STINGY Adelaide full-back Ben Rutten is making an early play for All-Australian selection and the 2007 'Reverse Coleman Medal,' Mark Stevens writes.
Truck stop: Adelaide Crow Ben Rutten is tackled by Port Adelaide's Greg Bentley in a South Australian derby at AAMI Stadium. Picture: Jo-Anna Robinson
Ben Rutten kicked goals with his first three kicks in AFL football.
The man they call "Truck" was tipped to kick a semi-trailer load after that dream 2003 debut.
From then on, he has been hell-bent on making sure no one else shares such joy.
Rutten has added only two more goals in 66 games for Adelaide since that first outing.
It is Rutten's stats at the other end of the ground that have become his trademark.
In seven games at full-back this year, Rutten has conceded just seven goals.
And consider this list of opponents: Jonathan Brown, Barry Hall, Matthew Pavlich, Warren Tredrea, Matthew Lloyd and Anthony Rocca.
Rutten's only reasonably relaxing day at the office was in Round 2 when he spent 60 minutes on young Western Bulldog Andrew McDougall.
Not once this season has Rutten had more than two goals kicked on him.
He is leading the 2007 Reverse Coleman Medal -- The Nameloc (Coleman spelt backwards), rewarding the most stingy full-back.
An All-Australian in 2005, Rutten was stiff to miss out last year after conceding just 30 goals in 24 games.
The selectors have no choice but to sit up and take notice again. He has to be in front in the race for the 2007 full-back spot.
The full-back who has the least kicked on him should fill that role in the All-Australian team. Plain and simple.
Same with the full-forward. The Coleman Medal winner should be automatically plonked in the goalsquare.
Rutten's challengers for the spot are Darren Glass (West Coast) and Matthew Scarlett (Geelong).
Glass has had 10 kicked on him in seven games. Scarlett has conceded nine in seven. But perhaps his main threat is Port Adelaide full-back Darryl Wakelin. The veteran is tracking at seven from six.
Bulldog Brian Harris has had nine kicked on him in five games, but would have picked up bonus points for averaging 17 disposals and providing so much defensive rebound.
But if a full-back's main job is to stop goals, it has to be Rutten so far.
Rutten's case was strengthened on Saturday night when he confronted Brown at the Gabba.
Before the contest, Brown was averaging 15 disposals and eight marks.
But the most important Brown stat was his influence on the scoreboard. Entering the clash against Adelaide, the Lions co-skipper was averaging a scoreboard impact of 29 points a game -- scores kicked himself, plus score assists.
Brown kicked two goals, but had just nine disposals and five marks. He could not manage a single assist.
Rutten spent 88 minutes on Tredrea in Round 3 and restricted him to one goal.
In Round 4, he spent 110 minutes on Hall and conceded only one.
Pavlich couldn't kick a goal on Rutten in 110 minutes in Round 5.
And Rutten didn't allow Rocca the luxury of a goal in 102 minutes in Round 6.
Only the battle-weary David Neitz has given Rutten trouble in recent times.
Neitz kicked four on Rutten in Round 3 last year and helped himself to another five in Round 22.
And Luke Darcy kicked six on Rutten in Round 5, 2005. It confirmed in Darcy's mind he was close to career-best form. Trouble is Darcy's knee buckled for the first time in the next game against Geelong.
At least through his gruelling recovery, Darcy could cling to the night he clunked the "Truck" out of gear.
Very few can lay claim to that feat.
