It's a question that has been asked throughout football history but is still debatable today.
Hawthorn went tall early in the year, playing Brent Renouf and David Hale as well as its two power forwards for moderate results. The Hawks then realised the value of mobility so threw Jarryd Roughead into a forward/onball position where he has thrived, highlighted by his 22 possessions against Fremantle on Sunday.
St Kilda has always used a few talls in their forward structure to assist skipper Nick Riewoldt but over the last few weeks have gone smaller in their forward set-up.
And debate now rages over Essendon playing three ruckmen (Tom Bellchambers, Paddy Ryder and David Hille) in the one team. This has meant that two of the trio need to be played forward, making them look top-heavy.
Coach James Hird has qualified the move, saying he considers Ryder and Hille to be forwards rather than just ruckmen, but the stats tell us with the pair down forward, Essendon cannot mark the ball or score once they enter its forward 50.
From rounds eight to 11 the Bombers were first for forward 50 entries, yet 16th for marks and 17th for goals once inside their attacking zone. Clearly something is not working and the stats point to the big men.
Many teams have tried and failed when parking ruckmen close to goal.
Traditionally, ruckmen who have succeeded played forward first, and learnt their trade before moving into the ruck, rather than the other way around.
Past champions such as Paul Salmon, Simon Madden, Peter Moore and Peter Everitt were capable of making this tactic work by concentrating on forward play early in their careers. In recent times, Cat Brad Ottens comes to mind as a player who fits this mould, making him far more comfortable when moving forward as we saw with his five goals against the Bulldogs on Saturday.
During the trade period, Hale had to find a new home after languishing in the VFL unable to hold down a key forward post at the Kangaroos.
Earlier this year, Shaun Hampson, Tom Hawkins and Matthew Leuenberger all trialled as forwards with little success. In Hawkins' case, the Cats need to figure out if he is a key forward or forward/ruck similar to Roughead.
This is not suggesting a big man up forward can't work. You only had to be at the MCG Saturday night to see what impact a strong key forward can have. Travis Cloke dominated in the air taking six contested marks, taking him to 42 for the year - 16 more than his closest rival.
Cloke is a power runner who can charge and present up the ground but has the tank to work hard in all aspects of the game. Stars such as Lance Franklin, Jack Riewoldt, Josh Kennedy and Drew Petrie are others who are all playing strong forward line football.
It appears that the best ruckmen resting forward are the more mobile types such as Kepler Bradley and Leigh Brown. These guys can do their share in the ruck but are athletic and competitive enough to contest both air and ground balls inside forward 50. This is what makes Roughead almost the perfect second ruckman/forward option.
The classic tap ruckmen fail as forwards as they do not understand the nuances of forward play and with their height can be put off balance by a backman who knows his trade. Once the ball is at ground level they do not have the mobility to compete and with forward pressure now at a paramount, these less agile players do not put any perceived pressure on backmen who are comfortable to back their agility and deliver the footy with ease.
Two of the most exciting teams in 2011, Carlton and Essendon, will be faced with this issue over the next fortnight. Everyone at the Blues has been anticipating the return of gun ruckman Matthew Kruezer. With Robert Warnock establishing himself in the ruck, most Blues supporters see Kruezer as the answer to their forward line prayers, but he is a genuine ruck with a big motor.
Kreuzer will never fail in any position as his will to compete will not allow this, but he is not going to become the next Stephen Kernahan or replace the lost Josh Kennedy. The Blues will be far better for having him back but should not expect the world from him as a forward.
The Bombers' challenge is even greater. The return of Michael Hurley will solve some forward issues as he is a true warrior but they will need to make a hard call on at least one of their big guys.
It will be fascinating to watch what transpires.
