Geelongs defence will be tasked with an onerous job on Saturday, shutting down the AFLs most productive forward line.But the challenge of facing in-form Adelaide in a crunch clash at home is being savoured by Tom Ruggles.Ruggles is set to play his 13th game, having been upgraded off the rookie list earlier this year.Few of those starts have been as important as the upcoming round-17 match.Four premiership points and half a percentage point is all that separates seventh-placed Geelong and second-placed Adelaide on the ladder.Their forward line is probably the best forward line in the competition. We know weve got a big challenge, Ruggles told AAP.But in saying that, I feel weve probably got the best defensive group in the comp. Harry Taylor, Tom Lonergan, Corey Enright and Andrew Mackie have all played a lot of games and won some flags.Its going to be a great battle and one were definitely looking forward to.Cats coach Chris Scott has been forced to reshuffle his back line following Lachie Hendersons concussion.Andrew Mackie could find himself matching up on Tom Lynch, while small defender Jed Bews has been recalled in the absence of Henderson.Bews has played only three AFL games this year but did a serviceable job on Crows livewire Eddie Betts in round eight, when Geelong recorded a 26-point win at Adelaide Oval.Last time we faced them, Tom Lonergan was knocked out in the first few minutes and we were still able to play how we wanted to play, Ruggles said.Its no different this weekend (having to adapt without Henderson).Obviously our last month has been inconsistent and we havent played that sort of football but were confident we can turn it around pretty quickly.Ruggles, who earned a rookie contract after winning Geelongs VFL best and fairest award in 2015, suggested the calming influence of the clubs defensive generals helped him make the step up to AFL.Its made my life a lot easier, having those guys there with so much experience, the 24-year-old said.Theres been a few times in games when Harry has come up to me and helped me forget about a little mistake, focus on the next contest.Last week I had a good chat with Corey after an intense last quarter.He gave me some great advice about staying composed, not always trying to do the safe thing when the game is on the line. 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Clearance Saucony Shoes . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. In theory, the NFLs current collective bargaining agreement was supposed to do away with those long contract impasses that kept rookies from attending the start of training camp. In theory, it was supposed to make life easier for teams and agents by slotting players salaries based on where they were drafted. In theory, it was supposed to do away with the art of the deal, because there was nothing of significance to be negotiated.In theory, otherwise known as famous last words.The contract impasse between the San Diego Chargers and first-round pick Joey Bosa is so, well, San Diego Chargers. This is an organization that fed on contentious contract negotiations with high draft picks under the previous CBA.Flash back to 2001, when running back LaDainian Tomlinson, taken fifth overall, missed 30 days of camp. Or 2002, when cornerback Quentin Jammer, selected fifth overall, sat out 50 days. Or 2004, when quarterback Philip Rivers, taken fourth overall, was out 25 days. Or 2005, when linebacker Shawne Merriman, the 12th pick, missed seven days.Thats four players and 112 missed days -- five players and 125 days if you count Bosa, whose 13-day impasse is the longest of any NFL player since the current CBA was adopted in 2011.?This should not be the case in Bosas situation, of course. Both sides know -- and, for the most part, accept -- what the final dollars will be. The sticking point is contract structure.The Chargers are demanding offset language, which allows them to recoup monies owed to Bosa if he were released and signed by another team, and partial deferment of the signing bonus into next year. The Bosa camp is agreeable to one or the other, but not both.Caught in the middle are Chargers fans, who struggle with memories of a painful past when rookie standoffs were common. A holdout now is just not the same as it was even 10 years ago.In 2001, the late John Butler and sidekick (and successor as general manager) A.J. Smith joined the Chargers from Buffalo and quickly announced that agents would play by their rules ... or else. In one negotiation after another, they held their ground and got deals to their liking, even if it hurt the team in the short term.Now comes GM Tom Telesco. Hes not as brash as his predecessors, but he wants you to know hes just as tough. Agents are going to play by the teams rules ... or else. Every contract the Chargers have done since 2011 has included offset language and deferred money, and theyre noot going to break precedent for Bosa, a defensive end/outside linebacker taken third overall.ddddddddddddt some point its fair to ask, when is enough enough? Owners complained that rookies were making too much money under the previous CBA, so the league successfully fought for a rookie wage scale that dramatically slashed the guaranteed dollars when players entered the league. Instead of being content with that victory, however, owners now want to recoup monies if they cut the player and he signs elsewhere. In other words, they want the player to assume some of the financial risk for bad personnel decisions, an attitude that speaks to their arrogance and sense of entitlement. Whats next, injured players returning game checks when theyre unable to suit up? But owners demand such things because players allow them to get away with it.Thats why Bosa should point the finger of blame at his fellow players as well as at Chargers management. On multiple occasions the NFL Players Association has strongly discouraged agents from agreeing to contracts that include offset language, particularly in rookie deals, but each year the number of deals featuring that (and deferred money) increases.For instance, none of the 12 players selected with the second, third or fourth picks in the 2012-15 drafts agreed to deals that included offsets and deferments. However, this year, the picks immediately before and after Bosa -- Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz at No. 2, and running back Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4 -- signed deals with both provisions. Not surprisingly, the Chargers are arguing that Bosas contract should feature that same framework.There is nothing in the CBA that says a player must agree to offsets or deferments, yet players are willingly doing such deals. Each time they do, its more leverage and a bigger hammer for teams to swing in negotiations.A part of me hopes that Bosa holds his ground, even though history says players almost always will blink first in a contract stare-down. Its tiresome listening to players complain about what they dont have when they consistently give away their leverage and show no willingness to stand collectively and fight for change. In theory, if they stood as one, they could regain some of the power theyve surrendered. But you know what they say about in theory.Famous last words. ' ' '