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Forgotten big man Reilly O’Brien declares he wants Sam Jacobs’ job as Adelaide’s No. 1 ruckman

Developing big man Reilly O’Brien has boldly thrown down the gauntlet to his ruck mentor Sam Jacobs, declaring he is coming after his job as Adelaide’s lead ruckman.

Reilly O'Brien leads the Crows from the field after a win against Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval in 2016. Picture: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images
Reilly O'Brien leads the Crows from the field after a win against Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval in 2016. Picture: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images

Reilly O’Brien has boldly thrown down the gauntlet to Crows ruck mentor Sam Jacobs, declaring he is coming after his job.

In an off-season where Adelaide rejected talk that it needed to sign an experienced ruckman as insurance for 30-year-old triple All-Australian nominee Jacobs, his understudy O’Brien says he is ready to not only support him but challenge him for the No. 1 ruck mantle.

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“Sauce (Jacobs) is obviously a champion so I’ll have to do a lot to get that (ruck) spot off him but I’m pushing for it, absolutely I am,’’ said forgotten big man O’Brien, whose two AFL games came more than two years ago.

“I’m not going to sit around waiting for him to get injured so that I can play.

“I want to take his spot and make it my own. Obviously he’s not going to want to let me do that but it’s definitely my plan.’’

A rookie list pick-up at the end of 2014 from Victorian TAC Cup side Calder Cannons, O’Brien’s only two AFL appearances came in rounds 20 and 21 in 2016 when ironman Jacobs was sidelined with an ankle injury.

Reilly O’Brien (right) with Crows lead ruckman Sam Jacobs at the 2017 AFL grand final parade. Picture: Sarah Reed
Reilly O’Brien (right) with Crows lead ruckman Sam Jacobs at the 2017 AFL grand final parade. Picture: Sarah Reed

Now 23, O’Brien performed well against Brisbane and Fremantle, averaging 14 disposals and 23 hit-outs and kicking a goal.

But he has not been seen at AFL level since, despite strong form in the SANFL, because of Jacobs’ consistency and remarkable durability.

Jacobs has not missed a game since O’Brien last played.

He hurt his back in round eight against Port Adelaide last year but — with O’Brien sidelined with a serious shoulder injury — he played out the season under duress.

It was only at the end of the season when Jacobs revealed just. how sore he was and that he could have done with a spell.

O’Brien picked the wrong time to get hurt.

Adelaide's Reilly O'Brien marks strongly in an SANFL clash against Glenelg in May 2018. Picture: AAP Image/Brenton Edwards
Adelaide's Reilly O'Brien marks strongly in an SANFL clash against Glenelg in May 2018. Picture: AAP Image/Brenton Edwards

He dislocated his left shoulder while attempting a tackle in the SANFL against Norwood at The Parade in round five.

With the shoulder put back in the joint, O’Brien — a man mountain at 202cm and 105kg — continued to soldier on.

“But it wasn’t quite right and kept popping out in the next few weeks because in the ruck you are using your shoulders and strength all the time,’’ he said.

“It was tough and then against the Eagles (at Woodville in round 10) it popped out three times and was pretty painful every time, so I had to have the surgery.

“The surgeon found it wasn’t too messed up, just a little unstable, so they gave me a labral repair (where the lip around the socket of the ball-and-socket shoulder joint is sewn back together).

Reilly O'Brien during Adelaide Crows training at Noarlunga Oval in December. Picture: AAP Image/Kelly Barnes
Reilly O'Brien during Adelaide Crows training at Noarlunga Oval in December. Picture: AAP Image/Kelly Barnes

“It’s more than six months now since the surgery and I'm fully recovered. I feel that if there was a game tomorrow I would be available to play.’’

O’Brien described the timing of his injury as “definitely frustrating’’, knowing he missed a golden opportunity to replace good mate Jacobs in the AFL team.

“I'd had a big pre-season and to get to round five and do my shoulder was really disappointing,’’ he said.

“One of the reasons I kept going was because I wanted to push for a senior game but in the end I had no choice but to get the surgery done.

“An AFL opportunity might have opened up for me at some stage but there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“I got hurt and just had to focus on my recovery and putting myself in a position to have a good crack at it again next year.’’

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O’Brien said he heard the outside noise about the Crows needing to recruit a mature-age, ready-to-go ruckman in the off-season, with Power premiership ruckman Dean Brogan saying they needed to look at Hawthorn’s Jonathon Ceglar, St Kilda’s Tom Hickey, North Melbourne’s Braydon Preuss and South Adelaide’s Keegan Brooksby.

Hickey and Brooksby signed with West Coast and Preuss with Melbourne.

“I heard a little bit of that but it doesn’t faze me too much,’’ said O’Brien, who models his game on Collingwood star Brodie Grundy and GWS’s Shane Mumford because of their similar crash-and-bash style.

“I’m backing myself in and believe that I can play good AFL football.

“I just haven’t been able to show my full potential because of my lack of AFL opportunities and my injury last year.

“I’m looking forward to showing people what I can do this year.’’

While hometown rival Port will field arguably the best ruck combination in the league this season, with new recruit Scott Lycett to share the duties with 2017 All-Australian Paddy Ryder, O’Brien is not certain that he and Jacobs can play in the same 22 because both are natural ruckmen who aren’t renowned for their goalkicking.

Adelaide’s Reilly O'Brien battles Richmond’s Toby Nankervis. Picture: Michael Klein
Adelaide’s Reilly O'Brien battles Richmond’s Toby Nankervis. Picture: Michael Klein

The Crows also have last season’s leading goalkicker Josh Jenkins to pinch-hit in the ruck if needed.

“It’s tough for me and ‘Sauce’ to play together because ‘JJ’, who is such a big forward, is the perfect foil for the No. 1 ruckman,’’ O’Brien said.

“Me and ‘Sauce’ are probably more traditional ruckmen as opposed to Ryder and Lycett, who can play forward a bit more.

“I wouldn’t mind playing alongside ‘Sauce’ but with the way our team is set up that might be tough, so we are more or less fighting for the one spot.’’

O’Brien said it was unfortunate the pair had to stage a head-to-head battle because they are great mates and Jacobs had been his mentor.

“Sauce is one of the nicest blokes on our list so it makes it hard to compete against him,’’ he said.

“He’s been amazing to me, always encouraging me and helping me with my craft and telling me to try to push him.

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“But it’s healthy competition. We are close friends but everyone is at each other on the training track and trying to compete with each other.

“I think we make each other better, which in turn makes the team better.’’

O’Brien, who was promoted from Adelaide’s rookie to senior list in 2017, wants to repay the club for showing so much faith in him.

Not too many AFL players have retained their spot on a list after playing just two games in four years.

“They have shown a lot of faith in me, which I have appreciated,’’ said O’Brien, who is well ahead in the pecking order of the Crows’ other two ruckmen, rookie-listed Paul Hunter and Kieran Strachan.

“They have backed me in and I want to repay that faith this year, hopefully play a good role for the team in the ones.

“I’ve been training really hard, have put everything into it and hopefully the results will come through.’’

Adelaide Crow Reilly O'Brien paces new Crows co-captain Rory Sloane at Thebarton Oval. Picture: Supplied
Adelaide Crow Reilly O'Brien paces new Crows co-captain Rory Sloane at Thebarton Oval. Picture: Supplied

REILLY THE RUNNING MAN

Reilly O’Brien has shaved an amazing 25 seconds off his personal best for the 2km time trial this pre-season as he tries to ramp up the pressure on Crows’ ruck incumbent Sam Jacobs.

And he has gone within centimetres of winning a bet with housemate Jake Kelly in the club’s endurance test.

O’Brien ran the 2km time trial in 6 minutes, 14 seconds when the full Adelaide playing squad returned to training in November, smashing his previous best time of 6:39 last year.

Adelaide ruckman Reilly O'Brien in the changerooms after playing in his first AFL win for the club in 2016. Picture: Sarah Reed
Adelaide ruckman Reilly O'Brien in the changerooms after playing in his first AFL win for the club in 2016. Picture: Sarah Reed

The powerhouse ruckman finished just behind excitement machine Wayne Milera and defender Kelly to illustrate the bucketload of work he has put in since undergoing a shoulder reconstruction.

“It was really good to do that, a little bit surprising,’’ O’Brien told The Advertiser.

“I had a bit of a head start on the other boys, having probably started my pre-season earlier because of the shoulder surgery, and after missing so much footy I also had that drive and motivation to work really hard.

“I have put in a lot of work so it was nice to see some good results.’’

Teammate Tom Lynch said O’Brien was a “man on the mission’’ after missing so much football in 2018.

O’Brien said he had been able to dramatically improve his running while also adding 2kg of muscle.

“To be able to improve my running so much while putting on weight has been pleasing because I didn’t want to lose any of my power,’’ he said.

O’Brien said the only negative was failing to beat good mate Kelly in the time trial when he thought he had him covered.

“We had a little bet on the first one (run) because he is always right up the front,’’ he said.

“He is very competitive and I was running up to him and thought I was going to pass him when he turned around and saw me and didn’t let me pass.

“We recorded the same time but he beat me by about a foot and has let me know about it regularly since.’’

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/teams/adelaide/forgotten-big-man-reilly-obrien-declares-he-wants-sam-jacobs-job-as-adelaides-no-1-ruckman/news-story/235a7410b43df409f463578f640c4e90