GIANTS recruit Sam Jacobs still isn’t sure how his team's ruck set-up will work in 2020 but he gets his first chance to put his name at the front of the queue in Saturday's Marsh Community Series clash with Sydney.
Jacobs is expected to be the GINTS' No.1 ruckman this season after crossing from Adelaide, with fellow veteran Shane Mumford to provide the bulk of the assistance, as youngsters Matt Flynn and Kieren Briggs continue to develop in the NEAFL.
However, just how the GIANTS will use Jacobs and Mumford remains a mystery less than a month before the season opener against Geelong at GIANTS Stadium.
The former Crow pointed out that the past two premiership teams in Richmond (Toby Nankervis and Ivan Soldo) and West Coast (Scott Lycett and Nathan Vardy), won their flags with two ruckmen in the side.
He said on Wednesday that he's open to sharing the role with Mumford and believes the two big men can work well together if needed.
"It's definitely positive [that Richmond and West Coast won the premiership playing two ruckmen]", he said.
"He's a guy I have a lot of respect for, having played a lot of footy against each other, so to play with him has been enjoyable.
"He's an absolute competitor, he has a big impact around stoppages, and you know when you play 'Mummy' you're going to earn it, so that's one thing I've tried to learn from him.
"I wasn't here last year but the GIANTS did it at times with (Dawson) Simpson and 'Mummy', so provided we can compete and play a role up forward, there's no reason we can't go with it at some stage this year.
"If opposition teams are starting to use it then I guess it's something we'll look at too.
"First of all, I think it'll come down to who is in form, and the positive thing is that we're all in really good shape.
"How we go (with the rucks) at the start of the year will probably depend on the Marsh Community Series."
Jacobs said he didn't need any reminder about the level of talent available to him at the GIANTS, with captain Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly, Callan Ward, Lachie Whitfield, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper and Matt De Boer all expected to form the backbone of a stacked midfield unit.
Throw in youngsters like Harry Perryman, Tom Green, Jye Caldwell, Jackson Hately and Xavier O'Halloran, and the club is again one of the competition's most formidable onball divisions.
Having returned to pre-season training early in November, Jacobs said he's happy with how his relationship with his midfielders has developed.
"It's been really positive, I haven't missed a session, so I feel like we've gotten a fair amount of work done in there," he said.
"I've tried to spend time with them away from the footy club as well, just to get know them.
"I'm really excited, I didn't need selling on the football side of it (when the GIANTS recruited me), we've got some fantastic players.
"I'm really looking forward to working with them on game day.
"I'm just focusing on what the coaches expect of me on game day and hopefully we can get that chemistry going and put in some really strong performances."
