With Fremantle giant Aaron Sandilands out of action, and his era of dominance quite possibly finished, the title of the AFL’s best ruckman is being fought for by Todd Goldstein, Nic Naitanui and Max Gawn.
The latter was not even in the conversation at the start of this season, but so dominant has Gawn been, and such an impact has he had on Melbourne’s season thus far, that he is worthy of being mentioned alongside that pair of All Australian ruckmen.
In Gawn’s first 26 games of AFL, spread across three seasons, his returns were paltry – nine disposals, 17 hit outs and 0.4 goals per game.
His transformation has been extraordinary, with his last 21 games across this season and last seeing him reap 14 touches, 39 hit outs and 0.7 goals per game.
At a towering 208 centimetres tall, Gawn always had a huge size advantage over his opponents. Only in recent times, however, has he started fully exploiting it.
There is one stat which is particularly remarkable when considering Gawn’s influence at the stoppages. Hit outs to advantage numbers are not readily available to the public, but on the Sunday Footy Show a fortnight ago, the panel revealed that after seven rounds, Gawn had recorded an incredible 113 hit outs to advantage.
Naitanui, who is famous for his ability to direct taps down the throats of his midfielders, was second in the AFL with 77 hit outs to advantage. The West Coast star’s average of 11 hit outs to advantage per game is elite based on the history of this statistic. So for Gawn to be averaging 16 per game is truly freakish.
The understanding he has formed with jet Jack Viney is among the main reasons Melbourne have become so much more dangerous this season. With swift, precise and daring ball movement currently in vogue in the AFL, having a ruckman who constantly gives you clean first possessions has never been more valuable.
Gawn isn’t just a hit out machine though. This season he has displayed an improved aerobic capacity, getting to far more contests and having a great influence around the ground. He’s also become a threat inside 50 metres. When he does slide forward, Gawn’s reach makes him a nightmare match up for defenders.
With seven goals from eight games this offensive side of his game is complementing his commanding stoppage work. So much so that, right now, he would probably be in the rolling All Australian team of many pundits and fans, ahead of Goldstein and Naitanui.
It took the Kangaroos big man until the age of 27 before he secured his first All Australian guernsey, last season. The West Coast ruckman, meanwhile, made the team at the age of 22, back in 2012, but has not featured again since.
The All Australian selectors did not pick a back-up ruckman to Goldstein last year. If they had that man may well have been Naitanui, who had an outstanding season, averaging 12 touches and 34 hit outs per game to go with a haul of 17 goals.
The spring-heeled Eagle has been even better in 2016 and may well be leading his side’s best-and-fairest voting at this stage. His work at ground level and his pressure on ball carriers remains elite for a big man. Naitanui also gets more possessions forward of centre than either of Goldstein or Gawn, sending the ball inside the 50 twice as often as that pair.
Where Naitanui is unpredictable and capable of the spectacular, Goldstein’s strength is his reliability. The gap between his best and worst games is impressively narrow. While this season he has not quite matched the lofty standards he set in 2015, Goldstein has been a key cog in North’s undefeated start to the year.
His wonderful stamina allows him not only to ruck for the majority of each game, but also to follow up his tap work with second and third efforts. When the ball hits the ground Goldstein stays involved. He may not rack up big possession counts but he works hard to clear space for his teammates or to put pressure on the opposition ball carrier.
Increasingly he is finding his way forward to hit the scoreboard. With nine goals in the first eight rounds, only Sydney’s Kurt Tippett has kicked more goals than him among regular ruckmen this season.
Who, then, is the best ruckman in the competition right now? The enigmatic Naitanui, workhorse Goldstein or rising star Gawn? My heart says Naitanui but my head says Gawn.
The Salt
Guest
NEW TOP DOG (break out year, has the size, has the athleticism, hit out to advantage 16 per game is amazing!!) Gawn has been the stand out in 2016. No questions about it. His avg of 42.22 per game is 3rd all time in his break out ruck year. Its scarey to think what he will achieve in the next 5 years. He will be the most dominant ruck in the next few years bar injury, with this year being the first of many All Australian selections. He is nearly the same height 208cm vs Sandilands 211 cm so he is big. However he is far more athletic where as Sandi cant jump. _______________________ 2nd TOP DOG (has had his best year, wont reach those heights again) Goldstein has been the best tap ruckmen in the last 5years. He has 5 of the best hit outs per year finishes out of the top 20. Including the most in a season last year 2016. 1038, 828, 822, 747, 741 hit outs. In terms of all round performance. Disposals, Marks, Goals, Tackles it was the most spectacular, complete all round ruck season. 1038 hit outs (record), 352disp, 100marks, 102 tackles, 11 goals. _______________________ THIRD TOP DOG (Coming to end of Career) Sandilands 2nd: 998, 890, 732 hit outs in the top 20 hit outs in a year. Sandilands has been the boundary line king. Nobody is better than Sandi on the boundary as he is so big, so strong. You cant move him, and hard to out position. In terms of dominance he has been 2003 (6th) 2004 (5th) 2005 (4th) 2006 (1st) 2007 (1st) 2008 (1st) 2009 (1st) 2010 (1st) 2011 (3rd) 2012 (1st) 2013 (9th) 2014 (1st) 2015 (1st) HIT OUTS PER GAME. Nic Nat flies over them all in the centre of the ground, but is bought back to the fold with less ruck attendances. So he has the highest winning percentage with an elite HO to advantage % of 11 hit outs per game. If you were to bet your life on a centre clearance contest it would be between Nic Nat and Gawn a close 2nd however there is more all round game that Nic Nat doesnt deliver on. Career wise he is on par. But in terms of excellent years he is nowhere near the top. Nic Nats actual football stats are significantly less than both Goldy and Gawn. The biggest criticism is he just doesnt take any marks for a guy his size. He has taken 35, 33, 31, 25, 66, 50, 31, 10 marks in a full season. His career marks is 1.9. Gawns is 3.9 and Sandi is 3.4. Its as simple as this, Nic Nat just needs to do more in a game, and over a season. He is the greatest athletic ruck we've seen in terms of vertical leap, highest winning % of hit outs. He could have the greatest season ever if let loose and forced to ruck solo all year. Until that happens you just cant compare him on the same level. The main rucks are 10 hit outs more per game, and better in all stat fields. For a guy who rests forward a lot his football is sorely lacking.
jax
Guest
I find them in media articles and commentators stating them during a game. That's the best that we can get I believe. He doesn't need defending. His marking was always going to improve and last year I said that it would. He just needed time to put his game back together after 2 years of OP. He's been #1 for initiating scoring chains for 2-3 years now. Gawn and Goldie may well be ahead of him in those stats, I haven't checked but Nic is still elite. You can't be #1 at everything. There are a handful of great ruckman running around and Lycett is closing in fast on joining that group. Sandi is another of course.
johno
Guest
Unconstested - Gawn 17, Goldstein 18, NN 7 Contested marks - Gawn 18, Goldstein 11, NN 19 Gawn seems to be the best over those 2
johno
Guest
Where do you find pressure acts and scoring chain stats? I look on the afl stats website and can't see those, only tackles, 1%ers and goal assists. Which Naitanui is behind Gawn this season for 1%ers, both Gawn and Goldstein for goal assists but ahead by 2 in tackles. In NN defence his marking has improved this year.
jax
Guest
Nic is the #1 player in the league (not just ruckman) for starting scoring chains. Goals win football matches and Nic is the best initiator of them in the game, and by some margin. He is also elite in pressure acts and 1%'s off memory. The midfielders have let Nic down this year with hitouts to advantage. They haven't been up and about all season but they started to turn it around in R8-9. If it continues his hitouts to advantage should increase significantly as he's had the best % in the game for a few years now. When quoting total number of hitouts to advantage it's important to include total hitouts contested (context). I think you'll find that Gawn and Goldie contest more ruck duels because Gawn and Goldie don't have Lycett to share the load. Lycett has had a great year and WC continues their clear dominance of having the best 1-2 ruck combination in the game and it's been that way since Cox-Naitanui many years ago.
Karl
Guest
Gawn Vs Goldy clash earlier in the year highlighted that Gawn is the best tap ruckman in the comp. Goldstein however is better in almost every other facet of the game. Goldstein is the best ruckman with the ball in hand and would be top 3 for every other category. Hard to argue anyone can better than him - equal maybe. and Yes I'm a biased one-eyed Roo supporter
andrew
Guest
i think an interesting stat in this debate would also be to look at their contested mark tally. and then also their uncontested mark tally. i think these would be helpful pieces in the debate.
Jerry
Guest
Goldy kicks goals most games which is significant for a ruckman and he's a great ruckman overall. For me though, of that lot Nat would be the pick because he is a terrific ruckman plus he can do freakish things, run/tackle as a midfielder, get the contested ball and make a play out of nothing. I am a freo fan though so I have to give a mention to a (fit) Sandilands, he brings all the midfielders into the game and pretty much dominates every game he plays (except for the 2013 GF, grrrr), totally changes the complex of the game having him out on the field.
big four sticks
Guest
In a few weeks Shaun Hampsen will be thrown into this debate. Just you wait and see as the Tigers will storm into the top eight after beating all that come before them. The other 17 teams are on notice as it is tiger time. The Tigers will not lose a game from here on end.
Mark
Guest
While he's probably not the absolute best at the moment, I'm thrilled by how much Tippett has improved since being handed the #1 ruck duties. Like most, I didn't want to be paying a mint for a forward out of position but the second half of last year and all this year has made all those who called him a spud eat humble pie (although for a while they were probably on the money). But it also shows how much we would struggle if he goes down. Sinclair has a long way to go, Nank turns like a truck and Naismith can't stay fit, though seems to be stringing a few together. And there's a reason I barely mentioned Derickx...
Howie
Roar Pro
Nic Nat over Goldy, close though. Let's see where Gawn is at the end of the season, but he has had a good start.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Cheers mattyb, it will be interesting to see how Sandilands comes back next season. He turns 35yo next year which is very old for any player, let alone a ruckman who is so gargantuan
hal
Guest
Goldstein. P.s he also isn't bloody hipster unlike Gawn.
mattyb
Guest
Nice article. Depending on attributes one prefers in a Ruckman each player has a case. I'd throw Tippett in there also for his ability to play forward and kick goals and play this role as a genuine forward more so than that of a resting Ruckman. We have obviously seen very little of Sandilands this year but personally I'd still say he is the leagues premier ruckman and expect him to be around for a few seasons yet.
Bill
Guest
If goldy was playing for richmond or collingwood rather than a small club like north, we wouldn't even be having this debate. He would be considered top 3 in the comp.
Bill
Guest
Goldy. Day light saying. 45 tap outs to gorringes 7 last night. Kicked three great goals as well.
Ryan Buckland
Expert
Its a great question. Right now, I'd take Nic Nat, because I reckon his tap work is best, and he's become 90% of an extra inside midfielder for the Eagles. I'd take Goldstein second and Gawn third, and I'd put Mumford a very close fourth. I agree with Josh though - a fit Sandilands would give this top three a really good shake. I also have a niche opinion (I think) that Kurt Tippett is putting himself into this conversation this year...
Don Freo
Guest
If you look at the Premiership table, it is clear that the most influential is still Sandilands.
Kavvy
Guest
I came to write almost the same comment re Mumford (star!) and Tippet. So +1
Tony Tea
Guest
There's still a fair way between Gawn's best and worst, so I'd plump for Goldy. (And I'm a Melbourne fan.)