For the first time in years, the ruck selection is not straight forward. It seems their are many combinations and strategies being discussed. Here are a few of those options that are being spruiked.

1. Darcy Cameron 465k Ruck/Fwd

Somewhat a surprise in 2022 as Grundy was grounded yet again. Coach MaCrae obviously loves Cameron and in turn got rewarded with some better than expected performances. And this boded well for his Supercoach scoring too, with many coaches getting on board early before the price rise. In 2023, he is set to be the premier ruck from the get go. He is priced mid 400ks and has the added bonus of being a DPP. With premium rucks being a hard sell this year due to a variety of reasons, it again seems surprising that Cameron actually stands as a really good choice. Definitely consider.

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2. Luke Jackson 465 Ruck/Fwd

Off to Freo for the highly talented Ruck / forward. But this this present a problem given that Sean Darcy is already the number one ruck? Does this mean he will basically be doing the Rory Lobb role? It’s highly likely, which admittedly is a bit of a turn off for Supercoach. At this stage it seems too risky, but given he can be taken as a forward, there may yet be appeal. Especially if he can be used in conjunction with Darcy Cameron.

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3. Sam Draper 398k

Has been a promising ruck option for a few years now without becoming a solid or safe selection. As a results, he is still far off becoming a premium and his price is still below 400k - which is great for those looking to back him in to reach the next level this season. He still seems raw. And still seems to be getting a full understanding of the game. Brad Scott will be ruthless and expect Draper to tow a stricter set of boundaries. This could be great for his Supercoach journey, but it may also expose him as not being disciplined enough to play first ruck at AFL level. A selection for the high risk or fun loving teams out there.

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4. Ned Reeves 356k

At 356K, Reeves may see a huge rise in ownership if named as starting ruck for Hawthorn when the round one teams drop. His competition is Lloyd Meek, and backup development ruckman crossing over from Fremantle. Reeves has had the greater investment and Sam Mitchell has much skin in the game when it comes to Reeves development. So with that in mind, you would think he gets first crack to be the number ruckman at Hawks. As a rule of thumb, don’t take a ruckman as a premo unless he’s first ruck week to week, and you don’t even have to check the teams - you just know.

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5. Rowan Marshall 506k

Has always been a high Supercoach score when given the opportunity. Unfortunately, under Ratten he was moved around a bit. However, with Ross Lyon coming in as new coach, you can reasonable expect Marshall to have his role simplified. I.e, you’re a ruckman - get yourself to the centre bounce clearances and around the ground. Lyon made Michael Gardiner into a fantastic ruckman that he always promised to be. So you can expect Marshall will be in Lyon’s group of players that he revolves the team’s main game plan around. The added bonus with Marshall will be if he can be selected as a forward as well as ruck.

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6. Nick Bryan 202k

The Sam Draper backup plan. Development ruck at the Bombers who will get a gig if Draper doesn’t cut the mustard. Still seems to be finding his feet but comes at a price of 200k and has the added benefit of being a DPP up forward.

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See also: 6 Young Guns Ready To Explode In 2022 Afl Supercoach

See also: Will These 7 Hawthorn Players Be Key to Winning Supercoach in 2023?