RICHMOND big man Ivan Maric believes Adelaide counterpart Sam Jacobs should be getting as much credit for his ruck work this season as record-breaking pair Aaron Sandilands and Todd Goldstein.

Jacobs ranks No.5 in the AFL for overall hit-outs (averaging 34.5 a game) behind Goldstein (43.6), Sandilands (43.2) and West Coast star Nic Naitanui (32.5). 

Maric believes Giant Shane Mumford, who is ranked No.3 for overall hit-outs (averaging 38.5 a game), set the standard for ruck work in 2015 before his season-ending ankle injury.

Among that group, however, Jacobs is a clear No.1 for marks and disposals, influencing games with his work around the ground more than any other permanent ruckman. 

"For some reason no one wants to talk about Sam Jacobs," said Maric, who played with Jacobs for the Crows in 2011.

"He's getting the ball around the ground and getting hit-outs, and he's been doing for years without getting recognition for it.

"Sandilands and Todd (Goldstein) are getting a lot of hit-outs and they always will because they're so tall and have those long arms." 

Maric told AFL.com.au there was plenty of competition among ruckmen in 2015, with players such as Geelong's Mark Blicavs influencing games without getting so many hit-outs. 

The benchmark now that Mumford was injured came down to a choice of two, the 29-year-old said.  

"Todd Goldstein is doing a pretty good job and Sam Jacobs – I reckon it's between those two guys for me," he said. 

"Shane Mumford was up there because he was impacting the game in so many ways, not just in the ruck but with his follow-up work.

"You need different tactics every week because there's such a variety of ruckmen now." 

Maric said his focus this year has been improving his second and third efforts, and his average contested possessions (9.0) and clearances (4.64) have lifted to career highs as a result. 

He said his past two weeks have been tough, but his form overall has been helped by the Tigers' expanded tall forward line, which now includes Ty Vickery and Ben Griffiths as regular fixtures. 

"The ruck support improved and it's a lot better, rather than leaving it to one person to do all the ruck work," he said. 

"You can't be doing that for a whole season. You really need to share the load.

"It's helped with my impact on the game definitely because you can go hard, recover, and then come back into it.

"I'm the same as our midfielders, we just want to scrap and fight and just compete, compete week after week. I feel like I've done that pretty good so far."