Figured a thread for these would make sense to avoid the commentary going all over the place!
Adelaide were kind enough to put up a replay of their intra-club game, so I've watched the first half, thoughts below:
General - Was a clear probables vs the rest setup, Blue team was basically their best 22, I'd say there's a couple of spots that are battles but it's pretty much the exact 22 I'd have picked.
Can be spun both ways but the Blue team really struggled to assert dominance over the yellow side. Glass half full says it's a great sign of the depth, half empty says it's a real concern of the lack of top end talent to really separate from mid-tier level. Results last year tend to suggest the latter is probably more accurate.
Also an interesting note was the last 5 mintues they turned into a match sim scenario where the yellow team was 9 points up and had to defend while the Blue tried to wrestle the win, the yellow team holding on fairly comfortably further supports the suggestion that they lack the talent to separate but it was interesting to watch.
Going through in numerical order...
Jones - Played wing for the 2nd team, was solid but did nothing to really change his status in the rest group.
Keays - Played a pure HF role until the 5 minute simulation where he went into the main midfield group. I don't know how to read that, basically the 5 minute simulation suggests that's the "game on the line" group and he was in it and yet no midfield time the rest of the game.
Berry - Their main midfielder in this game and looked great, except for his kicking which unfortunately didn't look improved at all. Tackling was great. Sneaky good option in DT formats, disposal will stunt him in SC, imo.
Murphy - Played for the magoos and didn't do anything to stand out in the half.
Crouch - Primary mid for the magoos also and like Murphy, did very little to shift that scenario. Was really disappointing to be honest and just looks done as a player.
Hately - Also in the twos main midfield group, he might have been even more underwhelming than the others...
TT/Fog/Tex - Will lump together, were the KPF group, Tex took F50 ruck, TT was the backup ruck, looked good together for the most part albeit didn't really dominate the defenders like you'd hope.
Rachele - Started in the first midfield group and was solid. Rotating with Rankine through that spot, they were the two who went out for Keays in the 5 minute drill which was interesting given you normally want the more explosive types in that situation. I think he's more of a draft format prospect right now but will watch very closely in the preseason games as it's a very lucrative role if he can stick it and actually produce from it. Not a lot of first group mids that aren't in the 90+ range across the AFL.
Sloane/Hinge - Played the wings for the blue side the entire first half, Sloane looked pretty good but role didn't look like it would harm any of the fantasy relevant guys. Hinge was solid, probably did enough to stay ahead of Jones and Sholl.
Pedlar - Played forward pocket, rookie option and was very solid for the most part. Adds a lot more hardness than the Murphy, McHenry or Rowe types they had going through that spot last year and thought it was a good tick. At a premium price and with that role, not a great SC option but definitely worth watching. Imagine he's an injury from more midfield minutes that could change that quickly.
Dawson - Absolutely everywhere across half back. He looks primed for another huge season. Took all the kick-ins until the 5 minute drill where Milera took a "nearest player" rush one away from him. Intercept marking, primary kicker. Basically ticked all the boxes if considering him.
Soligo - Played HF but the high HF extra midfielder role, was solid but unspectacular.
Hamill - Had the extra HB slot after the main guys, what he did was good but as usual very low quantity. I thought Parnell, obviously with more opportunity, definitely put his hand up for this spot from the yellow side, probably the 22nd picked right now, imo.
Taylor - Got very solid midfield minutes for the yellow side and, imo, was the best of the group. One to watch as a potential downgrade option later in the year I think.
Brown - Main midfield group for yellow, did nothing to change his status in the 2nds.
Rankine - Switching with Rachele, with Rachele getting the midfield balance. He was really solid, especially at the CB where his burst and movement were top notch, albeit not against a good midfield group that was trying very hard. Not sure what his goals in the 2nd half looked like but 2 in the first were "non-AFL" goals against a reserves side that ran out of puff late in the 2nd quarter, the kind of goal that you maybe kick one in a season. Still, he looked fit and firing and his effort was a lot better than the majority of GC. Him and Rachele might have a great role but it would probably be better if one of them had it instead of sharing. Still another strong draft option I dare say, not sure I can see 90+ from him to justify in the real stuff.
McAdam - Took the other forward slot in the Blue team, was solid but same old for him.
McHenry - Was in the yellow side, another who's played a fair bit of AFL but didn't seem to really want to earn a first's spot based on his effort levels.
Schoenberg - The 5th midfielder for the Blue side, started on the pine and was rotating through Berry and Laird when one was resting. Basically they had 2 of those 3 and one of Rankine/Rachele until Keays replaced the latter in the 5 minute drill. He was the worst of the group by a considerable margin and the one whose spot seems most at threat.
Murray/Doedee - Took the other two KPD slots, were solid.
Laird - Clearly another level to the rest of the midfielders/players out there. Players like him I'm looking for reasons to not pick them as we all know the positives. He looked fit, focused and firing and I honestly took nothing out of it that makes me want him any less. That's about as big a tick as I can give for an elite midfielder really.
Milera - Tough to gauge this one, role was good and he looks really fit but he didn't really stand out or get much pill. He looked the clear "3rd" (see Butts) option off half back and Dawson and Smith were clearly still the main guys. What he did was good but he looks destined for that Chapman type clear 3rd option role where you can have a few good games but also some stinkers. If he was 100k cheaper he'd be a lock but it's hard to see him going past 90 like he needs to, strikes me as a high 70 to mid 80 range unless there are injuries ahead of him. Will watch though as the class is clear and he genuinely looks fit for once.
Smith - Still the 2nd main rebounder and was prolific, played well.
Himmel - Clearly in the 2nds, versatility his strength as he wasn't terrible as a forward, ruck or defender but seems to be in that replacement position.
Borlase - Lump of a lad, held his own very well against the KPF, standout moment a great tackle against a Tex fend off that has ended so many young players' dreams. Was blowing hard several times and that looks like it will be his hill to climb before AFL but strength wise he looks ready.
Sholl - Manned the other wing for yellow, like Jones he didn't do anything to really advance his cause at all.
Butts - Not sure if it was because he didn't have a man or what but he seemed determined to be the main rebounder, his kicking should have ended that dream but he kept doing it. In the coverage it was mentioned they want him to add more rebound into his game but perhaps went a bit too far today. Was good to see him being active though but perhaps better served to being a target for the sideways release kick to then handball to the ball users instead of essentially doing the opposite.
ROB - I always find him so hard to review, he really is terrible in the ruck and today was no different, he had a couple of wins but mostly it looked like Strachan won the better of the ruck contests. He was excellent around the ground and was moving very well, tackled well and even pushed forward a few times to be an option, albeit missed the shots. Basically he's 100% reliant on his midfield doing a better job of roving to bad ruck work if he's going to push to the 110+ range, it's possible and Rankine and Rachele definitely add dynamism to the mix that could help that factor but that's a very fluky area of improvement to bank on. Still, he's a solid option right now in a bad field. At least durability hasn't been an issue for him likely basically everyone else.
Gollant - Played FF for the yellow, really starved of chances so hard to say much.
Strachan - As mentioned in ROB, I thought he outrucked ROB but he's not as good around the ground, albeit he's improved again and is closing that gap. Ultimately he's better than you want the backup ruck to be if you're picking the starter, the gap isn't much and would only take a few big reserves games and he could be in the mix. That neither can really pose as a forward and TT existing probably helps alleviate that but a ruck share is probably better than him just flat out replacing ROB if you've got him
Keane - Was solid in defense, he might be the most Irish looking of all the Irish players, they all have that distinct style but he's like a bigger more prominent version of it. Could definitely step in if needed or wanted down back.
Adelaide were kind enough to put up a replay of their intra-club game, so I've watched the first half, thoughts below:
General - Was a clear probables vs the rest setup, Blue team was basically their best 22, I'd say there's a couple of spots that are battles but it's pretty much the exact 22 I'd have picked.
Can be spun both ways but the Blue team really struggled to assert dominance over the yellow side. Glass half full says it's a great sign of the depth, half empty says it's a real concern of the lack of top end talent to really separate from mid-tier level. Results last year tend to suggest the latter is probably more accurate.
Also an interesting note was the last 5 mintues they turned into a match sim scenario where the yellow team was 9 points up and had to defend while the Blue tried to wrestle the win, the yellow team holding on fairly comfortably further supports the suggestion that they lack the talent to separate but it was interesting to watch.
Going through in numerical order...
Jones - Played wing for the 2nd team, was solid but did nothing to really change his status in the rest group.
Keays - Played a pure HF role until the 5 minute simulation where he went into the main midfield group. I don't know how to read that, basically the 5 minute simulation suggests that's the "game on the line" group and he was in it and yet no midfield time the rest of the game.
Berry - Their main midfielder in this game and looked great, except for his kicking which unfortunately didn't look improved at all. Tackling was great. Sneaky good option in DT formats, disposal will stunt him in SC, imo.
Murphy - Played for the magoos and didn't do anything to stand out in the half.
Crouch - Primary mid for the magoos also and like Murphy, did very little to shift that scenario. Was really disappointing to be honest and just looks done as a player.
Hately - Also in the twos main midfield group, he might have been even more underwhelming than the others...
TT/Fog/Tex - Will lump together, were the KPF group, Tex took F50 ruck, TT was the backup ruck, looked good together for the most part albeit didn't really dominate the defenders like you'd hope.
Rachele - Started in the first midfield group and was solid. Rotating with Rankine through that spot, they were the two who went out for Keays in the 5 minute drill which was interesting given you normally want the more explosive types in that situation. I think he's more of a draft format prospect right now but will watch very closely in the preseason games as it's a very lucrative role if he can stick it and actually produce from it. Not a lot of first group mids that aren't in the 90+ range across the AFL.
Sloane/Hinge - Played the wings for the blue side the entire first half, Sloane looked pretty good but role didn't look like it would harm any of the fantasy relevant guys. Hinge was solid, probably did enough to stay ahead of Jones and Sholl.
Pedlar - Played forward pocket, rookie option and was very solid for the most part. Adds a lot more hardness than the Murphy, McHenry or Rowe types they had going through that spot last year and thought it was a good tick. At a premium price and with that role, not a great SC option but definitely worth watching. Imagine he's an injury from more midfield minutes that could change that quickly.
Dawson - Absolutely everywhere across half back. He looks primed for another huge season. Took all the kick-ins until the 5 minute drill where Milera took a "nearest player" rush one away from him. Intercept marking, primary kicker. Basically ticked all the boxes if considering him.
Soligo - Played HF but the high HF extra midfielder role, was solid but unspectacular.
Hamill - Had the extra HB slot after the main guys, what he did was good but as usual very low quantity. I thought Parnell, obviously with more opportunity, definitely put his hand up for this spot from the yellow side, probably the 22nd picked right now, imo.
Taylor - Got very solid midfield minutes for the yellow side and, imo, was the best of the group. One to watch as a potential downgrade option later in the year I think.
Brown - Main midfield group for yellow, did nothing to change his status in the 2nds.
Rankine - Switching with Rachele, with Rachele getting the midfield balance. He was really solid, especially at the CB where his burst and movement were top notch, albeit not against a good midfield group that was trying very hard. Not sure what his goals in the 2nd half looked like but 2 in the first were "non-AFL" goals against a reserves side that ran out of puff late in the 2nd quarter, the kind of goal that you maybe kick one in a season. Still, he looked fit and firing and his effort was a lot better than the majority of GC. Him and Rachele might have a great role but it would probably be better if one of them had it instead of sharing. Still another strong draft option I dare say, not sure I can see 90+ from him to justify in the real stuff.
McAdam - Took the other forward slot in the Blue team, was solid but same old for him.
McHenry - Was in the yellow side, another who's played a fair bit of AFL but didn't seem to really want to earn a first's spot based on his effort levels.
Schoenberg - The 5th midfielder for the Blue side, started on the pine and was rotating through Berry and Laird when one was resting. Basically they had 2 of those 3 and one of Rankine/Rachele until Keays replaced the latter in the 5 minute drill. He was the worst of the group by a considerable margin and the one whose spot seems most at threat.
Murray/Doedee - Took the other two KPD slots, were solid.
Laird - Clearly another level to the rest of the midfielders/players out there. Players like him I'm looking for reasons to not pick them as we all know the positives. He looked fit, focused and firing and I honestly took nothing out of it that makes me want him any less. That's about as big a tick as I can give for an elite midfielder really.
Milera - Tough to gauge this one, role was good and he looks really fit but he didn't really stand out or get much pill. He looked the clear "3rd" (see Butts) option off half back and Dawson and Smith were clearly still the main guys. What he did was good but he looks destined for that Chapman type clear 3rd option role where you can have a few good games but also some stinkers. If he was 100k cheaper he'd be a lock but it's hard to see him going past 90 like he needs to, strikes me as a high 70 to mid 80 range unless there are injuries ahead of him. Will watch though as the class is clear and he genuinely looks fit for once.
Smith - Still the 2nd main rebounder and was prolific, played well.
Himmel - Clearly in the 2nds, versatility his strength as he wasn't terrible as a forward, ruck or defender but seems to be in that replacement position.
Borlase - Lump of a lad, held his own very well against the KPF, standout moment a great tackle against a Tex fend off that has ended so many young players' dreams. Was blowing hard several times and that looks like it will be his hill to climb before AFL but strength wise he looks ready.
Sholl - Manned the other wing for yellow, like Jones he didn't do anything to really advance his cause at all.
Butts - Not sure if it was because he didn't have a man or what but he seemed determined to be the main rebounder, his kicking should have ended that dream but he kept doing it. In the coverage it was mentioned they want him to add more rebound into his game but perhaps went a bit too far today. Was good to see him being active though but perhaps better served to being a target for the sideways release kick to then handball to the ball users instead of essentially doing the opposite.
ROB - I always find him so hard to review, he really is terrible in the ruck and today was no different, he had a couple of wins but mostly it looked like Strachan won the better of the ruck contests. He was excellent around the ground and was moving very well, tackled well and even pushed forward a few times to be an option, albeit missed the shots. Basically he's 100% reliant on his midfield doing a better job of roving to bad ruck work if he's going to push to the 110+ range, it's possible and Rankine and Rachele definitely add dynamism to the mix that could help that factor but that's a very fluky area of improvement to bank on. Still, he's a solid option right now in a bad field. At least durability hasn't been an issue for him likely basically everyone else.
Gollant - Played FF for the yellow, really starved of chances so hard to say much.
Strachan - As mentioned in ROB, I thought he outrucked ROB but he's not as good around the ground, albeit he's improved again and is closing that gap. Ultimately he's better than you want the backup ruck to be if you're picking the starter, the gap isn't much and would only take a few big reserves games and he could be in the mix. That neither can really pose as a forward and TT existing probably helps alleviate that but a ruck share is probably better than him just flat out replacing ROB if you've got him
Keane - Was solid in defense, he might be the most Irish looking of all the Irish players, they all have that distinct style but he's like a bigger more prominent version of it. Could definitely step in if needed or wanted down back.
