AFTER finding their rhythm in the opening five weeks of the season, Fremantle ruckmen Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson face a new test as a duo on Friday night when they take on the AFL's best big man.

The vital clash against the Western Bulldogs and Tim English is also going to give the Dockers an early-season indication of how their long-term move to secure Jackson and trade Rory Lobb is faring in the short-term.

While early match-ups against back-up ruckmen Bailey Williams (West Coast) and Ned Moyle (Gold Coast) have been advantageous, the Dockers' big men have been combining with their midfielders better every week.

Last Friday's win against Gold Coast saw the Dockers produce their best stoppage performance for the season. They won the clearances by 22, kicked a season-high 49 points from stoppages (No.2 in the AFL) and converted their clearances into scores at a rate of 31 per cent (No.4 in the AFL).

Fremantle's attack from stoppages

The Dockers have been moving towards a heavier ruck load for Darcy, who leads the AFL for both hitouts (204) and hitouts to advantage (56), while allowing Jackson to establish himself as a forward target, where he is improving by the week.

After sharing the ruck duties more evenly against North Melbourne in round two, Darcy's ruck contests have increased every week to a season-high 82 against Gold Coast, with Jackson attending a season-low 19.

Coach Justin Longmuir said the trend had to do with Jackson's importance as a forward target, but the club would remain open to changing the ruck mix when necessary. 

"It's probably the fact that he's given us such a good target up forward and kicked a couple of really important goals," the coach said this week.

"But it's more than that. It's the contest he gives us, the follow-up he gives us in the forward line.

"It'll be a case-by-case, week-by-week situation with who plays more ruck minutes. There's been times where we've started Sean forward and 'Jacko' in the ruck, so we'll just keep weighing that up.

"But I feel like those two are gelling really well and they've got a good connection to be able to flip whenever they want and an understanding of where they need to be in the game."

Freo rucks getting on a roll

After a quiet start in attack, Jackson has taken six contested marks across his past three weeks and found form as a forward, kicking five goals in that period. His two goals against the Suns both came from contested marks and long-range conversions.

"He's embracing the forward craft and getting better at his reactions and the options he provides the ball carrier," Longmuir said.

"I still think there's a lot of growth in the way we can help him out, kick to his advantage and set him up for success with the way we kick the ball to him."

A strong ruck combo is proving a significant advantage in 2023, with Essendon duo Sam Draper and Andrew Phillips a prime example after the pair worked over Melbourne's Brodie Grundy in an upset win last Saturday.

The Bulldogs have the best ruckman in the game this season, given English's ability to follow-up from contests and become a tireless possession winner around the ground.

They also used Lobb more prominently as a second ruckman in last Saturday's loss to Port Adelaide, with the former Docker and Greater Western Sydney tall attending a season-high 24 ruck contests, suggesting the 30-year-old should feature against Darcy and Jackson in the critical ruck battles on Friday night. 

In attack, where Lobb was the Dockers' leading goalkicker in 2022, young key forward Jye Amiss is now emerging after kicking three goals and taking eight marks – including four contested – against the Suns.  

The Dockers have often repeated that the decision to trade Lobb while he was in contract and secure Jackson was a long-term move. But getting a short-term win out of that transaction in a crunch early-season game would be welcomed.

Another strong game from Jackson and success in the ruck match-ups will go a long way to securing an important win as the Dockers look to square their season at 3-3 and correct a rocky start.