At the midway point of the 2013 home and away season Minson is leading the competition in the ruck hitouts - 44 clear of the second ranked Todd Goldstein – while he also holds a solid lead in hitouts to advantage.
His work around the ground also has stepped up to another level, raising speculation that he is well and truly in All Australian calculations.
Minson is adamant his lift in form can be attributed to following the basics and becoming more in tune with his own instincts on game day.
“There’s always temptations on the footy field to try and do too much and it is a game played on instinct,” Minson said.
“Over time you learn to hone your instincts and make sure it is always in line with the role that was designed for you and I think that’s something I am slowly getting better at.
“I’ve consistently had a lot of feedback to keep things simple and I think that’s what I’ve finally got a grasp of and really sort of enjoying just doing the basics.”
The 28-year-old believes his on-field connection with emerging midfielders, in particular Tom Liberatore, has also played an integral role in the Western Bulldogs’ increasing dominance around the stoppages.
“I’ve been really fortunate to build some strong relationships with the midfielders that really has been a pivotal part to the footy club’s future,” he said.
“Young guys like Tom Liberatore who’s playing really well, Mitch Wallis who I really enjoy playing with and really exciting to see Nathan Hrovat get a couple of games in the last few weeks - he’s been exceptional.”
While Minson has relished first ruck duties over the past 18 months, he believes his ability to strip back his role even further this year has allowed him to excel.
“Keeping it really simple, getting to the right spot at the right time – the ruckman have a very distinct role to be in the right spot at the right time as often as possible and hit the ball down to the little guys.”
