THE BIGGEST of the 2023 All-Australian blazers has looked destined to go to Western Bulldogs giant Tim English for most of the season, but there is another ruckman who has made a compelling case to have his measurements considered.

Aside from reigning Trevor Barker Award winner Jack Sinclair and vice-captain Cal Wilkie, no one has had a bigger role in propelling St Kilda back to September than ruckman Rowan Marshall.

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The 27-year-old has quietly compiled dominant displays across the winter months that will give All-Australian selectors plenty to consider when they convene for the final time next week.

Marshall signed a lucrative five-year deal in June last year but has played with the intent of someone fighting for his future, someone fighting to entrench himself in the elite bracket of ruckmen in the AFL.

He is entrenched now.

While English has been the clubhouse leader from the early stages of the season and would be a worthy All-Australian as the No.1 ruck, Marshall has had a monster past two months to make a late charge.
 
Dominant against Geelong last Saturday with 28 hit-outs and 24 disposals to help St Kilda seal a finals berth, Marshall collected eight coaches votes a week earlier in another strong display against Richmond.

He launched the late season surge when he torched West Coast with 34 hit-outs and 26 disposals in round 16 before amassing 30 disposals against Melbourne the week later. He collected seven coaches votes on both games.

Unlike other positions on the ground, only three ruckmen can be considered elite in each category of Champion Data's ratings system. There have been more dominant aerial ruckmen in 2023, but Marshall and English have been the two best all-round rucks in the game this year, much like Brodie Grundy was when he was named All-Australian in 2018 and 2019.

Kieren Briggs has risen from anonymity to be a Champion Data darling since he was given his first shot under Adam Kingsley back in round ten. Since then, the Greater Western Sydney ruckman has manhandled most opponents, but the New South Welshman has only played 13 games in 2023, ruling him out of All-Australian contention.

Fremantle star Sean Darcy was another leading contender across the first half of the season, despite sharing the duty with boom recruit Luke Jackson, who has thrived with added responsibility since Darcy underwent surgery in July to repair a serious ankle injury.

Gold Coast co-captain Jarrod Witts plays off-Broadway and has been perennially overlooked for a spot in the past, despite producing stellar seasons in the sunshine state.

Max Gawn has produced the best individual performances of any ruckmen in 2023, but there haven't been enough of them due to injury and sharing the role with Grundy for him to be strongly considered for a seventh blazer.

St Kilda has a strong history of plucking relative unknown talents out of obscure places in the rookie draft and turning them into important players. Stephen Milne (pick No. 23, 1999) is the pick of the bunch. Jarryn Geary (pick No. 58, 2006) rose from the rookie list to become captain. Zac Dawson (pick No. 13, 2008) and Clinton Jones (pick No. 9, 2006) were important puzzle pieces in the Grand Final era.

Now Marshall is the latest former rookie to ascend to stardom after being selected at pick 10 in the rookie draft of 2016 after starring for North Ballarat in the VFL as a 21-year-old that season.

When that pick went down, then list manager Tony Elshaug sat with his recruiting team in the board room at the club's old base in Seaford and current national recruiting boss Chris Toce submitted the pick back to AFL House. There was no fuss and no fanfare.

Since then, the Portland product has grasped his chance and hasn’t looked back. Come next week, he might end up with an All-Australian blazer on his back.