IS ONE of the biggest ruck loads in the AFL finally getting to North Melbourne's Todd Goldstein?

After again shouldering almost all of North's ruck load last Friday night against the Blues, Goldstein seemed to hit the wall in the final quarter.

Although the Roo won 10 hitouts that term, he did not have a single disposal as his Carlton opponent Matthew Kreuzer dragged the Blues over the line with six possessions (all contested), three contested marks and two score assists.

It was like watching the leader in a marathon get mowed down by a surging rival as the finish line approached.

Kreuzer's fresher legs even helped him reverse Goldstein's earlier dominance of the ruck contests, turning the Roos 33-23 lead in hit-outs through the first three quarters, into a 16-11 advantage for the Blues in the final term.

When looking for reasons why Goldstein staggered to the line and Kreuzer flew home, their respective ruck loads that night do not stand out, with the Kangaroo big man contesting 81 ruck duels for the evening, marginally more than his counterpart’s 75.

However, Goldstein has shouldered a far heavier ruck load over 2013 than Kreuzer and most other ruckmen.

The 25-year-old has contested 84.3 per cent of the ruck duels in North's games this season, the second heaviest workload in the competition behind the Western Bulldogs' Will Minson (85.2 per cent).

Minson and Goldstein are streets ahead of the next hardest-working ruckmen, Brisbane Lion Matthew Leuenberger and Fremantle's Zac Clarke, who have each taken 70.2 per cent of their team's ruck contests in 2013.

Kreuzer is ranked 20th in the AFL (58.3 per cent).

In terms of game time, Goldstein leads all ruck comers this year, having spent 96.4 per cent of his time on the ground – the fourth-highest amount in the competition and well ahead of the next best ruckman, Minson (90.7 per cent).

Goldstein's workload has seen him fade late in other games this season. In the four matches North has lost this year after leading by more than 30 points, Goldstein averaged one possession in the final quarter.

Since his career-best 2011 season, Goldstein's impact around the ground has waned too.

Forced to step up that year with senior ruck partner Hamish McIntosh sidelined for all but one game, Goldstein averaged 13.7 disposals, 3.5 marks, 4.4 tackles, 4 clearances and 2.5 inside 50s a game.

This year, Goldstein's average output has dipped to 11.1 disposals, 3 marks, 2.9 tackles, 2.3 clearances and 1.4 inside 50s a game.

Goldstein's ruck load in 2011 was only marginally lighter than this year. He contested 83 per cent of North's ruck contests that season and played 93.7 per cent game time.

Again, it might be that the cumulative effect of shouldering more than 80 per cent of North's ruck work for three seasons has worn Goldstein down.

North might need to ease that load to help Goldstein return to his best.

A quick look at the games when Majak Daw relieved Goldstein supports this theory.

When Daw took 13 per cent of North's ruck contests from rounds five to nine, Goldstein's ruck workload fell to 78.1 per cent. In the last quarters of those games, Goldstein averaged 5.6 possessions and had a dominant eight-possession term against the Bulldogs in round seven.

Even if Daw cannot force his way back into North's team this year, the Roos might need to call on Drew Petrie, Robbie Tarrant or Lachie Hansen to lend Goldstein more of a hand in the ruck.