Sam Jacobs is Adelaide’s superhero, says former coach Brenton Sanderson

THERE is no secret identity involved here - ruckman Sam Jacobs is the Crows’ man of steel. Andrew Capel examines why “Sauce” is a ruck superhero for the Adelaide Football Club.

AFL - Showdown 38 - Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. Matthew Lobbe and Sam Jacobs. Photo Sarah Reed

FORMER Crows coach Brenton Sanderson says he held his breath for three years hoping ruckman Sam Jacobs wouldn’t get injured.

“Because he’s as important as anyone in that football team,’’ Sanderson said of Adelaide’s No.1 big man.

“Where most clubs do pinch-hit someone else in the ruck, it’s all Sam Jacobs at Adelaide and when I was coaching there (from 2012-14) we had to have our fingers crossed every week that Sam wouldn’t go down.

“Most clubs do get another player to come in and do a significant amount of ruckwork but Sam does about 90 per cent each game and has done for four years now.

“He is amazing and the amount of minutes that he plays in one of the hardest positions on the ground shouldn’t be ignored.

“He’s a critical member of that Adelaide Crows outfit.’’

Jacobs is Adelaide’s man of steel.

In the past four seasons only great rival Todd Goldstein from North Melbourne matches Jacobs for games played by ruckmen and involvement in ruck contests.

The 202cm giant nicknamed “Sauce’’ because of his red hair is worth bottling.

A trade steal from Carlton at the end of 2010 — the Crows nabbed the Yorke Peninsula boy for national draft picks 34 (Patrick McCarthy) and 67 (Andrew McInnes) — Jacobs has missed just one match since the start of the 2012 season.

That was against Geelong in round 18, 2012, when he was a late withdrawal with a strained hamstring.

He has played 69 consecutive matches — the highest current sequence at Adelaide.

Small forward Eddie Betts ranks second with 53.

Bodywork ... Sam Jacobs of the Crows gets front position as he grapples with Richmond’s Shaun Hampson at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Ben Macmahon (AAP)

And Jacobs has done it the hard way.

Exclusive Champion Data statistics illustrate just how tough, durable, good and important the 27-year-old is to the Crows.

Since Ivan Maric bolted for Richmond at the end of 2011 Jacobs has single-handedly carried the ruck.

Only Goldstein — a Brownlow Medal favourite this season — has played as many games in the ruck as Jacobs (85).

In those 85 games Jacobs has played an average of 107:03 minutes or 87.5 per cent of game time.

This season he is averaging 84.8 ruck contests a game — second only to Goldstein’s 87.6.

Goldstein and Jacobs are the AFL’s two ruck ironmen.

They have taken 88.7 and 86.1 per cent of their club’s ruck contests this year — well ahead of their nearest rival Maric (70.7).

And Jacobs, who gets the occasional ruck chop-out from key forward Josh Jenkins, is super-effective.

He ranks in the top four ruckmen in the league for rankings points (106), disposals (15.4), hit-outs-to-advantage (12.4), hit-outs-to-advantage rate (34.6 per cent) and score launches (3.8).

The concern for the Crows as they chase a first finals appearance since 2012 is just how much of a toll Jacobs’ extraordinary workrate is taking on his body, particularly the constant bash-and-crash ruckwork.

He says he is coping well and has actually increased his training loads in recent weeks to “make sure my body is ready to go for the back part of the year’’.

Far from crying out for help, Jacobs says he loves being Adelaide’s go-to guy in the ruck.

“I like being in rhythm and feeling like I’m in the game and playing big minutes in the ruck is a big part of that,’’ he said.

“I’ve been doing it for a long time now and the coaches know it’s something that I really enjoy.’’

Sam Jacobswins the tap ahead of the Suns’ Zac Smith. Picture: Ben Macmahon (AAP)

SAUCE WORTH BOTTLING

Sam Jacobs has carried the ruck in the past four years while missing just one game. Only his great rival, North Melbourne’s Todd Goldstein, matches the man nicknamed “Sauce’’ for durability and ruck contest involvement.

Average ruck contests per game

Todd Goldstein (NM) 87.6

Sam Jacobs (Adel) 84.8

Shane Mumford (GWS) 84.6

Matthew Lobbe (Port) 82.0

Max Gawn (Melb) 76.8

Percentage of club ruck contests

Todd Goldstein (NM) 88.7

Sam Jacobs (Adel) 86.1

Ivan Maric (Rich) 70.7

Aaron Sandilands (Frem) 67.0

Matthew Lobbe (Port) 60.2

Ruckmen game time

Ruckman	Games	Ave game time	Per cent game time
Paddy Ryder (Port)	14	117:06	93.3
Stefan Martin (Bris)	16	112:18	91.0
Sam Jacobs (Adel)	17	111:31	88.6
Todd Goldstein (NM)	18	110:01	89.9
Matthew Lobbe (Port)	15	107:48	84.8

Ruckmen game time 2012-15

Ruckman	Games	Ave game time	Per cent game time
Todd Goldstein (NM)	85	111:21	91.6
Jonathan Giles (GWS/Ess)	53	109:08	89.2
Ivan Maric (Rich)	72	107:28	89.5
Will Minson (WB)	73	107:08	88.3
Sam Jacobs (Adel)	85	107:03	87.5

Sam Jacobs’ ruck rankings 2015

Category	Average	AFL ranking
Ranking points	106	4
Disposals	15.4	3
Uncontested poss	9.1	2
Hit-outs	35.9	5
Hit-outs win %	42.3	9
Hit-outs to adv	12.4	3
Hit-outs to adv %	34.6	1
Score launches	3.8	2

The number

69: Consecutive games played by Sam Jacobs - the highest current sequence at Adelaide.