My take on today's performance, from my vantage point near the old players race.
#2 Marley Williams - Thought Marley was excellent today. In a one-on-one situation, you just have faith that he's going to spoil the ball away. And he doesn't do dumb spoils towards the teeth of the opposition goals either, if he gets a fist on it, he kills the ball. Kicking needs work, but our backline is superior with him in it.
#4 Shaun Higgins - Our best player. He just finds time and space, and I feel safe when he has the ball in his hands. Just praying to god that he has a year like 2015 injury-wise.
#7 Jack Ziebell - Didn't stand out much given he played less than a half, but thought he was good. Haven't exactly seen a 'follow me, boys' moment from him as captain yet, but I guess we haven't been in the position of needing it yet. Still loves a blind kick forward. Should be played up forward more to allow Dumont room to breathe. Didn't high-five me after the game.
#8 Nathan Hrovat - Love everything about this guy. Love his enthusiasm, love his skill, love his goal sense, love the way he gets along with the boys on the field. Probably our most in-form player at the moment, especially when you consider the two practice matches before the JLT Series kicked off. Absolute lock for Round 1. Could see him kicking 35 goals this year.
#9 Andrew Swallow - I'm so torn. Spitta has been such an excellent player for the club, but I fear that his best is quickly disappearing. So valuable as a tackling wrecking ball, but with the emergence of Froggy and Mountford, do his negatives outweigh the positives? Unfortunately I think they do. Would rather Brad Moran kicking the ball instead of Swallow.
#10 Ben Cunnington - Such a mixed bag of a day. Had that horror five minute patch in the third quarter (or first) where he gave away two free kicks for infringing in the marking contest. Showed real discomfort in flying to spoil, which he needs to get better at in case he is ever in that position of defending deep in the backline again. Then he went and jumped 1000ft in the air to take that hangar to prove he doesn't have led in his boots. Speaking of boots, must have worn the wrong ones today, 0.4. More dangerous as a forward than Jack I think, but also a better midfielder than Jack. Hmm.
#11 Luke McDonald - Didn't really notice him much today but a few are singing his praises, so top job Luke. (Also, shout out to the Hawthorn supporter behind me who kept shouting out "Piss off McDonald you hero!" when Simpkin (wearing McDonald's former 21) was giving it to Sicily in the last quarter)
#12 Lindsay Thomas - His pre-season form has me so intrigued for the premiership season to get underway. If he does play predominantly in the middle, he gives our on-ball division such a more dynamic look, and I also reckon his standing within the game will increase significantly. Also opens the door up forward for the likes of Simpkin and Zurhaar.
#13 Ryan Clarke - Unfortunate that he didn't last long. Think he starts the year in the twos.
#14 Trent Dumont - Best on ground today. As others have said, he's such a beautiful user of the ball, and he has that toughness element to his game. Giving Swallow opportunities in the middle over Froggy will be the biggest blight on this time if it eventuates that way.
#16 Scott Thompson - Think we are all going to see Scooter return to his best with the inclusion of Durdin into the best 22. Unlike Jack, he did choose to high-five me after the game. Have been up close and personal with him a few times now and on each occasion I've been shocked at how big he actually is.
#18 Shaun Atley - Becoming the type of player where it doesn't matter if he only gets it 15 or so times a game, because he creates so much with his disposal from the midfield, whereas 15 touches from the backline in the past would be an average game from Ats. His goal was a beauty and I hope we see similar goals kicked many times this year. In fact, with the goal today, the one last year down in Hobart against Richmond, and the goal on the left foot in the Semi Final against Sydney in 2015, he's becoming a bit of a star in front of the big sticks.
#21 Jy Simpkin - Incredibly bullish about this guy, especially considering he comes from the same neck of the woods as I do. Was jumping out of my skin to see him pull on the blue and white for the first time, and he did not disappoint. Like Dumont and a few of the other younger brigade, he has a 'take no shit from anybody' attitude which is fantastic. And what about those sidesteps? "The boy with the dancing feet."
#22 Todd Goldstein - Will be better for the run. Saw glimpses of his best today. Reckon the form of Preuss will spur him on. He's a proud man, Goldy.
#23 Ben McKay - My biggest disappointment from today. For such a hulking lad, he doesn't really know how to use his frame in one-on-one situations. He was one-out with a Hawthorn midfielder at one point in the goalsquare and in the wrestle he lost his feet and the Hawks were able to rebound. Was lucky to score that goal, and he didn't really offer anything else in the air, apart from crashing the odd pack or two.
#24 Sam Durdin - Really enjoying the progession Durds is making. Had grave concerns for him at the end of last year when it seemed he wasn't progressing at all, but those fears have been allayed. So graceful in the air and when he has the ball, moves like a big man shouldn't. Starts in the Round 1 team for mine on Petrie/Vardy.
#25 Robbie Tarrant - Like Goldy, getting a game under his belt and coming out of it unscathed is a major win out of today. Took a couple of customary Tarrant marks which are always a pleasure to watch.
#28 Kayne Turner - Seemed to forget how to bounce the ball when he was setting up our first goal to Zurhaar, either that or the turf wasn't responding well to the ball. He's on the fringe of the best 22, especially now with Wood's injury.
#31 Braydon Preuss - Wowee, what a game from the big Poke. Had fears that he couldn't compete in the same side as Goldstein, but they were put to rest after today. Nearly finished with four goals, his final shot only just went the other side of the post. Will be interesting to see if Shane Mumford returns from injury in our final JLT match, would be great to pit the two against each other.
#33 Ed Vickers-Willis - Just a classy, smart player. Everything he does, he does with aplomb. At one stage he attacked a pack, stole the footy off a Hawthorn forward, spun out of said pack and dished off a handball to the first option and away we went. Even a subpar game against the Giants still sees him in the Round 1 team for mine.
#34 Jamie Macmillan - Less touches than last week, but a better game from JMac. Vickers-Willis and Williams are making him a better player.
#38 Majak Daw - Got to worry for big Maj. If not for Wood's injury, I would say Preuss has gone ahead of him in terms of Round 1 selection. Will be interesting to see how he goes against GWS in a fortnight.
#39 Mitch Hibberd - Impressive and disappointing at the same time. A lot of his kicks were blind hacks forward to a waiting Hawthorn player. Straightened up in the second half and became more composed, so we know he has the tools to get better. Just needs exposure, which he'll get plenty of in 2017.
#41 Corey Wagner - Started on fire, but faded out quickly. Think this will be the story of his career in his first few seasons unfortunately. The pecking order for the small forward role, for mine, goes: Turner > Simpkin > Garner (when fit) > Wagner.
#42 Declan Mountford - This kid is good. Shut down O'Meara which is no mean feat, even when the guy hasn't played a lot of footy for a while. He looked like tearing us apart after that first half. His vision to kick to Cunnington in the fourth quarter was excellent. Another good game will make selection interesting.
#44 Cam Zurhaar - Like everyone, I like this boy a lot. As someone said, he's a pug-faced Mason Wood. Should've had two goals, which is bloody impressive for a rookie in his first game. Didn't have many tackles which is something he can improve on. Deserves the senior list upgrade at this point.
My rolling side for Round 1, barring anymore bloody injuries, is as follows:
FB: Vickers-Willis, Tarrant, Thompson
HB: M Williams, Durdin, Macmillan
C: Thomas, Cunnington, Atley
HF: Ziebell, Brown, Hrovat
FF: Turner, Waite, Preuss
R: Goldstein, Dumont, Higgins
I/C: Gibson, McDonald, Wright, Mountford
EMG: Simpkin, Daw, Swallow
#2 Marley Williams - Thought Marley was excellent today. In a one-on-one situation, you just have faith that he's going to spoil the ball away. And he doesn't do dumb spoils towards the teeth of the opposition goals either, if he gets a fist on it, he kills the ball. Kicking needs work, but our backline is superior with him in it.
#4 Shaun Higgins - Our best player. He just finds time and space, and I feel safe when he has the ball in his hands. Just praying to god that he has a year like 2015 injury-wise.
#7 Jack Ziebell - Didn't stand out much given he played less than a half, but thought he was good. Haven't exactly seen a 'follow me, boys' moment from him as captain yet, but I guess we haven't been in the position of needing it yet. Still loves a blind kick forward. Should be played up forward more to allow Dumont room to breathe. Didn't high-five me after the game.
#8 Nathan Hrovat - Love everything about this guy. Love his enthusiasm, love his skill, love his goal sense, love the way he gets along with the boys on the field. Probably our most in-form player at the moment, especially when you consider the two practice matches before the JLT Series kicked off. Absolute lock for Round 1. Could see him kicking 35 goals this year.
#9 Andrew Swallow - I'm so torn. Spitta has been such an excellent player for the club, but I fear that his best is quickly disappearing. So valuable as a tackling wrecking ball, but with the emergence of Froggy and Mountford, do his negatives outweigh the positives? Unfortunately I think they do. Would rather Brad Moran kicking the ball instead of Swallow.
#10 Ben Cunnington - Such a mixed bag of a day. Had that horror five minute patch in the third quarter (or first) where he gave away two free kicks for infringing in the marking contest. Showed real discomfort in flying to spoil, which he needs to get better at in case he is ever in that position of defending deep in the backline again. Then he went and jumped 1000ft in the air to take that hangar to prove he doesn't have led in his boots. Speaking of boots, must have worn the wrong ones today, 0.4. More dangerous as a forward than Jack I think, but also a better midfielder than Jack. Hmm.
#11 Luke McDonald - Didn't really notice him much today but a few are singing his praises, so top job Luke. (Also, shout out to the Hawthorn supporter behind me who kept shouting out "Piss off McDonald you hero!" when Simpkin (wearing McDonald's former 21) was giving it to Sicily in the last quarter)
#12 Lindsay Thomas - His pre-season form has me so intrigued for the premiership season to get underway. If he does play predominantly in the middle, he gives our on-ball division such a more dynamic look, and I also reckon his standing within the game will increase significantly. Also opens the door up forward for the likes of Simpkin and Zurhaar.
#13 Ryan Clarke - Unfortunate that he didn't last long. Think he starts the year in the twos.
#14 Trent Dumont - Best on ground today. As others have said, he's such a beautiful user of the ball, and he has that toughness element to his game. Giving Swallow opportunities in the middle over Froggy will be the biggest blight on this time if it eventuates that way.
#16 Scott Thompson - Think we are all going to see Scooter return to his best with the inclusion of Durdin into the best 22. Unlike Jack, he did choose to high-five me after the game. Have been up close and personal with him a few times now and on each occasion I've been shocked at how big he actually is.
#18 Shaun Atley - Becoming the type of player where it doesn't matter if he only gets it 15 or so times a game, because he creates so much with his disposal from the midfield, whereas 15 touches from the backline in the past would be an average game from Ats. His goal was a beauty and I hope we see similar goals kicked many times this year. In fact, with the goal today, the one last year down in Hobart against Richmond, and the goal on the left foot in the Semi Final against Sydney in 2015, he's becoming a bit of a star in front of the big sticks.
#21 Jy Simpkin - Incredibly bullish about this guy, especially considering he comes from the same neck of the woods as I do. Was jumping out of my skin to see him pull on the blue and white for the first time, and he did not disappoint. Like Dumont and a few of the other younger brigade, he has a 'take no shit from anybody' attitude which is fantastic. And what about those sidesteps? "The boy with the dancing feet."
#22 Todd Goldstein - Will be better for the run. Saw glimpses of his best today. Reckon the form of Preuss will spur him on. He's a proud man, Goldy.
#23 Ben McKay - My biggest disappointment from today. For such a hulking lad, he doesn't really know how to use his frame in one-on-one situations. He was one-out with a Hawthorn midfielder at one point in the goalsquare and in the wrestle he lost his feet and the Hawks were able to rebound. Was lucky to score that goal, and he didn't really offer anything else in the air, apart from crashing the odd pack or two.
#24 Sam Durdin - Really enjoying the progession Durds is making. Had grave concerns for him at the end of last year when it seemed he wasn't progressing at all, but those fears have been allayed. So graceful in the air and when he has the ball, moves like a big man shouldn't. Starts in the Round 1 team for mine on Petrie/Vardy.
#25 Robbie Tarrant - Like Goldy, getting a game under his belt and coming out of it unscathed is a major win out of today. Took a couple of customary Tarrant marks which are always a pleasure to watch.
#28 Kayne Turner - Seemed to forget how to bounce the ball when he was setting up our first goal to Zurhaar, either that or the turf wasn't responding well to the ball. He's on the fringe of the best 22, especially now with Wood's injury.
#31 Braydon Preuss - Wowee, what a game from the big Poke. Had fears that he couldn't compete in the same side as Goldstein, but they were put to rest after today. Nearly finished with four goals, his final shot only just went the other side of the post. Will be interesting to see if Shane Mumford returns from injury in our final JLT match, would be great to pit the two against each other.
#33 Ed Vickers-Willis - Just a classy, smart player. Everything he does, he does with aplomb. At one stage he attacked a pack, stole the footy off a Hawthorn forward, spun out of said pack and dished off a handball to the first option and away we went. Even a subpar game against the Giants still sees him in the Round 1 team for mine.
#34 Jamie Macmillan - Less touches than last week, but a better game from JMac. Vickers-Willis and Williams are making him a better player.
#38 Majak Daw - Got to worry for big Maj. If not for Wood's injury, I would say Preuss has gone ahead of him in terms of Round 1 selection. Will be interesting to see how he goes against GWS in a fortnight.
#39 Mitch Hibberd - Impressive and disappointing at the same time. A lot of his kicks were blind hacks forward to a waiting Hawthorn player. Straightened up in the second half and became more composed, so we know he has the tools to get better. Just needs exposure, which he'll get plenty of in 2017.
#41 Corey Wagner - Started on fire, but faded out quickly. Think this will be the story of his career in his first few seasons unfortunately. The pecking order for the small forward role, for mine, goes: Turner > Simpkin > Garner (when fit) > Wagner.
#42 Declan Mountford - This kid is good. Shut down O'Meara which is no mean feat, even when the guy hasn't played a lot of footy for a while. He looked like tearing us apart after that first half. His vision to kick to Cunnington in the fourth quarter was excellent. Another good game will make selection interesting.
#44 Cam Zurhaar - Like everyone, I like this boy a lot. As someone said, he's a pug-faced Mason Wood. Should've had two goals, which is bloody impressive for a rookie in his first game. Didn't have many tackles which is something he can improve on. Deserves the senior list upgrade at this point.
My rolling side for Round 1, barring anymore bloody injuries, is as follows:
FB: Vickers-Willis, Tarrant, Thompson
HB: M Williams, Durdin, Macmillan
C: Thomas, Cunnington, Atley
HF: Ziebell, Brown, Hrovat
FF: Turner, Waite, Preuss
R: Goldstein, Dumont, Higgins
I/C: Gibson, McDonald, Wright, Mountford
EMG: Simpkin, Daw, Swallow
