NATIONAL talent manager Kevin Sheehan says the new interchange rules mean ruckmen who can play in other key positions on the ground will be worth their weight in gold at next week's NAB AFL Draft.
The League's decision to reduce the number of interchange players to three and one substitute has fuelled the belief that clubs will struggle to field two bonafide ruckmen in the same team.
The two hottest ruck prospects in the country, South Australian pair Daniel Gorringe and Scott Lycett, have both demonstrated an ability to play as damaging key forwards.
Gorringe, 18, booted three goals against Victoria Country in June's under-18 championships, while Lycett played most of his junior football in attack.
Three of the 10 ruckmen invited to this year's draft combine - John Ceglar (Collingwood), Tom Hickey (Gold Coast) and Ben Mabon (Greater Western Sydney) - have already been snapped up and Sheehan said it would put Gorringe and Lycett in even higher demand.
"The changes to the interchange rules mean that ruckmen that can actually push forward and kick goals are going to be more valuable than ever," Sheehan told afl.com.au.
"They might be rotating off the bench, but if they're capable and dangerous up forward like the Brad Ottens-type players over the years and aren't just one-trick ponies, they shouldn't be affected by the rule changes in my view.
"They are still a vital part of the game and are hard to match up on when they play deep forward."
Lycett, who hails from the small town of Streaky Bay on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, played senior football at 15 but didn't become a regular ruckman until he moved to Adelaide at the start of last year.
South Australian under-18 coach Brenton Phillips said Lycett had all the makings of an Essendon great.
"Scott reminds me of Paul Salmon as a youngster. He's probably more of a natural forward than a ruckman. He understands the forward play and he's got a very good mark on him," Phillips said.
"He'll develop into a really good ruckman when he's 25 to 26 years old and has learned the caper a bit.
"His football grounding hasn't been as good as some of the others at this point in time, but the way he conducts himself, approaches his game and seeks feedback ... he'll make some rapid improvement in a short space of time."
Gorringe, who also started his career as a forward, was never the tallest player in his team and was only shifted into the ruck after a massive growth spurt two years ago.
The 200cm teenager might not be as natural in attack as Lycett, but has excited recruiters with his footy smarts and freakish athleticism.
Gorringe said he modelled his game on two of the games' most athletic big men.
"I like the way Paddy Ryder and Nic Naitanui go about it," Gorringe said.
"Once they get the tap they're always on the deck trying to get it again and chasing down rovers. I guess I'm kind of like that … a ruckman with a rover's mentality."
Follow our complete coverage of the 2010 NAB AFL Draft on November 18. Join the AFL draft conversation on Twitter: use #AFLdraft in your tweets.
