2020 Team Preview – Brisbane

Written by Motts on February 5 2020

  1. What Daniels Riches doesn’t know about the Lions isn’t worth knowing. He’s been good enough to give you the benefit of that knowledge with this extensive preview. Pull up a chair and settle in for the good oil on a team that exceeded all expectations last year. Thanks heaps, DR!

Hey guys! Today I have the pleasure of reviewing my beloved Brisbane Lions. I hope you enjoy and good luck with all of your team planning. I’ll also be happy to answer any questions in the comment section about any other Brisbane players that you may have on your watch list.

After a decade of irrelevance squandering at the bottom of the ladder, the Brisbane Lions are roaring once again. They boast the equal second youngest list in the AFL, the Gabba is a fortress once again and they are no longer the easy beats of the competition.

Under the tutelage of coach of the year, Chris Fagan, the Lions surprised most of the AFL world to finish second on the ladder at the end of the home and away season. With career best years from the likes of Charlie Cameron, Hugh McCluggage and Harris Andrews, and the astute recruiting of Lachie Neale, Lincoln McCarthy and Jarryd Lyons, the Lions played finals for the first time in a long time.

Don’t get me wrong – a lot went right for the Lions. They had an extraordinary run with injuries and won some close battles that could have gone either way. Ultimately, they bowed out in straight sets and the young Lions were left to lick their wounds. Nonetheless, it was a meteoritic rise after only winning 5 games in 2018 and there is no doubt they will be hungry to improve this year.

Chris Fagan acknowledges that the AFL is an entertainment industry and has encouraged the Lions to play an exciting brand of football. They will be a fun team to watch in 2020, but how many of their players will be SuperCoach relevant? Let’s take a look…

Defence:

Lock and load:

Daniel Rich:
As you can tell from my username, I have a real soft spot for the man with the massive head and little T-Rex arms. After an exceptional rookie year, claiming the Rising Star award and playing a major role in Brisbane’s finals win over Carlton, he looked set to become a superstar midfielder of the competition. Unfortunately, Richy never managed to reach these heights. But on a positive note, he has now transformed himself into a damaging and dependable defender.

Why should you select him?
In 2019, things finally clicked for Rich in the backline, which resulted in a career best Supercoach average of 96.8. Rich’s biggest asset is his deadly left boot. He loves to kick the ball and he loves to kick it long. He ranked fifth in the competition for kicks per game, sixth in rebound 50s per game and second in metres gained, averaging an impressive 526 metres. He also raked in some bonus points from the new kick-in rule. Rich is a consistent scorer and rarely produces an absolute stinker. With a coach that believes in him and a better team around him, there are no obvious reasons for Rich to go completely backwards.

What could go wrong?
In 11 seasons, Rich has only managed to average 90+ on three occasions. There is no guarantee that he will average over 95 in 2020. Although he rarely throws in a terrible score, he has a low ceiling. He only managed to score over 115 twice last year, so don’t expect him to post any monsters. Could more of the kick out duties be handed to Alex Witherden or Grant Birchall? If so, this could have a negative impact on Rich’s average. There are also a number of other players within a 20K price range of Rich that could be tastier options.

Verdict:
A pretty safe selection, but there is better value around his price point. Rory Laird, Caleb Daniel and James Sicily are three players within his range that I would prefer. Should be a nice POD that produces some consistent scores most weeks, but a no from me at this stage.

Feeling lucky?

Grant Birchall ($292,700)
Can the warm weather and Brisbane’s expert medical staff get this 4-time premiership player back on the park again? If the answer is yes, Birchall could be a sneaky stepping-stone to a premium defender.

Why should you select him?
There is no doubt that Birchall is certainly past his best and has lost a yard or two, but he is a good decision maker and still possesses elite disposal Brisbane are still a very young team and will benefit from his on field leadership. In the few games he played last year, he produced some nice scores relative to his low TOG%. They will be keen to get the ball into Birchall’s hands and he has a high kick to handball ratio. He may also be assigned some kick-in duties. If he plays, he will make money on his starting price and you may be able to trade him up to a premium defender around the byes.

What could go wrong?
A lot. Birchall has only played a handful of games in the past couple of seasons. He simply hasn’t been able to get his body right and there is a high chance that he may break down again. Even in his prime, he wasn’t in the absolute elite bracket of Supercoach defenders, and has never managed to obtain a season average of 95+. I’m not sure how much time Birch will spend on the ground, as he will need to give his body regular breaks during the game. He may even fall behind younger players that are knocking down the door in the NEAFL. Although Grant is an experienced campaigner, he may take some time to develop that on field chemistry with his teammates and adjust to the new game plan.

Verdict:
If fit, Birchall should be a regular in the Lions best 22, but I’m not taking the risk at almost 300K. I’d prefer taking a punt on someone such as Dylan Roberton at a cheaper starting price.

Money Maker:

Brandan Starcevich ($147,700)
The son of former Collingwood and Brisbane player Craig (now coach of the Brisbane AFLW team) was originally drafted as an inside midfielder. Due to the depth in Brisbane’s midfield, Starc has been plying his trade in the backline in the NEAFL. He impressed in his role and added another important string to his bow. With 5 career games to date, Starcevich is looking for more senior opportunities in 2020.

Why should you select him?
Starc is a really professional kid that is doing everything he can to improve his game. He decided not to go away with teammates during the offseason and instead opted to go home to WA to start his preseason early. He has come back fitter and stronger than ever and has received praise from captain Dayne Zorko about his attitude and efforts on the training track. With the retirement of Luke Hodge, there may be a vacant spot up for grabs in the backline. He possesses a good inside/outside game and has worked hard to clean up his disposal. So in a nutshell, he’s young, fit, strong, versatile and has been talked up by the captain. At $147,700 he seems like the prefect on field rookie option. Right?

What could go wrong?
Although Luke Hodge may have left a hole to fill, competition for spots in the backline at the Lions is fierce. Not only does Starc have to compete with backline regulars such as Rich, Witherden, Answerth and co, he now also faces stiff competition from new recruits in Birchall and Ah Chee. As I mentioned above, he has had a terrific preseason to date, but so have a number of other young Lions. The kid has plenty of talent and has certainly put his best foot forward, but can he force his way into the round one side? We will have to wait and see, but I wouldn’t be counting on it. Sorry for delivering this potentially bad news for current owners!

Verdict:
If you currently have him as a D5-D6, I would definitely have a backup plan. If he is named round 1, then he will most likely make his way into my side.

Other rookies:

Jack Payne ($123,900) is a man mountain who Lions fans have high hopes for. Spent the majority of 2017 on the sidelines due to constant issues with his shin, but played almost every game in the reserves last year. He has never been a huge scorer at NEAFL level, but you can’t expect a lot from young key defender. Jack will not be selected in the round 1 side, but may be one of the next in line if any of our KPD’s go down with injury. Jaxon Prior ($117,300) is the son of former player Michael Prior. He uses the ball very well and is known for his elite kicking skills. Behind in the pecking order at this stage and should spend most of the year developing in the NEAFL. Brock Smith ($117,300) is hard as a cats head and is a real competitor, in the same mould as Darcy Gardiner. Should be a year of learning in the NEAFL.

Midfield:

Lock and Load:

Lachie Neale ($658,500)

No longer playing in the shadow of Nat Fyfe, Lachie Neale went to another level in 2019. He was rewarded with his first All Australian jacket and was well in the running to take Charlie home. He played a massive role in the resurgence of the Lions and looks set to back up his 2019 campaign with another strong year.

Why should you select him?
Lock-ie Neale was one of my first players selected this year and I love this selection. At 26 years of age, Neale is in the peak of his powers. At the recent Lions family day, one thing really stood out with Lachie…his giant calves…They are massive! He has a low centre of gravity and is a very balanced player. He spent an average of 88.8% TOG last year, which is elite for a midfielder. He is as durable as they come and has only missed a small handful of games over the past 6 years. He is a ball magnet and averaged over 30 disposals in 2019 with a very even split (15.8 CP and 15.1 UP). Lachie also has good disposal efficiency, although he does prefer to use his hands, rather than his feet. It may be a bold call, but I actually think that Lachie can improve on his outstading 2019 average. He is as professional as they come and is consistently the last one to leave the training track. He watches hours, upon hours of footage of his own games and opponents games, in order to get that extra edge. Can you tell that I am a fan of the Neale pick? J

What could go wrong?
Not a lot. Unless injury strikes, I can’t see the Neale selection going too wrong. In games where he received a heavy tag, his scoring did drop off a little, but he was able to work through this on most occasions. His younger teammates are also learning how to provide greater support for him. His high starting price may put some coaches off, but with Neale, you get what you pay for.

Verdict:
Lach him in and throw away the key.

Feeling lucky?

Jarryd Lyons ($535,400)
Last year, the man affectionately known as JL didn’t even cost the Lions a packet of chips. They picked up the older brother of Corey (currently on Brisbane’s rookie list) for free. I repeat…free! And no I’m not Lyon! He was a revelation in the Brisbane midfield and formed a damaging inside duo with fellow recruit Lachie Neale. Priced at $535,400, could he present some good value for those coaches looking to save some cash in the midfield?

Why should you select him?
Lyons is a lock to play every game if fit and Chris Fagan loves the ‘weapons’ that he possesses. He attends a high number of centre bounces and thrives on contested possession. This is great for Supercoach scoring! On the occasion where Neale had a down game, Lyon seemed to step up. His second half of the 2019 season was outstanding. After the byes, he averaged an impressive 116.5 and was a bull in the midfield. Lyons also has a high ceiling, posting 5 scores of 130+ last year.

What could go wrong?
It was a tale of two halves of the season for Lyons. If you selected him in your original starting team, you would have been extremely disappointed, with Lyons averaging a lowly 68.2 in the first 5 rounds of the season. You would want a much better start from him this year. Although he has a high ceiling, he is also prone to throwing in some stinkers. In 2019, he produced scores of 45, 50 and 58, which is unacceptable for a premium midfield selection. If you select Lyons, you may also get a free trip on the rollercoaster.

Verdict:
I don’t think Lyons will finish in the top 10-12 midfielders for averages by the end of the season, so it’s a no for me. But if he can replicate his form in the second half of the season, he could be a great POD that presents some good value.

Ready to break out?

There are a few young breakout contenders in the Brisbane midfield. Keep an eye on my boy Hugh McCluggage ($510,700). Don’t be surprised to see this young star win the Brownlow in 2024. Pencil it in folks! I have produced an in depth player review on Hugh and if anyone is interested, I can post the video link in the comment section below. Jarrod Berry ($461,300) is our future captain and has the potential to breakout this year. He was struck down with glandular fever in early 2019, which destroyed his preseason and the huge body of work that he had put in. Berry should spend some considerable minutes in the midfield and is the endurance king at the Lions, taking out the 3km time trial. Callum Ah Chee ($311,700 M/F) is an exciting player and looks set to play an attacking half back role for the Lions. Has pace, x-factor and usually uses the ball well. I have also touched on the prospects of Berry and Ah Chee in my breakout contender series, so feel free to check it as well.

Money Makers:

I don’t think there will be too many young Lions players in the midfield that will make you much money in the early stages of 2020. But here are some names to keep on your watchlist…

Deven Robertson ($117,300) will be keen to prove a point after being overlooked in round 1 of the 2019 draft. The Larke medal winner averaged 30 possessions at the champs and is a contested ball beast. He has great bloodlines, being the nephew of former West Coast captain, Darren Glass. Unfortunately for Robertson, he faces stiff competition for his preferred inside role. He is behind players such as Neale, Lyons, Ellis-Yolmen and Matheison. With Brisbane’s midfield depth in this area, I would expect him to develop his craft in the NEAFL for most of 2020, unless he bangs down the door and gives Chris Fagan no other option but to select him.

Ely Smith ($123,900 M/F) was Brisbane’s first selection in the 2018 draft. He was hampered by injury last year, but managed to get some games under his belt. Was given a rocket by Chris Fagan in the preseason for burning a couple of teammates in front of goal, but he quickly learnt his lesson and in the next quarter Ely squared the ball up perfectly for a teammate in a better position. The fact that he didn’t sulk, took the feedback on board and made immediate improvements impressed all of the coaching staff. He plays with a hard edge, loves the contested ball and has a bit of the Mitch Robbo’s about him. He has extended his contract and the Lions will be keen to get some games into him. I don’t see him playing in round 1, but he could be in line to make his senior debut at some stage during the year. Keep an eye on him.

Forwards:

Lock and load:

Save your ammo people. Although Brisbane’s forward line is full of young talent, the cupboard is pretty bare Supercoach wise. There are no premium selections screaming pick me. In fact, all of the Brisbane Lions forward options have question marks around them.

Feeling lucky?

Cam Rayner ($251,800)

The former number 1 draft pick affectionately known as ‘Pumba’ certainly had his highlights in 2019. The famous Jackie Chan kick for goal, some lovely marks and a bruising bump that left Brisbane fans cheering on their feet. However, Cam also had plenty of downs and was close to being dropped on a few occasions. But Chris Fagan likes stability in his side and stuck by his young gun. Is 2020 the year that Rayner makes his mark on the competition?

Why should you select him?
Cam Rayner is rated very highly internally by his coaches and has lots of natural progression left in him. He is a former number 1 pick and has immense talent. After not returning in the best of shape at the start of 2019, he now has a more professional outlook on AFL life. Over the preseason, Rayner has shed four kilos and improved his tank in a bid to play more midfield minutes. Cam smashed his PB in the 3km time trial and is in the best shape of his life. He may have suffered from the second year blues, but he would have taken many learnings from last season and worked on his deficiencies. I considered putting him in the money maker section, but reserved that for players under 200K.

What could go wrong?
Although Rayner is keen to play more midfield minutes, I still see him playing predominately as a half forward, which can be a tricky position. Cam couldn’t find any consistency last year and didn’t produce any noteworthy scores in 2019. He finished with a very disappointing average of 46.4, which is subpar even for a first year rookie. If you select Rayner, you would be banking on him having a slight change of role, as well as the natural scope of development expected from a former number 1 pick. There are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes with this selection

Verdict:
I expect Rayner to dramatically improve on his 2019 campaign and average between 65-75. There is money to be made, but there should be rookies under 200K that could go close to producing the same output. I won’t be considering him, unless he rips apart the JLT.

Money Maker:

Sam Skinner ($111,400)
This quietly spoken young man has had a horrid run with injuries, requiring 3 knee reconstructions in his short career. Originally drafted as a key defender, he was tried out as a forward last year at NEAFL level and played his role well. After his first full preseason in a long time, Skinner is in terrific shape and now finds himself in Brisbane’s ‘A’ team during match practice. Seymour was the talk of the town after impressing in Brisbane’s internal practice match during their camp in Tasmania. He kicked three goals and took some strong, contested marks. He will be competing with Dan McStay and the Big O for a spot in our best 22, so keep him on your watch list.

In conclusion, I don’t think that Brisbane will be a very relevant SuperCoach team. Lachie Neale is the only player that I am really confident on, as other players are either starting at an awkward price or have too many question marks about them.

However, if injury strikes the Lions down, they may become SuperCoach relevant again. There are some solid rookie options with good scoring potential eagerly awaiting their chance to play senior football. Thanks for reading guys and hope your team planning is going well. DR.

 

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31 thoughts on “2020 Team Preview – Brisbane”

  1. Great work Daniels Riches, thanks mate. I’d heard Fagan gave a spray to someone in the PS game but didn’t realise it was Smith. I’m really hoping he starts this year, have had him pencilled in since his injury in 2019.

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    1. Hey BBQ,
      I love the look of Smith. He has some real mongrel about him and will be certainly pressing his claim for a debut early in the season. The main issue with Brisbane rookies, is that Fages loves a settled team and tends to make minimal changes to the starting 22, unless forced to due to injury. If he starts round 1, he should have a few weeks to impress. If selected round 1 (I think unlikely at this stage) then get him in!

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  2. Thanks DR! I’ve scraped together the cash to get Neale into the team ahead of Danger. Mixed emotions there but Lachie was so good last year I can’t leave him out again.

    Starcevich and Robertson are hopeful placeholders at the moment, I agree with you that we’re not really expecting them to play though.

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    1. Thanks for all of your content as well Chillo! Have really enjoyed catching up with your awesome team reviews! Hopefully Starc and Rob can force their way into the team at some stage.

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  3. Neale can hold off for mine. Started him last year, won’t be doing the same this time round. Feel like he dropped off slightly towards the back end of the year, when teams put more attention into him. Worst case I make him my first upgrade. Was tossing up between him and Dunkley, but my mind seems set on the bulldog. Nonetheless, great write up, goodluck all.

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    1. G’day Olie. A very tough decision to decide between Neale and Dunkley mate. In the end, I have decided (at this stage) to just start with both of them! Certainly nothing wrong with looking at Neale as your first upgrade. Good luck with the planning mate.

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    1. Hey Gra,
      Corey was delisted at the end of last year and then re-rookied. He plays in a similar way to his brother, but has a smaller frame. Works hard and was in our best in the NEAFL for many games last season, but there are a few players ahead of him for that mid role at the moment. I would love to see the 2 Lyons boys play together in the seniors, but don’t think it will be anytime soon mate.

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  4. Hi DR
    I am looking at Starting Neale, Starcevich and McLuggage. Great writeup on the first 2 players. I noticed you said you could post a video link on a review of him. Would it be to much of a pain to send me through the link please. Would love to hear more of your thoughts on him.

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      1. Wow thank you so much for the quick reply. A fantastic video on McLuggage hats off to you Daniels Riches. I am now going to look through all of your other supercoach youtube content. There seems to be a lot there so I now have some plans for my morning off. 🙂

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  5. Great stuff DR.

    Will be watching the young Lions for potential rookie opps through the Marsh series. I agree that AH CHEE is a potential money-maker if he gets the role off HB. His speed is an asset the Lions will want. His price and the fact he’s MID only kinda put me off him tho. We’ll have to see what mid rookies avails look like before deciding.

    I think Lachie Neale was one of my best starting picks last year, but am inclined to agree with Olie above. If he scores the same as last year in his first 7 games, I think he’ll drop $80k and while ALL premos will likely drop to some extent, I feel I’ve got five who won’t drop that much, if at all and so he HAS to become my first upgrade target at best.

    Thanks again DR for such a thorough, detailed and thought-provoking preview.

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    1. Hey AS!
      Thanks mate. Agreed on Ah Chee. Would love a DPP swing and a 50K discount on his price. Very excited to have him at the Lions though. We need some X factor coming out of the backline.

      Good points re Neale. I must admit, I have huge man love for him! With a group of absolute elite premos over 600K we do need to be very selective and look for value. His high starting price is sure to put some people off, which is certainly fair enough mate. I’m really hoping that all the work he has put in during the preseason, not only on the track, but off the track as well, will help him to improve on what he did last year and enable him to better deal with the attention he will receive. I have him pegged as a top 5 averaging mid by the end of the season, so am prepared to start him and lose a little bit of coin at the start as a compromise.

      Always love hearing your thoughts AS, you always provide great food for thought for the SCT community. Keep up the great work champ!

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      1. Thanks mate! Have no doubt Lock-E will be Top8 MID, so I know I’m missing out. It’s just his price that hurts and you can’t have them all from the start.
        Have loved a few of your vids by the way. Best of luck putting a team together and no doubt see you around the traps soon mate.

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        1. Cheers mate. Appreciate all the support. I love the way you think so deeply about the game, it really is next level stuff. You make so much sense, which at times is bad for my supercoach side, as I start to reshuffle again! Haha. Good luck with the planning champ.

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  6. Have been looking for encouraging news on Rayner, I’m sure he’ll come good soon and would hate to miss out. Do we know if he got any mid minutes in the practice match.?

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    1. Hey WW,
      He has been training with the mids at times and spent some minutes running through the midfield in the practice match. But the majority of the time he has still played forward. He provides a different skill set to lots of our other mids and as soon as he builds up his tank, he should be playing regular minutes in there. Imo, it’s probably a year too early for that and he will need another solid preseason under his belt. In saying that, wherever he plays, he will definitely improve on his 2019 average and make some money.

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  7. Outstanding insight DR, love your passion but equally the considered decisions made with the passion removed. Have a huge season mate.

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    1. G’day Jimmy,
      No probs at all mate. A huge thanks needs to go to you for organising the tech this year as well mate. Can’t wait to see what the team will look like! My aunties friends cousins SC team is going to have a serious crack this year! Cheers bud.

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  8. Great stuff DR
    I’m liking Rich as a pretty safe upgrade target, after his early Bye.
    Thanks for such an awesome review.

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    1. Hey FT! Thanks buddy. I like your thinking mate. We will have a better idea of what he looks like and then bring him in if he is looking the goods. Thanks very much for all of your contributions and discussion on the YT channel as well mate!

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      1. No worries DR
        I’m pretty confident on Rich improving this year. In recent times Hurn, Houli and Simpson have all had career best years in their early thirties.
        I can see Rich doing something similar.

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  9. Hey DR! Awesome effort and write up mate – simply great effort and analysis and insights … very useful!

    I finally had a chance to go through several of your videos as promised mate … great stuff!! Just great effort to go to all of the work you have put in on them mate and good explanations, particularly for many new to this caper!! I have no idea how you find the time to do all that!! Brilliant!

    Left a few comments on some of them and also said feel free to add / use the Bye Planner on the videos if that helps all and sundry too mate!!

    For the above discussions with you and AS on Neale or not … for my comment, he only potentially faces the Jacobs tag in round 2 … and not much after that … for me, if he starts like last year (never any guarantees!) with 127, 140, 177, 140, 91, 142, 108, 114, 142 (and I haven’t checked his opposition to be fair), then you don’t want to miss out on that!! His price and any potential drop off, for me, is irrelevant – particularly if chasing OA … but just my thoughts!!

    Keep up the great work mate, both here and with your videos!! Love the dedication!!

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    1. G’day Macca, how are you legend? Thanks very much for the kind words mate. I was absolutely blown away with your bye planner, it’s the best tool I have seen. It can take me a while to put some videos together mate, but nothing compared to the amount of work you have put into your bye planner!
      I have just created a quick video to show off your great work mate. You can access it here:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoHzKAoIDvI&feature=youtu.be

      I love all the discussion around Neale, with some for and some against – and all have valid points. I am with you though mate and can’t bring myself not to start with him haha. I really think he is capable of starting off with a bang. Fingers crossed for both of us mate! Thanks again for all of your fantastic contributions Macca. Hats off to you bud.

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      1. Thanks DR! Very kind of you mate and nice video! Good plug for the site here too mate!

        I’m definitely sure it has taken you far longer to do those videos mate – keep up the great work!!

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  10. Watched some of your videos and have gained some valuable information.

    Think McLuggage is another two seasons away from that elite level of 115-120. Generally takes 5 seasons and around 80 games for the midfielders to move from the low 100’s into pushing the 120 mark and hitting that high ceiling in games.

    Wished the Bombers had grabbed him or Taranto in front of McGrath who is going to be a solid contributor, however, I doubt whether he is going to be SC relevant with the current Bombers midfield personnel.

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  11. Any thoughts on Harris Andrews (DEF 449k)? Was highly sought after in 2018 with a big run of form and went on to average 88.4 after some injuries late in the year. In 2019 however in his 19 games he only reached an ave of 82.7. Perhaps due to the ball spending more time down the other end in 2019? Or moved to more of a lock-down role? Would love to hear thoughts.

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