Round Twenty-Three Review

Collingwood vs Essendon

Collingwood ended their regular season with an 11-point win on Friday night. With Supercoach Grand Finals getting underway, Brodie Grundy delivered the goods for anyone who put the VC or C on him, or anyone who owned him in general to be completely honest. The star big man had 33 touches (21 contested), 7 clearances and 35 hitouts to top score for the Pies on 157, while next best was midfielder Taylor Adams (138), who had 31 touches and 10 marks on the day. Scott Pendlebury (115) plays game 300 in the first week of finals, and game 299 was typical Pendlebury, having 33 touches at 78% DE, while up forward Jamie Elliot (109) had seven shots on goal (kicked 3 of them), amongst 18 touches. Elsewhere Chris Mayne (123) patrolled the wing for 31 touches, Adam Treloar (99) had 35 touches, with Crisp racking up 27 touches and 92 points to return a respectable score. Brody Mihocek kicked 4 goals on the night, while a sour taste on the night was Howe’s score of 58, and injuries to Moore and Scharenberg.

 

The win wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Bombers, they were within 2 kicks of a premiership fancy, and after the debacle against the Bulldogs a fortnight ago, this loss has many positives heading into finals time. I doubt anyone owns him but maybe in 2020 things will be different, because Conor McKenna seems to be rapidly improving, this week finishing with a career high 141 points, courtesy of his 35 touch (27 kick game), that went at 77% DE. The only other Bomber in triple figures was McDonald-Tipungwuti (127), who kicked 2 goals amongst 18 touches on the night. Unfortunately for coaches, that means many popular picks in Merrett (78), Shiel (61) and Hurley (48, injury affected) disappointed. McKernan (95), McGrath (88) and Parish/Langford (86) weren’t terrible and although it doesn’t matter now, it’s worth noting Tom Jok played his first career game, having 12 touches.

 

Question from the game: Will Grundy’s performance give him the Brownlow?

 

Supercoach query: How many coaches went the VC with Grundy?

 

Sydney vs St Kilda

 

St Kilda ended 2019 with a 45 point loss up at the SCG. Top scoring for them was Seb Ross, who continued his great form with a 27 touch, 2 goal game resulting in 126 points. Luke Dunstan picked up 27 touches (15 contested) and 7 clearances for 114 points, while ex-Swan Hannebery had 28 touches and 7 clearances for 103 points. In the 90’s were popular picks in Steele (98) who had 27 touches and 7 tackles, Rowan Marshall (94), who had 21 touches and 27 hitouts and a less popular pick in Savage (90), who used his 17 touches at 94%. Josh Bruce kicked 2 goals, Sam Rowe got to play game 100, and Jack Billings (44) disappointed for any owners in Grand Finals.

 

A special day for the Sydney Swans, who finished their season with 8 wins and a percentage of 97. Josh Kennedy (178) was unreal, kicking 2 goals, having 11 clearances, laying 9 tackles and having 32 touches on the day to lead the Swans scoring. Another midfield bull in Parker (141) also scored extremely well, kicking 2 goals himself amongst 28 touches on the day, while the 300-gamer in Franklin kicked 4 goals for 108 points. Across the backline both Dawson (114) and Lloyd (113) had plenty of ball (25 and 28 touches respectfully) to round out the 100-point scorers. Tom McCartin (94) and Tom Papley (92) kicked 5 goals between them to return good scores, while retiring stars McVeigh and Jack both kicked last quarter goals in front of the home crowd to have their moments in the sun. Furthermore, it’s worth noting both Nick Smith and Heath Grundy were given a farewell after the game as well.

 

Question from the game: How should St Kilda’s season be rated?

 

Supercoach query: Was anyone else expecting Franklin to kick 8 and score 175+?

 

Melbourne vs North Melbourne

 

Melbourne’s unwanted season finally came to an end, with a last second shot hitting the post to add further despair. Luckily for Supercoaches, that despair wasn’t felt towards Max Gawn, who turned in a 212 point game. 26 touches, 8 marks, 41 hitouts, 3 goals, 20 contested possessions and 10 clearances for the big man, maybe he’ll be a sneaky chance for the Brownlow? Clayton Oliver finished his season with a 109 point average, this week scoring 109 from 33 touches (21 contested), 8 tackles and 10 clearances, although 9 clangers held him back. No one else in triple figures although the 3-goal Fritsch (99), 32 touch Harmes (95) and the 25 touch Petracca (97) were all close. Melksham kicked 2 goals, while the retiring Jordan Lewis had 24 touches in his last game.

 

North got a 5 point win on the back of a late Shaun Higgins goal, finishing their season in style. The man mentioned above was fantastic on the day, having 2 goals and 34 touches (10 contested), while using the ball at 88% to top score for the Roos on 133. Elsewhere Jared Polec also kicked 2 goals on the night from 29 touches (22 kicks), fellow recruit Pittard played well for 103 points, and skipper Ziebell (100, 2 goals, 19 touches) all scored over 100. Pillars at either end of the ground Tarrant (96) and Brown (92) did their usual things, with the former taking a 6 goal lead in the Coleman. Taylor Garner also kicked 2 goals, Todd Goldstien (69) was obviously dominated by Gawn, Thompson bowed out with a win, an injury to MacMillan ended his day early, and lastly Cunnington (44) was tagged by Viney.

 

Question from the game: Which of these teams has the most upside?

 

Supercoach query: After Grundy, how many kept the C on Gawn?

 

Geelong vs Carlton

The Cats ran out 68 point winners in wet and windy Geelong to solidify a top 2 spot. Patrick Dangerfield probably earned himself 3 Brownlow votes to be another contender in what I’m guessing will a very tight count this year. The superstar Cat kicked 4 goals 3, had 12 clearances, 6 tackles, 5 marks and 34 disposals (18 contested) for 156 points, a score that was bettered by the little master Gary Ablett. 3 goals, 28 touches, 6 tackles and a huge 167 Supercoach points from Gaz to lead all scorers on the ground. 134 points went to Quinton Narkle, who had 27 touches and a goal playing a half-forward role, while another half-forward in Dahlhaus kicked 3 goals, layed 9 tackles and had 19 touches for his score of 123. Other 100-point scorers included Stewart (124, 27 touches), Kelly (115, 17 contested possessions, 24 touches) and Parfitt (101, 22 touches). Touhy (96) kicked 2 goals, while Stanley (95) probably did enough to solidify his spot as Geelong’s number 1 ruck for finals. Disappointing scores from a Supercoach perspective came from Duncan (79), Hawkins (35) and anyone who still has Miers (68).

 

Well Carlton’s 2019 came to an end with a big loss, but overall 2019 was probably a success in many people’s eyes. Patrick Cripps is another who has some sort of chance at a Brownlow, with his effort in this game probably being worthy of 2 votes behind Danger. The Blues skipper finished his season in fine style, having 35 touches (20 contested), 8 tackles, 1 goal and 13 clearances for 148 Supercoach points. Former skipper Murphy (128) was next best for his 31 touch, 1 goal, 7 tackle game, with Ed Curnow taking out the bronze for his 126 point game that came from 29 touches (16 contested) and clearances, even with him only playing two and half quarters due to a leg concern! From there scores dip away for the Blues, with retiring star Dale Thomas scoring 91 in his last senior game. Sam Walsh (73) broke the record for most touches in a debut season, while both Newman and Kreuzer were in the 80’s to finish the Supercoach year for the Blues. 

 

Question from the game: Can Geelong go deep in the finals this year, or will they falter again?

 

Supercoach query: Is Ablett going to be a must have if he gains forward status?

 

Gold Coast vs GWS

Despite being within 10 points early into the 3rd quarter, the Gold Coast Suns terrible 2019 ended with another loss, this one by 72 points. Despite the smashing, captain Jarrod Witts continued his great season, spending 100% of the game on the field, and in the process, racking up 69 hitouts, 20 disposals, 6 clearances, 4 tackles and 152 points. The only other Sun over 100 was Lachie Weller (110), who had 10 tackles and 20 touches on the night, while youngsters Ainsworth (99) and MacPherson (97) were close and finished off their impressive seasons with good games. Not much else Supercoach wise for the Suns, with only King and Sexton being the multiple goal-scorers.

 

GWS finished with a smashing win and now all the focus turns to a cut throat elimination final in two weeks time. Jeremy Cameron (152) needed 7 goals to bring home his first Coleman medal, and he bettered that, finishing up with 9 goals 5 in a marvelous display. His score was bettered though by the hard-running Whitfield, who seemed to roam free all night with 27 touches, 5 tackles and a goal for 159 points. Others in triple figure scoring included the smooth-moving Kelly (124), who had 27 touches and 2 goals, and dashing backman Williams, who had 21 touches and 6 tackles to score exactly 100. Falling just short were all of Perryman (98), Taranto (97), Mumford (94) and Shaw (90), while other decent enough scores came from the 3 goal Daniels (88), the 17 touch, 11 mark Davis (88) and the 2-goal Hill (85). Players who ended up sore were Himmelberg with a hip issue and Daniels, with a shoulder.

 

Question from the game: Do Gold Coast deserve a priority pick, maybe pick 2?

 

Supercoach query: Did many bring in Cameron for the last week?

 

West Coast vs Hawthorn

 

West Coast just simply couldn’t find a way Saturday night in what was an extremely important game for them. Andrew Gaff ran hard all night to gather 37 touches (25 kicks) to top score for the Eagles on 134 points, while others over the 100 mark were the 29 touch Shuey (107), and the 3 goal Rioli (104). All of Yeo (93), Duggan (95) and Jetta (95) were all in the 90’s, while popular backline pick Hurn (89) was also good. Kennedy, Darling and Ryan also kicked 2 goals each, while Shepherd ended up with sore ribs. 

 

Taking nothing away from the Hawks, they set up and executed their game-plan far better than the Eagles. Luke Breust top scored for them finishing his night with 3 goals, 18 disposals (14 contested) and 126 points, while just below him was Sicily on 124, who had 18 touches and a goal. Elsewhere Ricky Henderson (111) had 25 touches and 12 marks, while the 4-goal effort of O’Brien earned him 101 points. Plenty of players in the 90’s for the Hawks, including the 3 goal Burgoyne (90), 2 goal Gunston (91), the 27 touch game of O’Mears (99), Ceglar’s (94) all around game of 16 touches and 39 hitouts, and lastly Sheils score of 96. An injury to Tom Scully was the only bad news on the night for the Hawks.

 

Question from the game: Are the Eagles back-to-back chances shot after the last two weekends?

 

Supercoach query: Sicily a little inflated? Not complaining, but looks like it on paper.

 

Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide

 

The Bulldogs win bumped them up to 7th on the ladder, which then kicked out Hawthorn. Bontempelli finished the season with a bang, having 31 touches (16 contested), 10 tackles, 7 clearances and a goal for 140 Supercoach points, a team high. Next best was ball magnet Jack Macrae (36 touches) who also produced for coaches, scoring 119 points, while Matt Suckling used his 29 touches at 93% DE to score 109. Twin 104’s went to the 5-goal Bailey Dale and young ruckman English, while Josh Dunkley also finished strong, having 33 touches on his way to 106. Lachie Hunter had 30 disposals for his 97, while other decent scores came from Smith (87) and Lipinski (89). Lloyd, McLean, Schache, Lipinski and Dale were the multiple goal kickers. 

 

Adelaide had a chance pre-game to finish in the 8 if everything went right, but allowing the first 6 goals of the game all but ended that chance. Matt Crouch was phenomenal, racking up 47 touches, 8 clearances and a goal on the day to top score for the Crows on 134 points. Ruckman Sam Jacobs also provided a good score for anyone who for some reason may have him, finishing the day on 125 points due to his 15 touches and 58 hitouts, while others over triple figures were popular picks Sloane (106) and Laird (104). Paul Seedsman (95), Brodie Smith (89) and Jones/Lynch (86) all performed well, while up forward skipper Taylor Walker kicked 5 goals on the night. Anyone with Brad Crouch (59) will be disappointed with his score and lastly, Richard Douglas played his final game of AFL football.

 

Question from the game: How far can the Bulldogs go in September?

 

Supercoach query: Has Matt Crouch’s late season run of scores improved his chances of being picked next season?

 

Richmond vs Brisbane

 

A top 4 clash at the MCG went the way of Richmond by 27 points. Dion Prestia top scored for them, racking up 30 touches and 4 tackles on the day to score 116 points, with Jack Riewoldt (112) being next best for his 4 goal effort. Bachar Houli continued his strong run of form, having 30 touches at 90% DE on the day to score 110, while 2 points below him was Dustin Martin, who had 23 touches and 2 goals, while another 2 points behind him was Vlastuin, who had 19 touches patrolling the backline. Edwards (91) was the only player in the 90’s, but after that came plenty of 80 scores, including semi-popular picks Lambert (86) and Baker (89). 

 

Even with the loss Brisbane will host a home final in two weeks time, which will be against this game’s opponent, Richmond. Lachie Neale saved his best performance of the season for last, racking up a ridiculous 51 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 25 contested possessions, 14 clearances while also using the ball at 88% DE to score 190 Supercoach points. Usually 141 points would be enough to lead the team in scoring, but unfortunately for Dayne Zorko his 2 goal, 27 disposal effort fell well short of Neale’s. Hugh McLuggae (112) had 28 touches on the night, while others over 100 were the recently reliable Robinson (104) and Rich (103). Both Jarryd Lyons and Luke Hodge finished on 92, while up forward Cameron was the other multiple goal scorer bar Zorko, but was very quiet on the day, only having 7 touches.

 

Question from the game: Who wins in two weeks time?

 

Supercoach query: Did anyone leave the captaincy for Neale?

 

Fremantle vs Port Adelaide

 

The final game of the season went Port Adelaide’s way, finishing their campaign with a 43 point win. Ollie Wines top scored on the day, racking up 138 points on the back of 31 disposals, 8 tackles and 6 clearances, while just behind him was utility Justin Westhoff (134), who had an all around game of 21 touches, 2 goals, 5 tackles and 6 marks. Returning big man Lycett copped a knee knock late in the game, but still managed to rack up 22 touches and 22 hitouts to score 129 points, with others over the ton being the 21 touch, 1 goal Dan Houston (117), superboot Trent McKenzie (110) who used his 21 touches at 95% DE, and big man Charlie Dixon (112), who kicked 3 goals. Xavier Duursma capped off a great debut season with a 2 goal, 21 touch, 6 tackle game that yielded 98 points, while back-flankers Byrne-Jones (97) and Hartlett (91) also scored well. Multiple goal kickers bar the ones mentioned before included Marshall and Rozee, but unfortunately for Supercoaches, a 2019 favourite in Boak failed to deliver in the Grand Final weekend, only netting 74. 

 

For Fremantle, 2019 is over and now the search for a new coach and new beginnings is the new focus. Not a hell of a lot went right for them Supercoach wise, with only Langdon and Fyfe going into triple figures. Langdon top scored out of the two, using his 25 touches, 9 marks and 2 goals to score 111, while Fyfe had 26 touches (15 contested) and a goal for his 108. From there scores drop drastically, with only Conca (83) and some bloke called Scott Jones (80) going 80 or above. Due to that, most other Supercoach relevant players failed, including the 3 goal Walters (74), the 19 disposal Mundy (70) and tall defender Logue (72). My final note for the year is that Hugh Dixon (45) kicked a nice goal on debut to have his moment in the limelight.

 

Question from the game: What rating out of ten would either of these teams gain for season 2019?

 

Supercoach query: Why oh why was Lycett ever dropped?

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