ROUND 1: COLLINGWOOD VS. GEELONG
Anthony Rocca: Pebbles was a focal point up forward and kicked our first two goals for the match, finishing up with three goals and a few misses. The most pleasing thing was how he moved, he had a few passages where he was at full tilt or having to change direction quickly and he pulled up fine. Will be in serious consideration for next week against Brisbane.
Chris Bryan: Played the majority of the match as a permanent forward and contested well, ending the match with three goals. If we were looking to bring in some support for Josh next week, Bryan is the player who currently looks the most likely.
Steele Sidebottom: Very impressed with the way this kid goes about it. He started a little slowly, but when he was involved he was decisive. Steele really came into the match in the second half, where his football brain was on full display. He knows where and when to run and despite having question marks over his pace, he regularly bought himself time and space with a shimmy or side step.
Jaxson Barham: You’ll never have to question Jaxson’s application, as he just keeps going and going. Clocked up most of his minutes within the middle and competed well, giving us a spark with his explosive pace and work rate. Was one of our best and combined well with the likes of Cook and Blair throughout the middle of the ground.
Ryan Cook: If I had to pick a best on ground, I’d lean towards Ryan Cook. He was excellent today and improved upon his decision making and disposal. Whilst he was a bit disappointing during the NAB Cup, the good glimpses he showed in those games was on display today. He has become stronger over the pre-season and was prepared to do the hard stuff today; which he did well.
John McCarthy: Was our clear best on ground in the first half before coming off with what some believe to be a niggle in the knee he had operated on during the off-season. McCarthy was outstanding in the first half, winning the ball convincingly and using it well when the rest of the team was burning it more often than not. He certainly looked like an AFL player doing the rounds in the VFL. Once he’s fit, he’ll just about be an automatic inclusion.
Jarryd Blair: Was just about the player who impressed me the most. Showed a willingness from the get go to put his head over the ball and do the hard yards. He was amongst it from the beginning, but really came into the game during the third and final terms when we reigned supreme in the middle; thanks largely to his efforts. There will always be doubts because of his size, but as far as ability and application goes he’s checking all the right boxes.
Tristan Francis: A really competitive kid, he did some good work across the half-back line and for stints through the middle. His tackling is a highlight and he also has a bit of mongrel about him, not to mention a good burst of pace when required. He tends not to stand out too much, but is showing very good signs for a rookie listed player.
Cameron Wood: Contested well in the ruck without being out-and-out convincing. Showed some good signs around the ground as he seemed to lift his work rate a bit more; being rewarded with a nice goal at the end of the third quarter. Still has to work a bit harder around the ground, but today was an improvement on his previous efforts.
Lachlan Keeffe: Today was my first chance to get a look at the kid I’ve heard so much about over the pre-season. Keeffe shared the ruck duties with Wood throughout the match and competed well, winning a few nice taps and putting them to advantage. Gathered the ball at ground level amid congestion quite well on a few occassions and showed good second efforts. He’s definitely ahead of where we would have expected him to be at this point.
Anthony Corrie: A disappointing game for Corrie and his frustration was evident on several occassions. Some people have described him as selfish, but I think he’s just feeling pressure to impress at a new club. It’s not helping his chances though, as he tends to try and do too much and either gets himself into trouble or burns the ball. A forgettable day for Anthony, the only silver lining being a long running goal.
Danny Stanley: Was played across the half-forward line for most of the day and wasn’t as involved as he normally is. Despite this, he’s simply a ferocious player who has an impact on the contest more often than not when the ball is in his vicinity. His ability overhead was on show but much like others, his kicking for goal let him down as he could have ended the day with a couple.
Luke Rounds: Impressive showing from the young lad, as all the attributes outlined in his draft report were on show. Has some real zip and some polish to boot. Had a few forgettable disposals, but made up for them with some memorable ones. Rounds finished the game with two goals, one which was a gift and the other which was probably goal of the day.
Brent Macaffer: Did most of his work further up field today and was good, perhaps starting to prove that he can offer more than just being a lead-and-mark forward. Could have realistically finished the day with two or more goals, but didn’t have his kicking boots on. One thing I noticed today about Macaffer is that he reads the ball well off the pack, as he sharked a few contests flawlessly but just couldn’t finish it off.
Ben Reid: Was solid in defence early and then much like McCarthy disappeared after half-time with a niggle. He manages to find the ball in defence but can still let himself down when in congestion. His positioning to provide an escape option for team mates is good and he should be persevered with in this role for a few weeks yet — despite the fact that I’m still more comfortable with him as a lead-up forward.
Toby Thoolen: Not sold on this kid, as he was out bodied too easilly a couple of times. Physically and athletically, there is a fair bit to like about him, but at the moment he still doesn’t do anything convincingly as far as football goes. Thankfully he’s on the rookie list and has two years to show some development, as he’s still very much a project.
Tyson Goldsack: I thought Tyson was good today, especially in the early stages. As you would expect he was our most convincing defender and acted as the general in the back line. Was beaten on a few occasions and faded as the game wore on, but did more good than bad.
Alan Toovey: Not much to say about Toovey based on today. He did a couple of good things defensively but was rarely sighted for the most part. Was given a run in the middle during the third term but had little impact.
Scott Reed: The first few pieces of play he was involved in were forgettable, but to his credit he persevered and was actually quite good in the second half. He looked tentative in a few early contests and copped a bit of a spray from the fans for not going in hard, but he took the game on in the second and gave us some drive heading forward. At the end of the day, he made amends for any errors and finished up ahead. He’s still very much a work in progress but I’m reasonably confident he’ll come on.
Sharrod Wellingham: I expect players like Sharrod to be prominent at VFL level at this stage, but today he didn’t really stand out. It’s becoming a little bit familiar with Sharrod, where he will do some awesome things and then just look like he’s going through the motions for the rest of the time. I’m still expecting him to play at least 10 games this year based on natural talent alone, but he’ll need to step it up a bit.
Chris Dawes: He worked hard throughout the day providing pressure up forward and stuck some good tackles. Showed some good positioning and body work on several occassions, but came unstuck quite a few times by not taking the mark. Kicked three goals in the final term, but two of those were gifted to him at the back of the pack. Bit of a mixed bag as I was reasonably happy with his endeavour, but he needs to have stronger hands more regularly.
Related Articles: [VFL Review: Round 1]
