In fact, you need to go back to 20 years to find the last genuine ruckman to have been awarded the Brownlow medal, when Scott Wynd took out the highest individual honor. The year before him the late Jim Stynes took out the award. This was the era in which the impact of a ruckman was most greatly recognized.
So why is it that ruckmen in the modern era do not get the same recognition?
Hawthorn Premiership ruckman Robbie Campbell gave us his insights.
“From a media and spectator perspective, I think the ruckman’s role in a team is extremely underrated - most likely because, generally speaking, the things that ruckman do are not necessarily flashy and exciting. However within a club the role is definitely appreciated and that’s the most important thing.”
A winning team has to be competitive at stoppages – with a ruckman who can be aggressive in winning the majority of the knocks, or at least be able to nullify the influence of the opposition ruckman. The best ruckman are competitive animals who have variety.
We asked Robbie to give his opinion on today’s crop of ruckmen, starting with Aaron Sandilands.
“A man mountain! He’s got the potential to dominate even more than he already does. In terms of media he draws a focus to the ruck division in every game he plays.”
How about Nic Naitanui?
“Raw, explosive and he’s broken the mould when it comes to ruckmen. You can never assume you have him beaten because he is more than capable of jumping over you at the last second, excited by the player he will become!”
And finally DraftStar’s own Matty Kreuzer?
“Matty has become an elite tap ruckman, not as athletically gifted as Nic but he’s a sponge, who is not complacent with being the number 1 Draft pick. He wants to be the best he can be and impart as much knowledge as he can to the kids at DraftStar.”
Come to a DraftStar camp and learn from the best. DraftStar camps are for kids of all abilities, not just the elite!
The forgotten art of ruckwork
Every game starts in the ruck. For every goal that is kicked, a ruck duel is sure to follow. Yet it seems that the art of ruck work no longer gets the recognition it deserves.
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