'I just hate that': Harry Van Hattum wants to end ruck disrespectJasper Chellappah
ESPN
Aug 12, 2026Harry Van Hattum is sick of people disrespecting rucks.
In commentary, in the papers, and at November's draft, he's ready to subvert the contempt.
"Lloyd Meek took a mark last night and it was at the start of a chain," Van Hattum recalled to ESPN.
"The commentator was like 'You wouldn't want a ruckman starting a chain, he'll stuff it up.'
"I just hate that. I hate the assumption that ruckmen are s--- kicks or have bad skills. I just want to change that, that's the goal."
Standing 205 centimetres at 18 years of age, Van Hattum is part of the new wave of ruckmen entering the league and bringing a different mentality from those who've gone before.
He's tired of hearing that a player uses the ball well for his size or is doing things he shouldn't be able to do on a footy field.
"You look at Luke Jackson, and he's obviously the present. His point of difference is follow up, elite kicking, elite hands, he just becomes another useful midfielder instead of a dopey, slow ruck.
"That's the way it's going. If you're not quick with elite skills you're just going to become another slow, old ruck. Being able to explode out of stoppage and become another handball receive option... it doesn't matter your size when you're using it well.
"Being able to dart inside 50s and hit forwards on the lead. I pride myself on having elite skills."
Van Hattum is tough, physical and aggressive - as all rucks must be to survive in the centre circle. But he's also a top percentile athlete with a 103cm vertical jump, a shade above Nic Naitanui's then-combine record of 102cm.
Add to it his field kicking, his ball winning, and his aerial presence. It's a combination of the old and the new that makes Van Hattum a wholly different proposition to evaluate.
"I used to be a little bit of a hot head and my dad and manager kind of calmed me down a bit... I've always had that aggression and I feel like aggression makes me play better," he said
"My dad has always said to make a statement in the first five minutes. If I make a big statement in the first five contests or put my knee through them they don't want to run with me the rest of the game."
There's an old school purity in watching two ruckmen go to battle. It's the only position you can bank on one-on-one matchups throughout the three hours on a weekend; a combative and brutal game within the game that makes the position so unique.
Alongside West Coast's Cooper Duff-Tytler and top 2027 hopeful Axel Walsh, Van Hattum offers a glimpse into the future of that ruck battle. It still requires the physical presence of a 205cm frame, but offers more finesse and depth to the craft as they take on responsibilities around the ground.
Van Hattum has arrived just in time to make use of overhauled centre bounce rules, which has made the position a weapon once more.
While hitout averages are down as stoppages drop and more clubs opt for tandem rucks, hitout to advantage numbers are up this year as rucks are forced to run and jump at the ball in centre bounces.
Despite coming into the national championships fresh off injury -- achilles bursitis that ruled Van Hattum out of action for a month -- the Vic Metro ruckman played all four games and had the best hitout win percentage of all ruckmen, per Champion Data.
"The first three Vic Metro games were just really average and I was trying to find my feet again if I'm being honest," Van Hattum admitted to ESPN.
"I don't use injury as an excuse but it's just the context of why.
"I think I need to continue to improve my follow-up and I've lost a bit of fitness without the continuity this year. I want to get to more contests around the ground and get more follow-up to become that extra on-baller.
"I tried to have a big emphasis on that Country game and make a statement. I played a fair bit better but there's still a long way to go."
Van Hattum notched seven disposals in the first term of Metro's clash with Country to round out the championships, making a big statement in a big win.
He's quick to credit Northern Knights coach Anthony Rocca for his physical development, with the former Swan and Pie leading his Talent League side to a top-of-the-table 11-2 record approaching finals.
Van Hattum will be leading from the front as the Knights search for a first premiership since Rocca's era won four straight flags in the 1990s. He's joined by first round talents Sam Gayfer, Harvie Cooke, and Toby Krasna and has been ably assisted in the air by talls Harrison Leeder and Lewis Houndsome.
After pushing for a drought-breaking flag he has an eye toward November's draft and proving that ruckmen are back in vogue.
https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/49558296/afl-draft-2026-harry-van-hattum-vic-metro-ruck-ruckman-richmond-essendon-draft
