Round 1 Review

(Written by and posted on behalf of Dane)

Richmond (15.15.105) defeated Carlton (11.14.80)

1. Dustin Martin (158). With 51% ownership, Dusty provided coaches with a fantastic start to the year, picking up 31 disposals (14 contested), to go along with 5 clearances, 2 goals and 600+ metres gained. Looks set for a massive year.

2. Sam Walsh (122). Racked up the same amount of touches as Dusty to go along with 6 clearances on the night, while also using the ball well at 87% DE. An early win for those who backed him in.

3. Jack Graham (120). Finished with a game high 836 metres gained from his 33 disposal effort running through the midfield. A great start but with Cotchin to return, this role may change.

4. Adam Saad (114). His first game in blues colours was typical Saad, running off half-back while typically using his 25 touches at a solid 80% DE.

5. Shane Edwards (111). New year, same Shane Edwards. 27 touches splitting his time between up forward and in the middle. Highly unlikely to keep up these sort of scores year round though with the Tigers typically spread scoring.

Other 100+ scores: Jack Newnes (109), Jayden Short (100).

Disappointment: Dow was on around 50 at halftime from memory, eventually finishing up on 60 for the game, while his captain Cripps (88) was a little handball happy.

Rookies: None to speak of here, moving on.

Injuries: Both injury substitutes were used in this game, with Vlastuin having a knee issue while Silvagni sustained a shoulder problem.

Collingwood (7.11.53) defeated by Western Bulldogs (10.9.69)

1. Bailey Smith (123). Possibly the least talked about Bulldog midfielder, Smith won B.O.G honours for his 36 touches and 2 goals. Kid is going to be a star and a super popular pick over the next decade.

2. Bailey Williams (121). Finished with a team best 550 metres gained playing off halfback. Finished with 27 touches (20 kicks) with a very solid DE of 81%.

3. Darcy Moore (119). Repelled numerous Bulldog forward thrusts and looked very good in the air to be the top scoring Magpie. 18 touches, 12 marks, 93 % DE and 9 intercept possessions all contributed to his score.

4. Jack Macrae (118). Not really much to be said here, he played the sort of game we’re all used to at this point, finishing with 35 touches and 7 tackles. A name and statline that will be repeated many a time in 2021.

5. Josh Dunkley (113). From what it looked like, played the majority of the game in the middle, which bodes well for his plethora of owners. 30 touches with a couple of tackles allowed him to round out the top 5.

Other 100+ scores: Tom Liberatore (108), Caleb Daniel (107), Lachie Hunter (100), Brayden Maynard (106), Scott Pendlebury (102)

Disappointment: Grundy (70) would by far frustrate the majority of coaches (55% ownership) but he wasn’t alone, with Howe (83), De Goey (69), Daicos (30) and POD Adams (42) all starting off the year poorly.

Rookies: A couple to talk about here. Henry (9) had 4 kicks and shouldn’t be considered, while young Dog McNeil (26) did kick a goal from his 9 touches but did have 7 clangers. Better news for Anthony Scott, he had 16 touches for 56 points and seems more likely to hold his spot long enough to make some coin.

Injuries: No subs used in this game, with seemingly only Vandermeer suffering a corkie, but he returned to the game.

Melbourne (11.14.80) defeated Fremantle (8.10.58)

1. Jake Lever (129). A career best score here from Lever, who picked up 18 disposals (12 interceptions) and a couple of tackles to start his year off in fine fashion.

2. Andrew Brayshaw (125). Carrying on his form from last year, Brayshaw finished round 1 with 29 touches, 1 goal, 4 tackles and 505 metres gained in 80% TOG, which is a fair % increase from last year.

3. Clayton Oliver/Adam Cerra (122). In game 100 of Oliver’s career, he did his usual thing with 35 touches (15 contested) at 80% DE, while Cerra showed his class with 24 touches and 5 tackles.

4. Steven May (117). Had 24 disposals (21 kicks) with 8 marks and 500+ metres gained for his club coming out of the backline. Only at 1% ownership and looks to be a very good POD if this form can keep up.

5. Nat Fyfe (109). Rounding out the top 5 was the Fremantle skipper. He had 27 touches, 9 of them clearances, to go along with 5 tackles and 13 contested possessions.

Other 100+ scores: Charlie Spargo (108), Ed Langdon (105), Caleb Serong (101)

Disappointment: If Grundy got it the game before, then Gawn deserves it here. His 93 wasn’t the worst considering he was sitting on 29 at HT.

Rookies: James Jordon looks to be a decent cash cow, finishing his day with 15 touches, 5 tackles, 1 goal and 78 points, while Dockers ruckman Meek had 13 hitouts, 6 touches and 43 points.

Injuries: Young Luke Jackson copped a shoulder knock but played on, but the same cant be said for Hamling and Pearce, who both picked up leg injuries.

Adelaide (15.13.103) defeated Geelong (13.13.91)

1. Taylor Walker (146). 5 goals, 18 touches and beautiful set shot kicking gave him his best score since round 1, 2015. No one will own him but it was nice to see Tex back in some form.

2. Rory Sloane (119). The old guard played well for the Crows, it almost feels like 2015-17 again. Priced at 471k, the Crows skipper rewarded anyone who picked him with a 20 touch (13 contested), 7 clearance, 4 tackle game.

3. Tom Stewart (113). If you won Stewart, get used to scores like this. Patrolled the backline for 21 touches (7 intercepts) and a great DE of 95% to start ff his year on a high.

4. Tom Lynch (112). The Crows link man played extremely well, especially when the Crows set up their eventual match-winning lead. Had 17 touches, 1 goal and once again great DE (94%).

5. Brandon Parfitt (111). The young Cat enjoyed his time rotating through the midfield, picking up 18 touches, 9 tackles and kicking 2 goals.

Other 100+ scores: James Rowe (104), Cam Guthrie (104), Rory Laird (102), Joel Selwood (101)

Disappointment: Once again, his score wasn’t too bad, but being the highest priced forward, more is expected, so Danger’s score of 92 gets the nod. Also throw in the fact he might cop a week for his bump.

Rookies: Young James Rowe rewarded many a coach with his 16 touch, 2 goal, 104 point performance, while Sam Berry (59) faded out of the game but his 8 touches and 7 tackles were ultra impressive and shouldn’t be dropped anytime soon from a winning Crows side. Jordan Clark (80) can get a mention here too.

Injuries: Plenty of injuries to discuss here. For the Cats, Menegola picked up a shoulder injury, while for the Crows, Hinge had the same issue. Jake Kelly was stretchered off after his clash with Danger, Brown was subbed off due to an achilles issue, while McAdam had an ankle injury but played on.

Essendon (13.13.91) defeated by Hawthorn (14.8.92)

1. Tom Mitchell (135). His ownership will jump from the 3% it was leading into round 1 with this performance. Had 39 disposals (17 in the 3QT when the Hawks rallied) to go along with 5 tackles, showing little to no sign of off-season surgery.

2. Andrew McGrath (133). Could be set for a breakout year with this effort. His 33 touches, 11 tackles were well complemented with 1 goal and 5 clearances to return a career best score.

3. Jordan Ridley (125). With 21 touches, 2 contested possessions and only 4 intercept touches, Ridley used his elite disposal (95% DE) and the new kick in rules (577 metres gained) to perfection to lock in a great opening score.

4. Will Day (122). A career best score for Day who seems to be playing some of Sicily’s role across halfback, finishing his night with 28 touches, 8 marks and 500+ metres gained.

5. Zach Merrett (105). Started on fire with 13 touches ( I think) in the 1st quarter, ultimately ending up with 31 and the 1 goal.

Other 100+ scores: Dylan Shiel (104), Jaeger O’Meara (101)

Disappointment: With a little bit of pre-season hype, Worpel (45) didn’t start the year too strong, only picking up 17 touches.

Rookies: Plenty happening in this game. Harrison Jones looked great up forward and could’ve had 3 goals, but he ultimately finished with 48 points from 13 touches. Cox unfortunately got reported in his first game but looked a talent with 9 touches, while for the Hawks Brockman (22) kicked 2 goals from 9 touches and Koschitzke (53) laid 5 tackles to go with 7 touches. Can’t see any of them being dropped. Although he’s not a rookie, Impey is around that price and probably deserved more than 64 from his 20 touches. Downie was the sub and did not play.

Injuries: Don’t think there was anything too serious from this game thankfully!

Brisbane (14.10.94) defeated by Sydney (19.11.125)

1. Callum Mills (154). Could this be his big breakout? Averaged just over 100 last year but seems to be capable of more. Finished the night with 2 goals and 29 touches playing what seemed solely midfield with stints up forward.

2. Errol Gulden (139). What a debut from the 2nd round pick. Kicked 3 goals from 19 touches while also laying 10 tackles. Is only the second ever Errol to play AFL after Errol Hutchinson in the 50’s.

3. Tom Hickey (123). The AFL’s journeyman has shown in the past he’s capable of these sorts of scores, this season beginning with a great game of 23 touches, (14 contested), 9 clearances and 24 hitouts.

4. James Rowbottom (117). Doesn’t get much attention but this guy has the makings of a Josh Kennedy type. Only 20 years old, he finished with 22 touches (13 contested) and 8 tackles for a career best score.

5. Isaac Heeney (115). Very typical of Heeney, starting off with a bang to grab coaches attention. Had 13 touches, 8 marks and 3 goals for a great opening score, which he did last year as well, but then produced a 60 in round 2. Watch carefully before triggering the trade button.

Other 100+ scores: Dayne Zorko (114), Oscar McInerney (109), Jarryd Lyons (100)

Disappointment: Lachie Neale (77) had 24 touches, nothing else to really say. Just for good measure, it’s worth noting Jake Lloyd (98) also didn’t crack a ton, meaning the most expensive player on all four lines failed to reach that score in round 1.

Rookies: Harry Sharp did his chances of holding his spot no harm with 11 touches and 55 points, while a host of Swans all provided great scores. Gulden has already been mentioned, but McDonald (88), Warner (70) and Campbell (56) all showed enough. In the same bracket as Impey is Daniher who is worth a mention, he kicked 2 goals, scored 54 and got reported, doubt he gets a week though.

Injuries: No substitutes used = no injuries once again!

North Melbourne (9.11.65) defeated by Port Adelaide (17.15.117)

1. Travis Boak (160). If he had forward status, he’d probably be a lock again, the guy just seemingly gets better. Finished up with 29 touches (13 contested), 2 goals and 7 clearances.

2. Luke Davies-Uniacke (114). Breakout year? Backed up his pre-season game with a 20 disposal effort, also adding a goal and 5 tackles. Keep an eye on him.

3. Jack Ziebell (113). One of the more popular players in the game backed it up with a 25 disposals effort off half-back, ultimately running at 92% DE and over 600 metres gained.

4. Jaidyn Stephenson (112). Seems like he’s got a point to prove this year, and is off to a flying start. Playing across the wing, he racked up 33 touches, 541 metres gained and laid 7 tackles.

5. Karl Amon (110). Probably one of the more underrated players in the competition in my opinion, he started his year in fantastic fashion with a 16 touch, 1 goal effort playing across the wing.

Other 100+ scores: Todd Goldstein (109).

Disappointment: Dom Tyson proved a popular pick, but his first hitout wasn’t a success, only scoring 29.

Rookies: Roo’s youngster Tom Powell (53) had a decent first hitout with 19 touches and a goal, while Lazzaro came on as the sub to get 1 kick and 3 points. Miles Bergman fared pretty well, having 14 touches, but that only equaled 31 points.

Injuries: New Roo Corr had a foot issue, while Bonner was flying on 72 points before a hamstring ended his night.

GWS (11.12.78) defeated by St Kilda (13.8.86)

1. Matthew Flynn (140). Going head-to-head with a fellow debutant, Flynn was utterly dominant with 18 possessions and 34 hitouts, including 10 to advantage. Even more impressive was that this score came from only 68% time on ground after he was treated for a rolled ankle in the third quarter.

2. Jack Billings (114). One of Saints’ legion of Jacks, Billings continues to evolve as a hard-running wingman, finishing with a game-high 30 disposals (11 contested) and only two clangers.

3. Hunter Clark (113). A super POD choice for his 5.4% of owners, Clark shapes as a breakout candidate in 2021 and spent most of his time in the midfield and racked up 24 disposals at 70% efficiency, including a team-high 12 contested.

4. Callan Ward/Jacob Hopper (110). Showing no sign of past injury struggles, Ward was back to near his best with 25 possessions (12 contested) and a terrific snap for goal in the third quarter. Hopper continues to fly under the radar and is a draft special, with his 27 touches including a game-high 15 contested.

5. Tim Membrey (108). The Saints spearhead looks to be in good touch again this year, booting three majors and also dropping back into defence in the closing stages to shut down a few Giants’ raids. Still can’t believe the Swans gave him away all those years ago!

Other 100+ scores: Tim Taranto (107), Harry Perryman (104)

Disappointment: Tom Green (50) fell victim to the second-year curse, only managing 3 kicks for the game in conditions that should’ve suited his style of play.

Rookies: Highmore (60) had a mixed afternoon but hopefully his 19 touches were enough to earn him a follow up performance. Hunter was well-beaten but 44 points is not a bad return for his basement price. Bruhn started painfully slowly but worked into the game nicely to finish with 48. Nothing more needs to be said about Flynn!

Injuries: No injuries so no subs used once again. Mason Wood is apparently already being managed (!), and was replaced in the selected side by Dan McKenzie.

West Coast (12.11.83) defeated Gold Coast (8.10.58)

1. Jack Bowes (146). An incredible seagull of a performance from Bowes, who only had 1 contested possession among his 30 touches but ran at a flawless 100% efficiency. Also managed 14 marks on the wide expanses of Optus Stadium.

2. David Swallow (119). Rapidly entering veteran status but a healthy Swallow is still a terrific talent. 29 possessions and a goal, as well as his trademark dose of leadership through the Suns midfield.

3. Shannon Hurn (118). Speaking of veterans, old man Hurn just keeps getting it done. That cannon shows no signs of losing any potency and 31 possessions (including 23 kicks) at a stellar 93% efficiency is a great return.

4. Tom Barrass (117). Defenders are definitely the flavour of the month in Supercoach, and Barrass reaped the benefits after his 22 touches at 95% efficiency. Also counted a team-high 13 marks amongst his score.

5. Tim Kelly (114). Coming off a somewhat disappointing first season in the blue and gold, Kelly looked to be back to his smooth-moving best with 28 touches and zero clangers. Can he maintain the rage when the likes of Shuey and Yeo return from injury?

Other 100+ scores: Jack Lukosius (102), Tom Cole (100)

Disappointment: Liam Duggan had a bit of pre-season hype around him as a potential breakout defender with more mid time, but was barely sighted in the first half and finished with 62 from 22 possessions at 68%.

Rookies: Absolutely nothing to see here!

Injuries: The saddest news of the weekend was seeing Rowell go down with a knee injury in the opening quarter of his comeback game. We’ll wait on the scans, but he looks set to miss weeks and is a trade out for the 42% of coaches with him in their midfield.

---

Leave a comment / Scroll to bottom