In the third instalment of our 2023 positional rankings, we've dissected the ruck crop of the past season to name the 10 best big men of the competition.
The likes of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy have dominated the top of these lists for the best part of the past decade, however the past 12 months have seen a shift among the highest echelon of ruckmen, perhaps due to the new combination of Gawn and Grundy at Melbourne this year.
The new age era of the ruckman sees the towering talls of the competition needing to widely expand on their games beyond hitouts and contests, with ground coverage, aerial impact and endurance among the leading traits for the competition's current crop of ruck stars.
After a season that saw ruck records shattered once again, we rank the best 10 ruckman of 2023...
SEE ALSO:ย THE TOP 10 DEFENDERS OF THE 2023 AFL SEASON
SEE ALSO:ย THE TOP 10 MIDFIELDERS OF THE 2023 AFL SEASON
4. Luke Jackson
The first-year Docker edged out his ruck partner to come in at No.4 on our list, with Jackson striking a balance of impacting the game at the centre of the field and when needed in the front half.
His time as a forward in 2023 saw Jackson boot more goals than any other ruckman this year, but when it came to leading the ruck unit in the absence of Sean Darcy, Jackson reached new heights as an out-and-out ruckman.
The premiership Demon enjoyed a purple patch of form through the back end of the season, culminating with a dominant Round 21 outing against Brisbane where he recorded 24 disposals, 44 hitouts, six tackles, six inside 50s and a goal.
Ruck
Hitouts
Marks
Disposals
With the futures of both Jackson and Darcy locked in long-term at Fremantle, the Dockers will be keen to find the best balance for their two star talls.
