THE CUPBOARD at Simonds Stadium is well stocked with fit and firing ruckmen for 2016 – a sentiment which could not have been further from the truth in recent seasons.
By coincidence, the upcoming season will also be our first look at life after the sub, and it’s fair to suggest the biggest men on the ground will have never been more important as a result.
But how will the coaching staff approach this new era at the selection table? And who will put their hand up as number one?
Following an offseason move from St.Kilda, Rhys Stanley was nothing short of a revelation in his first year with the Cats.
Restricted to just eight games due to a serious foot injury, the 25-year-old put together a solid body of work capped off in round 11 by a two goal, 17-disposal display against Port Adelaide in just a half of football.
The club is taking a conservative approach with Stanley prior to Christmas, but if his body allows for it then the big blonde bombshell is a certain starter in 2016.
On the back of Stanley’s early success, the Cats went back to the well this offseason with the recruitment of another young ruckman via trade in Zac Smith.
The 25-year-old finds himself at the Cattery after a 65-game career with the Gold Coast Suns and has more than impressed his new coaching staff with what he brings outside of his ruckwork.
A relative latecomer to the game with a background in soccer, Smith looms as not only an astute pick up by recruiting master Stephen Wells but also a Cat with a big future.
The same can be said of ruck/forward Nathan Vardy who – despite a number of injury hurdles – has always been buoyed by a club who believes in his immense potential.
Vardy returned to the senior side late in 2015 with a return of five goals from three games and is likely to spend more time around goal than the centre square.
Nonetheless, his ability to pinch-hit in the ruck brings an added flexibility to the best 22 and will be something at the forefront of Chris Scott’s mind come round one.
Then there’s a man in the same mold as Vardy in Mitch Clark – and the man who broke the mold in Mark Blicavs.
Like Vardy, Clark will do his best work closer to goal but played some of his best football for previous club Brisbane as a mobile ruckman so can be called upon when needed.
He’s not as mobile as 2015 Carji medalist Mark Blicavs who is arguably the most improved and most flexible player in the AFL.
The ruck duties fell to Blicavs for most of the 2015 season as the only real tall left amongst the walking wounded and the 24-year-old pieced together a breakout season without any complaint.
The addition of Smith and the return of Stanley means we’re sure to see Blicavs deployed in an array of different ways on match day – but when all else fails he is a man who can be counted on in the clinches.
