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Some choose to ‘set and forget’ while others hunt value, but the ruck line is a crucial position for your SuperCoach side.
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Max Gawn has been a mainstay for SuperCoach sides for several years, but is this the season where he slips down the rankings?
Foxfooty.com.au takes a look at the best premium ruck options for your SuperCoach sides.
1. Tristan Xerri ($645,900)
The North Melbourne big man is the best ruck option in the game heading into 2025. Xerri had a breakout 2024 campaign and is primed to continue his strong form that had him in the conversation for an All-Australian blazer.
Unlike others who need plenty of hitouts or disposals to score well, Xerri has a variety of ways to score points. He has a strong presence around contest, regularly applying defensive pressure on opposition midfielders. Even if he’s not getting his hands on the ball, he’s staying involved.
Xerri was remarkably consistent last year, producing just four scores of under 103, the lowest of those being an 82 against the Gold Coast. He also had nine scores over 120 for the season which makes him a week-in, week-out captaincy option. His last five weeks of the season yielded an average of 148.8 SuperCoach points per game. Lock and load.
2. Tom De Koning ($547,100)
Is this the year that Tom De Koning cements himself amongst the game’s most elite rucks? All signs point towards De Koning taking his game to another level in 2025.
Between rounds 11 and 17 last year, ‘TDK’ went on a tear, averaging 144.2 SuperCoach points per game. His upside is enormous, and he is crucial to Carlton’s success.
The main quandary with De Koning is whether or not he has the ruck role to himself. When he does, he averages 116 SuperCoach points per game but when he doesn’t, that figure drops to a measly 73 points per game.
His bye is also somewhat of an issue. The Blues have the bye in round 12, the same week as North Melbourne (Xerri), the Western Bulldogs (Tim English) and Port Adelaide.
3. Sean Darcy ($529,400)
There’s no doubt this is somewhat of a pre-season hype pick. Darcy was restricted to just 12 games last year for an average of 98.2 SuperCoach points, which means he is cheaper than most of the other top-line premiums.
There’s no doubt that Darcy has good scoring pedigree. He peaked in 2021 when he averaged 118 points per game as one of the competition’s most damaging rucks. The problem is his body has failed him far too often.
However, if pre-season reports are anything to go by, Darcy has shed some weight over the off-season and is slimmed down and ready to go in 2025. The Luke Jackson factor has always clouded Darcy as a pick, but Jackson’s versatility as a forward means Darcy has taken most of the ruck minutes in the past. Track the rest of his pre-season closely and monitor.
4. Max Gawn ($668,900)
This is probably a little bit unfair to big Max Gawn to be so far down this list, given he was the second-best player last year by SuperCoach average. Put simply, Gawn is a bonafide SuperCoach star. He’s had five seasons where he has averaged in excess of 118 points per game and he’s been a reliable captaincy option each and every week.
A fractured larynx pre-Christmas also complicates things. Despite “remaining in good spirits” according to the club, Gawn was unable to exercise for the two weeks after the incident and that needs to be followed by a month of non-contact training. Given the incident happened a week before Christmas, that’s a fair chunk of the off-season that the star Dee has missed.
He’s also super expensive, which means you’re using a large portion of your team salary on him. In the past he’s been a clear front-runner in the ruck spot so selecting Gawn has been vindicated, but this year it seems as though there are plenty of other options, especially when you consider price.
5. Tim English ($581,900)
Are SuperCoach players sleeping on the big Bulldog? English has been a stud in recent SuperCoach years, averaging as many as 128 points per game back in 2023. Last year he averaged 108 points a game, a solid return, but it certainly didn’t make him a must-have.
The problem with English’s 2024 campaign was that he never really got any momentum going. English has a history with concussion and missed parts of pre-season due to “migraine-related symptoms” but ended up playing 22 matches in 2024. The positive this year is that he’s had a better pre-season and is gearing up for a big 2025.
The knock on his scoring last year was that it was more inconsistent than some of the other top-line ruck options. While he had eight scores 120+, he also he also had eight scores of 91 or less. It meant SuperCoach players couldn’t really rely on him as a captaincy option, either. He doesn’t have to deal with a second ruck option which is a big positive, but can he rediscover that consistent All-Australian form of ’23?
6. Rowan Marshall ($603,500)
Another option for SuperCoach players to ponder is Saint Rowan Marshall. Marshall has been a consistent option for several years now, averaging 103+ in four out of the last six years.
The question mark on Marshall is whether or not he continues to hold the ruck role at St Kilda on his own. Marshall has spent time forward at various stages during match simulation, meaning the Saints have let youngster Max Heath and Harry Boyd go against one another. Heath is looking to breakthrough for an AFL debut in 2025, while Boyd has earned an SSP spot after starring in the SANFL last year. If either were to partner Marshall in 2025, that would impact his SuperCoach scoring drastically.
Another option is West Coast’s Matthew Flynn, who had an injury-plagued 2024 season. If Flynn can reassume the number one ruck mantle at the Eagles, he could prove to be a bargain selection. The problem is that it looks as though Bailey Williams will get first crack at the role. If he does overtake Williams, an average in the mid 80s wouldn’t be out of the question.
In terms of rookies, it’s very rare that decent options are named early in the season. Melbourne’s Tom Campbell might get a chance alongside Max Gawn, while Max Heath, Archer Reid and Finnbar Maley are others to show signs but are unlikely to be there round one. SANFL ruckman Harry Boyd has been signed by St Kilda and could partner Rowan Marshall, but SuperCoach players should probably look to use this bench spot for a loophole player.
