In order to be able to beat the best ruckmen in the AFL, Sean Darcy knows he also needs to be the best at his club.

It’s a tall task, with Fremantle legend Aaron Sandilands set for his 17th AFL season in 2019.

As a student of Sandilands for the past two seasons, Darcy hopes 2019 will be his graduation year.

“If you want to be the best you’ve got to beat the best and (Aaron’s) still one of the best ruckmen in the comp,” Darcy told Channel 10 News.

“I’ve got to go at him every session."

Darcy added that he wants to earn his spot over being given starts for the sake of his development.

“No, (I don’t want to be handed the opportunity) but I want to learn as much as I possibly can this year," Darcy said.

Darcy isn't just taking notes from Sandilands, with the 20-year-old revealing how he learns from each of his opponents in the AFL.

“I have a little diary and after every game, I record and write down who I’ve played against,” Darcy said.

“For someone like (Melbourne’s) Max Gawn, he’s a really large fella. He’s 208cm and he can jump as well.

“I’ve got to keep him stationary so he can’t jump at the ball and try to use my strength to push him out of the way.

“He’s also a really good runner, so I’ve got to get goal side quickly.

“Against someone like (Collingwood’s) Brodie Grundy, who’s not as tall, you can get away with jumping a little bit earlier.”

Darcy also has notes on new teammate Rory Lobb, who he went up against when the 207cm forward/ruck was at the GWS Giants.

“I thought (Rory) was one of the better runners that I’ve ever played against,” Darcy said.

“I’m really stoked that he’s here. His strengths are my weaknesses so every session that I’ve got, I’m going to try to improve.”