(Written & Created By Dane)
North Melbourne vs Hawthorn
Supercoach finals Week 1 kicked off with Hawthorn failing to capitalize on a good start, eventually falling by 22 points on Friday night. Anyone who’s kept Worpel will be rapt with his performance, with the second year gun picking up 37 touches (15 contested), 5 tackles and 11 clearances to score a game high and season high individual score of 149 Supercoach points. Shaun Burgoyne was next best for the Hawks, finishing with 101 from his 23 touch (87% DE) game, in what was a milestone game for him and AFL football. A number of players in the 90’s for the Hawks, which included the 3-goal Lewis (98), a 29 touch game from Wingard (also 98), big boy McEvoy (92) and young leader Hardwick (also 92). Owners of popular picks such as O’Meara (82) and Sicily (76) won’t be pleased with their opening Supercoach finals output, while anyone who brought in Grant Birchall (57) will be extremely disappointed, after the loved Hawk went down with a hamstring injury. Multiple goal-scorers on the night were the before mentioned Lewis and Jack Gunston (85).
North Melbourne played great footy after a dismal first quarter to take the 4 points, after a week where they signed Rhyce Shaw as their full-time coach. Shaun Higgins led the scoring for the Roos, finishing his night with 28 touches at 92% DE (15 contested), 7 clearances, 2 goals and 140 Supercoach points. Big men Ben Brown and Todd Goldstein were great all night to finish on 117 and 118 respectively, with Brown kicking 4 goals to give himself a chance at the Coleman medal. Jack Ziebell split his time between up forward and in the middle on the night, finishing with 3 goals and 18 touches to finish on 120 points, while the other Roo in triple figures was young gun Ahern (108), who picked up 26 touches of the leather. Trent Dumont (91) had a nice game with 19 touches and 8 tackles, but form there scores drop for the Roos, with only Macmillan (85), Williams (81) and Pittard (80) going 80 or above. Mason Wood (65) was the other multiple goal-scorer for the Roos, while Cunnington (66) produced his second sub 70 game of the past month.
Question from the game: Favourite moments of Burgoyne’s career? And will he continue in 2020?
Supercoach query: Would Ziebell be able to average 110+ if given a full time midfield role?
Essendon vs Port Adelaide
The Bombers winning run came to an end on Saturday afternoon by 59 points. Will Snelling, in his third game, topped scored for the Dons on 122 points, finishing his day with 21 touches, 3 marks, 5 tackles, 13 contested possessions, no turnovers and 2 goals. Zach Merrett (113) was everywhere in the opening half and then slowed down, but even that didn’t stop him reaching triple figures. The gun lefty had 31 touches, 4 tackles and 7 clearances, while his fellow left-footer Shiel (98) had 29 touches and a goal for himself, although only 1 tackle held him back in terms of scoring. Scores drop rapidly from there with only Stringer (81) managing above 80 for his 2 goal, 14 touch game. Injuries throughout the day to Parish, Saad and Francis will be monitored throughout the week, but at first glance didn’t look serious enough to affect their finals campaign.
A big win for Port that gave them a solid percentage boost as well. I’ve been amping him up as a potential breakout in 2020 for a couple of weeks now and Dan Houston has delivered, finishing the day as Ports top scorer with 134 points. He finished the day with 29 touches (11 contested), 10 marks, 2 goals and 6 clearances while running at 89% DE, while another breakout contender in Darcy Byrne-Jones (127) also did his 2020 chances now harm with a 25 touch, 9 mark, 7 tackle display. Young gun Conor Rozee (113) gained the bronze for the Power due to his 22 touch game that included 2 goals 5 behinds, while another youngster in Duursma (104) rewarded anyone who still has him with a 26 touch, 1 goal and 1 bow and arrow celebration game. Other good scores went to Robbie Gray (111) for his 4 goal display, as well as 101 each to Boak and Amon. In the 90’s were the other Gray (Sam) and ruckman Peter Ladhams, while the other multiple goal-scorer apart from the previously mentioned was young Todd Marshall with 3. Disappointing scores for Supercoach finals came from Rockliff (80), Hartlett (86) and Westhoff (79).
Question from the game: Can Port back up their scoring next week, especially with Dixon in terrible touch?
Supercoach query: Can Lycett break back into this winning lineup for Semi-finals week?
GWS vs Sydney
GWS finished with a hard fought 2 point “Battle of the Bridge” win to keep their top 4 hopes alive. Toby Greene is thriving in his new midfield role, notching up 134 points on the day courtesy of 34 touches (18 contested), 8 marks, 6 tackles, 10 clearances and a goal, as is Zac Williams (124), who despite having a leg concern on the day finished 32 touches (15 contested), 10 marks, 6 tackles and 10 clearances himself. Shane Mumford (110) was next best as he monstered his 3rd game opponent for 54 hitouts and 13 touches, while swingman Reid (100) had himself a great game across the backline, finishing with 25 touches and 10 marks. Jacob Hopper kicked 3 goals amongst his 26 touch game to finish with 106 points, while across halfback Nick Haynes took 12 marks (which all felt like they were from the opposition, was everywhere) and had 18 touches to finish on 109 points, the same as Lachie Whitfield. Old-timers in Deledio (91) and Shaw (89) played well enough, with Finlayson and Himmelberg being the multiple goal-kickers bar Hopper.
An agonising loss for the Swans who couldn’t find an avenue to goal in the last 10 minutes or so to steal the win. Isaac Heeney did all he could for them, finishing with 4 goals, 18 touches, 7 marks and 119 Supercoach points to lead his side, while the second on the Supercoach scoring ladder was hard-runner Ryan Clarke (114), who had a goal and 26 disposals on the day. Tom Papley started like a house on fire with 2 goals, but did not register anymore for the day to finish on 93, the same as classy left-footer Dawson. Lots of popular picks in the 70-90 range which included in no particular order Lloyd (85), Jones (87), Florent (82), McLean (76), Parker (83) and Kennedy (72). All in all a pretty bad Supercoach day for the Swans, while its also worth noting that anyone who owns Allir had a knee knock during the game, so keep an eye on Thursday selections.
Question from the game: What can Sydney do in the last 3 weeks to make 2019 a minor success?
Supercoach query: Did anyone pick up Greene at 401K in round 17? Averaging 123 since then!
Fremantle vs Geelong
Geelong left Perth with a sour taste in their mouths, falling by 34 points. Tim Kelly (114) topped scored for the Cats due to his 25 touch, 1 goal game, but from there no one else goes into triple figures. Cam Guthrie (98) was next best for his 18 touch, 2 goal game, then Mark Blicavs (97) for his usual game of a bit of everything. Gary Ablett kicked a goal, had 17 touches (10 contested) and 9 tackles for his 95, Tom Stewart was also in the 90s for his 24 touch, 9 mark game, as was Tom Atkins for his 15 touch, 5 tackle game. Other news from the game was the successful returns of Lachie Henderon (87) and Sam Menegola (73), Tom Hawkins (87) 3 goals, Gary Rohan’s newest injury, this time an ankle, and lastly, Dangers putrid score of 57.
Fremantle probably own the upset of the season with this win, mainly due to their lackluster form over the past 5-6 weeks. Skipper Nat Fyfe led from the front to reward his owners in Week 1 of Supercoach finals, finishing the game with 27 touches (23 contested), 11 clearances, 4 tackles, 2 goals and 144 Supercoach points. Next best was popular forward pick Walters, who had 29 touches (17 contested), 8 clearances, 5 tackles, 1 goal and no turnovers for 137 points in what was a brilliant display. I’ll be honest and say I’ve got no idea who Ethan Hughes is, but he had a ripping game, finishing with 22 touches at 90% DE for 120 points, while others over triple figures were Brad Hill (113) who had 29 touches, and Ed Langdon (102) who had 28 touches and 2 goals. Sam Switkowski scored 97 from a game that included 9 tackles, but from there Supercoach relevant scorers fade. Anyone who has Mundy (48) or is fielding Logue (35) wouldn’t feel great looking at those scores, while first-gamer Carter (45) was serviceable with 9 touches and 4 tackles.
Question from the game: Will Geelong possibly lose first spot with difficult games to come against North (H), Brisbane (A) and Richmond at the G?
Supercoach query: Will Sam Menegola be a late season game-changer?
Melbourne vs Richmond
The Richmond train rolls on with a 33 point win on Saturday night. Three players over 130 for them, with Bachar Houli, Dustin Martin and Dion Prestia all going big on the night to continue their great form. Dusty was the best of the three, finishing the game with 34 touches, 1 goal and 138 points, with Bachar being next best for his 32 touch, 132 point game, and lastly Prestia picked up 131 points for his 31 touch game. Shane Edwards (112) finished his night with 31 touches and 8 clearances, while young Tiger Jack Graham (101) was also over triple figures for his 18 touch, 6 tackle, 2 goal game. Ivan Soldo (94) continues to perform well, as does Nick Vlastuin (88) and Kane Lambert (84), while up forward Tom Lynch (80) kicked 3 goals to be a presence up forward. Not much else Supercoach wise to mention apart from Chol’s 36 point game being a hindrance to his cash generation for anyone who owns him.
Melbourne were in this game until half-time but a 5 goal to 1 third quarter proved to be the difference. Max Gawn led his team in the Supercoach scoring area with 134 points, mainly coming from his 19 touch, 9 mark, 26 hitout game. Despite a dislocated finger early, Clayton Oliver (111) powered on to find himself 32 touches of the leather, although his score was held back by his handball happiness (21 of his 32 touches). Micheal Hibberd (113) returned to the days of old with a 29 touch game, while fellow backman Frost (85) wasn’t terrible while being opposed to Lynch, picking up 20 touches. Bayley Fritsch (92) continued his good form, finishing the night with 16 touches, 10 marks and 3 goals, with fellow youngster Harmes (88) continuing his great season. Elsewhere for the Demons, Kyle Dunkley (60) and Jordan Lewis (85) kicked 2 goals each, while Jake Lever rolled an ankle in the second term but continued playing.
Question from the game: Can Melbourne snag a few wins to end the year on a high note after a spirited performance in this game?
Supercoach query: How many put the VC or C on Gawn?
Adelaide vs St Kilda
Adelaide came away with a 22 point win on Saturday night to better their chances of clinching 8th spot. Rory Laird returned his equal best score of the year, finishing the night as the games top scorer on 124 points, courtesy of his 38 touch, 12 mark game. Tom Lynch (113) played very well for his 22 touch, 1 goal, 9 mark game, while the Crouch brothers both hit the ton on the evening, with Matt (118) having 35 touches and 2 goals, and Brad (111) having 29 touches and 7 tackles. Plenty of other decent scores for the Crows, with the recalled pair of Gibbs (90, 29 touches) and Betts (91, 3 goals) showing their experience, while Brodie Smith (95) and Wayne Milera (96) continuing their good 2019 campaigns. Sloane and Kelly both finished the night on 88 points, while up forward Walker (83) kicked 4 goals to regain his touch. Reliable backman Hartigan had an ankle injury throughout the game, but played on.
A spirited effort from the Saints but the loss all but ends their slim finals chances. Jack Steele made it 4 tons out of 5 games with 121 points to lead the Saints scoring, the youngster picking up 26 touches and 7 tackles on the night. Tim Membrey scored 117 from his 3 goals and 17 touches, while the next best was Rowan Marshall with a 20 touch (16 contested), 32 hitout, 109 Supercoach point performance. Jack Billings (101) and Seb Ross (100) only just got to triple figures, while Shane Savage (99) was just short. Supercoach scores drop from there with only Dunstan (83) going above 80, which means that semi-popular picks in Gresham (72), Hind (44) and Langlands (23) all failed in the first week of Supercoach finals.
Question from the game: Can this win kick the Crows into gear?
Supercoach query: Will Rowan Marshall ever score under 100 again?
Collingwood vs Gold Coast
Collingwood started the Sunday games with a dominant 69 point win. Adam Treloar (177) top scored for the Pies, using his 35 touches (15 contested) at 91% DE, as well as having 10 clearances, 8 marks and a goal to be the BOG for the day. Twin 121’s came from Grundy and Sidebottom, with the gun ruckman finishing the day with 26 touches, 5 tackles, 1 goal and 43 hitouts, while the gun-runner in Sidebottom had 27 touches, 7 tackles and 2 goals. Scott Pendlebury (106) had 24 touches and 10 tackles on the day to be the other Pie over triple figures, while Crisp (98), Phillips (97), Wills (94) and Hoskin-Elliot (91) were close. Other good scores came from Adams (89), Mihocek (88) and Maynard/Scharenberg on 86, with no really disappointing scores from the Supercoach relevant players being a welcome surprise for coaches in the first week of finals. Multiple goal-scorers were Hoskin-Elliot, Sidebottom, Mihocek, Elliot and Varcoe, with an eye injury to Cox being another concern for the Pies.
Gold Coast couldn’t snap their losing streak, a disappointment after having such a promising display the week before. Backman Charlie Ballard top scored for the Suns on 113, finishing his day with 22 disposals (21 kicks), as well as having 15 marks on the day, which combined with no clangers, increased his score. Only co-captain David Swallow got into the 90’s (92) for his 20 touch (12 contested) game, while other decent enough scores went to Dawson (85) and Lukosius/Miller (84). Ben King and Alex Sexton both kicked 3 goals, while the day was further soured by a left knee concern to big man Witts.
Question from the game: Will the Suns snap the losing streak?
Supercoach query: Were coaches disappointed by Grundy’s score, especially for those who trusted him with the C?
West Coast vs Carlton
A valiant effort from the Blues, who kicked some late goals to trim the margin to a worthy 24 points. Nic Newman was terrific all day, finishing with 4 goals, 24 touches and 11 marks running off half-back to top score for the day with 161 Supercoach points. Sam Walsh continued his incredible debut season with 31 touches and a great goal early to score 113, while breakout contender for 2020 Sam Pretevski-Seton used his 22 touches at 95% to also score well on 108. Marc Murphy scored exactly 100 for his 25 disposal, 8 mark, 1 goal game, with players in the 90’s including ruckman Phillips (98) and midfielder Ed Curnow (94). Kade Simpson backed up last weeks effort with an 89, Harry McKay hauled in 11 marks for his 87, while down back Weitering played well against the big Eagles forwards to score 83. Patrick Cripps (78) was somewhat held by Yeo, finishing the day with 24 touches, while Gibbons kicked 3 goals.
The win puts West Coast into equal 1st on the ladder, with only percentage being the difference between them, Geelong and Brisbane. Yeo was fantastic opposed to Cripps, having 25 touches, 10 marks and 8 tackles on the day to score 114, 2 points less than intercepting defender McGovern, who had 18 touches and 13 marks on the day. Liam Ryan (107) kicked 4 goals and was dangerous all day, but from there no other Eagles ventured into triple figure territory. Five Eagles finished in the 90’s, including Gaff (95), Shuey (96), Sheppard (94), Hurn (90) and Redden (91). Tom Hickey is proving to be a good pickup for the Eagles in the absence of Nic Nat, having 19 touches on the day, but Dom Sheed’s (48) good scoring run came to an end. Multiple goal kickers bar Ryan included Shuey, Waterman and Darling.
Question from the game: What will 2020 hold for the Blues?
Supercoach query: Did Cripps burn many coaches?
Brisbane vs Western Bulldogs
Brisbane finished the round with an 18 point win that, as mentioned before, puts them equal top of the ladder. Mitch Robinson had one of those games where he couldn’t do much wrong, racking up 24 touches, pulling in 8 marks, laying 6 tackles and kicking 2 goals to top score for the Lions on 132 points. Charlie Cameron kicked 4 goals straight from his 13 kick game to finish on 114, while twin 101’s went to Neale and Christensen. No Lions came into the 90’s, but Berry (89), Lyons (86), Hipwood (85) and McInerney (81) all played decent games. The only negative out of the game was a hamstring injury to gun forward/mid Zorko (61) during the third term which ended his night early.
The loss puts a huge dent on the Bulldogs very slim finals hopes, but not all is yet lost. There were two massive, massive scores to finish the Supercoach round from them, and they both came from Supercoach relevent players in Macrae and Bontempelli. Starting with Macrae, he had 45 touches (21 contested) at 71% DE, 7 tackles and 12 clearances to finish on 155 points, while Bontempelli had 35 touches (14 contested), 7 tackles and a goal for 166 points. Josh Dunkley (107) also played his part, racking up 31 touches, but did cop a heavy bump from Robinson late that saw him pretty sore. Youngsters in Naughton (94) and English (97) also scored well enough, while the multiple goal kickers were Naughton and Schache.
Question from the game: Where will both of these teams finish?
Supercoach query: Who trusted Macrae or Bont in the late game with the C?
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Thank you Dane for another informative review of the games. Love your work.