Despite missing finals, Todd Goldstein considers 2018 a personal success, given his strong return to form throughout the year.

While he’s settled things off the field – as has been widely documented – it’s his new-formed relationship with ruck coach Will Minson that’s been a major factor.

“He’s definitely a fresh face and a fresh voice, he looks at things quite differently to most other people,” Goldstein told North Media’s In Review podcast.

“It’s good to have someone to bounce ideas off and talk to … someone who understands how I play my best footy.

“He’s played against me so he knows about my game from first-hand experiences, and it’s been good to have a different voice.

“As much as Alex (Ishchenko) was great for me, I had him for a fair while, so to get some fresh ideas and some fresh thoughts on the game is really good.”

The role of the ruckman has changed drastically over the years, but recently the big men have been as impactful as ever.

Once selected purely for their tapwork, ruckmen are now expected to act as a fourth midfielder, once the ball hits the ground.

According to Goldstein, Minson, who retired at the end of 2016, knows all about the role of the ruckman in the modern game.

“I can definitely see the positives in (a coach being fresh out of the game), but I think it more depends on the person,” Goldstein said.

“The ruck technique hasn’t changed a whole lot, so from a technical point of view it probably doesn’t matter as much, but the way the game’s played has changed, so it is helpful if you’re fresh out of the game.”

Heading into 2019, Goldstein is filled with confidence and is hopeful his form in the back-end of the season can continue.

“The first half of the year was probably a bit inconsistent, I played some good games and I played some pretty average games too,” he said.

“It was about proving to myself that I still had it.

“It was probably two-thirds of the way through the season I think I really proved to myself that I had my consistency back.

“After the Collingwood game, although it wasn’t a great day for the club, I felt like I took some real strides forward in my mentality.”

Listen to Todd Goldstein's 'In Review' podcast here: