AMONG the plethora of selection chatter that takes place before a season gets underway, perhaps the most interesting current talking point is the club’s ruck situation.
Quite simply, four doesn’t fit into two and nor does three if we assume Jason Holmes will remain a rookie for the time being.
And then there is the inevitable and intangible question of team balance. Is playing two ruckman too top heavy? But what if they both demand spots in Alan Richardson’s best 22, or alternatively, if one can push forwards and kick a goal a game, as Tom Hickey has stated he intends to do in 2015?
Hickey hasn’t played a match since round 17 last year due to a persistent knee injury that has plagued him since his Gold Coast days. But despite this ailment, he remains St Kilda’s first choice big man and will be fit for round one, ahead of Billy Longer, Lewis Pierce and Jason Holmes.
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The four are close friends but fierce competitors – a unique balance that only ruckmen, soccer goalkeepers and wicket-keepers can appreciate.
Speaking last week, Richardson guaranteed Hickey and Longer first crack, but refused to rule out the other two playing senior football this year.
“At this stage Hickey and Longer would still be in front,” Richardson said.
“Lewis Pierce is another young player that still has some room to move, but he’s heading in the right direction.
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“Holmes is a rookie so he needs someone on the long term injury list for him to be upgraded, but the reality is he couldn’t be doing much more, given where he’s come from.”
Holmes and Longer began February’s intra club matched against each other in the ruck, while Pierce played from the goal square and ventured further afield later in the contest.
WATCH: Intra club 1/3
WATCH: Intra club 2/3
WATCH: Intra club 3/3
Jason Holmes and Billy Longer battle it out at the 2015 intra club. (Photo: Dave Savell)
Holmes, the oldest but least experienced of the quartet, collected eight disposals and laid four tackles.
Longer had less of the ball (six touches) but took three marks, while Pierce, who is tallest player on St Kilda’s list, amassed 10 disposals.
Evidently, there is very little separating this trio. They know the gap is small, and as a result, the competition is relentless.
“It was challenging but really good,” Holmes said after the intra club.
“I’ve spent a lot of time doing game simulation with them but there really isn’t anything better than a proper game. The lights were on and we were having a crack at each other. It was good.”
With Hickey unavailable until now, Holmes and Longer shared the ruck duties in the first NAB Challenge game against Brisbane.
Longer dominated the hit outs against his old team, registering 26 for the game, well ahead of Holmes’ seven and ex-teammate Matthew Leuenberger’s 12.
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It was the American recruit’s first official game in Saints colours, just 15 months after he arrived at the club.
“Last year I didn’t really know what I was doing on the field. Whereas this year I was trying to get into the right spots on the field and have an impact,” Holmes said,
“The first four months of last year I was just learning how to kick, handball and mark – all the basic skills of the game. Since then I’ve spent a lot of time learning how to actually play the game which has gone a long way. It makes a huge difference.”
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Brisbane's Archie Smith and Jason Holmes in NAB 1.
And it is not just his on-field improvement that has impressed Richardson.
“Holmesy’s attitude and his commitment to his footy, to his club and his teammates has been outstanding and if that continues I have no doubt he’ll get there,” he said.
“He’s worked his backside off, he’s done everything right. We don’t expect him to come out and dominate in the ruck or dominate when it is he goes forward.
“It’s a terrific story.”
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Making the ruck conundrum even more intriguing is the variety of strengths each of them possess.
Hickey is a runner, Longer a tapper, Pierce an athlete and Holmes a tackler who also excels at stoppages. Of course each of these skills are interchangeable, but each has their primary strengths.
While Pierce considers himself primarily a ruckman, he is intent on adding another string to his bow this year.
“I think my goal for the year is to start forward and come into the ruck after, so I’ve been focusing on the forward side of my game a lot at the moment,” he said.
“I like to think I’m pretty good below my knees. I’m pretty agile.”
“Marking is a big one, leading patterns is pretty important, but strength in the contest is probably crucial for me because I’m often the option down the line or playing as the deeper target. So being able to hold my position, to hold out the space and step two or three metres to be able to take the ball strongly with that pressure.”
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Tom Hickey marks in front of Lewis Pierce at training last week.
For the last two rounds in 2014 the 20-year-old was named as one of the three emergencies, bringing him agonisingly close to a senior call-up.
But rather than dwell on something that didn’t eventuate, Pierce is determined to use the missed opportunity as a motivating tool.
“The fact that I was so close to selection probably pushes me harder to want to play and gives me a bit more hunger for it. I feel like I’m coming off the back of a really good pre-season.” he said.
“I think I’ve seen improvements in all fronts… I did my first 2km this pre-season because over the last two pre-seasons I’ve never been able to do one, so I did three PB’s in my running this year.
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Pierce desperately wants a chance to prove himself; while Hickey believes the intense pursuit for spots will only improve the quartet in the long run.
“It’s been a really good battle, pretty much every training session we go at it,” Hickey said.
“We sort of know each other’s tricks and that so we jump into each other pretty hard… It’s full on.”
Rucking has always been a unique craft and St Kilda’s four big men typify the club’s regeneration. Two have arrived via trades from other AFL clubs, one came to the Saints via the draft and the other was plucked from Chicago, USA.
It’s a fascinating narrative that has only just begun. As St Kilda’s emerging list grows and develops into a force once again, expect the ruckmen to be at the forefront of this renaissance.
