Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Hawthorn rucks Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek have turned an unusual rotation plan into one of the most effective tactical features of the 2026 AFL season. Their success has helped Hawthorn Football Club control stoppages while giving coach Sam Mitchell another way to use the expanded five-player interchange bench.
The pair rarely appear on the field together, despite both being selected as specialist ruckmen. Instead, Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek regularly replace each other directly, ensuring Hawthorn Football Club almost always have a rested big man around stoppages and long contests.
The approach will receive another test during the run toward finals, while Chris Fagan prepares Brisbane Lions for a new-look West Coast Eagles in another late-season tactical challenge.
Why Two-Ruck Systems Have Returned
The second specialist ruck had largely disappeared from AFL team sheets because clubs valued speed and mobility under restricted interchange rules. Most coaches preferred one primary ruckman supported by a forward who could handle short relief spells.
The removal of the substitute and expansion to a five-player interchange bench gave clubs room to reconsider that model. Some teams initially used the additional position for an impact player who remained on the bench for an extended period before entering the match.
Scott Pendlebury provided one successful example when he spent the first 20 minutes of Collingwood Football Club’s opening-round match on the bench before producing a strong performance. However, the tactic has become less common as the season has progressed.
Impact interchange roles were used 19 times through the opening four rounds but only five times during the most recent month covered by the analysis. Port Adelaide Football Club and Sydney Swans have used that approach more often than most rivals.
Hawthorn Football Club chose size instead. The fifth bench position allowed Sam Mitchell to select two specialist ruckmen without removing a runner from his preferred on-field structure.
“We haven't used the double rucks in quite a long time, and obviously there is a little bit of risk,” Sam Mitchell said earlier this year.
“But Ned (Reeves) has been a really high performer, even though he hasn't played a lot of AFL footy in the last 18 months.”
Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek Work in Shifts
Ned Reeves appeared likely to leave Hawthorn Football Club when rival interest emerged after the 2025 season. Sam Mitchell instead convinced the 210cm ruckman that he could play alongside Lloyd Meek rather than compete with him for one senior position.
The roles suit their different physical qualities. Lloyd Meek provides strength in body-to-body contests, while Ned Reeves offers height and a strong centre-bounce presence.
“So it's a nice little one-two package where we can throw some different looks at the oppo (opposition),” Ned Reeves said.
“I think that a little bit less game time has allowed me to run out of games a bit better.”
Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek completed direct, full-game swaps in four matches, with one leaving the field whenever the other entered. Across the rest of the AFL, teams combined for only three other examples of specialist rucks rotating exclusively for an entire match.
The arrangement keeps both players fresh enough to reach stoppages, cover defensive exits and contest long kicks down the line. It also ensures Hawthorn Football Club do not have to use an undersized forward against a rested opposition ruckman.
The official Hawthorn Football Club update on Ned Reeves reported that he averaged 25.7 hitouts and 8.7 hitouts to advantage through his first six matches of 2026. Those numbers came while sharing the position with Lloyd Meek.
Stoppage Control Drives Hawthorn Football Club
A ruckman’s work extends beyond hitouts. Preventing fast opposition transitions, bringing high kicks to ground and offering a marking target are all central to Hawthorn Football Club’s plan.
Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek have helped turn Hawthorn Football Club into one of the AFL’s strongest stoppage teams. Their ability to overpower part-time ruckmen gives teammates a better chance of winning first possession.
Neither player dominates every statistical category alone. Together, however, their combined work compares with leading ruckmen such as Rowan Marshall, Brodie Grundy and Tristan Xerri across marking, clearances, intercepts, goals and spoils.
The structure also gives Hawthorn Football Club options against athletic opponents such as Fremantle Football Club ruck Luke Jackson. Sam Mitchell believes two specialists can force opposition big men to defend as well as attack.
“Having the two rucks gives us, on paper, an advantage against teams with someone like him (Luke Jackson),” Sam Mitchell said.
Rival Clubs Test Similar Plans
Brisbane Lions have reduced the time Sam Draper and Darcy Fort spend together on the field since their mid-season bye. Darcy Fort now plays about half a match, allowing Eric Hipwood to remain part of the tall structure without sacrificing too much speed.
Melbourne Football Club have also recalled Max Heath to support Max Gawn. Earlier appearances together showed similarities with the Hawthorn Football Club model, with shorter shifts helping both ruckmen remain efficient.
Fremantle Football Club have taken a different route by playing two ruckmen together more often than any other side. Three teams inside the current top six have tested some version of the split-ruck plan.
Teams selecting two ruckmen against one have gained first possession about five more times per match this season. They have also outscored single-ruck opponents overall, although the success of the clubs using the tactic may influence those figures.
Finals football will provide the strongest examination of whether the system can last. If Hawthorn Football Club’s dual-ruck plan holds up under September pressure, other AFL clubs may enter 2027 searching for their own version of Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek.
