Hardwick said Ivan Soldo, who has back-filled for Nankervis since May, had been “really good” and removing him from the ruck position would be a tough decision.
“Whether we go by a ruck-by committee approach going forward for the remainder of the year is to be seen,” he said.
“Soldo vs the talls, [Nankervis] vs possibly the smaller-type ruckmen.” Soldo stands at a commanding 2.04m while Nankervis is slightly shorter at 1.99 metres.
"That's something that we've now got up our sleeve that we're really excited about." - Damien Hardwick
The extent of Nankervis’ injury has meant he couldn’t have been “combative” in the ruck contest, Hardwick said, and it was in the club’s best interests to give him another week off.
“Trying to tell [Nankervis] that was pretty tough as you can imagine. He’s a very competitive man who wants to play,” Hardwick said.
“He understands where we are at the moment and he also understands how important he is to the makeup of our side.”
Nankervis will play his third straight VFL game this weekend, following a lengthy absence since round eight due to an adductor injury. But his return to the senior side for the clash against Carlton is set to shake up the ruck division.
Source: The Age &
AFL website
