CAMERON Pedersen had just one week in the VFL to prepare to fill Melbourne's ruck void, but the 30-year-old rose to the challenge in the Demons' 38-point win over Essendon at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Pedersen, 193cm and 99kg, has been asked to carry his team's ruck division before, most memorably coming off North Melbourne's rookie list to replace an ill Todd Goldstein in the Roos' round one clash with West Coast and its champion ruckman Dean Cox in 2011.
But Pedersen told AFL.com.au on Sunday he had been playing primarily as a forward in the VFL with the Casey Demons before reigning All Australian ruckman Max Gawn (hamstring) was injured in round three and the Dees' support ruckman Jake Spencer (shoulder) went down in last Monday's loss to Richmond.
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However, Pedersen spent some time in the ruck in Casey's win over North Ballarat last Saturday and was named in the Demons' best players.
He carried that form into Sunday's game against Essendon, producing a performance Dees coach Simon Goodwin labelled "terrific".
"He came in and he had genuine impact and gave our mids a real good contest around the footy," Goodwin said.
Predictably, Pedersen was well beaten at ruck contests by 201cm Essendon big man Tom Bellchambers, who had 33 hit-outs to Pedersen's 18; the Bombers won the overall count 45-25.
However, Pedersen and Melbourne's midfielders were able to limit Bellchambers' influence at stoppages to the extent the Demons won the clearances 40-31.
"My focus was just to try and jump into him and limit his hits and try and ensure he could only hit inside a certain triangle that we could defend," Pedersen said.
"Full credit to our midfield boys, they really attacked the other mids."
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Pedersen was also able to use his endurance and Bellchambers' lack of recent match practice – he had not played an AFL game since round 10, 2015, having served a season-long WADA suspension last year – to beat the Bomber ruckman around the ground.
Pedersen finished with 19 possessions, eight marks (two contested) and kicked a goal during Melbourne's match-winning third quarter, while Bellchambers had nine possessions, seven marks and one goal.
The 62-gamer paid tribute to the support he received from Tom McDonald and Jack Watts in restricting Bellchambers' influence.
"We planned really well for it. We kind of threw three ruckmen at him knowing he hadn't played for 700 days or something," Pedersen said.
"We thought we could get him around the ground. Again, all credit to our midfield boys. They really scrapped hard when he got his hits to keep it in the contest, which was our goal for the game."
Before Sunday's match, Pedersen had not played a senior game since round 21 last year.
With Spencer expected to be sidelined for another six rounds and Gawn for the next 10, Pedersen realises he has a golden opportunity to enjoy an extended run in Melbourne's 22.
"It's really exciting, especially being 30, you don't know when your last game is going to be," Pedersen says.
"I was starting to think, 'Am I going to spend the whole year in the VFL? Things could be over'.
"I guess the good thing for me is I play every game like it's my last, so it makes me hungrier than what someone else might be."
Pedersen also hopes he can establish himself in Melbourne's team sufficiently that he can hold his spot when Spencer and Gawn return.
"I think the important part for me is I've got to be able to ruck, but I've also got to be able to play forward because when they come back I'm going to have to play as a forward (to keep my spot)," Pedersen said.
"So I've got show that I can play well as a forward. Obviously we can't wait to get both of them back and I hope I'm playing well enough that I can play in a different position."
