Preseason Match Reviews Archives - Page 6 of 7

JLT Players Of Interest: Melbourne vs Brisbane

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Melbourne

Angus Brayshaw

Picked up where he left off last week, which as you may recall is where he left off in the back half of last season. Becoming less and less unique by the day.

Aaron Vandenberg

Played a great tagging role on Lachie Neale once Harmes went down and won plenty of the ball himself in doing so while curbing Neale’s influence significantly in the second half. Sixteen tackles (not a typo) a highlight of his game especially in JLT when many are not generous with their cuddles. One to watch in draft formats, Vandenberg is listed as a forward but capable of big numbers when given a job to do in the midfield and will go undrafted in many leagues.

Max Gawn

Ran around as the solo ruck for Melbourne and reminded us all why he shouldn’t be overlooked as your R2 or even R1 if you’re not confident on Grundy maintaining his figures. Sadly for Preuss but lucky for us coaches, Preuss was demoted to the VFL and copped a groin injury while there.

Christian Petracca

Is this finally the year that he becomes the superstar we know he could be? A mix of roles through the midfield and forward line today, and if you were keen on him going into the game you’d be feeling very comfortable leaving him in your team afterwards.

Marty Hore

Did his round one selection chances no harm but a timely reminder that all rookies, especially those playing key posts, are prone to scores in the 30’s and 40’s. Job security is the key for rookies early and on face value, it looks fairly safe.

Brisbane

Stefan Martin

Possibly the biggest story from this game in an AFL Fantasy sense. Was dominated by Gawn in the ruck but picked up enough of the ball essentially playing as an extra midfielder in those stoppages to put together some very solid numbers. Those hitouts will be higher against any ruckman whose surname doesn’t start with G. Even if sharing those ruck minutes with McInerney or Smith (who was sent to hospital after copping a hit to the throat), Stefan still looks like being in the top bracket of ruckmen this year.

Lachie Neale

Was on fire early but had his influence quelled by Vandenberg in the second half. Worked through the tag and still did some nice things in the right type of midfield role. I wouldn’t suggest cutting him on the basis of one tag, as this outcome is nothing new for Neale and you know the ceiling he can produce on his day. The key thing today is that he played and played well, so your stance on his selection in your teams shouldn’t change.

Alex Witherden

Had a solid game and took some kickouts. At risk of sounding like a broken record, his performance would have vindicated your decision either way. McCluggage, Berry & Raynor My word this midfield trio is going to cause some havoc over the next ten years. All three had slightly reduced minutes to ease into the season proper and any of the three could potentially have a huge breakout year ahead. It’s a matter of when, not if.

Lincoln McCarthy

Looks to have played himself into the round one team and performed well in that small forward/flank role despite not hitting the scoreboard. An interesting draft option in latter rounds but maybe a touch too expensive in salary formats at around the $240k mark.

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JLT Players Of Interest: Hawthorn Vs Richmond

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It was a tale of two halves with the Hawks dominating the first while the Tigers came out on top in the second. Both sides would’ve felt like they got what they wanted out of the game, but from a fantasy perspective, we learnt plenty.

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Richmond

Trent Cotchin

His game mirrored precisely that of his team. Weak in the first half and lacked his usual skill, composure and intensity, but after half time he was a bull, winning clearances at will. His seven inside 50’s and two last quarter goals were the difference in the game. I wouldn’t touch him in salary caps as I believe we have stronger value options than him in the midfield, but in drafts, he’s certainly going to deliver stronger scoring returns that on last season.

Jack Higgins

Was injected into the centre bounces in the last term and provided another spark for the Tigers. He looks to have elevated his game to another level with 22 possessions, eight score involvements and three goals. While certainly a breakout candidate the format I’d be more inclined to own Higgins is in AFLFantasy. He’s the perfect F3/F4 because his upside based on his price he offers some value.

Dustin Martin

If you were locked on Dusty before tonight, then you should still be very confident on him this year. Played his midfield role and was dominant winning ten clearances. He presents value in every format of the game and this preseason Dusty’s looking ready to take his mantle back as one the best fantasy players in the game.

Jack Graham

I love this kid! Goes at it a million miles an hour and never gives up. Graham adds plenty of pressure on the ball carrier, had no problem winning the clearance and was critical in many of the Tigers score involvements. In draft leagues, he’s going super late, but I think he’s a great option to draft as his upside is enormous given the point your likely selecting him.

Noah Balta

Reinforced the steady work, he did from last week and kicked a goal, added some excellent pressure around the ground and won 6 hitouts when needed in the ruck contest. Even with Tom Lynch likely to play it looks like the Tigers love his versatility and presence and he should be ready to roll cash cow for us.

Jayden Short

Couldn’t get his running game going, but you could say the same for Bachar Houli. If you were a Short owner before last nights game, then his performance shouldn’t deter you from starting him. We’ve seen over the 2018 season and last rounds JLT what he can deliver, and I think he keeps lifting his game to another level. I’m not sold it’s enough to be a top 10 defender, but he could go close.

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Hawthorn

Jaeger O’Meara

The absence of Tom Mitchell in 2019 means the responsibility of leading the midfield falls to O’Meara. If this match was any indication, he’s going to relish the responsibility to lead his hawks. Thirty-three possessions, 10 of those were contested, four clearances, three inside 50’s and five score involvements. On a recent podcast fellow panellist, Jimmy talked up O’Meara’s scoring potential and relative low ownership percentage, games like this remind people just how fantasy relevant JOM can be.

James Worpel

Did his ownership numbers no harm with another strong performance. Twenty-four touches, a goal and plenty of midfield time for this second-year player. The injury of Tom Mitchell has forced the Hawks hand to give players like Worpedo more exposure into the midfield, and at the moment he’s showing signs he’ll be a midfield bull for many seasons to come. The questions are, can you get more value for money with some cheaper options lower down? And will he score enough to average 90+ for the season?

James Cousins

Cuz was excellent early on winning plenty of clearances and drove the ball inside fifty on multiple occasions. Like his teammates, he fell away in the second half and made some errors with the ball under the Richmond pressure. Priced a little out of the market in AFLFantasy, but in SuperCoach especially he provides plenty of value if you’re looking for a low ownership option.

Jack Scrimshaw

Had the ball on a string inside the first term picking up a dozen possessions. Found it a little more tough going in the second and third terms but made some excellent decisions by foot to open up the game in the last. After an interrupted preseason Jack looks like he’s made his way into the Hawks best 22 and is a genuine cash cow we need to consider.

James Sicily

Played just over 50% of the game time but most importantly was used back in his fantasy-relevant role inside defensive 50 for the Hawks. Sicily was involved in all facets of the game current, and potential owners would’ve been hoping for from kick-ins, contested and intercept marks. The positive for Sicily owners is he’s had a ‘quiet’ preseason and could be more unique than what you’d expect. #WINNING

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JLT Players of Interest: Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne

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It was a pretty open and bruise-free contest for much of the game. For many fantasy coaches, we were keen for a final look at some very relevant cash cows and some value premiums, but the show was fell and genuinely stolen by a fantasy footy all-star.

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Port Adelaide

Tom Rockliff

He had less than 5% ownership across all formats before the game, but I expect his numbers to increase between now and the start of round one drastically. We saw Rocky back to his accumulating best racking up over 40 touches, 16 marks and kicked a few goals for good measure. Is he a trap? I’ll put it this way if Port’s new game style looks to keep the game open and high retention of possession is their further mission objective then he’ll provide tremendous value. For what it’s worth it’s a pass for me, but don’t let that stop you from picking him.

Travis Boak

The story of the day, the former skipper backing up last week’s match in the middle again with 18 centre bounces attended 28 touches, a goal and registering the ton across the formats must place Travis Boak right into contention as a top 10 forward and a unique starting option.

Scott Lycett

The dominant big man on the ground. He may be a sneaky R2 in AFLFantasy if Patrick Ryder’s cheek injury prove to be more serious that costs him a few weeks out of the game.

Will Drew

I loved his game, and without Ollie Wines in the side early on Drew must get games. The young bull attended 12 centre bounces, had 16 disposals and as a basement price MID/FWD cash cow he’ll be very difficult to be passed on if named round one.

Xavier Duursma

With news of Jarrod Lienart suffering a knee injury, it should give the X Man an early run in the port side. He possesses line breaking speed, reads the play well, has a booming boot on him and looks sharp in the contest overhead — a likely debut looking in round one.

Zac Butters

Like Xavier above, the Power have a ripping talent in Butters. Everything he does excites the Port fans and is already one of the favourites of fans. Today’s 14 disposals and a goal was precisely the sort of game the coaching staff would be very pleased with from Butters. He’s locked into the Powers round one side, and for SuperCoach, he is a solid midfield cash cow.

Robbie Gray

Not getting enough midfield time yet to warrant selection in AFLFantasy or DreamTeam. For SuperCoach players this was a reminder that everything he does is class and even with minimal midfield moments he can be a damaging scorer.

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North Melbourne

Bailey Scott

His elite endurance and work ethic was on display even though he played just 58% game time. From such a limited game time he still managed 19 disposals 7 of which were contested, four marks, two tackles and two goals. The father-son selection has put his hand forward for a round one debut.

Aaron Hall

In a round where midprice midfield like Brad Crouch & Tom Rockliff shined bright, it was a quiet fantasy day from Aaron Hall. While he does have the midfield role, he’s now had others in his price range surge past him.

Paul Ahern

Not salary cap relevant, but late in the draft rounds it’d be worth a selection. With limited time on ground, he managed to score well and racked up 21 touches.

Jack Ziebell

Spent the majority of the game forward. If you were considering him in a salary cap format, this game was a reminder to change plans quickly. Draft and Daily Fantasy relevant only.

Luke Davies-Uniake

Led the club for centre bounces attending 28 for the game. Six of his 16 disposals were contested and showed some more moments of why he was taken so high in the draft at the end of 2017. Is he worth the inflated price tag as a cash cow? Probably not, but he looks like he’s made his way into the Roos best 22 which is fantastic for his development.

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JLT Players Of Interest: GWS Vs Adelaide

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GWS v Adelaide

The Crows put on a bit of a clinic during the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters against the Giants as they looked to bounce back from a low 2018. The Crouch brothers, Gibbs & Sloane all played with each other for the first time as well. It amounted to a sloppy at times, possession-holding matchup.

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GWS

Stephen Coniglio: Cogs did what he has been doing for some time now – getting a lot of the ball in the GWS midfield. He seems to be their main ball winner these days and yet is not the first cab off the rank for a tag (see Kelly et al). Should have another good year.

Lachie Whitfield: Seemed to be the Giants’ only way forward at times, as the Crows held onto the ball and dominated time in possession. Did take the odd kick out as well as a few Giants shared that around. Signs positive for another good year.

Tim Taranto: Looked solid in midfield yet again with another 28 touches as he continues on his upward trajectory. An awkward price as you’ll need him to score like a premium mid this year but one that some may take the risk on.

Heath Shaw: Heater certainly didn’t take all the kick ins, sharing with a few players, but he did take several of them in his customary role. Interesting he did simply kick to the pocket from the goalsquare a couple of times and was the pocket recipient himself on another. Looks good to go for another good season to be honest, the question is whether he’ll increase from last year’s average or stay around the same mark.

Hately/Caldwell: Both showed signs however neither was a huge ball winner. Caldwell had only eight touches from his half of footy and while Hately played more gametime he didn’t see a lot more of the ball. We’ll have to wait and see whether they crack a game for Round 1.

Toby Greene: Given his injury-affected pre-season (and 2018), this game was all about blowing out the cobwebs. Toby only played half a game and looked pretty rusty at times, yet he was involved in a lot of the play up forward (and even in defense a bit) and it is surely just a matter of time for him. The question is whether he’ll rediscover that form from Round 1 or whether he needs a while to get back into the swing of things.

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Adelaide

Matt Crouch: Matty was back to his prolific best in this game, getting involved everywhere from centre bounces to link up play to last line of defense marks. 38 touches and 9 tackles later and he is hitting the season in form.

Brad Crouch: Brad is officially back. Uninjured for the time being and in form, a 30+ possession outing from him including a lot of centre bounce work suggests that he’s ready to roll from Round 1 and that the time to pick him, if ever, could well be now. The price is right, however there remains an injury risk with a player like him – certainly an interesting player to consider.

Rory Sloane: Just like the Crouch brothers, Sloane was involved in a lot during this match and had a terrific night, also showing he’s fit and in form.

Wayne Milera: Playing largely in defense, Milera got a lot of the ball yet still found time to sneak forward and kick a goal as well. Looked very good in this game – confident and involved in much.

Brodie Smith: Brodie was taking kick ins (playing on for the extra +3) but was also getting involved quite a bit on the wing and at half forward as the Crows chipped it around and looked for quality players to send them forward. Greatly promising and definitely one to consider given his price.

Rory Laird: An off night for Laird in fantasy terms, he wasn’t really the kick in guy (bar one occasion where he pretended to give it off elsewhere before playing on himself). He was involved in a lot of the possession game early as the Crows passed it around, however got involved in less as the night wore on and the Crows accelerated.

Chayce Jones: Wow, fair night from the rookie! A ripping tackle & goal, a goal assist to Sloane & a goal saving tackle on Coniglio down back all came in a big 2^nd quarter and he kept presenting with pressure and another goal throughout the night. May have gotten himself a Round 1 berth with this game.

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JLT Players Of Interest: Essendon Vs Geelong

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The Cats and Bombers kicked off the second week of JLT matches under lights at a chilly GMHBA Stadium. For fantasy coaches, this was our last chance to get a look at some very relevant players, and we learnt plenty from the match.

Gary Ablett

Just under 70% game time for the goat, but did some nice things with his limited time on the ball. At times he looked a little lost in the role inside forward 50, but to be fair Gazza was blowing out any preseason cobwebs with the match. Sadly with him playing the majority of game time forward, he’s not a viable starter in your team.

Gyran Miers

I love what he brings to the Cats line up with the potent combination of defensive pressure and XFactor. The departure of Lincoln McCarthy has opened up a small forward role, and right now Miers is doing everything directly to grab it. Keep an eye on this cash cow, he doesn’t have a huge ceiling, but I think he has robust job security.

Patrick Dangerfield

Sigh! Do we really need to do this, he honestly has to be in your side. Five clearances, ten inside ’50s, eight score involvements and 30 disposals all of 3/4 of footy. Just do it… Pick him!

Charlie Constable

Played just 50% game time but look super impressive and played liked he belonged inside the Geelong midfield unit. Five clearances, nine of his 17 possessions were contested, barring something drastic I think we’ve got a big basement priced cash cow capable of playing on the field.

Tim Kelly

Five clearances, five inside ’50s, 28 disposals and the dilemma for fantasy coaches is no to ponder whether or not Tim Kelly is a genuine top 6 averaging forward in 2019. If he maintains the midfield minutes from tonight across the season, then he must be in the conversation.

Jordan Clark

Last week he came onto Fantasy coaches radar with a strong debut performance for the club. He backed it up again tonight with five rebounds 50’s and making good decisions in traffic and space vast beyond his experience. The Cats have a ripper, and even when Zac Tuohy comes back into the side from injury, I can see him maintaining his time in the team.

Joel Selwood

Wound back the clock with a vintage performance. Selwood started on the wing lined up against Dyson Heppell but quickly inserted himself into the centre bounces. 38 disposals, 7 tackles and a huge 11 marks for the Geelong captain reminded fantasy coaches than when he’s given the time and space he can score as well as anyone.

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Zach Merrett

Didn’t play any of the first quarter and ended up playing just 59% of the match. In that time he managed 23 possessions, six clearances and three inside ’50s. I think if you were looking for reasons not to start him you probably found them. Even though he won plenty of the ball his lack of tackle pressure and marks in a very open game could send alarm bells ringing. Equally, if you were already bullish about him, this game would’ve given reason to be optimistic that he’s ready to explode in 2019.

Dyson Heppell

Has been a fantasy scorer historically (all be it pre supplement scandal), but the arrival of Dylan Shiel should allow him to fly even further under the radar. Got plenty of uncontested ball and wouldn’t be the worst unique starting squad option if you want someone with no ownership.

Joe Daniher

Still working his way back to full fitness, took some nice contested grabs but most encouragingly he spent some time as a relief ruckman. Whether that was due to help get some more time into his body or is a genuine role the Whoosha wants to let him grow into we’ll have to wait until the round one side is named. At this stage it’s SuperCoach only he should still be tempting you, but given his preseason I can understand you looking elsewhere.

Devon Smith

Like many Bombers he’s still making his way back to full fitness. I saw nothing this week that would give me the confidence to start him in any format of the game. Make him an upgrade target, based on his preseason you cannot start him.

Jordan Ridley

Has come on in leaps and this preseason and is indeed building a case to be locked into the Dons best 22. Nine of his 17 possessions were contested, five rebound 50’s and a goal to top it all off. As a cash cow, he’s a little pricey as a defender, but he’s certainly showed over the JLT Series that he could score well.

Andrew McGrath

This kid is a future star of the competition. I love the role he has within the side as a wingman and will have some fantasy relevance for many years to come. He’s worthy a sneaky AFLFantasy starting squad spot 😉

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JLT Players of Interest: Fremantle Vs Collingwood

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The Pies ventured over to Joondalup in WA to take on the purple warriors of Fremantle. There was quite a breeze blowing to one end of the ground which made for a clear scoring end. However, the focus for us was on the players and their roles.

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Fremantle

Andy Brayshaw: Looked good. Played midfield and got plenty of it. Might be an awkward price for some but in keeper leagues, he should be highly sought after.

Michael Walters: As promised all pre-season (and last pre-season, and the one before that…), Walters did get stints in the midfield. He did also play some footy up forward though and very likely that’s going to be his lot. A similar average to recent years beckons but could be one to jump on if Freo cop many midfield injuries. As per last year when in midfield, he scored quite well given his TOG.

Luke Ryan: Did take a few kick-ins (along with Wilson), although disposal wasn’t quite up to his usual standard. Potentially one to keep an eye on in SC.

David Mundy: As mooted in recent weeks, he played majority midfield for Freo. He wasn’t amazingly prolific but the role, at least in this game, was good. If he stays midfield there’s no reason to think he won’t end up near the better premium forwards in scoring this year.

Adam Cerra: Looked classy as always but didn’t get a heap of it. Seemed to be running through the midfield somewhat.

Brett Bewley: Could not be said to have had an amazing game, however, did have 13 disposals in only 39% TOG. One to watch further in JLT2.

Jesse Hogan: Coming back from injury, struggled through 2-3 quarters before being rested. Wasn’t limited to the forward 50 either, was often seen in midfield and even down back chasing the ball. Only had a handful of touched on the night however and went scoreless. Seems to have kept his roaming role from the Dees which bodes well for his scoring. Doesn’t seem quite fit enough at present to warrant a starting berth, however.

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Collingwood

Scott Pendlebury: You may have forgotten it but Pendles was in the All-Australian squad last year as one of the best midfielders in the comp. As he has been pretty much every year for more than a decade. The skipper was everywhere in this game, particularly early, and showed his usual class. May not be the upper-echelon fantasy premiums he has been in years gone by but he won’t be far behind. Will still be excellent value in drafts.

Steele Sidebottom: Sidey appears to have flowed from 2018 into 2019 without concern, appearing to have the ball on a string as he racked up 34 touches and a goal. Played basically wherever he wanted.

Brodie Grundy: Seemed slightly rusty but that is likely just due to us measuring him against his amazing standard. Still had 15 touches and 46 hitouts, albeit he was not really up against anyone (Sandi & Darcy being out, Grundy rucked against Lobb & Scott Jones). Nonetheless, nothing not to like here and if nothing else dispelled any suggestions that a pre-season toe injury was a concern.

Dayne Beams: Played midfield, got a lot of it, kicked a goal – basically just did Dayne Beams things. With Taylor Adams out for the first few rounds, it’ll basically be Adams out & Beams in for the Pies during that stretch. Business as usual.

Jack Crisp: A somewhat under the radar defender these days, Crisp kept his high scoring role from last year and had a good outing.

Jamie Elliott: Looked like he was back! Taking marks, kicking goals, almost refusing to celebrate – yep, this was the Jamie we’ve come to know and love. An excellent first outing for him and did not look hampered at all. Someone to consider as a mid-priced option.

Darcy Moore: By no means had the hoped-for monopoly on kick-ins (see Aish, Crisp, etc) but played well and got easily enough of the ball in his role to justify his SC price-tag.

Isaac Quaynor: Strong body for an 18-year-old will hold him in good stead. Looked confident and eager to get involved. Nonetheless, he is trying to break into a suddenly strong and settled Collingwood team (even with Dunn & Scharenberg out) and he may struggle to crack a game early. If named Round 1 though, could be a good rookie option for us.

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JLT Players Of Interest: Brisbane Vs Hawthorn

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The Hawks sent a very young side up to Morton Bay to take on the Brisbane Lions in hot conditions. For fantasy coaches, we learnt plenty from this match.

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Hawthorn

James Cousins

With Liam Shiels, Jaeger O’Meara and Isaac Smith missing he (along with Worpel) Cousins was one of the more ‘experienced’ of the Hawks midfield. He picked up 29 touches, the majority of which were uncontested at 79% efficiency. As a slightly inflated cash cow, he does present value and should be someone we watch his scoring and role when the midfield leaders return this week.

James Sicily

Whether it be because they lacked forward options with no Jack Gunston or Jarryd Roughead or Clarko was experimenting we saw James Sicily spend considerable time forward during the game. He was also given time in the midfield and even time in his usual role down back.

Don’t read too much into this just yet; instead, it only causes for concern if in next weeks match with the experienced players he plays multiple roles only then should you consider not starting with him.

James Worpel

Listed with forward eligibility but playing predominantly midfield ‘Worpedo’ gave current owners enough confidence to suggest he’s capable of scoring well as a stepping stone candidate. Like Cousins wait to see his exact role once clear best 22 midfielders return this week, but so far it’s a promising sign for his fantasy relevance.

Jack Scrimshaw

Started slowly but worked his way into the game nicely across half back. His teammates loved getting the ball into his hands especially rebounding from defensive 50. With no Grant Birchall early in the season, he should be given some early opportunities and be a worthy defensive cash cow to consider.

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Brisbane Lions

Lachie Neale

If you were big on Neale before today, then nothing in today’s match should have dinted that confidence in him. Neale was the dominant midfielder in the game, and given the inexperience of the Hawks midfield, he needed to. Earlier in the preseason, I wrote about Lachie Neale, and nothing in the game changed my view that he’s a top 10 midfielder in SuperCoach, but won’t be in AFLFantasy.

Hugh McCluaggage

In time this kid is going to be something special! As a junior, he often was compared to Collingwood Captain Scott Pendlebury, and we saw moments of that evident in this game. Damaging inside the contest and precise on the out ‘Suitcase’ rounds out the Lions midfield perfectly. I’m not sure I could go there in salary cap formats, but it drafts and daily fantasy he’ll present great value early in the season.

Alex Witherden

He’s one of the most hyped defensive premiums of the preseason, and if you were big on him before the JLT, then we saw nothing that should dampen that enthusiasm. Played the same role from his previous seasons and looks set to push into the top 6 averaging defenders of 2019. I wrote about Alex earlier in the preseason here.

Cam Rayner

Noticeably bigger and a full preseason has shown the benefits in his fitness base. We saw him get some limited midfield opportunities, but it was inside 50 he created multiple headaches for the Hawthorn defenders. He’s going to win the Lions 2-3 games this year of his brilliance and certainly bumps his seasonal average up. Whether it’s enough to make him fantasy relevant time will tell.

Archie Smith

Was given the first opportunity to lead the Lions ruck division and ended up being the leading ruckman on the ground in terms of hitouts (25). While the combination of Pittonet/Ceglar isn’t the most dominant to come up against Archie more than held his own, for those looking for a cheap R3 he’s certainly one to keep an eye on if he can keep holding Stefan Martin at bay.

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JLT Players Of Interest: Sydney Vs GWS Giants

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The Battle of the Bridge was on in Blacktown, with Buddy, McVeigh, Grundy, JKelly, Hopper, Greene and Haynes all missing the action. For the majority of the game GWS controlled the game with precise kicking and plenty of polish and looked good with their ball movement, but this was JLT-1, so we need to be careful.

Stephen Coniglio

Started with an early goal and finished with game-high points, game-high ten tackles and looked the complete package, needs to be considered if he hasn’t already made your fantasy team

Tim Taranto

He may have been good last year, but every chance of taking another big step in 2019 filling the Shiel shoes, was right in the thick of things again

Zac Williams

A lazy 14 disposals in the first term before a minor injury scare halfway through the 2nd saw his night shortened by half with an ankle scare.

Jeremy Cameron

Looked terrific tonight, lead and moved well, covering plenty of ground, didn’t hit the scoreboard but gee he looked fit, more a draft prospect.

Heath Shaw

Was one of 5 GIants to go at 100% efficiency, 23 of 28 by foot with 12 marks, might be getting older but looks primed Lachie Whitfield: squeezed out onto a forward flank for most of the night to enable younger talent a shot

Jye Caldwell

Looked smooth and adjusted well, seems a genuine star, will be fighting for a best 22 spot, on his form tonight he probably gets a bench spot.

Jackson Hately

Like Caldwell, didn’t do his chances of getting an early game in the season proper, tonned up in SuperCoach.

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Sydney

Issac Heeney

Thrown forward for significant minutes due to the missing Buddy, very busy, looked great with five clearances and five tackles, still sits firmly at F2 behind Danger for me.

Jake Lloyd

Did what Jake Lloyd usually does, a gun, pick him!

Luke Parker

Played plenty of forward time early, don’t look too much into his mere 80 points tonight

Callum Mills

Goes under the radar a bit but don’t write him off for 2019, will be a pod and rightly deserves to be talked up more as a midfielder

Harry Cunningham

Defender draft alert, goes ok.

Jackson Thurlow

Crowned the ratio king tonight with a spread of 16:1.

Ryan Clarke

Won’t last very long under Horse if he backs up with another 55% efficiency in the backline next JLT.

Nick Blakely

Not a whole lot to see tonight, the kid is good but will be better in a stronger Swannie lineup.

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JLT Players Of Interest: St Kilda Vs North Melbourne

Read Time:2 Minute, 8 Second

Take everything with a grain of salt in the preseason. Take it with two when you’re playing in 39 degrees.

North Melbourne

Jamie Macmillan

Sweeper up across half back and pushed through the wing. North were dominating possession and it may be worthwhile watching whether they’re planning to play this way in season or if it was simply to counter the heat. Jamie was effective with ball in hand but this does scream fools gold.

Luke Davies-Uniacke

First game at this level where he looked a serious player. Super classy in traffic and on the outside. Looks like he’s found his feet and will damage in 2019.

Bailey Scott

Drove play from the wing in many ways. Was a standout for the Roos and demonstrated his capacity to involve himself with repeat running.

Aaron Hall

The big news story early in the day was the injury to the non-strapped left knee. Fortunately Hall returned to action in Q2 before being mothballed. Watch this space.

Todd Goldstein

When St Kilda have one proper ruck on their list and he gets injured, you’re unlikely to be competing with much. Todd had a field day. Expect it to be a touch tougher against an actual ruck.

ST Kilda

Dylan Roberton

Started the game on fire with an intercept mark in the first play. He’s the clear leader of the backline and relishes the ability to fly for the pill. These rule changes suit blokes like that.

Jack Billings

Split his time between mid and forward. The big gain from his play was the fact that he ran the match out strongly. In tough conditions, this may be indicative of an improved running capacity.

Hunter Clark

Enjoyed time in the middle and didn’t look out of place. The type that remains consistent in traffic and puts his body in the tough spaces. Looks much improved from his debut season body wise.

Jade Gresham

Split his time through the middle and up forward. Super classy as usual, but can he improve his quantity. May never get to the rate the fantasy world desires.

Matt Parker

Was a prominent forward for the victors and has the ability to effect aerially and at ground level. Scored okay but will have stronger outputs when he puts it all together.

Nick Hind

Strong settled type in defence. He looks to be more focussed on the defensive side of his game and I didn’t notice much run and carry from him. He’ll be better for the run.

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mj.want@lightmelbourne.com.au

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JLT Players of Interest: Adelaide Vs Port Adelaide

Read Time:3 Minute, 4 Second

It was a scorching afternoon at Memorial Oval in Port Pirie, and the Crows and Power did battle in over 40-degree temperatures. Both sides have plenty of fantasy football relevant players to discuss, and we learnt plenty because of this hitout.

Rory Sloane

A strong all-around game from the new co-captain. Sloane amassed 28 disposals at 75% efficiency, seven score involvements, eight marks, five clearances and four tackles. With no tagger employed today by Port, we got to see exactly how good a fantasy footballer he is when permitted to dictate the game.

Rory Laird

Plenty has been speculated (including by myself) about the potential impact of the new kick-in rules and the scoring damage it could have on Laird. Based off this game, it seems apparent that we may be over complicating it as he continued on his merry way scoring at will and very much showed that a ‘dip’ in scoring might be marginal if any.

Brodie Smith

If you’d been considering Brodie before today, he did nothing to dent your confidence. He started the game on fire and was used often used by his club to rebound out of defensive 50 (6) and also deliver the ball inside 50 (4). Smith spent most of the game across half-back. He had only two kick-ins today (from a possible five) and played on in every occasion.

Brad Crouch

Brad looked not just good, but very good. Moved freely and covered the ground in trying conditions with relative ease. Won his fair share of the contested ball, and was able to utilise his speed from stoppage as he won five clearances. He showed everything you’d want as a current owner and will tempt those looking for value even more so given how strong his performance was.

Matt Crouch

Matt led all players for total disposals on the ground finishing with 32 at 71% efficiency. Typical Crouch game and showed precisely what he’s capable of delivering.

Travis Boak

Travis is listed as a forward, but he played this game predominantly as a midfielder, something the coaching staff have spoken about numerous times during the preseason. With Ollie Wines likely to miss the opening 2-3 games he could well be the leader of the midfield unit and like today score well.

Zac Butters

Zac demonstrated speed, class and poise beyond his years. Port Adelaide have a beauty of a player, and he’ll be a long term fan favourite for the club. With the departures of the side during the offseason, they need to add a dynamic player and Butters meets that criteria. Lock him in for a round one appearance based off that performance.

Will Drew

Drew did plenty of nice things leading his side with seven clearances, kicked a nice goal and used the ball well both in traffic and in space. As mentioned above with Wines missing a few games early this cash cow is doing everything required to be named round one.

Justin Westhoff

Played just over 50% of the game time and did some nice things, but all my fears got confirmed across this game. That being Port at times looked too tall and lacked speed and ground pressure. Mr FixIt is still an upgrade target, but someone I’m still going to steer away from as a starter.

Tom Rockliff

Spent plenty of time off the ground with Tom just playing 60% of game time. For the minority of coaches that were considering Rocky, I do think it’s time you look elsewhere. At his price, while he will improve on his average I don’t see it being to the level owners may hope for.

About Post Author

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mj.want@lightmelbourne.com.au

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