Round 8 Review

Richmond (9.9.63) defeated by Geelong (19.12.126)

1. Tom Hawkins (149). His best score of the year came courtesy of 20 touches (11 contested) and 80% DE, as well as 4 goals, 7 marks, 2 goal assists and 16 score involvements.

2. Jeremy Cameron (137). With his capabilities, he could well finish as a top 6 forward on average, especially if he can kick bags of goals (6 this weekend) with plenty of disposals (22) and marks (8) on a consistent basis.

3. Mitch Duncan (125). Another stellar game from Duncan who collected 30 touches and 10 marks through the middle of the ground.

4. Gary Rohan (123). Game 150 for Rohan and he delivered one of those 5 goal performances that he seems to have a couple of times per year. Ultimately had 16 disposals and 7 marks while striking the ball beautifully.

5. Cam Guthrie (117). In the same boat as Duncan, he found space all night to collect 36 touches, 11 marks and 6 clearances. Gun and is a very good chance for an All-Aus selection.

Other 100+ scores: Shai Bolton (108), Zach Tuohy (100)

Disappointment: The week off didn’t seem to help Dustin Martin (65), who couldn’t get involved after half-time as Geelong took over.

Rookies: Both Mansell and Collier-Dawkins scored 43 for the night, and then there was Patrick Naish at 180K who came on as the sub again to score 1 point. 

Injuries: The bad night for the Tigers got worse with gun midfielder Shane Edwards suffering an ankle injury in the 4th quarter. For Geelong, their were concerns for Luke Dahlhaus and Sam Simpson, both finishing their nights on the pine.

Gold Coast (7.12.54) defeated by St Kilda (8.15.63)

1. Jack Billings (130). A huge game for Billings running on the outside, as he picked up 25 touches (20 kicks), 13 marks, 2 goals and a massive 525 metres gained.

2. Wil Powell (122). The Suns backman had a career best score in this game to take his season average to an impressive 84, up 18 points on 2020. Had 24 touches and 9 marks while running at 83% DE.

3. Touk Miller (115). The gun Sun continued on his merry way in 2021, finishing with another huge game of 33 touches and 600 metres gained. He spent time on the bench in the last with a hamstring but came back on, watch for any injury news. (Also got rubbed out for a week).

4. Oleg Markov (113). Another career best score to a Suns backman and another guy who has jumped 18 points in his average from 2020 to 84! He had a touch less than Powell but made up for it with 5 tackles and more metres gained.

5. Jack Steele (110). Just a typical game from the Saints skipper as he collected 27 touches (11 contested), had 6 clearances, laid 8 tackles and kicked 2 goals.

Other 100+ scores: Brad Crouch (108), Rowan Marshall/David Swallow (107), Callum Wilkie (104)

Disappointment: A breakout year seemed a sure thing with scores of 102 and 110 to start the year, but since then Jack Lukosius (64) has only gone above 80 once. He’s probably the best field kick, if not one of, in the AFL, but just doesn’t get enough contested ball.

Rookies: Money maker Farrar had 15 touches and 8 marks across half-back for his score of 66, while both Joyce (52) and Byrnes (62) enjoyed their best score of the year, this being Byrne’s second game and Joyce’s third. 

Injuries: Bar the previously mentioned Miller, the second injury in this game came very late in the contest, with hard-nut Holman getting a huge hit to the head which surely sees him miss a week.

GWS (16.11.107) defeated Essendon (16.9.105)

1. Zach Merrett (131). The Bombers ace midfielder did as he pleased, picking up 37 touches to have a game high 631 metres gained, while also racking up a couple of tackles and clearances.

2. Tim Taranto (126). The second big score in a row for Taranto came courtesy of 29 touches, 8 tackles, 1 goal and 5 clearances, something his plethora of owners would be stoked about.

3. Darcy Parish (115). Kept the good scores coming with another great display through the middle of the ground, finishing with 35 touches (17 contested), 7 clearances and 4 tackles.

4. Josh Kelly (111). Once again turned in a good score with Whitfield back in the side. Had 30 touches, 2 goals and 7 clearances in another encouraging display that his best is not far away.

5. Tom Green (104). The youngster became the fifth midfielder in the top five mainly due to a huge last quarter that had many key moments in the Giants victory. His 28 touches (13 contested) and 7 marks were extremely impressive.

Other 100+ scores: Zilch

Disappointment: The return of Lachie Whitfield has been a great story considering the injury he had, but with scores of 83 and 74, coaches will be second-guessing bringing him in just yet.

Rookies: Cox (43) seems to have changed from the guy who had a couple of 90’s earlier on, while Jones (60) and Perkins (50) didn’t deliver great scores either. Tanner Bruhn (53) had his best score yet with a couple of goals from 6 touches, while Sproule (53) had 2 goals from 10 touches and is on the bubble this week at 123K

Injuries: The season of Jake Stringer may have a couple of weeks break after he was subbed out with a hamstring injury in the third term.

North Melbourne (11.10.76) defeated by Collingwood (14.10.94)

1. Darcy Moore (130). Back in the backline, Moore dominated with 28 disposals, 19 marks and a great DE of 85%. If he stays down there, I’d consider trading him in, but he seems to be moved around far too often.

2. Brodie Grundy (128). Another great score from the big ruckman, who again posted midfielder like numbers with 25 touches (10 contested), 5 tackles and 5 clearances.

3. Jordan De Goey (118). There was a lot of talk about him during the week and he responded in a big way with a season best score on the back of 17 touches, 6 marks and 6 goals.

4. Brayden Maynard/Aaron Hall (113). Maynard chalked up his third ton of the year with a solid game off half back where he racked up 32 touches, 10 marks and 574 metres gained, while at the other end Hall did much of the same, picking up 37 touches (30 kicks) and 925 metres gained.

5. Jack Ziebell (111). Even with Hall racking up those numbers, Ziebell found plenty of it himself (30 touches, 7 marks) for his seventh ton of the year, further cementing himself as the number 1 forward. He’s pretty much 600K now.

Other 100+ scores: Jack Crisp (109), Connor Mendaue (105), Tom Campbell (101)

Disappointment: Three of Norths midfielders in Cunnington (66), Davies-Uniacke (65) and Simpkin (60) just couldn’t get it going on Saturday.

Rookies: The previously mentioned Menadue and Campbell were fantastic, as was Powell (73), who continued his already impressive cash climb. Lazzaro (51) and Young (48) will be close to their peak price now, while Phillips (3) came on as the medical sub and only registered 1 handball and 1 tackle. For the Pies, McCreery (33) had more tackles (6) than disposals (4), Keane (65) had 21 touches in his third game, Henry (32) came back for his first game since round 1, Murphy (52) was playing well before he was concussed and finally Poulter (81) seems a decent downgrade option after his 18 touch performance.

Injuries: Bar Murphy, important defender Jordan Roughead was injured late in the fourth term, while Bonar suffered an ankle injury.

Melbourne (10.7.67) defeated Sydney (8.10.58)

1. Callum Mills (145). Mills outstanding season continued with another impressive display in the middle of the ground, picking up 33 touches (18 contested) with 10 tackles and 6 clearances.

2. James Harmes (132). In his first game since round 1, the Melbourne midfielder picked up 31 touches (21 contested) with 7 tackles and 5 clearances. Priced at 344K, and he did average 95 just two years ago.

3. Clayton Oliver (125). Take away his tag affected score of 67 and all his scores range between 114 and 133, highlighting his incredible consistency. Had another 35 touches (19 contested) with 5 tackles and 10 clearances.

4. Luke Parker (116). Produced a huge second half to boost his score, finishing with 32 touches (16 contested) with 7 clearances and 5 tackles for his first ton since round 4.

5. Max Gawn (112). Didn’t bounce all the way back from his 63 last week, but still hit triple figures so I’m sure no one will be too mad. Had 16 disposals, 3 tackles and 43 hitouts.

Other 100+ scores: Jake Lloyd (111), James Rowbottom (107), Jordan Dawson (104), Christian Salem/Tom Hickey (102).

Disappointment: Star defenders Steven May (77) and Jake Lever (35) didn’t have their usual impact on this one.

Rookies: A couple of everyone’s favourite rookies in Gulden (51) and Warner (61) seem to be stuck within that 50-70 scoring range recently, but they seem to be entrenched in the Swans best 22 at least. James Jordon (85) had a couple of down weeks but has now gone 75+ for a month straight

Injuries: No subs used so hopefully no late injury news from this contest!

Port Adelaide (12.15.87) defeated Adelaide (5.8.38)

1. Rory Laird (125). One of the most popular Supercoach players had his best score of the season thanks to 36 touches (21 contested), to go along with 5 tackles and 6 clearances.

2. Karl Amon (117). Scored his fourth ton of the year thanks to 27 touches and 6 tackles. One of the most underrated players in the competition in my eyes, but hes only listed as a midfielder so don’t pick him.

3. Scott Lycett/Willem Drew (107). The Port ruckman had a super game against O’Brien, picking up 18 touches, laying 6 tackles and having 34 hitouts, but he does face a nervous wait after a tackle ended McHenry’s night. One of Lycett’s midfielders, Willem Drew, scored his second ton in a row with 16 touches (11 contested), 7 clearances, 7 tackles and 1 goal.

4. Ben Keays (102). Talking about underrated players, this guy has had a stellar year and pushed his average over 100 with this 20 disposals (15 contested), 8 tackle effort.

5. Charlie Dixon/Rory Sloane (100). A couple of hard heads just reached triple figures to round out the top 5 here. Dixon had 14 disposals, 2 goals, 5 tackles and 6 hitouts, while Sloane, in his return game, had 20 touches, 10 tackles and 1 goal.

Other 100+ scores: Zilch

Disappointment: It’s come a little later than expected but Taylor Walker’s last fortnight has been nowhere near his brilliant best, only recording scores of 42 and the latest, 29.

Rookies: James Rowe’s game of 13 touches and 1 goal gave him a score of 81, which will once again give him a boost in his cash generation, as will the score of Butts (82) and Thilthorpe (51). Port youngster Bergman once again turned in an impressive display with 15 touches and 67 points, while this week’s most popular downgrade Martin Frederick made a surprise appearance as the medical sub, which resulted in 18 points which will really hurt his cash generation.

Injuries: Frederick came into the game late to replace the injured Dan Houston (94), who was flying up until that point. Adelaide’s night was made even worse with injuries to both Murphy and McHenry in the first quarter.

Hawthorn (8.12.60) defeated by West Coast (14.14.98)

1. Tom Mitchell (147). His best score of the year came from a mammoth 41 disposals at 82% DE. Throw in 17 contested possessions, 6 clearances and 4 tackles and it was a good day to be an owner of Mitchell.

2. Andrew Gaff (133). Has almost pushed his average back into the 100’s which is a good effort considering the start he had. Had 38 disposals (12 contested) with 12 marks and 81% DE to help him along the way.

3. Dom Sheed (119). Another Eagle mid who found plenty of the ball was Sheed, as he picked up 35 touches (12 contested), with 10 marks and 5 clearances.

4. Jarman Impey (116). Ran all day to collect a career best 32 touches while running at a great DE of 90%. Kicked 1 goal as well.

5. Brendon Ah Chee (114). Had a career day in his first game of the season, having a career best 4 goals, having 6 inside 50’s and 12 kicks from his 17 touches.

Other 100+ scores: Nic Naitanui (107), Ben McEvoy (102), Changkuoth Jiath (101)

Disappointment: Eagle recruit Alex Witherden started with a boom but has since only posted scores of 59, 74 and 68 since.

Rookies: The second game of Emerson Jeka (31) was a touch more promising than the first as he collected 8 touches of the footy, but I’d be crossing him off the downgrade target list, while Koschitzke (38) could only manage 8 touches himself as well. The Eagles had 193K F/R Bailey Williams (56) play his first game of the year, while other cheapish options Jones (88) and Edwards (43) played well. First-gamer Luke Foley came on as the medical sub and recorded 1 kick, 1 mark and 3 points.

Injuries: The only bad news for the Eagles on the day was a calf injury that ended Kennedy’s day.

Western Bulldogs (16.11.107) defeated Carlton (13.13.91)

1. Jacob Weitering (156). By all reports, he was dominant all game, finishing with a career best tally of kicks (21) and Supercoach score. Hauled in 13 marks as well which one would assume were majority intercepted.

2. Marcus Bontempelli (155). The skipper was the the Bulldogs best, picking up 32 touches (19 contested), 10 clearances, 8 tackles, 1 goal and gaining 674 metres for his club. Also recorded 11 clangers in what could’ve been a monster score.

3. Josh Bruce (139). Bar kicking 10 goals in  round 3, Bruce hasn’t gone above 75 up until this game. Was huge up front for the Dogs, kicking 5 goals from 15 touches and 11 marks.

4. Sam Docherty (132). His consistent season continued with this season best score. Drove the Blues forward on multiple occasions, gaining 756 metres from his 31 disposal game.

5. Tom Liberatore (126). Rounding out the top 5 is the games clearance king, who added another 13 of them to his tally, while also registering 27 touches (17 contested) and 5 tackles.

Other 100+ scores: Eddie Betts (111), Jack Macrae (106), Ed Curnow (104), Lachie Hunter (101), Caleb Daniel/Alex Keath (100)

Disappointment: Blue recruit Zac Williams was ice cold on Sunday afternoon, only registering 27 points from 9 disposals. Saad (21) was a little worse.

Rookies: Blue pairing Owies (49) and Parks (59) were not the worst performing of the Blues and that bodes well for future job security. 186K defender Stocker played his third game and recorded 14 touches for his 31 points, a score that wont help him make quick cash. Someone who is making quick cash though is the Bulldogs pair of Anthony Scott (85) and Lachie McNeil (81), they both had career best scores. Budget ruckman Sweet got his chance and scored 50, but his spot is at the mercy of Martin and English’s health, while debutant Baku Khamis had 11 touches and 39 points out of the backline.

Injuries: Cursed Carlton forward Silvagni was once again subbed out with concussion, while both Stocker and Pittonet spent time on the bench.

Brisbane (14.11.95) defeated Fremantle (10.11.71)

1. Jarryd Lyons (145). Another outstanding game from Lyons. His best score of the year came courtesy of 29 touches (11 contested), 6 clearances, 1 goal and just the one clanger.

2. Daniel Rich (138). Superboot Daniel also had his best score of the season, finishing with 31 touches (28 kicks), 10 marks and 660 metres gained. Take out his 72 and he is averaging 112.

3. Hugh McCluggage (127). Another guy who is in super form is the former number 3 pick, who has really stepped up in Neales absence, this week collecting 27 touches, kicking 1 goal and laying 5 tackles.

4. Nat Fyfe (122). Hasn’t turned in one of the big 150+ scores that were used to from him yet, but he has been ultra consistent (although not in front of goal). This week he had 27 disposals (18 contested), with 8 clearances, 5 tackles and 1 goal.

5. Sean Darcy (114). Darcy gave Fyfe and his fellow midfielders plenty of first possession from his 39 hitouts, but he also did some work around the ground to have 17 touches, 1 goal and 5 clearances. 

Other 100+ scores: David Mundy/Dayne Zorko (105), Nathan Wilson/Charlie Cameron (102)

Disappointment: Andrew Brayshaw (70) had plenty of it (28) but with a combination of poor DE% (67), clangers (6) and limited contested possessions (7), he failed to cash in.

Rookies: Money making forward Robertson might slow burn for a little after he could only produce 9 touches and 44 points, while another youngster is Prior kicked 1 goal from 10 touches for an even 50. 184K forward Henry has been in and out of the team, but this week returned his best score, fishing on 55 from 9 touches and 1 goal.

Injuries: Fremantle forward Frederick only had the one kick before he was subbed off with an ankle injury, which might put a stop to the 85K he has made so far this year.

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