Position 2022: Forward Discussion
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ROOKIE WATCH
KFC SuperCoach 2022: The Phantom’s early rookie bible
Elijah Hollands (GC) $123,900, Mid
As a $123k dual position midfielder-forward, Hollands looms as a popular rookie-price pick – and rightly so. The pick 7 from last year’s draft hasn’t played a senior game but he’s on track to feature early in 2021, after an impressive finish to his debut season at VFL level. After working his way back from an ACL tear, Hollands, an explosive 188cm midfielder who can play forward, tallied 27 disposals, 11 contested possessions, five clearances and 112 KFC SuperCoach points in his third and final game for the year.
Josh Rachele (Adel) $184,800, Mid
The Crows need class, skill and x-factor forward of centre, and Rachele fits the bill right away. Adelaide’s top pick has already impressed on the track and if all goes well over summer, will improve Matthew Nicks’ side offensively from Round 1. The 18-year-old averaged 129 KFC SuperCoach points and booted 11 goals in four games, playing as a forward, in the NAB League last year. In 2019, he averaged 26 disposals, 11 contested possessions, six score involvements and 124 points for Vic Metro as a midfielder. He’ll start forward for the Crows but so creative and smart is Rachele, he won’t need a lot of the ball to score well.
Will Brodie (Freo) $224,300, Mid
In four VFL seasons at the Suns, Brodie averaged 121, 127, 124 and 100. But he managed just 25 senior appearances at the club after being drafted in 2016. And that’s despite ranking first at the Suns for hardball-gets, second for tackles and handballs, third for disposals, fourth for clearances and fifth for contested possessions in the final six games of 2019. Yes, I’ve been unhappy about this for a while. New coach Justin Longmuir likes Brodie’s strength – so will that be enough? I’ve got my fingers crossed.
Charlie Curnow (Carl) $224,300
A fit Charlie Curnow, who averaged 74 and 77 in his last two injury-free years – his second and third in the competition – is almost a no-brainer. And the signs are good so far this summer, but the fact is the talented forward has played just 15 games since 2019.
Kaine Baldwin (Ess) $123,900
Baldwin join the Bombers as an SSP signing in early 2021 after being overlooked in the draft. In terms of talent, the Glenelg junior was on par with fellow South Australians Riley Thilthorpe and Lachie Jones, but two knee reconstructions saw him overlooked. He’s on the way, however, to completing a full pre-season and could be one to surprise in 202 – and not just in KFC SuperCoach.
Charlie Parker (WB) $102,400, Mid
In a similar story to McComb, the Bulldogs pick mature-agers to play them. And they love Parker’s kicking and run – two traits that would add another layer to an impressive line-up. The 24-year-old, who was playing amateur footy in Adelaide two years ago, wasn’t a huge ball-winner at SANFL level in 2021, averaging 14 disposals and 68 points in nine games for Sturt. But, with a booming right-foot and dual-position status as a basement-price rookie, keep him on the radar.
KFC SuperCoach 2022: The Phantom’s early rookie bible
Elijah Hollands (GC) $123,900, Mid
As a $123k dual position midfielder-forward, Hollands looms as a popular rookie-price pick – and rightly so. The pick 7 from last year’s draft hasn’t played a senior game but he’s on track to feature early in 2021, after an impressive finish to his debut season at VFL level. After working his way back from an ACL tear, Hollands, an explosive 188cm midfielder who can play forward, tallied 27 disposals, 11 contested possessions, five clearances and 112 KFC SuperCoach points in his third and final game for the year.
Josh Rachele (Adel) $184,800, Mid
The Crows need class, skill and x-factor forward of centre, and Rachele fits the bill right away. Adelaide’s top pick has already impressed on the track and if all goes well over summer, will improve Matthew Nicks’ side offensively from Round 1. The 18-year-old averaged 129 KFC SuperCoach points and booted 11 goals in four games, playing as a forward, in the NAB League last year. In 2019, he averaged 26 disposals, 11 contested possessions, six score involvements and 124 points for Vic Metro as a midfielder. He’ll start forward for the Crows but so creative and smart is Rachele, he won’t need a lot of the ball to score well.
Will Brodie (Freo) $224,300, Mid
In four VFL seasons at the Suns, Brodie averaged 121, 127, 124 and 100. But he managed just 25 senior appearances at the club after being drafted in 2016. And that’s despite ranking first at the Suns for hardball-gets, second for tackles and handballs, third for disposals, fourth for clearances and fifth for contested possessions in the final six games of 2019. Yes, I’ve been unhappy about this for a while. New coach Justin Longmuir likes Brodie’s strength – so will that be enough? I’ve got my fingers crossed.
Charlie Curnow (Carl) $224,300
A fit Charlie Curnow, who averaged 74 and 77 in his last two injury-free years – his second and third in the competition – is almost a no-brainer. And the signs are good so far this summer, but the fact is the talented forward has played just 15 games since 2019.
Kaine Baldwin (Ess) $123,900
Baldwin join the Bombers as an SSP signing in early 2021 after being overlooked in the draft. In terms of talent, the Glenelg junior was on par with fellow South Australians Riley Thilthorpe and Lachie Jones, but two knee reconstructions saw him overlooked. He’s on the way, however, to completing a full pre-season and could be one to surprise in 202 – and not just in KFC SuperCoach.
Charlie Parker (WB) $102,400, Mid
In a similar story to McComb, the Bulldogs pick mature-agers to play them. And they love Parker’s kicking and run – two traits that would add another layer to an impressive line-up. The 24-year-old, who was playing amateur footy in Adelaide two years ago, wasn’t a huge ball-winner at SANFL level in 2021, averaging 14 disposals and 68 points in nine games for Sturt. But, with a booming right-foot and dual-position status as a basement-price rookie, keep him on the radar.
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What are the chances of Taranto cleaning up his disposal? I suppose if he can butcher the ball and still average 97, that suggests that there's probably not too much downside to the pick, unless he gets stuck at FF.
He was incredibly frustrating to own last year as a Mid, but Fwd is a different ballgame, given that 98-102 will cut it as a premium.
He was incredibly frustrating to own last year as a Mid, but Fwd is a different ballgame, given that 98-102 will cut it as a premium.
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Owned him last year and think there is decent downside on role if he is more forward, although maybe that risk is only early on with Toby out for a few games. He only played a few games forward outside his mid/fwd typical role, being round 19/20 where he had 11 and 7% CBA's scoring 53 and 57 points.
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There is a lot going for Butters when looking into it in depth.
Training with the mids.
Entering his 4th season.
Averaged 87 in his second season.
Started last season off in hot form.
Seems that is the dilemma with question marks on injury history but priced at an average of 81 I'm struggling to see the downside in the pick if the famed "more midfield minutes" becomes a reality.
Training with the mids.
Entering his 4th season.
Averaged 87 in his second season.
Started last season off in hot form.
Seems that is the dilemma with question marks on injury history but priced at an average of 81 I'm struggling to see the downside in the pick if the famed "more midfield minutes" becomes a reality.
Agree, here are some articles about him for the upcoming season :-
Zak Butters has burst onto the scene in his first three years in the AFL, making an All-Australian squad playing as a high half-forward pushing into the midfield.
Going into his fourth season, the 21-year-old is keen to now make the transition into a more permanent midfield role, alongside the likes of Ollie Wines, Travis Boak and Willem Drew.
Butters averaged 19 disposals per game in 2021, though a foot injury left him only able to play 12 games.
“That’s my goal this off-season, I’m going to be a full-time midfielder this year in the off-season,” Butters told SEN SA Drive.
“That’s something I’m really looking forward to and growing in that space and becoming a better midfielder and hopefully applying my strengths to the team in there which is my speed and being clean under pressure.
“Hopefully I can add to that midfield with Ollie Wines and Travis Boak and Willem Drew.
“I’ve just got to get better at contests and stoppage stuff and just get my stoppage craft right, but I think I can add some great strengths to our midfield and putting my best foot forward there and hopefully making us a better team.”
Midfield depth is something the Power could use in 2022, following the retirement of veteran Tom Rockliff.
The Mongel Punt Port Adelaide Season preview had this section on Butters :-
WHAT DOES A HEALTHY ZAK BUTTERS MEAN TO THIS TEAM?
Everything.
He is a rare breed that combines skill, aggression, and that undefined attribute known as x-factor. Butters makes things happen – he is the catalyst for chaos in a an already chaotic game.
Coaches like to control a game. They like structures, predictability, and formation. You see the way teams play – kick to the pocket so if you can't mark it, we get a stoppage and a chance to set up for a throw in… yadda, yadda, yadda… They love regimentation. They love a machine that hums along and all they need to do is tinker with it.
Butters is a spanner in the works. He is a short circuit that causes things to go haywire. He does the unexpected – a bloke at his size throwing his body into a pack, not to win the footy, but to clear a path for his teammates – it is something that little blokes have not done for years, but Butters does it like he was born to! He is the fly in the ointment, the sand in the vaseline, the corner of the cupboard you keep stubbing your toe on – he is the disruptor that is more valuable than goals and possessions.
And when healthy, he is a game-changer for Port Adelaide.
His 2021 was ruined by injury. Yes, he got back late in the season, but the damage was done. When you start talking about potential nerve damage, you know a player is going to take a while to get back to being at their best. I am afraid that once he suffered his injury, we only got to experience a watered-down version of Zak Butters in 2021.
2022 already feels better knowing that he will be back to his best.
It takes a bit to excite a seasoned footy fan. I’m sure many of you are in that boat. So many players are cut from the same cloth – cookie cutter production. Not Butters. He is the point of difference and if he stays healthy, 2022 could be the season he starts banging on the door of superstardom.
In terms of numbers, seeing him top 22 touches and a goal per game would not surprise me at all. As he ventures through the midfield, I expect his tackling numbers to increase and his name to be right in contention for an AA half-forward slot. He has already made the squad of 40 in 2020. Now, after a year of frustration, it is time for him to take the next step.
Sums my thoughts up quite well - love watching this kid play, he has that bit of footy smarts/magic about him that not many are blessed with, a rare talent that could well explode in 2022
Zak Butters has burst onto the scene in his first three years in the AFL, making an All-Australian squad playing as a high half-forward pushing into the midfield.
Going into his fourth season, the 21-year-old is keen to now make the transition into a more permanent midfield role, alongside the likes of Ollie Wines, Travis Boak and Willem Drew.
Butters averaged 19 disposals per game in 2021, though a foot injury left him only able to play 12 games.
“That’s my goal this off-season, I’m going to be a full-time midfielder this year in the off-season,” Butters told SEN SA Drive.
“That’s something I’m really looking forward to and growing in that space and becoming a better midfielder and hopefully applying my strengths to the team in there which is my speed and being clean under pressure.
“Hopefully I can add to that midfield with Ollie Wines and Travis Boak and Willem Drew.
“I’ve just got to get better at contests and stoppage stuff and just get my stoppage craft right, but I think I can add some great strengths to our midfield and putting my best foot forward there and hopefully making us a better team.”
Midfield depth is something the Power could use in 2022, following the retirement of veteran Tom Rockliff.
The Mongel Punt Port Adelaide Season preview had this section on Butters :-
WHAT DOES A HEALTHY ZAK BUTTERS MEAN TO THIS TEAM?
Everything.
He is a rare breed that combines skill, aggression, and that undefined attribute known as x-factor. Butters makes things happen – he is the catalyst for chaos in a an already chaotic game.
Coaches like to control a game. They like structures, predictability, and formation. You see the way teams play – kick to the pocket so if you can't mark it, we get a stoppage and a chance to set up for a throw in… yadda, yadda, yadda… They love regimentation. They love a machine that hums along and all they need to do is tinker with it.
Butters is a spanner in the works. He is a short circuit that causes things to go haywire. He does the unexpected – a bloke at his size throwing his body into a pack, not to win the footy, but to clear a path for his teammates – it is something that little blokes have not done for years, but Butters does it like he was born to! He is the fly in the ointment, the sand in the vaseline, the corner of the cupboard you keep stubbing your toe on – he is the disruptor that is more valuable than goals and possessions.
And when healthy, he is a game-changer for Port Adelaide.
His 2021 was ruined by injury. Yes, he got back late in the season, but the damage was done. When you start talking about potential nerve damage, you know a player is going to take a while to get back to being at their best. I am afraid that once he suffered his injury, we only got to experience a watered-down version of Zak Butters in 2021.
2022 already feels better knowing that he will be back to his best.
It takes a bit to excite a seasoned footy fan. I’m sure many of you are in that boat. So many players are cut from the same cloth – cookie cutter production. Not Butters. He is the point of difference and if he stays healthy, 2022 could be the season he starts banging on the door of superstardom.
In terms of numbers, seeing him top 22 touches and a goal per game would not surprise me at all. As he ventures through the midfield, I expect his tackling numbers to increase and his name to be right in contention for an AA half-forward slot. He has already made the squad of 40 in 2020. Now, after a year of frustration, it is time for him to take the next step.
Sums my thoughts up quite well - love watching this kid play, he has that bit of footy smarts/magic about him that not many are blessed with, a rare talent that could well explode in 2022
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Nice pick up, hadn't noticed that white space. Yeah, you dont get to play the Tigers every week!
Positive he didn't have low CBA's even in the last game without Greene. Daniels did get some CBA and didn't play the last few games though.
GWS, Coach who likes to play players out of position, Greene out for 5 more - looks like time to buy on your side.
Positive he didn't have low CBA's even in the last game without Greene. Daniels did get some CBA and didn't play the last few games though.
GWS, Coach who likes to play players out of position, Greene out for 5 more - looks like time to buy on your side.
https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/vide...dal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1642402668001
About the 1 minute mark.
Heeney keen for more midfield time.
About the 1 minute mark.
Heeney keen for more midfield time.
