GEELONG coach Chris Scott once said that the problem with kicking goals against West Coast was the fact that powerful ruckman Nic Naitanui would be waiting for the Cats at the next centre bounce.

Coaches haven't expressed that same sentiment about Fremantle superstar Luke Jackson yet, but it is clear that the damaging Docker is quickly becoming a coaches' nightmare as a high impact ruckman in the same way that Naitanui was in his prime. 

Jackson produced arguably the best centre-square performance of any big man in 2026 last Saturday night, with his ruck work against Carlton and ground-level follow-up leading to the Dockers' best scoreboard return from centre clearances since 2019.

The Dockers booted a massive 5.1 from the source, with Jackson putting his own exclamation point on the performance with two thrilling goals on the run out of centre clearances. 

Already established as a star of the competition, the 24-year-old is getting even better with more ruck time and cementing himself as a top-10 player and arguably the game's in-form ruckman.

For Fremantle ruck coach and former Sydney and Richmond big man Sam Naismith, the hard work Jackson put in over the summer while training as a midfielder is starting to pay off.

"His running capacity improved by running with the midfielders and not being stuck with the taller guys, so he started running really well and flying across the ground," Naismith told AFL.com.au this week. 

"But also with his strength, he's a little bit heavier than what he was last year and he's been able to carry that weight and still be explosive and springy and agile with his footwork, so that's been huge.

"I think that the gym program that we've got at the footy club has been suited to him hitting PBs and feeling good. He's been growing and he's going really well."

Key forward Jye Amiss was an important teammate for Jackson over the off-season, with the pair organising to do a lot of gym and running work together, while also increasing their focus on recovery with regular ice bath and sauna sessions.  

Both have clearly built into the season and laid the platform for big campaigns, with Amiss booting 16.8 across his past five games and dominating the recent Western Derby with a club-record nine marks inside 50.

For Jackson, a settled role in the ruck has seen him climb to No.9 in Champion Data's AFL Player Ratings this year, up from No.11 last year and No.47 across 2023-24.

He has been part of the Dockers' most successful centre-square combination for scores this year, alongside Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Murphy Reid, with the Dockers scoring from 33 per cent of ball-ups when that combination is used.

Naismith, who moved into coaching at the end of 2024 when the Dockers called him out of the blue, has quickly built a strong relationship with Jackson and the Dockers' ruck group.

A member of Sydney's Grand Final team in 2016, the 33-year-old has brought ruck knowledge to the big-man brigade after 11 seasons in the AFL as well as empathy for injured players and lessons to share on persistence after enduring four knee reconstructions through his career. 

Sean Darcy is one player in the tight-knit ruck "family" who has endured a frustrating run with injuries, with Naismith praising the big man for the support role he has undertaken coaching young ruck Aiden Riddle as he recovers from calf and concussion setbacks.

"Obviously at footy clubs there's competition for spots, and in previous years they might have been disheartened by seeing one of your mates play ahead of you," Naismith said.

"But I think that the crew that we've got, we've been able to push each other at training and be happy for each other and support each other when we need.

"We wrap our arms around each other, and I think that for Sean, he's obviously been through a little bit recently with his injuries.

"For him to take him (Riddle) under his wing and help him out and sort of coach him in a way has been great for his leadership as well, so he's a big asset to us."

Darcy's absence has contributed to the extended time that Jackson is spending in the ruck, with the big man playing career-high ruck minutes and then rotating forward for short bursts in recent weeks.

Naismith said the settled role was helping the former Melbourne premiership star further build his connection with the Dockers' ground-level midfielders.

"Over the last couple of years, he's probably done a lot of everything, but now he's narrowed it down to doing a lot of ruck time and then split that with some more midfield minutes at training," Naismith said.

"Being around the ball, I think that's what he enjoys and he's always one of those players that can generate something out of nothing.

"So being able to be around the ball and have the first opportunity to do something, every ruckman wants to do that.

"The longer that he spends in the ruck, the more connection he gets with his midfielders, and it's been a few years now working with Andy Brayshaw and Caleb Serong and Hayden Young and those sorts of guys.

"So the more time he spends in there, the better he'll connect."

While Jackson's ruck minutes are up this season and he is proving capable of carrying the demanding role for longer, his overall game time is slightly down with five players on the bench.

Coach Justin Longmuir this week said he was being mindful not to over-work one of his most important players.

"You saw him in the last quarter being able to follow up at ground level and bring that energy, and largely that's because he gets a bit more of a rest during the game," Longmuir said.

"If we treated him like some of the bigger ruckmen who are more bullocking types and use their strength, well then you probably don't have that follow-up late in the game, and we certainly want that follow-up in round 24 and onwards.

"So we've got to think of ways to manage his game time in the ruck to some degree so that we don't wear him out."

The Dockers' centre bounce work has been "solid" this year, Longmuir said, without becoming a prominent score source, with the team ranked No.7 for centre bounce scores differential (+2.1). 

There is optimism, however, that it can become a more significant part of the Dockers' game as Jackson builds momentum, with Darcy due to return from a calf injury in the next three to five weeks.

For Naismith, the next step for Jackson is simply to continue doing what he is doing right now.

Much like Naitanui was for the Eagles, Jackson has grown into an opposition coach's nightmare, but someone his own team and coaches love having on their side on game day and through the week.

"I just love the way that he's jumping for the footy … and I think his style of play definitely benefits with the new rules," Naismith said. 

"For me, [the next step] is probably just continuing to do what he's doing right now. Everyone's happy with how he's going and I don't think anyone needs anything more from him.

"He's a really good person to have at your footy club. He keeps the energy light and I love working with him."