SA Footy

is bret o'hara's move to north sent his career a little back or has he had injuries that we don't know about ?

i ask this because i think he seems to have lost his influence on games although i realise it could be because he's gone from 10-12 minutes a term to nearly the entire term at north

Definately gone forward, Budgie was sensational in 07, easily the best tap ruckman in the league.
Talking to him personally he says the amount his game has gone forward and the amount he has learnt since coming to North has been phenomenal. Both himself and North officials couldn't believe how raw and uneducated in footy he was when he got to Prospect.
06 he was a bit shaky but 07 was sensational.
One of the big reasons North made a GF.
Look at the stats and you'll see how much more his influence has improved.
North's only ruck problems in 07 was that both Budgie and Wakes play a similar game and don't take a hell of a lot of marks around the ground, ideally the younger Wundke will come through and compliment Budgie, or even Schubert (but we need him down back).
Budgie did improve his around the ground stuff in 07 getting some great handballs out of packs but still lacked in the taking big contested grabs.

I think I notice his work more than most being at most North games, and being an ex ruckman and cameraman I usually have every ruck contest in focus in my viewfinder so see which way the ball goes most times, I have the advantage of 12X optical zoom that most spectators dont have.

well said Wedgie, he came on leaps and bounds from 06, thought he actually had influences in a couple of games in a big way that got us over the line, definately wasn't intimindated by the Eagles this year as he had been in 06, he was a big plus this year without any doubt and looking forward to a stellar year from him in 08

He is not the best tap-Ruckman in teh comp, that is Feast but as a tap ruckman he kicks better than Feast...

1980 Tassie Medalist wrote:He is not the best tap-Ruckman in teh comp, that is Feast but as a tap ruckman he kicks better than Feast...

I'll disagree with you on both those comments!
Yes Feast missed that goal in the Elim but Budgie would have kicked it out on the full.

Wedgie wrote:

1980 Tassie Medalist wrote:He is not the best tap-Ruckman in teh comp, that is Feast but as a tap ruckman he kicks better than Feast...

I'll disagree with you on both those comments!
Yes Feast missed that goal in the Elim but Budgie would have kicked it out on the full.

I reckon O'Hara would have kicked it because with the wind that day his regular kick out on the full would have come back and gone straight through the middle

rod_rooster wrote:

Wedgie wrote:

1980 Tassie Medalist wrote:He is not the best tap-Ruckman in teh comp, that is Feast but as a tap ruckman he kicks better than Feast...

I'll disagree with you on both those comments!
Yes Feast missed that goal in the Elim but Budgie would have kicked it out on the full.

I reckon O'Hara would have kicked it because with the wind that day his regular kick out on the full would have come back and gone straight through the middle

LOL, good point!
(bit like my only goal at footy)

bayman wrote:is bret o'hara's move to north sent his career a little back or has he had injuries that we don't know about ?

i ask this because i think he seems to have lost his influence on games although i realise it could be because he's gone from 10-12 minutes a term to nearly the entire term at north

no idea ...probably Norths most improved in 07

Wedgie wrote: easily the best tap ruckman in the league.

hmmmmmmmmmmm - now I rekon that may just be a tad of a stretch of the old red and white ???

Scarlet would've done well at any club in the SANFL!

Blue Boy wrote:

Wedgie wrote: easily the best tap ruckman in the league.

hmmmmmmmmmmm - now I rekon that may just be a tad of a stretch of the old red and white ???

Not really, the stats do back me up and as I said previously I probably spend more time watching the ruck contests close up than most.

Wedgie wrote:

Blue Boy wrote:

Wedgie wrote: easily the best tap ruckman in the league.

hmmmmmmmmmmm - now I rekon that may just be a tad of a stretch of the old red and white ???

Not really, the stats do back me up and as I said previously I probably spend more time watching the ruck contests close up than most.

Stats for actual hit outs can be a bit misleading at times - as you know when a ruckman gets his hand to the ball first and credited for the HO it counts even if it goes to the opposition !!!

Sorry but I think that Ohara is servicable but not the best !!!

Blue Boy wrote:Stats for actual hit outs can be a bit misleading at times - as you know when a ruckman gets his hand to the ball first and credited for the HO it counts even if it goes to the opposition !!!

But the stats combined with watching him closer than most for more games than most is why I made the comment, not purely on stats alone. Budgie's taps more often than most went to North players whilst negating the taps won by other rucks.
Agreed about stats alone, if I remember correctly Deluca was credited with a hell of a lot more tap outs than Feasty but I think we all agree on who was the most effective ruckman for Sturt in 07.

Wedgie wrote:

Blue Boy wrote:Stats for actual hit outs can be a bit misleading at times - as you know when a ruckman gets his hand to the ball first and credited for the HO it counts even if it goes to the opposition !!!

Agreed about stats alone, if I remember correctly Deluca was credited with a hell of a lot more tap outs than Feasty but I think we all agree on who was the most effective ruckman for Sturt in 07.

Very true and probably what i was eluding to !!!

I also watch the rucks very closely to Wedge me being a ruck man ( when I can get of the ground ) as well and it was actually Feater that taught we how to ruck best effectively !!!

I agree that his tap ruckwork has improved -- but that is not saying much. In the 2004 GF, he went for a tap unopposed and completely missed it! James Gowans snapped a great goal from the ensuing scramble.

He is still too slow and unco to be useful around the ground.

jim5112 wrote:I agree that his tap ruckwork has improved -- but that is not saying much. In the 2004 GF, he went for a tap unopposed and completely missed it! James Gowans snapped a great goal from the ensuing scramble.

He is still too slow and unco to be useful around the ground.

That sounds like when Norwood had a guy called Morrie Pope!

Bizarre topic to be brought up at this time of the year. Anyway, I reckon he played well this year and showed his value to the team.

I guess seeing North supporters see him every week and are all unanimously in favour of him that's a pretty definitive answer to the question.

bayman is bored so...

I thought he was disapointing in 2006, but in 2007 he had a great year and was one of Norths biggest improvers.