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WAFL 2023: Sam Sturt, Karl Worner return for Peel Thunder against Subiaco as West Coast name Ryan Maric
Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
Sat, 3 June 2023 11:07AM
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Mitchell Woodcock
Ladder-leaders Peel Thunder have been boosted by the return of Fremantle forward Sam Sturt and wingman Karl Worner as they look to keep their ever start to a season going with a win over Subiaco in Mandurah on Sunday.
The Thunder are a game clear on top with a 6-1 record and are looking for a fifth-straight win, just two behind their best-ever streak of seven they had across their premiership years of 2016 and 2017.
Sturt comes back into the side after playing for the Dockers in their win over Melbourne last weekend, while Worner was the travelling emergency.
Worner, 20, has been one of the form players of the season, averaging 28 disposals and is coming off a career-high 36 disposals against West Coast in round six.
Young Dockers defender Hugh Davies and Thunder small forward Jonathon Ietto were the unlucky players to be pushed out of the side, which features 14-listed Dockers players including Will Brodie.
The Lions have made just the one change, with young forward Koltyn Tholstrup to miss because of State Under-18 duties, while premiership player Michael Braut is back into the side.
Captain Leigh Kitchin has been named in the reserves as he comes back from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since round two and had him miss the State Game loss against South Australia last month.
The injury-ravaged Swan Districts have named debutants Lawson Humphries and Ayden Cartwright for their clash against West Coast at Steel Blue Oval on Sunday.
Max Chipper has been called in for his second game and first of the season, while defender Cian Ehlers is also recalled as cover for injured co-captain Brandon Erceg (broken leg), defender Brayden Spackman (knee) and ruckman Nathan Ireland (calf), with Greg Ottaviano dropped.
West Coast will unveil mid-season draftee Ryan Maric after he was selected at half-forward, while Saturday’s unused AFL emergencies Zane Trew and Campbell Chesser are set to be late inclusions for the Eagles who have lost their past 15 WAFL games.
AFL-listed defenders Coby Burgiel and Jordyn Baker were also pulled without the club giving any reason.
West Coast did not respond to questions from The West Australian about why they had come out of the side.
It could leave the Eagles with as few as six AFL-listed players in the side, having named Maric, ruckman Harry Barnett as well as forwards Tyrell Dewar and Jack Williams.
WAFL 2023: Sam Sturt, Karl Worner return for Peel Thunder against Subiaco as West Coast name Ryan Maric
Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
Sat, 3 June 2023 11:07AM
Comments
Mitchell Woodcock
Ladder-leaders Peel Thunder have been boosted by the return of Fremantle forward Sam Sturt and wingman Karl Worner as they look to keep their ever start to a season going with a win over Subiaco in Mandurah on Sunday.
The Thunder are a game clear on top with a 6-1 record and are looking for a fifth-straight win, just two behind their best-ever streak of seven they had across their premiership years of 2016 and 2017.
Sturt comes back into the side after playing for the Dockers in their win over Melbourne last weekend, while Worner was the travelling emergency.
Worner, 20, has been one of the form players of the season, averaging 28 disposals and is coming off a career-high 36 disposals against West Coast in round six.
Young Dockers defender Hugh Davies and Thunder small forward Jonathon Ietto were the unlucky players to be pushed out of the side, which features 14-listed Dockers players including Will Brodie.
The Lions have made just the one change, with young forward Koltyn Tholstrup to miss because of State Under-18 duties, while premiership player Michael Braut is back into the side.
Captain Leigh Kitchin has been named in the reserves as he comes back from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since round two and had him miss the State Game loss against South Australia last month.
The injury-ravaged Swan Districts have named debutants Lawson Humphries and Ayden Cartwright for their clash against West Coast at Steel Blue Oval on Sunday.
Max Chipper has been called in for his second game and first of the season, while defender Cian Ehlers is also recalled as cover for injured co-captain Brandon Erceg (broken leg), defender Brayden Spackman (knee) and ruckman Nathan Ireland (calf), with Greg Ottaviano dropped.
West Coast will unveil mid-season draftee Ryan Maric after he was selected at half-forward, while Saturday’s unused AFL emergencies Zane Trew and Campbell Chesser are set to be late inclusions for the Eagles who have lost their past 15 WAFL games.
AFL-listed defenders Coby Burgiel and Jordyn Baker were also pulled without the club giving any reason.
West Coast did not respond to questions from The West Australian about why they had come out of the side.
It could leave the Eagles with as few as six AFL-listed players in the side, having named Maric, ruckman Harry Barnett as well as forwards Tyrell Dewar and Jack Williams.
KFC SuperCoach round 13 trade guide: Lachie Neale, Andrew Brayshaw and the best targets for your team
Four teams have now had their week off and that gives KFC SuperCoaches plenty of stars to pick from. We analyse the best trade options ahead of round 13.
Tim Michell
Follow
@tim_michell
6 min read
June 5, 2023 - 11:32AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
'That's trouble' De Goey hit has Eagles fuming
AFL: Jordan De Goey could find himself in trouble after a collision with Elijah Hewett, with Eagles players confronting De Goey after seeing a later replay of the hit.
View more related videos
The AFL has done KFC SuperCoaches a favour by giving some of the game’s top scorers a week off in the first bye of 2023.
Sydney, Fremantle, St Kilda and Brisbane Lions had the bye in round 12, making stars such as Lachie Neale, Andrew Brayshaw and Chad Warner top trade targets this week.
By targeting players who had the bye in round 12, KFC SuperCoaches will boost their numbers for the remaining bye rounds — in particular the crucial round 14 and 15 byes.
And the beauty is that Neale (-$98,700), Brayshaw (-$34,500), Jack Sinclair (-$95,000) and Nat Fyfe (-$69,400) are available for big discounts on their starting prices.
Nat Fyfe is available for less than $250k in KFC SuperCoach.
Fyfe is the most intriguing player of this week.
The dual Brownlow medallist hasn’t been this cheap since his rookie season in KFC SuperCoach, but those trading him in will be flirting with injury risk and the possibility he is substituted in or out of matches.
One of the other issues confronting coaches is a serious lack of rookies.
Lewis Melican returned to Sydney’s team in round 11 and scored 87 points, while Irishman Oisin Mullin – who scored 37 against the Bulldogs – is on the bubble but Geelong has a bye this weekend.
Could the Swans pick Harry Arnold for his AFL debut or will another mid-season draftee come to the rescue?
TOP TRADE TARGETS
Lachie Neale is available for almost $100k less than his starting price.
Lachie Neale $577,500 MID
If you have traded out Will Ashcroft in the past month but want to cash in on Brisbane Lions’ draw, Neale should be your man. After a season-low 63 in round 8, the Lions co-captain has bounced back in a big way with scores of 109, 128 and 122 in the past three weeks. Neale has averaged 31.6 disposals, four tackles, five inside-50s and eight clearances during that stretch. Neale bottomed out at $561k and, with a break even of 83, is only likely to get more expensive from here. The Lions face Hawthorn, Sydney, St Kilda, Richmond and West Coast in their next five matches.
Andrew Brayshaw $581,100 MID
Hampered by a knee complaint to start the season, Brayshaw has well and truly been back to his best in the past month. Since getting as low as $509k, Brayshaw has produced scores of 149, 88, 134 and 127 to rocket back towards his starting price of $615k. Brayshaw scored 190 against Fremantle’s next opponent Richmond two seasons ago and scored 105 and 132 against GWS and Essendon last year — the Dockers’ round 14 and 15 opponents. Any concern Caleb Serong had gone past him has been quelled in the last four rounds. There’s now little doubt they can score well together.
Caleb Serong has elevated himself into the elite bracket of SuperCoach midfielders.
Caleb Serong $610,200 MID
Serong has been one of the most consistent KFC SuperCoach midfielders this year, scoring nine consecutive tons between rounds 2-10 and averaging 114.1 points to Fremantle’s bye. That’s a jump of almost 24 points a game on average from last year, but there’s no reason to suggest the spike won’t be sustainable. Serong is averaging more than 30 disposals a game, has only dropped below 25 disposals once and is still somewhat unique featuring in less than 15 per cent of teams.
Luke Ryan $529,200 DEF
The Fremantle intercept king has dropped more than $50k in his past two games, giving coaches who missed out earlier in the season the perfect opportunity to pounce. Ryan has not dropped below 85 this year and has scored seven tons in 11 matches. There were suggestions earlier in the season he was managing a back issue, but that hasn’t had an impact on his time on ground or KFC SuperCoach scoring. Ryan is the kick-in general for Fremantle and has played at least 99 minutes in all bar one game this year. Ryan is going at 91 per cent kicking efficiency this year and as The Phantom loves to say, good kicking is good SuperCoach.
Hayden Young $502,600 DEF
The rising Docker was one of the peculiar cases in KFC SuperCoach in the first six rounds of 2023. In the opening round, he seemingly announced himself as one of the next big things in defence, amassing 137 points against St Kilda. For the next five weeks, Luke Ryan monopolised the kick-ins, Young’s numbers dropped dramatically and he averaged 75 points from rounds 2-6. The past five weeks have been much closer to the opening round than that horror five-week stretch. Young has reeled off scores of 128, 95, 100, 86 and 103 in his past five matches, putting his lethal left boot to good use. Last round he split kick-in duties with Ryan, taking six and playing on from all of them. The Dockers take on Richmond fresh off the bye and the Tigers traditionally leak big points to back flankers – the last time these teams met Young scored 139 points.
Four teams have now had their week off and that gives KFC SuperCoaches plenty of stars to pick from. We analyse the best trade options ahead of round 13.
Follow
@tim_michell
6 min read
June 5, 2023 - 11:32AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
'That's trouble' De Goey hit has Eagles fuming
AFL: Jordan De Goey could find himself in trouble after a collision with Elijah Hewett, with Eagles players confronting De Goey after seeing a later replay of the hit.
View more related videos
The AFL has done KFC SuperCoaches a favour by giving some of the game’s top scorers a week off in the first bye of 2023.
Sydney, Fremantle, St Kilda and Brisbane Lions had the bye in round 12, making stars such as Lachie Neale, Andrew Brayshaw and Chad Warner top trade targets this week.
By targeting players who had the bye in round 12, KFC SuperCoaches will boost their numbers for the remaining bye rounds — in particular the crucial round 14 and 15 byes.
And the beauty is that Neale (-$98,700), Brayshaw (-$34,500), Jack Sinclair (-$95,000) and Nat Fyfe (-$69,400) are available for big discounts on their starting prices.
Nat Fyfe is available for less than $250k in KFC SuperCoach.
Fyfe is the most intriguing player of this week.
The dual Brownlow medallist hasn’t been this cheap since his rookie season in KFC SuperCoach, but those trading him in will be flirting with injury risk and the possibility he is substituted in or out of matches.
One of the other issues confronting coaches is a serious lack of rookies.
Lewis Melican returned to Sydney’s team in round 11 and scored 87 points, while Irishman Oisin Mullin – who scored 37 against the Bulldogs – is on the bubble but Geelong has a bye this weekend.
Could the Swans pick Harry Arnold for his AFL debut or will another mid-season draftee come to the rescue?
TOP TRADE TARGETS
Lachie Neale is available for almost $100k less than his starting price.
Lachie Neale $577,500 MID
If you have traded out Will Ashcroft in the past month but want to cash in on Brisbane Lions’ draw, Neale should be your man. After a season-low 63 in round 8, the Lions co-captain has bounced back in a big way with scores of 109, 128 and 122 in the past three weeks. Neale has averaged 31.6 disposals, four tackles, five inside-50s and eight clearances during that stretch. Neale bottomed out at $561k and, with a break even of 83, is only likely to get more expensive from here. The Lions face Hawthorn, Sydney, St Kilda, Richmond and West Coast in their next five matches.
Andrew Brayshaw $581,100 MID
Hampered by a knee complaint to start the season, Brayshaw has well and truly been back to his best in the past month. Since getting as low as $509k, Brayshaw has produced scores of 149, 88, 134 and 127 to rocket back towards his starting price of $615k. Brayshaw scored 190 against Fremantle’s next opponent Richmond two seasons ago and scored 105 and 132 against GWS and Essendon last year — the Dockers’ round 14 and 15 opponents. Any concern Caleb Serong had gone past him has been quelled in the last four rounds. There’s now little doubt they can score well together.
Caleb Serong has elevated himself into the elite bracket of SuperCoach midfielders.
Caleb Serong $610,200 MID
Serong has been one of the most consistent KFC SuperCoach midfielders this year, scoring nine consecutive tons between rounds 2-10 and averaging 114.1 points to Fremantle’s bye. That’s a jump of almost 24 points a game on average from last year, but there’s no reason to suggest the spike won’t be sustainable. Serong is averaging more than 30 disposals a game, has only dropped below 25 disposals once and is still somewhat unique featuring in less than 15 per cent of teams.
Luke Ryan $529,200 DEF
The Fremantle intercept king has dropped more than $50k in his past two games, giving coaches who missed out earlier in the season the perfect opportunity to pounce. Ryan has not dropped below 85 this year and has scored seven tons in 11 matches. There were suggestions earlier in the season he was managing a back issue, but that hasn’t had an impact on his time on ground or KFC SuperCoach scoring. Ryan is the kick-in general for Fremantle and has played at least 99 minutes in all bar one game this year. Ryan is going at 91 per cent kicking efficiency this year and as The Phantom loves to say, good kicking is good SuperCoach.
Hayden Young $502,600 DEF
The rising Docker was one of the peculiar cases in KFC SuperCoach in the first six rounds of 2023. In the opening round, he seemingly announced himself as one of the next big things in defence, amassing 137 points against St Kilda. For the next five weeks, Luke Ryan monopolised the kick-ins, Young’s numbers dropped dramatically and he averaged 75 points from rounds 2-6. The past five weeks have been much closer to the opening round than that horror five-week stretch. Young has reeled off scores of 128, 95, 100, 86 and 103 in his past five matches, putting his lethal left boot to good use. Last round he split kick-in duties with Ryan, taking six and playing on from all of them. The Dockers take on Richmond fresh off the bye and the Tigers traditionally leak big points to back flankers – the last time these teams met Young scored 139 points.
Chad Warner has enjoyed a brilliant month.
Chad Warner $552,200 MID
Warner has defied Sydney’s struggles to climb by about $80k in value in the past month, averaging an elite 114.8 in the past five rounds with only one score under 100. He’s a huge point of difference (in only 6 per cent of teams) and if you can’t find the money to afford Neale or Brayshaw, Warner is a great alternative.
Jake Lloyd $519,100 DEF
The Jake Lloyd of old just might be back. So long the go-to KFC SuperCoach defender, many wrote off Lloyd when his average dropped to 92.1 last year. He hasn’t hit the heights of 2020 – when he averaged 122 – but he doesn’t need those sort of numbers to be value at this price. He has seven tons from his 11 games and just two scores under 90. Lloyd turned back the clock in his last outing with 35 disposals and eight intercepts against Carlton. That was the first time since round 15 last year Lloyd recorded 30 disposals in an game.
Jack Sinclair has been hit and miss this year but is still a top-six contender.
Jack Sinclair $531,200 DEF
The star Saint has endured a rollercoaster year in KFC SuperCoach, blitzing GWS with 161 points two weeks ago before crashing back to earth with 71 in round 11. That form has been symptomatic of a season in which Sinclair’s average has dipped from a career-high 113 to 100 KFC SuperCoach points. His role has changed under Ross Lyon, spending less time behind the ball and about 30 per cent of matches in the midfield. Sinclair ranked eighth for total points among defenders before round 12 and should be a top-six contender as St Kilda mounts a finals charge.
Harry Arnold $102,400 DEF
Harry who, you ask? If you want a full profile of Sydney’s newest defender, it’s worth checking out last week’s trade guide where our rookie guru Dan Batten profiled him. Arnold has averaged 71 KFC SuperCoach points in the VFL and as a tall defender, could push for a debut in coming rounds as Sydney continues to deal with an injury crisis in its backline. The next player in our trade guide – Lewis Melican – took his opportunity last round when called upon. As a 24-year-old, Arnold arrives at the Swans ready-made if their injury issues continue. At basement price, he might end up the perfect D8 for the run home if he can impress John Longmire enough to win a debut.
Lewis Melican could help solve the rookie problems for KFC SuperCoach teams.
Lewis Melican $172,300 DEF
Is paying more than $170k to downgrade to a player who has played 15 games since the start of 2020 perfect? No. Obviously not. But nothing really is when it comes to rookies this year in KFC SuperCoach. Melican has battled injury issues in recent years but ironically, as a result of Sydney’s injury issues, found himself back in the senior team in round 11. The 26-year-old excelled with 15 disposals, eight intercepts and 87 KFC SuperCoach points, putting himself on the radar as one of the only players under $200k coming off the round 12 bye.
Nat Fyfe $244,200 FWD-MID
You’d think we would have learned when Fyfe was too cheap to be true at $313k and it backfired after one round. But, 10 rounds later, we’re back here again. This time Fyfe is about $70k cheaper than he started the season and has featured in the past four games without injury issues (twice as starting sub and subbed once during a match). Fyfe scored 67 points against Melbourne in round 11 in his first full game since round 1 and although the injury and sub risk is enormous, can you really go past a dual Brownlow medallist at this price? It’s going to be hard to say no. Ideally, he ends up as your floating M9/F7 cover because at least if something goes wrong then, it won’t hurt your on-field team.
And for the ultimate risk takers …
More Coverage
SuperCoach saviours? Six mid-season draftees to watch
Elliot Yeo DEF
Just in case the thought of trading in Fyfe doesn’t frighten you enough, let’s talk about Yeo. The injury-plagued Eagle scored his first KFC SuperCoach ton since round 15 last year against Collingwood on Saturday, tallying 26 disposals, five marks, seven inside-50s and seven clearances to build on an impressive return from injury against Essendon. West Coast doesn’t have its bye until round 14 and Yeo will be a lot more expensive then, but, if history tells us anything, it might be best to hold off. The price is appealing but anything could happen in the next two weeks – hopefully it doesn’t though, as a fit Yeo is so good to watch.
Chad Warner $552,200 MID
Warner has defied Sydney’s struggles to climb by about $80k in value in the past month, averaging an elite 114.8 in the past five rounds with only one score under 100. He’s a huge point of difference (in only 6 per cent of teams) and if you can’t find the money to afford Neale or Brayshaw, Warner is a great alternative.
Jake Lloyd $519,100 DEF
The Jake Lloyd of old just might be back. So long the go-to KFC SuperCoach defender, many wrote off Lloyd when his average dropped to 92.1 last year. He hasn’t hit the heights of 2020 – when he averaged 122 – but he doesn’t need those sort of numbers to be value at this price. He has seven tons from his 11 games and just two scores under 90. Lloyd turned back the clock in his last outing with 35 disposals and eight intercepts against Carlton. That was the first time since round 15 last year Lloyd recorded 30 disposals in an game.
Jack Sinclair has been hit and miss this year but is still a top-six contender.
Jack Sinclair $531,200 DEF
The star Saint has endured a rollercoaster year in KFC SuperCoach, blitzing GWS with 161 points two weeks ago before crashing back to earth with 71 in round 11. That form has been symptomatic of a season in which Sinclair’s average has dipped from a career-high 113 to 100 KFC SuperCoach points. His role has changed under Ross Lyon, spending less time behind the ball and about 30 per cent of matches in the midfield. Sinclair ranked eighth for total points among defenders before round 12 and should be a top-six contender as St Kilda mounts a finals charge.
Harry Arnold $102,400 DEF
Harry who, you ask? If you want a full profile of Sydney’s newest defender, it’s worth checking out last week’s trade guide where our rookie guru Dan Batten profiled him. Arnold has averaged 71 KFC SuperCoach points in the VFL and as a tall defender, could push for a debut in coming rounds as Sydney continues to deal with an injury crisis in its backline. The next player in our trade guide – Lewis Melican – took his opportunity last round when called upon. As a 24-year-old, Arnold arrives at the Swans ready-made if their injury issues continue. At basement price, he might end up the perfect D8 for the run home if he can impress John Longmire enough to win a debut.
Lewis Melican could help solve the rookie problems for KFC SuperCoach teams.
Lewis Melican $172,300 DEF
Is paying more than $170k to downgrade to a player who has played 15 games since the start of 2020 perfect? No. Obviously not. But nothing really is when it comes to rookies this year in KFC SuperCoach. Melican has battled injury issues in recent years but ironically, as a result of Sydney’s injury issues, found himself back in the senior team in round 11. The 26-year-old excelled with 15 disposals, eight intercepts and 87 KFC SuperCoach points, putting himself on the radar as one of the only players under $200k coming off the round 12 bye.
Nat Fyfe $244,200 FWD-MID
You’d think we would have learned when Fyfe was too cheap to be true at $313k and it backfired after one round. But, 10 rounds later, we’re back here again. This time Fyfe is about $70k cheaper than he started the season and has featured in the past four games without injury issues (twice as starting sub and subbed once during a match). Fyfe scored 67 points against Melbourne in round 11 in his first full game since round 1 and although the injury and sub risk is enormous, can you really go past a dual Brownlow medallist at this price? It’s going to be hard to say no. Ideally, he ends up as your floating M9/F7 cover because at least if something goes wrong then, it won’t hurt your on-field team.
And for the ultimate risk takers …
More Coverage
SuperCoach saviours? Six mid-season draftees to watch
Elliot Yeo DEF
Just in case the thought of trading in Fyfe doesn’t frighten you enough, let’s talk about Yeo. The injury-plagued Eagle scored his first KFC SuperCoach ton since round 15 last year against Collingwood on Saturday, tallying 26 disposals, five marks, seven inside-50s and seven clearances to build on an impressive return from injury against Essendon. West Coast doesn’t have its bye until round 14 and Yeo will be a lot more expensive then, but, if history tells us anything, it might be best to hold off. The price is appealing but anything could happen in the next two weeks – hopefully it doesn’t though, as a fit Yeo is so good to watch.
KFC SuperCoach 2023: The Phantom’s Round 13 burning questions and all the late mail
What do the numbers say about Jack Ziebell and Harry Sheezel? Is Nat Fyfe worth the risk? How long do we keep Briggs? The Phantom answers the big Round 12 questions.
The Phantom
Three to go.
No, I’m not talking about my trade count – although it isn’t far off.
Not dollars in my KFC SuperCoach bank account, either.
Although, again, it’s pretty close.
We’re one bye round down, and there are three more to come.
And there are some big questions that need answers ahead of Round 13.
You didn’t get Kieren Briggs, Phantom?
It’s true, I let him go.
But, like I’ve been saying for a while, I’m not that good at playing the game myself.
I am mainly here to help you – and I did that again last week in this column, listing Briggs’ seven SuperCoach tons on the trot this year, at AFL and VFL level, before suggesting how and where to use the cash.
Now, after an eighth-consecutive three-figure score – a huge 128 points against the Tigers, on the back of 11 disposals, 11 hitouts-to-advantage, nine tackles and two goals – the debate around Briggs has shifted significantly.
The question is now, how long do you keep him?
Many KFC SuperCoaches will welcome back Rowan Marshall into their ruck line for Round 13, leaving them with another question they didn’t think they would be asking themselves last week – should I bench St Kilda big man for Briggs?
Stop asking the questions, Phant… can we?
Over Marshall, the proven premium who was has posted scores of 159, 107, 131, 126 and 98 in his past five matches? I don’t think so.
He also finished with 156 points in last year’s fixture against the Swans in Sydney.
Then there’s other side of the equation – Briggs’ Round 13 opponent Todd Goldstein.
North Melbourne is the hardest team for rucks to score against this season, with the Roos conceding, on average, 68 points to ruckmen – nine points less than the second-ranked Bombers
Stop trying to make yourself feel better
It’s something I would do, yes, but not this time.
I’m still backing Briggs to score well in the short term, but I wouldn’t play him over Marshall this week. Just enjoy the sweet cash injection on the bench.
What about Brodie Grundy?
That’s a different story – I’d play Briggs.
And, in that case, probably cash in Grundy somehow.
Back to Briggs, what if he scores another ton?
That takes us back to the other question – how long do you keep him?
Another score of 100 or more and the 23-year-old’s price will hit the $400k mark – making it a phenomenal $150k increase in just two weeks.
The result will be another negative breakeven for the Giants’ final game before the Round 15 bye.
At that point, GWS’ week off, it’s time to cash in.
If he’s not already at R2, and still sitting on the bench, upgrade to a premium elsewhere.
Matt Flynn might come back in at some point – Briggs did look spent late against the Tigers.
But if Briggs still hasn’t scored below three figures, and is outperforming one of your other big men, it might be time to trade them out and move him to R2.
Either way, use the money to help complete your team.
Speaking of complete teams, should Harry Sheezel and Jack Ziebell be in them?
Firstly, there’s no definite answer.
If you’ve been hit by injuries and or suspensions in the first half of the year, sideways trading Jack Ziebell – who is still averaging more than 100 – off three bad weeks, isn’t probably the best use of one of your remaining trades.
On the other hand, though, if you have the trades and you can turn him into a rolled gold star coming off the bye – and still complete your side – it’s probably going to help you, given his Round 13 breakeven of 172.
Here are Ziebell’s numbers over the past three rounds – Aaron Hall has played 100 per cent of his game-time in defence during these three matches.
Jack Ziebell in 2023
Rounds 1-9
Rounds 10-12
Change
Disposals
25.6
20.7
-19%
Kicking eff %
86%
70%
-19%
Marks
8.8
7.0
-20%
Intercept marks
2.6
1.3
-50%
Intercepts
7.2
4.3
-40%
Against the Bombers on Sunday, Hall took a season-high five kick-ins, and Ziebell only two.
But in the previous two weeks, Ziebell took a combined 12 to Hall’s four.
And in Rounds 6 and 7 when Hall was in the side, and took his share of kick-ins – seven to nine – Ziebell recorded similar raw numbers.
The Roos veteran averaged 21 disposals, 19 kicks, seven marks and five rebound 50s in these two matches.
In the past three weeks, he’s averaged 21 disposals, 18 kicks, seven marks and six rebound 50s.
He’s not doing a lot different.
But the key difference is Ziebell’s kicking efficiency of 84 per cent (Rounds 6-7) and 70 per cent.
So, sure Hall is taking some of his ball away, but Ziebell has also just made more errors by foot in the past three rounds.
At the time of writing, he’s the second-most traded out player behind Jordan De Goey – but I’m holding.
He’s still capable of going on a KFC SuperCoach tear like no other.
And don’t even think about asking about De Goey.
Harry Sheezel has been used further up the ground by Brett Ratten. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos
What about Sheezel?
Since Brett Ratten took over, the first-year sensation has spent more time further up the ground, featuring in the midfield and as a forward in the past three rounds.
Harry Sheezel
Time in position
Rounds 10-12
Defence %
39%
Midfield %
29%
Forward %
32%
I don’t think all three of Sheezel, Hall and Ziebell can play attacking roles off half-back and the rookie is the most-effective for the Roos in other positions.
He’s by no means a must-trade but, with a breakeven of 119, if you were going to move him on to help your bye structure in Round 15, he could go now if you have a suitable target.
Is Nat Fyfe a said target – yes/no?
Is there a maybe-if-you’re-desperate-for-the-cash-and-will-push-him-to-the-bench-later option?
That’s probably where I’m at.
Are there going to be consistent KFC SuperCoach tons or another 110+ average? No.
But could there be a few three-figure scores when the Dockers need him to spend more time in the midfield than inside-50? Yep.
Well, I hope so, anyway.
The bones of his once formidable KFC SuperCoach game are still there.
In half a game against the Cats in Round 10, Fyfe tallied 17 disposals, nine contested possessions and four clearances, before being subbed out.
A week later, he played a full game – 80 per cent time on ground – and recorded 11 contested possessions, the equal-third-most for the Dockers.
Is Nat Fyfe worth the risk?
“It’s been a progressive build, playing a quarter, a half, three quarters and a full game. It’s a luxury we can do that with modern footy,” Fyfe told the club’s website last week.
“Everything feels really good and I’ll be on track to play again against Richmond next week.
“I feel like I’ve got to catch up to speed and build some form and confidence in my roles, because I’m playing a midfield/forward mix.
“I’m enjoying being back out there in the cut and thrust of AFL footy again, and I’ve got a bunch of things I can work on now, continue to improve and hopefully at the back end of the year play some really good footy.”
But, of course, the selection comes with risk. The Brownlow Medallist could be rested late in the year and subbed out at any moment.
So, ideally, you push him to the bench, as a M9/F7 loophole option, once the byes are over.
The $244k price tag o***ets some of the risk, whereas wi…
Elliot Yeo?
Read my mind.
Yeo was brilliant last week. He looked powerful and explosive again through the midfield – like we heard a number of times over summer – against the Magpies.
The 29-year-old had a game-high 16 contested possessions and a team-high 125 KFC SuperCoach points.
He is the one more likely out of the two to average premium numbers from here - but he’s priced at $350k and hasn’t had his bye.
It’s hard to trust either of them.
Your heart might just not be as broken given what you’re paying for Fyfe – and the reasons for the purchase.
If this game hasn’t broken it already.
If?
Misery loves company.
What do the numbers say about Jack Ziebell and Harry Sheezel? Is Nat Fyfe worth the risk? How long do we keep Briggs? The Phantom answers the big Round 12 questions.
The Phantom
Three to go.
No, I’m not talking about my trade count – although it isn’t far off.
Not dollars in my KFC SuperCoach bank account, either.
Although, again, it’s pretty close.
We’re one bye round down, and there are three more to come.
And there are some big questions that need answers ahead of Round 13.
You didn’t get Kieren Briggs, Phantom?
It’s true, I let him go.
But, like I’ve been saying for a while, I’m not that good at playing the game myself.
I am mainly here to help you – and I did that again last week in this column, listing Briggs’ seven SuperCoach tons on the trot this year, at AFL and VFL level, before suggesting how and where to use the cash.
Now, after an eighth-consecutive three-figure score – a huge 128 points against the Tigers, on the back of 11 disposals, 11 hitouts-to-advantage, nine tackles and two goals – the debate around Briggs has shifted significantly.
The question is now, how long do you keep him?
Many KFC SuperCoaches will welcome back Rowan Marshall into their ruck line for Round 13, leaving them with another question they didn’t think they would be asking themselves last week – should I bench St Kilda big man for Briggs?
Stop asking the questions, Phant… can we?
Over Marshall, the proven premium who was has posted scores of 159, 107, 131, 126 and 98 in his past five matches? I don’t think so.
He also finished with 156 points in last year’s fixture against the Swans in Sydney.
Then there’s other side of the equation – Briggs’ Round 13 opponent Todd Goldstein.
North Melbourne is the hardest team for rucks to score against this season, with the Roos conceding, on average, 68 points to ruckmen – nine points less than the second-ranked Bombers
Stop trying to make yourself feel better
It’s something I would do, yes, but not this time.
I’m still backing Briggs to score well in the short term, but I wouldn’t play him over Marshall this week. Just enjoy the sweet cash injection on the bench.
What about Brodie Grundy?
That’s a different story – I’d play Briggs.
And, in that case, probably cash in Grundy somehow.
Back to Briggs, what if he scores another ton?
That takes us back to the other question – how long do you keep him?
Another score of 100 or more and the 23-year-old’s price will hit the $400k mark – making it a phenomenal $150k increase in just two weeks.
The result will be another negative breakeven for the Giants’ final game before the Round 15 bye.
At that point, GWS’ week off, it’s time to cash in.
If he’s not already at R2, and still sitting on the bench, upgrade to a premium elsewhere.
Matt Flynn might come back in at some point – Briggs did look spent late against the Tigers.
But if Briggs still hasn’t scored below three figures, and is outperforming one of your other big men, it might be time to trade them out and move him to R2.
Either way, use the money to help complete your team.
Speaking of complete teams, should Harry Sheezel and Jack Ziebell be in them?
Firstly, there’s no definite answer.
If you’ve been hit by injuries and or suspensions in the first half of the year, sideways trading Jack Ziebell – who is still averaging more than 100 – off three bad weeks, isn’t probably the best use of one of your remaining trades.
On the other hand, though, if you have the trades and you can turn him into a rolled gold star coming off the bye – and still complete your side – it’s probably going to help you, given his Round 13 breakeven of 172.
Here are Ziebell’s numbers over the past three rounds – Aaron Hall has played 100 per cent of his game-time in defence during these three matches.
Jack Ziebell in 2023
Rounds 1-9
Rounds 10-12
Change
Disposals
25.6
20.7
-19%
Kicking eff %
86%
70%
-19%
Marks
8.8
7.0
-20%
Intercept marks
2.6
1.3
-50%
Intercepts
7.2
4.3
-40%
Against the Bombers on Sunday, Hall took a season-high five kick-ins, and Ziebell only two.
But in the previous two weeks, Ziebell took a combined 12 to Hall’s four.
And in Rounds 6 and 7 when Hall was in the side, and took his share of kick-ins – seven to nine – Ziebell recorded similar raw numbers.
The Roos veteran averaged 21 disposals, 19 kicks, seven marks and five rebound 50s in these two matches.
In the past three weeks, he’s averaged 21 disposals, 18 kicks, seven marks and six rebound 50s.
He’s not doing a lot different.
But the key difference is Ziebell’s kicking efficiency of 84 per cent (Rounds 6-7) and 70 per cent.
So, sure Hall is taking some of his ball away, but Ziebell has also just made more errors by foot in the past three rounds.
At the time of writing, he’s the second-most traded out player behind Jordan De Goey – but I’m holding.
He’s still capable of going on a KFC SuperCoach tear like no other.
And don’t even think about asking about De Goey.
Harry Sheezel has been used further up the ground by Brett Ratten. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos
What about Sheezel?
Since Brett Ratten took over, the first-year sensation has spent more time further up the ground, featuring in the midfield and as a forward in the past three rounds.
Harry Sheezel
Time in position
Rounds 10-12
Defence %
39%
Midfield %
29%
Forward %
32%
I don’t think all three of Sheezel, Hall and Ziebell can play attacking roles off half-back and the rookie is the most-effective for the Roos in other positions.
He’s by no means a must-trade but, with a breakeven of 119, if you were going to move him on to help your bye structure in Round 15, he could go now if you have a suitable target.
Is Nat Fyfe a said target – yes/no?
Is there a maybe-if-you’re-desperate-for-the-cash-and-will-push-him-to-the-bench-later option?
That’s probably where I’m at.
Are there going to be consistent KFC SuperCoach tons or another 110+ average? No.
But could there be a few three-figure scores when the Dockers need him to spend more time in the midfield than inside-50? Yep.
Well, I hope so, anyway.
The bones of his once formidable KFC SuperCoach game are still there.
In half a game against the Cats in Round 10, Fyfe tallied 17 disposals, nine contested possessions and four clearances, before being subbed out.
A week later, he played a full game – 80 per cent time on ground – and recorded 11 contested possessions, the equal-third-most for the Dockers.
Is Nat Fyfe worth the risk?
“It’s been a progressive build, playing a quarter, a half, three quarters and a full game. It’s a luxury we can do that with modern footy,” Fyfe told the club’s website last week.
“Everything feels really good and I’ll be on track to play again against Richmond next week.
“I feel like I’ve got to catch up to speed and build some form and confidence in my roles, because I’m playing a midfield/forward mix.
“I’m enjoying being back out there in the cut and thrust of AFL footy again, and I’ve got a bunch of things I can work on now, continue to improve and hopefully at the back end of the year play some really good footy.”
But, of course, the selection comes with risk. The Brownlow Medallist could be rested late in the year and subbed out at any moment.
So, ideally, you push him to the bench, as a M9/F7 loophole option, once the byes are over.
The $244k price tag o***ets some of the risk, whereas wi…
Elliot Yeo?
Read my mind.
Yeo was brilliant last week. He looked powerful and explosive again through the midfield – like we heard a number of times over summer – against the Magpies.
The 29-year-old had a game-high 16 contested possessions and a team-high 125 KFC SuperCoach points.
He is the one more likely out of the two to average premium numbers from here - but he’s priced at $350k and hasn’t had his bye.
It’s hard to trust either of them.
Your heart might just not be as broken given what you’re paying for Fyfe – and the reasons for the purchase.
If this game hasn’t broken it already.
If?
Misery loves company.
KFC SuperCoach 2023: The Phantom’s burning questions and all the Round 14 late mail
Is Tarryn Thomas worth the risk? Should we trade James Sicily? Is Harry Himmelberg the real deal? Too late for Nat Fyfe? The Phantom answers the big KFC SuperCoach questions.
The Phantom
There’s no time to enjoy your latest SuperCoach score, the biggest fortnight in KFC SuperCoach this year is upon us.
Round 14 starts on Thursday night, and the real bye pain is coming.
So, what can we do?
Sit in the corner of a dark room without your phone.
Thanks for reading.
Help us, Phantom…
You know I’ll always help you.
I hope you took in the Jack Ziebell numbers I presented last week and kept the Roos veteran, and considered my argument for Nat Fyfe.
So far, so good.
All good things come to an end, though.
Is it too late for Fyfe?
No.
Last week, I said the bones of his once formidable KFC SuperCoach game were still there.
On Saturday against the Tigers, it was far more than that.
Fyfe finished with 17 disposals, 11 contested possessions, seven tackles, one goal and 96 KFC SuperCoach points.
It wasn’t a consistent four-quarter performance and, like we’ve said, it’s probably not ever going to be from here.
But in a great sign moving forward, the 31-year-old lifted in the second-half, booting a major in the third term and kickstarting Fremantle’s late charge early in the last quarter, winning important possession at the contest, as well as hitting a leading Jye Amiss with a bullet pass inside-50.
At $275k, with a breakeven of -3 and no upcoming bye, Fyfe is still good buying ahead of Round 13.
Ideally, he’s still swinging bench cover on the other side of the bye rounds, given the injury and sub risk that still hovers, despite the impressive form.
Sheezel to Fyfe then?
I made this move last week, in preparation for Round 15. And I’d still recommend it now.
First-year star Sheezel was good, again, on Sunday, featuring in all three parts of the ground, following the trend of his position splits since Brett Ratten took over, that I outlined last week.
But with his skill so effective for North further up the ground – with Aaron Hall seemingly settled back in the side in defence – and four scores of less than 100 in his past five games, he’s probably not in your final side.
If your Round 15 line-up is looking pretty thin, consider taking the $160k.
Is Tarryn Thomas better value?
Last week, the right questions were obvious. This week, deciding which ones to ask seems a little more difficult.
At $295k with scores of 89 and 112 since returning to the senior side, Thomas is incredible value. His talent undeniable and he averaged 109 KFC SuperCoach points in the final five rounds of 2021, offering a glimpse of his scoring power.
But the real question is, can you trust him?
We’re talking strictly KFC SuperCoach here. Does he stay in the side and maintain his form after a very interrupted year footy-wise?
That’s a hard question to answer.
If you are – somehow – looking OK in Round 15, when North Melbourne is one of six clubs with a bye, and need to think a little differently in order to complete your team, then I’d consider it before his price sky rockets.
Thomas attended the third-most centre bounces for the Roos against the Giants, but it’s important to note Jy Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke are likely to return soon.
The 23-year-old booted three goals and recorded another two score assists, among seven score involvements – the second most for North – proving, again, he doesn’t need to be a centre-bounce midfielder to score well.
And his scoring-well-enough line isn’t very high at the price.
But the Round 15 bye does make it hard. If he can score well again on Sunday against the Bulldogs, we might have to start thinking of him as more than a money-maker coming out of the byes.
Isn’t Harry Himmelberg that guy?
The sub $400k option who could be among the top scorers in his – dual – position for the rest of the year?
Over to you, Adam Kingsley.
“I think he’s a really, really good key-back for us – he can play tall, he can play small,” the Giants coach said on Sunday.
“We trialled him in the first 10 games as a forward and he had an impact for us, but I think his best position is half-back.
“He’s going to be a really special back for us for a long period of time.”
Cue SuperCoach pandemonium, the answer is yes.
But…
No buts.
Himmelberg has now played three games as a defender, but let’s take out Round 10 against St Kilda when he suffered a concussion and didn’t return after half-time.
Against the Tigers in Round 10, Himmelberg, who played on with four of five kick-ins, tallied 18 disposals, seven rebound-50s, three intercept marks, 488 metres gained and 103 KFC SuperCoach points.
In Sunday’s clash with the Roos, the strong-marking tall recorded another 22 disposals, six rebound 50s, six intercept possessions and 88 KFC SuperCoach points.
He’s building and, if his finish to 2022 is anything to go by, where he gets to could make him close to a KFC SuperCoach must-have.
In the final 12 games of last year, Himmelberg averaged 24 disposals, 2.5 intercept marks and 112 KFC SuperCoach points per game, playing in defence, leading to the club’s declaration that Himmelberg is “potentially an All-Australian centre half-back.
But, what about when Sam Taylor returns?
**Rolls eyes**
Yes, Taylor is their best defender, but with Kingsley’s comments coming after Himmelberg’s performance as a defender, despite Nick Haynes’ inclusion and forward Aaron Cadman’s omission, I’m convinced.
Taylor’s return might even help Himmelberg.
And if it doesn’t?
Well, I’m off the Giants for good.
OK, so do we trade him in this week?
Again, it comes down to your team.
His price is likely to surge past $400k, so this week is the cheapest he’ll likely be for the rest of the year.
But if you can’t afford to carry another Round 15 bye round player, factor him in your Round 16 trade plans.
So we can consider him a cheap premium to finish our teams?
That’s what I’m likely to do.
Is Yeo a cheap premium?
As I said last week, out of Fyfe and Yeo, the Eagles veteran was the one most likely to average 105 for the rest of the year.
And he proved that point again on Saturday, despite spending time on Taylor Walker at fullback, tallying 30 disposals, 12 contested possessions and 113 points.
Yeo being available in Round 15 could help, but I still prefer waiting for Himmelberg.
I trust the Giants more than I trust Yeo’s body.
I think.
Given these value options, do we cash in on Sicily?
I’ll get back to you.
If he’s suspended for two or more weeks, on top of this weekend’s bye, I’d look to trade.
Sometimes, an elite scorer like Sicily might make up the ground in the long-run, but a potential Round 18 return is pushing it.
Again, it all depends on your side. If you don’t have the trades, but do have the cover, holding him might be the play.
Tom Stewart is a great option coming off the bye and you can still make $56k.
If you want more money from the trade, wait and consider Bomber Jordan Ridley, who has now scored four KFC SuperCoach on the trot after returning from concussion, next week.
Or, if you’re going to be OK in Round 15, Sicily to Himmelberg could be the ultimate cash grab, without – hopefully – sacrificing too many points if Himmelberg really gets going.
Why are talking about Josh Dunkley more?
It’s a good question. If you haven’t been already, it’s time to start considering Dunkley in your VC/C combination every week.
His five-round average of 140 is 10 more than any other player in the game.
Is Tarryn Thomas worth the risk? Should we trade James Sicily? Is Harry Himmelberg the real deal? Too late for Nat Fyfe? The Phantom answers the big KFC SuperCoach questions.
The Phantom
There’s no time to enjoy your latest SuperCoach score, the biggest fortnight in KFC SuperCoach this year is upon us.
Round 14 starts on Thursday night, and the real bye pain is coming.
So, what can we do?
Sit in the corner of a dark room without your phone.
Thanks for reading.
Help us, Phantom…
You know I’ll always help you.
I hope you took in the Jack Ziebell numbers I presented last week and kept the Roos veteran, and considered my argument for Nat Fyfe.
So far, so good.
All good things come to an end, though.
Is it too late for Fyfe?
No.
Last week, I said the bones of his once formidable KFC SuperCoach game were still there.
On Saturday against the Tigers, it was far more than that.
Fyfe finished with 17 disposals, 11 contested possessions, seven tackles, one goal and 96 KFC SuperCoach points.
It wasn’t a consistent four-quarter performance and, like we’ve said, it’s probably not ever going to be from here.
But in a great sign moving forward, the 31-year-old lifted in the second-half, booting a major in the third term and kickstarting Fremantle’s late charge early in the last quarter, winning important possession at the contest, as well as hitting a leading Jye Amiss with a bullet pass inside-50.
At $275k, with a breakeven of -3 and no upcoming bye, Fyfe is still good buying ahead of Round 13.
Ideally, he’s still swinging bench cover on the other side of the bye rounds, given the injury and sub risk that still hovers, despite the impressive form.
Sheezel to Fyfe then?
I made this move last week, in preparation for Round 15. And I’d still recommend it now.
First-year star Sheezel was good, again, on Sunday, featuring in all three parts of the ground, following the trend of his position splits since Brett Ratten took over, that I outlined last week.
But with his skill so effective for North further up the ground – with Aaron Hall seemingly settled back in the side in defence – and four scores of less than 100 in his past five games, he’s probably not in your final side.
If your Round 15 line-up is looking pretty thin, consider taking the $160k.
Is Tarryn Thomas better value?
Last week, the right questions were obvious. This week, deciding which ones to ask seems a little more difficult.
At $295k with scores of 89 and 112 since returning to the senior side, Thomas is incredible value. His talent undeniable and he averaged 109 KFC SuperCoach points in the final five rounds of 2021, offering a glimpse of his scoring power.
But the real question is, can you trust him?
We’re talking strictly KFC SuperCoach here. Does he stay in the side and maintain his form after a very interrupted year footy-wise?
That’s a hard question to answer.
If you are – somehow – looking OK in Round 15, when North Melbourne is one of six clubs with a bye, and need to think a little differently in order to complete your team, then I’d consider it before his price sky rockets.
Thomas attended the third-most centre bounces for the Roos against the Giants, but it’s important to note Jy Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke are likely to return soon.
The 23-year-old booted three goals and recorded another two score assists, among seven score involvements – the second most for North – proving, again, he doesn’t need to be a centre-bounce midfielder to score well.
And his scoring-well-enough line isn’t very high at the price.
But the Round 15 bye does make it hard. If he can score well again on Sunday against the Bulldogs, we might have to start thinking of him as more than a money-maker coming out of the byes.
Isn’t Harry Himmelberg that guy?
The sub $400k option who could be among the top scorers in his – dual – position for the rest of the year?
Over to you, Adam Kingsley.
“I think he’s a really, really good key-back for us – he can play tall, he can play small,” the Giants coach said on Sunday.
“We trialled him in the first 10 games as a forward and he had an impact for us, but I think his best position is half-back.
“He’s going to be a really special back for us for a long period of time.”
Cue SuperCoach pandemonium, the answer is yes.
But…
No buts.
Himmelberg has now played three games as a defender, but let’s take out Round 10 against St Kilda when he suffered a concussion and didn’t return after half-time.
Against the Tigers in Round 10, Himmelberg, who played on with four of five kick-ins, tallied 18 disposals, seven rebound-50s, three intercept marks, 488 metres gained and 103 KFC SuperCoach points.
In Sunday’s clash with the Roos, the strong-marking tall recorded another 22 disposals, six rebound 50s, six intercept possessions and 88 KFC SuperCoach points.
He’s building and, if his finish to 2022 is anything to go by, where he gets to could make him close to a KFC SuperCoach must-have.
In the final 12 games of last year, Himmelberg averaged 24 disposals, 2.5 intercept marks and 112 KFC SuperCoach points per game, playing in defence, leading to the club’s declaration that Himmelberg is “potentially an All-Australian centre half-back.
But, what about when Sam Taylor returns?
**Rolls eyes**
Yes, Taylor is their best defender, but with Kingsley’s comments coming after Himmelberg’s performance as a defender, despite Nick Haynes’ inclusion and forward Aaron Cadman’s omission, I’m convinced.
Taylor’s return might even help Himmelberg.
And if it doesn’t?
Well, I’m off the Giants for good.
OK, so do we trade him in this week?
Again, it comes down to your team.
His price is likely to surge past $400k, so this week is the cheapest he’ll likely be for the rest of the year.
But if you can’t afford to carry another Round 15 bye round player, factor him in your Round 16 trade plans.
So we can consider him a cheap premium to finish our teams?
That’s what I’m likely to do.
Is Yeo a cheap premium?
As I said last week, out of Fyfe and Yeo, the Eagles veteran was the one most likely to average 105 for the rest of the year.
And he proved that point again on Saturday, despite spending time on Taylor Walker at fullback, tallying 30 disposals, 12 contested possessions and 113 points.
Yeo being available in Round 15 could help, but I still prefer waiting for Himmelberg.
I trust the Giants more than I trust Yeo’s body.
I think.
Given these value options, do we cash in on Sicily?
I’ll get back to you.
If he’s suspended for two or more weeks, on top of this weekend’s bye, I’d look to trade.
Sometimes, an elite scorer like Sicily might make up the ground in the long-run, but a potential Round 18 return is pushing it.
Again, it all depends on your side. If you don’t have the trades, but do have the cover, holding him might be the play.
Tom Stewart is a great option coming off the bye and you can still make $56k.
If you want more money from the trade, wait and consider Bomber Jordan Ridley, who has now scored four KFC SuperCoach on the trot after returning from concussion, next week.
Or, if you’re going to be OK in Round 15, Sicily to Himmelberg could be the ultimate cash grab, without – hopefully – sacrificing too many points if Himmelberg really gets going.
Why are talking about Josh Dunkley more?
It’s a good question. If you haven’t been already, it’s time to start considering Dunkley in your VC/C combination every week.
His five-round average of 140 is 10 more than any other player in the game.
West Coast Eagles defender Tom Barrass getting strong interest from several clubs despite long contract
Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
Wed, 14 June 2023 2:05AM
Comments
Mitchell Woodcock
West Coast could be in for a fight to retain one of the most important pillars of their rebuild in reigning club champion Tom Barrass.
Barrass, 27, is reportedly being circles by several clubs despite being contracted until the end of 2027 as they look to take advantage of the Eagles’ desperation for top end young talent.
The Eagles vice-captain signed a monster five-year contract extension at the end of the 2021 season after strong interest from Sydney and has since gone on to win the 2022 John Worsfold Medal.
Barrass, who turns 28 in October, is one of the few players on the Eagles’ list with strong trade currency given his age and contract status, with any trade for the defender likely to involve a high first-round draft pick.
West Coast Eagles legend Guy McKenna says youngsters need to show signs of progress in final half of 2023
West Coast Eagles’ greatest ever goalkicker Josh Kennedy likes what he has seen from new forward Ryan Maric
The 2018 premiership star was earlier this year elevated to co-vice-captain alongside fellow defender Jeremy McGovern, who is set to sign a two-year extension, but is currently sidelined with a groin injury that kept him out of the last two games.
Barrass is a Claremont-product and has a young family in WA, welcoming his second son Benson with partner Nadia Rosa in March.
He has played 128 games since being drafted with pick 43 in the 2013 draft.
The Eagles are on the hunt for top talent, having last year split the No.2 pick in the draft to get West Australian’s Reuben Ginbey (No.9) and Elijah Hewett (No.14).
Tom Barrass is one of the few WesT Coast players with strong trade currency. No
It comes as West Coast coach Adam Simpson flagged that the Eagles would have one of the youngest lists in the AFL in the next few seasons as they undertake a massive rebuild.
“We’ve gone to the draft last couple of years, and we’ll continue to do that,” Simpson said after the Eagles’ 122-point loss to Adelaide on Saturday.
“The free agent agency piece is probably not for us right now, we need to get some young talent into the side, albeit we’re open to what’s out there as well.
“We’re going to transition the list pretty quickly. It’s going to be one of the youngest lists in a year or so in the comp. And then we want to get some picks at the top end as well if we can.”
West Coast were exposed in defence without Barrass and McGovern at the weekend, with veteran Crows forward Taylor Walker booting 10 goals on second-year defender Rhett Bazzo, Elliot Yeo and Oscar Allen.
Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
Wed, 14 June 2023 2:05AM
Comments
Mitchell Woodcock
West Coast could be in for a fight to retain one of the most important pillars of their rebuild in reigning club champion Tom Barrass.
Barrass, 27, is reportedly being circles by several clubs despite being contracted until the end of 2027 as they look to take advantage of the Eagles’ desperation for top end young talent.
The Eagles vice-captain signed a monster five-year contract extension at the end of the 2021 season after strong interest from Sydney and has since gone on to win the 2022 John Worsfold Medal.
Barrass, who turns 28 in October, is one of the few players on the Eagles’ list with strong trade currency given his age and contract status, with any trade for the defender likely to involve a high first-round draft pick.
West Coast Eagles legend Guy McKenna says youngsters need to show signs of progress in final half of 2023
West Coast Eagles’ greatest ever goalkicker Josh Kennedy likes what he has seen from new forward Ryan Maric
The 2018 premiership star was earlier this year elevated to co-vice-captain alongside fellow defender Jeremy McGovern, who is set to sign a two-year extension, but is currently sidelined with a groin injury that kept him out of the last two games.
Barrass is a Claremont-product and has a young family in WA, welcoming his second son Benson with partner Nadia Rosa in March.
He has played 128 games since being drafted with pick 43 in the 2013 draft.
The Eagles are on the hunt for top talent, having last year split the No.2 pick in the draft to get West Australian’s Reuben Ginbey (No.9) and Elijah Hewett (No.14).
It comes as West Coast coach Adam Simpson flagged that the Eagles would have one of the youngest lists in the AFL in the next few seasons as they undertake a massive rebuild.
“We’ve gone to the draft last couple of years, and we’ll continue to do that,” Simpson said after the Eagles’ 122-point loss to Adelaide on Saturday.
“The free agent agency piece is probably not for us right now, we need to get some young talent into the side, albeit we’re open to what’s out there as well.
“We’re going to transition the list pretty quickly. It’s going to be one of the youngest lists in a year or so in the comp. And then we want to get some picks at the top end as well if we can.”
West Coast were exposed in defence without Barrass and McGovern at the weekend, with veteran Crows forward Taylor Walker booting 10 goals on second-year defender Rhett Bazzo, Elliot Yeo and Oscar Allen.
SuperCoach Plus: 11 things you need to know for round 14 of the 2023 AFL season
What’s up with Jordan Dawson? How did Zach Merrett and Tim English save their scores? Get the numbers behind the scores plus the inside word on trades, captains for round 14.
SC Plus Article
7 min read
June 14, 2023 - 6:00AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
If last week was the calm before the storm, we are now in the eye of the tempest.
Blue dots are back with a vengeance as six teams miss round 14 with the bye – Adelaide, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne and West Coast.
Some KFC SuperCoach teams will cop it worse than others, but every coach will have to get crafty to extract the best possible score in the third of four best 18 scoring rounds.
And SuperCoach Plus is here to help.
Features available to SuperCoach Plus subscribers including score and price projections, Break Evens and live trade data. Plus exclusive weekly analysis articles just like this one!
Here are 11 nuggets to lift the lid on the the KFC SuperCoach scoring system and help you make the best trade and captaincy calls for round 13.
SIGN UP TO SUPERCOACH PLUS FOR 12-MONTH ACCESS HERE!
1. TEXAN MASSACRE
Taylor Walker became the first player to crack the 200-point barrier in KFC SuperCoach in 2023 with his masterclass against the Eagles. Walker booted 10 goals from his 18 kicks, three handballs and 11 marks (five contested). Overall, he scored more than 100 points from goals and contested marks alone. It was just his third ton for the season, but a very enjoyable one for his 1127 owners. Below are all the 200-plus KFC SuperCoach scores since 2019.
KFC SuperCoach 200 club
PLAYER CLUB SEASON ROUND SCORE
Callum Mills Syd 2022 6 214
Max Gawn Melb 2019 23 212
Taylor Walker Adel 2023 12 208
Stephen Coniglio GWS 2019 11 207
Tom Hawkins Geel 2020 12 204
Clayton Oliver Melb 2021 10 203
Tim English WB 2020 7 203
Josh Dunkley WB 2019 17 202
2. HOW MERRETT SAVED SCORE
Zach Merrett took his streak of 100-plus scores to four, but that looked far from a sure thing when Ed Curnow went straight to him at the first centre bounce. Brad Scott responded by sending his skipper forward in the second half – playing 76 per cent of game time in that position. He still had an impact in that role and was the No.1 ranked player on the ground in the second half. In a massive third term Merrett had five disposals, two score assists, one goal and 46 points. Merrett owners were also breathing a sigh of relief when the match review officer found he had no case to answer for a late tackle on Alex Cincotta.
3. ENGLISH BOUNCES BACK
Another player who had to recover from a slow start in round 13 was Tim English, who found himself in the negatives at quarter-time against Port Adelaide and Scott Lycett. In a first term shocker he recorded two disposals, zero marks, zero tackles, two hit-outs (none to advantage) and one free kick against for -3 KFC SuperCoach points. But English got to work after that and was the fifth-ranked player on the ground in the final three quarters, scoring 102 points in that time. A huge contested mark and goal in the final quarter gave him a 15-point boost. After his price dropped to $592k following five successive falls the No.1 ruck scorer this season is back over $600k with a break Even of 99 against the Kangaroos this week.
4. DAWSON DROP-OFF EXPLAINED
The curious case of Jordan Dawson added another chapter on Saturday night. The Crows captain had the second-most disposals on the ground against West Coast (32), but failed to crack 100 KFC SuperCoach points for the third time in his past five matches. His five-round average of 100.4 is far from disastrous, but it’s a long way off the form that led to an average of 124.5 after eight rounds. Since then his price has dropped $90,000. So what’s the story? Dawson is still playing a key centre bounce role and winning plenty of the ball, collecting 30-plus disposals in four of his past five games. He is taking on average one fewer mark per game but the big difference is his laser left boot, which was picking out targets inside 50 early in the season. Since round 9 he has hit the target by foot 55.7 per cent of the time – down from an elite 74.3 per cent.
5. CRIPPS CRASHES
The Carlton skipper is in a genuine form slump, scoring just 58 points against the Bombers. Cripps had a season-low four kicks and failed to hit the target with any of them. After a hot start to the season, Cripps was averaging 115.6 after he scored 153 against the Eagles in round 7, but he hasn’t hit three figures since as his form, and Carlton’s season, has gone pear-shaped. He isn’t winning as much of the ball in a contest – having fewer than 10 contested possessions in two of his past four games – while his impact on the scoreboard from a goalkicking point of view is non-existent, kicking one goal for the year. At the same time last season, he had 16 goals to his name. His tackling has also dropped off – applying just two in each of the last two rounds – while in Round 9 he failed to apply a tackle for the first time in his career. Cripps’ price has crashed from $604,400 in round 8 to $456,000, and he will be at an absolute bargain price after the Blues’ round 15 bye. But you would want to see evidence of a serious form turnaround to consider the Brownlow medallist this season.
What’s up with Jordan Dawson? How did Zach Merrett and Tim English save their scores? Get the numbers behind the scores plus the inside word on trades, captains for round 14.
SC Plus Article
7 min read
June 14, 2023 - 6:00AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
If last week was the calm before the storm, we are now in the eye of the tempest.
Blue dots are back with a vengeance as six teams miss round 14 with the bye – Adelaide, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne and West Coast.
Some KFC SuperCoach teams will cop it worse than others, but every coach will have to get crafty to extract the best possible score in the third of four best 18 scoring rounds.
And SuperCoach Plus is here to help.
Features available to SuperCoach Plus subscribers including score and price projections, Break Evens and live trade data. Plus exclusive weekly analysis articles just like this one!
Here are 11 nuggets to lift the lid on the the KFC SuperCoach scoring system and help you make the best trade and captaincy calls for round 13.
SIGN UP TO SUPERCOACH PLUS FOR 12-MONTH ACCESS HERE!
1. TEXAN MASSACRE
Taylor Walker became the first player to crack the 200-point barrier in KFC SuperCoach in 2023 with his masterclass against the Eagles. Walker booted 10 goals from his 18 kicks, three handballs and 11 marks (five contested). Overall, he scored more than 100 points from goals and contested marks alone. It was just his third ton for the season, but a very enjoyable one for his 1127 owners. Below are all the 200-plus KFC SuperCoach scores since 2019.
KFC SuperCoach 200 club
PLAYER CLUB SEASON ROUND SCORE
Callum Mills Syd 2022 6 214
Max Gawn Melb 2019 23 212
Taylor Walker Adel 2023 12 208
Stephen Coniglio GWS 2019 11 207
Tom Hawkins Geel 2020 12 204
Clayton Oliver Melb 2021 10 203
Tim English WB 2020 7 203
Josh Dunkley WB 2019 17 202
2. HOW MERRETT SAVED SCORE
Zach Merrett took his streak of 100-plus scores to four, but that looked far from a sure thing when Ed Curnow went straight to him at the first centre bounce. Brad Scott responded by sending his skipper forward in the second half – playing 76 per cent of game time in that position. He still had an impact in that role and was the No.1 ranked player on the ground in the second half. In a massive third term Merrett had five disposals, two score assists, one goal and 46 points. Merrett owners were also breathing a sigh of relief when the match review officer found he had no case to answer for a late tackle on Alex Cincotta.
3. ENGLISH BOUNCES BACK
Another player who had to recover from a slow start in round 13 was Tim English, who found himself in the negatives at quarter-time against Port Adelaide and Scott Lycett. In a first term shocker he recorded two disposals, zero marks, zero tackles, two hit-outs (none to advantage) and one free kick against for -3 KFC SuperCoach points. But English got to work after that and was the fifth-ranked player on the ground in the final three quarters, scoring 102 points in that time. A huge contested mark and goal in the final quarter gave him a 15-point boost. After his price dropped to $592k following five successive falls the No.1 ruck scorer this season is back over $600k with a break Even of 99 against the Kangaroos this week.
4. DAWSON DROP-OFF EXPLAINED
The curious case of Jordan Dawson added another chapter on Saturday night. The Crows captain had the second-most disposals on the ground against West Coast (32), but failed to crack 100 KFC SuperCoach points for the third time in his past five matches. His five-round average of 100.4 is far from disastrous, but it’s a long way off the form that led to an average of 124.5 after eight rounds. Since then his price has dropped $90,000. So what’s the story? Dawson is still playing a key centre bounce role and winning plenty of the ball, collecting 30-plus disposals in four of his past five games. He is taking on average one fewer mark per game but the big difference is his laser left boot, which was picking out targets inside 50 early in the season. Since round 9 he has hit the target by foot 55.7 per cent of the time – down from an elite 74.3 per cent.
5. CRIPPS CRASHES
The Carlton skipper is in a genuine form slump, scoring just 58 points against the Bombers. Cripps had a season-low four kicks and failed to hit the target with any of them. After a hot start to the season, Cripps was averaging 115.6 after he scored 153 against the Eagles in round 7, but he hasn’t hit three figures since as his form, and Carlton’s season, has gone pear-shaped. He isn’t winning as much of the ball in a contest – having fewer than 10 contested possessions in two of his past four games – while his impact on the scoreboard from a goalkicking point of view is non-existent, kicking one goal for the year. At the same time last season, he had 16 goals to his name. His tackling has also dropped off – applying just two in each of the last two rounds – while in Round 9 he failed to apply a tackle for the first time in his career. Cripps’ price has crashed from $604,400 in round 8 to $456,000, and he will be at an absolute bargain price after the Blues’ round 15 bye. But you would want to see evidence of a serious form turnaround to consider the Brownlow medallist this season.
6. BOLTON RUNNING HOT
The art of fantasy is spying a trend and reacting before the pack, and 161 coaches took that to the next level after spotting a turnaround in Shai Bolton’s form when he scored 97 against Gold Coast in round 7. The All-Australian forward had lost almost $79,000 in value after averaging 74.8 in the first six rounds. Since then it has been a very different story. The week after the Gold Coast game Bolton scored 152 against West Coast, and it was a sign of things to come. He has averaged 26 disposals, 1.5 goals and 121.8 KFC SuperCoach points in his past six matches, capped with another 150-plus score against the Dockers on Saturday night. He remains a major POD, featuring in just 6 per cent of teams.
7. SLAM DUNKS
Speaking of hot streaks, two of the most popular players in the game are also on a run of great scores – which should put them at the cop of captaincy discussions every week. Josh Dunkley, the third-most selected player in KFC SuperCoach, is now the most expensive player in the game. His price jumped to $680,700 after three scores in a row of 146 or more. The Lions’ recruit now has eight straight 100-plus scores after a 148 against the Hawks on the back of 28 disposals (15 contested), 11 tackles and a goal. Meanwhile, Tim Taranto – who sits just behind Dunkley in the popularity stakes – has only two sub-100 scores for the season (90 and 95) and a five-round average of 120.4. Dunkley faces Sydney on Saturday and Taranto tackles the Saints on Saturday night in round 14, and both could be great captain choices.
8. MR CONSISTENT
If you want a captain you can trust every single week, you can’t go past Marcus Bontempelli. The Bulldogs’ skipper’s superb season is no secret – he’s the No.1 scorer in KFC SuperCoach and one of the favourites for the Brownlow – but his elite reliability shouldn’t be overlooked. Bontempelli has fallen under 100 once (89 v Brisbane in round 3) and three of his scores are over 140. Of his other games he has logged 112 twice (plus a 113), and has five scores between 122 and 125. He ranks No.11 in the consistency rating awarded to every player in SuperCoach Plus. Cam Fleeton has the lowest consistency score in the comp (1.5) after scoring 44 and 47 in his two games, while of players to feature every week the title goes to Tiger Noah Balta. he earns a score of 4.5 after five scores in a row between 77 and 90. Carlton rookie Lachie Cowan is another to rank highly in the consistency stakes after scoring 51 three matches in a row from rounds 2-4. His three other scores were all between 35 and 42.
9. CAPTAINS CORNER
How much does history matter when assessing who to trust with the C and VC this week? Dunkley scored 62 the last time he faced the Swans and Taranto scored 63 against St Kilda last year – but both were playing for different clubs. If you do factor history into your calculations, it’s hard to overlook Lachie Neale – he scored 187 against the Swans last year. Tom Stewart has an average of 118 in his past three against Port Adelaide while Connor Rozee scored 106 and 118 in two games against Geelong in 2022. Zak Butters scored 91 and 46 in those matches. Marcus Bontempelli doesn’t have the best record against North Melbourne – scoring 102, 83 and 82 in his past three against them – but it’s a different story for Jack Macrae, who averages 133 in his past three against the Roos. Errol Gulden was disappointing last weekend but he has the highest projected score of round 14 – 138 against Brisbane.
10. REMEMBER ME?
When he was traded to Collingwood at the end of last season Tom Mitchell was the talk of the fantasy world. Surely, a return to the centre square beckoned and the long-time favourite was pencilled into many starting KFC SuperCoach teams for 2023. By round 1 the hype had dissipated off and the Brownlow medallist started in about 17,000 teams. And they have picked up a very low-key bargain. Mitchell hasn’t hit the incredible heights of past years but he still ranks as the 14th-best scorer in the game this season, and his past two weeks have been more like the Mitchell of old. He has recorded 30 disposals in both games and KFC SuperCoach scores of 132 and 127 – even more valuable in bye rounds. Overall he has scored 107 more points this season than next big thing Tom Green, who started the season $6k more expensive than the Magpies recruit – and in 41,000 more teams.
More Coverage
Thomas, Sicily and the burning questions answeredSuperCoach: Top trade targets for tricky bye round
11. TACKLE MACHINE
Bulldog Arthur Jones produced one of the more unusual stat lines of recent times against the Power on Friday night. he failed to win a disposal but ended the match with six tackles – scoring 21 points from them. He lost three points for giving away one free kick to finish the night on 18 KFC SuperCoach points. He lost more than $21,000 in value and has a Break Even of 82 against North Melbourne this week.
Inside 50 Newsletter
The art of fantasy is spying a trend and reacting before the pack, and 161 coaches took that to the next level after spotting a turnaround in Shai Bolton’s form when he scored 97 against Gold Coast in round 7. The All-Australian forward had lost almost $79,000 in value after averaging 74.8 in the first six rounds. Since then it has been a very different story. The week after the Gold Coast game Bolton scored 152 against West Coast, and it was a sign of things to come. He has averaged 26 disposals, 1.5 goals and 121.8 KFC SuperCoach points in his past six matches, capped with another 150-plus score against the Dockers on Saturday night. He remains a major POD, featuring in just 6 per cent of teams.
7. SLAM DUNKS
Speaking of hot streaks, two of the most popular players in the game are also on a run of great scores – which should put them at the cop of captaincy discussions every week. Josh Dunkley, the third-most selected player in KFC SuperCoach, is now the most expensive player in the game. His price jumped to $680,700 after three scores in a row of 146 or more. The Lions’ recruit now has eight straight 100-plus scores after a 148 against the Hawks on the back of 28 disposals (15 contested), 11 tackles and a goal. Meanwhile, Tim Taranto – who sits just behind Dunkley in the popularity stakes – has only two sub-100 scores for the season (90 and 95) and a five-round average of 120.4. Dunkley faces Sydney on Saturday and Taranto tackles the Saints on Saturday night in round 14, and both could be great captain choices.
8. MR CONSISTENT
If you want a captain you can trust every single week, you can’t go past Marcus Bontempelli. The Bulldogs’ skipper’s superb season is no secret – he’s the No.1 scorer in KFC SuperCoach and one of the favourites for the Brownlow – but his elite reliability shouldn’t be overlooked. Bontempelli has fallen under 100 once (89 v Brisbane in round 3) and three of his scores are over 140. Of his other games he has logged 112 twice (plus a 113), and has five scores between 122 and 125. He ranks No.11 in the consistency rating awarded to every player in SuperCoach Plus. Cam Fleeton has the lowest consistency score in the comp (1.5) after scoring 44 and 47 in his two games, while of players to feature every week the title goes to Tiger Noah Balta. he earns a score of 4.5 after five scores in a row between 77 and 90. Carlton rookie Lachie Cowan is another to rank highly in the consistency stakes after scoring 51 three matches in a row from rounds 2-4. His three other scores were all between 35 and 42.
9. CAPTAINS CORNER
How much does history matter when assessing who to trust with the C and VC this week? Dunkley scored 62 the last time he faced the Swans and Taranto scored 63 against St Kilda last year – but both were playing for different clubs. If you do factor history into your calculations, it’s hard to overlook Lachie Neale – he scored 187 against the Swans last year. Tom Stewart has an average of 118 in his past three against Port Adelaide while Connor Rozee scored 106 and 118 in two games against Geelong in 2022. Zak Butters scored 91 and 46 in those matches. Marcus Bontempelli doesn’t have the best record against North Melbourne – scoring 102, 83 and 82 in his past three against them – but it’s a different story for Jack Macrae, who averages 133 in his past three against the Roos. Errol Gulden was disappointing last weekend but he has the highest projected score of round 14 – 138 against Brisbane.
10. REMEMBER ME?
When he was traded to Collingwood at the end of last season Tom Mitchell was the talk of the fantasy world. Surely, a return to the centre square beckoned and the long-time favourite was pencilled into many starting KFC SuperCoach teams for 2023. By round 1 the hype had dissipated off and the Brownlow medallist started in about 17,000 teams. And they have picked up a very low-key bargain. Mitchell hasn’t hit the incredible heights of past years but he still ranks as the 14th-best scorer in the game this season, and his past two weeks have been more like the Mitchell of old. He has recorded 30 disposals in both games and KFC SuperCoach scores of 132 and 127 – even more valuable in bye rounds. Overall he has scored 107 more points this season than next big thing Tom Green, who started the season $6k more expensive than the Magpies recruit – and in 41,000 more teams.
More Coverage
Thomas, Sicily and the burning questions answeredSuperCoach: Top trade targets for tricky bye round
11. TACKLE MACHINE
Bulldog Arthur Jones produced one of the more unusual stat lines of recent times against the Power on Friday night. he failed to win a disposal but ended the match with six tackles – scoring 21 points from them. He lost three points for giving away one free kick to finish the night on 18 KFC SuperCoach points. He lost more than $21,000 in value and has a Break Even of 82 against North Melbourne this week.
Inside 50 Newsletter
Pure Footy: Stats gurus David King and Daniel Hoyne on the big trends ahead of round 14
Essendon is winning, but to be a serious finals contender the Bombers have to change the way they play. Stats gurus Daniel Hoyne and David King reveal how on Pure Footy.
2 min read
June 14, 2023 - 4:43PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
33:41
Pure Footy - episode 13 2023
David King and Daniel Hoyne take a look at the stats and trends from round thirteen of the 2023 AFL season
View more related videos
Could Essendon be on track for more September heartache?
The Bombers’ game style has alarm bells ringing for stats experts, but the good news is they could be setting themselves up for long-term success – if they can evolve on the run.
And there is a clear template for Brad Scott to follow.
Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne says Essendon’s profile this year looks a lot like Richmond’s from 2013-2016, when the Tigers made the finals in three successive seasons only to be bundled out in the first week each time.
That Richmond team ranked second in the competition for uncontested marks – Essendon is first this year – but 15th for midfield intercepts (the Bombers are 18th), 15th for conceding inside-50s (17th) and 15th for defending opposition ball movement (18th).
WATCH A NEW EPISODE OF PURE FOOTY ABOVE
“I think the way they (the Bombers) are playing is definitely not a sustainable brand in terms of being able to get to preliminary final weekend, but I don’t think they’re in a position to worry about getting to a preliminary final in 2023,” Hoyne said on a new episode of Pure Footy.
“Given where they’ve been at the last four, five or six years, it’s all about stability and resetting. They’ve got a lot of young, exciting talent to be able to work with moving forward, so I think the fact they are eight and six is a huge tick for Brad Scott.
“The concern for me is at the end of this year, you’ve reset and you’ve had a reasonably successful year, but launching forward to get to preliminary final weekend, this profile needs to change.”
Jake Stringer and the Bombers are poised for a return to finals action. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The positive spin on the comparison is the Tigers were able to change their game style in 2017 – and went on to win three of the next four premierships.
“It’s a poor defensive profile, it’s built off the back of uncontested footy and uncontested marks,” Hoyne said.
More Coverage
SuperCoach Plus: Scoring secrets, key stats for round 1417 out of contract Blues: Who will survive beyond 2023?
“And we saw Richmond at the end of 2016 turfed that profile in the bin and came up with a more chaotic, aggressive, high-turnover brand of footy, and the success was there for everyone to see.”
Also on this week’s episode, King and Hoyne reveal Rory Lobb’s worrying rankings, which teams will benefit the most from players returning from injury and two champions who went back to the future in round 13.
Inside 50 Newsletter
Essendon is winning, but to be a serious finals contender the Bombers have to change the way they play. Stats gurus Daniel Hoyne and David King reveal how on Pure Footy.
2 min read
June 14, 2023 - 4:43PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
33:41
Pure Footy - episode 13 2023
David King and Daniel Hoyne take a look at the stats and trends from round thirteen of the 2023 AFL season
View more related videos
Could Essendon be on track for more September heartache?
The Bombers’ game style has alarm bells ringing for stats experts, but the good news is they could be setting themselves up for long-term success – if they can evolve on the run.
And there is a clear template for Brad Scott to follow.
Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne says Essendon’s profile this year looks a lot like Richmond’s from 2013-2016, when the Tigers made the finals in three successive seasons only to be bundled out in the first week each time.
That Richmond team ranked second in the competition for uncontested marks – Essendon is first this year – but 15th for midfield intercepts (the Bombers are 18th), 15th for conceding inside-50s (17th) and 15th for defending opposition ball movement (18th).
WATCH A NEW EPISODE OF PURE FOOTY ABOVE
“I think the way they (the Bombers) are playing is definitely not a sustainable brand in terms of being able to get to preliminary final weekend, but I don’t think they’re in a position to worry about getting to a preliminary final in 2023,” Hoyne said on a new episode of Pure Footy.
“Given where they’ve been at the last four, five or six years, it’s all about stability and resetting. They’ve got a lot of young, exciting talent to be able to work with moving forward, so I think the fact they are eight and six is a huge tick for Brad Scott.
“The concern for me is at the end of this year, you’ve reset and you’ve had a reasonably successful year, but launching forward to get to preliminary final weekend, this profile needs to change.”
Jake Stringer and the Bombers are poised for a return to finals action. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The positive spin on the comparison is the Tigers were able to change their game style in 2017 – and went on to win three of the next four premierships.
“It’s a poor defensive profile, it’s built off the back of uncontested footy and uncontested marks,” Hoyne said.
More Coverage
SuperCoach Plus: Scoring secrets, key stats for round 1417 out of contract Blues: Who will survive beyond 2023?
“And we saw Richmond at the end of 2016 turfed that profile in the bin and came up with a more chaotic, aggressive, high-turnover brand of footy, and the success was there for everyone to see.”
Also on this week’s episode, King and Hoyne reveal Rory Lobb’s worrying rankings, which teams will benefit the most from players returning from injury and two champions who went back to the future in round 13.
Inside 50 Newsletter
POSITION UPDATE: WHO EARNED DPP STATUS?
The final round of position changes are locked in for 2023, with 10 players adding DPP status after round 17.
They include Nick Daicos, the most popular player in KFC SuperCoach, and Jack Sinclair. The two gun defenders are now DEF-MID.
Sam Docherty is also a DEF-MID but Sam Walsh and Max Gawn have fallen just short of the 35 per cent DPP threshold yet again. Gawn’s forward time sits at 32.8 per cent and Walsh’s at 32.9 per cent after playing a season-high 97 per cent of game time as a midfielder against Fremantle.
See all the latest DPP changes below.
New KFC SuperCoach DPPS
From Mid to Mid/Fwd
Deven Robertson Bris Lions 41.6
Marlion Pickett Richmond 47.7
From Def to Def/Mid
Sam Docherty Carlton 44.3
Nick Daicos Collingwood 42.8
Mark O'Connor Geelong 37.9
Angus Brayshaw Melbourne 38.7
Jack Sinclair St Kilda 37.1
Frim Mid to Def/Mid
Jayden Short Richmond 51.2
Harry Perryman GWS 60.5
From Def yo Def/Fwd
Callum Brown GWS Giants 56.2
The final round of position changes are locked in for 2023, with 10 players adding DPP status after round 17.
They include Nick Daicos, the most popular player in KFC SuperCoach, and Jack Sinclair. The two gun defenders are now DEF-MID.
Sam Docherty is also a DEF-MID but Sam Walsh and Max Gawn have fallen just short of the 35 per cent DPP threshold yet again. Gawn’s forward time sits at 32.8 per cent and Walsh’s at 32.9 per cent after playing a season-high 97 per cent of game time as a midfielder against Fremantle.
See all the latest DPP changes below.
New KFC SuperCoach DPPS
From Mid to Mid/Fwd
Deven Robertson Bris Lions 41.6
Marlion Pickett Richmond 47.7
From Def to Def/Mid
Sam Docherty Carlton 44.3
Nick Daicos Collingwood 42.8
Mark O'Connor Geelong 37.9
Angus Brayshaw Melbourne 38.7
Jack Sinclair St Kilda 37.1
Frim Mid to Def/Mid
Jayden Short Richmond 51.2
Harry Perryman GWS 60.5
From Def yo Def/Fwd
Callum Brown GWS Giants 56.2
KFC SuperCoach 2023: Top-ranked coach reveals his secrets
How to you get to the top in KFC SuperCoach? The coach of the No.1 ranked team reveals his secrets, best trades and his ‘horrendous’ starting pick.
Timing is everything for the No.1 ranked coach in KFC SuperCoach.
Harry Reed’s team Gazza4Eva jumped to the overall No.1 spot in the overall rankings by scoring 2519 points in round 18 for a season total of 41,846, 31 points ahead of second-ranked team Fifty Shades.
Exhibit A of Harry’s perfect sense of timing is his decision trade in Port Adelaide defender Dan Houston before round 16 – the week he kicked the matchwinning goal for the Power after the siren against Essendon on his way to 156 KFC SuperCoach points.
But his hot run started long before that.
Harry – incredibly in just his second year of playing KFC SuperCoach
– says his starting team included some “absolute shockers”. But he didn’t hang around to fix them.
“Before the season I said, ‘Don’t panic trade’, but I did. I rage-traded Nat Fyfe in week one to Kade Chandler ... and the second round I used a boost and I flipped Jack Steele, Sean Darcy and Josh Goater into Nick Daicos, Tim English and Jack Ziebell,” he said on the Official KFC SuperCoach Podcast.
“My starting team was far from the best possible one, but I corrected that, identified the players that weren’t going to be good, and I was just lucky that all four of those trades – Chandler, English, Daicos and Ziebell – all ended up being really good picks for the season.”
Harry said his strategy has been to upgrade to high-scoring premiums as quickly as possible by identifying value picks at the right time and the right price – leaving enough cash to make the next move.
Zach Merrett, who dropped to $564k in round 9, Andrew Brayshaw ($531k) and Lachie Neale ($561k) have all become staples of Gazza4Eva’s midfield.
“My approach throughout the season was always don’t get sucked into the players who are going up in value because it’s easy to get burned by that ... and try to focus on the players that I think are good who have just had a bad start or a bad run and dropped in value.”
He has made some very smart picks that set his team apart, like Houston and Docker Luke Ryan, but he didn’t get everything right.
Trading in Jeremy Cameron quickly backfired when the Cats forward scored -3 when he was concussed by teammate Gary Rohan, leading Harry to make a late switch to his most unique selection.
“I think I’m the only coach in the top 1000 with Joe Daniher,” he said.
“That’s not an ideal pick, but I’m just hoping I can loop him and hopefully get a big score or two out of him on the run home.”
Harry has one trade left and is hoping he can ride his luck all the way to the $50,000 grand prize.
“I think from here ... it’s really going to come down to a lot of luck, who cops what carnage and how you can deal with it.”
How to you get to the top in KFC SuperCoach? The coach of the No.1 ranked team reveals his secrets, best trades and his ‘horrendous’ starting pick.
Timing is everything for the No.1 ranked coach in KFC SuperCoach.
Harry Reed’s team Gazza4Eva jumped to the overall No.1 spot in the overall rankings by scoring 2519 points in round 18 for a season total of 41,846, 31 points ahead of second-ranked team Fifty Shades.
Exhibit A of Harry’s perfect sense of timing is his decision trade in Port Adelaide defender Dan Houston before round 16 – the week he kicked the matchwinning goal for the Power after the siren against Essendon on his way to 156 KFC SuperCoach points.
But his hot run started long before that.
Harry – incredibly in just his second year of playing KFC SuperCoach
– says his starting team included some “absolute shockers”. But he didn’t hang around to fix them.“Before the season I said, ‘Don’t panic trade’, but I did. I rage-traded Nat Fyfe in week one to Kade Chandler ... and the second round I used a boost and I flipped Jack Steele, Sean Darcy and Josh Goater into Nick Daicos, Tim English and Jack Ziebell,” he said on the Official KFC SuperCoach Podcast.
“My starting team was far from the best possible one, but I corrected that, identified the players that weren’t going to be good, and I was just lucky that all four of those trades – Chandler, English, Daicos and Ziebell – all ended up being really good picks for the season.”
Harry said his strategy has been to upgrade to high-scoring premiums as quickly as possible by identifying value picks at the right time and the right price – leaving enough cash to make the next move.
Zach Merrett, who dropped to $564k in round 9, Andrew Brayshaw ($531k) and Lachie Neale ($561k) have all become staples of Gazza4Eva’s midfield.
“My approach throughout the season was always don’t get sucked into the players who are going up in value because it’s easy to get burned by that ... and try to focus on the players that I think are good who have just had a bad start or a bad run and dropped in value.”
He has made some very smart picks that set his team apart, like Houston and Docker Luke Ryan, but he didn’t get everything right.
Trading in Jeremy Cameron quickly backfired when the Cats forward scored -3 when he was concussed by teammate Gary Rohan, leading Harry to make a late switch to his most unique selection.
“I think I’m the only coach in the top 1000 with Joe Daniher,” he said.
“That’s not an ideal pick, but I’m just hoping I can loop him and hopefully get a big score or two out of him on the run home.”
Harry has one trade left and is hoping he can ride his luck all the way to the $50,000 grand prize.
“I think from here ... it’s really going to come down to a lot of luck, who cops what carnage and how you can deal with it.”
KFC SuperCoach 2023: Top-ranked coach reveals his secrets
How to you get to the top in KFC SuperCoach? The coach of the No.1 ranked team reveals his secrets, best trades and his ‘horrendous’ starting pick.
Timing is everything for the No.1 ranked coach in KFC SuperCoach.
Harry Reed’s team Gazza4Eva jumped to the overall No.1 spot in the overall rankings by scoring 2519 points in round 18 for a season total of 41,846, 31 points ahead of second-ranked team Fifty Shades.
Exhibit A of Harry’s perfect sense of timing is his decision trade in Port Adelaide defender Dan Houston before round 16 – the week he kicked the matchwinning goal for the Power after the siren against Essendon on his way to 156 KFC SuperCoach points.
But his hot run started long before that.
Harry – incredibly in just his second year of playing KFC SuperCoach– says his starting team included some “absolute shockers”. But he didn’t hang around to fix them.
“Before the season I said, ‘Don’t panic trade’, but I did. I rage-traded Nat Fyfe in week one to Kade Chandler ... and the second round I used a boost and I flipped Jack Steele, Sean Darcy and Josh Goater into Nick Daicos, Tim English and Jack Ziebell,” he said on the Official KFC SuperCoach Podcast.
“My starting team was far from the best possible one, but I corrected that, identified the players that weren’t going to be good, and I was just lucky that all four of those trades – Chandler, English, Daicos and Ziebell – all ended up being really good picks for the season.”
Harry said his strategy has been to upgrade to high-scoring premiums as quickly as possible by identifying value picks at the right time and the right price – leaving enough cash to make the next move.
Zach Merrett, who dropped to $564k in round 9, Andrew Brayshaw ($531k) and Lachie Neale ($561k) have all become staples of Gazza4Eva’s midfield.
“My approach throughout the season was always don’t get sucked into the players who are going up in value because it’s easy to get burned by that ... and try to focus on the players that I think are good who have just had a bad start or a bad run and dropped in value.”
He has made some very smart picks that set his team apart, like Houston and Docker Luke Ryan, but he didn’t get everything right.
Trading in Jeremy Cameron quickly backfired when the Cats forward scored -3 when he was concussed by teammate Gary Rohan, leading Harry to make a late switch to his most unique selection.
“I think I’m the only coach in the top 1000 with Joe Daniher,” he said.
“That’s not an ideal pick, but I’m just hoping I can loop him and hopefully get a big score or two out of him on the run home.”
Harry has one trade left and is hoping he can ride his luck all the way to the $50,000 grand prize.
“I think from here ... it’s really going to come down to a lot of luck, who cops what carnage and how you can deal with it.”
How to you get to the top in KFC SuperCoach? The coach of the No.1 ranked team reveals his secrets, best trades and his ‘horrendous’ starting pick.
Timing is everything for the No.1 ranked coach in KFC SuperCoach.
Harry Reed’s team Gazza4Eva jumped to the overall No.1 spot in the overall rankings by scoring 2519 points in round 18 for a season total of 41,846, 31 points ahead of second-ranked team Fifty Shades.
Exhibit A of Harry’s perfect sense of timing is his decision trade in Port Adelaide defender Dan Houston before round 16 – the week he kicked the matchwinning goal for the Power after the siren against Essendon on his way to 156 KFC SuperCoach points.
But his hot run started long before that.
Harry – incredibly in just his second year of playing KFC SuperCoach
– says his starting team included some “absolute shockers”. But he didn’t hang around to fix them.“Before the season I said, ‘Don’t panic trade’, but I did. I rage-traded Nat Fyfe in week one to Kade Chandler ... and the second round I used a boost and I flipped Jack Steele, Sean Darcy and Josh Goater into Nick Daicos, Tim English and Jack Ziebell,” he said on the Official KFC SuperCoach Podcast.
“My starting team was far from the best possible one, but I corrected that, identified the players that weren’t going to be good, and I was just lucky that all four of those trades – Chandler, English, Daicos and Ziebell – all ended up being really good picks for the season.”
Harry said his strategy has been to upgrade to high-scoring premiums as quickly as possible by identifying value picks at the right time and the right price – leaving enough cash to make the next move.
Zach Merrett, who dropped to $564k in round 9, Andrew Brayshaw ($531k) and Lachie Neale ($561k) have all become staples of Gazza4Eva’s midfield.
“My approach throughout the season was always don’t get sucked into the players who are going up in value because it’s easy to get burned by that ... and try to focus on the players that I think are good who have just had a bad start or a bad run and dropped in value.”
He has made some very smart picks that set his team apart, like Houston and Docker Luke Ryan, but he didn’t get everything right.
Trading in Jeremy Cameron quickly backfired when the Cats forward scored -3 when he was concussed by teammate Gary Rohan, leading Harry to make a late switch to his most unique selection.
“I think I’m the only coach in the top 1000 with Joe Daniher,” he said.
“That’s not an ideal pick, but I’m just hoping I can loop him and hopefully get a big score or two out of him on the run home.”
Harry has one trade left and is hoping he can ride his luck all the way to the $50,000 grand prize.
“I think from here ... it’s really going to come down to a lot of luck, who cops what carnage and how you can deal with it.”
Ultimate AFL pre-season guide as clubs return to training
Teams that missed the finals will start to bring back young players as the summer slog sets back in. Here is the injury status of every club and who will be missing as things get cooking.
Josh Barnes
November 13, 2023 - 6:00AM
It is already back to school at just under half of the AFL’s clubs, as first to for year players make their way back for pre-season on Monday.
The collective bargaining agreement between the players and the league allows non-finalists to bring young players back on November 13, with older players due back a week later.
Lengthy VFL campaigns mean the Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast will return later than other non-finalists, while Adelaide has chosen to bring the whole squad back on the same day.
Most clubs expect senior players to arrive early anyway, with much of the leagues best in the gym and running through their own sessions recently.
At Hawthorn, spearhead Mitch Lewis (foot) and running machine Changkouth Jiath (achilles/calf) will be managed through the early stages of pre-season before ramping up fitness.
Goalkicker Jack Stringer is due to be back running from the start of his pre-season after foot surgery in the back end of Essendon’s campaign.
Geelong ruck Toby Conway will be missing from the start of pre-season on Monday after recent foot surgery.
Check out where every club is at as the hard work begins again.
ADELAIDE
RETURN DATES
All players back November 20
WHO IS FIT?
The Bali Geckos had two impressive recruits with goalsneaks Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine joining Brayden Cook in having a run around with the Indonesian club under the watchful eye of former Bomber Rick Olarenshaw.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Jordon Butts has begun running and moving around after copping a fractured foot in August. The defender was expected to be back for a full pre-season after having a metatarsal fixed in his foot.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
A number of Crows ended the season on the back foot, with Harry Schoenberg (Achilles) and Elliott Himmelberg (hamstring) going under the knife post-season. Himmelberg is expected to be back to full training after Christmas, after a failed attempt to be traded to GWS. Nick Murray (ACL), Chayce Jones (foot) and Zac Taylor (foot) are all on the way back from lengthy injuries.
NEW FACES
Chris Burgess has joined the Crows from Gold Coast and is expected to train more in defence after playing predominantly up forward for the Suns.
BRISBANE LIONS
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 27
Others – December 4
WHO IS FIT?
Jarrod Berry has gone to lengths few others have in the off-season, training to run a marathon in support of Breast Cancer Network Australia, in honour of his late mother Jedda.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale went off for hernia surgery in October but should be back running in time for his pre-season to start and has been already seen in the club as he gets set for another big campaign.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Rising midfield star Will Ashcroft has begun running after his mid-year ACL injury but he has already begun running and is committed to getting back mid-season.
NEW FACES
Free agency signing Tom Doedee will have to impress his teammates from the gym as he nurses his torn ACL. The Lions were well aware when they signed the ex-Crow that he wouldn’t play football until mid-2024. Former Hawk Brandon Ryan will also be out to impress.
CARLTON
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 27
Others – December 4
WHO IS FIT?
No surprises here – Sam Walsh was near the front of the pack of a running session recently at Ikon Park, while Zac Williams will ease his way into training but has been upping his running after tearing his ACL last pre-season.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Corey Durdin will begin pre-season working on skills training after shoulder surgery. He is hoping to be at full fitness by January.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
A host of Blues will be nursing their way back into fitness, led by Sam Docherty, who had foot surgery after the finals campaign but avoided a clean up of his shoulder. Alex Mirkov (heart surgery) will slowly build up fitness.
NEW FACES
Orazio Fantasia will have plenty to prove at his third club and he is entering Ikon Park fit and ready to go for pre-season. Former Sun Elijah Hollands will also have plenty to prove after a court appearance this month.
COLLINGWOOD
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 27
Others – December 4
WHO IS FIT?
A number of Pies players have been back at Olympic Park pounding away over the off-season, including Isaac Quaynor and Jack Crisp to shake off any premiership hangover.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Forward Dan McStay is due to be back up and running as the pre-season starts, as he recovers from the medial strain that ended his premiership dreams. McStay was expected to be 6-8 weeks from running at the time of the injury.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
The Pies had a remarkably clean bill of health after the premiership with few niggles to worry about during celebrations.
NEW FACES
Fresh off a holiday in Kenya, Lachie Schultz will get his first taste of Collingwood life when he checks in for his first pre-season with the club after being traded from Fremantle.
ESSENDON
RETURN DATES
First-to-four year players – November 13
Others – November 20
WHO IS FIT?
Who isn’t fit at Essendon? Any player that returns out of shape will faith the wrath of Brad Scott after he made some pointed remarks at the end of last season, and vice-captain Andy McGrath has helped organise some fitness camps in the United States to make sure the Dons are ready to go. Some of those in Arizona will be toiling away even next week when the young players at the Bombers return to the Hangar.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Explosive forward Jake Stringer went for plantar fascia surgery in August but will be running when his pre-season begins. Tex Wanganeen also had foot surgery in the back end of the season and is a little further away, as he looks to start running in late December.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Midfielder Dylan Shiel had foot surgery in October after a year hit by soreness. He is expected to be back to full fitness by Christmas. Ruck Sam Draper also went under the knife, on his groin, and is planning to be back with the main group by January.
NEW FACES
All eyes will be on Ben McKay, Jade Gresham and Xavier Duursma as they aim to make a big impact after landing at Essendon in the off-season. Senior pro Todd Goldstein is a renowned trainer and will also look to make a mark after crossing from North Melbourne.
FREMANTLE
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 13
Others - November 27
WHO IS FIT?
Veteran Jaeger O’Meara and buzzy forward Sam Switkowski have been spending plenty of time around the club gym in recent weeks even through they are not due back officially until November 27.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Heath Chapman is due back with the first to four year players on Monday after he dislocated his shoulder in August and will likely be with the young cohort as they go on a community camp to West Australian towns Albany and Denmark.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Ruck Sean Darcy is one of a number of players who jetted off to the United States with coach Justin Longmuir on a study trip and is unlikely to be back into full training to start pre-season after ankle surgery in August. Brandon Walker (knee) is still a fair way off and not running yet. Sebit Kuer remains on gym work to build up strength in his knee after a reconstruction this year. Josh Corbett (hip) will miss the entire 2024 season and is due to have surgery in late November.
NEW FACES
Former Demon and Blue tall defender Oscar McDonald has been Fremantle’s only acquisition so far this off-season.
GEELONG
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 20
WHO IS FIT?
As has become custom, Irish players Mark O’Connor and Oisin Mullin were given permission to return home and play Gaelic football through the off-season. Mullin returned to the club last week and has locked in a contract extension.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
All of Geelong’s youngsters will be back for day one of pre-season except ruck Toby Conway. The young tall has had numerous injury issues in the past couple of years and had recent foot surgery, leaving him to work his way into pre-season.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
A number of senior Cats were sent off for surgery as the season wound down. Mark Blicavs (shoulder), Gary Rohan (ankle) and Jeremy Cameron (shoulder) were among them. Cameron has been back lifting weights at the club ahead of pre-season so appears back to strength in the upper body.
NEW FACES
For the first time in a long time, the Cats have no new players picked up from the trade period. Some old faces have returned though, with former Cats players James Rahilly (Adelaide) and Steven King (Gold Coast) joining Chris Scott’s coaching staff.
Teams that missed the finals will start to bring back young players as the summer slog sets back in. Here is the injury status of every club and who will be missing as things get cooking.
Josh Barnes
November 13, 2023 - 6:00AM
It is already back to school at just under half of the AFL’s clubs, as first to for year players make their way back for pre-season on Monday.
The collective bargaining agreement between the players and the league allows non-finalists to bring young players back on November 13, with older players due back a week later.
Lengthy VFL campaigns mean the Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast will return later than other non-finalists, while Adelaide has chosen to bring the whole squad back on the same day.
Most clubs expect senior players to arrive early anyway, with much of the leagues best in the gym and running through their own sessions recently.
At Hawthorn, spearhead Mitch Lewis (foot) and running machine Changkouth Jiath (achilles/calf) will be managed through the early stages of pre-season before ramping up fitness.
Goalkicker Jack Stringer is due to be back running from the start of his pre-season after foot surgery in the back end of Essendon’s campaign.
Geelong ruck Toby Conway will be missing from the start of pre-season on Monday after recent foot surgery.
Check out where every club is at as the hard work begins again.
ADELAIDE
RETURN DATES
All players back November 20
WHO IS FIT?
The Bali Geckos had two impressive recruits with goalsneaks Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine joining Brayden Cook in having a run around with the Indonesian club under the watchful eye of former Bomber Rick Olarenshaw.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Jordon Butts has begun running and moving around after copping a fractured foot in August. The defender was expected to be back for a full pre-season after having a metatarsal fixed in his foot.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
A number of Crows ended the season on the back foot, with Harry Schoenberg (Achilles) and Elliott Himmelberg (hamstring) going under the knife post-season. Himmelberg is expected to be back to full training after Christmas, after a failed attempt to be traded to GWS. Nick Murray (ACL), Chayce Jones (foot) and Zac Taylor (foot) are all on the way back from lengthy injuries.
NEW FACES
Chris Burgess has joined the Crows from Gold Coast and is expected to train more in defence after playing predominantly up forward for the Suns.
BRISBANE LIONS
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 27
Others – December 4
WHO IS FIT?
Jarrod Berry has gone to lengths few others have in the off-season, training to run a marathon in support of Breast Cancer Network Australia, in honour of his late mother Jedda.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale went off for hernia surgery in October but should be back running in time for his pre-season to start and has been already seen in the club as he gets set for another big campaign.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Rising midfield star Will Ashcroft has begun running after his mid-year ACL injury but he has already begun running and is committed to getting back mid-season.
NEW FACES
Free agency signing Tom Doedee will have to impress his teammates from the gym as he nurses his torn ACL. The Lions were well aware when they signed the ex-Crow that he wouldn’t play football until mid-2024. Former Hawk Brandon Ryan will also be out to impress.
CARLTON
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 27
Others – December 4
WHO IS FIT?
No surprises here – Sam Walsh was near the front of the pack of a running session recently at Ikon Park, while Zac Williams will ease his way into training but has been upping his running after tearing his ACL last pre-season.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Corey Durdin will begin pre-season working on skills training after shoulder surgery. He is hoping to be at full fitness by January.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
A host of Blues will be nursing their way back into fitness, led by Sam Docherty, who had foot surgery after the finals campaign but avoided a clean up of his shoulder. Alex Mirkov (heart surgery) will slowly build up fitness.
NEW FACES
Orazio Fantasia will have plenty to prove at his third club and he is entering Ikon Park fit and ready to go for pre-season. Former Sun Elijah Hollands will also have plenty to prove after a court appearance this month.
COLLINGWOOD
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 27
Others – December 4
WHO IS FIT?
A number of Pies players have been back at Olympic Park pounding away over the off-season, including Isaac Quaynor and Jack Crisp to shake off any premiership hangover.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Forward Dan McStay is due to be back up and running as the pre-season starts, as he recovers from the medial strain that ended his premiership dreams. McStay was expected to be 6-8 weeks from running at the time of the injury.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
The Pies had a remarkably clean bill of health after the premiership with few niggles to worry about during celebrations.
NEW FACES
Fresh off a holiday in Kenya, Lachie Schultz will get his first taste of Collingwood life when he checks in for his first pre-season with the club after being traded from Fremantle.
ESSENDON
RETURN DATES
First-to-four year players – November 13
Others – November 20
WHO IS FIT?
Who isn’t fit at Essendon? Any player that returns out of shape will faith the wrath of Brad Scott after he made some pointed remarks at the end of last season, and vice-captain Andy McGrath has helped organise some fitness camps in the United States to make sure the Dons are ready to go. Some of those in Arizona will be toiling away even next week when the young players at the Bombers return to the Hangar.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Explosive forward Jake Stringer went for plantar fascia surgery in August but will be running when his pre-season begins. Tex Wanganeen also had foot surgery in the back end of the season and is a little further away, as he looks to start running in late December.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Midfielder Dylan Shiel had foot surgery in October after a year hit by soreness. He is expected to be back to full fitness by Christmas. Ruck Sam Draper also went under the knife, on his groin, and is planning to be back with the main group by January.
NEW FACES
All eyes will be on Ben McKay, Jade Gresham and Xavier Duursma as they aim to make a big impact after landing at Essendon in the off-season. Senior pro Todd Goldstein is a renowned trainer and will also look to make a mark after crossing from North Melbourne.
FREMANTLE
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 13
Others - November 27
WHO IS FIT?
Veteran Jaeger O’Meara and buzzy forward Sam Switkowski have been spending plenty of time around the club gym in recent weeks even through they are not due back officially until November 27.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Heath Chapman is due back with the first to four year players on Monday after he dislocated his shoulder in August and will likely be with the young cohort as they go on a community camp to West Australian towns Albany and Denmark.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Ruck Sean Darcy is one of a number of players who jetted off to the United States with coach Justin Longmuir on a study trip and is unlikely to be back into full training to start pre-season after ankle surgery in August. Brandon Walker (knee) is still a fair way off and not running yet. Sebit Kuer remains on gym work to build up strength in his knee after a reconstruction this year. Josh Corbett (hip) will miss the entire 2024 season and is due to have surgery in late November.
NEW FACES
Former Demon and Blue tall defender Oscar McDonald has been Fremantle’s only acquisition so far this off-season.
GEELONG
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 20
WHO IS FIT?
As has become custom, Irish players Mark O’Connor and Oisin Mullin were given permission to return home and play Gaelic football through the off-season. Mullin returned to the club last week and has locked in a contract extension.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
All of Geelong’s youngsters will be back for day one of pre-season except ruck Toby Conway. The young tall has had numerous injury issues in the past couple of years and had recent foot surgery, leaving him to work his way into pre-season.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
A number of senior Cats were sent off for surgery as the season wound down. Mark Blicavs (shoulder), Gary Rohan (ankle) and Jeremy Cameron (shoulder) were among them. Cameron has been back lifting weights at the club ahead of pre-season so appears back to strength in the upper body.
NEW FACES
For the first time in a long time, the Cats have no new players picked up from the trade period. Some old faces have returned though, with former Cats players James Rahilly (Adelaide) and Steven King (Gold Coast) joining Chris Scott’s coaching staff.
GOLD COAST
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27
Others - December 4
WHO IS FIT?
Defender Sam Collins finished a very respectable 25th in the Noosa Triathlon earlier this month as he rounded into excellent physical shape.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Nick Holman missed the final round of the season with a knee injury but should be fit to get into training from the start.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Tom Berry had shoulder surgery when the Suns finished their season but was expected to be fit to start pre-season. Runner Lachie Weller remains away from the main group but is progressing well after knee surgery.
NEW FACES
The most important new face by some way will be new coach Damien Hardwick and the standards he will introduce to his first pre-season on the Gold Coast.
GWS GIANTS
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27th
Others - 4th
WHO IS FIT?
Forward Callum Brown wasted no time getting into shape after the preliminary final, as the was spotted in the club gym the next week. Brown also trained with the Giants AFLW side to build on his considerable athleticism. Isaac Summing and Nick Haynes have also bee in the club regularly, while Braydon Preuss has been shifting tin as well.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Both Darcy Jones and Adam Kennedy are on the way back from serious knee injuries and the pair were already running by the end of the season so will pick up the pace as pre-season kicks in.
WHO HAD SURGERY?
No Giants were booked in for surgery after the remarkable finals run.
NEW FACES
For the first time in club history, the Giants were not involved in a trade over the off-season. And GWS didn’t make any free agency moves either.
HAWTHORN
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 27
WHO IS FIT?
Tagging master Finn Maginness wowed Instagram by returning in peak shape for some topless running at the Waverley last week as he looks to build on a successful 2023 campaign. Josh Ward is another Hawk who has shrugged off past injury history and is ready for a big summer.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Both Mitch Lewis and Changkouth Jiath are running again but will be eased into pre-season. Lewis missed time at the end of the season due to a foot sprain but didn’t require surgery, while Jiath had a troublesome 2023 with wobbly calf and Achilles issues. The pair will be managed through the early stages of pre-season.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
The recovery of Chad Wingard – assuming all goes well in the plan for him to be redrafted by the club after he was delisted last week – will be a close watch throughout the first half of 2024. Wingard ruptured his Achilles in August so will not play for the opening few months of next season.
NEW FACES
Former Bomber Massimo D’Ambrosio will be at Waverly for day one of pre-season while Jack Ginnivan is not due back until next week given he played through the finals series with Collingwood. The goalsneak could still make an early appearance, while returning flag-winner Jack Gunston will be given freedom to work away on his own pre-season program and Mabior Chol isn’t needed back until November 27.
MELBOURNE
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27
Others - December 4
WHO IS FIT?
Followers on social media would have seen midfield dynamo Christian Petracca was recently in Austria powering through a Red Bull fitness camp.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
All eyes will be on what level Clayton Oliver is involved and his fitness standards after a tumultuous off-season. Swingman Harrison Petty will likely take some time to get into action after his late-season foot injury.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Jake Melksham, who is currently not on the list but the club has committed to taking in the rookie draft, will be nursing his torn ACL through the early months of 2024. Joel Smith is also suspended as he awaits a finish to his drug ban.
NEW FACES
Tom Fullarton has come down from Brisbane, Jack Billings from St Kilda and the Dees have high hopes for the impact Shane McAdam can make coming from Adelaide. McAdam had surgery on his cheekbone late in the season but is expected to be right to go for a full pre-season.
NORTH MELBOURNE
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 20
WHO IS FIT?
A strong contingent of Roos have been regularly in at Arden Street over the off-season, with the likes of Will Phillips, Bailey Scott, Harry Sheezel, Josh Goater, Tarryn Thomas and recruits Toby Pink, Dylan Stephens and Bigoa Nyuon all at the club on Friday. Young midfield gun George Wardlaw has shrugged off a 2023 campaign that was hindered by injury and is fully fit to start pre-season.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Injuries hit youngster George Wardlaw last year but he is set to be right to go to start pre-season. Ruck Hamish Free (shoulder), Cooper Harvey (shoulder) and Cam Zurhaar (ankle) will all be on modified programs to start the summer. Arden Street Oval is starting on time for pre-season but the Roos will be forced off during December and January for works on the surface, with North Melbourne to train at La Trobe University in Bundoora.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
The bad news over the off-season was elbow surgery for youngster Brayden George, while Luke McDonald remains in rehab nursing a serious hamstring tweak. Griffin Logue will miss much of the 2024 season due to an ACL injury. Charlie Comben (ankle) also had minor ankle surgery.
NEW FACES
Zac Fisher also joined the club from Carlton, while Stephens, Pink and Nyuon will all be out to win a spot in the side ahead of round 1.
PORT ADELAIDE
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 27
Others – December 3
WHO IS FIT?
Travis Boak’s dig about Jason Horne-Francis enjoying an ice bath was some rare down time for the pair amid a gruelling time at a Red Bull fitness base in California recently.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Defender Tom Clurey (back) and forward Mitch Georgiades (knee) were both running before the end of the season so should be ramping up as players get into action. Josh Sinn has also shrugged off a late-season hamstring.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
A large number of Power players went under the knife after the season, including Ryan Burton (knee), Darcy Byrne-Jones (knee), Todd Marshall (hip), Jeremy Finlayson (knee), Trent McKenzie (ankle) and Tom McCallum (ankle). Most of those players are expected to be eased into training and ramp up as December wears on.
NEW FACES
A bunch of new names will hit Alberton, with Esava Ratugolea, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Jordon Sweet and Ivan Soldo all secured over the trade period and raring to impress Ken Hinkley.
RICHMOND
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 27
WHO IS FIT?
Superstar Dustin Martin was spotted powering through laps of Punt Road Oval recently as he gets set for his 15th AFL season.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
A cracked scapula ended youngster Judson Clarke’s 2023 season back in August, but Clarke didn’t need surgery and should be part of pre-season. The watch remains on Josh Gibcus, who is still a question mark as he aims to get past hamstring woes.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Spearhead Tom Lynch had surgery all the way back in April but still won’t be part of the main group to start pre-season as he nurses his sore foot. The full-forward does expect to be fit well and truly before round 1.
NEW FACES
Ruck Sam Naismith will be out to earn a round 1 spot after being signed out of the VFL, while Jacob Koschitzke has the chance to claim Jack Riewoldt’s spot in the forward line.
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27
Others - December 4
WHO IS FIT?
Defender Sam Collins finished a very respectable 25th in the Noosa Triathlon earlier this month as he rounded into excellent physical shape.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Nick Holman missed the final round of the season with a knee injury but should be fit to get into training from the start.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Tom Berry had shoulder surgery when the Suns finished their season but was expected to be fit to start pre-season. Runner Lachie Weller remains away from the main group but is progressing well after knee surgery.
NEW FACES
The most important new face by some way will be new coach Damien Hardwick and the standards he will introduce to his first pre-season on the Gold Coast.
GWS GIANTS
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27th
Others - 4th
WHO IS FIT?
Forward Callum Brown wasted no time getting into shape after the preliminary final, as the was spotted in the club gym the next week. Brown also trained with the Giants AFLW side to build on his considerable athleticism. Isaac Summing and Nick Haynes have also bee in the club regularly, while Braydon Preuss has been shifting tin as well.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Both Darcy Jones and Adam Kennedy are on the way back from serious knee injuries and the pair were already running by the end of the season so will pick up the pace as pre-season kicks in.
WHO HAD SURGERY?
No Giants were booked in for surgery after the remarkable finals run.
NEW FACES
For the first time in club history, the Giants were not involved in a trade over the off-season. And GWS didn’t make any free agency moves either.
HAWTHORN
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 27
WHO IS FIT?
Tagging master Finn Maginness wowed Instagram by returning in peak shape for some topless running at the Waverley last week as he looks to build on a successful 2023 campaign. Josh Ward is another Hawk who has shrugged off past injury history and is ready for a big summer.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Both Mitch Lewis and Changkouth Jiath are running again but will be eased into pre-season. Lewis missed time at the end of the season due to a foot sprain but didn’t require surgery, while Jiath had a troublesome 2023 with wobbly calf and Achilles issues. The pair will be managed through the early stages of pre-season.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
The recovery of Chad Wingard – assuming all goes well in the plan for him to be redrafted by the club after he was delisted last week – will be a close watch throughout the first half of 2024. Wingard ruptured his Achilles in August so will not play for the opening few months of next season.
NEW FACES
Former Bomber Massimo D’Ambrosio will be at Waverly for day one of pre-season while Jack Ginnivan is not due back until next week given he played through the finals series with Collingwood. The goalsneak could still make an early appearance, while returning flag-winner Jack Gunston will be given freedom to work away on his own pre-season program and Mabior Chol isn’t needed back until November 27.
MELBOURNE
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27
Others - December 4
WHO IS FIT?
Followers on social media would have seen midfield dynamo Christian Petracca was recently in Austria powering through a Red Bull fitness camp.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
All eyes will be on what level Clayton Oliver is involved and his fitness standards after a tumultuous off-season. Swingman Harrison Petty will likely take some time to get into action after his late-season foot injury.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Jake Melksham, who is currently not on the list but the club has committed to taking in the rookie draft, will be nursing his torn ACL through the early months of 2024. Joel Smith is also suspended as he awaits a finish to his drug ban.
NEW FACES
Tom Fullarton has come down from Brisbane, Jack Billings from St Kilda and the Dees have high hopes for the impact Shane McAdam can make coming from Adelaide. McAdam had surgery on his cheekbone late in the season but is expected to be right to go for a full pre-season.
NORTH MELBOURNE
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 20
WHO IS FIT?
A strong contingent of Roos have been regularly in at Arden Street over the off-season, with the likes of Will Phillips, Bailey Scott, Harry Sheezel, Josh Goater, Tarryn Thomas and recruits Toby Pink, Dylan Stephens and Bigoa Nyuon all at the club on Friday. Young midfield gun George Wardlaw has shrugged off a 2023 campaign that was hindered by injury and is fully fit to start pre-season.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Injuries hit youngster George Wardlaw last year but he is set to be right to go to start pre-season. Ruck Hamish Free (shoulder), Cooper Harvey (shoulder) and Cam Zurhaar (ankle) will all be on modified programs to start the summer. Arden Street Oval is starting on time for pre-season but the Roos will be forced off during December and January for works on the surface, with North Melbourne to train at La Trobe University in Bundoora.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
The bad news over the off-season was elbow surgery for youngster Brayden George, while Luke McDonald remains in rehab nursing a serious hamstring tweak. Griffin Logue will miss much of the 2024 season due to an ACL injury. Charlie Comben (ankle) also had minor ankle surgery.
NEW FACES
Zac Fisher also joined the club from Carlton, while Stephens, Pink and Nyuon will all be out to win a spot in the side ahead of round 1.
PORT ADELAIDE
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 27
Others – December 3
WHO IS FIT?
Travis Boak’s dig about Jason Horne-Francis enjoying an ice bath was some rare down time for the pair amid a gruelling time at a Red Bull fitness base in California recently.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Defender Tom Clurey (back) and forward Mitch Georgiades (knee) were both running before the end of the season so should be ramping up as players get into action. Josh Sinn has also shrugged off a late-season hamstring.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
A large number of Power players went under the knife after the season, including Ryan Burton (knee), Darcy Byrne-Jones (knee), Todd Marshall (hip), Jeremy Finlayson (knee), Trent McKenzie (ankle) and Tom McCallum (ankle). Most of those players are expected to be eased into training and ramp up as December wears on.
NEW FACES
A bunch of new names will hit Alberton, with Esava Ratugolea, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Jordon Sweet and Ivan Soldo all secured over the trade period and raring to impress Ken Hinkley.
RICHMOND
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 27
WHO IS FIT?
Superstar Dustin Martin was spotted powering through laps of Punt Road Oval recently as he gets set for his 15th AFL season.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
A cracked scapula ended youngster Judson Clarke’s 2023 season back in August, but Clarke didn’t need surgery and should be part of pre-season. The watch remains on Josh Gibcus, who is still a question mark as he aims to get past hamstring woes.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Spearhead Tom Lynch had surgery all the way back in April but still won’t be part of the main group to start pre-season as he nurses his sore foot. The full-forward does expect to be fit well and truly before round 1.
NEW FACES
Ruck Sam Naismith will be out to earn a round 1 spot after being signed out of the VFL, while Jacob Koschitzke has the chance to claim Jack Riewoldt’s spot in the forward line.
ST KILDA
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27
Others - December 4
WHO IS FIT?
A number of Saints have been regularly spotted churning through laps at Moorabbin, with Max King and Mason Wood among them.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Thinks are looking good for Wood after off-season shoulder surgery, while King also went under the knife after nursing a sore shoulder through the closing stages of the season.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Alongside King and Wood, Brad Crouch (knee), Jack Steele (knee), James Van Es (ankle), Dougal Howard (finger) and Dan Butler (ankle) all had procedures. The Saints don’t expect any of the group to be too far away from full training.
NEW FACES
Liam Henry and Paddy Dow both have big pre-seasons ahead to try and lock in a spot for round 1, with Dow looking at a chance to finally secure regular midfield minutes after being in and out of the side at Carlton.
SYDNEY
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27
Others - December 4
WHO IS FIT?
As with many clubs, a lot of the Swans senior core has been getting stuck into the gym in recent weeks before the official restart.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Likely on his last chance, veteran forward Sam Reid will enter pre-season fully fit. Injuries have followed the premiership forward for well over a decade but he will get another chance to stake a claim for forward minutes.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Swans key figures are still shaking their heads about Callum Mills copping a long-term shoulder injury, with the co-captain to be sidelined well into the season.
NEW FACES
Plenty of new looks for the Swans this summer, with Brodie Grundy and Taylor Adams headlining the club’s acquisitions. Joel Hamling has crossed over from Fremantle and James Jordon will add some spark from the midfield.
WEST COAST
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 20
WHO IS FIT?
A heap of Eagles were out running as new fitness boss Matt Inness checked out the club last week, with the club enjoying a reasonably clean bill of health – a rare result in past years.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Key forward Oscar Allen was expected to enjoy a full pre-season after having off-season surgery on his shoulder and his knee. The spearhead was one of several Eagles running laps last week.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
The only major injury at the Eagles at the moment is youngster Jai Culley, who is continuing to go through rehab on the ACL he ruptured in May.
NEW FACES
Tyler Brockman has hit the ground running, powering through some early sessions as he prepares for his first year at the club after being traded in from Hawthorn.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
RETURN DATES
First to four years: November 20
Others: November 27
WHO IS FIT?
Tom Liberatore has been working hard, as has upstart defender James O’Donnell. Never far away from the cameras, Bailey Smith’s every move has been watched this off-season and he has been seen several times pounding away through running sessions.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
After a number of setbacks in his first couple of years of senior footy, young tall Sam Darcy has been a fixture in at Whitten Oval through the off-season and didn’t take a trip away. The beanpole had to deal with a hole in his lung and a broken jaw last season.
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27
Others - December 4
WHO IS FIT?
A number of Saints have been regularly spotted churning through laps at Moorabbin, with Max King and Mason Wood among them.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Thinks are looking good for Wood after off-season shoulder surgery, while King also went under the knife after nursing a sore shoulder through the closing stages of the season.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Alongside King and Wood, Brad Crouch (knee), Jack Steele (knee), James Van Es (ankle), Dougal Howard (finger) and Dan Butler (ankle) all had procedures. The Saints don’t expect any of the group to be too far away from full training.
NEW FACES
Liam Henry and Paddy Dow both have big pre-seasons ahead to try and lock in a spot for round 1, with Dow looking at a chance to finally secure regular midfield minutes after being in and out of the side at Carlton.
SYDNEY
RETURN DATES
First to four year players - November 27
Others - December 4
WHO IS FIT?
As with many clubs, a lot of the Swans senior core has been getting stuck into the gym in recent weeks before the official restart.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Likely on his last chance, veteran forward Sam Reid will enter pre-season fully fit. Injuries have followed the premiership forward for well over a decade but he will get another chance to stake a claim for forward minutes.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
Swans key figures are still shaking their heads about Callum Mills copping a long-term shoulder injury, with the co-captain to be sidelined well into the season.
NEW FACES
Plenty of new looks for the Swans this summer, with Brodie Grundy and Taylor Adams headlining the club’s acquisitions. Joel Hamling has crossed over from Fremantle and James Jordon will add some spark from the midfield.
WEST COAST
RETURN DATES
First to four year players – November 13
Others – November 20
WHO IS FIT?
A heap of Eagles were out running as new fitness boss Matt Inness checked out the club last week, with the club enjoying a reasonably clean bill of health – a rare result in past years.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
Key forward Oscar Allen was expected to enjoy a full pre-season after having off-season surgery on his shoulder and his knee. The spearhead was one of several Eagles running laps last week.
WHO WAS IN FOR SURGERY?
The only major injury at the Eagles at the moment is youngster Jai Culley, who is continuing to go through rehab on the ACL he ruptured in May.
NEW FACES
Tyler Brockman has hit the ground running, powering through some early sessions as he prepares for his first year at the club after being traded in from Hawthorn.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
RETURN DATES
First to four years: November 20
Others: November 27
WHO IS FIT?
Tom Liberatore has been working hard, as has upstart defender James O’Donnell. Never far away from the cameras, Bailey Smith’s every move has been watched this off-season and he has been seen several times pounding away through running sessions.
WHO IS STARTING ON TIME?
After a number of setbacks in his first couple of years of senior footy, young tall Sam Darcy has been a fixture in at Whitten Oval through the off-season and didn’t take a trip away. The beanpole had to deal with a hole in his lung and a broken jaw last season.
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzaC4WQSNvE/?img_index=1
He is in good shape.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1064102...ddle-raises-the-bar-after-strong-debut-season
Weddle apparently went past 21 in the yo-yo test (very similar test to the beep test) - that is extremely impressive, and I doubt many other footballers would manage that, if any.
He is in good shape.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1064102...ddle-raises-the-bar-after-strong-debut-season
Weddle apparently went past 21 in the yo-yo test (very similar test to the beep test) - that is extremely impressive, and I doubt many other footballers would manage that, if any.
KFC SuperCoach AFL: The full list of 2024 positions, DPPs revealed
Did somebody say KFC SuperCoach AFL positions for 2024? Club lists are all but finalised for next season so that means we have them all. See every player’s position and the new DPPs.
Tim Michell and The Phantom
November 24, 2023 - 6:25PM
The AFL Draft is done, which means club lists are all but finalised for 2024 and the KFC SuperCoach positions are in.
Who keeps dual-position status? Who loses it? What about the draftees?
See every player’s position for 2024, the DPPs and our 10 key takeaways below.
Nick Daicos RETAINS DEF-MID
We can thank James Blanck for this one. The Hawks fullback crashed into Daicos’ knee in round 21 and he missed the last three games of the season. He was falling closer and closer to the 35 per cent threshold for DPP as Craig McRae increased his time in the midfield. 2024 will almost certainly be the last year we’re able to pick Daicos as a DEF, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Luke Jackson RETAINS RUC-FWD
Jackson rocketed home at the end of 2023, scoring 173, 124, 123 and 101 with Sean Darcy out injured. Darcy has since re-signed with the Dockers, so that pair is going to have to learn to find a way to coexist. Jackson averaged 98 points for the year and looms as one of the better options in what is a lean FWD pool as he can provide cover for your ruckmen.
Sam Flanders RETAINS FWD-MID
The one KFC SuperCoaches had been waiting for. Flanders absolutely dominated after he went into the middle under interim coach Steven King, increasing in price by almost $300k from round 15 onwards and averaging 106.1 in the last 10 rounds. A player that started last year as a risky proposition at $256k will be a must-have as a FWD if Damien Hardwick continues to deploy him in the engine room.
Harry Himmelberg DEF only
This one stings – but we probably should have seen it coming. If Himmelberg had retained FWD status, it would have given KFC SuperCoach teams a cut-price premium in a line that shapes as a SuperCoach wasteland next season. But he spent enough time playing in the backline under Adam Kingsley to lose FWD status and therefore won’t be anywhere near as popular.
Zane Duursma MID-FWD
The No. 4 draft pick been touted for a role in attack, which makes sense considering the unbelievable midfield depth which North Melbourne has built up in recent years. He’ll be one of the most popular starting picks of 2024 if he’s named for round 1 – which we suspect he will be. Duursma likely ends up being the F5 or F6 for most teams.
Harley Reid MID-FWD
As Brian Taylor would say, boy oh boy wowee. The generational freak who was the No. 1 draft pick from about 18 months out has been given FWD status in a huge outcome for KFC SuperCoaches. If you weren’t already planning to pay the $207k to start him, make plans to. He might be in more than 90 per cent of teams to start next year which would make him the most popular starting selection on record.
Harry Sheezel DEF only
There was no way Sheezel was going to retain FWD status and he didn’t spend near enough time as a midfielder to be DEF-MID. That might change by mid-season though if Alastair Clarkson pushes the best-and-fairest winner into the guts. SuperCoaches would likely prefer Sheezel stayed behind the ball though, especially with Jack Ziebell and Aaron Hall gone.
Shaun Mannagh FWD-MID
So, we can all acknowledge we have lost a lot of great premium FWDs. But in their place we have a host of great rookies who will be popular starting picks. Harley Reid will be No. 1, but Werribee VFL star Mannagh shouldn’t be far behind him. He’s unlikely to kick six goals and have 27 disposals in any game as a Cat, as he did in the state league final against Gold Coast for 144 ranking points. But he averaged 117 across the season, is ready to go and will be rookie price. Get on.
Jordan Dawson MID only
The Adelaide skipper was a revelation in midfield and his clearance ability and contested possessions helped his SuperCoach scoring saw to new heights. But his success also meant losing DEF status. Thankfully there are still plenty of great defensive picks.
Bailey Smith FWD-MID
Who’s ready to run the Luke Beveridge gauntlet again? If Smith can get back to his 2022 scoring, when he averaged 98.6, he’ll be in the mix to be a top-ranked forward in 2024. But how can you honestly know where he’s going to play week to week? It could be midfield, it could be wing or it could be half forward. That’s why he’s DPP but it’s also enough to send SuperCoaches mad.
Jack Macrae FWD-MID
The fall of one of the greats of KFC SuperCoach to an average of less than 100 for the first time since 2016 was sad to see. He got Bevo’d, as some SuperCoaches like to say, shunted out of the middle onto a wing and then into the forward line. Macrae still managed to average 99.9, which ranked seventh for players listed as a FWD. He’ll probably be the most talked-about player in pre-season.
FIRST-ROUND DRAFTEE POSITIONS
Harley Reid MID/FWD
Colby McKercher MID
Jed Walter FWD
Zane Duursma MID/FWD
Nick Watson FWD
Ryley Sanders MID
Caleb Windsor MID/FWD
Daniel Curtin DEF/MID
Ethan Read RUCK
Nate Caddy FWD
Connor O’Sullivan DEF
Phoenix Gothard FWD
Koltyn Tholstrup FWD
Jake Rogers MID
Jordan Croft FWD
Will Green RUCK
James Leake DEF
Darcy Wilson MID/FWD
Will McCabe DEF
Taylor Goad RUCK
Charlie Edwards DEF/MID
Wil Dawson DEF/FWD
Riley Hardeman DEF
Caiden Cleary MID
Harry DeMattia MID
Will Graham DEF/MID
Oscar Ryan DEF
Lance Collard FWD
Ashton Moir FWD
Did somebody say KFC SuperCoach AFL positions for 2024? Club lists are all but finalised for next season so that means we have them all. See every player’s position and the new DPPs.
Tim Michell and The Phantom
November 24, 2023 - 6:25PM
The AFL Draft is done, which means club lists are all but finalised for 2024 and the KFC SuperCoach positions are in.
Who keeps dual-position status? Who loses it? What about the draftees?
See every player’s position for 2024, the DPPs and our 10 key takeaways below.
Nick Daicos RETAINS DEF-MID
We can thank James Blanck for this one. The Hawks fullback crashed into Daicos’ knee in round 21 and he missed the last three games of the season. He was falling closer and closer to the 35 per cent threshold for DPP as Craig McRae increased his time in the midfield. 2024 will almost certainly be the last year we’re able to pick Daicos as a DEF, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Luke Jackson RETAINS RUC-FWD
Jackson rocketed home at the end of 2023, scoring 173, 124, 123 and 101 with Sean Darcy out injured. Darcy has since re-signed with the Dockers, so that pair is going to have to learn to find a way to coexist. Jackson averaged 98 points for the year and looms as one of the better options in what is a lean FWD pool as he can provide cover for your ruckmen.
Sam Flanders RETAINS FWD-MID
The one KFC SuperCoaches had been waiting for. Flanders absolutely dominated after he went into the middle under interim coach Steven King, increasing in price by almost $300k from round 15 onwards and averaging 106.1 in the last 10 rounds. A player that started last year as a risky proposition at $256k will be a must-have as a FWD if Damien Hardwick continues to deploy him in the engine room.
Harry Himmelberg DEF only
This one stings – but we probably should have seen it coming. If Himmelberg had retained FWD status, it would have given KFC SuperCoach teams a cut-price premium in a line that shapes as a SuperCoach wasteland next season. But he spent enough time playing in the backline under Adam Kingsley to lose FWD status and therefore won’t be anywhere near as popular.
Zane Duursma MID-FWD
The No. 4 draft pick been touted for a role in attack, which makes sense considering the unbelievable midfield depth which North Melbourne has built up in recent years. He’ll be one of the most popular starting picks of 2024 if he’s named for round 1 – which we suspect he will be. Duursma likely ends up being the F5 or F6 for most teams.
Harley Reid MID-FWD
As Brian Taylor would say, boy oh boy wowee. The generational freak who was the No. 1 draft pick from about 18 months out has been given FWD status in a huge outcome for KFC SuperCoaches. If you weren’t already planning to pay the $207k to start him, make plans to. He might be in more than 90 per cent of teams to start next year which would make him the most popular starting selection on record.
Harry Sheezel DEF only
There was no way Sheezel was going to retain FWD status and he didn’t spend near enough time as a midfielder to be DEF-MID. That might change by mid-season though if Alastair Clarkson pushes the best-and-fairest winner into the guts. SuperCoaches would likely prefer Sheezel stayed behind the ball though, especially with Jack Ziebell and Aaron Hall gone.
Shaun Mannagh FWD-MID
So, we can all acknowledge we have lost a lot of great premium FWDs. But in their place we have a host of great rookies who will be popular starting picks. Harley Reid will be No. 1, but Werribee VFL star Mannagh shouldn’t be far behind him. He’s unlikely to kick six goals and have 27 disposals in any game as a Cat, as he did in the state league final against Gold Coast for 144 ranking points. But he averaged 117 across the season, is ready to go and will be rookie price. Get on.
Jordan Dawson MID only
The Adelaide skipper was a revelation in midfield and his clearance ability and contested possessions helped his SuperCoach scoring saw to new heights. But his success also meant losing DEF status. Thankfully there are still plenty of great defensive picks.
Bailey Smith FWD-MID
Who’s ready to run the Luke Beveridge gauntlet again? If Smith can get back to his 2022 scoring, when he averaged 98.6, he’ll be in the mix to be a top-ranked forward in 2024. But how can you honestly know where he’s going to play week to week? It could be midfield, it could be wing or it could be half forward. That’s why he’s DPP but it’s also enough to send SuperCoaches mad.
Jack Macrae FWD-MID
The fall of one of the greats of KFC SuperCoach to an average of less than 100 for the first time since 2016 was sad to see. He got Bevo’d, as some SuperCoaches like to say, shunted out of the middle onto a wing and then into the forward line. Macrae still managed to average 99.9, which ranked seventh for players listed as a FWD. He’ll probably be the most talked-about player in pre-season.
FIRST-ROUND DRAFTEE POSITIONS
Harley Reid MID/FWD
Colby McKercher MID
Jed Walter FWD
Zane Duursma MID/FWD
Nick Watson FWD
Ryley Sanders MID
Caleb Windsor MID/FWD
Daniel Curtin DEF/MID
Ethan Read RUCK
Nate Caddy FWD
Connor O’Sullivan DEF
Phoenix Gothard FWD
Koltyn Tholstrup FWD
Jake Rogers MID
Jordan Croft FWD
Will Green RUCK
James Leake DEF
Darcy Wilson MID/FWD
Will McCabe DEF
Taylor Goad RUCK
Charlie Edwards DEF/MID
Wil Dawson DEF/FWD
Riley Hardeman DEF
Caiden Cleary MID
Harry DeMattia MID
Will Graham DEF/MID
Oscar Ryan DEF
Lance Collard FWD
Ashton Moir FWD
Full list of DPPs
Billy Dowling Adelaide Crows Mid/Fwd
Charlie Edwards Adelaide Crows Def/Mid
Daniel Curtin Adelaide Crows Def/Mid
Chayce Jones Adelaide Crows Def/Mid
Henry Smith Brisbane Lions Ruck/Fwd
Darcy Fort Brisbane Lions Ruck/Fwd
Bruce Reville Brisbane Lions Mid/Fwd
Zac Bailey Brisbane Lions Mid/Fwd
Deven Robertson Brisbane Lions Mid/Fwd
Dayne Zorko Brisbane Lions Mid/Fwd
Zane Zakostelsky Brisbane Lions Def/Ruck
Matthew Cottrell Carlton Mid/Fwd
Billy Wilson Carlton Def/Mid
Oscar Steene Collingwood Ruck/Fwd
Nathan Kreuger Collingwood Ruck/Fwd
Mason Cox Collingwood Ruck/Fwd
Nick Daicos Collingwood Def/Mid
Jye Caldwell Essendon Mid/Fwd
Elijah Tsatas Essendon Mid/Fwd
Nik Cox Essendon Def/Mid
Luke Jackson Fremantle Ruck/Fwd
Cooper Simpson Fremantle Mid/Fwd
Nat Fyfe Fremantle Mid/Fwd
Conrad Williams Fremantle Mid/Fwd
Mark Blicavs Geelong Cats Ruck/Mid
Oliver Wiltshire Geelong Cats Mid/Fwd
Shaun Mannagh Geelong Cats Mid/Fwd
Lawson Humphries Geelong Cats Def/Mid
Mark O'Connor Geelong Cats Def/Mid
Jack Mahoney Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
William Rowlands Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Sam Flanders Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Oskar Faulkhead Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Hewago Oea Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Alex Davies Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Will Graham Gold Coast Suns Def/Mid
Joel Jeffrey Gold Coast Suns Def/Fwd
Harvey Thomas GWS Giants Mid/Fwd
Isaac Cumming GWS Giants Def/Mid
Adam Kennedy GWS Giants Def/Fwd
Denver Grainger-Barras Hawthorn Def/Fwd
Kynan Brown Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Caleb Windsor Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Angus Brayshaw Melbourne Def/Mid
Harrison Petty Melbourne Def/Fwd
Finnbar Maley North Melbourne Ruck/Fwd
Zane Duursma North Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Curtis Taylor North Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Charlie Lazzaro North Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Wil Dawson North Melbourne Def/Fwd
Will Lorenz Port Adelaide Mid/Fwd
Lachlan Charleson Port Adelaide Mid/Fwd
Jackson Mead Port Adelaide Mid/Fwd
Samson Ryan Richmond Ruck/Fwd
Mate Colina Richmond Ruck/Fwd
Ben Miller Richmond Ruck/Fwd
Shai Bolton Richmond Mid/Fwd
Marlion Pickett Richmond Mid/Fwd
Liam Baker Richmond Def/Fwd
Max Heath St Kilda Ruck/Fwd
Hugo Garcia St Kilda Mid/Fwd
Darcy Wilson St Kilda Mid/Fwd
Olli Hotton St Kilda Mid/Fwd
Bradley Hill St Kilda Mid/Fwd
Marcus Windhager St Kilda Def/Mid
Zaine Cordy St Kilda Def/Fwd
Hayden McLean Sydney Swans Ruck/Fwd
Taylor Adams Sydney Swans Mid/Fwd
James Jordon Sydney Swans Mid/Fwd
Caleb Mitchell Sydney Swans Def/Mid
Braeden Campbell Sydney Swans Def/Mid
Patrick Snell Sydney Swans Def/Fwd
Coen Livingstone West Coast Eagles Ruck/Fwd
Archer Reid West Coast Eagles Ruck/Fwd
Harry Barnett West Coast Eagles Ruck/Fwd
Loch Rawlinson West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Harvey Johnston West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Harley Reid West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Jai Culley West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Elijah Hewett West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Elliot Yeo West Coast Eagles Def/Mid
Joel Freijah Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
ames Harmes Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Jack Macrae Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Caleb Daniel Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Bailey Smith Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Anthony Scott Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Billy Dowling Adelaide Crows Mid/Fwd
Charlie Edwards Adelaide Crows Def/Mid
Daniel Curtin Adelaide Crows Def/Mid
Chayce Jones Adelaide Crows Def/Mid
Henry Smith Brisbane Lions Ruck/Fwd
Darcy Fort Brisbane Lions Ruck/Fwd
Bruce Reville Brisbane Lions Mid/Fwd
Zac Bailey Brisbane Lions Mid/Fwd
Deven Robertson Brisbane Lions Mid/Fwd
Dayne Zorko Brisbane Lions Mid/Fwd
Zane Zakostelsky Brisbane Lions Def/Ruck
Matthew Cottrell Carlton Mid/Fwd
Billy Wilson Carlton Def/Mid
Oscar Steene Collingwood Ruck/Fwd
Nathan Kreuger Collingwood Ruck/Fwd
Mason Cox Collingwood Ruck/Fwd
Nick Daicos Collingwood Def/Mid
Jye Caldwell Essendon Mid/Fwd
Elijah Tsatas Essendon Mid/Fwd
Nik Cox Essendon Def/Mid
Luke Jackson Fremantle Ruck/Fwd
Cooper Simpson Fremantle Mid/Fwd
Nat Fyfe Fremantle Mid/Fwd
Conrad Williams Fremantle Mid/Fwd
Mark Blicavs Geelong Cats Ruck/Mid
Oliver Wiltshire Geelong Cats Mid/Fwd
Shaun Mannagh Geelong Cats Mid/Fwd
Lawson Humphries Geelong Cats Def/Mid
Mark O'Connor Geelong Cats Def/Mid
Jack Mahoney Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
William Rowlands Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Sam Flanders Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Oskar Faulkhead Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Hewago Oea Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Alex Davies Gold Coast Suns Mid/Fwd
Will Graham Gold Coast Suns Def/Mid
Joel Jeffrey Gold Coast Suns Def/Fwd
Harvey Thomas GWS Giants Mid/Fwd
Isaac Cumming GWS Giants Def/Mid
Adam Kennedy GWS Giants Def/Fwd
Denver Grainger-Barras Hawthorn Def/Fwd
Kynan Brown Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Caleb Windsor Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Angus Brayshaw Melbourne Def/Mid
Harrison Petty Melbourne Def/Fwd
Finnbar Maley North Melbourne Ruck/Fwd
Zane Duursma North Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Curtis Taylor North Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Charlie Lazzaro North Melbourne Mid/Fwd
Wil Dawson North Melbourne Def/Fwd
Will Lorenz Port Adelaide Mid/Fwd
Lachlan Charleson Port Adelaide Mid/Fwd
Jackson Mead Port Adelaide Mid/Fwd
Samson Ryan Richmond Ruck/Fwd
Mate Colina Richmond Ruck/Fwd
Ben Miller Richmond Ruck/Fwd
Shai Bolton Richmond Mid/Fwd
Marlion Pickett Richmond Mid/Fwd
Liam Baker Richmond Def/Fwd
Max Heath St Kilda Ruck/Fwd
Hugo Garcia St Kilda Mid/Fwd
Darcy Wilson St Kilda Mid/Fwd
Olli Hotton St Kilda Mid/Fwd
Bradley Hill St Kilda Mid/Fwd
Marcus Windhager St Kilda Def/Mid
Zaine Cordy St Kilda Def/Fwd
Hayden McLean Sydney Swans Ruck/Fwd
Taylor Adams Sydney Swans Mid/Fwd
James Jordon Sydney Swans Mid/Fwd
Caleb Mitchell Sydney Swans Def/Mid
Braeden Campbell Sydney Swans Def/Mid
Patrick Snell Sydney Swans Def/Fwd
Coen Livingstone West Coast Eagles Ruck/Fwd
Archer Reid West Coast Eagles Ruck/Fwd
Harry Barnett West Coast Eagles Ruck/Fwd
Loch Rawlinson West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Harvey Johnston West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Harley Reid West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Jai Culley West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Elijah Hewett West Coast Eagles Mid/Fwd
Elliot Yeo West Coast Eagles Def/Mid
Joel Freijah Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
ames Harmes Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Jack Macrae Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Caleb Daniel Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Bailey Smith Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd
Anthony Scott Western Bulldogs Mid/Fwd