PORT Adelaide ruckman Scott Lycett is embracing the challenge of having young gun Peter Ladhams breathing down his neck as the Power's first-choice ruckman.
Ladhams will get the first crack to showcase his wares with Lycett set to miss Sunday's opening Marsh Community Series game against Brisbane at the Moreton Bay Sports Complex.
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Lycett and gun small forward Robbie Gray will sit out the pre-season encounter ahead of next Friday night's State of Origin Bushfire Relief match at Marvel Stadium.
The Power ruckman will represent the All-Stars while Gray will don the Big V.
Lycett had an up and down first season at the Power having arrived at the club on a five-year deal on the back of playing in West Coast's premiership in 2018.
He was solid for most of the season, but was dropped after round 19 with the strong SANFL form of 22-year-old Ladhams too good to ignore.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Lycett said improving his consistency had been his major focus during the off-season.
"I've just taken that my best footy is good enough and I've just got to do it every week," Lycett said.
"If I'm playing my best footy, then hopefully other guys come with me.
"You've got to learn not from just your mistakes, but from everything, especially in footy.
"As soon as you stop learning, stop growing, then you get stuck and you probably stay down in the twos."
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With 2017 All-Australian Paddy Ryder having left the Power to join St Kilda, Lycett – with 93 career games – is easily the most experienced ruck at the club compared to Ladhams (five games) and third-year big man Sam Hayes, who has yet to debut, but is an exciting prospect.
Lycett's goal this season is clear.
"I obviously want to be the No.1 ruck and I've been training as much as I can to lead the club throughout the season," he said.
"I've had a few opportunities to be the No.1 ruck here at Port and I feel like I've played some pretty good games last year.
"I haven't had too much opportunity throughout my career to be No.1, but I've shown in stages when I have, that I've done it pretty well."
Lycett believes he and Ladhams are capable of playing in the same team, with both able to contribute in attack.
"We'll probably get more of an opportunity this year," he said.
"If we're both playing good footy, then there's no reason we can't be in the team."
South Australian product Lycett admitted he was "pretty surprised" to be named in the All-Stars team, but was honoured to be included in the State of Origin game featuring the best of the best.
"I was pretty surprised to be a part of such an elite group of players and playing in the game," he said.
"At the end of the day, it's about raising some much-needed funds for people in need.
"If I can be a part of that, I'll try and do my bit."
