Candiru
Premiership Player
- Jan 27, 2018
- 3,373
- 4,603
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Banned
- #1
Overall
Well, we’ve clocked up The Decima. What a ride it’s been so far. It’s going to be tough to pinpoint many negatives. However, I’d like to offer a few observations about how we’ve turned it around before going through the list player-by-player.
If you run through the factors in our big start to 2018, there are a handful that spring to mind: Naitanui returning with his influence undiminished, Darling going to another level, Yeo becoming a full-time midfielder and smashing it, Gaff going inside and adding another string to his bow, Redden finally putting it together, the new chums coming straight in and giving us something.
But more generally, I think there has been an identifiable shift in the way we’re playing. Even when we made the GF in 2015, we relied heavily on a turnover game. We’d get numbers behind the ball, force the turnover and then build from the back half. We saw the limitations of that in 2016-17 – it meant that when teams went up a gear and beat us around the contest, we struggled to regain the momentum. We simply didn’t have the horsepower in the middle to turn the tide when it started going against us. That, in my opinion, is the biggest difference in 2018. We still have that turnover game, married to a precise kicking game that underpins our ball movement. But we now have a midfield that can hold its own around the contest. Not to say we haven’t been beaten in that area in patches.
Consider this: in 2015, Priddis led the way for us in contested possession, averaging 14.88 per game. He was one of the comp’s top players in that stat that year. But without reopening a can of worms about Priddis, our reliance on Priddis to win that contested ball locked us into a midfield blueprint that was less dynamic and less versatile as a result. In 2015, Shuey was #2 for contested possessions, with 10.48 per game. Naitanui was #3 with 8.96. These guys were great and still are great but that’s not how we want the contested possession to shake out. As a dynamic midfielder, Shuey shouldn’t have to carry that burden. And if your ruckman is #3, that says the other midfielders aren’t doing enough. Hutchings was #4 with 8.77 – he was basically drafted in because we couldn’t get it from elsewhere. Selwood was the guy who was meant to help out in this department but he was AWOL in 2015.
How does that compare to 2018? This year, the split is far healthier and, I’d argue, more sustainable. Yeo is leading the way with 12.45, then Sheed (10.22), Redden (9.55), Shuey (9.14), Naitanui (9.10) and Gaff (8.91). Even Big Scotty Lycett (8.45). If the biggest question pre-season was whether we had a midfield rotation that could go toe-to-toe when it counts, that is the answer at the halfway mark. As Simpson would say: “It’s pleasing.”
For the individual summaries, bear in mind that not everyone is graded on the same scale. Clearly the benchmark for Gaff is higher than for Waterman. I’ve tried to assess each player against a benchmark of what we need from them and a reasonable expectation of what they can/should be producing. Without further ado...
Tom Barrass C+
It gives me no pleasure to give Barrass a mild cook because I reckon he will play 200+ games for us. He’s 22 and hasn’t played 50 games. But he’s also playing FB in a team trying to win a flag and I’m afraid he’s lowered his colours a few times. It’s notable that his best game was against GWS, when McGovern missed and he shifted up into that intercept role. It’s like he has McGovern’s instincts but we need one of them to be accountable. It’s also clear that sides have half a chance when they move the ball quickly into an open forwardline – when that happens, it’s inevitably Barrass who gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Tom Cole B
Rioli and Waterman might be the headline acts when it comes to the new faces but Cole isn’t far behind. He’d played six games coming into his third season and I have to say I didn’t think much of him on previous form. But he’s been a revelation in 2018, vaulting past Nelson to become pretty solidly best 22. Call me crazy but I’d probably have him ahead of Jetta at this stage too. He’s a rangey medium-sizer who might have played midfield but has slotted in across HB, inviting a comparison with Sheppard, who has of course been a star. But Cole’s raw stats aren’t far off, and Sheppard might have been less advanced at the same age.
Jamie Cripps C+
This might seem like a harsh assessment – his workrate ensures he’s still best 22 – but I don’t feel like Cripps has really taken his opportunities this season. Sure, he covers a lot of territory, is our #1 for goal assists and puts on a ton of pressure, but he also needs to convert those half-chances around goals when they come along. He kicked four against Suns, which was more a ritual flogging than a genuine contest, but then butchered a shitload of chances against GWS. He just needs to be a little cleaner, a little more composed. If you imagine we have Venables and Ryan fit in the second half of the season, they could push for Cripps’ spot. He’s left that door ajar.
Jack Darling A+
Put simply, he has progressed from being a useful but unfairly maligned second banana to being a shit-hot key forward in his own right – and it’s been spectacular to watch. We’ve seen Darling step up in the past – he kicked 50+ goals in his second season when JK was injured and he’s produced some stunning bursts of football. But this year he has really strung it together, even when JK came back into the side. He’s kicked big goals when we’ve needed them and handed off plenty more. He’s become a contested marking beast inside the F50 but has also continued to work his arse off to present further from goal. The recent injury sucks balls.
"The Hacksaw" Liam Duggan B+
It’s easy to forget how young some of these guys are. It’s Duggan’s fourth season but he doesn’t turn 22 until December. But now that he’s up past 50 games, we’re starting to see some real consistency in his performance and he’s now absolutely part of our best back six. He’s always been well-balanced with good vision, a big tank and neat skills but we’re seeing a greater appetite for the contest as well. He’s more powerful through the core and it turns out he’s tougher than he looks. In light of all that, I still think he will eventually need to roll through the midfield if we are to get maximum value out of him. Particularly if Gaff leaves.
Andrew Gaff A+
There’s never been any question about Gaff’s running power – that was a feature of his game when he was drafted and it was immediately on display at AFL level in his debut season. In his second year, while still a teenager, he was able to average 24 possessions a game, due overwhelmingly to his tireless running. The knock, however, was that this was all he could do – he was exclusively outside, exclusively uncontested. That’s changed this year, big time, with Gaff winning more hard ball and more clearances, emblematic of how we’ve improved as a team. He’s now a complete midfielder: durable, ultra consistent and in career-best form. You’re fantastic. We love you. Please stay.
Shannon Hurn A+
The skipper has been a fine player for several years now but he’s gone to another level in 2018. The stats put it beyond question: he’s taking more marks, gaining more metres, kicking it more and doing so with greater efficiency. That’s what career-best form looks like. And while our healthier spread of contested possession has been a big part of our improvement, our enhanced kicking game has been the other major factor. And no one has being doing this more exquisitely than Hurn. He is, put bluntly, the best ball user by foot in the competition (see below). And that’s not to suggest he’s just been sitting off contests waiting to get it from someone else. His defensive efforts have still been first-rate.
Mark Hutchings C+
He’s one of our more polarising players and it’s hard to say for sure whether he’d be in our best 22. Some of his ball use has been disappointing, particularly around clearances when he’s done the hard work to get the ball, or combined well with one of the ruckmen, only to bang it forward with a scrubby kick. I suspect Simpson still has a bit of a soft spot for him because he can play a narrowly defined role, which seems to be the mantra for this season. He has done some good run-with roles and it’s telling that he was retained ahead of Sheed against St Kilda. If he cleaned up his skills he’d be safe but it’s hard to see that happening.
Lewis Jetta C-
Perhaps our most disappointing established player to date. He doesn’t need to get many possessions to have an impact and when you see him streaking off the back of the square and banging it 60 metres into our forwardline, you think “if he’s does that 6-7 times a game he’s probably worth his spot”. But he’s simply not getting enough of it and his overall pressure and tackling isn’t where it needs to be. If someone like LeCras can address this part of his game then Jetta must too. I wonder if we should quit playing him in defence and deploy him on a wing or HFF and just give him complete license to attack to see if anything clicks.
Josh Kennedy B
He missed the first few weeks and came back a little rusty. His numbers are down from 12 months ago and a few of his goals have been gifts from teammates. He was clearly a bit short of touch and a few marks that he’s snaffled over the years haven’t stuck. But that’s OK – he’s still played a role, essentially second fiddle to Darling, and kicked 27 goals, including some crucial ones. If we’re looking at where the improvement can come from in the second half of the season, then JK is the prime candidate. We saw it start to click against the Saints when he got off the chain in that third quarter.
Mark LeCras B
The Frenchman looked gone for all money in the second half of 2017 but he has somehow turned back the clock to 2015 during an inspired start to the season. He kicked 13 goals in the first five weeks and while that has dried up slightly, he’s now justifying his place with a renewed willingness to tackle, compete and defend. When you can get a 31-year-old to go back to the well and rejig their game, that is a sign that the whole team has bought into this harder-edged work ethic. If this does turn out to be his last season, he’s going out on a deserved high. Let’s hope he has a few more bags in him before then.
Scott Lycett B+
There have already been some feel-good stories this season – the new guys making an impact, Naitanui’s return, LeCras’s resurgence – but nobody should undersell Big Scotty Lycett and how impressive he’s been after also missing a big chunk of football. We knew he was big and strong and had a mean streak but this year we’re also seeing his athleticism and skills – he can actually win ground balls, run and carry and deliver the ball by foot. He played 21 games in 2016 but his numbers in 2018 are better; he stood up when Naitanui was out, proving he is far more than a mere second-stringer. Long may the Natural Disasters reign as tag team champions.
Chris Masten C+
Along with Hutchings, he’s one who divides opinion. And like Hutchings, his ability to play a specific role is the best argument in his defence. We do undoubtedly benefit from his run and his ability to play that link-up role. My frustration is that within this role, there should be scope for him to get more of it, use it better and still do his bit when it comes to tackling and pressure. He still needs to be assessed according to some of those criteria that apply to the whole team. His season high point was when he got 30 touches and kicked two goals against the Suns but he hasn’t really reached that standard in other games.
Jeremy McGovern B+
It reflects the high standard McGovern has set the past two seasons that I haven’t actually been too impressed with him so far in 2018. He’s #1 in the league for contested marks per game but I’m still like “meh, he hasn’t been that good”. That’s probably unfair to him but I almost take for granted that he chops off every second opposition foray while finding myself more often noticing the times his nominal opponent gets free because McGovern is backing himself to get the ball. It’s great when it works out but having one pretty unaccountable key defender puts extra pressure on the likes of Hurn, Sheppard and Barrass. Definitely not worth $1.2 million if opposition clubs are reading.
Nic Naitanui A-
The Big Man has been awesome since his return – the raw numbers measure up against 2015, which is amazing given he was sidelined for 18 months before this season. Some of his burst football, when he’s got us going in the middle, has been breathtaking, and his tackling and aggression around the contest have been a huge part of setting the tone for this team. He could easily be A+ but I’ve dialled it back slightly because of the limited minutes. Hopefully he builds over the next month or so, just in time to pick with teeth with Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn and remind everyone who’s the biggest bull in the paddock.
Jackson Nelson C
Clearly we rate this guy internally because we don’t really need him down back but we keeping pumping games into him. On one hand, I’m mindful of not being overly critical of 22-year-olds who’ve played 40 games but I’m not entirely sure he fits in. Presumably we want Duggan, Hurn and Sheppard to have great freedom to run and carry and rebound and set up play across HB, meaning Nelson carries the can as the more accountable shutdown medium defender. That’s all well and good but it’s telling that Cole has gone past him so quickly. I can’t fault Nelson’s hustle or intensity but he doesn’t appear to have the cool head that you see in the best defenders.
Jack Redden B+
His six weeks since the derby would have him firmly in the A-grade category but if you go back to the start of the season, the first five weeks were nothing special. It looked like the indifferent form of his first two seasons at WC was destined to continue but he then flicked the switch and has been fantastic recently, emerging as our #1 centre clearance player. Clearly Redden’s form is the best he’s produced at WC but his numbers are also approaching his best years at Brisbane, with his career-high 13 clearances against GWS the highlight. I reckon we’ll get another big reminder of Redden’s value should we get stuck in a ball-bursting, arm wrestle comes finals.
Willie Rioli B+
When we drafted Rioli, I assumed we’d be getting a clever goalsneak. But it turns out that he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve beyond that. Sure, he can crumb a ball off a pack at pace and convert a half-chance, which is awesome in itself, but the real surprise has been his workrate and creativity further from goal. Like when he wrong-footed and shimmied past Burgoyne on the wing against Hawthorn – that suggests a far higher ceiling than I first thought he had. That was a breakout game of sorts but I reckon he’s primed for a game where he really puts it all together with 20+ touches and 2-3 goals.
Dom Sheed B-
I was pretty impressed with Sheed’s start to the season – his 30-possession, two-goal outing against Geelong was probably the best game of his career. But he definitely tailed off in the last month – he got injured, then had two ordinary games on his return before narrowly avoiding being dropped and then going OK against the Saints. On one hand, I think people can be overly critical of Sheed and he looms as an important player for us in coming years. But it’s also fair to point out that he is our #1 clangers per game culprit. However, he’s only fractionally worse than Yeo. So I think he’s best 22 but yes, he definitely needs to tidy up or stop going for so much.
Brad Sheppard A+
Remember the days when people rued drafting this guy over Jetta? The Junkyard Dog is quick, durable, beautifully balanced and hard as nails. He also spoils well, makes SFA mistakes and has an elite field kick. Some observers have said “he’s back to his best” or “he’s been elite for a few years now”. But I actually think he’s gone to an even higher level in 2018, evidenced by more rebounds, more tackles, more intercepts, more contested possessions and more one percenters. At least on par with Dane Rampe’s 2017 AA year. I’d love to see him released even more as a back-half playmaker but, for now, we’ll have to settle for him being the game’s premier mid-sized defender.
Luke Shuey B
A tricky one to grade because he was missing when we hit our straps. He was among our best against Sydney and Geelong and also pretty good against Fremantle but it probably wasn’t peak Shuey overall. He’s another who could drive improvement in the second half of the season. We now have others to bear the burden of winning contested ball so Shuey could become a trump card as we start to build in extra layers of firepower. I’m sure he’ll still spend time in the engine room but we now have the luxury of giving him a more outside role on a wing/HFF and setting his phasers to ‘run, gun and stun’. Hopefully he comes back in good nick.
Jake Waterman B
He’s been one of our most exciting finds in recent years and has very quickly carved out a niche for himself as a high HF, essentially filling the role that Darling has performed for the past few years, with Darling spending more time playing deep. Waterman’s workrate and willingness to create for other forwards is first-rate, evidenced by him being equal #10 in the comp for goal assists. His best game was probably when he got 20 touches and took nine marks against Geelong and I guess the challenge in the second half of the season will be hitting that standard more often. Has a tendency to drift in and out of games but that’s not unusual for young forwards.
Elliot Yeo A+
“Wanted: A big-bodied midfielder who can play inside/outside, tackle, spread, win clearances, mark overhead and kick goals”. That has been top of our wishlist pretty much since the end of 2007. So thank you very much to Brisbane for delivering one for the paltry sum of pick 28 and well done to the coaches for finally pushing Yeo into the middle, where he’s been a total wrecking ball. With his combination of pace, power and blunt force, he has been, whisper it softly, Fyfe-like. Twice in one quarter, he rolled Dustin Martin into a pretzel and buried him in the backyard. I cancelled all my pr0n subscriptions and now just watch that on a loop.
Fewer than five games, so no grade
Brendon Ah Chee
I think we started to see against the Saints what Ah Chee might bring to the table. Initially I thought he’d be part of our midfield rotation but I think it’s now clear than he’ll play as a mid-sized option across HF, like a bigger, stronger version of Cripps who is dangerous overhead.
Brayden Ainsworth
He seems to have been earmarked as the next cab off the rank in our midfield and hopefully he gets a few more opportunities in the second half. He looks to be a strong-bodied, nuggety inside midfielder, so hopefully he can further release the likes of Shuey to play a more outside role.
Fraser McInnes
He must be pretty frustrated with his spot in our pecking order. He might be too good for WAFL but he’s managed only 12 games for us since being drafted in 2011. If Darling is out for the next month or so, that will be the litmus test – does McInnes get a few games or do we pick someone else?
Jack Petruccelle
I struggle to recall a kid generating such anticipation after playing two games, getting four touches and seven touches. But Petruccelle has the kind of explosive pace that invites you to imagine the player he could be once he’s played 50 games and can get it 20 times. Puts some pressure on Jetta.
Liam Ryan
One of the great disappointments of an otherwise fantastic season has been Ryan’s absence after such a promising start. Imagine the runs he’d have on the board by now after playing 11 games in a winning side. Hopefully he gets back soon and kicks another 20-30 goals this season.
Will Schofield
You know in TV shows when the big twist in the fourth season is the return of a character you thought got killed off in the first season – OMG now they’re back! I still reckon Schofield could be this guy for us. He’s 29 and still good enough to play AFL. Could be first-choice FB next year if McGovern leaves.
Daniel Venables
Sidelined along with Ryan since the early stages of the since – and just like Ryan, we’ve missed getting games into him and seeing what he can do in a winning side. I’m not sure if he’ll be a high-volume midfielder but he seems to have a cutting edge and a knack for kicking goals.
Also, I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned but Robert Walls can EAD. In fact, we should pass the hat around and buy him a ticket to an all-you-can-eat dick buffet.
Well, we’ve clocked up The Decima. What a ride it’s been so far. It’s going to be tough to pinpoint many negatives. However, I’d like to offer a few observations about how we’ve turned it around before going through the list player-by-player.
If you run through the factors in our big start to 2018, there are a handful that spring to mind: Naitanui returning with his influence undiminished, Darling going to another level, Yeo becoming a full-time midfielder and smashing it, Gaff going inside and adding another string to his bow, Redden finally putting it together, the new chums coming straight in and giving us something.
But more generally, I think there has been an identifiable shift in the way we’re playing. Even when we made the GF in 2015, we relied heavily on a turnover game. We’d get numbers behind the ball, force the turnover and then build from the back half. We saw the limitations of that in 2016-17 – it meant that when teams went up a gear and beat us around the contest, we struggled to regain the momentum. We simply didn’t have the horsepower in the middle to turn the tide when it started going against us. That, in my opinion, is the biggest difference in 2018. We still have that turnover game, married to a precise kicking game that underpins our ball movement. But we now have a midfield that can hold its own around the contest. Not to say we haven’t been beaten in that area in patches.
Consider this: in 2015, Priddis led the way for us in contested possession, averaging 14.88 per game. He was one of the comp’s top players in that stat that year. But without reopening a can of worms about Priddis, our reliance on Priddis to win that contested ball locked us into a midfield blueprint that was less dynamic and less versatile as a result. In 2015, Shuey was #2 for contested possessions, with 10.48 per game. Naitanui was #3 with 8.96. These guys were great and still are great but that’s not how we want the contested possession to shake out. As a dynamic midfielder, Shuey shouldn’t have to carry that burden. And if your ruckman is #3, that says the other midfielders aren’t doing enough. Hutchings was #4 with 8.77 – he was basically drafted in because we couldn’t get it from elsewhere. Selwood was the guy who was meant to help out in this department but he was AWOL in 2015.
How does that compare to 2018? This year, the split is far healthier and, I’d argue, more sustainable. Yeo is leading the way with 12.45, then Sheed (10.22), Redden (9.55), Shuey (9.14), Naitanui (9.10) and Gaff (8.91). Even Big Scotty Lycett (8.45). If the biggest question pre-season was whether we had a midfield rotation that could go toe-to-toe when it counts, that is the answer at the halfway mark. As Simpson would say: “It’s pleasing.”
For the individual summaries, bear in mind that not everyone is graded on the same scale. Clearly the benchmark for Gaff is higher than for Waterman. I’ve tried to assess each player against a benchmark of what we need from them and a reasonable expectation of what they can/should be producing. Without further ado...
Tom Barrass C+
It gives me no pleasure to give Barrass a mild cook because I reckon he will play 200+ games for us. He’s 22 and hasn’t played 50 games. But he’s also playing FB in a team trying to win a flag and I’m afraid he’s lowered his colours a few times. It’s notable that his best game was against GWS, when McGovern missed and he shifted up into that intercept role. It’s like he has McGovern’s instincts but we need one of them to be accountable. It’s also clear that sides have half a chance when they move the ball quickly into an open forwardline – when that happens, it’s inevitably Barrass who gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Tom Cole B
Rioli and Waterman might be the headline acts when it comes to the new faces but Cole isn’t far behind. He’d played six games coming into his third season and I have to say I didn’t think much of him on previous form. But he’s been a revelation in 2018, vaulting past Nelson to become pretty solidly best 22. Call me crazy but I’d probably have him ahead of Jetta at this stage too. He’s a rangey medium-sizer who might have played midfield but has slotted in across HB, inviting a comparison with Sheppard, who has of course been a star. But Cole’s raw stats aren’t far off, and Sheppard might have been less advanced at the same age.
Jamie Cripps C+
This might seem like a harsh assessment – his workrate ensures he’s still best 22 – but I don’t feel like Cripps has really taken his opportunities this season. Sure, he covers a lot of territory, is our #1 for goal assists and puts on a ton of pressure, but he also needs to convert those half-chances around goals when they come along. He kicked four against Suns, which was more a ritual flogging than a genuine contest, but then butchered a shitload of chances against GWS. He just needs to be a little cleaner, a little more composed. If you imagine we have Venables and Ryan fit in the second half of the season, they could push for Cripps’ spot. He’s left that door ajar.
Jack Darling A+
Put simply, he has progressed from being a useful but unfairly maligned second banana to being a shit-hot key forward in his own right – and it’s been spectacular to watch. We’ve seen Darling step up in the past – he kicked 50+ goals in his second season when JK was injured and he’s produced some stunning bursts of football. But this year he has really strung it together, even when JK came back into the side. He’s kicked big goals when we’ve needed them and handed off plenty more. He’s become a contested marking beast inside the F50 but has also continued to work his arse off to present further from goal. The recent injury sucks balls.
"The Hacksaw" Liam Duggan B+
It’s easy to forget how young some of these guys are. It’s Duggan’s fourth season but he doesn’t turn 22 until December. But now that he’s up past 50 games, we’re starting to see some real consistency in his performance and he’s now absolutely part of our best back six. He’s always been well-balanced with good vision, a big tank and neat skills but we’re seeing a greater appetite for the contest as well. He’s more powerful through the core and it turns out he’s tougher than he looks. In light of all that, I still think he will eventually need to roll through the midfield if we are to get maximum value out of him. Particularly if Gaff leaves.
Andrew Gaff A+
There’s never been any question about Gaff’s running power – that was a feature of his game when he was drafted and it was immediately on display at AFL level in his debut season. In his second year, while still a teenager, he was able to average 24 possessions a game, due overwhelmingly to his tireless running. The knock, however, was that this was all he could do – he was exclusively outside, exclusively uncontested. That’s changed this year, big time, with Gaff winning more hard ball and more clearances, emblematic of how we’ve improved as a team. He’s now a complete midfielder: durable, ultra consistent and in career-best form. You’re fantastic. We love you. Please stay.
Shannon Hurn A+
The skipper has been a fine player for several years now but he’s gone to another level in 2018. The stats put it beyond question: he’s taking more marks, gaining more metres, kicking it more and doing so with greater efficiency. That’s what career-best form looks like. And while our healthier spread of contested possession has been a big part of our improvement, our enhanced kicking game has been the other major factor. And no one has being doing this more exquisitely than Hurn. He is, put bluntly, the best ball user by foot in the competition (see below). And that’s not to suggest he’s just been sitting off contests waiting to get it from someone else. His defensive efforts have still been first-rate.
Mark Hutchings C+
He’s one of our more polarising players and it’s hard to say for sure whether he’d be in our best 22. Some of his ball use has been disappointing, particularly around clearances when he’s done the hard work to get the ball, or combined well with one of the ruckmen, only to bang it forward with a scrubby kick. I suspect Simpson still has a bit of a soft spot for him because he can play a narrowly defined role, which seems to be the mantra for this season. He has done some good run-with roles and it’s telling that he was retained ahead of Sheed against St Kilda. If he cleaned up his skills he’d be safe but it’s hard to see that happening.
Lewis Jetta C-
Perhaps our most disappointing established player to date. He doesn’t need to get many possessions to have an impact and when you see him streaking off the back of the square and banging it 60 metres into our forwardline, you think “if he’s does that 6-7 times a game he’s probably worth his spot”. But he’s simply not getting enough of it and his overall pressure and tackling isn’t where it needs to be. If someone like LeCras can address this part of his game then Jetta must too. I wonder if we should quit playing him in defence and deploy him on a wing or HFF and just give him complete license to attack to see if anything clicks.
Josh Kennedy B
He missed the first few weeks and came back a little rusty. His numbers are down from 12 months ago and a few of his goals have been gifts from teammates. He was clearly a bit short of touch and a few marks that he’s snaffled over the years haven’t stuck. But that’s OK – he’s still played a role, essentially second fiddle to Darling, and kicked 27 goals, including some crucial ones. If we’re looking at where the improvement can come from in the second half of the season, then JK is the prime candidate. We saw it start to click against the Saints when he got off the chain in that third quarter.
Mark LeCras B
The Frenchman looked gone for all money in the second half of 2017 but he has somehow turned back the clock to 2015 during an inspired start to the season. He kicked 13 goals in the first five weeks and while that has dried up slightly, he’s now justifying his place with a renewed willingness to tackle, compete and defend. When you can get a 31-year-old to go back to the well and rejig their game, that is a sign that the whole team has bought into this harder-edged work ethic. If this does turn out to be his last season, he’s going out on a deserved high. Let’s hope he has a few more bags in him before then.
Scott Lycett B+
There have already been some feel-good stories this season – the new guys making an impact, Naitanui’s return, LeCras’s resurgence – but nobody should undersell Big Scotty Lycett and how impressive he’s been after also missing a big chunk of football. We knew he was big and strong and had a mean streak but this year we’re also seeing his athleticism and skills – he can actually win ground balls, run and carry and deliver the ball by foot. He played 21 games in 2016 but his numbers in 2018 are better; he stood up when Naitanui was out, proving he is far more than a mere second-stringer. Long may the Natural Disasters reign as tag team champions.
Chris Masten C+
Along with Hutchings, he’s one who divides opinion. And like Hutchings, his ability to play a specific role is the best argument in his defence. We do undoubtedly benefit from his run and his ability to play that link-up role. My frustration is that within this role, there should be scope for him to get more of it, use it better and still do his bit when it comes to tackling and pressure. He still needs to be assessed according to some of those criteria that apply to the whole team. His season high point was when he got 30 touches and kicked two goals against the Suns but he hasn’t really reached that standard in other games.
Jeremy McGovern B+
It reflects the high standard McGovern has set the past two seasons that I haven’t actually been too impressed with him so far in 2018. He’s #1 in the league for contested marks per game but I’m still like “meh, he hasn’t been that good”. That’s probably unfair to him but I almost take for granted that he chops off every second opposition foray while finding myself more often noticing the times his nominal opponent gets free because McGovern is backing himself to get the ball. It’s great when it works out but having one pretty unaccountable key defender puts extra pressure on the likes of Hurn, Sheppard and Barrass. Definitely not worth $1.2 million if opposition clubs are reading.
Nic Naitanui A-
The Big Man has been awesome since his return – the raw numbers measure up against 2015, which is amazing given he was sidelined for 18 months before this season. Some of his burst football, when he’s got us going in the middle, has been breathtaking, and his tackling and aggression around the contest have been a huge part of setting the tone for this team. He could easily be A+ but I’ve dialled it back slightly because of the limited minutes. Hopefully he builds over the next month or so, just in time to pick with teeth with Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn and remind everyone who’s the biggest bull in the paddock.
Jackson Nelson C
Clearly we rate this guy internally because we don’t really need him down back but we keeping pumping games into him. On one hand, I’m mindful of not being overly critical of 22-year-olds who’ve played 40 games but I’m not entirely sure he fits in. Presumably we want Duggan, Hurn and Sheppard to have great freedom to run and carry and rebound and set up play across HB, meaning Nelson carries the can as the more accountable shutdown medium defender. That’s all well and good but it’s telling that Cole has gone past him so quickly. I can’t fault Nelson’s hustle or intensity but he doesn’t appear to have the cool head that you see in the best defenders.
Jack Redden B+
His six weeks since the derby would have him firmly in the A-grade category but if you go back to the start of the season, the first five weeks were nothing special. It looked like the indifferent form of his first two seasons at WC was destined to continue but he then flicked the switch and has been fantastic recently, emerging as our #1 centre clearance player. Clearly Redden’s form is the best he’s produced at WC but his numbers are also approaching his best years at Brisbane, with his career-high 13 clearances against GWS the highlight. I reckon we’ll get another big reminder of Redden’s value should we get stuck in a ball-bursting, arm wrestle comes finals.
Willie Rioli B+
When we drafted Rioli, I assumed we’d be getting a clever goalsneak. But it turns out that he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve beyond that. Sure, he can crumb a ball off a pack at pace and convert a half-chance, which is awesome in itself, but the real surprise has been his workrate and creativity further from goal. Like when he wrong-footed and shimmied past Burgoyne on the wing against Hawthorn – that suggests a far higher ceiling than I first thought he had. That was a breakout game of sorts but I reckon he’s primed for a game where he really puts it all together with 20+ touches and 2-3 goals.
Dom Sheed B-
I was pretty impressed with Sheed’s start to the season – his 30-possession, two-goal outing against Geelong was probably the best game of his career. But he definitely tailed off in the last month – he got injured, then had two ordinary games on his return before narrowly avoiding being dropped and then going OK against the Saints. On one hand, I think people can be overly critical of Sheed and he looms as an important player for us in coming years. But it’s also fair to point out that he is our #1 clangers per game culprit. However, he’s only fractionally worse than Yeo. So I think he’s best 22 but yes, he definitely needs to tidy up or stop going for so much.
Brad Sheppard A+
Remember the days when people rued drafting this guy over Jetta? The Junkyard Dog is quick, durable, beautifully balanced and hard as nails. He also spoils well, makes SFA mistakes and has an elite field kick. Some observers have said “he’s back to his best” or “he’s been elite for a few years now”. But I actually think he’s gone to an even higher level in 2018, evidenced by more rebounds, more tackles, more intercepts, more contested possessions and more one percenters. At least on par with Dane Rampe’s 2017 AA year. I’d love to see him released even more as a back-half playmaker but, for now, we’ll have to settle for him being the game’s premier mid-sized defender.
Luke Shuey B
A tricky one to grade because he was missing when we hit our straps. He was among our best against Sydney and Geelong and also pretty good against Fremantle but it probably wasn’t peak Shuey overall. He’s another who could drive improvement in the second half of the season. We now have others to bear the burden of winning contested ball so Shuey could become a trump card as we start to build in extra layers of firepower. I’m sure he’ll still spend time in the engine room but we now have the luxury of giving him a more outside role on a wing/HFF and setting his phasers to ‘run, gun and stun’. Hopefully he comes back in good nick.
Jake Waterman B
He’s been one of our most exciting finds in recent years and has very quickly carved out a niche for himself as a high HF, essentially filling the role that Darling has performed for the past few years, with Darling spending more time playing deep. Waterman’s workrate and willingness to create for other forwards is first-rate, evidenced by him being equal #10 in the comp for goal assists. His best game was probably when he got 20 touches and took nine marks against Geelong and I guess the challenge in the second half of the season will be hitting that standard more often. Has a tendency to drift in and out of games but that’s not unusual for young forwards.
Elliot Yeo A+
“Wanted: A big-bodied midfielder who can play inside/outside, tackle, spread, win clearances, mark overhead and kick goals”. That has been top of our wishlist pretty much since the end of 2007. So thank you very much to Brisbane for delivering one for the paltry sum of pick 28 and well done to the coaches for finally pushing Yeo into the middle, where he’s been a total wrecking ball. With his combination of pace, power and blunt force, he has been, whisper it softly, Fyfe-like. Twice in one quarter, he rolled Dustin Martin into a pretzel and buried him in the backyard. I cancelled all my pr0n subscriptions and now just watch that on a loop.
Fewer than five games, so no grade
Brendon Ah Chee
I think we started to see against the Saints what Ah Chee might bring to the table. Initially I thought he’d be part of our midfield rotation but I think it’s now clear than he’ll play as a mid-sized option across HF, like a bigger, stronger version of Cripps who is dangerous overhead.
Brayden Ainsworth
He seems to have been earmarked as the next cab off the rank in our midfield and hopefully he gets a few more opportunities in the second half. He looks to be a strong-bodied, nuggety inside midfielder, so hopefully he can further release the likes of Shuey to play a more outside role.
Fraser McInnes
He must be pretty frustrated with his spot in our pecking order. He might be too good for WAFL but he’s managed only 12 games for us since being drafted in 2011. If Darling is out for the next month or so, that will be the litmus test – does McInnes get a few games or do we pick someone else?
Jack Petruccelle
I struggle to recall a kid generating such anticipation after playing two games, getting four touches and seven touches. But Petruccelle has the kind of explosive pace that invites you to imagine the player he could be once he’s played 50 games and can get it 20 times. Puts some pressure on Jetta.
Liam Ryan
One of the great disappointments of an otherwise fantastic season has been Ryan’s absence after such a promising start. Imagine the runs he’d have on the board by now after playing 11 games in a winning side. Hopefully he gets back soon and kicks another 20-30 goals this season.
Will Schofield
You know in TV shows when the big twist in the fourth season is the return of a character you thought got killed off in the first season – OMG now they’re back! I still reckon Schofield could be this guy for us. He’s 29 and still good enough to play AFL. Could be first-choice FB next year if McGovern leaves.
Daniel Venables
Sidelined along with Ryan since the early stages of the since – and just like Ryan, we’ve missed getting games into him and seeing what he can do in a winning side. I’m not sure if he’ll be a high-volume midfielder but he seems to have a cutting edge and a knack for kicking goals.
Also, I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned but Robert Walls can EAD. In fact, we should pass the hat around and buy him a ticket to an all-you-can-eat dick buffet.
Last edited:
