Chiefs of the old ruckman’s union will be mortified this week as the Brisbane Lions big grand final selection sees a civil engineer replace a chartered accountant in the ruck.

Oscar McInerney, ruled out after a double shoulder dislocation last week, is a fully qualified account who through his football days has worked part-time in recent years.

But the heart-breaking story of the absence of ‘Big O’ is matched by the unlikely opportunity that his injury presents to Darcy Fort, who is similarly well qualified.

The pair are in total contrast to the time-worn football adage that ruckmen aren’t necessary the smartest of players.

It’s an out-of-date thing, but in the week of weeks for the Lions ahead of the premiership decider against Sydney at the MCG on Saturday it is the news.

Fort, a 31-year-old football journeyman from Barwon Heads via Geelong, has played only twice at AFL level this year, not at all since Anzac Day and not in a win.

But he has played exceptionally well in the Lions’ VFL side right up until 7 September, and although he missed their last game in the VFL preliminary final on 14 September because he was on emergency duty with the AFL side, he has trained fully right through.

And there is no question whatsoever on his commitment to the team. Look at the post-game footage of the Lions semi-final win over GWS and the first thing you’ll see as the players re-enter the locker room is an ecstatic-plus Fort embracing the players.

Fort, 11 months older than McInerney, exactly the same height and 116 games less experienced, is fully fit according to coach Chris Fagan, in excellent form, and ready to go.

It certainly makes a deal done with Geelong to secure the 204cm ruckman one hour before the end of the trade period on 13 October 2021 critically important.

The club gave up selection #50 in the 2021 National Draft and a future third-round pick for pick #41 for Fort, who was 27 at the time and had played eight games with the Cats in 2019-20.

Brisbane, having got through 2021 with inexperienced ex-basketballer Archie Smith as the only recognised ruck back-up to McInerney after Stefan Martin’s switch to the Western Bulldogs, desperately needed someone.

Fort, down the pecking order at the Cats, was considered the best of the back-ups around the League and appealed for his qualities on and off the field.

It was the next chapter in a football journey that began ahead of the 2012 AFL National Draft when the then 19-year-old was considered a certain draftee after an outstanding season with the Geelong Falcons in the then TAC Cup Under 18 competition.

Originally from South Barwon, outside Geelong, Fort was rated one of the best ruckmen in the TAC Cup, having averaged 10 possessions, 3.5 marks, 26 hit-outs and 3.4 tackles and won high praise for his tackling, tenacity and follow-up efforts.

The Herald Sun forecast he would be drafted late in the second round or early in the third round. Somewhere between 40 and 50.

So as the football fraternity gathered on the Gold Coast to choose the nation’s best young talent on 22 November 2012 Fort waited anxiously.

Brodie Grundy, drafted by Collingwood at #18 from SANFL club Sturt, was the first ruckman taken before Richmond at #33 drafted Liam McBean, a Calder Cannons teammate and St.Bernard’s College school mate and close friend of Joe Daniher.

At #56 North Melbourne threw a second-chance lifeline to Daniel Currie, who had spent five years at Sydney without playing at AFL level, and at #75 St.Kilda chose Dandenong Stingrays ruck Lewis Peirce.

No Fort. Not even in the pre-season or rookie drafts that followed on 11 December, when untried Collingwood ruckman Jon Ceglar, later to play at Geelong and now retired, was picked up by Hawthorn, GWS took retired Port Adelaide ruckman Dean Brogan, Sydney basketball star Craig Moller went to Fremantle, Sydney picked up local junior Sam Naismith, Geelong cast-off Orren Stephenson went to Richmond and Ben Hudson, having come out of retirement to play with Brisbane in 2012, was taken by Collingwood after a second retirement and a commitment to a second comeback.

The non-selection of Fort was a snub the Geelong Advertiser described as ‘inexplicable’.         

The 208cm ruckman, who had proved he could also fill key position roles in attack or defence, was a true football journeyman. He played in the VFL with Werribee (2013) and Footscray (2014-15) before heading to Central Districts in the South Australian League (2016-18).

In three years he played 52 games with Centrals and represented SA against WA. Ahead of the 2018 National Draft he was described as “maybe the best mature-age ruck prospect in Australia”. And this time the experts were right.

By then the 23-year-old, working as a civil engineer in Adelaide, was drafted by Geelong with pick #65. He was the second ruckman taken after the GWS Giants chose Academy product Kieren Briggs at #34.

But as much as Fort was delighted to finally be in the AFL system he found himself the fourth ruckman at Geelong behind Queenslander Zac Smith, who had been recruited from Gold Coast in 2016, Rhys Stanley, recruited from St.Kilda in 2015, and Ryan Abbott, a basketball convert drafted late in 2016 and yet to play in the AFL.

So when the opportunity to join Brisbane presented itself he jumped at it.

Lions list manager Dom Ambrogio said at the time the club had kept a close eye on Fort since his days in the Geelong U18s, VFL and SANFL before being drafted to Geelong.

"Darcy has been one of the more dominant ruckmen in the VFL," he said. "He has been unlucky with his timing in terms of getting senior opportunities, but when he has played at AFL level he's been very effective, including his performance against the Lions in 2020.

"We think he is a legitimate ruckman, but we are also confident he can help us out up forward and add flexibility to our squad. He's a strong mark and has shown he can go forward and kick a goal.

"So we think we're getting a good player but also a player of great character who will make a contribution to the culture of our footy club."

With Eric Hipwood missing the second half of the season with a knee reconstruction, Fort played 18 games in 2022, sharing the ruck duties with McInerney and playing as a key forward.

The then 29-year-old even played solo in the ruck in the Lions’ semi-final against Melbourne at the MCG, when McInerney was out with concussion. In just his 26^th game, he did a sterling job against Demons skipper Max Gawn as the Lions came from 22 points down to win by 13, picking up 12 possessions, a goal and 33 hit-outs.

But as McInerney blossomed, Hipwood returned and Fagan’s preference for two ruckman he eased opportunities have been scarce.  He played only Rounds 2-3-5-14-15-16-21 in 2023, and only Rounds 4-8 this year.

But now, when the Lions run out in front of 100,000-plus at headquarters on Saturday all eyes will be on the bearded giant wearing the #32 jumper made famous by triple premiership player and 2001 Norm Smith Medallist Shaun Hart.

And when that almighty roar goes up at the first centre bounce he’ll find himself opposite to the ruckman taken ahead of him in his then draft year – Brodie Grundy.

It’s all part of the fairytale that is the Lions’ 2024 season under Coach of the Year Fagan.