The ruck position has emerged as a crucial element of any AFL Supercoach team with elite ruckman scoring as much the game's gun midfielders or even more.
With only three positions available for selection, it's crucial you get the right mix - especially considering the fact only two of your ruckmen are scoring players and the huge differences in average between the top 10 in the discipline.
Will Max Gawn continue his dominance as the Supercoach's No.1 ruckman? Or can Brodie Grundy return to top form and challenge the Demons star?
MORE: AFL SC 2021: Bye round rules and how to prepare | AFL Supercoach 2021: Defender prices and selection guide | AFL SC 2021: All the player position and role changes
Sporting News looks at the prices of the AFL ruckmen and analyses the questions you want answered.
Top 10 Premium Ruck Prices
| Name | Club | 2020 Avg. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Gawn | Melbourne | 139.9 | $751,400 |
| Brodie Grundy | Collingwood | 120.7 | $648,200 |
| Todd Goldstein | North Melb | 112.0 | $601,700 |
| Nic Naitanui | West Coast | 110.5 | $593,700 |
| Reilly O'Brien | Adelaide | 106.2 | $570,800 |
| Rowan Marshall | St Kilda | 103.7 | $557,200 |
| Rhys Stanley | Geelong | 102.7 | $551,900 |
| Tim English | Western Bulldogs | 102.6 | $551,200 |
| Scott Lycett | Port Adelaide | 96.9 | $520,700 |
| Paddy Ryder | St Kilda | 94.2 | $505,900 |
Melbourne star Max Gawn averaged nearly 20 more than any other ruckman in 2020, but you will have to pay a huge $750,000 premium to get him into your team. There has been questions marks over Gawn's body in the last few seasons so you need to be sure he will maintain his scoring output of last season at the minimum.
Collingwood's Brodie Grundy had a slight down year last season but still averaged a quality score of 120.7 - and you will be hard pressed to not select him with his price tag $150,000 less than Gawn.
If you choose to veer away from the highly-expensive Gawn-Grundy combo, Todd Goldstein and Nic Naitanui look to be your best options, but both are getting on in age.
St Kilda's Rowan Marshall looms as an interesting option with his forward eligibility but he might be a better selection in your forward half, particularly with uncertainty surrounding his role because of the presence of Paddy Ryder.
Reilly O'Brien and Tim English lead the next generation of rucks but can they guarantee you a score that will compete with more experienced combinations?
Cheaper Premium Ruck Options
| Name | Club | 2020 Avg. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrod Witts | Gold Coast | 93.3 | $501,600 |
| Oscar McInerney | Brisbane | 82.5 | $443,400 |
| Sean Darcy | Fremantle | 78.2 | $420,100 |
| Sam Draper | Essendon | 70.4 | $378,100 |
| Tom De Koning | Carlton | 56.9 | $305,500 |
With the fact you only get three ruck selections, it's extremely risky to look at mid-priced options as they will likely not score anywhere near the amount that the premium rucks' do.
If you wanted to take a punt. Fremantle's Sean Darcy looms as the best option with a 95 average across the last eight games indicating he could be ready to go to the next level.
Brisbane's Oscar McInerney will be playing as the No.1 ruck at the club after the departure of Stefan Martin to the Bulldogs, while Gold Coast's Jarrod Witts is on the precipice of sending his average north of 100.
Young ruckmen Sam Draper and Tom De Koning will likely get more game time in 2021 but it will be a huge leap of faith to select either.
Rookie Ruck Options
| Name | Club | 2020 Avg. | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley Thilthorpe | Adelaide | N/A | $202,800 |
| Callum Coleman-Jones | Richmond | N/A | $161,200 |
| Max Lynch | Collingwood | 22.0 | $123,900 |
| Jordan Sweet | Western Bulldogs | N/A | $123,900 |
It's important to remember that most Supercoaches choose to use their third ruck position to select a non-playing ruckmen in order to help with their captain's loophole strategy.
However, if you wanted to select a rookie ruck with the potential to score down the track, Collingwood big man Max Lynch and Bulldogs youngster Jordon Sweet loom as the options most likely to get a crack.
Adelaide's no.2 draft pick Riley Tilthorpe will likely see game time in the Crows forward line, while Richmond's Callum Coleman-Jones is a good chance to play at some stage because of the knee injury to Ivan Soldo.
