Ruckman (Australian Rules Football) - Ruck Styles

Ruck Styles

Ruckmen are sometimes classified by their style of play, although many players alternate styles during a game based on strategy, the style of an opponent, their physical attributes and versatility.

A tap ruckman (or palm ruckman) is the most skillful and high jumping of styles. Players using this style will deftly palm the ball directly down to the advantage of a smaller teammate or rover, often making their hitouts the most effective. WAFL and VFL great Polly Farmer is considered to be one of the best all-time ruckmen of this style. The AFL's Aaron Sandilands is a good current example.

A mobile ruckman (or mobile bigman) often describes a ruckman that covers a lot of ground. Sometime this type of ruckman is not as tall, as big, or effective at hit outs, but may possess a high leap and a greater athletic endurance. Against less mobile ruckman, this type of player can compensate with an ability to take more marks around the ground playing effectively as a tall ruck rover and sometimes with the additional ability to kick goals while playing from the midfield or drop back into defence when required. Jim Stynes was one of the first modern ruckmen in this mould, while John Barnes with a shorter stature combined endurance with athleticism and high leap successfully in the late 1980s. The AFL's Drew Petrie, Adam Goodes. Dean Cox is considered one of a new breed of tall ruckmen with exceptional endurance and field coverage.

A thump ruckman practices a more physical style of rucking. Typically, the player is of a larger and/or taller build and uses brute force (and a style often referred to as crash and bash) to take their opponent out of the contest and punch the ball forward, typically going for distance and penetration into their attacking zone. These players are typically slower around the ground, as such are sometimes referred to as dinosaurs and sometimes criticised for a lack of skill around the ground. This type of ruckwork is rarer in the modern game, more so at its highest level. As a result of trends in umpiring decisions, these ruckmen are more frequently penalised for rough play, and tend to give away more free kicks to their opposition. The physical style can often wear down or even injure their opponents during a game, creating a greater advantage, though the style can also make them more susceptible to long term injuries themselves. A well timed thump can sometimes gain as much distance as a kick, so their hitouts can be highly effective, although more often results in a contest at ground level than always to the advantage of a teammate. Also their hitouts also tend to get negated by mobile rucking opponents who are more dominant around the ground. However some players still use this style well. In the AFL, Dean Brogan, Ivan Maric and Jamie Charman are such ruckmen.