Position SC 2021: Defender Discussion

[Professor]

Anyone have thoughts on Aliir Aliir? He is in a potentially lucrative new intercepting defender role instead of ruck duties he had over at Sydney.
Unfortunately he is awkwardly priced and although he played well in the preseason, it was against Adelaide

in my side atm, there's a fair bit of competition for spots in defence atm

 

[freowho]

Anyone have thoughts on Aliir Aliir? He is in a potentially lucrative new intercepting defender role instead of ruck duties he had over at Sydney.
Unfortunately he is awkwardly priced and although he played well in the preseason, it was against Adelaide

He's part of my rnd 1 escape plan but I don't think I'll need him. I watched him closely one night when he was at Sydney and even though he is a good mark he seemed to sit out the back of the contest a bit waiting for things to unfold.

 

[Bomber18]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1371572493593419776

 

[Dimmawit]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1371572493593419776

Have a feeling Doch might be the one I regret not picking. Not in my side as it stands. Expect he will ton up rd 1 though v tigers

 

[NT.Thunder]

Have a feeling Doch might be the one I regret not picking. Not in my side as it stands. Expect he will ton up rd 1 though v tigers

Yeah I'm acctually throwing some names around my backline right now, Doc is one.

I'm starting to have second thoughts around Short with Houli seemingly close to being back and even touted for round 2 as optimistic as that seems.

I really like Hunter Clark and am really surprised not to see him in more teams. I also like Doc and how could you not.

It's always around this time I start to get cold feet around players from the first game and start leaving them out.
Weighing up Cripps and Short against Fyfe and Clark as speculative as he is. I shouldn't have watched his highlights reel but I've got a bit of a man-crush on Hunter Clark now.

 

[wogitalia]

Yeah I'm acctually throwing some names around my backline right now, Doc is one.

I'm starting to have second thoughts around Short with Houli seemingly close to being back and even touted for round 2 as optimistic as that seems.

I really like Hunter Clark and am really surprised not to see him in more teams. I also like Doc and how could you not.

It's always around this time I start to get cold feet around players from the first game and start leaving them out.
Weighing up Cripps and Short against Fyfe and Clark as speculative as he is. I shouldn't have watched his highlights reel but I've got a bit of a man-crush on Hunter Clark now.

There are so many names down back I can make a genuine case for.

Feel the same on Doc, classic example of being burned last year and remembering how bad he was over the last 10 weeks and forgetting the first 5.

Clark is a tough one, really, really like the player but hard to find upside if he stays in defense and hard to see the midfield move being 100%. Kind of feels like Mills the past couple of seasons where I think he's a midfielder long term but will probably play defense in the short term. He's a real "not sure he's worth the risk" type to me in a position that feels pretty easy to pick the premiums right now. If he was a forward he'd be all up in my team

I'd throw Houston, Brodie Smith, Rich, Dawson, Duggan and Bailey Williams into that group also. I find it very easy to make the case for them all and really the only case against them that I have is "not sure he's worth the risk".

Those "value" picks become a lot harder to select when there are so many really safe feeling premiums. Imagine that's even what you're getting with Short, who I still love as a pick fwiw. I'm doing the same with Daniel and his tag narrative. When Stewart, Ridley and Laird feel so safe and then you have Lloyd and Whitfield and probably Ryan, it's funny that something like Daniel is so good he might get tagged becomes reasons to not pick.

Again, if we had a group like those guys in the forwards I reckon people would be all over them as starting picks because the premiums feel reckless to start to the point I'm considering a guy like Caldwell or Phillips

 

[NT.Thunder]

Yeah I certainly have the Houston pick from last season lingering in my mind regarding Clark. I'm likely to back a Short type player and at least that way I have options to go down to Clark, Houston type should they look like clicking.

*Disclaimer to all, my spelling isn't actually that bad, well, it's pretty ordinary; however this G613 Kkeyboard has a mind of its own and for some reason double types some letters and I don't pick them all up.......no idea how to sort it and it's pissing me off.

 

[SuchIsLife]

Hopefully Chapman plays so I don't have to make a decision on who to pick at D4

 

[jobeywatto]

I'm going with Hunter Clark myself. I see a lot of similarities to when David Swallow made his move into the midfield and averaged 103. He's too good of a talent to stay in the backline. I think they'll prioritise Clark's midfield minutes over guys like Hannebery and Jones. Sinclair is also being moved from the midfield to defence to take Clark's spot. He's a risky pick no doubt and if Williams wasn't suspended I'd probably go with him instead, but I like what I've seen and heard about Clark.

 

[SuchIsLife]

I'm going with Hunter Clark myself. I see a lot of similarities to when David Swallow made his move into the midfield and averaged 103. He's too good of a talent to stay in the backline. I think they'll prioritise Clark's midfield minutes over guys like Hannebery and Jones. Sinclair is also being moved from the midfield to defence to take Clark's spot. He's a risky pick no doubt and if Williams wasn't suspended I'd probably go with him instead, but I like what I've seen and heard about Clark.

I like Clark as a player too, and can see him being a 102-107 average player at some point in his career.

However, how do you feel about Clark only attending 42% CBA when Jones (2nd highest at St Kilda behind Steele last year) didn't even play?

 

[jobeywatto]

I like Clark as a player too, and can see him being a 102-107 average player at some point in his career.

However, how do you feel about Clark only attending 42% CBA when Jones (2nd highest at St Kilda behind Steele last year) didn't even play?

I did see that stat. But is that 42% of CBAs when he was actually on the ground, or 42% of the total CBAs in the game? Because he only played 68% game time and was subbed off in the final quarter, so that may explain why it's a bit low. Even still he had 15 contested possessions and 8 clearances.

Everything I've seen says Clark will play predominately as a midfielder this year. May be going a year too early on him but to me he's worth a chance.

 

[SuchIsLife]

I did see that stat. But is that 42% of CBAs when he was actually on the ground, or 42% of the total CBAs in the game? Because he only played 68% game time and was subbed off in the final quarter, so that may explain why it's a bit low. Even still he had 15 contested possessions and 8 clearances.

Everything I've seen says Clark will play predominately as a midfielder this year. May be going a year too early on him but to me he's worth a chance.

You're right in 42% of total CBA. So if you scale that to a 80% TOG, that would be roughly 49% CBA attendance, potentially going even lower after including Jones.

Could be higher while Brouch is out tho.

 

[donnybuang]

Clark I like. Even as a defender, should increase his output. Mid minutes are icing on the cake.

Ironically with Doch, he's in my team, but I'm getting cold feet on keeping him. Amazing value if he returns to his best, but can he? A lot's happened since his last premo year.

 

[wogitalia]

I'm going with Hunter Clark myself. I see a lot of similarities to when David Swallow made his move into the midfield and averaged 103. He's too good of a talent to stay in the backline. I think they'll prioritise Clark's midfield minutes over guys like Hannebery and Jones. Sinclair is also being moved from the midfield to defence to take Clark's spot. He's a risky pick no doubt and if Williams wasn't suspended I'd probably go with him instead, but I like what I've seen and heard about Clark.

I can buy this but the problem is you've still got Steele, Crouch, Gresham, Ross and Billings in the mix with Hill holding a wing the entire time. Think Jones still thoroughly in there also, Hanners I'll believe when we see it.

Love Clark though, don't disagree but I'd say he's probably more inline with McGrath as a comparison last year who jumped to 95, so still not bad. Swallow's midfield path was a lot clearer. He could also do a Weller or Houston and actually go backwards from it but I do rate him so think he thrives in it.

 

[jobeywatto]

You're right in 42% of total CBA. So if you scale that to a 80% TOG, that would be roughly 49% CBA attendance, potentially going even lower after including Jones.

Could be higher while Brouch is out tho.

Yeah but it was pre-season after all. Ross had 55% CBA and Sinclair 26% - I doubt they'd have those numbers when the Saints have all their mids available.

Needs a good start. Crouch out for the first 2 rounds, Hannebery struggling and Jones coming back from injury. No better time for him to show his worth.

 

[wogitalia]

It's so typical that the two guys that I'd love a couple of sighters on for the rule change impacts before picking are the two guys who play on Thursday in Short and Docherty

If I knew the rules would do what I expect they do, I'd pick both for sure.

 

[Buddy Starmart]

I’ve been very keen on Doch all off-season low cost value and if he’s going to fly and be running in for marks big tick just if I start only 4 defenders who goes out or he my d5

 

[jobeywatto]

I'm starting to like Doch over Short too. If you take out his injury affected game last year Doch actually averaged 98, so you're already getting him at a discount. Another full pre-season, more confidence in his body, and I think the reduced rotations and rule changes will suit a guy like him. He can average 115 at his best. Only query is maybe Saad steals some of his kick-ins and takes a bit of Doch's rebound role away from him.

 

[BarginHunter]

Thoughts on Howe instead of Short?

Howe coming back from big injury, but seems to have had a good game in preseason
Short massive preseason but Houli coming back earlier than expected may stunt his scoring?

Note:
I would go Crisp instead of Howe, but Howes cheaper and seems to have more durable scoring

 

[froffershanners]

I'm starting to like Doch over Short too. If you take out his injury affected game last year Doch actually averaged 98, so you're already getting him at a discount. Another full pre-season, more confidence in his body, and I think the reduced rotations and rule changes will suit a guy like him. He can average 115 at his best. Only query is maybe Saad steals some of his kick-ins and takes a bit of Doch's rebound role away from him.

I'm starting to come around the same decision. Don't think Saad will take away anything more than what Simpson would have done over Docherty's best years so can't see that being the reason seeing Docherty returning to somewhere near his best. Had 27 possessions in the pre season game and second year back from a knee injury I can only see improvement from him. My main worry with Short is what happens when Houli is back in the team and if/when a tag comes his way.