Analysis 2023 Preseason Games

[All is Wells]

Watched all of todays games other than Sydney vs Brisbane. A few notes in game order
1. Ldu - never seen someone care about an unofficial scratch match more. Would have had 35+, 10 tackles and 10 uncontested marks. Simpkin and Cunnington not being there takes the shine off a bit but very hard to ignore
2. Hopper - Was honestly underwhelming for me. His uncontested stuff was better than his contested work, helped set up a few goals. If his ownership wasnt at 50% i'd have no issue fading
3. Taranto - Didnt have any doubts on him as a pick before the game. Even fewer now
4. Ziebell - If you liked him as a pick before this game, then it did nothing to turn you off him. If you didnt then it didnt do much to convince you. Im in the latter group
5. Sheezel/Goater/Phillips - All startable on field rookies if named rd 1 based on todays roles
6. D. Cameron - Role was shockingly bad, not going near personally
7. Titch - Role was almost as bad as Camerons. Liked him as an option before this but needs to do a bit in the official game for me to change my opinion after todays efforts
8. N. Dacios - Worked his way into it but did very little to justify his ownership level. Happy to continue to fade
9. Cripps - Had 32 supposedly so i mustn't have watched too closely cos i didnt see him that many times. Genuine option tho thats being slept on imo
10. Cowan - Didnt do much to convince me he's there rd 1. If he is he won't be on my field if i pick him
11. Oliver - Cared almost as much as LDU, really good game. Moved him around to defence for ****s and gigs for a bit and still found it more than 90% of the players out there
12. Petracca - BOG to half time, died in the arse after that. Might get dpp if his role continues
13. Gawn - BOG for the day, didnt think he was relevant until he got dpp in rd 6 but happy to say im wrong if he plays like this
14. Grundy - weirdest role of the day imo. Genuinely seemed to have 50 - 60% tog unless he rotted fwd for large periods and i didnt notice him. Was quite solid when he was around the ball, big watch next week to see if role today was an outlier
15. Steele. Pretty poor to half time. Really solid after that
16. Sinclair - saints best, no reason he cant continue on from last year
17. Nwm - thought he could be picked as a defender, cant be but will be able to by rd 6. $50k too dear to be relevant but was quite good
18. Marshall - main ruck all day and did it well against the best ruck duo. Campbell late out so hard read and want to see again next week if role changes when Campbell plays
19. Phillipou - had some big moments but did very little outside those. Going to be an interesting rd 1 rookie selection if named cos i can see some spike scores
20. Mcvee. Didnt notice him much but didnt know who i was looking for tbf. Did well according to a few reports ive read
21. Chandler/coffield/van rooynen - chandler the best shot to play rd 1 based on todays tog %. Other 2 dont seem likely
22. Hunter clark - had a decent role but was genuinely woeful.

 

[Russty_]

Watched all of todays games other than Sydney vs Brisbane. A few notes in game order
1. Ldu - never seen someone care about an unofficial scratch match more. Would have had 35+, 10 tackles and 10 uncontested marks. Simpkin and Cunnington not being there takes the shine off a bit but very hard to ignore
2. Hopper - Was honestly underwhelming for me. His uncontested stuff was better than his contested work, helped set up a few goals. If his ownership wasnt at 50% i'd have no issue fading
3. Taranto - Didnt have any doubts on him as a pick before the game. Even fewer now
4. Ziebell - If you liked him as a pick before this game, then it did nothing to turn you off him. If you didnt then it didnt do much to convince you. Im in the latter group
5. Sheezel/Goater/Phillips - All startable on field rookies if named rd 1 based on todays roles
6. D. Cameron - Role was shockingly bad, not going near personally
7. Titch - Role was almost as bad as Camerons. Liked him as an option before this but needs to do a bit in the official game for me to change my opinion after todays efforts
8. N. Dacios - Worked his way into it but did very little to justify his ownership level. Happy to continue to fade
9. Cripps - Had 32 supposedly so i mustn't have watched too closely cos i didnt see him that many times. Genuine option tho thats being slept on imo
10. Cowan - Didnt do much to convince me he's there rd 1. If he is he won't be on my field if i pick him
11. Oliver - Cared almost as much as LDU, really good game. Moved him around to defence for ****s and gigs for a bit and still found it more than 90% of the players out there
12. Petracca - BOG to half time, died in the arse after that. Might get dpp if his role continues
13. Gawn - BOG for the day, didnt think he was relevant until he got dpp in rd 6 but happy to say im wrong if he plays like this
14. Grundy - weirdest role of the day imo. Genuinely seemed to have 50 - 60% tog unless he rotted fwd for large periods and i didnt notice him. Was quite solid when he was around the ball, big watch next week to see if role today was an outlier
15. Steele. Pretty poor to half time. Really solid after that
16. Sinclair - saints best, no reason he cant continue on from last year
17. Nwm - thought he could be picked as a defender, cant be but will be able to by rd 6. $50k too dear to be relevant but was quite good
18. Marshall - main ruck all day and did it well against the best ruck duo. Campbell late out so hard read and want to see again next week if role changes when Campbell plays
19. Phillipou - had some big moments but did very little outside those. Going to be an interesting rd 1 rookie selection if named cos i can see some spike scores
20. Mcvee. Didnt notice him much but didnt know who i was looking for tbf. Did well according to a few reports ive read
21. Chandler/coffield/van rooynen - chandler the best shot to play rd 1 based on todays tog %. Other 2 dont seem likely
22. Hunter clark - had a decent role but was genuinely woeful.

Thanks wells appreciate the effort.

 

[Manikato1]

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...-sheezel-stars-for-north-20230224-p5cnb7.html

Rugby union convert Lachlan McAndrew could be in line for his AFL debut in Sydney’s round one clash with the Gold Coast Suns if their ruck stocks crisis worsens any further.

Veteran Tom Hickey will miss the first part of Sydney’s season while second-choice ruckman Peter Ladhams is also battling knee tendonitis, which ruled him out of Friday’s match simulation against Brisbane Lions - the Swans’ first opposed hit-out since losing last year’s grand final.

Really need to know what the injury is to Hickey. His powers of recovery are amazing.

 

[All is Wells]

23. Laird - Read quite a few comments on here that he was the best thing since sliced bread. For 705k you'd hope so but didnt rack them up prolifically in my eyes. M.crouch might affect him. He tackled like his usual self tho
24. Dawson - kicked poorly in the first, bog in the 2nd and played a poor wing role in the 3rd before not playing in the 4th after copping a couple of hits. Liked him as pick before this and didnt do enough for me to hop off but also want to see more next week to be fully confident
25. H. Young - Liked him as an option before this but was genuinely non existent. 6 touches to 3QT and no kickouts. Enough doubt to be out of my side for now
26. Milera - Good role but didnt get near it
27. Darcy - Really solid, Jackson barely affected him. Unusual for him to care when he sometimes doesnt seem to in actual games
28. Jackson - Average role but was really solid with what he did do. Ranking him above cameron easily for current ruck/fwd premium options but still think he falls short of a top 10 fwd spot
29. Fyfe - Underwhelming but not bad enough to look elsewhere just yet. Role was exactly as advertised, all fwd with no mid stints. Kicked 3 but filled me with no confidence he is a good pick at that price. Ownership at 40% only thing tying me to him right now, like bruhn significantly more
31. Rozee - Had doubts on him before this game and they didnt go away. Currently have him but going to be a frusturating year owning i think. 1 touch in the 1st and it was a classy goal. 1 touch in the 4th and it was a goal assist. Solid in the 2nd and 3rd. Was in most CBAs the first 3 quaters and then moved him to the fwd line in the last. No boak for most of the game and no butters to take mid time, want to see more next game
32. JHF - Solid game but **** price that makes him keeper or bust. Dont think he's relevant but seen weirder things happen
33. Yeo. West coasts best. Should give us 29 spots this year cos everyone should have
34. Cole - Biggest surprise of the day, no one has mentioned him. Was high on my radar before this and had him in alot of my sides and this solidified my thinking. Had 23 - 25 touches and would have peppered 100sc points. Solid 55-65 scorer in the past and i think he has good js. Considering goater, mckenna and ginbey are all highly owned around his price being slept on alot as a safe rookie option that should make coin
35. Allen - very solid. Cant see how he doesnt make good money with rock solid js to match
36. Sheed - Did nothing to justify his price
37. Chesser - Few good moments but looked rushed at times. Wasnt as good as some have made him out to be imo
38. Long - Dont think he played until halfway through the 2nd. Did a few nice things but job security would be iffy at best
39. Hewett - Really solid 4th qtr but think both teams moved a few of their best mids out
40. Teakle - actually looked semi decent and quite athletic for his size. Dont have the testeakles to pick as a starting ruck but might be an ok bench option

 

[Russty_]

Really need to know what the injury is to Hickey. His powers of recovery are amazing.

“Tom Hickey won’t play after suffering a calf injury in training last week. We’ll see how he progresses over the next couple of weeks but at this stage we expect him to be unavailable for at least the first few weeks of the season.
“Peter Ladhams is also managing some tendonitis following last week’s internal match simulation so will miss this week and we’ll reassess him for next week.
Squads confirmed to face Brisbane Lions (sydneyswans.com.au)

 

[wogitalia]

Pies vs Blues

General - Watched 3 quarters. Really decent hitout, very interesting to see the starkly different approach to midfield minutes by the two sides. Blues used just 4 midfielders for the entire first half, I had 9 who got CBAs for the Pies in contrast! Both sides played well and had pretty strong sides in that makes things a better read for this fantasy stuff.

Pies - 2nd quarter was their best but were solid in the others. Looked similar to last year, relying on quick ball movement and changes of direction with a lot of highly skilled ball users. I have very few best 22 guys missing.

Missing - Ginnivan and Mihocek

Lipinski - Played HF, already seems to be falling back into what he fled at the Dogs where he's the 9th midfielder out of 6. Played solidly but I don't think he's fantasy relevant in that role.

De Goey - Had the most CBA by my count to HT, was playing midfield but definitely not pure or as strong a role as the CBA numbers would say, more of that CBA and into a high HF role with bursts through the middle around the ground to my eye. The kind of role that traps him as a MID only but doesn't allow him to score well enough. Only relevant if he gets FWD for mine.

Quaynor/Moore/Howe/Noble/Maynard/Murphy - All in their standard roles down back.

Elliott - Got a few midfield bursts as he did last year, mostly as pure CB work pushing forward. Don't see him as relevant.

Mitchell - Was 4th on my count for CBA, wasn't bad, wasn't good, just a mediocre outing that provided very little info. He spent a lot of time at HF from what I could see and I'd say his role was pretty similar to last year. In a midfield full of dynamic types I'm not really sure what he offers them other than good hands at stoppages which they can get from a couple of the guys that are also great kicks and/or explosive runners. I haven't really considered him and this game moved me further from it. It's Titch so the stats will probably say he had 25 touches but I didn't see it

Jaicos - Same old, wing role, couple of CBA.

Pendles - Started midfield, swung back at times, had an impact everywhere, still so classy, so clean and so much time. He's honestly almost underrated over the last 15 years, imo.

McStay - Was really solid up forward, continues his Brisbane times of even clunking it absolutely purely or looking like he's got hands made of stone, there's no in between with his marking. Should be a good addition if he can play like this.

Adams - One of the bigger losers in their midfield mix. Had him near the bottom of the 9 guys and his role was primarily a genuine HF role. Not fantasy relevant in it unless he gets FWD and then injuries move him elsewhere.

Cameron - A big fat no for me. Started forward, was clearly the 2nd ruck all game and didn't really do anything special even when rucking. He might have actually been better up forward today. A big red X on my sheet.

Allan - Came on in 2nd half, did a couple of nice things but hard to see where he squeezes in early. No Ginnivan for two weeks has very high fool's gold potential if he does replace him as well.

Frampton - He was great, not fantasy relevant but going to be a great addition for the Pies if he can play to this level.

Sidey - Played wing early, moved to HB from Q2 as they gave a few of the other guys chances on a wing.

Hill - Played well up forward, forwards probably too loaded to be relevant but he is cheap, probably best 22 and was playing a much better role for his skills than he did at GWS where they parked him as a forward pocket pressure guy. Today was being used as a workrate leading target on the flanks and very often was used in space. Probably still too inconsistent but I liked what I saw from him and in that role he's definitely a good value pickup for the Pies based on this.

Ryan - Came on in Q3, played HB. Doubt he plays but he looked good and ready if they have a few injuries.

Crisp - Started in defense, I think, and then moved midfield for a while and then moved back to defense. All over the shop, middle of the park CBA numbers and played solidly. Only relevant, imo, when/if he gets DPP.

McInnes - At 176k he's worth a mention. Think he was basically playing Mihocek's role but he played it well and hit the contest really nicely. Worth watching at least but almost certainly better options.

McCreery - Same old for him, small pressure forward, does it well.

Hoskin-Elliott - Might have played just about every outside role there is today, HF/HB/Wing, didn't play any of them well though.

Daicos - Yeah... He's special. I had him 2nd on CBA and was the main genuine mid as he stayed around the ball, I have no idea how many touches he had but it sure felt like a lot. His class is eminent. I don't think I've ever seen a 2nd year player this good, honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he was the highest averaging player this year. Played midfield in the first half and did everything. Went to half back in Q3 and might have found even more of it. His kicking was "bad" today by his insane standards but still better than most on a good day. Honestly, I hate mainstream boring picks and look for every reason to avoid them but I just don't see it here, in fantasy terms this is as high a praise as there is but he's genuinely Ablettesque. He might implode spectacularly in everyone's face this year and this post will look stupid but so be it, I'm sold.

Cox - Was clearly their #1 ruck today, I'd be interested to see the stats as he didn't look bad (or good). I think the contest is too even between he and Cameron and they're going to basically kill each other as fantasy options but he worth a look next week.

 

[wogitalia]

Blues - They'd be happy with this game, as far as I know they got through without injury, they hit in nice and hard and held their own on the scoreboard. KPF looked good and some of the other guys were clicking also. It was startling to see the midfield contrast, they went old school 4 mid rotation and it worked well. They really don't have anyone else to go through there to be fair. Few guys missing but none are huge names outside Walsh and Williams who's done.

Missing - Williams, Fogarty, McGovern, Walsh, Martin, Marchbank, Pittonet and Owies.

Cincotta - He's a Doch clone, there were several plays where the commentator said his name and I'd already put a tick next to Doch on the sheet! Not sure he can kick like Doch but moves a lot like him. Thought he did some nice things and worth watching as there is a spot or two there.

Silvagni - Same old although didn't ruck today but how they used the rucks suggests he may if he plays.

Motlop - Honestly, the exact same write-up as I gave for Hill. Role much better than last year, looked good around the ground. Wrong price.

LOB - Played wing, was solid but not great.

Cerra - Played a pure midfield role in the first half and played it well. Switched with Doch in Q3 when Doch went on ball and went to HB, also played that well. Really he's just a class player so not surprising. Could be borderline relevant but Walsh will be back and mess it up, imo.

Kennedy - Also borderline relevant, was the 4th mid, not that it meant much as it was basically even across all 4. He played really well and looks fit. Same as Cerra really, I wouldn't be shocked if all 4 are near premium with this midfield balance but expect Walsh back and the balance falls apart largely and he's one of the leftovers in that scenario as he just doesn't have the class of the others.

Cripps - Feels like one of the more overlooked premium options to me. He looks fitter than last year and he was ever-present today. Had a big game and does look set for a huge start. Wouldn't shock me if he's the top midfielder this year in all honesty. His durability record is bad and I'm not sure if it's worth taking on with the alternatives but, yeah, he could be set for a big year, just a vibe thing.

McKay - He looked fantastic today, just covering so much ground. Looked ready to jump into the 90s if he can play like this consistently. I can't pick him but really looked great.

TDK - Was the #1 ruck with no Pittonet, he was really good actually pushing forward but wasn't great otherwise. The Silvagni vs TDK decision when Pittonet is fit (or if they play Mirkov) is a very interesting one for them. He's a much better ruck than Silvagni and is closing the forward gap.

Acres - Looks to be a great pickup for them, tireless workrate to be a link option really does add a lot to their mix. Should have a strong season.

Hollands - Took a wing and was solid. Works really well to space and was an option a lot, not used as often as he could have been and was often on the dead wing in play. Thought he showed plenty and should be a real chance at round 1, not sure he'd hang around once Walsh is back but he matched LOB for mine who is the guy he's almost certainly battling as Acres has the other wing locked. One to watch, can be a great role and he fits it a lot better than most young guys coming in do.

Docherty - Pure HB for the first half, went on ball for Q3. Honestly, he looks pretty similar in both roles, does different things but he scores freely in both. Looks a really strong option in his price bracket and anyone considering him would have walked away happy and anyone fading him would have at least a little bit of fear there.

Plowman - Might have been his best game for the club, not a high bar admittedly but still. He was clean in the air and with the ball. I still think it's a bad sign if he's in the best 22 though and that will never change.

Weitering - Barely sighted, probably a good thing for a FB.

Newman - Was prevalent across HB, would have been close to the top DT scorer I'd think, just seemed to get two +6s in every slow play they did in defense.

Fisher - Highish half forward role, played solidly.

Cowan - One of those no faults, no glory type games. Don't think he made any notable blunders or did anything to not get a game but at the same time he did very little to stand out and demand a game or to really show any scoring capacity (which I think is there despite this). I'd have liked a bit more but ultimately he started inside the best 22 that they fielded and that in itself is a good sign. If he's there he's going to be a solid bench option with potential to be more than that as he grows in confidence because he has all the tools to score well, looked to be playing within himself basicallly.

Hewett - He was everywhere. Would have been my guess as the top scorer as he kept winning everything contested, tackled everything that moved and was involved in many scoring chains. It feels weird to say he could be a premium again this year but he could definitely be a premium. The durability record is probably enough to not bother but he looked so good.

C. Curnow - Seemed to have the deeper role today, that obviously ebbs and flows with two elite KPFs but I didn't love it for his fantasy profile. Can't say I've considered him this year anyway but nothing changed about that today.

Young - Played really well.

E. Curnow - Pulling some racist ass whiteface shiet out there, honestly mate those 3 tubes of zinc aren't single use, they should each last a summer, for those who didn't see him he had gallons of zinc on him to the point that he looked like he'd painted himself bright white. On a serious note, was good to see him out there running around after last season, played a HF role and I think switched to HB in Q3, too expensive to be relevant with no midfield time.

Honey - Played forward, was solid but probably the least impressive of the smalls today. Would think he goes out for Honey but is a price to be watched.

Saad - I think he had pretty low TOG, he didn't seem to be out there much but would pop up just often enough to know he was playing. Have seen him in a few teams so I'd imagine they were hoping for a bit more. Will watch next game but was very underwhelming today.

Mirkov - I'd love to see the stats but he looked like the best ruckman out there today. He had very limited minutes but every time he was out there it seemed like the Blues started to dominate clearances and he was getting his hands on a lot of it. He's very one dimensional right now but moves surprisingly well for his size and did show a couple of decent ground level efforts. He's one to watch, Pittonet is a sneaky great ruckman (useless at the rest of the game sadly) so I can't see them going the young guy if he's there but I think he's a better fit with their midfield than TDK who largely nullifies their midfield group by being so inconsistent and unpredictable in his ruck efforts that they get back-footed by him. Don't expect to see him but he could score very decently if we do because his ruckwork looked good enough to score and the midfield will do the rest.

 

[wogitalia]

Enjoyed reading through the very different takes on Daicos, definitely some saw his game very differently to me which is good, love some good contrasting thoughts.

Personally thought his clean hands at stoppages were gold as was his spread. Be interesting to see if the Pies tighten up their midfield balance at all or go with so many options.

 

[Feerits Elf]

Cowan - One of those no faults, no glory type games. Don't think he made any notable blunders or did anything to not get a game but at the same time he did very little to stand out and demand a game or to really show any scoring capacity (which I think is there despite this). I'd have liked a bit more but ultimately he started inside the best 22 that they fielded and that in itself is a good sign. If he's there he's going to be a solid bench option with potential to be more than that as he grows in confidence because he has all the tools to score well, looked to be playing within himself basically.

Thanks for the info on Cowan, it might be that he's earmarked for the Williams spot and is just keeping everything very staid and calm for the minute. If he's named for Rd 1 then I would have to consider, the pace goes up in the real stuff and he won't have time to overthink things so I would expect his natural intercepting/rebounding game will come out and he should score well assuming he gets a good run at it over the first half a dozen games. At $117.3k he pretty much demands a bench spot given the relative expensiveness of Ginbey, McKenna, Goater, Coffield etc.

 

[Under The Dome]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1629070907586285569

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/mattforrest29/status/1629070907586285569

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1629078308913815552

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/mattforrest29/status/1629078308913815552

 

[donnybuang]

Just read that Ziebell had 23 possessions today, took 5 of the 9 kick ins 😮

Geez, I'll have 5+ north players at this rate 😀


On a side note, Butters has missed the match sim and praccy now hasn't he? Such a shame, was hoping for a nice POD.

 

[Maccas marvels]

Fyfe been good from full forward, about to goal again. And shanks it as is customary.

Just a shame he isn’t a consistent strong Set shot at goal….needs 2-3 goals each game to be a decent mid priced paying deep forward

 

[Athomas]

Enjoyed reading through the very different takes on Daicos, definitely some saw his game very differently to me which is good, love some good contrasting thoughts.

Personally thought his clean hands at stoppages were gold as was his spread. Be interesting to see if the Pies tighten up their midfield balance at all or go with so many options.

Yeah when you said he could be the highest averaging player this year, I thought we were watching different games

Considering Pendles got a fair few CBA's, I expect they'd tighten it up next week and in the real thing, but maybe they are happy to share the love.

 

[Shaunpro1]

Yeah when you said he could be the highest averaging player this year, I thought we were watching different games

Considering Pendles got a fair few CBA's, I expect they'd tighten it up next week and in the real thing, but maybe they are happy to share the love.

People see the game differently but I honestly thought for a player of his quality he was very very poor, and even Pies fans are saying that, has a long way to go to be a top line AFL standard midfielder.

I actually think Daicos as a mid wont last, better for the team and player to be in defence.

 

[manyproblems]

Enjoyed reading through the very different takes on Daicos, definitely some saw his game very differently to me which is good, love some good contrasting thoughts.

Personally thought his clean hands at stoppages were gold as was his spread. Be interesting to see if the Pies tighten up their midfield balance at all or go with so many options.

Performance was a tick for me. Got burnt a few times by teammates but had no issue finding open space. Contest work needs some work defensively but outside game was 10/10.

 

[AngryAnt]

People see the game differently but I honestly thought for a player of his quality he was very very poor, and even Pies fans are saying that, has a long way to go to be a top line AFL standard midfielder.

I actually think Daicos as a mid wont last, better for the team and player to be in defence.

"very very poor", nah. I mean he wasn't a superstar but "very very poor"? Defensively is still a bit of a liability sure.

 

[Connoisseur]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1629244685503045632

Toby Greene will miss the hit-out with a calf complaint while Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly are also nursing minor injuries but all three are expected to line up for next week’s practice match against the Suns at Blacktown.

 

[AngryAnt]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1629244685503045632

Toby Greene will miss the hit-out with a calf complaint while Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly are also nursing minor injuries but all three are expected to line up for next week’s practice match against the Suns at Blacktown.

Callaghan been tearing it up apparently in the first quarter.

 

[Connoisseur]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1629269728337465344

 

[Cricket98]

Dogs supporter so watching the intraclub with interest. Few Q1 things to note:

- A defense vs A forwards, mid is even balance across both of Macrae, Bont, Libba, Baz, West, Treloar, Caleb as main guys. West looks really good. Bont/Macrae cruising around accumulating

- Bruce playing FB back for B and getting torched by Buku, can cross him off as a starting option
- A forwardline has all of Darcy, Naughton, Lobb & JUH. Darcy done some really nice things. Jones has shut down Lobb.
- Caleb predominately mid, bit of HB, id say 70/30 split.
- Richards. That is all.
- Crozier playing HB for A defense. 219k and has had a fair bit of it early. One to monitor.
-English getting involved a heap around the ground
-McLean looks parked deep forward
- Arthur Jones forward for A team (123k)

Any qs happy to answer throughout the game