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Discussion 2021: AFL Pre-Season Practice Matches & AAMI Community Series Discussion
- Thread starter THCLT
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Caldwell with 23/28 CBA's speaks for itself.
Williams attending 14/28 which was the 3rd most for any Carlton player is actually not too bad. He attended five more than Martin did so looks like he will be more mid orientated with Martin more fwd orientated. I think we could live with that if picking him.
Williams attending 14/28 which was the 3rd most for any Carlton player is actually not too bad. He attended five more than Martin did so looks like he will be more mid orientated with Martin more fwd orientated. I think we could live with that if picking him.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...h/news-story/a404c3f5d2175049ac3646c9c6aacd05
Chip masterstroke paying off
The successful bid at luring James Frawley out of retirement has proved a brilliant one early on, with the defensive speedster on several occasions showing his trademark dash in the back half and helping the Saints rebound and generate scores.
Be it the influence of Jarryd Roughead and Brett Ratten or Frawley’s previous experience with changing clubs, the 32-year-old looks to have hit the ground running (literally) in his career revival.
Admittedly helping Frawley was North Melbourne’s run-and-gun game plan at times, with high entries into the forward 50, but he looks to be offering plenty.
Add to that his extensive finals experience and Frawley’s on-field leadership should work perfectly when combined with Roughy and Ratten’s input off it.
After an impressive stint, Frawley was put on ice heading into the final quarter as Ratten looks to manage the veteran’s load.
New team, same old Jack Higgins as small forwards shine
Jack Higgins’ departure from Richmond left some Tigers supporters a little flat and judging by his opening stint for the Saints it’s easy to see why.
The 21-year-old former first round draft pick booted a couple of goals in the first quarter and had a hand in several others as he adapted seamlessly to the Saints’ forward setup. He served as part of a small forward brigade that was simply electric, with Dan Butler, Josh Battle and Jack Bytel proving a potent mix.
Plenty of great contested work in the air by the Saints’ tall forwards, including from ex-Roo Mason Wood, who had two goals to half time and added two more in the second half, in a mightily impressive start at his new club.
While Higgins’ influence would wane in the second half, the damage he and the small forward group did in the opening quarter effectively set up the win along with Josh Battle (three goals) and Jack Bytel (two goals), with the latter unfazed by what appeared to be a dislocated finger early on.
Roos up for the (long) fight
Like the backend of 2020, when the Roos went down by a substantial margin there were fears it could blow out in a big way for the remainder of the match.
However, in a promising sign, whether it be David Noble’s influence or the sheer amount of list changes over the off-season, this outfit showed enough grit and physicality to keep the margin from skyrocketing.
It was clear the Roos were a few rungs below the Saints in terms of established talent, but they certainly didn’t fall short in the intensity department.
There’s a long road ahead for North Melbourne to get back into finals contention, but the early signs indicate they’re up for the fight despite the roadblocks they’ll face along the way.
Some goal-kicking work may be required after some inaccurate set shots, which really hurt when compared with St Kilda’s sharpshooting.
A brilliant passage of end-to-end play in the third quarter, bursting through the corridor and culminating in a Charlie Lazarro goal, offered a glimpse of what the Roos could implement more consistently as the young list develops.
Jaidyn Stephenson, part of that passage of play, had stints in the middle and managed a couple of goals in a solid start to time at his new club.
Chip masterstroke paying off
The successful bid at luring James Frawley out of retirement has proved a brilliant one early on, with the defensive speedster on several occasions showing his trademark dash in the back half and helping the Saints rebound and generate scores.
Be it the influence of Jarryd Roughead and Brett Ratten or Frawley’s previous experience with changing clubs, the 32-year-old looks to have hit the ground running (literally) in his career revival.
Admittedly helping Frawley was North Melbourne’s run-and-gun game plan at times, with high entries into the forward 50, but he looks to be offering plenty.
Add to that his extensive finals experience and Frawley’s on-field leadership should work perfectly when combined with Roughy and Ratten’s input off it.
After an impressive stint, Frawley was put on ice heading into the final quarter as Ratten looks to manage the veteran’s load.
New team, same old Jack Higgins as small forwards shine
Jack Higgins’ departure from Richmond left some Tigers supporters a little flat and judging by his opening stint for the Saints it’s easy to see why.
The 21-year-old former first round draft pick booted a couple of goals in the first quarter and had a hand in several others as he adapted seamlessly to the Saints’ forward setup. He served as part of a small forward brigade that was simply electric, with Dan Butler, Josh Battle and Jack Bytel proving a potent mix.
Plenty of great contested work in the air by the Saints’ tall forwards, including from ex-Roo Mason Wood, who had two goals to half time and added two more in the second half, in a mightily impressive start at his new club.
While Higgins’ influence would wane in the second half, the damage he and the small forward group did in the opening quarter effectively set up the win along with Josh Battle (three goals) and Jack Bytel (two goals), with the latter unfazed by what appeared to be a dislocated finger early on.
Roos up for the (long) fight
Like the backend of 2020, when the Roos went down by a substantial margin there were fears it could blow out in a big way for the remainder of the match.
However, in a promising sign, whether it be David Noble’s influence or the sheer amount of list changes over the off-season, this outfit showed enough grit and physicality to keep the margin from skyrocketing.
It was clear the Roos were a few rungs below the Saints in terms of established talent, but they certainly didn’t fall short in the intensity department.
There’s a long road ahead for North Melbourne to get back into finals contention, but the early signs indicate they’re up for the fight despite the roadblocks they’ll face along the way.
Some goal-kicking work may be required after some inaccurate set shots, which really hurt when compared with St Kilda’s sharpshooting.
A brilliant passage of end-to-end play in the third quarter, bursting through the corridor and culminating in a Charlie Lazarro goal, offered a glimpse of what the Roos could implement more consistently as the young list develops.
Jaidyn Stephenson, part of that passage of play, had stints in the middle and managed a couple of goals in a solid start to time at his new club.
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