Discussion 2022 AFL: Practice Matches & AAMI Community Series Discussion
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Heavily managed minutes :-
Matt Rowell
Rowell played a similar role to what he played last year: all in-and-under and no easy footy. Granted, he did look better than most games in 2021 and seemed to get from stoppage to stoppage pretty well. He would’ve probably had about half-a-dozen tackles and was a factor when it was contested. Those are the positives.
The negatives were that he played heavily managed minutes and got basically no easy ball. I watched Rowell really closely last year after stupidly trading him in after his return from injury. The issues I had with him last year are largely still there. He will average bugger all marks this year if today was any indication, which means he will struggle to hit a decent ceiling score regularly. The more I’ve watched him, the more I’ve realised he’s also a really average kick. It looks awkward. Like, if-Reilly-O’Brien-was-a-midfielder kind of awkward.
He’ll probably still score more than last year but he’d have to show a few more strings to his bow in the AAMI series game for me to start him.
Matt Rowell
Rowell played a similar role to what he played last year: all in-and-under and no easy footy. Granted, he did look better than most games in 2021 and seemed to get from stoppage to stoppage pretty well. He would’ve probably had about half-a-dozen tackles and was a factor when it was contested. Those are the positives.
The negatives were that he played heavily managed minutes and got basically no easy ball. I watched Rowell really closely last year after stupidly trading him in after his return from injury. The issues I had with him last year are largely still there. He will average bugger all marks this year if today was any indication, which means he will struggle to hit a decent ceiling score regularly. The more I’ve watched him, the more I’ve realised he’s also a really average kick. It looks awkward. Like, if-Reilly-O’Brien-was-a-midfielder kind of awkward.
He’ll probably still score more than last year but he’d have to show a few more strings to his bow in the AAMI series game for me to start him.
Suns vs Power
General - Again, just 3 quarters here mostly because I want to try and get in another game tonight
Really solid game, was a bit open in the first but both sides got pretty aggressive in the 2nd and 3rd and turned into a good old slog. Some nice moments for both teams. Like the game before it, a bit wet but not really impacting the contest other than bringing it a bit more inside.
CBA
Port
Wines - 9
Butters - 3 (all Q1)
Boak - 7
Amon - 4
Drew - 6
Rozee - 2
SPP - 2
Mead - 4 (all Q3)
Gray - 1
Duursma - 1
GC
Rowell - 9
Touk - 9
Anderson - 11
Fiorini - 6
Davies - 4
Kickins
Port - Very balanced, basically nearest man.
GC - Pretty much all Weller. Markov and Powell got a couple each, I think when Weller was off.
Suns - Would be very happy, I think the above CBA numbers show that Port were throwing the magnets a bit in the midfield and GC took the midfield very seriously so result kind of not as big a shock, also Port couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat in front of goal. Pressure was good, a lot of handball, probably too much but a couple of nice goals came of it. Competitiveness was good though, can't fault it.
Fantasy "relevant" guys.
Chol - Played as a genuine forward and 2nd ruck. Was decent.
Atkins - Seemed to come on in the 2nd, or did nothing in the first that I saw, nothing really of note. Role not strong, scoring not strong.
Ellis - Wing, pretty sure he only played 1 and a half quarters. Was solid.
Davies - Massive game by him. Basically expensive 1st round pick price and despite only playing forward last year is a MID only unfortunately but was really good. Their midfield mix looked pretty much what I'd expect in the real stuff, playing HF mostly fairly high which again makes sense given their other forwards. Was a really strong game. Probably only a break in case of emergency option but wouldn't shock me if he's a better pick than JHF and a few of the other guys in that price range.
Miller - Gluttony is thy name. The little piggy was feasting. Not a huge game by his standards but strong, looks in ripping nick, working up and back and up and back. Must have had 3 or 4 marks on kick-ins alone as a leading target. I really want to pick him but I'm just not sure it's worth the risk of having the ultra unique guy at the top in case he doesn't back up...
Weller - Love to know his SC stats because it sure seemed like it should be enormous. Had 9 kick-ins to 3/4 time, probably 5 of those resulted in him getting the ball back for another touch. Was running off half back relentlessly all game. Wouldn't be at all surprised if he had 30 touches at 3/4 time. Definitely added his name to that immensely overcrowded group of forward options... Big tick. Lukosius should be back for round 1, no idea where he plays, Bowes out a while. The role is good.
Anderson - Huge midfield minutes but didn't really do anything of note, probably a sneaky good score but I sure didn't notice him so could be bad also.
Markov - Same role as last year, seemed to be a very distant 3rd as an option for them.
Rowell - Probably the exact same write up I used for Rayner. The role was outstanding, the results pretty mediocre and if you were wanting to pick him you probably saw enough and if you weren't looking to pick him you probably saw enough. I thought he was moving well and definitely had more intent than last year but still not the manic intent he had as a rookie, not sure if he's on team orders to dial it back or still tentative with all the injuries but I really wanted to see more from him personally. Personally as someone who didn't really like the pick I felt like he probably was ever so slightly in my camp rather than demanding selection. He was the only player that had me thinking about watching Q4...
Sharp - Was really solid, only draft relevant and perhaps DT, but he's going to be a very good DT pick in the next couple of years.
Rankine - Stuck forward all game, I actually loved the way he played today but not for fantasy.
Swallow - Off HB which was unexpected. I can't say he really did anything and I'm not sure it really suits him but he was pretty productive there when first starting out so should be decent.
Powell - Was solid, probably also scored well but he kind of feels like the second option everything for them, Weller is the kicker, Ballard/Collins the interceptor, he's behind them. Good player though.
Witts - Didn't play but was in commentary box for the 2nd and said he should play next week.
Hollands - Also didn't play but did play reserves apparently which is good.
Moyle - I was actually impressed, he's huge and has some filling out to go but moves nicely and did some good things. Expect he probably plays a handful of games this year and ruins his fantasy stock!!!
Port - Bad kicking is bad football and their kicking at goal was horrible. To the Suns credit they forced difficultish shots but still... Effort was solid, especially after QT. Definitely more of a PS game approach by them, they didn't seem at all phased by the scoreboard.
SPP - Not relevant himself but in the way of some guys who could be, did a hamstring in the 2nd quarter and was done, looked a regulation 4 weeker.
Burton/DBJ/Bonner/Jones - All played HBF, all sabotaging each other's chances of being relevant.
Houston - Played wing, did not play it well which is two weeks in a row. Got that "I'm too good for preseason effort" vibe going real strong right now.
Motlop - Bad Motty this week, just nowhere near it.
Duursma - He's got the same attitude as Houston only he has no runs on the board to justify it, I don't know if he's just drinking his own bathwater or has some kind of guarantee but he's doing everything this preseason to open a clear spot for others. Kicked woefully, only really bothered running a couple of times and seemed to give away a free kick every time he actually went near the ball. Just a mare which is becoming a disturbing trend for a guy who hasn't improved since his first game.
Sinn - File it in the little bit of something, little bit of nothing category for mine. Another of those guys who really needs to be demanding a spot and is more of a meek "I submitted something at least" type of effort. What I like about him is he demands the ball and has a really nice kick on him, what I didn't like is that he doesn't get to dangerous places enough and despite the really nice kick he had a few really bad clangers today where he just didn't seem to be on the same page as the teammates. Probably the best part of his game was how bad Duursma and Houston were and that he wasn't as bad as them. Absolutely in the mix for round 1 but he's done nothing to change my opinion that he's an all or nothing rookie, basically he's going to command a spot in the team and make 200k (Jordon) or he's going to be out of the team by round 3 (oh so many). Hoping for a monster game next week!
Gray - Forward the entire first half, went mid a little in the third, looks good.
Boak - Midfield the first half, went more HF/outside and possibly off in the 3rd.
Finlayson - Was solid again as a ruck and forward. Would think he's the first picked right now.
Amon - Wing with very limited inside minutes, was solid but nothing of note for fantasy purposes.
Wines - Laconic effort for him. Another in the too good for preseason attitude.
Butters - Probably their best player, interesting he was at the first 3 CBA and then didn't have another for the game, many ways to read that, but he was good at the 3 he went to and was very good around the ground. Was more of a gentle knock on the door than kicking the door down type of performance but definitely a positive game for those considering him. Like that he kept working and found ways to score/contribute regardless of position as there will definitely be games where the midfield time might not quite be there. A tick but not a "hell yeah".
Rozee - A firm cross for mine. It's funny how footy works that by far the least hyped of the 3 in the draft class in the draft year has become by far the best player, heck the other two might have been better at 18 than they are now!
Aliir - Same old. Not quite relevant but oh so close.
Hayes - Was really solid and Lycett injury remains to be assessed. Like with Strachan/ROB it was an on field/off field role, indicating he's going to have to beat Lycett out for a game rather than playing alongside him. Could be a syndesmosis type injury for Lycett which would open up a 5 week window for Hayes though and make a very interesting decision. Positive for Hayes is Lycett is a legitimately good forward/ruck so if Hayes was to demand a spot in his chance, Lycett can slot in as the 2nd ruck and open a spot.
Drew - Stock standard.
Lycett - As mentioned, ankle injury, didn't come back on. See what it is.
Skinner - On in the 3rd, didn't do much.
McEntee - On in the 3rd also and did very little.
Mead - Really solid game from him, SPP injury can only help. Motlop potatofest sure doesn't hurt either. Small forward is not a good role and I reckon the midfield time is pure preseason tease, but he's certainly not the worst option around and the more options the better. Looks to be on the inside track for Fantasia's spot I think right now. Shows some good fantasy traits but will undoubtedly be the last forward target on their side.
General - Again, just 3 quarters here mostly because I want to try and get in another game tonight
Really solid game, was a bit open in the first but both sides got pretty aggressive in the 2nd and 3rd and turned into a good old slog. Some nice moments for both teams. Like the game before it, a bit wet but not really impacting the contest other than bringing it a bit more inside.CBA
Port
Wines - 9
Butters - 3 (all Q1)
Boak - 7
Amon - 4
Drew - 6
Rozee - 2
SPP - 2
Mead - 4 (all Q3)
Gray - 1
Duursma - 1
GC
Rowell - 9
Touk - 9
Anderson - 11
Fiorini - 6
Davies - 4
Kickins
Port - Very balanced, basically nearest man.
GC - Pretty much all Weller. Markov and Powell got a couple each, I think when Weller was off.
Suns - Would be very happy, I think the above CBA numbers show that Port were throwing the magnets a bit in the midfield and GC took the midfield very seriously so result kind of not as big a shock, also Port couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat in front of goal. Pressure was good, a lot of handball, probably too much but a couple of nice goals came of it. Competitiveness was good though, can't fault it.
Fantasy "relevant" guys.
Chol - Played as a genuine forward and 2nd ruck. Was decent.
Atkins - Seemed to come on in the 2nd, or did nothing in the first that I saw, nothing really of note. Role not strong, scoring not strong.
Ellis - Wing, pretty sure he only played 1 and a half quarters. Was solid.
Davies - Massive game by him. Basically expensive 1st round pick price and despite only playing forward last year is a MID only unfortunately but was really good. Their midfield mix looked pretty much what I'd expect in the real stuff, playing HF mostly fairly high which again makes sense given their other forwards. Was a really strong game. Probably only a break in case of emergency option but wouldn't shock me if he's a better pick than JHF and a few of the other guys in that price range.
Miller - Gluttony is thy name. The little piggy was feasting. Not a huge game by his standards but strong, looks in ripping nick, working up and back and up and back. Must have had 3 or 4 marks on kick-ins alone as a leading target. I really want to pick him but I'm just not sure it's worth the risk of having the ultra unique guy at the top in case he doesn't back up...
Weller - Love to know his SC stats because it sure seemed like it should be enormous. Had 9 kick-ins to 3/4 time, probably 5 of those resulted in him getting the ball back for another touch. Was running off half back relentlessly all game. Wouldn't be at all surprised if he had 30 touches at 3/4 time. Definitely added his name to that immensely overcrowded group of forward options... Big tick. Lukosius should be back for round 1, no idea where he plays, Bowes out a while. The role is good.
Anderson - Huge midfield minutes but didn't really do anything of note, probably a sneaky good score but I sure didn't notice him so could be bad also.
Markov - Same role as last year, seemed to be a very distant 3rd as an option for them.
Rowell - Probably the exact same write up I used for Rayner. The role was outstanding, the results pretty mediocre and if you were wanting to pick him you probably saw enough and if you weren't looking to pick him you probably saw enough. I thought he was moving well and definitely had more intent than last year but still not the manic intent he had as a rookie, not sure if he's on team orders to dial it back or still tentative with all the injuries but I really wanted to see more from him personally. Personally as someone who didn't really like the pick I felt like he probably was ever so slightly in my camp rather than demanding selection. He was the only player that had me thinking about watching Q4...
Sharp - Was really solid, only draft relevant and perhaps DT, but he's going to be a very good DT pick in the next couple of years.
Rankine - Stuck forward all game, I actually loved the way he played today but not for fantasy.
Swallow - Off HB which was unexpected. I can't say he really did anything and I'm not sure it really suits him but he was pretty productive there when first starting out so should be decent.
Powell - Was solid, probably also scored well but he kind of feels like the second option everything for them, Weller is the kicker, Ballard/Collins the interceptor, he's behind them. Good player though.
Witts - Didn't play but was in commentary box for the 2nd and said he should play next week.
Hollands - Also didn't play but did play reserves apparently which is good.
Moyle - I was actually impressed, he's huge and has some filling out to go but moves nicely and did some good things. Expect he probably plays a handful of games this year and ruins his fantasy stock!!!
Port - Bad kicking is bad football and their kicking at goal was horrible. To the Suns credit they forced difficultish shots but still... Effort was solid, especially after QT. Definitely more of a PS game approach by them, they didn't seem at all phased by the scoreboard.
SPP - Not relevant himself but in the way of some guys who could be, did a hamstring in the 2nd quarter and was done, looked a regulation 4 weeker.
Burton/DBJ/Bonner/Jones - All played HBF, all sabotaging each other's chances of being relevant.
Houston - Played wing, did not play it well which is two weeks in a row. Got that "I'm too good for preseason effort" vibe going real strong right now.
Motlop - Bad Motty this week, just nowhere near it.
Duursma - He's got the same attitude as Houston only he has no runs on the board to justify it, I don't know if he's just drinking his own bathwater or has some kind of guarantee but he's doing everything this preseason to open a clear spot for others. Kicked woefully, only really bothered running a couple of times and seemed to give away a free kick every time he actually went near the ball. Just a mare which is becoming a disturbing trend for a guy who hasn't improved since his first game.
Sinn - File it in the little bit of something, little bit of nothing category for mine. Another of those guys who really needs to be demanding a spot and is more of a meek "I submitted something at least" type of effort. What I like about him is he demands the ball and has a really nice kick on him, what I didn't like is that he doesn't get to dangerous places enough and despite the really nice kick he had a few really bad clangers today where he just didn't seem to be on the same page as the teammates. Probably the best part of his game was how bad Duursma and Houston were and that he wasn't as bad as them. Absolutely in the mix for round 1 but he's done nothing to change my opinion that he's an all or nothing rookie, basically he's going to command a spot in the team and make 200k (Jordon) or he's going to be out of the team by round 3 (oh so many). Hoping for a monster game next week!
Gray - Forward the entire first half, went mid a little in the third, looks good.
Boak - Midfield the first half, went more HF/outside and possibly off in the 3rd.
Finlayson - Was solid again as a ruck and forward. Would think he's the first picked right now.
Amon - Wing with very limited inside minutes, was solid but nothing of note for fantasy purposes.
Wines - Laconic effort for him. Another in the too good for preseason attitude.
Butters - Probably their best player, interesting he was at the first 3 CBA and then didn't have another for the game, many ways to read that, but he was good at the 3 he went to and was very good around the ground. Was more of a gentle knock on the door than kicking the door down type of performance but definitely a positive game for those considering him. Like that he kept working and found ways to score/contribute regardless of position as there will definitely be games where the midfield time might not quite be there. A tick but not a "hell yeah".
Rozee - A firm cross for mine. It's funny how footy works that by far the least hyped of the 3 in the draft class in the draft year has become by far the best player, heck the other two might have been better at 18 than they are now!
Aliir - Same old. Not quite relevant but oh so close.
Hayes - Was really solid and Lycett injury remains to be assessed. Like with Strachan/ROB it was an on field/off field role, indicating he's going to have to beat Lycett out for a game rather than playing alongside him. Could be a syndesmosis type injury for Lycett which would open up a 5 week window for Hayes though and make a very interesting decision. Positive for Hayes is Lycett is a legitimately good forward/ruck so if Hayes was to demand a spot in his chance, Lycett can slot in as the 2nd ruck and open a spot.
Drew - Stock standard.
Lycett - As mentioned, ankle injury, didn't come back on. See what it is.
Skinner - On in the 3rd, didn't do much.
McEntee - On in the 3rd also and did very little.
Mead - Really solid game from him, SPP injury can only help. Motlop potatofest sure doesn't hurt either. Small forward is not a good role and I reckon the midfield time is pure preseason tease, but he's certainly not the worst option around and the more options the better. Looks to be on the inside track for Fantasia's spot I think right now. Shows some good fantasy traits but will undoubtedly be the last forward target on their side.
For those wondering about Erasmus, Longmuir said this after today’s game :-
Neil Erasmus, was he close to playing?
Yes, he was close, but we’ve got some good depth through our midfield and he’s a young player in his first year who hasn’t played against men really apart from this pre-season. I thought it was best for his development and his progression to play at Peel tomorrow.
From that, I think he is unlikely for round 1 now myself.
Neil Erasmus, was he close to playing?
Yes, he was close, but we’ve got some good depth through our midfield and he’s a young player in his first year who hasn’t played against men really apart from this pre-season. I thought it was best for his development and his progression to play at Peel tomorrow.
From that, I think he is unlikely for round 1 now myself.
Eagles vs Dockers
General - I watched only a half, the game was trash, both teams missing way too many to really judge much out of it and West Coast just giving zero effort, I mean at least you can trip over a witch's hat...
CBA
Freo
Serong - 14
Brayshaw - 13
Brodie - 11
Crowden - 10
WCE
Kelly - 12
Yeo - 6
Redden - 7
West - 8
Petrucelle - 3
Sheed - 1
Gaff - 3
O'Neill - 4
Jones - 4
Kick-ins
Wilson/Young - A couple each.
Hurn/Gov took almost all the Eagles (Withers with one).
Eagles - A strong early wooden spoon candidate has emerged! They weren't good last year and this game was just embarrassing. Worst part is you go through the list and they're missing just Shuey from the midfield, a couple of good forwards in Ryan and Allen, who would have done as little as the other forwards given how the midfield went, and Duggan down back, you'd think they were fielding an under 18s or something the way they got smashed by a Freo team who were missing 3/4 of their starting midfield. Hopefully just a "we don't want to be here" preseason game for the Eagles but this one was a mess...
Gaff - Same old for him, wing, few midfield rotations, hacking low quality kicks forward, working hard. We know the story.
Sheed - Nasty looking ankle roll up early in the game and day done.
Yeo - Started well in Q1 then faded entirely. I rate him so highly but just seems the body is cooked unfortunately.
NicNat - Basically if he didn't directly cause a clearance, they didn't get any. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing for fantasy, basically they need him so intensely that he almost has to play real minutes instead of fat kid minutes and at the same time, does he just check out if the season is over by round 8 and he's the only guy doing anything? He looked good and he dominated the clearances but some very real concerns over the team right now. Still offers resoundingly little outside stoppages.
Kelly - If he could just be mediocre with the ball he'd be so good but somehow his ability to create space is twice as deadly when he then handballs it to the opposition, he basically just create space for the opponent. He might be the worst handballer in the league and his kicking isn't much above that either. Every now and then he pulls an absolutely brilliant one out but I reckon he'd struggle to hit the target at all if you got the old footy show handball challenge wheel out on him! So close to brilliant and yet so far, if he can't fix that he can't become a star in SC, the hardest part is there isn't anything fundamentally wrong, it's almost like he does the hard stuff and then just switches off for the easy part.
Chesser - Awkward landing very early and day done (unless he came back 2nd half). Didn't look good, so hopefully he's alright.
McGovern - I mean maybe him going in as captain is a symbol of how few ****s the Eagles had to give today given his notoriously poor effort levels outside real games!
Petrucelle - Was shocked to see him in the middle at the start and I think he was just as shocked because he looked absolutely clueless in there. He runs fast, at this point I'm pretty sure that's his skillset
Witherden - Despite ample supply he couldn't really get near it in the half I watched but if they're as bad as they looked, he could be relevant this year on pure supply.
O'Neill - His role was solid, no idea if that's because of the Sheed injury or despite it, he didn't get mid time until after, he was probably their best midfielder in the half I watched relative to expectations at least, had a couple of decent clearances albeit gift wrapped by NicNat but at least he got on the move and was attacking at stoppages. Cheap enough that he could be relevant in a midfield role.
Darling - I understand why he's decided to have the season off now
Williams - Playing forward, where he still has no influence on the contest, with some ruck time where he was beaten soundly by Meek. He moves really well for his size but there's an awful lot of the football side of things to come before they can afford to play him. I just can't realistically see how he can be in the side with NicNat, especially if NicNat is playing <70% TOG, basically going to be playing 20.5 on 22 each week.
West - He got a heavy dose of midfield minutes, if he scored any fantasy points it was from tackles though, just struggled to get his hands on the pill. He looked good last year though so there's something there. Depending on how the injury fallout hits, could be a genuine midfield role for him and he'd be legitimately relevant as a forward in SC if that happened and was open for a few weeks.
Edwards - Was the standout of the Eagles listed players, he actually played well down back.
Rioli - Kicked a great goal in the 2nd, did sweet FA for the rest of it but was good to see him back and not like the supply was there.
Dixon - The Eagles best player today isn't even on their list. He worked hard, pressured well, presented well, kicked a nice goal. Was just rock solid. Not sure how long Allen is out for but he definitely penciled a round 1 spot in and a chance to make something of it.
Freo - Without their two best midfielders and their AA level ruckman they just obliterated the Eagles, dominated in the midfield and were hyper-efficient with their ball movement off turnovers, of which there were plenty. They looked kind of scary off half back and genuinely capable of scoring which is new!
Logue - Was great, not fantasy relevant but deserves a nod.
Serong - Love to know how he scored, the role was great. So hard to read anything on roles without Fyfe and Mundy but I reckon the 4 man midfield rotation probably makes a statement, imagine it's the bottom two who push down a run, Brodie/Fyfe is basically like for like, Mundy can slot in wherever. Hasn't really been on my radar and he had a typical Serong game, probably had 30 touches and I noticed about 15 of them type action. Looked good.
Clark - Looked awesome off half back, the role that Chris Scott hated him in but the rest of football thinks he looks amazing in. Mid only sinks his battle ship but probably pushes 90 this year.
Brayshaw - Was the best mid out there for mine, just works so much harder than the Eagles guys did and finds the ball inside and out. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he goes 115+ this year. Credit to anyone who backs him in when/if he does.
Crowden - Heavy midfield minutes to the point I'm not sure he even really played forward. He was genuinely solid as well, do think he gets pushed out when the big names are back.
Brodie - Huge midfield minutes and did exactly what he always does when getting midfield minutes, found a ton of it and was generally good. The question is what happens when Fyfe and Mundy are back and he has to go forward where he has been really bad at AFL level or do they play it smart and use Mundy and Fyfe, both very capable forwards and not long term players at this point (although Mundy might still be there in a decade!), up forward and give Brodie an extended chance in the guts. That's the entire question on him, I have little doubt that he pushes towards 90+ range if he has the right role and I have genuine doubt he is even in the side in 5 weeks if he doesn't and he's at that awkward price where one of those options makes him a lock and the other makes him a terrible pick... Hopefully we get an answer next week.
Meek - I stand by my comment that he's the best backup ruckman in the league. I have no idea why the Dogs didn't move heaven and earth to get him over this o***eason. He pantsed NicNat around the ground, genuinely uses it well, presents as an option well and juts finds dangerous spots. He's not Gawn but he's in that style of ruckman and I genuinely think he's better than most of the starting rucks. As concerned as I am by Darcy's durability, him demanding games and causing a ruck share might be an equal concern. Dunno, just really rate him!
Henry - Wing role as advertised, still struggled to get a lot of ball. Did a few nice things when he had it but need a lot more before I'll consider him.
Young - Class off half back. Wouldn't be surprised if he also goes 90+ but he's got a few helpers and they might actually end up like Hawthorn last year.
Chapman - Another of those helpers, looked great. Really composed for his experience level.
O'Driscoll - Had a really solid Q1, I'm not sure he had a touch in Q2. Playing wing and I like the look of him. Good chance to play round one though which is great news. Be good if he could cement it next week with a strong outing.
General - I watched only a half, the game was trash, both teams missing way too many to really judge much out of it and West Coast just giving zero effort, I mean at least you can trip over a witch's hat...
CBA
Freo
Serong - 14
Brayshaw - 13
Brodie - 11
Crowden - 10
WCE
Kelly - 12
Yeo - 6
Redden - 7
West - 8
Petrucelle - 3
Sheed - 1
Gaff - 3
O'Neill - 4
Jones - 4
Kick-ins
Wilson/Young - A couple each.
Hurn/Gov took almost all the Eagles (Withers with one).
Eagles - A strong early wooden spoon candidate has emerged! They weren't good last year and this game was just embarrassing. Worst part is you go through the list and they're missing just Shuey from the midfield, a couple of good forwards in Ryan and Allen, who would have done as little as the other forwards given how the midfield went, and Duggan down back, you'd think they were fielding an under 18s or something the way they got smashed by a Freo team who were missing 3/4 of their starting midfield. Hopefully just a "we don't want to be here" preseason game for the Eagles but this one was a mess...
Gaff - Same old for him, wing, few midfield rotations, hacking low quality kicks forward, working hard. We know the story.
Sheed - Nasty looking ankle roll up early in the game and day done.
Yeo - Started well in Q1 then faded entirely. I rate him so highly but just seems the body is cooked unfortunately.
NicNat - Basically if he didn't directly cause a clearance, they didn't get any. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing for fantasy, basically they need him so intensely that he almost has to play real minutes instead of fat kid minutes and at the same time, does he just check out if the season is over by round 8 and he's the only guy doing anything? He looked good and he dominated the clearances but some very real concerns over the team right now. Still offers resoundingly little outside stoppages.
Kelly - If he could just be mediocre with the ball he'd be so good but somehow his ability to create space is twice as deadly when he then handballs it to the opposition, he basically just create space for the opponent. He might be the worst handballer in the league and his kicking isn't much above that either. Every now and then he pulls an absolutely brilliant one out but I reckon he'd struggle to hit the target at all if you got the old footy show handball challenge wheel out on him! So close to brilliant and yet so far, if he can't fix that he can't become a star in SC, the hardest part is there isn't anything fundamentally wrong, it's almost like he does the hard stuff and then just switches off for the easy part.
Chesser - Awkward landing very early and day done (unless he came back 2nd half). Didn't look good, so hopefully he's alright.
McGovern - I mean maybe him going in as captain is a symbol of how few ****s the Eagles had to give today given his notoriously poor effort levels outside real games!
Petrucelle - Was shocked to see him in the middle at the start and I think he was just as shocked because he looked absolutely clueless in there. He runs fast, at this point I'm pretty sure that's his skillset
Witherden - Despite ample supply he couldn't really get near it in the half I watched but if they're as bad as they looked, he could be relevant this year on pure supply.
O'Neill - His role was solid, no idea if that's because of the Sheed injury or despite it, he didn't get mid time until after, he was probably their best midfielder in the half I watched relative to expectations at least, had a couple of decent clearances albeit gift wrapped by NicNat but at least he got on the move and was attacking at stoppages. Cheap enough that he could be relevant in a midfield role.
Darling - I understand why he's decided to have the season off now
Williams - Playing forward, where he still has no influence on the contest, with some ruck time where he was beaten soundly by Meek. He moves really well for his size but there's an awful lot of the football side of things to come before they can afford to play him. I just can't realistically see how he can be in the side with NicNat, especially if NicNat is playing <70% TOG, basically going to be playing 20.5 on 22 each week.
West - He got a heavy dose of midfield minutes, if he scored any fantasy points it was from tackles though, just struggled to get his hands on the pill. He looked good last year though so there's something there. Depending on how the injury fallout hits, could be a genuine midfield role for him and he'd be legitimately relevant as a forward in SC if that happened and was open for a few weeks.
Edwards - Was the standout of the Eagles listed players, he actually played well down back.
Rioli - Kicked a great goal in the 2nd, did sweet FA for the rest of it but was good to see him back and not like the supply was there.
Dixon - The Eagles best player today isn't even on their list. He worked hard, pressured well, presented well, kicked a nice goal. Was just rock solid. Not sure how long Allen is out for but he definitely penciled a round 1 spot in and a chance to make something of it.
Freo - Without their two best midfielders and their AA level ruckman they just obliterated the Eagles, dominated in the midfield and were hyper-efficient with their ball movement off turnovers, of which there were plenty. They looked kind of scary off half back and genuinely capable of scoring which is new!
Logue - Was great, not fantasy relevant but deserves a nod.
Serong - Love to know how he scored, the role was great. So hard to read anything on roles without Fyfe and Mundy but I reckon the 4 man midfield rotation probably makes a statement, imagine it's the bottom two who push down a run, Brodie/Fyfe is basically like for like, Mundy can slot in wherever. Hasn't really been on my radar and he had a typical Serong game, probably had 30 touches and I noticed about 15 of them type action. Looked good.
Clark - Looked awesome off half back, the role that Chris Scott hated him in but the rest of football thinks he looks amazing in. Mid only sinks his battle ship but probably pushes 90 this year.
Brayshaw - Was the best mid out there for mine, just works so much harder than the Eagles guys did and finds the ball inside and out. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he goes 115+ this year. Credit to anyone who backs him in when/if he does.
Crowden - Heavy midfield minutes to the point I'm not sure he even really played forward. He was genuinely solid as well, do think he gets pushed out when the big names are back.
Brodie - Huge midfield minutes and did exactly what he always does when getting midfield minutes, found a ton of it and was generally good. The question is what happens when Fyfe and Mundy are back and he has to go forward where he has been really bad at AFL level or do they play it smart and use Mundy and Fyfe, both very capable forwards and not long term players at this point (although Mundy might still be there in a decade!), up forward and give Brodie an extended chance in the guts. That's the entire question on him, I have little doubt that he pushes towards 90+ range if he has the right role and I have genuine doubt he is even in the side in 5 weeks if he doesn't and he's at that awkward price where one of those options makes him a lock and the other makes him a terrible pick... Hopefully we get an answer next week.
Meek - I stand by my comment that he's the best backup ruckman in the league. I have no idea why the Dogs didn't move heaven and earth to get him over this o***eason. He pantsed NicNat around the ground, genuinely uses it well, presents as an option well and juts finds dangerous spots. He's not Gawn but he's in that style of ruckman and I genuinely think he's better than most of the starting rucks. As concerned as I am by Darcy's durability, him demanding games and causing a ruck share might be an equal concern. Dunno, just really rate him!
Henry - Wing role as advertised, still struggled to get a lot of ball. Did a few nice things when he had it but need a lot more before I'll consider him.
Young - Class off half back. Wouldn't be surprised if he also goes 90+ but he's got a few helpers and they might actually end up like Hawthorn last year.
Chapman - Another of those helpers, looked great. Really composed for his experience level.
O'Driscoll - Had a really solid Q1, I'm not sure he had a touch in Q2. Playing wing and I like the look of him. Good chance to play round one though which is great news. Be good if he could cement it next week with a strong outing.
Any chance we can get a seperate thread just for @wogitalia practice matches reviews.
Some great stuff in their , can see a lot of it getting lost.
Just a idea
Some great stuff in their , can see a lot of it getting lost.
Just a idea
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