The opening nine weeks of 2015 has unearthed young guns in Touk Miller and Adam Saad, but in the same stretch of time ruckman Tom Nicholls has reminded the football landscape of his innate ability in the middle of the ground.
 
After overcoming a serious knee injury that ended his season prematurely last year, Nicholls has gone from strength to strength in the last month with a handful of commanding performances in the ruck. His work at ground level has been particularly eye-catching with the athletic tall prepared to roll up his sleeves when the ball hits the ground.
 
In a bygone era, ruckmen were simply on the ground for their tap work and not much else. In today’s game they are required to be a fourth midfielder, capable of high mileage and competitive both in the air and on the ground.
 
Nicholls' deft touch by hand sees him ranked equal third in the competition with Greater Western Sydney big man Shane Mumford for hitouts to advantage percentage. But his ability to tackle and pressure opponents is also a cornerstone of his game – emphasised by an impressive average of 5.3 tackles per game. A skill he attributes to time spent on a basketball court as a kid.
 
“I think everyone’s got their traits that they’re naturally good at and that comes naturally to me to some extent. I played a lot of basketball as a young kid I find that has helped – you’re a bit aware of the traffic around you,” Nicholls told reporters at Metricon Stadium on Tuesday.
 
“It’s probably my number one focus going into games. Being the number one tackling ruckman was my aim, whether I’ll get there only time will tell. It’s definitely a massive focus for me for sure.”
 
Nicholls’ rich vein of form has forced the competition to take notice of his feats, but despite the praise coming his way, the inaugural SUN is far from satisfied with where his game currently stands.
 
“I’ve still got miles to go. I’ve been working hard with 'Matty' Primus on all those areas; my running capabilities, pushing forward, pushing back, running at speed, running at high intensity, trying not to walk during games. I’ve definitely got a lot of room for improvement in all areas,” Nicholls said.
 
One thing is for sure; Nicholls won’t be resting on his laurels. And with Zac Smith in the reserves and Keegan Brooksby forcing his way into the ones, Nicholls knows he doesn’t have the liberty to be content. But by season’s end, he may well be in the top echelon of ruckmen in the game.