For this emerging ruck combination, it’s not kicks, handballs and or even hitouts that’s the subject of their fascination. Rather, it’s how the team is faring in the all-important ruck clearances that has them making regular game-time appointments with the Hawks’ numbers men.
“Simon Taylor and I take a bit of ownership and pride in the clearance numbers so every break we have – quarter-time, half-time, three-quarter time – we always ask for the clearance stats because it’s a real honour thing for us,” Campbell told hawthornfc.com.au exclusively after Sunday's game against the Kangaroos.
“We like to get our hands on the footy first and it’s a stat that can demonstrate whether we have control or not so we want to know exactly where we’re at as the game is going on.”
To that end, Campbell and Taylor would have been rapt with the figures that greeted them after Hawthorn’s 21-point win at the weekend.
Trailing by 10 points after what was a scrappy first half, the Hawks asserted their dominance in the second half largely by regularly winning first use of the ball in the middle.
While Sam Mitchell’s 31 possessions and top shelf work around the stoppages were instrumental in turning the game around, Campbell said he and his ruck partner were satisfied with their own contribution in the come-from-behind win.
“Sam makes us look pretty good when he plays like he did in that second half, getting first hands on the footy. Having said that, we make him and those other midfielders look pretty good too,” Campbell laughed.
“But seriously, at the start of pre-season Simon and I got together as a ruck group and we said we wanted to take responsibility for how we go in the centre square. If we go well we’ll take the accolades, but if we stuff up we’ll take responsibility for that too.
“Games like today you feel like you’ve played your part in getting the win so we’ll take that and look to the next challenge.”
While Campbell is happy to highlight the ruck clearances as a particular focus, he is just as adamant that neither of the big men wants to be seen as lumbering dinosaurs who offer little once the ruck contests have been run and won.
“We want to be known as a couple of big blokes who can hunt the footy just as well as the midfielders. When the footy hits the ground it’s like having an extra midfielder.
“The way we approach that is to take the onus on ourselves to run as hard as we can for 10 or 12 minutes, come off and give the other bloke the same time to do a similar job.
“As the quarter goes on we’ll decide what we want to do after that. We might give ourselves a three- or four-minute burst after that.
“For both of us I think it’s not about being number one or number two ruckman; it’s about helping the team and that’s how we want to approach it.”
Next week looms as an even greater challenge for the young Hawthorn outfit, with an appointment with a red-hot Geelong at Aurora Stadium on the cards.
Campbell is relishing the prospect of coming up against Geelong ruck star Brad Ottens, and is even hopeful that former All Australian big man Steven King can force his way back into the side.
“With Ottens playing well and King possibly coming back, we wouldn’t have it any other way. We don’t want to have any excuses; we just want have a crack at the best and see how we go.
“We as a ruck group enjoy the challenge and can’t wait to play Geelong next week.”
