LAST week was the first time this year I had the chance to sit down on the couch and watch Friday night footy.

After watching the first half of what quickly became the ‘Nic Naitanui Show’ against Essendon I began thinking to myself, 'I wonder what's going through the heads of other ruckmen watching this tonight?'

I suspect there would have been a light going off for many of them, and some would have been thinking, 'Gee, it’s time I lifted a notch'.

Naitanui's athleticism threatens to leave many big men behind.

If a ruckman is only assisting his team by getting his hands on the ball at stoppages, then he may well find himself obsolete sooner rather than later.

The modern-day big man must be able to contribute in several areas of the game.

If he does rely on his stoppage work to get him a game, then he has to be extraordinary with that stoppage work to balance out what a team can lose by not having him contribute in other areas.

With that in mind, I started going through each club's ruck options. Here's what I came up with:

ADELAIDE
Jonathon Griffin and Ivan Maric are the two that need to find another string to their bow, be that improvement at ground level or being able to go forward. Kurt Tippett has the tools and athleticism to cause headaches for opponents.

BRISBANE LIONS
I like what Brisbane's got. Mitch Clark and Matthew Leuenberger are exactly the sort of players who excite me. They're athletic and good enough around the ground, while Jamie Charman has aggression and can take a mark and kick a goal.

CARLTON
Matthew Kreuzer has all the skills. But after seeing Naitanui, he'll be eager to raise the bar. Robbie Warnock is still early in his career but looks like he's got some work to do. The Blues gave up Nick Suban and two other draft picks to get him, so they'll be hoping he develops.

COLLINGWOOD
Darren Jolly is elite at the stoppages and can kick goals, while Josh Fraser is more than capable. The Pies gave up pick 14 for Cameron Wood but would like him to come on. While he's adequate around the ground he's not to the point where he'd cause opponents too many sleepless nights.

ESSENDON
Jason Laycock's been on the Bombers' list for eight or nine years and isn't elite at the stoppages. Tom Bellchambers is still learning but he's also in that endangered category. David Hille and Patrick Ryder can both play as genuine forwards and are real competitors.

FREMANTLE
Aaron Sandilands is the most dominant hit-out player in the game but if that's all he brings he is replaceable. What he's doing better now is being dangerous when he goes forward and increasing his possession rate. Zac Clarke is young and athletic but should be working on his marking and tackling.

GEELONG CATS
Brad Ottens is one of my favourite ruckmen and was always a tough opponent because he's exceptionally strong and he can go forward. Trent West and Dawson Simpson need to add other parts to their games. Mark Blake is solid but if it came to selection in a final, I'd be tempted to pick Tom Hawkins to play in the ruck - provided Podsiadly continues to shine.

HAWTHORN
It's Wayde Skipper's 10th year on an AFL list and he's shown glimpses of being able to do it all but hasn't done them on a consistent basis. Simon Taylor and Brent Renouf provide contests but neither are elite enough around the stoppages just yet. The ruck is an area the Hawks know they need to improve.

MELBOURNE
Mark Jamar's having a terrific year as he's taking marks, kicking goals and has improved in the stoppages. John Meesen was a high draft pick at Adelaide but hasn't delivered, while Paul Johnson and Jake Spencer both need to add to their games. I'd love to throw Brad Miller into the ruck. He's struggling for form, so why not try to re-invent him elsewhere? He has aggression and would provide a contest.

NORTH MELBOURNE
Hamish McIntosh has proven he can be a quality midfielder and ruckman. Todd Goldstein has gone forward and kicked goals. David Hale's an interesting one. I believe he's more of a ruckman/forward than the other way around. I'm not sure if he enjoys being relied on as the key target.

PORT ADELAIDE
Dean Brogan's a great convert from basketball because he competes and tackles. The Power will need Matthew Lobbe and Jarrad Redden to take on those traits. Former ruckman Brendon Lade was a tough opponent because although he wasn't tall, athletic or quick, he was brilliant around the stoppages and a beautiful kick. But in the current recruiting era, Lade might not be drafted because of his lack of athleticism and ability to do those other things around the ground.

RICHMOND
People will argue the game's gone past Troy Simmonds given his injury troubles but he's a good kick, he competes and he can kick a goal. It would be great if Tyrone Vickery could just be nursed along as a forward but he'll be called on more than that early on. He looks a player though. Angus Graham needs to add more strings to his bow.

ST KILDA
Rhys Stanley looks like an absolute cracker. Anyone with that athleticism and pace could be a really dangerous opponent. Michael Gardiner and Steven King have both been All-Australians because of their stoppage work and ability to take a mark up forward. Ben McEvoy's gone forward and rucked well, but Stanley's the one I love. Adam Pattison has looked one-dimensional from the time he was drafted by Richmond.

SYDNEY SWANS
The ones I have in front at the Swans are the ones who can play forward, so Shane Mumford - who competes really well - Mark Seaby and Daniel Currie. I think Mike Pyke is a bit more one-dimensional while Jesse White would need to improve his stoppage work before being given a more prominent run on the footy.

WEST COAST
Dean Cox is the best ruckman of the last decade because he's been almost as hard as anyone to compete against at the centre bounce, and then his ability to run around and rack up midfield numbers is unmatched. We all saw what Naitanui is capable of, and how brilliant is it for him to be able to learn from Cox? A perfect scenario for West Coast.

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Jordan Roughead and Ayce Cordy are both capable of being very good forwards and exceptional ruckmen, and that will put pressure on Will Minson. Ben Hudson, prior to Naitanui coming along, almost changed the game in terms of second efforts. His work in the 10m area after a stoppage - to tackle and follow up - is outstanding, so that's his big point of difference.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.