WHILE Port Adelaide has wrestled all year with the dilemma of playing one or two ruckmen, there's no question that Paddy Ryder has thrived when playing as the solo big man.
In his first season since with Port since crossing from Essendon, Ryder has been more than serviceable, and dominated the Hawks last Friday in the Power's best win of the year.
He has notched 365 hit-outs to date, 13th in the League this year. It's Ryder's seventh straight season passing the 300 mark in this category, and the 27-year-old is the best-placed active player to chase after Dean Cox's remarkable record of 13 seasons without dropping below 300 hit-outs.
Check out who else is challenging history this weekend.
| Player | Club | Streak |
|---|---|---|
| Todd Goldstein | North Melbourne | 6 seasons |
| Shane Mumford | GWS/Sydney Swans | 6 seasons |
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | 5 seasons |
| Ivan Maric | Richmond | 4 seasons |
| Mike Pyke | Sydney Swans | 4 seasons |
| Player | Club | Streak |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Lewis | Hawthorn | 39 games |
| Andrew Gaff | West Coast | 30 games |
| David Armitage | St Kilda | 27 games |
| Nat Fyfe | Fremantle | 23 games |
| Josh Kennedy | Sydney Swans | 23 games |
| Club | Streak |
|---|---|
| Melbourne | 7 seasons |
| Greater Western Sydney | 3 seasons |
| Western Bulldogs | 3 seasons |
- Statistics supplied by AFL statistician Cameron Sinclair
