Is Ken Hinkley’s new ruck combination up for the big challenge that is North Melbourne’s Todd Goldstein?
The ruck duo of Paddy Ryder and Peter Ladhams has been an early success for Ken Hinkley but the Round 22 match-up with Todd Goldstein will be the pair’s first real test.
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There was plenty of backlash when Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley dropped star recruit Scott Lycett for the Round 20 clash with the Bombers.
But Hinkley’s decision to promote Peter Ladhams to partner a rejuvenated Paddy Ryder has been vindicated — for the time being, at least.
In the past two matches, the duo have attended 160 ruck contests between them and combined for 88 hitouts — 25 of them to advantage as the Power won consecutive games for the first time since Round 6.
Ryder has led the way with his ruck craft, putting the ball to a teammate’s advantage 14 times — eight against the Swans last week — but it’s Ladhams’ work around the ground which has been key to the duo’s early success.
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“I think the combination is a really productive one for us at the moment,” Power assistant coach Brett Montgomery said.
“He (Ladhams) has added a different dimension to our game, he is good on the ground and he is really quick.”
Against the Swans, Ladhams finished with the second-most contested possessions (12), clearances (7), inside-50s (6) and score involvements (6) for the Power and his 23 disposals was third-only to Darcy Byrne-Jones (28) and co-captain Tom Jonas (24).
The 202cm 21-year-old has showcased his ability as a ball-winning big man in the SANFL all season, tallying 21 disposals, 21 hitouts, seven clearances and three goals against South Adelaide the week prior to his senior re-call.
As coach Ken Hinkley said post-match, Ladhams has “shown some special form”, which forced his hand at selection.
But while the Ladhams-Ryder duo is a dynamic one, Port Adelaide’s opponent on Saturday night has a ruckman who does it all on his own.
North Melbourne’s Todd Goldstein presents the new Power combination with its first real challenge.
In Round 19, the Bombers had second-choice big man Zac Clarke leading the ruck and last week at Adelaide Oval, the makeshift Sydney trio of four-gamer Hayden McLean, defender Aliir Aliir and swingman Sam Reid struggled to make a contest.
The opposition combined for just 42 hitouts — 11 of them to advantage — against the Power in the past two rounds.
On his own, Goldstein has amassed 70 total hitouts and 25 hitouts-to-advantage — equal to Ladhams and Ryder combined — after making 138 rucks contests, in his past two matches.
While he only had 10 touches in last week’s disappointing loss to the Cats, the 31-year-old finished with 22 disposals, 11 contested possessions and five marks against the Hawks in Round 20.
Of all ruckmen to play five or more games this season, Goldstein ranks in the top-five for disposals, hitouts-to-advantage, total hitouts, score involvements and uncontested possessions.
Hinkley acknowledged the injuries to a heavily undermanned Sydney ruck department but it was up to his midfield unit to capitalise on the ruck dominance.
And it did, winning the clearances by seven and recording a centre-clearance differential of +11.
On the other hand, North Melbourne was unable to take advantage of Goldstein’s ruck work against the Cats.
“We won the hitouts, we just couldn’t get our hands on the ball,” Kangaroos coach Rhyce Shaw said of his side’s lacklustre midfield performance.
Geelong won the contested possession count by 34 and the clearances by 20.
“We got beaten pretty convincingly in the contest. Geelong gave us a lesson inside, it’s as simple as that,” Shaw said.
While the Power duo’s battle with Goldstein might really prove if Hinkley’s recent moves at selection were the right ones — or not — it will be the performance of both midfield units, as a whole, which is likely to decide the game.