Tuck continues to defy the odds and is in career-best form nine rounds into the 2012 season.
The 30-year-old is averaging 25.2 disposals per game, which is up on his overall career disposals average of 23.5.
He is ranked fourth overall for total disposals at Tigerland, fifth for inside-50 entries, second for tackles and first for clearances.
Those statistics further underline the great value Tuck has provided Richmond since being selected by the Club with its seventh round pick - No. 73 overall - in the 2003 National Draft.
Tuck, as a mature-age recruit of 22, made his senior league debut against Brisbane at the Gabba in Round 14 of the 2004 season and played another two games for Richmond that year.
In his first full season of AFL football, in 2005, he finished third in the Club’s Best and Fairest award.
That was the start of Tuck’s amazing run in the Jack Dyer Medal.
In seven full seasons, from 2005-11, Tuck has finished in the top 10 of the B & F on six occasions, with his best result being runner-up to Brett Deledio in 2008. Last year, where he managed just 10 appearances with Richmond, was the only time he hasn’t had a top-10 finish.
Tuck’s status as a ‘ball-magnet’ is exemplified by the fact that 66 times in his 149 league games to date, he has collected 25 or more disposals in a match. He picked up a career-high 38 disposals against Geelong in Round 6 of the 2010 season at Simonds Stadium.
One of Tuck’s midfield teammates, Trent Cotchin, this week sang the praises of the hard-working, popular, ‘blue-collar’ Tiger.
“I think the best thing about ‘Tucky’ is his character,” Cotchin said.
“He’s never given up, he keeps fighting . . . He knows his boundaries and limitations and stays within those.
“He always wants to learn and he sat down with the coaching group at the start of the year about his defensive stuff because he thought that was the area he needed to improve in.
“Tucky knows his role now within the side, and he’s playing to that each week.
“He’s actually played on a couple of the guns of the competition, in Josh Kennedy and Jobe Watson, so it’s another learning experience for him.”
