BID TO MAKE FINAL FIVE DEPENDS ON BIG MEN
AS was the case in 2019, the battle for positions in the final five in the GDFL is very tight, and the big men could make all the difference.
Ruckmen are a very important component in the balance of any team structure and to win the ruck position is still vitally important in the chase for victory.
There is a group of young ruckmen emerging in 2021 who are making the battle for supremacy in this position very intriguing.
Brock Carter wandered into Bell Post Hill looking for a game and has made a big impression on a team looking to re-establish its position as a competition powerhouse.
The 203cm youngster has a basketball background, but played enough junior footy to have an excellent grasp of the game.
With the Panthers’ multiple premiership ruckman Justin Tarr as his mentor, we can expect his improvement to be rapid, but it will need to be.
Werribee Centrals has also secured a raw athletic big man in Paddy Daley and he has been impressive in his two most recent outings against Ben Cole from Bannockburn and the North Geelong duo of Luke Wilson and Tom Davis.
Thomson has also recruited well in this position, with Andrew Jarvis carrying most of the workload for his team. He has an appetite for the contest and covers plenty of the ground without needing a long rest.
East Geelong’s Tim McLennan (above) still rightfully holds the mantle of the premier big man in the competition, but the challengers to his crown are lining up.
All these teams are part of a group of eight fighting to fit into the final five and the output of these big men may well decide their fate.