Training Report - 8/2/10

By sandbelt
With all the information still fresh in the mind from the Shep game last week, and with only four sleeps to go before there is a real hitout on Friday, I might not have bothered to turn up at the ground this morning. But it is a perfect day in Melbourne, and at 8 AM it felt like being in Grafton, so what the hell I took the dog and sat in the shade at the school end and just relaxed.

The Melbourne spy was there too, and also another spy which I was told belonged to West Coast, and I could see family of four over in the stands somewhere, but otherwise it was pretty quiet. This might be a pity, because I though it was quite a pleasant training session to sit and watch.

Everybody will be pleased to know that there are still no apparent injuries, not counting Stewart Crameri’s infected leg (which anyway looks like it is nearly fully recovered). I did see Jake Carlisle doing a bit of boundary running but that was just for a bit. The whole point of the session seemed to be to put some polish on the teams’s skill level in perfect conditions, which as usual means breaking the side into groups of half a dozen or so and giving each group some passing practice, either by hand or by foot, for a few minutes before rotating everyone on. I particularly tried to keep an eye on the polish level of the foot-passing since I think it is getting better, though nobody believes we are up to Geelong’s level yet.

With 40 players all going at once there was no way I can do a fair job of reporting, but I did spend some time looking at David Myers, who I thought went OK, and Gus and Mark Williams, who I thought were impressive, and Kyle Reimers, who was OK most of the time but who produced a characteristic clanger right in front of goal and kicked it straight to the opposition. Jay Neagle managed to produce a scrubber and Heath Hocking was sloppy once, but overall the team looked like it knew what it was about.

I like watching the players compete one on one, and there was some of this today with Adrian Hickmott lofting a high punt towards pairs of players in turn. Nothing too violent, and there wasn’t anybody dominating that I could see, but it was still fun. This is where Ricky got pronged somehow on a finger in one of the marking contests and had to go off to get it seen to, and those Blitzers who are prone to panic can expect that he will never play again.

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Posted Monday February  8, 2010 in Training Report

2010 AFL Season Preview - Western Bulldogs

By Allblack
The Doggies werent too far off last year. They recruited the key forward they were craving in the off season to give themselves one last real shot at a flag before their aging players sign off.

Their backline always looks undermanned and undersized. Lake is obviously quality and is their most important player. Should he go down for any reason at all you can put a line through the Dogs. Morris is undersized but still reliable. They have some young KP backs in Everitt and Williams but neither have shown enough at this stage to put a lot of faith in them. Runners from the backline have never been an issue for the Dogs, last year saw Harbrow start to come of age and Griffen finally looked like he may start to show why many rate him above Franklin as the best player of his draft although he generally belongs in the midfield. Hargraves was solid and Callan looks like a good find. Eagleton is important and probably playing his last year. Gibee saw a little more time upfield last season but he should still be around the half back line and there for kickins. He is a great user of the ball.

The midfield is where the strength of the Doggies lays. Cooney gets better each year and with a trouble free preseason may really announce himself. Boyd last year stepped up and showed that he is one of the best inside/outside mids in the competition. Ward and Picken look like players as does Addison although he needs to work on his sloppy disposal. I think Higgins will move more into the middle last year and if he builds on a great year in 09 he will star. Daniel Cross is another without great footskills but again one of their real important players. Their midfield will also see rotations of the likes of Gia, Griffen and Hill to boost them when needed. It is an A grade midfield.

Strangely they had the highest scoring forwardline of 09. What they did lack though was a player who could impose himself when the game started to slide. A big man to make an impact which they would hope they have now in Barry Hall. A lot relies on him. Small forwards like Gia and Hill whilst classy players arent made to be primary targets. Murphy needs and injury free year, Johnson showed last year the first signs of age catching up with him and seemed to have lost his explosive pace on the lead. One player who seems to defy age is Aker. He was outstanding last year. Hahn should find it easier this year with Hall taking the spot of first forward. So much rests on Hall staying of sound mind and body this year that you could mount an argument he is the most important player after Lake.

The rucks are passable. Not in the top half dozen in the comp but enough to make a contest. Hudson is aging but quality and Minson makes a contest and may improve from not spending so much time up forward. They have a couple of good young kids in Roughead and Cordy who we may see a little more of this year.

The coach is astute. He took the Doggies further than most expected last year and despite being known as a defensive coach he let the team off the leash and we saw some good scores from the team without too much sacriface of his defensive structures. I rate Eade prett highly, higher than some coaches still going around with premierships to their name. Footy can be a cruel sport like that.

The doggies are in do or die mode. So many of their important players are in the last years of their careers that if they dont win one this year or possible next then it is too late. The Dogs have thrown their weight behind Hall as the answer and despite thinking earlier it may be enough I have changed my mind. He will make a difference if he stays on the paddock but not enough of a difference for mine. I think they will drop a little. Nothing frightening… yet.. 4-5 for mine.

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Posted Monday February  8, 2010 in Important Articles

2010 AFL Season Preview - Collingwood

By Allblack
So Collingwood. I have to take the blinders off and try and look at them honestly. They scare me though and the potential is there for a very good year.

They had the second best performed defense in the AFL last year. This was on the back of Presti returning to career best form, the only question mark would be around his age but he is a little like Fletch in not really showing signs of dropping off. Maxwell has thrived with the captaincy and has already exceeded my expectations. They have solid young KP players in Brown and Goldsack as well as Toovey in a stretch. O’Brien solidified his reputation last year andseems to find a way to get the job done without infringing. I do think though that a tighter interpretation of holding the man rules could find him struggling a little. I think Shaw was found out a little last year when he was forced to play on a man but still a very good player off half back.

The midfield has talent. Swan had his best year last year, I am not convinced the hype matches the output and not sure he does enough damage to teams but he finds the ball and distributes it well. Pendelbury is apparently training well (isnt everyone this time of year) and give the midfield a lot more class when he is up and running. Ball will be a handy addition this year and will be dangerous with a point to prove. Sidebottom and Beams announced themselves last year and would expect more from them this year. Sidebottom in particular has a lot more upside still to come. O’Bree and Johnson may struggle to break into the team this year as the young players start to stake their claim but both are still solid contributors. If O’Bree cant play regular football you know the Pies will be flying. Didak will be around the middle a lot again this year and he is a genuine match winner.

The forward line is probably the main worry for the Pies but the talent is there as well. Medhurst had a poor year last year but is still a quality player. Leigh Brown for mine will probably struggle for a game this year. Travis Cloke would have been a massive disappointment last year but the potential is there and I would expect him to bounce back. Anthony had his best year but I think needs to be a second or third target rather than the first one which is why they need Cloke to find some touch. Dick showed glimpses last year but is fighting to get fit. Davis is under immense pressure after another disappointing finals series, he is 28 and needs to build his reputation come December. Lockyer was good last year around the forward line and see no reason he wont continue to perform. Dale Thomas needs to step up and realise the potential he has been sold on, his habit of going missing for large portions of games is going to wear thin eventually. They woudl love to have Rusling and Dawes running around and who knows, they may.

The ruck stocks look good all of a sudden. After trying to find a ruckman over the past couple of years they now have options. Jolly is one of the best rucks in the league, Wood still has growth left as a player and Fraser who will probably play more as a forward is still there if needed.

the coaching situation is a strange one with Mathouse serving his last couple before Buckley comes in. I think Mathouse needs a premiership now to solidify his reputation. He has been a long time without one. This year he enters his 16th season since he last win a big one. Not many coaches get that sort of opportunity.

I am scared by Collingwood this year. If they can make the forward line work then the sky is the limit this year. They didnt miss by much last year and have added Jolly and Ball to the line up. No one wants to believe it but this could well be the year for Collingwood. Top 2 for mine.

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Posted Friday February  5, 2010 in Important Articles

2010 AFL Season Preview - Adelaide

By Allblack
I like Adelaide this year. They remind me of Port a few years ago when they finally broke through and won their premiership. They have been around the mark but unable to close in the finals but I think their time is close.

Their backline is reliable, the third best performed last year. Rutten is the general down back and gets his job done consistantly. They will miss Andy Otten last year who had a fantastic break through season. Bock will finally be building some confidence in his body and will be a better player for it. Mcleod is still one of the best distributors of the ball in AFL football. They have few more important players which is a worry with him being 33 and entering his last year or two. I think McKernan may see some time back there this year as well as Goodwin who will provide some good ball winning abaility around the half back line. I thought Symes was ok last year, I worry about Johncock and think his influence just seems to be waning. Stevens can play as a bit of a swingman but with the riches up forward will probably spend more time down back.

Their midfield is class. It is probably under rated but there are some real players there. Van Berlo continues to improve. Vince had his best year last year and looked fantastic. Edwards has lost another yard of pace but is still effective. Thompson is a really solid ball winner and influences games consistantly. I think Doughty is a little under rated but again finds his share of the ball and gets the job done. Losing Shirley will create an opportunity for Sloane who only played one game but I thought he showed a lot, tackled like a machine and showed a real hunger. We will see more of him this year.

Their forward lne really started to find its feet towards the end of last year. In no small part due to Tippett finally clicking how good he is. If he can reproduce that form consistantly then it could get scary. Porplyzia is such a strong forward it is hard to see him not following up lastyear with another 50 odd goals. Very handy player to have. Knights took to life as a forward well and is a great shot at goal. Expect he may even improve this year but 40 goals from the HF line is a pretty good outcome anyway. Dangerfield improved last year in his first real year of footy and he should spend some more time in the middle this year but he gives their forwardline and alternative target and a bit of a harder edge. He has Riccuitto about him. The wildcard for the forward line may be Hentschel who by all reports has had a good preseason and is a very good player if he gets his body right. Burton is a similar proposition and will be very handy if the body gets right. Walker is still young but showed a lot of promise last year.

Their ruck department is probably underrated. Maric was solid last year. Tippett can get around the bounces when he is freed up. Moran was ok last year when he got on the park and after that they have Griffin who will be ok and Sellar who is more of a mobile option.

The coach is probably missing finals success from his resume but he has kept the team at a pretty high level for his time in the job. Towards the end of last year he relaxed a little on the defensive side and showed a more attacking game plan. this is the key to their success. They already have a solid defence so if they can let the players off the leash a little and back in what looks like a very good forward line full of options then the sky is the limit.

Whilst I say all the above it is hard to predict too high a climb up the ladder. There are a couple of teams you would think are immune from the drop so I would at this stage put Adelaide in the mix to finish between 3 and 5. They are a genuine premiership threat this year though.

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Posted Wednesday February  3, 2010 in Important Articles

2010 AFL Season Preview - Brisbane

By Allblack
So how to preview Brisbane. Voss either a genius or a madman for his trading and drafting at the end of the year. There is no doub they still believe the premiership window is well and truly open.

Their backline for mine looks a little sparse. Merritt has been a very good performer for them, I think Mitch Clark may find himself back this year and they have recruited Maguire as backup. Small defenders are good. Drummond, Patfull and Adcock are very handy, you can add in Raines who the Lions chased. I am not sure he is good enough. Sheldon looked a player last year. They do look to lack a little depth back here and think this could be their undoing if they lose control through the midfield.

The midfield mind you is strong. Lead by Black who seems to just keep getting better. Daniel Rich is only going to get better. Power is probably losing some of his effectiveness but still gets the job done. Sherman last year improved but needs to build on it again. I am not sold on Stiller who still has a lot of work to do. Johnstone is supposed to be the polish on the midfield but in my opinion whilst they were cleaning out they should have sent him off as well. Just doesnt work hard enough. I like the look of Proud if he can keep his head straight. Selwood is reliable to get his job done most weeks. Rischitelli is due for a big year and should build further on last season.

The forward line is really interesting. You lose your second best forward but replace him with the best Full Forward in the competition. They will need time to learn each others game but the thought of Brown and Fevola in the same forward 50 will give most teams the cold shivers. You never know what Brennan will give you but with third best defender he should be dangerous this year Buchanon and Staker should give them a little more bite as well. I think we will see a little more of Rockliff this season as well. I rate him. McGrath could be at either end but suspect more forward this year.

Thier rucks are as good as anyone in the league. Perhaps even the best ruck division if Charman can stay upright along with Luenberger and Clark if needed. The depth is the key there after last season when Clark was awesome.

Voss is still a coach in learning and after a pretty good year last year, he has traded heavily and made the list his own. If it succeeds we may see a lot more clubs following the trend but for mine I am not sure they improved the list enough to justify all the movement and have sold their future for a short term chase of success.

Brisbane has the list to improve slightly on last year. I dont think they can crack the top four but should be around the edge of it. 5th or 6th should do the job for them and they could be dangerous around September. Not a genuine premiership threat but you still wouldnt want to meet them without your best defensive unit up and running. Will be one of the more interesting teams to watch.

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Posted Monday February  1, 2010 in Important Articles

2010 AFL Season Preview - Carlton

By Allblack
It is hard to pretend this isn’t the review I have been most looking forward to. Carlton has lost their most important player in a move they really had no choice about. The message sent to the list obviously hadn’t got through during a preseason filled with misdemeanours. Where does this leave them?

Their backline is not top 8 standard. Waite I would expect to play down back a fair bit this year but he will also be needed up forward as well. He is a very good player when fit. Thornton is hard to judge as he always went alright against us but he is still undersized and not coming off a stellar season. Jamison is held in high regard down at Carlton and should develop further this year. It gets pretty skinny after that. O’hAilpin started to play up forward last year but suspect he will be sent back again and still is an average performer. They found a reasonable running backman last year in Armfield but his skills aren’t yet AFL standard. Carrazzo will play down back more and should see a bit of the ball along with Scotland who is on his last legs. They will be hoping for a full 22 games from Walker and that he finally has his body right. Houlihan plays the role off half back but there is always a question mark over his attack on the footy.

Their midfield is good. Judd, Murphy and Gibbs are all class acts. Murphy and Gibbs should be better players again this year. Judd is still the best midfielder in the competition when his body lets him. The addition of Brock Mclean to do the grunt work wont hurt at all and should free Judd up a little. Joseph did well last year in the run with role and another year in the system will improve him. They don’t have great depth in the midfield when you go down to the next rung being players like Grigg, Hadley and Simpson (who I understand some people rate highly but I am not really one of those). They will need Judd, Murphy, Gibbs and McLean to have relatively injury free years but then most teams drop away after their first three or four. They will miss Stevens even though he was dropped last year.

The forward line is going to be a struggle. Losing Fevola who kicked 89 goals last year would hurt any team but seeing who they have to replace him has to be a worry. Henderson is a good kid but still young and not in the same postcode as Fevola in terms of talent. Betts is going to find it harder without a forward the quality of Fevola to crumb off. I think Kruezer will play more forward this season and will certainly help if he does but they don’t have a good enough ruck department to send him forward permanently. Fisher gets another year after losing Fevola and Wiggins is still floating around with Russell after showing some reasonable touch in periods last year. They will expect Yarran to step up this year but we don’t really know where his head is at. Garlett and Robinson are young and will be around the mark for depth.

The ruck department has potential. Warnock looked a talented kid for Freo but playing second fiddle to Sandilands makes life a little easier. Kruezer is needed elsewhere but may find himself at first ruck for a lot of this year. Hampson is a plodder (I could be under rating him but he doesn’t impress me) but at least provides depth.

The coach is still a little bit of an unknown quantity. He doesn’t seem to show great tactical nous and the behaviour we have seen in the offseason may ten to reflect he is too close to the playing group.

They are not as simple to measure as some might imagine as they have the potential to be flat track bullies and beat the teams with weaker midfields pretty comfortably. The loss of Fev though is just too big for me and no longer allows them to cover up their deficiences elsewhere. I think they will drop out of the 8 and will sit somewhere around the 10-11 mark.

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Posted Wednesday January 27, 2010 in Important Articles

2010 AFL Season Preview - Hawthorn

By Allblack
Now to look at Hawthorn, a team who according to most last year underperformed and missed the eight after winning the premiership the year before. There has been a bit of player turnover and this year will be an interesting one to see if they have covered their gaps enough to climb the ladder and challenge again.

Their backline is a big worry. The shortage of quality KP defenders lead them to trade aggressively and land Gibson from North. At 189cm he is not their answer but he is a good player. Gilham seems to be st6ruggling to get his body right and Croad has given up on his ever being right. Murphy is the Hawthorn equivilient of Henneman. They have Schoenmakers who looks like a good player in the making but still young and probably a couple of years away from a genuine impact. They have good running defenders though and like to set up from down back. Ellis, Guerra, Hodge and Birchall do this well. Brown will be interesting this year after being shopped around in the off season and hard to believe he could play KP again at his size.

Their midfield is an interesting one. In their premiership year they played as well as a unit as any team I can remember. They hunted in packs and won the battle most weeks. Last year they played selfishly and makes me wonder if losing Crawford wasn’t a much bigger loss than most expected. Still there is class there and the recruiting of Burgoyne is a good one. He will add that run and can get in and under if needed. His body is the only question mark. They developed some good younger players in Muston, Sheils and Moss. Osborne, Mitchell and Bateman were solid if a little down on previous years form. It was amazing to see Jordan Lewis being shopped around to Port as I think he is the most important player in the Hawks midfield along with Sewell. I think Rioli may play more mid roles this year after the recruitment of Hooper to play small forward. I think Tuck and Young still have improvement left which leaves them with a midfield that could only be described as quality as long as it performs to its abaility.

The forward line never really worked last year. Every team in the 8 outscored them last year which is an indictment on a team that has Franklin, Roughead and Rioli amongst its talent. They seemed obsessed with playing Franklin up the field last year which was a luxury they couldn’t afford. They tried Brown up forward which on occasion looked alright but he is not the answer. Dowler showed a little bit but he has only ever showed a little bit. Morton has promise but hasn’t delivered. Hooper joining the team is an interesting one as it smacks a little bit of desperation. He is there to try and relieve the pressure on Rioli but I would think someone on their last chance who wouldn’t even turn up regularly at training to a club who first threw him a lifeline probably isn’t someone you want around your team. This team has enough ego already.

The rucks are dire. Someone mentioned Port having the worst rucks in the league. I don’t think Hawthorn are far away. Bailey is out again, doubtful he will ever be right. Taylor is not good enough to be a first ruck but he will be one again. Renouf has massive question marks both on output and attitude. Skipper was pulled in as back up but he struggled to get a game at the doggies who are crying out for talls.

The coach is hard to read. He has provided the blueprint most clubs seem to follow now in list development, he has won a premiership but still goes largely unrated. He lost the plot in the final game of the year when he let emotion get the better of him. He needs them to bounce back this year and he is going to have to go deeper into his bag of tricks to make it happen.

The Hawks should be a top 8 team and I think this year they can be back there. I have them finishing around the 6-7 mark which is probably not as high as they would like to go but for all the talent on their list they still have some pretty big holds. Mostly down back and in the ruck. It is going to be hard work at hawthorn this year.

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Posted Monday January 25, 2010 in Important Articles

2010 AFL Season Preview - Port Adelaide

By Allblack
Port is a hard team for me to review. Mostly because no team in the AFL holds less interest for me and secondly because their form doesn’t match their supposed talent. Last year would have been a nightmare for those at Alberton and they will be expecting a lot more improvement this year.

Their backline is attacking but give up a lot of points. Only the bottom three teams gave up more last year and they only gave up 7 goals less than Melbourne over the season. That is a pretty big gap to improve on. They went reasonably tall in the draft recognising their deficiency but we all know big men take time. Schulz was pulled in as a quick fix and I think he will play more back. Chaplin has come a long way and still has improvement left. I am not sure how much run Chad Cornes has left but he is important back there. They will be hoping Trengrove will show more this year on the field rather than off it. Nash will be an interesting acquisition this year. You would suspect he has been recruited to be a playmaker from the half back line, he certainly hasn’t shown signs previously of being able to play defensively. I would expect further improvement from Surjan this year as well. Carlisle still has improvement left

Their midfield should have been a strength last year but they lost their best player to Hawthorn in Burgoyne. Kane Cornes didn’t seem anywhere near as effective last year. Cassissi is consistent but not what I would consider a match winner. They recruited a gun last year in Hartlett who will improve massively this year. Boak is primed for some serious improvement as well as Salopek who after a slow start is finding his feet. Pearce and Krakeour need to work on consistency or will be spending less time in the middle and more at the opposite ends of the ground although with no Burgoynes this year it really is time for them to step up.

Their forward line has promise but with Tredrea having to go around again we know the depth isn’t there. Justin Westhoff had a bit of the second year blues last year but looks a quality prospect. Daniel Motlop is a freak but those pictures of him during the preseason looking very out of shape must be a concern. I know he has been injured but in this day and age turning out like that is unacceptable. Rodan will kick his 20 odd goals but he seems to be finding it harder as well. Gray did well last year as a smaller forward but think he may start to move towards the midfield this year. Will be curious to see if Butcher gets a run this year, I think he might and might also go ok.

Their ruck stocks have plummeted. No more Lade leaves Brogan to carry a very big load. You know when you have to take Cameron Cloke as a mature age back up that you are thin in the big man stakes. If for any reason Brogan can’t play they are in big trouble. They have some young rucks coming through but I wouldn’t want to expose them just yet.

Mark Williams is a very good coach. At least he is capable of being a very good coach. Things went off the rails last year and it is pretty each to question his commitment to the job from everything we saw and heard. He lost some of the senior players and the results show a team who didn’t perform to their potential.

I think Port are capable of being a top eight team but whether they can find that sort of form or not is a pretty big question mark. I have them around the 10 mark again. I have trouble seeing enough improvement in them to push into the eight at this stage unless there is a lot more commitment.

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Posted Friday January 22, 2010 in Important Articles

2010 AFL Season Preview - West Coast

By Allblack
West Coast finished off last year with a bang. Just when everyone thought they were tanking they came good and finished off the year with a climb up the ladder and we saw a lot of their younger players start to step up. Was it a precursor to a good year in 2010 or was it like Richmond on ’08 and instead the arrival of a false dawn.

Their backline is good enough to get the job done most weeks. Glass is a very high quality defender although at times may have struggled with leadership and his on field role. There will be high hopes for Spangher this year who finished off last year with a very tantalising look at what he is capable of, he is a good size and can find the ball. Waters still has improvement left and there are few people in the AFL who can kick the ball as well as Hurn. Jones is the prototype running defender and it looked like Nicoski may not be far away from being back to his best. As Embley starts to have less impact on games I would think Scott Selwood will develop further and may even play more midfield this year.

The midfield is deceiving. We all associate West Coast with their midfield of five years ago but they don’t have that level of class any more. Kerr is elite but his body and his abaility to handle a hard tag bring into question his ability to be the number one midfielder. Priddis gets a lot of the ball but whilst being a dream for fantasy footy players I don’t think he hurts the opposition nearly enough for the amount of ball he gets. Rosa started to show touch towards the end of last year when settled into a midfield role but also doesn’t hurt opponents enough. Masten will be a gun, he still has a lot of improvement left. Dalzeill ran a 16 beep test and will be a very handy pick up and as usual Adam Selwood . Swift and Ebert will be looking for more game time and should add to a handy midfield. It isn’t a world beating midfield yet but they will hold their own against most teams. They need Kerr to stay fit.

The forwardline is much improved. LeCras is all class. I know there is talk of him playing more time in the middle but when a small/mid sized forward kicks 58 goals in a season he isn’t going anywhere. McKinley for mine is promising but still yet to show consistency. Kennedy will embarrass Carlton this year as he develops further and is the player the forwardline should be built around. Lynch played a lot of ruck last year but think he will be settled back into the forward line. I really rate Mitch Brown. I don’t know where Hansen is going to fit in and think he will struggle to get a game unless down back.

The rucks cant be argued with. Cox is the best in the game. His body is the only question mark there. NicNat is only going to improve and this will be another building year for him. They have Lynch is needed as a third ruck.

I have never really rated Worsfold which sounds like a strange thing to say about a premiership coach but his game plan always seemed to rely on too few to do the work and class players seemed to carry the team. This year will show if that is right or not as he needs a good game plan and a much more even contribution.

Their list should be one that challenges for the top eight this year. The home ground advantage and some quality young players should bring its natural progression. They will be in the battle for 8th spot and I think they may just miss out and finish around 9th but don’t be surprised if they win an extra couple and finished around 7 or 8.

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Posted Wednesday January 20, 2010 in Important Articles

2010 AFL Season Preview - Sydney

By Allblack
So what to make of Sydney. They have just had their worst season in a while. Lost their best two forwards, one of the best rucks in the country and the coach announced his future retirement. Still consensus would tend to indicate people expect them to bounce back next year and not without good reason.

Their backline is bolstered with the return of Kennelly although a lot of the hard work is done for them by the midfield controlling the speed at which the ball can be moved forward by the opposition. LRT played a lot of football last year which I have to say I think is a bad thing. The sooner he isn’t in their best 22 will be an indication they are getting better. Richards has been reliable when on the field but his output definitely seemed down last year. Bolton is not getting any younger but keeps on going and finds a way to negate the good forwards. Mattner proved a very good pick up as did Shaw who for mine still needs to tighten up. Malceski is a bit of a wildcard for them, he was a very good player before his “experimental” knee surgery and if he can rediscover that form he will make them a better team.

The midfield is hardly going to excite you. They will get the job done more often than not. Bolton though is showing signs the body has copped enough of a beating. Kirk is in a similar boat with his output dropping off a little last year and I expect it will drop further this year. McVeigh still has some improvement left. I rate McGlynn as a very handy pick up and think Kennedy will also be really good for them. I don’t see either as a game breaker though. Jack shows promise and I would expect to see a little more of Goodes back in the midfield this year after spending more time up forward last year. I don’t think the midfield has improved which must be a worry for Roos.

The forward line looks good. Bradshaw is a gun. If he can keep his body right I think he will have a really strong year. I think Rohan and Jetta will see game time up forward this year and both are exciting prospects. O’keefe started to find some form again towards the end of last season but expect he will spend more time bolstering the midfield. Jesse White is a really exciting prospect who I think will come along even further under the guidance of Bradshaw. I would also think Veszpremi will get more games this year and should show improvement.

The rucks are going to be interesting. They have invested heavily in bringing across Seaby and Mumford. I don’t know whether Seaby is good enough to justify first ruck status and whilst I think Mumford still has improvement left I have no doubt Sydney paid above the odds. They have Pyke as well but would be hugely surprised if he is still on the list come season end. Overall though they have enough options and should be pretty solid.

Roos is a proven coach. His record is amazing with the talent he had had at his disposal. For that reason I would never write them off. He builds a unit better than anyone else in AFL football. At the same time I suspect a lot of the coaching duties were undertaken by Longmire last year and expect maybe even more this year. I don’t rate him nearly as highly.

I think those talking of the Swans making the 8 are premature. I am not convinced last year was a down year but more the aging list struggling with a heavy game plan. I think even with some good trading and drafting last year they will still struggle to improve enough to make the 8. I think 10-11 for them is about the mark.

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Posted Monday January 18, 2010 in Important Articles