reached the stage where we aren't necessarily committed to either option (one ruck/ or two) Voss said as much in his post match conference.
Some weeks we may go with one. Other weeks we may go with two. Some weeks either option will work. Other weeks the opposition may find a way to negate any advantage an option provides I'm sure the Geelong brains trust will be having a real good look at it this week.
One point that probably needs to be made is that Cripps is a fan of having Pittonet in the side....and it kind of showed. Another is that if TDK is the sole ruck it will probably reduce any 'forward' effectiveness he may bring.
This has never been a simple argument because there are variables and pluses and minuses all over the place. I reckon by the end of the season we'll have a much better idea of how things will work. What we need to see is both our big men fit and healthy for the duration.
My only issue was the absolute adamancy that there was only one way, and the closed attitude that the combination would never work, or was always the preferred option.
To me the issue has always been a case of thinking in the present rather than thinking about what might be achieved. That could never be done without them at least playing some time together, and developing that combination. It won't always work, or even be the best option every game. But if you don't try you never know, and that's not going to happen with one of them stuck in the VFL.
Pittonet's 2024 season was somewhat delayed by an ankle injury, but the Blues have opted to play two rucks (Tom De Koning his partner) for the past two weeks, against the strong-bodied Reilly O'Brien and Kieren Briggs.
"It's a great challenge. I feel like teams who want to be competing when it matters need to have big squads," Pittonet said.
"The way we view it is we want to make everything work, I think we get the best out of each other and we work together with the other big boys out there.
"It's more a matter of if we can do what we did (against the Giants) and really maximise it, it becomes a no-brainer from a structural point of view. It's a nice bit of extra pressure to keep it up and make sure we're on the whole way through."
De Koning kicked three goals, a career-high tally, with Pittonet's presence in the ruck allowing him to be a third option in attack alongside Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.
"Geez he was good, wasn't he? I love it when he plays like that," Pittonet said.
"We've got such good connection, just trying to work together, whether it's who's having a better game against which rucks – there were passages where he was having a good day against Briggs, so he went in, and I went forward for a bit. Same with the second rucks as well.
"Even with those marking contests, being able to release him so he can get a launch at those balls, took some great marks, I think we just make each other better, and the team benefits from first use and getting aerial pressure as well."
It'll be an interesting watch to see if Carlton continues with the dual ruck combination regardless of opponent or uses a horses for courses approach depending on the opposition. Coach Michael Voss said he wasn't locked in on running with two rucks for the rest of the season.
"Their form says a lot as well," Voss said.
"There's a lot of discussion about two rucks – we've got a style of play we want to play, clearly we had the dominance around the ball, certainly from centre square bounce we did. Their games were certainly impactful."
Well, we can probably put an end to the one ruck/two ruck debate that’s permeated multiple threads over the last year or so, not just in this place but across all Carlton discussion forums.
As it turns out, in the words of Taras Bulba…”We were both right…and we were both wrong!” There is a time and a place for both options depending on the skills of the players involved.
We recognise the advantages of one ruck in terms of the extra run. On the weekend we saw the advantages of two rucks. Will either option work every week? I doubt it will. Two rucks may not even work next week. One thing we can be sure of is, that having seen how Pittonet and TDK operated on the weekend, opposition clubs will devote a bit of time as to how they combat that combination.
Supporters tend to see things in term of how things work in the past and how they are working in the present. A coaching group has a different perspective. For them the past is irrelevant. The present is important because of the need to win, and bank points but they also need to look to the future. Will a small experiment or sacrifice early in the season generate a greater benefit at the end of the year?
There was some criticism of using Pittonet last week against Adelaide. But in hindsight he was probably handled perfectly. Superhuman freaks (Walsh) may be able to step back into a side without missing a beat, but for the average player after a long lay-off or a late start to the season, it often takes a match or two to get back up to speed. Fifty percent game time for Pittonet in his first game back was probably the ideal re-introduction to the side. Did it alter the result? No more than a dozen or so other incidents in that game.
Just to finish…. -Pittonet reckons they’re developing into a good combination with a good understanding. That takes time playing together. It’s useless having one bide his time, learning his trade in DeKoning’s case, in the VFL where their role would probably be different. Game time together is important.
-There’s been a definite improvement in DeKoning’s game and influence…as well as his ruck work. He gave one of the best ‘hit-outs to advantage’ I’ve seen in recent times on the weekend. (it may have been a bit of a fluke.)
-Pittonet and TDK are very different types of ruckman, and bring different strengths to the game.
-Cripps loves playing to Pittonet. It showed on the weekend.
-The coaches have a much greater knowledge than we do of a) What they’re trying to achieve long term with the ruck situation. b) The strengths, weaknesses and fitness levels of each player at any given time. c) Opposition strengths and weaknesses that are analysed in preparation for the next games d) How each player complements the other. e) The balance- what is the cost effect of playing one combination vs the other. They don’t get paid the big bucks for working out something a footy tragic can deduce by a couple of hours of watching a game.
So, let’s not go week by week depending on results, favouring one option or the other. Know that both can work. Trust the experts. They seem to be doing OK with half the side missing.
Run is very important.....but no player in the history of the game has ever run faster than the ball. So fix up the precision and accuracy of the disposal
