RUCKS are important players in Fantasy. You may only have one on field, with one on the bench, but they can be a source of consistent points due to the role.
Last season, five rucks averaged more than the top defender while just one forward was better than the No.1 Fantasy ruck.
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Hitouts are worth one point in Fantasy. These statistics help build scores. It's the work a ruck can do around the ground as they move from contest to contest that will make them valuable Fantasy players.
Last season, the top five Fantasy rucks averaged nine or more disposals and three or more tackles to go with the hitouts that keep their scores ticking over.
Top 20 averaging players in S7
Fantasy coaches will note that Breann Moody (RUC, $1,085,000) has been the best Fantasy ruck of the last three seasons. Last year's average of 77.1 was an improvement on 71.8 that ranked the Blue as the best of all available rucks in AFLW Fantasy.
Moody averaged 22.8 hitouts in season seven, ranking her third, but what made her the top ruck was her average of 11.2 disposals and 2.8 marks per game that had her ahead of her rivals.
Gabby Seymour (RUC, $1,005,000) ranked seventh on average for hitouts, but among the top rucks was the biggest ball-winner, averaging 12.8 disposals for season seven. Seymour's 3.5 tackles also added to her scoring.
|
Player |
Team |
S8 Price |
S7 Games |
S7 Avg |
|
Breann Moody |
Blues |
$1,085,000 |
10 |
77.1 |
|
Gabby Seymour |
Tigers |
$1,005,000 |
10 |
71.4 |
|
Alice Edmonds |
Bulldogs |
$1,003,000 |
10 |
71.3 |
|
Mim Strom |
Dockers |
$953,000 |
10 |
67.7 |
|
Caitlin Gould |
Crows |
$946,000 |
10 |
67.2 |
|
Tahlia Hickie |
Lions |
$906,000 |
10 |
64.4 |
|
Olivia Fuller |
Cats |
$842,000 |
10 |
59.8 |
|
Lucy Wales |
Hawks |
$832,000 |
10 |
59.1 |
|
Sarah Lakay |
Eagles |
$829,000 |
10 |
58.9 |
|
Lauren Bella |
Suns |
$792,000 |
10 |
56.3 |
|
Kimberley Rennie |
Kangaroos |
$768,000 |
9 |
54.6 |
|
Montana McKinnon |
Crows |
$725,000 |
8 |
51.5 |
|
Lauren Pearce |
Demons |
$723,000 |
9 |
51.4 |
|
Elizabeth McGrath |
Kangaroos |
$621,000 |
3 |
51.3 |
|
Stephanie Wales |
Bombers |
$688,000 |
10 |
48.9 |
|
Erin McKinnon |
Saints |
$600,000 |
5 |
47.4 |
|
Ally Morphett |
Swans |
$647,000 |
9 |
46 |
|
Jessica Good |
Blues |
$636,000 |
10 |
45.2 |
|
Simone Nalder |
Saints |
$595,000 |
6 |
42.3 |
|
Olivia Levicki |
Power |
$583,000 |
10 |
41.4 |
Biggest improvers in S7
There was a changing of the guard at the Bulldogs last season with Alice Edmonds (RUC, $1,003,000) taking the reins from Celine Moody (FWD, $632,000), sister of Breann. The pair shared the duties in season six, but a change saw Edmonds average the most hitouts (26.2) in the competition and enjoy the biggest Fantasy differential of all rucks and the second most across the league.
Opportunity presented itself for Sarah Lakay (RUC, $829,000) to cement herself as West Coast's No.1 ruck. Lakay averaged 24.8 hitouts to increase her season-on-season average by more than 26 points to rank as the ninth best Fantasy ruck in the game. Similarly, Liv Fuller (RUC, $842,000) ranked seventh after becoming the preferred ruck for the Cats.
|
Player |
Team |
Price |
S6 Avg |
S7 Avg |
S6-S7 Difference |
|
Alice Edmonds |
Bulldogs |
$1,003,000 |
34.2 |
71.3 |
37.1 |
|
Sarah Lakay |
Eagles |
$829,000 |
32.6 |
58.9 |
26.3 |
|
Liv Fuller |
Cats |
$842,000 |
35.4 |
59.8 |
24.4 |
|
Mim Strom |
Dockers |
$953,000 |
53.2 |
67.7 |
14.5 |
|
Kimberley Rennie |
Kangaroos |
$768,000 |
40.9 |
54.6 |
13.7 |
|
Caitlin Gould |
Crows |
$946,000 |
54.1 |
67.2 |
13.1 |
|
Ally Morphett |
Swans |
$647,000 |
34.1 |
46 |
11.9 |
|
Erin McKinnon |
Saints |
$600,000 |
35.8 |
47.4 |
11.6 |
|
Lauren Bella |
Suns |
$792,000 |
45.4 |
56.3 |
10.9 |
|
Montana McKinnon |
Crows |
$725,000 |
42.8 |
51.5 |
8.7 |
Best ruck debutants in S7
One of season seven's expansion clubs, Hawthorn, were forced to go with a debutant, Lucy Wales (RUC, $832,000), to carry the ruck load. Sharing the duties in round one, Wales' ruck partner Tamara Luke (FWD, $319,000) went down with an ACL injury in round two, meaning Wales' debut season was spent primarily at ruck contests.
She ranked 12th for average hitouts and proved to be a competitor by averaging 4.4 tackles. Wales was the eighth best Fantasy ruck for total points.
Twin sister Steph Wales (RUC, $688,000) also played every game of the season and was Essendon's primary ruck in its first AFLW season.
|
Player |
Team |
Price |
S7 Games |
S7 Average |
|
Lucy Wales |
Hawks |
$832,000 |
10 |
59.1 |
|
Elizabeth McGrath |
Kangaroos |
$621,000 |
3 |
51.3 |
|
Steph Wales |
Bombers |
$688,000 |
10 |
48.9 |
|
Simone Nalder |
Saints |
$595,000 |
6 |
42.3 |
|
Olivia Levicki |
Power |
$583,000 |
10 |
41.4 |
