#anthony laverde

[reportwire]

Theaters & Politics – CBS Detroit

Theaters & Politics – CBS Detroit

Southfield (CBS Detroit) – Buoyed by recent blockbuster films lead by “Top Gun: Maverick” things are looking up at  movie theaters which Anthony LaVerde, CEO of Emagine Theatres, talked about on CBS 62’s “Michigan Matters.” Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick (Courtesy of Paramount Pictures) READ MORE: CDC: New Listeria Outbreak Tied To 23 Illnesses, 1 Death LaVerde told Senior Producer/Host Carol…

[bomberlandia]

26 Reasons to love the Bombers right now

The 11-point loss to the Demons was another gallant performance against a more experienced team. It has sparked discussion around how the Bombers “aren’t quite ready” to mix it with the contenders. And that’s true. Remember: the Bombers were predicted to finish 12th or lower this year. They have surpassed expectations and it looks like their development and connection has been fast-tracked with a collective buy in to the Rutten ethos. 

Even though the Bombers are slightly off competing at the pointy end of the year, there’s been so much to like about their season. Here’s 26 things I love about the Bombers right now.  

1. Cale Hooker: Before this year, Cale Hooker worked his way back from injury and was a permanent defender. At 31, he looked tired toward the end of last season. Fast forward 12 months and he’s kicked 30 goals - the most out of any Bombers player - and sits 8th in the Coleman Medal race. I love his work in the forward ruck contests where he hacks the ball forward at any cost. It’s produced some great results. He’s true fighter. 

2. Consistent Form On The Road: Bombers have gone 2-5 from 7 outings on the road. Apart from the Power loss (54) and Lions (57), the other losses have been tight affairs: Swans by 3, Giants by 2 and Tigers by 39 after the Bombers had led in the early stages of the final quarter. It’s not a perfect record but since round five Essendon have been consistently better. They’ve travelled for half of the season so far with the fifth youngest team and can show they can compete. 

3. Dyson Heppell is Back: After only playing 3 games in 2020, many said the Bombers captain was too slow for the midfield and there were question marks over what his role might look like and if he could ever recover back to full health. Heppell answered those questions by playing some inspired football. If you look at the AFL rankings, he’s 45th for disposals, 10th for marks, 17th for intercepts with 90 in total; Steven May has 85. He’s bringing other players like Hind and Laverede into contests and his calm influence is having a big impact. This is the year Bombers fans hoped would happen for Heppell. He’s back. 

4. Sam Draper’s Aggression: He has only played 12 games and yet plays the game with such an energy and ferociousness it’s hard not to get excited about what he could look like three years from now. I’m enjoying the little things about Draper’s game: the intelligent knock-ons, the scrappy kicks from congestion, the high-flying contested intercept marks on the wing. Once he figures out his true potential and can start hurting teams at both ends his value will go through the roof. 

5. Brownlow Medal Fancies: Darcy Parish and Zach Merrett are having years to remember. The predictor has Parish at 18 votes at 9-1 and Merrett at 13 votes for 26-1. Parish has a real chance of winning Charlie. 

6. Darcy Parish’s Year of Growth: Speaking of Parish, he’s the no.1 player in the AFL for centre clearances with 56. His breakout year has resulted in large improvements across the board but his best work has been generating touches at the bounce which has kept Essendon in games much longer. He’s also the best Bomber in the AFL for: goal assists (2nd), contested ball (9th), score involvements (6th) and metres gained (20th). 

7. Jayden Laverde: He’s played every game this year (14) which is the most he’s played in a single year - his previous best was 10 in 2019. The transition to the backline has made him a vital cog in defence now. He’s ranked 54th in the AFL for marks; the second best Bombers player. And he’s ranked 30th for interceptions (81) behind Heppell, Hind, Ridley.  Since making the shift to defence he’s doubled his production: 114 disposals in 2019 to 201 touches in 2021; his marking numbers have gone from 43 in 2016 to 84 this year; and he’s had 41 rebounds this year ( 7 was his previous best in 2015).  It’s taken the 60-gamer almost seven years to find a perfectly fitting role and now he looks at home. 

8. Great Depth: The injuries haven’t been good but when you think of who has to come back into the team you start to imagine what a full Essendon lineup might look like. Missing: McGrath, Shiel, Caldwell, Snelling, Hurley, Francis. And then think of some of the players that got games last year but are working away in the VFL right now, like Cutler, Gleeson, BZT, Phillips, Cahill, Zaharakis. And then development players are there too: Reid, Bryan, Durham, Hird, Brand, McBride. 

9. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti: He’s arguably the safest set shot in the AFL. In the last three years he’s kicked 80.32; this year 29.12. His goal accuracy of 67.8 percent and his 2.1 goal-average puts him in the elite category. 

10. Ranked second in the AFL for goals scored: The Bombers have an average winning margin of 34.5 (5th best in the AFL). They are also ranked third for points scored behind the Bulldogs, Lions and are better than the Demons (4th), Eagles (5th), Power (6th). 

11. Closing the Gap: The Bombers average losing margin is 22.9. That has dropped. In 2019 it was at 35.6 and in 2020 it was 30.7. This means we’re seeing the Bombers be more competitive. This year the Demons have an average losing margin of 9 points. Geelong has been the benchmark in recent years with 18, 15 and 12 point average losing margins since 2018. 

12. Jordan Ridley: The 22-year-old has only played 39 games and already owns a best and fairest award. His play-making, intercepts (ranked 27th in the AFL), and efficiency has made him Essendon’s no.1 defender now. This year he’s ranked 7th in the AFL for rebounds (90), the best of the Bombers. He just does a lot of things right - from body positioning, reading the play, and decision-making - which has been so good to watch. 

13. Nick Hind is Better than Saad:  This has been a talking point all year. It’s time to lay it all out. Out of 11 categories, Hind is more dominant in eight of them. Here they are: 

Tackles +5 

Inside 50s +5

Goal assists +4

Contested Ball +17 

Uncontested +57 

Efficiency +1 %

Score Involvements +6 

Saad is +1 for rebounds, +23 for bounces, and +18 for metres gained (on average). But Hind looks to be a much more complete player with room to grow. Both players are the same age - 26 - but Hind has only played 35 games; Saad has 123 games behind him.  It’s been an impressive year by Hind at his new club and I think what he’s done is even more remarkable considering it’s only his third year in the AFL system. 

14. The Bombers’ Form Looks Real: Watching them play they have more purpose, more system in their game. They’re no longer the indecisive team that gets strangled under pressure. It’s all about executing and when they do it, it works. They still have gaps. They still turn the ball over. But they’re finally playing a brand of football that is more even and fluid than 12 months ago. Had a few more results fallen their way they could have been a top six team this year. 

15. Highest score this year is 143: That score was against St.Kilda in April and is ranked second highest in the AFL behind the more advanced Bulldogs’ 167. It’s better than the Cats’ 136 and Tigers’ 134. They also scored 141 against the rebuilding Roos. 

16. Last Quarters Won: The ability to finish off games has been one of the Bombers’ strengths. They’ve won 9 last quarters out of 14 which is the best in the AFL. They share that with the Bulldogs, Lions, Crows. The Bombers have also won 8-of-14 first quarters (ranked sixth best), but need to improve on second and third quarters: they’ve won 9 out of 28 collectively (five and four respectively). 

17. Ben Rutten: I think the best trait Rutten has is his communication. Whatever is happening behind closed doors is working because the players have responded on the field. They have responded by signing contracts. They have responded by saying the culture is tight. There’s been player improvement from last year’s fringe guys - Redman, Laverde, Stewart, Snelling, Ham. The Hooker move worked. The game plan is something to finally get behind. He’s surprised a lot of people but also confirmed he’s the man for the job: to take Essendon to their next flag. 

18. Rising Stars: Nik Cox and Harrison Jones both got nominations. It was Cox who started the year consistently with great endurance and skills on both sides of the feet. Now we’re seeing Jones’ contested marking come to the surface and his work rate: running 14-15 kilometres per game. Jones has 18 goals and 52 marks. Cox has 8 goals, 59 marks. There’s no ceiling for either player. Their evolution will be exciting to watch.

19. Merrett’s 2021 is the Best Merrett Yet: He’s had a very consistent career but if he keeps going at the pace he’s at now, he’ll return his best year of production. He needs 219 disposals in nine games to eclipse 659 in a year which is his previous best. He’s ranked 4th in the AFL for disposals per game (31.50), 20th for tackles (69), and he’s had 95 score involvements (second behind Parish at Essendon). Six more years of the Merrett way. 

20. Tackle Count: Bombers are ranked 4th for tackles in the AFL with 61.4 per game. To compare: In 2020 the Bombers were ranked 11th averaging 49.5 per game. This has been a big part of the elevation in intensity and pressure. When it’s all humming, man, it looks good. 

21. Jake Stringer’s Trajectory:  Stringer’s range has no ceiling. Whether he’s a midfield bull, clearance king, goal-scorer, game-changer, x-factor, and more recently “Dusty-like”. He’s surging. Forget the fat-shaming of 2020, he’s taking his game to new levels. With a bit of luck he stays healthy and stays consistent. 

22. Debutants: The trio of Reid, Waterman and Perkins have shown flashes of their potential. Reid has only played the one game but his 202-cm frame will make him one of Essendon’s key defenders of the future. Perkins has had 57 score involvements and 110 uncontested touches. His poise with the ball is ahead of his time. And Waterman has kicked nine goals in seven games and looks like a good fit in the forward line. He brings tenacity and a raking, deadly, left-foot. His AFL journey still gives me goosebumps. 

23. That Eagles 16-point Win: It was dubbed a “coming of age” win for the fact the Bombers beat the Eagles - a finals team - in Perth with a young team. They were down by 29 and kicked 7.8 to 2.5 in the second half. Once they start beating contending teams, they’ll look back at this game and say that’s when it all started to sink in that their best was better than the best. 

24. The Critics Have Turned: Remember this headline? “Essendon star Zach Merrett a casualty of leadership mess”. The Bombers’ 2020 season was called a “death spiral” and “Tipungwuti is a marvellous player in hopeless surrounds”. What about this one:  “Saad decisions spells disaster for Essendon.” Those doomsday headlines have now been replaced with “fiesty” Bombers, “Rising” and “Brave”. 

25. Will Snelling: He’s recovering from a thumb injury but has taken a leap this year with his pressure role. He’s kicked 10 goals, has 18 tackles inside 50 (second best at Essendon), 9 goal assists and 52 tackles. He’s played 33 games since 2016 when his career looked uncertain and now he’s an important cog for Essendon. 

26. Peter Wright: He’s had to pinch-hit in the ruck while Draper was injured and collected 139 hitouts - the most at Essendon. He’s been a solid contested mark option with 18 and has 15 marks inside 50. His 11 goals puts him behind Hooker, Walla, Stringer and Jones and makes him a very versatile tall that will continue to develop. 

[getseriouser]

20 THOUGHTS: Most Boundaries?

WHO would you rather be? 

Jye Simpkin, who lost touch on Anthony McDonald- Tipungwuti in the dying seconds Saturday afternoon?

Maybe Trent Boult, who took the catch cleanly off Ben Stokes before stepping on the boundary to result in a six?

Or Roger Federer, who had two match points for his 21st slam before ultimately losing the fifth set to his Serbian rival?

Probably Alan Richardson, who has had no luck with injuries, has shown a lot on field to be honest, and doesn’t even make it to the end of July. Simpkin, Boult, Federer – they could only blame themselves for minor errors. Richo? Probably couldn’t have done anymore, even with the benefit of hindsight.

But that’s footy.

 1.       So we start at St Kilda – we thought Richo would be ok given the circumstances we described last week. But the writing was on the wall that with his record, over six years, there just wasn’t enough to justify the faith Hardwick and Buckley received. So now, is it Brad Scott, the guy who walked early to be on pole position for a vacancy, or Brett Ratten, the former Hawks’ assistant who the Saints got ‘mysteriously’ last offseason to be ‘just’ an assistant coach?

It’s rather simple. Brad Scott’s career winning percentage as a coach, is 50%, Brett Ratten, despite being at Carlton, is also at 50%, he got sacked in a year he went 11-11, not something like 6-16, and for the Hawthorn three-peat was in the coaching box next to Clarkson. If its out of those two, sorry Brad, you’re just not even close despite making yourself available for exactly such a scenario. Ratts is not just a good caretaker, he is the next in line for a senior gig – period.

2.       Mind you, here’s a theory. There’s a coach out there right now in a long-term gig, who if you believe the whispers on the nose with his board and even his supporter base as well. This same coach also has coached the most Grand Finals in the last ten years aside from Al Clarkson. And, this same coach, whilst leaving on suspect terms, also has a lot of credits still in the bank with the Saints. That coach is Ross Lyon, a 50-50 chance to be moved on by Fremantle, the coach who has a record of making Grand Finals and who could come back to Moorabbin and try and go one further than 2009/2010. Sure, left on less-than-great terms but the current admin wasn’t the admin when he walked. I couldn’t rule out a reconciliation and an almighty chapter two in the Lyon-Saints story.

3.       As for Carlton and David Teague, wow, he isn’t just going right on the park with results, he has got that playing group completely sold. Ross Lyon’s greatest strength is the bond he forges with the playing group, you still hear St Kilda legends talk in such high praise for their former coach, its very noticeable. The same things are emanating out of Ikon Park for ‘Teaguey’. And whilst Chris Judd, despite the shocking attempt at a false backtrack, and the Board wanting an experienced coach, the playing group is that enamoured with playing for Teaguey, and if the results stack up, he has to be a strong contender to continue for sure.

4.       So whats this say about Brendan Bolton? Usually, and like I make the point with Ratten earlier, Al Clarkson assistants are money. Last three premiership coaches, all former Hawks’ assistants. But Bolton is the outlier? Now too that David Teague has swept the playing group off their feet. We thought Bolton was a bit stuff, blaming the long-term rut Carlton has been in for his non-success. But in hindsight, was there something about the Bolton approach that despite his well-credential apprenticeship, he just wouldn’t cut it? Now, I’d say most probably.

5.       Have penned something about the Gold Coast being salvageable in more detail, but gee, this is a rabble of a club. At one point, Round 16, 2014, they were 9 wins and 6, in the eight and looking like making their first finals campaign. Gary Ablett does his shoulder against the Pies and misses the rest of the season. Since that injury, they are 24 wins and 78 losses. That’s five-win season pace in basically five years of football. In that time West Coast have had time to be awesome, then shit, then win a flag. It’s a long time of real mediocrity.

6.       But remember, the AFL has pumped in over $200m into the Gold Coast, so the idea of a quick retreat to engage Tasmania needs a fair bit more than what you and I think of over a cheeky pint on a Friday night. Tassie prospects look good, but the AFL-Suns breakup ain’t that close with that sort of investment to date, I’m sorry.

7.       Quickly on the cricket. My Lord, that’s the worst rule of all time. At least with soccer, whilst we don’t like penalties deciding a world cup, they don’t stop at five spot kicks each and declare the winner based on who had the most shots on goal within the 90 minutes. Or in tennis, if it ends two sets all, six games all declaring the winner on who has hit the most aces. Just terrible. ICC, get serious.

8.       Mind you, did you know, that if two teams finish equal eighth in the AFL, exact same for Points, but also the exact same For and Against, that to decide who plays finals and who finishes ninth, in the official rules, would come down to a coin toss. Dead serious.

9.       And I tell you, smokey for middle order in the Ashes – Matty Wade. Second most Shield runs in the summer just gone behind Marcus Harris, and has smashed not only two white ball centuries for Australia A in England, but in his first red-ball hitout in the same tour hit a ton as well. No other middle order candidate is banging down the door, so Wade’s every chance to get a gig at 5 or 6 at this rate.

10.   Can we pin the balloon somewhat of the Brisbane Lions resurgence? Bear with. From Round 6 to 17, 11 games of footy, only four games against top 8 teams from last year, or worst still only two games against current top 8 teams. If you go from Round 6 to include Round 21 coming up, that’s five games only against last year’s top 8 and still only two games against teams currently in the 8. It gets worse – they play the Gold Coast twice before their first games against Geelong and Richmond in the last two rounds, and when you isolate records against current top four teams they are as good as Carlton, or records against current top eight teams as good as Footscray. Soft draw much?

11.   Speaking of Footscray, please, please, I know its not a well-thought through argument but please revert to Footscray and not the Western Bulldogs. The nostalgia on Sunday was just terrific, and to play the original song at the end was something diehard Doggies fans, or should I say Scragger fans was awesome.

12.   Couple on Carlton, good and bad. Firstly good, the breakout star of the comp might not be Sam Walsh, but Harry McKay. Have called this very early in the season, but after another strong aerial performance against Sydney where he took nine marks, its Round 18 this week and the 21-year-old still leads the league for contested marks. If a forward is leading that category these days and not say a Jeremy McGovern for example, that’s epic. He is a star.

13.   Bad news, again, this column called it early too but finally the Blues dropped Mitch McGovern for being pudgy. Never good to fat-shame someone, but you’re getting paid that much, I could say a lot worse than advising the Blues new-boy to you know what, maybe say no to seconds at the dinner table occasionally yeah?

14.   Good to see the folks at the Herald Sun read the opening installment to the Get Serious Top 50 last Thursday. No-one talks about Robbie Tarrant’s value until this column got him in at number 48, and low and behold a couple days later a piece on their website about whether he is the most underrated player in the league? Not to this column’s readers he ain’t, move along now, but nice to know they’re on board with the Top 50.

15.   I know there was a lot of love for Tippa’s winner on Saturday night, and his overall game too which was fantastic. But has anyone dished any kudos to Jayden Laverde for his role in that goal? The gather, alluding a couple Roos and the handball execution under that much pressure, I thought it was as outstanding as the finish. Well done Jayden, we noticed.

16.   West Coast, hmm, David King still thinks they’re Christmas. I though they would win enough games to get top two, but that took a shot with their loss last Friday. They smashed Freo, but only just beat Hawthorn in the wet and capitulated to Sydney last month at the same venue where Carlton won just last weekend. Not motoring just yet, they are not going back-to-back, can’t see it. My flag tip as of July 16th – Richmond. They just have to finish fourth to play Geelong and its done.

17.   Jack Darling, often maligned by this column, and today is again no different. Sure, he has at times looked like John Coleman, but if you can’t stand up in perfect conditions against Brayden Maynard, who you made look like Stephen Silvagni on a Stephen Dank supplements program, then you’re only as good as your last performance for mine. Kennedy, first up, on a very good Jordan Roughead – excused. Darling on a bloke he had both inches and kgs on, didn’t fire a shot. Poor.

18.   Pies might lose Pendles for a match, a month, not sure, but that was much better, that last 45 minutes was as good a footy against solid opposition as you’ll see. When West Coast lost to Sydney, they were trash. But for two and a half quarters last Friday the Eagles looked like the machine of late last year. So the performance by the Maggies, alongside the return of Taylor Adams and Jeremy Howe this week, is very much a good news story in lieu of their September aspriations.

19.   Orazio Fantasia’s form since the story, or non-story, about his desire to be traded home to South Australia, depending on which version you believe, has been mightily patchy. And its either because the story is true and he is off-guard lying about it, or he can’t handle the distraction of a rumour with no substance. My gut feel is still the former.

20.   And lastly, completely random – why do some people think petrol pump hoses only extend ten inches? Why do they whose cars have the petrol cap say on the left hand side of the car, prefer to queue up behind six cars for a pump on the left, when the pumps on the right are totally vacant. I’m yet to see a fuel hose that would not extend all the way around or over a Hummer if need be, so please, if your guilty of this basic human shortcoming – why?

[footyplusau]

Around the state leagues: Who’s starred for your club?

State league affiliate: Adelaide (SANFL) This weekend: Sturt v Adelaide – Saturday, July 1, 2.10pm, Peter Motley Oval  

Dumped forward Andy Otten picked up 15 disposals, three hit-outs and two goals in Adelaide’s 52-point loss to Sturt at Peter Motley Oval on Saturday.

Tom Doedee led the disposal count for his side with 23 while draftees Myles Poholke (22) and Jordan Gallucci (17) also won the footy.

Otten, 28, had played every game in the senior side this year up until this weekend and booted 17 goals.

Sturt trailed by five points at quarter-time but kicked away to post a 17.17 (119) to 10.7 (67) victory.

• Forecast the road to the flag with the AFL Ladder and Finals Predictor

State league affiliate: Brisbane Lions (NEAFL) This weekend: Sydney Uni v Brisbane Lions – Saturday, July 1, 12pm, Blacktown International Sportspark 

Young midfielder Ben Keays picked up 34 disposals, six tackles and four goals in the Brisbane Lions’ 65-point win over Sydney University at Blacktown International Sportspark on Saturday.

Matthew Hammelmann, Michael Close and Liam Dawson all booted three goals apiece.

Recently re-signed forward Josh Schache finished with 11 disposals, eight marks and two goals.

Jacob Allison (30 disposals and one goal), Corey Lyons (28 and one) and Marco Paparone (28) were all prolific.

Keays has played seven matches in the senior team this season but hasn’t been seen in Chris Fagan’s side since round 10.

Meanwhile, Hammelmann has slotted 10 goals in his past three NEAFL games. He has been used as a defender at times in the AFL. 

The game was relocated from Henson Park and the Lions ran out comfortable 21.6 (132) to 10.7 (67) winners. 

State league affiliate: Northern Blues (VFL) This weekend: Northern Blues v Box Hill Hawks – Sunday, July 2, 2pm, Preston City Oval 

Omitted midfielder Blaine Boekhorst was the key player for the Blues, amassing 36 possessions in the 22-point loss.

Axed midfielder Billie Smedts (22 disposals), draftee Harrison Macreadie (20) and former Giant Rhys Palmer (20) were the other major ball-winners.

The inaccurate Blues finished the game with six goals and 19 behinds.

• After the siren: Flaws that could stop the contenders

State league affiliate: Collingwood (VFL) This weekend: Collingwood v Footscray – Sunday, July 2, 11.45am, Victoria Park

Returning from a hamstring injury, speedster Travis Varcoe was managed in his first game in two months and featured in each quarter of the Magpies’ thrilling five-point win.

Defender Ben Reid played well after being omitted and bobbed up forward to kick a goal from just beyond the 50m arc, while midfielder Jarryd Blair didn’t stop trying through the middle.

Axed forward Ben Crocker kicked the match-winning goal with his clever snap in the dying minutes handing the Magpies a six-point advantage.

Collingwood secured the win after Bulldogs’ hit the post with a shot at goal after the siren that would have drawn the match. 

State league affiliate: Essendon (VFL) This weekend: Essendon v Richmond – Saturday, July 1, 2.10pm, Windy Hill

Young forward Jayden Laverde emerged unscathed in his first game of the season as Essendon fell six points short of Richmond at Windy Hill on Saturday afternoon.

Laverde had ankle surgery in March. He played three quarters of game time and pulled up well. 

Promising defender Aaron Francis lined up in the backline and defended strongly, with his intercept marking impressive. 

David Myers racked up 35 disposals as an onballer and was clean with the footy while Jackson Merrett slotted three goals. 

Veteran Brent Stanton played on the wing and offered plenty of run.

Richmond edged out the Bombers in a hotly contested game, 12.8 (80) to 10.14 (74). 

State league affiliate: Peel Thunder (WAFL) This weekend: Peel Thunder v Claremont – Saturday, July 1, 2.15pm, Bendigo Bank Stadium

Young defender Ryan Nyhuis was impressive in Peel’s two-point win, gathering a match-high 30 disposals and six marks in wet and muddy conditions.

The 20-year-old, who is yet to debut since being recruited with pick No.34 in the 2015 NAB AFL Rookie Draft, provided good rebound from defence.

Defender Zac Dawson returned to the backline after featuring at the opposite end of the ground in recent weeks and fitted in seamlessly with 17 touches and seven marks, while first-year rookie Taylin Duman was also solid down back with 22 disposals.

Axed forward Shane Kersten kicked an equal game-high two goals in his first appearance for Peel since joining Fremantle in last year’s exchange period from Geelong. 

• The run home: How the race for the finals is shaping up

State league affiliate: Geelong (VFL) This weekend: Geelong v Coburg – Saturday, July 1, 1pm, Simonds Stadium

Returning young gun Brandan Parfitt picked up 26 disposals and a goal in his first game back from a hamstring injury in Geelong’s 85-point win against Coburg at Simonds Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

He also laid nine tackles.

Parfitt was nominated for the NAB Rising Star after round three and was injured against Collingwood in round six. 

The Cats posted a comfortable victory, 19.12 (126) to 6.5 (41).

State league affiliate: Gold Coast (NEAFL) This weekend: Gold Coast v Aspley – Saturday, July 1, 12.55pm, Metricon Stadium

Tough midfielder Michael Rischitelli notched up 27 disposals and a goal in Gold Coast’s dominant 127-point win against Aspley at Metricon Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Tall rookie Cameron Loersch booted seven goals to combine with his 17 disposals and eight marks. 

Dropped youngster Darcy MacPherson had 31 disposals, nine marks and four goals. 

Matt Shaw was the leading ball-winner for his side with 39 disposals and two goals while Mitch Hallahan (32 and one) and draftee Jack Bowes (28) were also prolific. 

Rischitelli has played three games since returning from a right knee reconstruction.

The respected onballer is out of contract at the end of the season.

Gold Coast held Aspley scoreless in the first half on its way to a 25.13 (163) to 5.6 (36) victory. 

State league affiliate: GWS Giants (NEAFL) This weekend: GWS Giants v NT Thunder – Saturday, July 1, 3.15pm, Spotless Stadium 

Draftee Will Setterfield had 31 disposals and two goals in Greater Western Sydney’s four-point loss to the Northern Territory Thunder at Spotless Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

He wasn’t the only first-round selection from last year to flourish, as Harry Perryman finished with 27 disposals and two goals while Isaac Cumming collected 26 himself. 

Former Docker Tendai Mzungu won 20 disposals. 

It was Setterfield’s second-straight game since returning from an ankle syndesmosis injury he suffered in April. 

The Giants led by four points at the final break but couldn’t hold on as the Thunder won 15.7 (97) to 14.9 (93).

• Nine things we learned from round 15

State league affiliate: Box Hill Hawks (VFL) This weekend: Northern Blues v Box Hill Hawks – Sunday, July 2, 2pm, Preston City Oval 

Maligned forward Ty Vickery kicked three goals in his team’s 22-point win.

Vickery, whose last game for the Hawks was in the round 11 loss to Port Adelaide, was joined among the Hawks’ best by youngster Teia Miles.

Second-year forward Kade Stewart kicked a goal and impressed with his pressure acts, while onballer Brendan Whitecross also added a major.

State league affiliate: Casey Demons (VFL) This weekend: Port Melbourne v Casey Demons – Saturday, July 1, 2pm, North Port Oval

Rookie midfielder Corey Maynard continued his push for a senior debut by collecting a team-high 32 possessions in Casey’s 65-point loss.

Ball-winners Ben Kennedy (29 disposals), Jay Kennedy-Harris (27, one goal) and Dean Kent (23, one goal) responded positively after being banned from selection for Friday night’s loss to Sydney.

The trio, along with ruckman Jake Spencer, were not considered for senior call-ups after breaking team rules by drinking alcohol following last Saturday’s VFL game against Box Hill.

Rookie Joel Smith returned from a left shoulder reconstruction he suffered in his AFL debut in round one against St Kilda, gathering 21 disposals.

An inaccurate Casey managed just five goals for the match. 

State league affiliate: Werribee (VFL) This weekend: Sandringham v Werribee – Sunday, July 2, 2pm, Trevor Barker Beach Oval

Draftee Jy Simpkin made his first appearance since recovering from shoulder surgery, playing between the forward line and midfield in the six-point loss.

Simpkin, who played six of the first eight games for the Kangaroos before going down with injury against Sydney in round eight, finished with a goal.

A Werribee spokesman told AFL.com.au on Sunday that Simpkin “ran the game out really well”.

Draftee Nick Larkey, who was taken with North’s final pick in last year’s draft, kicked four goals and hit the post on two occasions.

Second-year rookie Will Fordham used his hard-running ability through the centre and kicked two goals, while fellow rookie Cameron Zurhaar followed suit up forward with two goals of his own.

Defender Sam Wright took part in his second consecutive game since overcoming a foot/ankle injury and played out the game.

State league affiliate: Port Adelaide (SANFL) This weekend: Woodville-West Torrens v Port Adelaide – Saturday, July 1, 2.10pm, Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval

Out-of-contract runner Jimmy Toumpas collected 27 disposals in Port Adelaide’s 27-point loss to Woodville-West Torrens at Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Tough onballer Joe Atley had 25 himself and kicked a goal, to go along with 13 tackles.

Mature-age pick-up Brett Eddy booted three goals.

Big-bodied midfielder Brendon Ah Chee finished with 24 disposals.

Toumpas has played 10 matches in his two seasons since crossing over from Melbourne.

The Magpies led by 10 points at the main break but were run over by the Eagles, 12.13 (85) to 8.10 (58).

State league affiliate: Richmond (VFL) This weekend: Essendon v Richmond – Saturday, July 1, 2.10pm, Windy Hill

Inside midfielder Anthony Miles racked up 36 disposals for Richmond in its six-point win against Essendon at Windy Hill on Saturday afternoon.

Taylor Hunt was named the best player for the Tigers as he finished with 28 disposals.

Draftee Ryan Garthwaite bagged two goals. 

The Tigers held on for victory in a tough game, 12.8 (80) to 10.14 (74). 

State league affiliate: Sandringham (VFL) This weekend: Sandringham v Werribee – Sunday, July 2, 2pm, Trevor Barker Beach Oval

Hard-running backman Daniel McKenzie took out best-on-ground honours in the Zebras’ six-point win courtesy of his defensive rebounding ability.

The 21-year-old sat out the final quarter for Sandringham last weekend after receiving a knock between his hip and coccyx.

Another key contributor, Shane Savage, used his 115-games experience to win contests and drift forward for two goals.

Big man Tom Hickey was the dominant ruckman on the ground and kicked a goal, adding a little more pressure on first-choice ruckman Billy Longer.

State league affiliate: Sydney (NEAFL) This weekend: Canberra v Sydney – Saturday, July 1, 12pm, UNSW Canberra Oval

Sydney defender Alex Johnson made a remarkable comeback to football as he picked up eight disposals and kicked a goal in the opening half as the Swans beat Canberra by 91 points at UNSW Canberra Oval on Saturday afternoon. 

Watched on by several teammates, including Lance Franklin and Dan Hannebery, Johnson emerged unscathed in his first game for 1,736 days, when he played against Gold Coast in a pre-season match and ruptured the ACL in his left knee.

He has had five knee reconstructions.

Meanwhile, Dan Robinson (32 disposals and one goal), James Rose (30 disposals and 3.4) and Jordan Foote (29 and one) all won plenty of the ball. 

Tall option Callum Sinclair picked up 26 disposals and 3.3 while defender Aliir Aliir had 21 disposals and kicked 2.2. 

The Swans booted 14 goals to half-time before cruising home 20.18 (138) to 7.5 (47).

State league affiliate: East Perth (WAFL) This weekend: East Perth v East Fremantle – Saturday, July 1, 2.15pm, Leederville Oval

Ruck duo Scott Lycett and Jonathan Giles made light work of their smaller East Fremantle opponent in the 61-point win, combining for a monster 122 hit-outs to 17.

Playing his fourth game since overcoming shoulder surgery, Lycett had 67 hit-outs, 21 disposals, laid six tackles and kicked a goal to suggest he is on the verge of earning a senior call-up.

Fellow tall Fraser McInnes featured in the forward line and finished with 17 disposals and three goals, including two majors in the first quarter.

Second-year onballer Kurt Mutimer also relished the wet conditions with his 32 touches, eight inside 50s, seven tackles and two goals, while rookie Jordan Snadden began well but was concussed before half-time. 

State league affiliate: Footscray (VFL) This weekend: Collingwood v Footscray – Sunday, July 2, 11.45am, Victoria Park

Veteran defender Matthew Boyd led the stats sheet with 26 disposals in Footscray’s five-point loss.

It was the 34-year-old’s third consecutive VFL appearance since being omitted following the round 12 loss to Sydney.

Forward Clay Smith gathered 22 touches as he continues to push for senior selection, while forward Tom Boyd, whose calf complaint kept him sidelined last weekend, was a late withdrawal from the game.

The Bulldogs had the chance to draw the match courtesy of VFL-listed player Anthony Bruhn but his set shot after the siren hit the post, handing the Magpies the thrilling win.

• Forecast the road to the flag with the AFL Ladder and Finals Predictor

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Mid-season review: Essendon

Essendon’s mid-season report card Cal Twomey takes a look at the Bombers

Dyson Heppell has led from the front for the Dons this year

The season so far

Essendon came into the season as one of the great unknowns, and as we enter the second half of the year, the Bombers are still something of a mystery. Their best is exceptional – strong wins over Geelong, West Coast and Port Adelaide have shown their devastating speed and dangerous forward line. Their new-found speed, thanks to the rapid development of Orazio Fantasia and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, plus the addition of No.1 pick Andrew McGrath, has made Essendon very difficult to contain when in form. But John Worsfold’s men still lapse too often, with losses to Carlton, Richmond and Fremantle highlighting some of their deficiencies. They could be a threat and have the weapons to go deep into the season, but that will be dependent on their consistency improving. 

Quarters won: 25

Players used: 33

Yet to play: Josh Begley, Craig Bird, Dylan Clarke, Sam Draper, Jayden Laverde, Jake Long, Jackson Merrett, Alex Morgan, Kobe Mutch, Mason Redman, Jordan Ridley

Stats leaders

Disposals: Zach Merrett (388) Marks: Michael Hurley (88) Goals: Joe Daniher (34) Tackles: Zach Merrett (65) Metres gained: Zach Merrett (average 577.2m) Tackles in defensive 50: Travis Colyer (15)

Best win

Round 12 against Port Adelaide. Essendon’s barnstorming first term, in which they kicked seven goals to one, saw the Bombers on the way to their biggest win since 2014. Cale Hooker was the hero with five first-half goals.

One that got away

Round three against Carlton. In torrential rain the Bombers were completely outplayed by the Blues, who restricted their rivals to just six goals and 12 scoring shots to claim a 15-point win.

Best and fairest leader: Zach Merrett

Surprise packet: Conor McKenna

Who’s struggling: Brent Stanton, Heath Hocking

Missing in action 

Jayden Laverde Laverde hasn’t played since he seriously injured his ankle in the JLT Community Series. He is due to return in coming weeks but will take some time to be ready for AFL selection in his third season with the club.

The concern

Essendon’s win over the Power last weekend was just the second time the Bombers have won the inside-50 count this year. It points to a very efficient forward line given some of their bigger scores, but also suggests something isn’t clicking in the midfield. If they can get that right and pump the ball into attack more often, look out.

Zach Merrett’s form has continued to trend upwards after an impressive 2016. Picture: AFL Photos

Pass mark

The Bombers have to be aiming to making the finals and actually winning one, a feat they haven’t achieved since their elimination final victory over Melbourne in 2004.

The coach

Worsfold stuck to his guns on Hooker playing as a forward despite some quieter games, and that faith was rewarded last week. He also changed the forward structure five weeks ago to include another key target, James Stewart, and the Bombers have benefited from that. It has been a challenge to reintegrate the returning suspended players – they have all hit form at different times – but Worsfold has a reasonably fit list and should be confident about the direction of the group.

How the best 22 has changed

Conor McKenna’s emergence as a dashing half-back has seen him overtake a couple of other backline options in Brent Stanton and Martin Gleeson. It’s a tight call in the ruck, but Tom Bellchambers has had an impact around the ground in his return to the senior side which gets him the nod over Matthew Leuenberger. David Myers and Josh Green had injury-interrupted pre-seasons but are in Essendon’s best side, although Myers is yet to reach his best form after missing the best part of the last two years with injury and suspension. 

B: Mark Baguley, Michael Hartley, Patrick Ambrose HB: Andrew McGrath, Michael Hurley, James Kelly C: Darcy Parish, Jobe Watson, Brendon Goddard HF: David Zaharakis, Joe Daniher, James Stewart F: Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Cale Hooker, Orazio Fantasia R: Tom Bellchambers, Zach Merrett, Dyson Heppell I/C: David Myers, Travis Colyer, Josh Green, Conor McKenna

In from pre-season best 22: Tom Bellchambers, David Myers, Josh Green, Conor McKenna, Michael Hartley

Out from pre-season best 22: Brent Stanton, Jayden Laverde, Kyle Langford, Martin Gleeson, Shaun McKernan

• Who did we tip for your club’s best 22 in round one? 

Bombers fans: what’s your mid-season verdict?

Share your views via the form below and we’ll publish the best responses on the morning of Essendon’s next match.

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• State of Origin: Who’d play, who’d miss out?

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Aces back in pack, rebuilt Bombers can blitz

Even Essendon couldn’t predict with any confidence just how things would go for the club this year. A day or so after an emotion-charged season-opening victory, they still can’t. And mightn’t for some time yet.

The Bombers are in previously uncharted waters, a group of 10 players, six of whom played in Saturday night’s win over Hawthorn, coming off a year-long break, and attempting to gel with as many with whom they hadn’t played previously.

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Crows upset Giants

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AFL plays of round 01

AFL plays of round 01

Cloke helps Doggies put bite on the Pies, Port teenager announces himself on the big stage, Heppell provides inspiration for the Dons, Toby Green thinks he’s a key forward and Adelaide are crowned AFLW inaugural premiers.

Crows upset Giants

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Crows upset Giants

Crows upset Giants

Eddie Betts starred with four goals as the Crows upset the Giants as they ran away with the game in the final two quarters.

West Coast claim confortable win over Kangaroos

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West Coast claim confortable win over …

West Coast claim confortable win over Kangaroos

Josh Kennedy’s seven goals have lead the West Coast Eagles to a comfortable win over North Melbourne, 21.10.136 to 13.15.93.

Bombers back with Hawks upset

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Bombers back with Hawks upset

Bombers back with Hawks upset

Essendon put a terrible 2016 behind them with a strong win over Hawthorn.

Port upset Swans in Sydney

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Port upset Swans in Sydney

Port upset Swans in Sydney

Port Adelaide Power have snatched the first major upset of the season at the expense of the Sydney Swans, 110-82

Riewoldt injured as St Kilda succumb to Melbourne

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Riewoldt injured as St Kilda succumb to …

Riewoldt injured as St Kilda succumb to Melbourne

Nick Riewoldt was stretchered off late in the game, as the Demons were too strong for St Kilda.

Bulldogs beat Magpies by 14 points

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Bulldogs beat Magpies by 14 points

Bulldogs beat Magpies by 14 points

The Premiers held off Collingwood to claim a 14 point win in their season opener.

AFL plays of round 01

Cloke helps Doggies put bite on the Pies, Port teenager announces himself on the big stage, Heppell provides inspiration for the Dons, Toby Green thinks he’s a key forward and Adelaide are crowned AFLW inaugural premiers.

The raw emotion that fuelled the impressive win over the Hawks won’t remain at such feverish levels. The lack of match hardening of those returning from suspension may later on start taking a significant toll. The “getting to know you” stage may leave the Bombers short of the sort of synergy enjoyed by those teams who have played together for years.

Essendon can’t necessarily do much about any of that. What they can do is at least now ponder some concrete evidence of how the new look set-up can work at its best. And you’d have to already say, that’s pretty impressively.

Midfield depth, forward potency and leg speed are three areas in which Essendon have been in very short supply for a number of years now, going back before the supplements scandal even began. Finally, all appear to have been addressed effectively.

The midfield numbers, particularly late in the game, were revealing. What they showed that the on-ball depth is now sufficient enough that the same players who have had to carry the Bombers’ load for too long were kept fresh enough to inflict some serious damage when it counted most.

Essendon lost both the overall and centre clearance count on Saturday night. But in the critical last quarter, the Dons won the stoppages 8-4 and the centre takeaways 6-2.

And their three leading possession-getters in the final term were Dyson Heppell, Jobe Watson and Brendon Goddard, all of whom might have previously been going up and down on the one spot by the end, but against the Hawks were still going strong thanks to the load being shared with the likes of Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish, Travis Colyer, David Zaharakis, Brent Stanton and Kyle Langford.

Feeling it: Dyson Heppell lead the celebrations after round one victory over the Hawks. Photo: Adam Trafford/AFL Media

Of course, midfield depth counts for little if you can’t convert your chances, a perennial problem for the Bombers. But perhaps that’s about to change, too.

Essendon’s 17.14 (117) against the Hawks was their highest score since round eight in 2015, 37 games previously. It came despite the Dons having three fewer forward entries than their opponent.

For the first time in a long time, the Bombers weren’t overly-reliant of Joe Daniher to do the bulk of the goalkicking. He finished with three and played well. His fellow key forward Cale Hooker wasn’t nearly as conspicuous, but he finished with three, too.

Orazio Fantasia’s opportunism and crumbing capacity at the feet of the big men was crucial. He finished with four. And then there were those midfielders again, now plentiful enough to have longer spells near goal, Heppell and Stanton sharing five goals, Zaharakis and ruckman Shaun McKernan chipping in on the scoreboard as well.

That’s not the end of the forward armoury, either. Fantasia’s fellow smalls Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Josh Green didn’t hit the scoreboard, but between them had five goal assists, the only two players on the ground with more than one.

Bomber coach John Worsfold has further options in attack as well via the now plentiful midfield and talls like James Stewart and one or two of McKernan and ruck pair Matthew Leuenberger and Tom Bellchambers (when the latter two are fit).That’s not to mention a couple of young guns in Aaron Francis and (later this season) Jayden Laverde.

And pace? Well, Essendon may still be beaten for leg speed by one or two rivals, but not too many, and certainly not Hawthorn on Saturday night, with the likes of Fantasia, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Green, Colyer and newcomer Andrew McGrath able to leave the opposition in their wake on enough occasions to make upcoming rivals take note.

Essendon’s defensive structure held firm against the Hawks, too, with Michael Hurley and Patrick Ambrose solid, James Kelly and Goddard sweeping across half-back, and Mark Baguley turning in a very solid game after what had been by his standards, a not-overly impressive pre-season.

First impressions of a rebuilt Essendon are certainly favourable. And based even on one game, the Bombers are going to go in favourite in at least their next two games – against Brisbane and Carlton.

Those factors cited earlier, especially that lack of match conditioning, are real. But similarly, momentum counts for plenty in today’s game. And Essendon appear to have begun 2017 with a decent head of steam up. Perhaps they can turn that into a buffer solid enough to withstand the impact of the grind kicking in.

In any case, Worsfold and his coaching staff at least now are playing with a deck of cards fully-stacked. And Saturday night may have shown us our first glimpse that with those aces back in the pack and the value of those supposed lesser cards improved as a result, the Dons have some decent hands to play this new season.

One of the oldest rules in the AFL analysis playbook is “don’t go the early crow”.

Round one can throw up some unusual results as teams that  haven’t played a competitive match for premiership points for more than six months lock horns, the unknowns and elements of surprise greater than they’ll be all season.

So it’s as tempting to write off some of the surprises in this weekend’s opening to the new season as aberrations just as much as to read great significance into them.

How many people, perhaps even inside Port Adelaide, would have considered the Power a reasonable chance of beat Sydney, last season’s runner-up, on the Swans home patch?

Power surge: Port’s Darcy Byrne-Jones takes on Sydney’s Zak Jones. Photo: Mark Kolbe

Or Melbourne, once the Demons slipped four goals in arrears against St Kilda, slam on the next 10 goals? Or Essendon go on a similar spree against Hawthorn after the Hawks had seized control in the second quarter. Or Brisbane boot 11 of the first 14 goals against Gold Coast?

Perhaps those happenings will prove to be outliers as the season unfolds. Or perhaps not.

The “strange things happen in round one” theory is one based purely on anecdotal evidence. To see how well it holds up in practice, I’ve done a little number-crunching. And they don’t support it. In fact, quite the contrary.

Prior to this weekend, since 2000, we’d had 141 round one matches. How often did the side that won finish below the team it beat after the last of the home-and-away games? Just 43 times. Or a pretty miserable 30.5 per cent.

So to flip that figure, nearly 70 per cent of the time, the winner of a round one game has gone on to finish the regular season higher than the side it defeated. Yes, there are some bizarre results. Last year, for example, Melbourne managed to defeat GWS. The Giants finished within a kick of a grand final, the Demons 11th. In 2014, GWS beat Sydney, which ended the home-and-away rounds on top of the ladder, the Giants 16th.

The Swans have been a common denominator in the round one turn-ups. Back in 2006, they managed to lose to Essendon in round one. The Bombers would win just three games for the season and finish second-last, Sydney end up within a kick of a second successive flag. Indeed, Sydney went six seasons between 2006-11 without winning one of their first-round clashes.

That’s not to suggest Port Adelaide’s impressive upset on Saturday should be taken with a grain of salt. The Power were terrific, their midfield brigade as potent as they’ve been at any time since 2014.

Perhaps the message out of what might have been considered round one turn-ups this season is about the losers having to pull up their socks. And the winners? Well, maybe we’ve got even more decent teams in 2017 than we’d thought. 

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Essendon captain Dyson Heppell warns that competition for spots will ramp up the pressure on teammates

Essendon captain Dyson Heppell says the Bombers must guard against lingering jealousy as returning players face a fight for spots in the best 22.

After a year in the wilderness as a result of doping bans, Heppell and nine teammates are at last free to face Hawthorn in what looms as an emotion-charged round-one MCG blockbuster on Saturday night. But not all 10 will play against the Hawks. David Myers is sidelined with a finger injury, and Tom Bellchambers appears unlikely to be risked as he makes his way back from a knee problem.

Leader: Dyson Heppell. Photo: Getty Images

While Heppell, Jobe Watson, Michael Hurley, Travis Colyer and Cale Hooker appear to be walk-up starters, midfielders Ben Howlett and Heath Hocking have been only peripheral players during the pre-season, with both overlooked for Essendon’s final JLT Community series match against Geelong.

The emergence of players such as Darcy Parish and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti last year, as well as the additions of veteran James Kelly and draftee Andrew McGrath, has helped create a selection squeeze. While the problem of seemingly increased depth may be a good one to have for the Bombers, Heppell said envy was a potential byproduct. He said he hoped those on the outer would not sulk.

“Obviously having 10 guys who weren’t there last year coming into the club, it does put a lot of pressure on selection. It creates a lot of headaches for the coaches,” Heppell told Fairfax Media.

“But I think the main message from the coaches and Woosha [senior coach John Worsfold] himself is that throughout this year everyone’s going to have a role to play. We really want to celebrate each other’s success and not get jealous.”

Heppell conceded however that jealousy was perhaps inevitable. “Obviously that’s a very big part of competitive sportsmen,” he said.

“You obviously want to be playing in the best side and you want to be the best week in, week out. There obviously will be amounts of jealousy going on throughout any footy club, any sporting code, so it is something you need to try and manage.”

Heppell said communication would be vital in ensuring the selection heat was ultimately a positive for the Dons, who haven’t won a final since 2004.

“For the leadership group and for the coaching staff as well, the main message is to give them real clarity on why they aren’t in the team. That gives them a real perspective on ‘what do I need to work on?’

“That’s the key message, making sure they’re very clear on why they’re not playing and then obviously get around them. Go and help them improve on what they need to and really get them back in that side.”

The 2014 All-Australian said little had surprised him since assuming the captaincy from Watson last month. “I’m really enjoying the role at the moment. I’ve got great support around me, and it’s also great to have Jobe still there obviously being a real mentor for me over the last few years, and still there to bounce things off, so it makes things a lot easier for me.

“[I’m] generally in a really good space at the moment and very excited leading into round one.”

While Myers and Jayden Laverde (ankle) are both unavailable for extended periods, the Dons have reasonable availability heading into round one, other than in the ruck.

Forward Hooker put his hand up for selection against the Hawks with two goals against the Cats in a VFL practice match on Friday night following a hamstring tendon injury earlier in the pre-season.

But big man Bellchambers played limited minutes at Simonds Stadium as he continues his comeback, and it seems improbable he will face Hawthorn. Shaun McKernan is expected to play in the ruck in the absence of Bellchambers and Matthew Leuenberger, the latter of whom hurt his hamstring last weekend.

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Season preview: Essendon

Dyson Heppell will lead the Bombers into a new era

Best 22 – round one

B: Mark Baguley, Michael Hurley, Brent Stanton HB: James Kelly, Patrick Ambrose, Martin Gleeson C: Darcy Parish, Jobe Watson, Brendon Goddard HF: Travis Colyer, Cale Hooker, James Stewart F: Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Joe Daniher, Orazio Fantasia Foll: Shaun McKernan, Zach Merrett, Dyson Heppell I/C: David Zaharakis, Josh Green, Andrew McGrath, Kyle Langford

Injury list

All eyes will be on Cale Hooker and whether he will be right to play in round one after battling a hamstring injury over pre-season. Jayden Laverde seems unlikely to be fit after injuring his ankle in the Bombers’ final JLT Community Series clash against Geelong. Tom Bellchambers (knee) and Josh Green (foot) are also under injury clouds. Aaron Francis (ankle) will be eased into the season after limited preparation, while David Myers (finger) will miss at least the first month of the season. Jayden Laverde (ankle) has been ruled out until at least the mid-season bye.

The big questions

How will the returning Bombers fare? The biggest question and the most difficult to answer. After missing 12 months of football due to a WADA suspension, can Dyson Heppell, Jobe Watson, Cale Hooker, Michael Hurley, Travis Colyer, Heath Hocking David Myers, Ben Howlett, Brent Stanton and Tom Bellchambers return to their best and help lead Essendon back to the finals?

Can No.1 pick Andy McGrath make an impact? McGrath, Essendon’s first ever No.1 draft selection, was solid across the JLT Community Series but is no certainty to be an automatic selection in his debut season. The dashing defender possesses great speed and has the ability to rack up plenty of touches across half-back and through the midfield. The Bombers will be patient with his development, but there will be inevitable comparisons to No.2 pick Tim Taranto (Greater Western Sydney) and No.3 pick Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane Lions)

How will Essendon’s forward line function? Scoring has been an issue for the Bombers for several years, not just in 2016 with their depleted list. But this year the club has assembled a cast of exciting, quick and dangerous small forwards who could create some troubles for rivals to complement Joe Daniher, Cale Hooker and James Stewart. Orazio Fantasia, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti Josh Green and Travis Colyer will all look to impact the scoreboard regularly.

Look for…

Darcy Parish to take a step up this season. The hard-running young Bomber averaged 20.8 disposals per game in 2016, but the return of the senior Bombers around him should give Parish more of a chance to do damage on the outside of the contest. Look for Parish and gun Bomber Zach Merrett to kick more goals from the midfield this season.

Who they play

It will be an emotional night for several Bombers when they return to the field against Hawthorn at the MCG next Saturday night. If they can build early season momentum, the Bombers could be 3-0 or 2-1 after their first three games, with matches against the Brisbane Lions and Carlton in rounds two and three. They play only one top-eight team (Adelaide) twice, which is a good result.

Fantasy cash cow

We could go with Andy McGrath, but Josh Begley [FWD, $190,000] could easily make just as much of an impact for the Bombers in 2017. Begley kicked 17 goals in his first three games for the Eastern Ranges last season and won the TAC Cup club’s goalkicking award. His four goals against Gold Coast provided a snapshot of his scoring ability.

Sudden impact

As mentioned, McGrath is expected to push for senior selection and may play in round one. Former Giant James Stewart may also make his debut for his new club against the Hawks. Begley, who booted four goals against Gold Coast in a JLT Community Series game, is another youngster who could get his chance.

It’s crunch time for…

Ben Howlett and Heath Hocking. The experienced pair were left out of the Bombers’ side to face Geelong their final JLT tune-up. Returning from their 12-month suspensions, they are on the fringe of selection and, being out of contract, will need to produce to be retained.

Pressure rating on the coach

The pressure valve has lifted now that John Worsfold has a full squad at his disposal, but he will be given time to develop his team accordingly.

The Bombers will have a good year if …

The experienced Essendon players come back hungry for success and are able to stay healthy after a lengthy period out of the game.

They’re in trouble if …

Those experienced Bombers are hampered by injury and cannot find their feet after missing 12 months of footy.

Pass mark …

The Bombers are an unknown commodity heading into 2017, with some of their younger players and experienced players set to play with each other for the first time. How they develop chemistry and gel together will have a big standing on where they finish. The Bombers could make the finals, but then they could also finish in the bottom four.

AFL.com.au predicted ladder finish 

11th. Essendon is difficult to place because there are so many variables affecting their performance.

Player Ratings star

Zach Merrett, No.32. The star Bomber took the responsibility on his shoulders and delivered his best season to date.

Want more?

Click here to read 2017 season previews for every club

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JLT: Every Fantasy score

Will a dominant final-round JLT display from Ben Reid make him a Fantasy bolter?

THE JLT Community Series is over and we’ve got a solid body of work to digest from a Fantasy perspective.

Here are all the scores of the pre-season, featuring every player who participated. Dollars per point ($PP) is calculated by dividing the price by their average from across the competition.

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– Who starred in the final round of JLT games?– Download the complete AFL Fantasy Draft Kit– The ulimate commissioner’s checklist for AFL Fantasy

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v RICH

v GEE

v BL

$PP

AVG

Rory Laird

$584,000

DEF

117

78

97

6000

97.3

Matt Crouch

$564,000

MID

86

94

107

5895

95.7

Josh Jenkins

$483,000

FWD

79

  104

5279

91.5

Rory Atkins

$441,000

MID

68

86

104

5128

86

Curtly Hampton

$204,000

DEF

89

60

80

2672

76.3

Richard Douglas

$453,000

MID/FWD

74

45

98

6263

72.3

Brodie Smith

$466,000

DEF

81

65

70

6472

72

Andy Otten

$150,000

DEF

71

71

73

2093

71.7

Mitch McGovern

$345,000

FWD

45

  96

4894

70.5

Eddie Betts

$482,000

FWD

62

  77

6935

69.5

Taylor Walker

$453,000

FWD

43

59

90

7078

64

Jake Kelly

$210,000

DEF

88

23

78

3333

63

Harrison Wigg

$150,000

MID

87

37

  2419

62

Charlie Cameron

$402,000

FWD

63

60

59

6626

60.7

Tom Lynch

$545,000

FWD

71

45

65

9033

60.3

Wayne Milera

$286,000

FWD

79

35

59

4960

57.7

Sam Jacobs

$534,000

RUC

44

48

73

9709

55

David Mackay

$455,000

MID

47

46

64

8694

52.3

Troy Menzel

$199,000

FWD

46

60

51

3803

52.3

Dean Gore

$150,000

MID

  47

  3191

47

Daniel Talia

$398,000

DEF

68

11

59

8652

46

Hugh Greenwood

$150,000

MID/FWD

  28

63

3297

45.5

Riley Knight

$241,000

FWD

  39

  6179

39

Luke Brown

$415,000

DEF

  24

53

10779

38.5

Kyle Hartigan

$322,000

DEF

45

39

30

8474

38

Harry Dear

$150,000

FWD

37

26

  4762

31.5

Reilly O’Brien

$340,000

RUC

30

42

22

10851

31.3

Myles Poholke

$164,000

MID/FWD

31

22

  6189

26.5

Cam Ellis-Yolmen

$362,000

MID/FWD

25

    14480

25

Jordan Gallucci

$222,000

MID/FWD

  26

17

10326

21.5

Jonathon Beech

$150,000

FWD

12

    12500

12 

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v GC

v WB

v ADE

$PP

AVG

Dayne Beams

$519,000

MID

  87

127

4850

107

Dayne Zorko

$640,000

MID

89

160

63

6154

104

Rohan Bewick

$405,000

MID

108

85

50

5000

81

Stefan Martin

$538,000

RUC

56

54

125

6868

78.3

Sam Mayes

$405,000

DEF

51

98

77

5376

75.3

Tom Rockliff

$704,000

MID

72

78

76

9345

75.3

Tom Cutler

$431,000

DEF

  88

59

5864

73.5

Ryan Lester

$317,000

FWD

82

71

67

4323

73.3

Lewis Taylor

$356,000

FWD

62

75

75

5038

70.7

Tom Bell

$417,000

FWD

  64

76

5957

70

Harris Andrews

$290,000

DEF

51

87

67

4244

68.3

Mitch Robinson

$510,000

MID

57

71

74

7574

67.3

Jake Barrett

$150,000

MID

46

86

63

2308

65

Ben Keays

$288,000

FWD

57

65

67

4571

63

Darcy Gardiner

$262,000

DEF

60

47

75

4319

60.7

Daniel Rich

$494,000

MID

39

55

83

8373

59

Nick Robertson

$310,000

DEF/MID

44

61

54

5849

53

Michael Close

$287,000

FWD

61

57

33

5702

50.3

Archie Smith

$342,000

RUC

63

32

  7200

47.5

Ryan Bastinac

$468,000

MID

65

33

34

10636

44

Eric Hipwood

$290,000

FWD

  42

45

6667

43.5

Jack Frost

$273,000

DEF

31

54

0

6424

42.5

Cedric Cox

$204,000

DEF

    42

4857

42

Daniel McStay

$300,000

DEF

    42

7143

42

Hugh McCluggage

$246,000

MID/FWD

45

37

  6000

41

Matthew Hammelmann

$200,000

DEF

  5

67

5556

36

Ryan Harwood

$323,000

DEF

    33

9788

33

Josh Schache

$286,000

FWD

30

    9533

30

Jacob Allison

$150,000

MID/FWD

41

18

  5085

29.5

Claye Beams

$329,000

DEF

23

31

  12185

27

Rhys Mathieson

$426,000

MID

25

    17040

25

Jonathan Freeman

$182,000

FWD

24

    7583

24

Jarrad Jansen

$318,000

MID/FWD

18

    17667

18

Josh Walker

$336,000

FWD

2

    168000

2

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v MELB

v STK

v FRE

$PP

AVG

Bryce Gibbs

$636,000

MID

96

  96

6625

96

Matthew Kreuzer

$431,000

RUC

87

  100

4610

93.5

Kade Simpson

$611,000

DEF

68

  102

7188

85

Sam Docherty

$609,000

DEF

69

  96

7382

82.5

Matthew Wright

$509,000

FWD

83

  80

6245

81.5

Sam Kerridge

$485,000

MID

54

85

98

6139

79

Caleb Marchbank

$205,000

DEF

85

59

88

2651

77.3

Ed Curnow

$614,000

MID

73

79

78

8009

76.7

Marc Murphy

$482,000

MID

59

  77

7088

68

Jacob Weitering

$347,000

DEF

43

77

82

5153

67.3

Rhys Palmer

$393,000

FWD

43

71

87

5866

67

Dale Thomas

$451,000

MID

61

61

61

7393

61

Billie Smedts

$259,000

MID/FWD

45

46

89

4317

60

Patrick Cripps

$601,000

MID

  27

91

10186

59

Levi Casboult

$311,000

FWD

72

  33

5924

52.5

Nick Graham

$485,000

MID/FWD

  51

  9510

51

David Cuningham

$262,000

MID

36

63

  5293

49.5

Dennis Armfield

$385,000

FWD

  43

56

7778

49.5

Lachie Plowman

$298,000

DEF

37

47

62

6123

48.7

Charlie Curnow

$237,000

FWD

62

35

  4887

48.5

Jarrod Pickett

$150,000

MID/FWD

27

26

73

3571

42

Jack Silvagni

$303,000

FWD

37

  46

7301

41.5

Simon White

$369,000

DEF

25

56

43

8927

41.3

Cameron Polson

$150,000

FWD

  37

  4054

37

Sam Rowe

$232,000

DEF

40

43

28

6270

37

Blaine Boekhorst

$305,000

MID/FWD

  36

  8472

36

Jed Lamb

$348,000

FWD

  24

46

9943

35

Tom Williamson

$150,000

DEF

  35

  4286

35

Alex Silvagni

$298,000

DEF

    30

9933

30

Liam Jones

$281,000

FWD

  29

  9690

29

Zac Fisher

$198,000

MID

29

22

  7765

25.5

Harrison Macreadie

$158,000

DEF

  37

8

7022

22.5

Kym Lebois

$150,000

FWD

22

    6818

22

Harry McKay

$150,000

FWD

13

30

  6977

21.5

Dylan Buckley

$349,000

FWD

25

7

  21812

16

Matthew Korcheck

$150,000

RUC

  14

  10714

14

Daniel Gorringe

$327,000

RUC/FWD

5

    65400

5

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v ESS

v FRE

v RICH

$PP

AVG

Ben Reid

$442,000

DEF

    122

3623

122

Josh Smith

$461,000

DEF

93

  116

4411

104.5

Tom Phillips

$391,000

MID/FWD

113

56

108

4235

92.3

Jordan de Goey

$455,000

MID/FWD

88

    5170

88

Adam Treloar

$673,000

MID

  62

112

7736

87

Brodie Grundy

$609,000

RUC

  77

91

7250

84

Taylor Adams

$622,000

DEF/MID

  62

96

7873

79

Jack Crisp

$507,000

MID

82

28

101

7209

70.3

Steele Sidebottom

$624,000

MID

79

38

88

9132

68.3

Jeremy Howe

$497,000

DEF

19

92

82

7725

64.3

Jackson Ramsay

$383,000

DEF

41

45

103

6079

63

Levi Greenwood

$484,000

MID/FWD

61

63

  7806

62

James Aish

$384,000

MID

50

43

92

6227

61.7

Mason Cox

$316,000

FWD

62

58

65

5124

61.7

Will Hoskin-Elliott

$230,000

FWD

70

45

68

3770

61

Travis Varcoe

$410,000

FWD

71

28

72

7193

57

Brayden Maynard

$411,000

DEF

50

36

83

7296

56.3

Alex Fasolo

$424,000

FWD

39

62

60

7901

53.7

Jesse White

$437,000

FWD

46

34

58

9500

46

Lachlan Keeffe

$184,000

DEF

45

    4089

45

Jarryd Blair

$420,000

FWD

50

17

67

9403

44.7

Darcy Moore

$316,000

FWD

38

46

46

7292

43.3

Chris Mayne

$466,000

FWD

29

26

68

11366

41

Jamie Elliott

$330,000

FWD

40

    8250

40

Lynden Dunn

$328,000

DEF

32

51

35

8339

39.3

Tyson Goldsack

$270,000

DEF

40

32

42

7105

38

Scott Pendlebury

$641,000

MID

  72

  17806

36

Henry Schade

$284,000

DEF

30

28

39

8784

32.3

Ben Sinclair

$344,000

DEF

31

    11097

31

Matthew Scharenberg

$234,000

DEF

25

23

  9750

24

Josh Thomas

$274,000

MID/FWD

  21

  13048

21

Josh Daicos

$150,000

FWD

15

20

  8571

17.5

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v COLL

v GC

v GEE

$PP

AVG

Zach Merrett

$710,000

MID

71

  108

7933

89.5

Jobe Watson

$477,000

MID

69

87

90

5817

82

Darcy Parish

$446,000

MID

85

88

70

5506

81

Shaun McKernan

$436,000

FWD

75

30

114

5973

73

Dyson Heppell

$548,000

MID

54

  88

7718

71

David Zaharakis

$564,000

MID

60

  80

8057

70

Brent Stanton

$574,000

MID

  79

60

8259

69.5

Matt Dea

$435,000

DEF

68

    6397

68

Kyle Langford

$422,000

MID/FWD

45

69

86

6330

66.7

Brendon Goddard

$596,000

MID

48

62

86

9122

65.3

Orazio Fantasia

$441,000

FWD

86

  43

6837

64.5

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti

$395,000

DEF

52

40

99

6204

63.7

Conor McKenna

$323,000

DEF

  63

  5127

63

Travis Colyer

$380,000

FWD

51

59

79

6032

63

Jayden Laverde

$364,000

FWD

  84

31

6330

57.5

Joshua Begley

$190,000

FWD

  73

34

3551

53.5

Jackson Merrett

$413,000

MID/FWD

53

    7792

53

James Kelly

$597,000

DEF/MID

50

  54

11481

52

Craig Bird

$497,000

MID

51

    9745

51

Michael Hartley

$290,000

DEF

  51

  5686

51

Josh Green

$351,000

FWD

61

40

  6950

50.5

James Stewart

$227,000

FWD

39

43

66

4601

49.3

Mark Baguley

$473,000

DEF

46

  52

9653

49

Heath Hocking

$400,000

MID

  48

  8333

48

Michael Hurley

$447,000

DEF

20

70

53

9378

47.7

Jake Long

$226,000

MID/FWD

  46

  4913

46

Martin Gleeson

$396,000

DEF

57

39

39

8800

45

Mitch Brown

$420,000

FWD

36

75

22

9474

44.3

Jordan Ridley

$208,000

DEF/FWD

  43

  4837

43

Ben Howlett

$404,000

MID/FWD

42

41

  9735

41.5

Dylan Clarke

$150,000

MID

  41

  3659

41

Matthew Leuenberger

$440,000

RUC

40

59

10

12110

36.3

Joe Daniher

$435,000

FWD

  -1

73

12083

36

Patrick Ambrose

$303,000

DEF

11

  59

8657

35

David Myers

$197,000

MID

31

    6355

31

Andrew McGrath

$250,000

DEF/MID

17

49

24

8333

30

Mason Redman

$171,000

FWD

  28

  6107

28

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v WC

v  COLL

v CARL

$PP

AVG

Stephen Hill

$548,000

MID

44

122

117

5809

94.3

Nat Fyfe

$595,000

MID

61

73

147

6352

93.7

Lachie Neale

$671,000

MID

  40

133

7757

86.5

Bradley Hill

$417,000

MID/FWD

48

84

97

5463

76.3

Michael Walters

$493,000

FWD

65

68

92

6573

75

David Mundy

$538,000

MID

18

82

108

7760

69.3

Aaron Sandilands

$450,000

RUC

  71

56

7087

63.5

Darcy Tucker

$394,000

MID

43

65

78

6355

62

Ed Langdon

$370,000

MID/FWD

52

49

82

6066

61

Michael Johnson

$361,000

DEF

26

72

84

5951

60.7

Danyle Pearce

$484,000

MID

47

57

71

8297

58.3

Connor Blakely

$453,000

MID

40

55

74

8041

56.3

Cam McCarthy

$211,000

FWD

21

47

93

3932

53.7

Garrick Ibbotson

$400,000

DEF

23

41

96

7500

53.3

Lee Spurr

$463,000

DEF

39

49

72

8681

53.3

Jonathon Griffin

$378,000

RUC

29

68

60

7223

52.3

Lachie Weller

$378,000

FWD

40

67

45

7461

50.7

Griffin Logue

$236,000

DEF

    49

4816

49

Cameron Sutcliffe

$441,000

DEF

55

78

12

9124

48.3

Hayden Ballantyne

$370,000

FWD

37

43

38

9407

39.3

Joel Hamling

$261,000

DEF

17

50

48

6809

38.3

Hayden Crozier

$454,000

DEF

51

20

  12789

35.5

Michael Apeness

$150,000

FWD

30

    5000

30

Shane Kersten

$375,000

FWD

38

13

29

14062

26.7

Tommy Sheridan

$410,000

DEF

16

    25625

16

Zac Dawson

$199,000

DEF

6

1

39

12978

15.3

Sean Darcy

$176,000

RUC

16

1

16

16000

11

Nick Suban

$350,000

MID

14

    50000

7

Matt Taberner

$369,000

FWD

5

    73800

5

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v HAW

v ADE

v ESS

$PP

AVG

Andrew Mackie

$451,000

DEF

95

  104

4533

99.5

Joel Selwood

$619,000

MID

  63

128

6482

95.5

Zach Tuohy

$442,000

DEF

107

97

71

4822

91.7

Patrick Dangerfield

$712,000

MID

94

39

135

7970

89.3

George Horlin-Smith

$240,000

MID

  98

76

2759

87

Darcy Lang

$375,000

FWD

86

88

67

4668

80.3

Tom Ruggles

$388,000

DEF

82

76

73

5039

77

Mitch Duncan

$571,000

MID

77

76

76

7480

76.3

Sam Menegola

$505,000

MID

92

82

50

6763

74.7

Zach Guthrie

$150,000

DEF

69

78

  2041

73.5

Rhys Stanley

$384,000

RUC/FWD

52

75

84

5460

70.3

Tom Stewart

$172,000

DEF

93

57

50

2580

66.7

Mark Blicavs

$519,000

MID

51

53

82

8371

62

Jackson Thurlow

$282,000

DEF

68

61

55

4598

61.3

Tom Lonergan

$293,000

DEF

66

74

44

4777

61.3

Lachie Henderson

$417,000

DEF

13

106

63

6874

60.7

Aaron Black

$150,000

FWD

79

35

  2632

57

Jordan Murdoch

$372,000

FWD

  43

70

6584

56.5

Tom Hawkins

$455,000

FWD

34

53

81

8125

56

Brandan Parfitt

$200,000

MID/FWD

53

58

48

3774

53

Nakia Cockatoo

$365,000

FWD

45

58

51

7110

51.3

Steven Motlop

$499,000

FWD

49

52

  9881

50.5

Harry Taylor

$389,000

DEF

35

68

48

7728

50.3

Jordan Cunico

$150,000

MID/FWD

50

    3000

50

Zac Smith

$397,000

RUC

79

30

41

7940

50

Josh Cowan

$391,000

MID

42

31

56

9093

43

Jed Bews

$288,000

DEF

41

    7024

41

Daniel Menzel

$443,000

FWD

  26

46

12306

36

Lincoln McCarthy

$317,000

FWD

  7

53

10567

30

Jack Henry

$150,000

FWD

27

    5556

27

Cameron Guthrie

$485,000

MID

17

    28529

17

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v BL

v ESS

v WB

$PP

AVG

Aaron Hall

$635,000

MID

127

  121

5121

124

Michael Barlow

$583,000

MID

73

104

109

6115

95.3

Alex Sexton

$384,000

MID

  110

75

4151

92.5

Gary Ablett

$611,000

MID

    84

7274

84

Touk Miller

$493,000

MID/FWD

96

75

81

5869

84

Keegan Brooksby

$340,000

DEF

  78

  4359

78

Jarryd Lyons

$539,000

MID

    77

7000

77

Tom J. Lynch

$520,000

FWD

47

  98

7172

72.5

Pearce Hanley

$506,000

MID

76

66

74

7028

72

Matt Rosa

$457,000

MID

70

  65

6770

67.5

Jack Martin

$453,000

DEF/FWD

  71

63

6761

67

David Swallow

$355,000

MID

57

59

77

5518

64.3

Brayden Fiorini

$512,000

MID

58

78

51

8214

62.3

Kade Kolodjashnij

$437,000

DEF

63

35

87

7086

61.7

Matt Shaw

$424,000

MID

  61

  6951

61

Steven May

$414,000

DEF

27

78

67

7221

57.3

Daniel Currie

$381,000

RUC

57

57

  6684

57

Jesse Lonergan

$405,000

MID

50

55

  7714

52.5

Jesse Joyce

$255,000

DEF

36

59

61

4904

52

Peter Wright

$392,000

FWD

  20

82

7686

51

Jarrod Witts

$328,000

RUC

32

  69

6495

50.5

Darcy MacPherson

$290,000

FWD

  49

  5918

49

Brandon Matera

$396,000

FWD

34

62

  8250

48

Jarrad Grant

$334,000

FWD

72

22

  7106

47

Jack Leslie

$208,000

DEF

21

52

53

4952

42

Callum Ah Chee

$336,000

FWD

29

58

35

8262

40.7

Jack Bowes

$232,000

MID/FWD

35

  45

5800

40

Will Brodie

$234,000

MID

34

77

8

5899

39.7

Joshua Schoenfeld

$305,000

MID

45

34

  7722

39.5

Adam Saad

$349,000

DEF

29

36

48

9265

37.7

Ben Ainsworth

$244,000

MID/FWD

27

55

28

6655

36.7

Sean Lemmens

$304,000

DEF

33

33

  9212

33

Rory Thompson

$279,000

DEF

41

17

37

8811

31.7

Sam Day

$354,000

DEF/FWD

9

    39333

9

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v WC

v SYD

v NM

$PP

AVG

Heath Shaw

$614,000

DEF

  83

146

5362

114.5

Toby Greene

$560,000

FWD

  80

118

5657

99

Josh Kelly

$542,000

MID

128

69

85

5766

94

Callan Ward

$579,000

MID

  87

98

6259

92.5

Tendai MZungu

$339,000

MID

83

    4084

83

Dylan Shiel

$591,000

MID

  78

86

7207

82

Devon Smith

$483,000

FWD

  62

100

5963

81

Jeremy Cameron

$386,000

FWD

  62

94

4949

78

Tim Taranto

$248,000

MID/FWD

97

66

66

3249

76.3

Lachlan Tiziani

$150,000

FWD

74

    2027

74

Stephen Coniglio

$625,000

MID

  65

70

9259

67.5

Ryan Griffen

$509,000

MID

  67

66

7654

66.5

Nathan Wilson

$384,000

DEF

65

  67

5818

66

Matthew Kennedy

$194,000

FWD

79

55

63

2954

65.7

Zac Williams

$498,000

DEF

53

49

79

8254

60.3

Adam Tomlinson

$300,000

DEF

53

45

82

5000

60

Tom Scully

$579,000

MID

  41

75

9983

58

Sam J. Reid

$301,000

FWD

57

    5281

57

Nick Haynes

$447,000

DEF

  51

58

8202

54.5

Jeremy Finlayson

$150,000

DEF

52

    2885

52

Shane Mumford

$513,000

RUC

  30

71

10158

50.5

Adam Kennedy

$337,000

DEF

  30

69

6808

49.5

Daniel Lloyd

$150,000

MID

71

27

  3061

49

Harrison Himmelberg

$251,000

DEF

49

    5122

49

Dawson Simpson

$182,000

RUC

72

25

  3753

48.5

Jonathon Patton

$367,000

FWD

71

21

53

7593

48.3

Rory Lobb

$406,000

FWD

65

30

48

8517

47.7

Harry Perryman

$224,000

DEF/MID

47

    4766

47

Matt Buntine

$264,000

DEF

33

34

67

5910

44.7

Isaac Cumming

$212,000

DEF

41

    5171

41

Tim Mohr

$150,000

DEF

41

    3659

41

Will Setterfield

$242,000

MID

51

31

  5902

41

Phil Davis

$300,000

DEF

  13

44

10526

28.5

Steve Johnson

$501,000

FWD

  40

8

20875

24

Aidan Corr

$189,000

DEF

32

24

13

8217

23

Tom Downie

$253,000

RUC/FWD

20

    12650

20

Zachary Sproule

$150,000

DEF/FWD

19

    7895

19

Matthew Flynn

$150,000

FWD

17

    8824

17

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v GEE

v NM

v PA

$PP

AVG

Tom Mitchell

$638,000

MID

93

103

6510

98

Isaac Smith

$538,000

MID/FWD

74

97

6292

85.5

Kade Stewart

$307,000

FWD

96

57

94

3729

82.3

Will Langford

$427,000

MID

72

42

122

5428

78.7

Jack Gunston

$530,000

FWD

78

79

6752

78.5

Jarryd Roughead

$373,000

FWD

60

78

96

4782

78

Jaeger O’Meara

$364,000

MID

47

76

98

4941

73.7

Ben McEvoy

$394,000

RUC

60

82

5549

71

Billy Hartung

$437,000

MID

79

49

80

6303

69.3

Ricky Henderson

$468,000

DEF/MID

67

6985

67

Shaun Burgoyne

$520,000

DEF

82

48

8000

65

Cyril Rioli

$512,000

FWD

66

64

61

8042

63.7

Luke Breust

$474,000

FWD

55

61

8172

58

Luke Hodge

$525,000

DEF

57

9211

57

Ty Vickery

$311,000

FWD

37

90

43

5488

56.7

James Sicily

$361,000

FWD

38

39

90

6485

55.7

Teia Miles

$150,000

MID/FWD

58

46

63

2695

55.7

Ryan Burton

$260,000

DEF/FWD

51

57

59

4671

55.7

Ben Stratton

$315,000

DEF

42

56

68

5693

55.3

Paul Puopolo

$410,000

FWD

48

58

7736

53

James Frawley

$354,000

DEF

49

30

78

6764

52.3

Josh Gibson

$494,000

DEF

35

68

9592

51.5

Taylor Duryea

$415,000

DEF

61

36

56

8137

51

Ryan Schoenmakers

$265,000

FWD

55

55

39

5336

49.7

Liam Shiels

$499,000

MID

82

50

11341

44

Kieran Lovell

$195,000

MID/FWD

49

29

5000

39

Grant Birchall

$490,000

DEF

63

15556

31.5

Blake Hardwick

$176,000

FWD

19

33

6769

26

Jack Fitzpatrick

$299,000

RUC

21

14238

21

Conor Nash

$150,000

DEF

16

9375

16

Dallas Willsmore

$150,000

MID

8

18750

8

Kurt Heatherley

$244,000

DEF

9

5

34857

7

Marc Pittonet

$189,000

RUC

7

5

31500

6

Harry Morrison

$150,000

DEF

3

50000

3

Brendan Whitecross

$404,000

FWD

0 

0

0

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v WB

v CARL

v WC

$PP

AVG

Jack Viney

$611,000

MID

88

98

76

6996

87.3

Clayton Oliver

$416,000

MID

76

58

126

4800

86.7

Jordan Lewis

$623,000

MID

92

70

93

7329

85

Dom Tyson

$561,000

MID

82

6841

82

Jesse Hogan

$477,000

FWD

73

87

75

6089

78.3

Nathan Jones

$593,000

MID

89

70

75

7603

78

Max Gawn

$642,000

RUC

92

86

54

8302

77.3

Christian Salem

$383,000

DEF

57

92

79

5039

76

Jake Melksham

$349,000

MID

60

83

80

4695

74.3

Jack Watts

$481,000

FWD

70

6871

70

Bernie Vince

$554,000

DEF/MID

88

76

45

7952

69.7

Christian Petracca

$409,000

FWD

58

96

54

5899

69.3

Tomas Bugg

$437,000

MID

74

48

85

6333

69

Angus Brayshaw

$422,000

MID/FWD

88

55

62

6176

68.3

Jayden Hunt

$342,000

DEF

38

59

107

5029

68

Billy Stretch

$417,000

MID

75

50

65

6584

63.3

Colin Garland

$331,000

DEF

61

5426

61

Alex Neal-Bullen

$255,000

MID/FWD

45

63

71

4274

59.7

Oscar McDonald

$356,000

DEF

76

50

51

6034

59

Tom McDonald

$457,000

DEF

62

48

57

8210

55.7

Aaron vandenBerg

$369,000

FWD

42

67

6771

54.5

Joel Smith

$150,000

DEF

59

43

2941

51

Jake Spencer

$281,000

RUC

50

28

65

5895

47.7

Jeff Garlett

$345,000

FWD

45

7667

45

James Harmes

$404,000

DEF

42

40

52

9045

44.7

Jay Kennedy-Harris

$150,000

FWD

33

49

3659

41

Michael Hibberd

$428,000

DEF

39

10974

39

Sam Weideman

$150,000

FWD

35

35

27

4639

32.3

Dion Johnstone

$150,000

FWD

17

8824

17

Josh Wagner

$413,000

DEF

2

206500

2

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v SYD

v HAW

v GWS

$PP

AVG

Trent Dumont

$457,000

MID

80

105

70

5376

85

Jarrad Waite

$505,000

FWD

36

119

6516

77.5

Shaun Higgins

$484,000

FWD

91

94

45

6313

76.7

Jamie MacMillan

$442,000

DEF

78

65

70

6225

71

Todd Goldstein

$582,000

RUC

71

67

8435

69

Nathan Hrovat

$380,000

MID/FWD

63

72

68

5616

67.7

Sam Gibson

$546,000

MID

59

73

8273

66

Andrew Swallow

$499,000

MID

37

55

99

7838

63.7

Shaun Atley

$356,000

DEF

67

60

62

5651

63

Jack Ziebell

$573,000

MID

75

41

68

9342

61.3

Braydon Preuss

$150,000

RUC

69

76

35

2500

60

Mason Wood

$417,000

FWD

60

6950

60

Lindsay Thomas

$366,000

FWD

42

54

82

6169

59.3

Ben Cunnington

$454,000

MID

63

57

57

7695

59

Kayne Turner

$216,000

FWD

27

52

88

3880

55.7

Robbie Tarrant

$418,000

DEF

48

60

7741

54

Ed Vickers-Willis

$150,000

DEF

72

50

38

2812

53.3

Luke McDonald

$343,000

DEF

55

59

41

6639

51.7

Marley Williams

$332,000

DEF

53

50

6447

51.5

Declan Watson

$184,000

DEF

50

3680

50

Mitchell Hibberd

$150,000

DEF/MID

34

64

48

3082

48.7

Sam Wright

$405,000

DEF

47

8617

47

Matthew Taylor

$150,000

DEF

45

3333

45

Majak Daw

$354,000

RUC/FWD

35

53

8045

44

Sam Durdin

$150,000

FWD

35

50

3529

42.5

Declan Mountford

$150,000

MID

61

24

3529

42.5

Jy Simpkin

$228,000

FWD

32

51

5494

41.5

Corey Wagner

$177,000

FWD

27

52

4481

39.5

Ryan Clarke

$293,000

MID/FWD

41

12

63

7578

38.7

Cameron Zurhaar

$150,000

FWD

38

3947

38

Scott D. Thompson

$342,000

DEF

35

39

9243

37

Ben McKay

$150,000

FWD

29

16

6667

22.5

Lachlan Hansen

$304,000

DEF

21

14476

21

Nick Larkey

$150,000

DEF/FWD

7

21429

7

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v STK

v RICH

v HAW

$PP

AVG

Brad Ebert

$510,000

MID

60

111

5965

85.5

Ollie Wines

$607,000

MID

75

71

89

7749

78.3

Karl Amon

$354,000

MID/FWD

54

59

90

5232

67.7

Jared Polec

$451,000

MID

45

74

80

6799

66.3

Aaron Young

$454,000

FWD

26

104

6985

65

Sam Gray

$526,000

MID

49

57

80

8484

62

Hamish Hartlett

$474,000

DEF/MID

55

67

60

7813

60.7

Justin Westhoff

$488,000

FWD

73

57

52

8044

60.7

Patrick Ryder

$411,000

RUC/FWD

33

48

99

6850

60

Travis Boak

$541,000

MID

76

56

44

9222

58.7

Brett Eddy

$150,000

FWD

36

36

94

2711

55.3

Riley Bonner

$358,000

DEF

45

40

80

6509

55

Chad Wingard

$432,000

FWD

79

31

7855

55

Darcy Byrne-Jones

$355,000

DEF

35

71

6698

53

Tom Clurey

$254,000

DEF

59

39

55

4980

51

Nathan Krakouer

$362,000

DEF

50

7240

50

Sam Powell-Pepper

$216,000

MID

40

56

48

4500

48

Jackson Trengove

$417,000

RUC

52

19

70

8872

47

Tom Jonas

$297,000

DEF

24

38

78

6364

46.7

Dan Houston

$150,000

FWD

38

46

48

3409

44

Jasper Pittard

$496,000

DEF

57

28

11671

42.5

Jack Hombsch

$306,000

DEF

52

25

47

7403

41.3

Jarman Impey

$347,000

FWD

51

27

40

8822

39.3

Joe Atley

$188,000

MID

15

64

35

4947

38

Charlie Dixon

$340,000

FWD

27

23

61

9189

37

Matthew Lobbe

$441,000

RUC

44

37

16333

27

Matt White

$284,000

MID/FWD

25

11360

25

Jake Neade

$320,000

FWD

37

17297

18.5

Aidyn Johnson

$150,000

FWD

8

24

9375

16

Robbie Gray

$590,000

MID

23

51304

11.5

Willem Drew

$186,000

MID/FWD

22

25364

7.3

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v ADE

v PA

v COLL

$PP

AVG

Bachar Houli

$563,000

DEF

96

5865

96

Toby Nankervis

$365,000

RUC/FWD

85

94

72

4363

83.7

Dustin Martin

$646,000

MID

78

62

106

7878

82

Brandon Ellis

$540,000

MID

72

91

81

6639

81.3

Dion Prestia

$561,000

MID

68

82

7480

75

Shaun Grigg

$574,000

MID

88

59

69

7972

72

Jack Riewoldt

$476,000

FWD

55

66

90

6768

70.3

Anthony Miles

$521,000

MID

50

79

73

7738

67.3

Trent Cotchin

$585,000

MID

70

58

68

8954

65.3

Josh Caddy

$517,000

MID/FWD

77

70

46

8036

64.3

Reece Conca

$356,000

MID

48

54

90

5562

64

Shane Edwards

$414,000

MID/FWD

66

58

6677

62

Nick Vlastuin

$398,000

DEF

71

62

51

6489

61.3

Taylor Hunt

$428,000

DEF

46

62

62

7553

56.7

Mabior Chol

$150,000

DEF/FWD

54

2778

54

Dan Butler

$150,000

FWD

74

53

33

2812

53.3

David Astbury

$363,000

DEF

59

66

31

6981

52

Alex Rance

$461,000

DEF

50

51

9129

50.5

Jason Castagna

$293,000

DEF

52

39

54

6062

48.3

Ivan Soldo

$150,000

RUC

47

3191

47

Dylan Grimes

$319,000

DEF

38

45

50

7195

44.3

Oleg Markov

$377,000

DEF

39

48

8667

43.5

Daniel Rioli

$297,000

FWD

52

41

34

7016

42.3

Sam Lloyd

$408,000

FWD

35

69

21

9792

41.7

Jake Batchelor

$295,000

DEF

38

7763

38

Kamdyn McIntosh

$371,000

DEF

52

21

10164

36.5

Corey Ellis

$373,000

DEF

42

30

10361

36

Tyson Stengle

$150,000

FWD

29

5172

29

Ben Lennon

$300,000

FWD

6

45

11765

25.5

Kane Lambert

$383,000

FWD

23

16652

23

Ben Griffiths

$403,000

FWD

42

2

18318

22

Ivan Maric

$392,000

RUC

26

12

20632

19

Jacob Townsend

$406,000

MID/FWD

9

45111

9

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v PA

v CARL

v SYD

$PP

AVG

Jack Steele

$432,000

MID/FWD

39

120

112

4782

90.3

Jack Billings

$479,000

MID/FWD

83

103

81

5382

89

Tom Hickey

$471,000

RUC

37

137

5414

87

Jack Sinclair

$318,000

FWD

83

3831

83

Dylan Roberton

$421,000

DEF

79

83

5198

81

Jack Steven

$630,000

MID

80

80

81

7842

80.3

David Armitage

$518,000

MID

86

32

115

6670

77.7

Shane Savage

$454,000

DEF

79

57

94

5922

76.7

Jack Newnes

$535,000

MID

76

55

97

7039

76

Nick Riewoldt

$667,000

FWD

58

93

8834

75.5

Luke Dunstan

$416,000

MID

95

63

59

5751

72.3

Josh Bruce

$366,000

FWD

49

107

59

5107

71.7

Billy Longer

$281,000

RUC

50

78

4391

64

Sebastian Ross

$594,000

MID

82

30

74

9581

62

Jade Gresham

$369,000

FWD

44

62

76

6082

60.7

Paddy McCartin

$248,000

FWD

39

102

39

4133

60

Ben Long

$202,000

DEF/FWD

55

3673

55

Blake Acres

$431,000

MID/FWD

53

16264

53

Nathan Wright

$281,000

FWD

46

50

62

5335

52.7

Jimmy Webster

$356,000

DEF

76

72

7216

49.3

Sam Gilbert

$367,000

DEF

55

43

7490

49

Darren Minchington

$325,000

FWD

49

6633

49

Jake Carlisle

$359,000

DEF/FWD

60

28

56

7479

48

Maverick Weller

$444,000

FWD

46

49

9347

47.5

Bailey Rice

$150,000

DEF

45

3333

45

Koby Stevens

$517,000

MID/FWD

53

71

12508

41.3

Jack Lonie

$296,000

FWD

25

59

37

7339

40.3

Daniel McKenzie

$311,000

DEF

40

36

8184

38

Sean Dempster

$339,000

DEF

50

26

8921

38

Jarryn Geary

$348,000

DEF

34

41

9280

37.5

Tim Membrey

$449,000

FWD

55

13

39

12589

35.7

Nathan J. Brown

$271,000

DEF

23

25

38

9453

28.7

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v NM

v GWS

v STK

$PP

AVG

Isaac Heeney

$442,000

FWD

99

4465

99

Jake Lloyd

$521,000

DEF/MID

87

99

5602

93

Lance Franklin

$569,000

FWD

77

106

6219

91.5

Zak Jones

$333,000

DEF

98

56

101

3918

85

Callum Mills

$441,000

DEF

110

84

34

5803

76

Luke Parker

$663,000

MID

65

55

104

8879

74.7

Dane Rampe

$411,000

DEF

42

98

5871

70

Josh P. Kennedy

$653,000

MID

46

83

81

9329

70

Dean Towers

$427,000

FWD

79

55

6373

67

Kurt Tippett

$510,000

RUC

62

62

75

7688

66.3

Harry Cunningham

$362,000

DEF/FWD

82

43

70

5569

65

George Hewett

$349,000

FWD

70

67

57

5397

64.7

Nic Newman

$150,000

DEF

63

2381

63

Dan Hannebery

$655,000

MID

54

57

60

11491

57

Shaun Edwards

$271,000

MID/FWD

56

4839

56

Daniel Robinson

$329,000

MID/FWD

41

46

79

5946

55.3

Nick Smith

$342,000

DEF

44

42

58

7125

48

Darcy Cameron

$156,000

RUC/FWD

76

35

33

3250

48

Jeremy Laidler

$274,000

DEF

47

5830

47

Colin O’Riordan

$150,000

DEF

47

3191

47

Oliver Florent

$230,000

MID/FWD

54

36

47

5036

45.7

Sam Reid

$294,000

FWD

28

41

67

6485

45.3

Sam Naismith

$359,000

RUC

50

38

8159

44

Michael Talia

$289,000

DEF

44

6568

44

Lewis Melican

$150,000

DEF

21

55

46

3689

40.7

Harry Marsh

$212,000

DEF

31

30

52

5628

37.7

Sam Fisher

$150,000

FWD

35

4286

35

Robbie Fox

$150,000

MID

52

31

19

4412

34

Jordan Foote

$195,000

MID

49

17

30

6094

32

Callum Sinclair

$370,000

RUC/FWD

30

12333

30

Jack Maibaum

$162,000

DEF

22

7364

22

Will Hayward

$210,000

FWD

9

33

10000

21

Heath Grundy

$375,000

DEF

5

34

19231

19.5

Brandon Jack

$233,000

MID/FWD

14

16643

14

Sam Murray

$150,000

FWD

4

37500

4

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v GWS

v FRE

v MELB

$PP

AVG

Andrew Gaff

$564,000

MID

85

145

4904

115

Mark LeCras

$498,000

FWD

124

91

4633

107.5

Josh J. Kennedy

$536,000

FWD

93

115

5154

104

Sam Mitchell

$602,000

MID

83

123

5845

103

Sharrod Wellingham

$367,000

DEF

114

86

99

3682

99.7

Luke Shuey

$597,000

MID

107

82

6317

94.5

Chris Masten

$443,000

MID

54

98

125

4798

92.3

Matt Priddis

$623,000

MID

89

88

7040

88.5

Elliot Yeo

$477,000

MID/FWD

69

75

112

5590

85.3

Shannon Hurn

$420,000

DEF

75

85

5250

80

Jeremy McGovern

$407,000

DEF

71

87

5152

79

Dom Sheed

$361,000

MID

93

75

64

4668

77.3

Sam Butler

$352,000

DEF

76

4632

76

Mark Hutchings

$414,000

MID

90

46

89

5520

75

Josh Hill

$352,000

FWD

59

85

4889

72

Lewis Jetta

$322,000

MID/FWD

65

89

55

4622

69.7

Francis Watson

$150,000

DEF

66

2273

66

Nathan Vardy

$352,000

RUC

57

50

77

5739

61.3

Jamie Cripps

$429,000

FWD

71

45

7397

58

Brad Sheppard

$387,000

DEF

57

58

6730

57.5

Kurt Mutimer

$150,000

MID

57

2632

57

Drew Petrie

$363,000

FWD

54

58

6482

56

Jackson Nelson

$284,000

DEF

54

44

63

5292

53.7

Fraser McInnes

$245,000

DEF/FWD

52

4712

52

Eric Mackenzie

$333,000

DEF

43

29

67

7187

46.3

Jack Darling

$420,000

FWD

27

63

9333

45

Luke Partington

$150,000

MID

43

3488

43

Jack Redden

$392,000

MID

85

43

9188

42.7

Thomas Cole

$216,000

DEF

36

6000

36

Tarir Bayok

$150,000

MID/FWD

34

4412

34

Tom Lamb

$220,000

FWD

34

6471

34

Tom Barrass

$308,000

DEF

33

30

9778

31.5

Jordan Snadden

$150,000

MID/FWD

31

4839

31

Thomas Gorter

$150,000

DEF

31

4839

31

Malcolm Karpany

$172,000

MID/FWD

26

6615

26

Jake Waterman

$150,000

FWD

25

6000

25

Will Schofield

$253,000

DEF

24

10542

24

Josh Rotham

$178,000

DEF

21

8476

21

Paddy Brophy

$150,000

DEF

11

13636

11

PLAYER

PRICE

POSITION

v MELB

v BL

v GC

$PP

AVG

Luke Dahlhaus

$557,000

MID/FWD

115

100

5181

107.5

Matthew Suckling

$469,000

DEF

72

113

5070

92.5

Lachie Hunter

$625,000

MID

70

95

7576

82.5

Marcus Bontempelli

$595,000

MID

81

7346

81

Liam Picken

$529,000

MID

62

92

6870

77

Caleb Daniel

$479,000

FWD

67

87

6221

77

Jack Macrae

$596,000

MID/FWD

47

96

79

8054

74

Tom Liberatore

$491,000

MID

76

71

6680

73.5

Toby McLean

$438,000

FWD

65

84

68

6055

72.3

Jake Stringer

$397,000

FWD

35

72

105

5618

70.7

Easton Wood

$414,000

DEF

61

79

5914

70

Lin Jong

$458,000

MID/FWD

50

75

76

6836

67

Dale Morris

$349,000

DEF

66

5288

66

Shane Biggs

$475,000

DEF

43

87

7308

65

Josh Dunkley

$486,000

MID/FWD

36

94

7477

65

Robert Murphy

$486,000

DEF

59

64

7902

61.5

Jason Johannisen

$563,000

DEF

62

60

9230

61

Clay Smith

$392,000

FWD

56

63

6588

59.5

Travis Cloke

$450,000

FWD

63

55

7627

59

Lukas Webb

$239,000

MID/FWD

45

69

4193

57

Stewart Crameri

$375,000

FWD

49

55

64

6696

56

Tom Boyd

$347,000

RUC/FWD

30

42

83

6716

51.7

Zaine Cordy

$242,000

FWD

34

65

4889

49.5

Bailey Dale

$262,000

MID/FWD

40

54

5574

47

Bailey Williams

$267,000

DEF

42

6357

42

Fletcher Roberts

$219,000

DEF

31

47

5615

39

Mitch Honeychurch

$342,000

MID/FWD

18

59

8883

38.5

Tom Campbell

$446,000

RUC

33

13515

33

Kieran Collins

$150,000

DEF

30

5000

30

Roarke Smith

$235,000

DEF

30

7833

30

Matthew Boyd

$617,000

DEF

55

22436

27.5

Timothy English

$214,000

RUC

54

7926

27

Brad Lynch

$150,000

DEF

29

24

5660

26.5

Marcus Adams

$404,000

DEF

28

42

17314

23.3

Declan Hamilton

$150,000

MID/FWD

13

28

7317

20.5

Nathan Mullenger-McHugh

$150,000

RUC

18

8333

18

Lewis Young

$154,000

FWD

17

9059

17

Patrick Lipinski

$196,000

MID/FWD

14

14000

14

Jordan Roughead

$411,000

RUC

7

58714

7

The post JLT: Every Fantasy score appeared first on Footy Plus.

from Footy Plus http://ift.tt/2nqwHaQ via http://footyplus.net

[footyplusau]

Who plays in round one?

IT’S RARE, if not completely impossible, for a club to have its unchallenged best 22 available at any time.

With round one approaching, AFL.com.au reporters have had a stab at picking their best 22 for the season opener for every club, leaving out those players who are injured, suspended or will miss due to poor form.

ADELAIDE v Greater Western Sydney, Adelaide Oval, Sunday, March 26, 2.50pm ACDT

B: Luke Brown, Kyle Hartigan, Jake Lever HB: Brodie Smith, Daniel Talia, Rory Laird C: Rory Atkins, Matt Crouch, David Mackay HF: Tom Lynch, Taylor Walker, Charlie Cameron F: Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins, Mitch McGovern Foll: Sam Jacobs, Rory Sloane, Richard Douglas I/C: Andy Otten, Curtly Hampton, Wayne Milera, Harrison Wigg

New faces: Curtly Hampton, Harrison Wigg

Missing with injury/suspension: Brad Crouch (hamstring, 1 week), Riley Knight (Achilles, 1 week), Paul Seedsman (groin, 1 week), Scott Thompson (shoulder, 1 week).

Notes: If anyone can hit the ground running from a fractured eye socket without playing a pre-season game, it’s Rory Sloane. Of course, if there is any doubt over his injury, the Crows will err on the side of caution and give him another week. If that’s the case, the Crows’ midfield depth will be severely tested against the best engine room in the competition. The Crows would be unlikely to throw Brad Crouch, Scott Thompson or Paul Seedsman into the fray after lengthy lay-offs. Andy Otten’s pre-season form is too good to ignore and he gets the nod ahead of Kyle Cheney for his first game in three years. Curtly Hampton and Wayne Milera have the pace the Crows’ midfield need. In the toughest decision, Harrison Wigg gets the nod over former basketballer Hugh Greenwood and first-year player Jordan Gallucci for the last spot on the bench. – Lee Gaskin

Gold Coast v BRISBANE LIONS, Metricon Stadium, Saturday, March 25, 7.05pm AEST

B: Darcy Gardiner, Harris Andrews, Ryan Harwood HB: Daniel Rich, Dan McStay, Sam Mayes C: Rohan Bewick, Dayne Zorko, Ryan Lester HF: Mitch Robinson, Eric Hipwood, Lewis Taylor F: Jake Barrett, Michael Close, Ben Keays Foll: Stefan Martin, Tom Rockliff, Dayne Beams I/C: Tom Cutler, Ryan Bastinac, Tom Bell, Nick Robertson

New faces: Jake Barrett

Missing with injury/suspension: Allen Christensen (collarbone, 6-8 weeks), Jack Frost (suspended, 1 week), Hugh McCluggage (ankle, 1-2 weeks), Josh Schache (knee, 1-2 weeks).

Notes: Still a lot to learn for coach Chris Fagan about his young Lions team. With Frost suspended for the opening round, the second key defender – likely to mark ‘Two Metre’ Peter Wright – is a bit of a headache. It comes down to McStay, who hasn’t played much footy, Josh Walker or possibly upgrading Matthew Hammelmann. I’ve gone for McStay as a one-game solution, although expect him to play forward more often this season. Schache and McCluggage are both 50-50 to play round one, but being so young, let’s assume the Lions err on the side of caution and leave them out. Barrett will be elevated off the rookie list and earn his position. Rhys Mathieson and Claye Beams are very unlucky. – Michael Whiting

How are your club’s new faces performing?

CARLTON v Richmond, MCG, Thursday, March 23, 7.20pm AEST

B: Kade Simpson, Sam Rowe, Simon White HB: Sam Docherty, Caleb Marchbank, Dale Thomas C: Billie Smedts, Bryce Gibbs, Ed Curnow HF: Matthew Wright, Jacob Weitering, Dennis Armfield F: Rhys Palmer, Levi Casboult, Jarrod Pickett Foll: Matthew Kreuzer, Patrick Cripps, Marc Murphy I/C: Charlie Curnow, Sam Kerridge, Lachie Plowman, Jack Silvagni

New faces: Caleb Marchbank, Rhys Palmer, Jarrod Pickett, Billie Smedts

Missing with injury/suspension: Ciaran Byrne (knee, indefinite), Sam Petrevski-Seton (quad, 2 weeks), Andrew Phillips (stress reaction in foot, indefinite)

Notes: Pickett will make his AFL debut after an impressive performance in the Blues’ final JLT Community Series match against Fremantle. Smedts will provide much-needed run and Palmer is smart around goal and can go through the midfield. There will be a temptation to play Weitering on Jack Riewoldt but he is far more important to the Blues’ capabilities of kicking a winning score. Marchbank is versatile and can shore up the defence with Weitering required in attack. – Howard Kotton

Rhys Palmer is likely to make his debut for his third club in round one. Picture: AFL Media

COLLINGWOOD v Western Bulldogs, MCG, Friday, March 24, 7.50pm AEDT

B: Tyson Goldsack, Lynden Dunn, Jackson Ramsay HB: Jeremy Howe, Ben Reid, Brayden Maynard C: Steele Sidebottom, Adam Treloar, Jack Crisp HF: Travis Varcoe, Jesse White, Will Hoskin-Elliott F: Chris Mayne, Darcy Moore, Alex Fasolo Foll: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams I/C:  Mason Cox, Jarryd Blair, Tom Phillips, Josh Smith

New faces: Lynden Dunn, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Chris Mayne

Missing with injury/suspension: Jamie Elliott (ankle, TBC), Levi Greenwood (hamstring, TBC), Ben Sinclair (hamstring, 8-12 weeks), Daniel Wells (calf, 2-4 weeks)

Notes: Several spots are up in the air because of fitness issues, so on the basis of limited match conditioning I left out Jamie Elliott and Jordan De Goey, both of whom missed the final two JLT Community Series games, and I wasn’t prepared to take a risk on the hamstring of Levi Greenwood, whose position in the team was probably already under threat. Rookie full-back Henry Schade, from Gold Coast, was unlucky to miss out but ex-Melbourne veteran Lynden Dunn gets the nod for his superior body strength and experience to play on Bulldogs big men such as Travis Cloke and Tom Boyd. Young midfielder James Aish was perhaps also a little stiff. – Ben Collins

ESSENDON v Hawthorn, MCG, Saturday, March 25, 7.25pm AEDT

B: Mark Baguley, Michael Hurley, Brent Stanton HB: James Kelly, Patrick Ambrose, Martin Gleeson C: Darcy Parish, Jobe Watson, Brendon Goddard HF: Travis Colyer, Cale Hooker, James Stewart F: Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Joe Daniher, Orazio Fantasia R: Shaun McKernan, Zach Merrett, Dyson Heppell I/C: David Zaharakis, Jayden Laverde, Andrew McGrath, Kyle Langford

New faces: James Stewart, Andrew McGrath

Missing with injury/suspension: Tom Bellchambers (knee, 2 weeks), Aaron Francis (ankle, 1-2 weeks), Josh Green (foot, 1 week), Matthew Leuenberger (hamstring, 3-4 weeks), David Myers (finger, 6 weeks), Jordan Ridley (back, 12 weeks),

Notes: I’ve picked six of the senior-listed Bomber players returning from WADA suspensions, with Heath Hocking, Ben Howlett and David Myers (injured) missing out. Should he get through this Friday night’s VFL practice match against Geelong, Cale Hooker, returning from a hamstring injury, should do enough to confirm his selection. The ruck is an area of concern, with Bellchambers and Leuenberger both injured, so Shaun McKernan comes in as the replacement with Joe Daniher and James Stewart to provide back-up. This is a team that has the speed and experience to take it up to Hawthorn in round one. – Ben Guthrie

FREMANTLE v Geelong, Domain Stadium, Sunday, March 26, 4.40pm AWST

B: Lee Spurr, Joel Hamling, Zac Dawson HB: Cam Sutcliffe, Michael Johnson, Lachie Weller C: Stephen Hill, David Mundy, Bradley Hill HF: Ed Langdon, Shane Kersten, Danyle Pearce F: Michael Walters, Cam McCarthy, Jonathon Griffin Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Nat Fyfe, Lachie Neale I/C: Connor Blakely, Garrick Ibbotson, Darcy Tucker, Hayden Crozier

New faces: Joel Hamling, Bradley Hill, Shane Kersten, Cam McCarthy

Missing with injury/suspension: Michael Apeness (knee, 6-8 weeks), Hayden Ballantyne (hamstring, 8-10 weeks), Harley Bennell (calf, 6-8 weeks), Zac Clarke (knee, indefinite), Alex Pearce (leg, indefinite)

Notes: Losing Hayden Ballantyne for two months in the final JLT Community Series hit-out was a major blow and compounds Shane Yarran’s retirement in December. Ballantyne’s hamstring injury could open the door for Tommy Sheridan and Nick Suban if Ross Lyon reshuffles his line-up, but Hayden Crozier seems a more like-for-like replacement with his proven ability to play as a small forward as well as half-back. Draftee ruckman Sean Darcy appeared in all three pre-season matches, however Jonathon Griffin takes the back-up spot to Aaron Sandilands following an impressive JLT series. Ethan Hughes, draftee Brennan Cox and Sam Collins could all be pushing to break into the side early in the campaign, while top-10 pick Griffin Logue might need more time developing in the WAFL. Key forward Matt Taberner might start at Peel but will be aiming to put pressure on the likes of Geelong recruit Shane Kersten for a spot in attack. – Travis King

Fremantle v GEELONG, Domain Stadium, Sunday, March 26, 4.40pm AWST

B: Andrew Mackie, Tom Lonergan, Tom Stewart HB: Zach Tuohy, Lachie Henderson, Jackson Thurlow C: Mark Blicavs, Cam Guthrie, Mitch Duncan HF: Daniel Menzel, Harry Taylor, Lincoln McCarthy F: Steven Motlop, Tom Hawkins, Nakia Cockatoo Foll: Rhys Stanley, Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood I/C: Zac Smith, Josh Cowan, Sam Menegola, Tom Ruggles

New faces: Brandan Parfitt, Tom Stewart, Zach Tuohy

Missing: Cory Gregson (foot, indefinite), Scott Selwood (toe, 1 week), Jake Kolodjashnij (groin, 1 week)

Notes: The Cats look likely to head west with a strong squad, with Cam Guthrie expected to be available after missing much of the JLT Community Series with a calf problem. Look for Zach Tuohy to play after slotting into a half-back role in three pre-season games while Tom Stewart is poised to make his debut, despite being rested from the final quarter of the Essendon win with hamstring tightness. Draftee Brandan Parfitt is in the frame after a promising pre-season, while rookie Zach Guthrie could be promoted after an encouraging two hit-outs, but his chances may be hurt after being left out of the final game against the Bombers. Jordan Murdoch, Darcy Lang and George Horlin-Smith are unlucky to miss out, given that Zac Smith likely plays against the Fremantle big men and Tom Ruggles is the logical match up for Michael Walters. – Jennifer Phelan

Brandan Parfitt is set for selection after a promising pre-season. Picture: AFL Photos

GOLD COAST v Brisbane Lions, Metricon Stadium, Saturday, March 25, 7.05pm AEST

B: Kade Kolodjashnij, Steven May, Sean Lemmens HB: Jack Bowes, Rory Thompson, Adam Saad C: Alex Sexton, Touk Miller, Pearce Hanley HF: Michael Barlow, Tom Lynch, Jack Martin F: Ben Ainsworth, Peter Wright, Callum Ah Chee Foll: Jarrod Witts, Gary Ablett, Aaron Hall I/C: Jarryd Lyons, David Swallow, Matt Rosa, Jesse Joyce

New faces: Ben Ainsworth, Michael Barlow, Jack Bowes, Pearce Hanley, Jarryd Lyons, Jarrod Witts

Missing with injury/suspension: Sam Day (hip, season), Jarrod Harbrow (ankle, NEAFL), Michael Rischitelli (ACL, 6-8 weeks).

Notes: Not a lot of places that need explaining in a relatively settled Suns lineup. Bowes and Ainsworth have done enough to earn their debuts, while the four mature midfielders – Hanley, Lyons, Barlow and Witts – are also certainties. The most difficult decision was the back pocket, but the disciplined nature of Lemmens’ lockdown defence should be enough to get him the start. Harbrow will force his way back into the 22 after a couple of practice matches to overcome his ankle surgery, while Brayden Fiorini and Will Brodie are knocking on the door. – Michael Whiting

Adelaide v GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY, Adelaide Oval, Sunday, March 26, 2.50pm ACDT

B: Heath Shaw, Phil Davis, Nick Haynes HB: Matt Buntine, Adam Tomlinson, Zac Williams C: Josh Kelly, Callan Ward, Tom Scully HF: Steve Johnson, Jeremy Cameron, Toby Greene F: Devon Smith, Jon Patton, Rory Lobb Foll: Shane Mumford, Dylan Shiel, Ryan Griffen I/C: Nathan Wilson, Tim Taranto, Matthew Kennedy, Adam Kennedy

New faces: Tim Taranto

Missing with injury/suspension: Stephen Coniglio (ankle, 6 weeks), Aidan Corr (hand, TBC), Brett Deledio (calf, TBC), Matt de Boer (hamstring, 2-3 weeks), Lachie Whitfield (suspended, TBC)

Notes: Griffen gets his chance to start on the ball to offset the loss of Coniglio’s hardness, while Jacob Hopper misses out after only playing half a game in the reserves in the pre-season. Buntine’s ability to play tall gets him a spot to strengthen the back half against a powerful Crows outfit, with Corr’s availability still up in the air, so Haynes to be used as the third tall. – Adam Curley

Essendon v HAWTHORN, MCG, Saturday, March 25, 7.25pm AEDT

B: Taylor Duryea, James Frawley, Josh Gibson HB: Shaun Burgoyne, Ben Stratton, Grant Birchall C: Isaac Smith, Tom Mitchell, Jack Gunston HF: Cyril Rioli, Jarryd Roughead, James Sicily F: Paul Puopolo, Tyrone Vickery, Luke Breust Foll: Ben McEvoy, Liam Shiels, Jaeger O’Meara I/C: Will Langford, Ricky Henderson, Kade Stewart, Billy Hartung

New faces: Ricky Henderson, Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O’Meara, Tyrone Vickery

Missing with injury/suspension: Jon Ceglar (ACL, late season) Luke Hodge (club suspension, 1 week)

Notes: Billy Hartung did just enough against Port Adelaide in the final JLT game to squeeze into the side at the expense of Ryan Schoenmakers. Luke Hodge would naturally play here if not for the club suspension. It is a different looking side with four new players from other clubs, while young midfielder Kade Stewart gets rewarded for an excellent summer with a round one berth. – Ashley Browne

St Kilda v MELBOURNE, Etihad Stadium, Saturday, March 25, 4.35pm AEDT 

B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Michael Hibberd HB: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis C: Dom Tyson, Nathan Jones, Christian Salem HF: Christian Petracca, Jack Watts, Dean Kent F: Angus Brayshaw, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett Foll: Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney I/C: Jake Melksham, Jake Spencer, Bernie Vince, Billy Stretch

New faces: Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis, Jake Melksham

Missing with injury/suspension: Sam Frost (toe, 2-3 weeks), Aaron vandenBerg (foot, 4-6 weeks), Josh Wagner (2 weeks), Mitch King (knee, TBC)

Notes: I had some difficulties picking this team and there are a number of players unlucky not to be selected. Hibberd (Achilles), Jetta (quad) and Kent (back) are all under injury clouds leading into round one, but I have picked them based on what they will add to the team if they are declared fully fit. Rookie defender Joel Smith is also under consideration, particularly with St Kilda’s tall forward line, but given he missed the final JLT Series game it was hard to give him the nod. I’ve also left out Sam Weideman, who I think will play a lot of senior football this season, but I believe the Demons will opt to go with Max Gawn and Jake Spencer as the ruck/forward combination against the Saints. Jack Watts also holds onto his spot, despite a sub-par pre-season. – Ben Guthrie

Jordan Lewis and Jake Melksham are likely to play in round one for the Demons. Picture: AFL Photos

NORTH MELBOURNE v West Coast, Etihad Stadium, Sunday, March 26, 1.10pm AEDT

B: Marley Williams, Scott Thompson, Sam Wright HB: Luke McDonald, Robbie Tarrant, Sam Durdin C: Shaun Atley, Jack Ziebell, Jamie Macmillan HF: Nathan Hrovat, Ben Brown, Shaun Higgins F: Lindsay Thomas, Jarrad Waite, Majak Daw Foll: Todd Goldstein, Trent Dumont, Andrew Swallow I/C: Ryan Clarke, Declan Mountford, Kayne Turner, Jy Simpkin

New faces: Sam Durdin, Nathan Hrovat, Declan Mountford, Jy Simpkin, Marley Williams

Missing with injury/suspension: Jed Anderson (shoulder, test), Ben Cunnington (suspension, 1 week), Taylor Garner (hip, test), Ben Jacobs (foot, 4-6 weeks), Oscar Junker (broken tibia, 12-14 weeks), Mason Wood (hamstring, 4-6 weeks), Paul Ahern (ACL, season)

Notes: Ben Brown is an automatic inclusion if he can prove his fitness in a VFL practice match on Saturday. Braydon Preuss is unlucky to miss after an impressive JLT Community Series, but we’ve given Majak Daw the nod as support ruckman given he’s more likely to have an impact in attack. North preferred a two-talls backline for much of 2016 but given the Eagles’ tall forward line we’ve included Sam Durdin as a third key backman, the 20-year-old edging out veteran Lachlan Hansen and medium defender Ed Vickers-Willis. We also opted for youth over experience in the midfield, overlooking Sam Gibson in favour of second-year tagger Declan Mountford. – Nick Bowen

PORT ADELAIDE v Sydney, SCG, Saturday, March 25, 4.35pm AEDT

B: Tom Jonas, Tom Clurey, Darcy Byrne-Jones HB: Hamish Hartlett, Jack Hombsch, Matthew Broadbent C: Brad Ebert, Travis Boak, Jared Polec HF: Chad Wingard, Brett Eddy, Justin Westhoff F: Aaron Young, Charlie Dixon, Sam Gray Foll: Patrick Ryder, Ollie Wines, Robbie Gray I/C: Jackson Trengove, Sam Powell-Pepper, Karl Amon, Riley Bonner

New faces: Brett Eddy, Sam Powell-Pepper

Missing with injury/suspension: Jasper Pittard (hamstring, 1 week), Jarman Impey (suspension, 1 week), Nathan Krakouer (suspension, 1 week), Aidyn Johnson (suspension, 1 week).

Notes: Midfield bull Sam Powell-Pepper – the No. 18 overall pick at the 2016 NAB AFL Draft – and mature-aged rookie Brett Eddy have forced their way into the Power’s best 22. Defender Riley Bonner deserves his chance after great form in the pre-season competition. Wingard will revert to his traditional role in the forward line with Jarman Impey and Nathan Krakouer suspended, and Angus Monfries and Matthew White making their way back to full fitness. – Lee Gaskin

Carlton v RICHMOND, MCG, Thursday, March 23, 7:20pm AEDT

B: Dylan Grimes, David Astbury, Reece Conca HB: Bachar Houli, Alex Rance, Brandon Ellis C: Shane Edwards, Dustin Martin, Shaun Grigg HF: Josh Caddy, Ben Griffiths, Nick Vlastuin F: Daniel Rioli, Jack Riewoldt, Sam Lloyd Foll: Toby Nankervis, Trent Cotchin, Dion Prestia I/C: Anthony Miles, Kamdyn McIntosh, Jason Castagna, Dan Butler

New faces: Dan Butler, Josh Caddy, Toby Nankervis, Dion Prestia

Missing with injury/suspension: Shaun Hampson (back, indefinite); Steve Morris (knee, 1-2 weeks); Jack Graham (hamstring, 1-2 weeks)

Notes: Brandon Ellis has been backed to move into defence and will likely get first crack as a rebounder in round one. His form needs to improve, however, with Kamdyn McIntosh (named on the bench) and Oleg Markov other options here. Reece Conca has also returned as a small defender, forcing Jayden Short out of the team. Speed and defensive pressure should ensure Jason Castagna and Dan Butler get their chance in a smaller forward line. Nick Vlastuin is also selected as a midfielder/forward having trained and played there all pre-season. Connor Menadue, Corey Ellis and Markov are part of the future, but a lack of minutes and influence in the JLT Community Series means they’re likely to be overlooked against the Blues. Mabior Chol is waiting in the wings if Ben Griffiths doesn’t hit form soon, or the Tigers decide they need more forward line height and ruck support. – Nathan Schmook

ST KILDA v Melbourne, Etihad Stadium, Saturday, March 25, 4.35pm AEDT

B: Dylan Roberton, Nathan Brown, Jarryn Geary HB: Leigh Montagna, Jake Carlisle, Sean Dempster C: Jack Newnes, David Armitage, Nick Riewoldt HF: Tim Membrey, Josh Bruce, Jack Billings F: Jade Gresham, Paddy McCartin, Mav Weller Foll: Tom Hickey, Seb Ross, Jack Steven

I/C: Luke Dunstan, Jack Steele, Sam Gilbert, Shane Savage

New faces: Nathan Brown, Jake Carlisle, Jack Steele

Missing with injury/suspension: Hugh Goddard (Achilles tendon, mid-season), Bailey Rice (finger, 4 weeks)

Notes: A right calf strain meant Leigh Montagna did not play in the JLT Community Series, so the veteran will be touch and go for round one, but if fit, should be picked based on his experience and consistency. Blake Acres improved last season but he needs to improve his kicking and decision-making before returning to the 22. – Dinny Navaratnam

Jake Carlisle will likely make his long-awaited St Kilda debut against Melbourne. Picture: AFL Photos

SYDNEY v Port Adelaide, SCG, Saturday, March 25, 4.35pm AEDT

B: Nick Smith, Heath Grundy, Dane Rampe HB: Callum Mills, Aliir Aliir, Jake Lloyd C: Dan Robinson, Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery HF: George Hewett, Sam Reid, Dean Towers F: Kurt Tippett, Lance Franklin, Kieren Jack Foll: Sam Naismith, Luke Parker, Zak Jones I/C: Jeremy Laidler, Darcy Cameron, Harrison Marsh, Oliver Florent

New faces: Darcy Cameron, Oliver Florent

Missing with injury/suspension: Isaac Heeney (glandular fever, TBC), Jarrad McVeigh (calf, 3-4 weeks), Tom Papley (knee, 1 week), Gary Rohan (back, 1 week)

Notes: Cameron’s inclusion allows the Swans to use Tippett primarily as a deep forward to stretch Port in defence, while Florent has shown his speed can have a huge impact inside 50. Robinson takes Heeney’s spot in the 18 because he finds plenty of footy and uses it well, and Laidler wins a spot ahead of rookie Lewis Melican and draftee Jack Maibaum purely on experience. Lloyd and Jones are interchangeable and Marsh is extremely versatile, so is very handy off the bench. – Adam Curley

North Melbourne v WEST COAST, Etihad Stadium, Sunday, March 26, 1.10pm AEST

B: Jackson Nelson, Eric Mackenzie, Brad Sheppard HB: Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern, Sharrod Wellingham C: Andrew Gaff, Matt Priddis, Lewis Jetta HF: Jamie Cripps, Jack Darling, Chris Masten F: Drew Petrie, Josh Kennedy, Mark LeCras Foll: Nathan Vardy, Sam Mitchell, Luke Shuey I/C: Dom Sheed, Elliot Yeo, Josh Hill, Sam Butler

New faces: Sam Mitchell, Drew Petrie, Nathan Vardy

Missing with injury/suspension: Nic Naitanui (knee, 4-5 months), Scott Lycett (shoulder, TBC), Willie Rioli (hamstring, 7-9 weeks), Simon Tunbridge (knee, 3-4 months), Jake Waterman (foot, TBC)

Notes: Fierce competition for spots makes predicting Adam Simpson’s round one team fraught with danger. The Eagles coach has a handful of toss-of-the-coin decisions to make – not least choosing between whether to play two or three tall defenders. Tom Barrass and Will Schofield can consider themselves desperately unlucky to miss out here, but Eric Mackenzie appears to have Simpson’s nod for round one after playing the final JLT Community Series game. The Eagles only used two key defenders against the Demons in a full dress rehearsal for round one, although that might change against a tall Roos forward line. Nathan Vardy and Drew Petrie deserve to shoulder ruck duties after impressing in pre-season matches, with Jonathan Giles waiting in the wings. A hamstring injury set back Liam Duggan’s claims but he shouldn’t be far away from pushing for the best 22, while Mark Hutchings is extremely stiff after a solid pre-season. Jack Redden’s opportunities have been limited so far but he should be pushing for the best team. – Travis King

Collingwood v WESTERN BULLDOGS, MCG, Friday, March 24, 7.45pm AEDT

B: Matthew Boyd, Fletcher Roberts, Dale Morris HB: Jason Johannisen, Easton Wood, Robert Murphy C: Caleb Daniel, Tom Liberatore, Lachie Hunter HF: Luke Dahlhaus, Stewart Crameri, Jack Macrae F: Clay Smith, Travis Cloke, Jake Stringer Foll: Tom Boyd, Liam Picken, Marcus Bontempelli I/C: Zaine Cordy, Shane Biggs, Matt Suckling, Toby McLean

New faces: Travis Cloke

Missing with injury/suspension: Tory Dickson (groin, test), Jordan Roughead (hamstring, 4-5 weeks), Mitch Wallis (broken leg, mid-season)

Notes: The Dogs should go into round one with 18 of the 22 who played in last year’s flag triumph, with only second-year midfielder Josh Dunkley set to miss selection on form. Travis Cloke appears certain to play his first game in the red, white and blue against his old side with fellow talls Jordan Roughead and Tom Campbell injured. Impressive draftee Tim English is an outside chance to partner Tom Boyd in the ruck. Despite strong JLT form, explosive midfielder Lin Jong looks likely to miss out. Key defenders Fletcher Roberts and Marcus Adams have both had indifferent JLT campaigns, with the former likely to get the nod to face the Pies. – Ryan Davidson

After 246 games with Collingwood, Travis Cloke will run out for the Dogs in round one: Picture: AFL Photos

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Cats claw way back in 10-goal turnaround

AN INSPIRING third quarter from Joel Selwood in front of his home crowd in Bendigo helped Geelong overcome a 40-point half-time deficit against Essendon and record a 22-point win in its final JLT Community Series game.

Tom Hawkins kicked four goals in the second half in a return to form while Patrick Dangerfield was at his explosive best in the third term when the Cats needed him most.

The Cats won 1.17.11 (122) to 2.12.10 (100) to record their first win of the pre-season series.

Full match coverage and stats

Although brave in defeat, Essendon did not escape unscathed with ruckman Matthew Leuenberger suffering a hamstring injury in the first quarter, leaving him in doubt for round one and opening the door for rookie Shaun McKernan to take on the job.

Jayden Laverde also left the ground late in the game with what appeared to be an ankle injury while Geelong’s Mitch Duncan sat out the last quarter after leaving the ground to have his leg examined.

It was cult figure Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti who had set the Bombers alight in the first half, kicking three goals and carving the Cats up with his pace through the middle of the ground. 

He finished with four goals but it wasn’t just his goalkicking that impressed. He harassed the opposition defence and made Cats runners look over their shoulder as he chased them down. 

He had good support from Zach Merrett and Jobe Watson, while McKernan impressed with three goals after being thrown in the ruck.

After a terrible first half, when they were outrun and looked confused, the Cats stormed back into the contest with nine goals in the third quarter.

At that stage the experiment of playing Harry Taylor up forward looked wonky and all the same questions following the Cats looked likely to be repeated in the next fortnight. 

They were overusing the ball by hand with 82 kicks and 122 handballs in the first half. 

But the Cats put their best players in the middle in the second half, won the ball out of the centre and put the ball deep inside 50 to put pressure on Essendon’s young defence.

From there the goals came for Geelong.

Geelong assistant coach Matthew Scarlett said it was a tale of two halves.

“We thought we were pretty average in the first half and the scoreboard reflected that. Our good players around the footy got us going in the second half and we started winning the ball out of the middle and gave our forwards a good opportunity,” Scarlett said.

“We’ve got plenty of work to do.”

Essendon will take time as the group integrates but the Bombers looked exciting at times when they linked up with run and handball through the middle of the ground. It could be argued it was only match fitness that hurt Essendon in the end. 

Bombers coach John Worsfold said apart from the disappointment of the third quarter, he was relatively pleased with the performance.

“We were rapt with a lot of the things we saw and the way the boys fought on (despite being) undermanned in the ruck and still held up in the midfield,” Worsfold said.

“The boys are really positive. They think they have had a good preparation.”

WHAT WE LEARNED Geelong: Persisting with the experiment of playing Harry Taylor as a permanent forward will take courage. Taylor has struggled for form during the JLT Community Series so the question will be asked as he looks uncertain. However the real issue for the Cats is too many talls who are performing below par, with Geelong better off playing only two of the tall trio of Zac Smith, Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs in round one. 

Essendon: When the Bombers win the ball in space they now have the pace to cause damage. McDonald-Tipungwuti and Fantasia are hard to match up on inside 50 while Travis Colyer and David Zaharakis run the lines to set up play. With the spine strong and experienced big-bodied midfielders available, Essendon has the right structure to worry Hawthorn in round one. 

NEW FACES Geelong: Brandan Parfitt was excellent early, picking up eight touches in the first half drifting up into the midfield and attempting to crumb the ball inside 50. Has time when he wins the ball but needs to improve his disposal. Parfitt is in line for round one selection after a solid pre-season. Zach Tuohy was beaten at times but he keeps running and creating.

Essendon: Josh Begley still has plenty to learn, struggling to back up his promising showing against the Suns. He will have learned from the experience and needs to play within his limitations. Andrew McGrath looked good again off half-back while Shaun McKernan may have to shoulder the ruck load in round one with Matthew Leuenberger and Tom Bellchambers battling injury. 

NEXT UP Geelong heads west with a relatively fit list to see if Fremantle has improved on last year’s performance, and the Dockers will likely be missing Hayden Ballantyne. The news Hawthorn had suspended Luke Hodge for round one would have buoyed Essendon, which goes into the game an even-money chance.

GEELONG       0.2.4     0.5.7    1.13.10    1.17.11   (122)                   ESSENDON     0.5.2     2.9.5     2.11.6     2.12.10   (100)           

SUPERGOALS Geelong: Mackie Essendon: McKernan, Merrett 

GOALS Geelong: Hawkins 4, Menzel 3, Selwood 2, Cockatoo 2, Taylor, Murdoch, Horlin-Smith, Lang, Murdoch, McCarthy Essendon: McDonald-Tipungwuti 4, McKernan 2, Stewart 2, Daniher 2, Langford, Ambrose 

BEST  Geelong: Selwood, Dangerfield, Henderson, Mackie, Cockatoo, Hawkins Essendon: McDonald-Tipungwuti, Watson, Merrett, McKernan, Heppell

INJURIES Geelong: Nil Essendon: Leuenberger (hamstring), Laverde (ankle)  

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Eleni Glouftsis, Justin Schmitt, Leigh Fisher 

Official crowd: 8391 at Queen Elizabeth Oval

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Big guns return

COLLINGWOOD has picked Ben Reid for the first time in 2017 for Saturday’s JLT Community Series clash with Richmond at Moe.

The All Australian carried a posterior cruciate ligament for most of last season before having surgery and his return will add plenty to the Magpie backline.

Tim Broomhead will play his first game for the Pies since last May, while they have named ruckman Brodie Grundy despite the corked calf he suffered at training during the week.

Josh Smith has also been named despite an ankle injury.

Richmond defender Bachar Houli will step out for the first time this year. The long-kicking Houli has overcome a hamstring in time to get some much-needed match practice ahead of the season opener against Carlton in a fortnight.

Dion Prestia and Shane Edwards also return to the side after being rested last week, while the Tigers squad also includes youngsters Jayden Short, Connor Menadue, Mabior Chol, Tyson Stengle and Ivan Soldo. Among those to miss include Corey Ellis and Kane Lambert.

Adelaide has regained goalkickers Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins and Mitch McGovern for the game against the Brisbane Lions at Noarlunga on Saturday.

Betts and Jenkins were rested last week, while McGovern was nursing a minor knee injury. Dean Gore (concussion) will miss.

The Brisbane Lions have lost one gun first-year player with No.3 draft pick Hugh McCluggage sidelined for a month with an ankle injury, but have replaced him with his TAC Cup teammate, No.24 pick Cedric Cox, a skilful and versatile half-back. Otherwise the Lions have picked a strong-looking side.

Port Adelaide star Chad Wingard will be rested from Sunday’s hit-out against Hawthorn at Noarlunga. Brad Ebert, Aaron Young, Jake Neade, Brendon Ah Chee and Matt White are among inclusions.

Hawthorn will leave Luke Hodge and Josh Gibson behind, but have brought back Isaac Smith, Paul Puopolo, Shaun Burgoyne, Grant Birchall and Ben McEvoy.

Former Adelaide defender Ricky Henderson is set for his first game in the brown and gold, while the club’s first pick at last year’s national draft, Harry Morrison and powerful Irish recruit Conor Nash are also in the squad.

Geelong regains veteran defender Andrew Mackie for Sunday’s clash with Essendon at Bendigo. Joining him for the trip to skipper Joel Selwood’s home town is defender Cam Guthrie, who has overcome a calf complaint. Lincoln McCarthy has been named for now despite a shoulder injury last weekend.

Essendon has picked its strongest squad of the pre-season, with Zach Merrett, David Zaharakis, Mark Baguley, Orazio Fantasia, Dyson Heppell, Patrick Ambrose, James Kelly and Matt Dea all back in.

Josh Green (foot) and Jordan Ridley (back) are out, while Mason Redman, Dylan Clarke, Jake Long, Heath Hocking and Conor McKenna have missed selection.

The Sydney squad for Sunday’s clash with St Kilda at Lavington features youngsters Oliver Florent, Will Hayward, Robbie Fox and Darcy Cameron, who may be given one last chance to impress before the season opener in 16 days against Port Adelaide. 

New St Kilda skipper Jarryn Geary returns, as do Nick Riewoldt, and defenders Dylan Roberton and Sam Gilbert. The Saints have included both ruckmen Tom Hickey and Billy Longer, but it could be a battle for round one selection with coach Alan Richardson yet to declare whether he can carry both players in his best 22. 

The final weekend of the JLT Community Series restricts each club to six players on the bench while interchange rotations are monitored for the first time.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12

Port Adelaide v Hawthorn, Hickinbotham Oval (Noarlunga), 12.40pm ACDT

PORT ADELAIDE

1. Travis Boak, 2. Sam Powell-Pepper, 3. Jake Neade, 4. Patrick Ryder, 7. Brad Ebert, 8. Hamish Hartlett, 9. Robbie Gray, 11. Aaron Young, 12. Jackson Trengove, 15. Karl Amon, 16. Oliver Wines, 17. Tom Clurey, 19. Matthew White, 21. Jared Polec, 22. Charlie Dixon, 23. Matthew Lobbe, 24. Jarman Impey, 26. Riley Bonner, 27. Brett Eddy, 28. Willem Drew, 30. Joe Atley, 33. Darcy Byrne-Jones, 36. Jack Hombsch, 39. Justin Westhoff, 42. Tom Jonas, 43. Dan Houston, 46. Sam Gray 

Notable absentees: Jasper Pittard, Chad Wingard, Nathan Krakouer, Jarman Impey, Angus Monfries

HAWTHORN

2. Jarryd Roughead, 3. Tom Mitchell, 4. Billy Hartung, 5. Ryan Burton, 7. Ben McEvoy, 8. Taylor Duryea, 9. Shaun Burgoyne, 10. Jaeger O’Meara, 11. Brendan Whitecross, 12. James Frawley, 14. Grant Birchall, 16. Isaac Smith, 19. Jack Gunston, 21. James Sicily, 22. Luke Breust, 24. Ben Stratton, 25. Ryan Schoenmakers, 26. Liam Shiels, 27. Tyrone Vickery, 28. Paul Puopolo, 29. Will Langford, 31. Ricky Henderson, 33. Cyril Rioli, 35. Harry Morrison, 40. Kade Stewart, 42. Teia Miles, 45. Conor Nash

Notable absentees: Luke Hodge, Josh Gibson, Jonathan O’Rourke, Jon Ceglar, Kieran Lovell, Daniel Howe, Tim O’Brien, Kaiden Brand

Geelong v Essendon, Queen Elizabeth Oval (Bendigo), 4.10pm AEDT

GEELONG

1. Rhys Stanley, 2. Zach Tuohy, 3. Brandan Parfitt, 4. Andrew Mackie, 5. Nakia Cockatoo, 6. Lincoln McCarthy, 7. Harry Taylor, 9. Zac Smith, 10. Daniel Menzel, 11. Darcy Lang, 13. Tom Lonergan, 14. Joel Selwood, 18. Josh Cowan, 21. Jordan Murdoch, 22. Mitch Duncan, 23. Aaron Black, 25. Lachie Henderson, 26. Tom Hawkins, 27. Sam Menegola, 29. Cameron Guthrie, 32, Steven Motlop, 33. George Horlin-Smith, 35. Patrick Dangerfield, 36. Tom Ruggles, 40. Jackson Thurlow, 44. Tom Stewart, 46. Mark Blicavs

Notable absentees: Scott Selwood, Cory Gregson, Zach Guthrie, Jed Bews, Jake Kolodjashnij

ESSENDON

1. Andrew McGrath, 3. Darcy Parish, 4. Jobe Watson, 5. Brent Stanton, 6. Joe Daniher, 7. Zach Merrett, 8. Martin Gleeson, 9. Brendon Goddard, 11. David Zaharakis, 12. Mark Baguley, 13. Orazio Fantasia, 16. Joshua Begley, 17. James Stewart, 18. Michael Hurley, 21. Dyson Heppell, 22. Matthew Leuenberger, 28. Mitch Brown, 29. Patrick Ambrose, 30. Kyle Langford, 32. Travis Colyer, 33. Jayden Laverde, 36. Michael Hartley, 40. Ben Howlett, 43. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, 44. Shaun McKernan, 47. James Kelly, 49. Matt Dea

Notable absentees: Tom Bellchambers, Aaron Francis, David Myers, Craig Bird, Cale Hooker, Heath Hocking, Conor McKenna

St Kilda v Sydney, Lavington Sports Ground (Albury), 7.10pm AEDT

ST KILDA

1. Tom Hickey, 2. Jake Carlisle, 3. Jack Steven, 4. Jade Gresham, 5. Shane Savage, 6. Seb Ross, 7. Luke Dunstan, 8. Blake Acres, 9. Jack Steele, 12. Nick Riewoldt, 13. Jack Lonie, 14. Jarryd Geary, 15. Jack Billings, 16. Jack Newnes, 17. Dylan Roberton, 18. Billy Longer, 19. Sam Gilbert, 20. David Armitage, 22. Nathan Brown, 24. Sean Dempster, 25. Koby Stevens, 27. Josh Bruce, 28. Tim Membrey, 29. Jimmy Webster, 32. Paddy McCartin, 34. Nathan Wright, 44. Mav Weller

Notable absentees: Leigh Montagna, Daniel McKenzie, Hugh Goddard, Jack Sinclair, Nathan Freeman

SYDNEY

4. Dan Hannebery, 6. Jordan Foote, 7. Harry Cunningham, 8. Kurt Tippett, 9. Will Hayward, 10. Zak Jones, 11. Jeremy Laidler, 12. Josh Kennedy, 13. Oliver Florent, 14. Callum Mills, 17. Darcy Cameron, 18. Callum Sinclair, 20. Sam Reid, 22. Dean Towers, 23. Lance Franklin, 24. Dane Rampe, 26. Luke Parker, 27. Daniel Robinson, 28. Nic Newman, 29. George Hewett, 31. Harrison Marsh, 35. Sam Naismith, 39. Heath Grundy, 40. Nick Smith, 42. Robbie Fox, 43. Lewis Melican, 44. Jake Lloyd

Notable absentees: Aliir Aliir, Jarrad McVeigh, Isaac Heeney, Tom Papley, Kieren Jack, Gary Rohan

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

Richmond v Collingwood, Ted Summerton Reserve (Moe), 1.10pm AEDT

RICHMOND

1. Nick Vlastuin, 2. Dylan Grimes, 3. Dion Prestia, 4. Dustin Martin, 5. Brandon Ellis, 6. Shaun Grigg, 8. Jack Riewoldt, 9. Trent Cotchin, 10. Shane Edwards, 12. David Astbury, 14. Bachar Houli, 15. Jayden Short, 17. Daniel Rioli, 18. Alex Rance, 22. Josh Caddy, 24. Ben Griffiths, 25. Toby Nankervis, 26. Anthony Miles, 27. Sam Lloyd, 28. Taylor Hunt, 30. Reece Conca, 37. Connor Menadue, 40. Daniel Butler, 41. Mabior Chol, 44. Tyson Stengle, 46. Jason Castagna, 47. Ivan Soldo

Notable absentees: Ben Lennon, Jake Batchelor, Shaun Hampson, Ivan Maric, Corey Ellis

COLLINGWOOD

1. Alex Fasolo, 4. Brodie Grundy, 6. Tyson Goldsack, 7. Adam Treloar, 9. Jesse White, 10. Scott Pendlebury, 11. Jarryd Blair, 12. Matthew Scharenberg, 13. Taylor Adams, 14. James Aish, 15. Lynden Dunn, 16. Chris Mayne, 18. Travis Varcoe, 20. Ben Reid, 21. Tom Phillips, 22. Steele Sidebottom, 24. Josh Thomas, 25. Jack Crisp, 29. Tim Broomhead, 30. Darcy Moore, 31. Jackson Ramsay, 32. Will Hoskin-Elliott, 37. Brayden Maynard, 38. Jeremy Howe, 40. Josh Smith, 41. Henry Schade, 46. Mason Cox

Notable absentees: Jordan De Goey, Daniel Wells, Jamie Elliott, Levi Greenwood

Adelaide v Brisbane Lions, Hickinbotham Oval (Noarlunga), 3.40pm ACDT

ADELAIDE

3. Riley Knight, 4. Josh Jenkins, 7. Jordan Gallucci, 8. Jake Kelly, 10. Harrison Wigg, 12. Daniel Talia, 13. Taylor Walker, 14. David Mackay, 15. Kyle Hartigan, 16. Luke Brown, 17. Curtly Hampton, 18. Eddie Betts, 20. Hugh Greenwood, 21. Rory Atkins, 22. Andy Otten, 23. Charlie Cameron, 24. Sam Jacobs, 26. Richard Douglas, 27. Tom Lynch, 29. Rory Laird, 30. Wayne Milera, 31. Myles Poholke, 32. Troy Menzel, 33. Brodie Smith, 41. Mitch McGovern, 43. Reilly O’Brien, 44. Matt Crouch

Notable absentees: Brad Crouch, Scott Thompson, Jake Lever, Rory Sloane, Paul Seedsman, Kyle Cheney, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Dean Gore

BRISBANE LIONS

1. Ben Keays, 2. Ryan Harwood, 4. Ryan Bastinac, 5. Mitch Robinson, 7. Tom Bell, 8. Rohan Bewick, 9. Dayne Beams, 10. Daniel Rich, 12. Stefan Martin, 15. Dayne Zorko, 17. Claye Beams, 18. Nick Robertson, 20. Cedric Cox, 25. Daniel McStay, 26. Tom Cutler, 27. Darcy Gardiner, 28. Lewis Taylor, 30. Eric Hipwood, 31. Harris Andrews, 32. Sam Mayes, 33. Michael Close, 35. Ryan Lester, 36. Rhys Mathieson, 38. Tom Rockliff, 40. Matt Hammelmann, 43. Jake Barrett, 44. Archie Smith

Notable absentees: Allen Christensen, Josh Walker, Jack Frost, Josh Schache, Marco Paparone, Hugh McCluggage

FRIDAY, MARCH 10

Greater Western Sydney v North Melbourne, Manuka Oval, 5.50pm AEDT

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

1. Phil Davis, 3. Stephen Coniglio, 4. Toby Greene, 5. Dylan Shiel, 8. Callan Ward, 9. Tom Scully, 10. Devon Smith, 12. Jonathon Patton, 14. Tim Taranto, 15. Matthew Kennedy, 16. Nathan Wilson, 17. Steve Johnson, 18. Jeremy Cameron, 19. Nick Haynes, 20. Adam Tomlinson, 21. Matt Buntine, 22. Josh Kelly, 23. Heath Shaw, 25. Tendai Mzungu, 26. Dawson Simpson, 29. Zac Williams, 32. Ryan Griffen, 35. Aidan Corr, 37. Rory Lobb, 40. Adam Kennedy, 41. Shane Mumford, 50. Sam Reid

Notable absentees: Isaac Cumming, Matt de Boer, Brett Deledio, Harrison Himmelberg, Jacob Hopper, Harry Perryman, Will Setterfield, Lachie Whitfield

NORTH MELBOURNE

4. Shaun Higgins, 6. Lachlan Hansen, 7. Jack Ziebell, 8. Nathan Hrovat, 9. Andrew Swallow, 10. Ben Cunnington, 11. Luke McDonald, 12. Lindsay Thomas, 13. Ryan Clarke, 14. Trent Dumont, 16. Scott Thompson, 18. Shaun Atley, 19. Sam Wright, 21. Jy Simpkin, 22. Todd Goldstein, 24. Sam Durdin, 25. Robbie Tarrant, 28. Kayne Turner, 30. Jarrad Waite, 31. Braydon Preuss, 33. Ed Vickers-Willis, 34. Jamie Macmillan, 38. Majak Daw, 39. Mitch Hibberd, 41. Corey Wagner, 42. Declan Mountford, 43. Sam Gibson 

Notable absentees: Marley Williams, Jed Anderson, Ben Jacobs, Mason Wood, Ben Brown

Fremantle v Carlton, Domain Stadium, 5.40pm AWST

FREMANTLE

1. Hayden Ballantyne, 2. Griffin Logue, 3. Zac Dawson, 4. Sean Darcy, 5. Garrick Ibbotson, 6. Danyle Pearce, 7. Nat Fyfe, 9. Bradley Hill, 10. Michael Walters, 11. Tommy Sheridan, 12. Jon Griffin, 14. Lachie Weller, 16. David Mundy, 17. Hayden Crozier, 18. Darcy Tucker, 19. Connor Blakely, 21. Joel Hamling, 22. Shane Kersten, 23. Cam McCarthy, 26. Ed Langdon, 27. Lachie Neale, 31. Aaron Sandilands, 32. Stephen Hill, 33. Cam Sutcliffe, 34. Lee Spurr, 36. Brennan Cox, 37. Michael Johnson

Notable absentees: Nick Suban, Harley Bennell, Matt Taberner, Harley Balic, Zac Clarke

CARLTON

1. Jack Silvagni, 3. Marc Murphy, 4. Bryce Gibbs, 6. Kade Simpson, 8. Matthew Kreuzer, 9. Patrick Cripps, 10. Harry McKay, 11. Sam Kerridge, 13. Jed Lamb, 15. Sam Docherty, 16. Billie Smedts, 17. Sam Rowe, 20. Lachie Plowman, 22. Caleb Marchbank, 23. Jacob Weitering, 24. Rhys Palmer, 26. Harrison Macreadie, 27. Dennis Armfield, 28. David Cuningham, 29. Cameron Polson, 33. Jarrod Pickett, 35. Edward Curnow, 39. Dale Thomas, 41. Levi Casboult, 43. Simon White, 44. Alex Silvagni, 46. Matthew Wright

Notable absentees: Blaine Boekhorst, Dylan Buckley, Charlie Curnow, Daniel Gorringe, Nick Graham, Kristian Jaksch, Liam Jones, Sam Petrevski-Setton, Andrew Phillips

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Gold Coast Suns hold off Essendon in the heat in Mackay

Gold Coast have overcome a slow start against an undermanned Essendon to remain unbeaten in the AFL pre-season with a three-point win in hot conditions at Harrup Park in Mackay.

The Bombers were without captain Dyson Heppell, vice-captain Zach Merrett, David Zaharakis, Mark Baguley, Orazio Fantasia, Patrick Ambrose, James Kelly, Matt Dea and David Myers but still managed to push the Suns all the way before going down 0.12.7 (79) to 0.12.4 (76).

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Melbourne and West Coast enjoy big wins

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Suns sneak past Bombers, Kangaroos down …

Suns sneak past Bombers, Kangaroos down Hawks

The Gold Coast fight back from 24-nil down to defeat Essendon in Mackay by three points, while a strong effort from North Melbourne saw them beat Hawthorn by 11.

Melbourne and West Coast enjoy big wins

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Melbourne and West Coast enjoy big wins

Melbourne and West Coast enjoy big wins

Melbourne and West Coast have enjoyed 50+ point wins over Carlton and Fremantle respectively in the pre-season competition.

Richmond take pre-season victory over Crows

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Richmond take pre-season victory over …

Richmond take pre-season victory over Crows

The Tigers have made a winning start to their year with victory over the Adelaide Crows in the pre-season competition 92-73.

Sam Mitchell’s first game for West Coast

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Sam Mitchell’s first game for West Coast

Sam Mitchell’s first game for West Coast

The derby in Geraldton has sold out! It will be the first time people can see Sam Mitchell play in the blue and gold. Vision: Today Perth News.

Bombers secret tapes reveal anger with AFL

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Bombers secret tapes reveal anger with …

Bombers secret tapes reveal anger with AFL

Federal Labor MP Kimberley Kitching has called for a senate inquiry into the conduct of the AFL and ASADA after secret Bombers tapes were leaked. Vision courtesy Seven News.

St Kilda pip Port Adelaide

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St Kilda pip Port Adelaide

St Kilda pip Port Adelaide

The Saints have warmed up with a one-point pre-season win over Port Adelaide, 57-56.

Matt Priddis reveals 2017 Eagles skipper

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Matt Priddis reveals 2017 Eagles skipper

Matt Priddis reveals 2017 Eagles skipper

West Coast’s Matt Priddis announces the 2017 Eagles Captain on Mix 94.5.

Suns sneak past Bombers, Kangaroos down Hawks

The Gold Coast fight back from 24-nil down to defeat Essendon in Mackay by three points, while a strong effort from North Melbourne saw them beat Hawthorn by 11.

Adding insult to injury for the Bombers was star defender Michael Hurley hurting his right foot late in the fourth quarter. He took no further part in the game.

Gold Coast were missing Gary Ablett, Tom Lynch, Jarrod Harbrow, Jarrod Witts, Aaron Hall and Matt Rosa.

Essendon’s Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti takes a mark. Photo: Getty Images

Essendon coach John Worsfold said he expected no major issues from Hurley’s injury.

“I haven’t had any feedback on that [but] it didn’t look too bad so I’m pretty confident he’ll be up and going soon,” Worsfold said post-match.

And he was particularly pleased with the efforts of Josh Begley.

“Outstanding start,” Worsfold said. “Young kid who’s worked extremely hard over the last 12 months in his footy. Gave himself the opportunity to get drafted and his first step out there today was very impressive.”

Essendon’s Brent Stanton takes a mark against the Gold Coast. Photo: Bradley Kanaris

Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade had praise for one of his own youngsters, with first-round draft pick Will Brodie pushing his case for a round-one berth after his 18 disposals and two goals.

“With young lads, it’s a fairly hectic pace, the game in round one and round two – quickest part of the year except for finals,” Eade said.

Suns’ Will Brodie celebrates kicking a goal. Photo: Getty Images

“But he’s a tough player, he’s going to be a really good player for us. There’s no doubt about that.

“But we’ve got some good midfielders coming back … so if he does miss out he’s not far away.”

The inefficient Suns’ sheer dominance of disposals (407-350), clearances (36-26), inside 50s (59-40) and contested possessions (153-116) ultimately tipped the contest in their favour.

Alex Sexton was the standout for the victors with 25 touches and two goals, while Michael Barlow (31 possessions), Steven May, Brodie, Touk Miller and Pearce Hanley also shone.

Essendon youngster Begley was a revelation in attack, booting four goals and setting up a few others while teammate Jayden Laverde (three goals) was also effective.

Brent Stanton (23 disposals) starred in defence in his official return from a 12-month doping ban, while Hurley, Michael Hartley and Mitch Brown were also stoic in defence. Darcy Parish and Jobe Watson stood out in midfield for the Dons.

The Bombers got off to a flying start with the first four goals of the game, including a miracle left-foot snap from James Stewart next to the behind post while being tackled.

The Suns proceeded to kick seven of the next eight goals to grab a 14-point lead late in the second term in the see-saw clash.

The Bombers trailed by eight points at the major break and four at the final change.

Goals to Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Josh Green early in the final quarter gave the ascendancy back to the Bombers but the Suns kicked the next three goals to take a nine-point lead before Parish cut the margin to three points with 40 seconds left.

AAP

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Gold Coast Suns hold off Essendon in the heat in McKay

Gold Coast have overcome a slow start against an undermanned Essendon to remain unbeaten in the AFL pre-season with a three-point win in hot conditions at Harrup Park in Mackay.

The Bombers were without captain Dyson Heppell, vice-captain Zach Merrett, David Zaharakis, Mark Baguley, Orazio Fantasia, Patrick Ambrose, James Kelly, Matt Dea and David Myers but still managed to push the Suns all the way before going down 0.12.7 (79) to 0.12.4 (76).

Essendon’s Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti takes a mark. Photo: Getty Images

Adding insult to injury for the Bombers was star defender Michael Hurley hurting his right foot late in the fourth quarter. He took no further part in the game.

Gold Coast were missing Gary Ablett, Tom Lynch, Jarrod Harbrow, Jarrod Witts, Aaron Hall and Matt Rosa.

Essendon’s Brent Stanton takes a mark against the Gold Coast. Photo: Bradley Kanaris

The inefficient Suns’ sheer dominance of disposals (407-350), clearances (36-26), inside 50s (59-40) and contested possessions (153-116) ultimately tipped the contest in their favour.

Alex Sexton was the standout for the victors with 25 touches and two goals, while Michael Barlow (31 possessions), Steven May, Will Brodie, Touk Miller and Pearce Hanley also shone.

Essendon youngster Josh Begley was a revelation in attack, booting four goals and setting up a few others while teammate Jayden Laverde (three goals) was also effective.

Brent Stanton (23 disposals) starred in defence in his official return from a 12-month doping ban, while Hurley, Michael Hartley and Mitch Brown were also stoic in defence. Darcy Parish and Jobe Watson stood out in midfield for the Dons.

Suns’ Will Brodie celebrates kicking a goal. Photo: Getty Images

The Bombers got off to a flying start with the first four goals of the game, including a miracle left-foot snap from James Stewart next to the behind post while being tackled.

The Suns proceeded to kick seven of the next eight goals to grab a 14-point lead late in the second term in the see-saw clash.

The Bombers trailed by eight points at the major break and four at the final change.

Goals to Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Josh Green early in the final quarter gave the ascendancy back to the Bombers but the Suns kicked the next three goals to take a nine-point lead before Parish cut the margin to three points with 40 seconds left.

AAP

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Final teams: Suns v Dons

Defender Matt Dea has missed the cut for the Bombers

RELIABLE defender Matt Dea has been left out of Essendon’s team to play Gold Coast in Mackay on Sunday.

Dea, who played 21 games as one of the Bombers’ ‘top-ups’ in 2016, was left out of the 29-man squad along with Jackson Merrett and draftee Kobe Mutch. 

The 25-year-old played against Collingwood in the opening match of the JLT Community Series last week and finished with 17 disposals and eight marks.

Gold Coast left out midfielder Mitch Hallahan, small defender Mackenzie Willis and forward Ryan Davis.

Follow it LIVE: Suns v Bombers

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Gold Coast v Essendon, Harrup Park Country Club, 3.40pm AEST

GOLD COAST Out: Mitch Hallahan, Mackenzie Willis, Ryan Davis 

ESSENDON Out: Jackson Merrett, Kobe Mutch, Matt Dea GOLD COAST 1. Pearce Hanley, 2. Jarrad Grant, 4. Jack Martin, 6. Alex Sexton, 7. Jesse Lonergan, 8. Brayden Fiorini, 10. Kade Kolodjashnij, 11. Touk Miller, 13. Callum Ah Chee, 15. Dan Currie, 16. Rory Thompson, 17. Steven May, 20. Michael Barlow, 21. Jack Leslie, 23. Sean Lemmens, 24. David Swallow, 26. Matthew Shaw, 27. Ben Ainsworth, 30. Peter Wright, 31. Keegan Brooksby, 32. Brandon Matera, 36. Josh Schoenfeld, 38. Jesse Joyce, 41. Will Brodie, 42. Adam Saad, 44. Darcy Macpherson

Notable absentees: Gary Ablett, Jarrod Harbrow, Tom Lynch, Jarrod Witts, Aaron Hall, Matt Rosa, Jack Bowes

ESSENDON 1. Andrew McGrath, 3. Darcy Parish, 4. Jobe Watson, 5. Brent Stanton, 6. Joe Daniher, 8. Martin Gleeson, 9. Brendon Goddard, 14. Jordan Ridley, 15. Josh Green, 16. Joshua Begley, 17. James Stewart, 18. Michael Hurley, 22. Matthew Leuenberger, 27. Mason Redman, 28. Mitch Brown, 30. Kyle Langford, 32. Travis Colyer, 33. Jayden Laverde, 34. Jake Long, 36. Michael Hartley, 37. Dylan Clarke, 39. Heath Hocking, 40. Ben Howlett, 43. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, 44. Shaun McKernan, 45. Conor McKenna

Notable absentees: Zach Merrett, David Zaharakis, Mark Baguley, Orazio Fantasia, Dyson Heppell, David Myers, Patrick Ambrose, James Kelly

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Final teams: Pies v Dons

Adam Oxley has been left out of Collingwood’s JLT Community Series opener

ESSENDON fans will get their first look at No.1 draft pick Andy McGrath after the speedy defender was named in the Bombers’ final squad for their JLT Community Series clash with Collingwood.

Both the Magpies and Bombers trimmed their original 29-man lists to 26 players ahead of Thursday night’s opening pre-season contest, with McGrath making the final list.

Six of the Bombers who were suspended last year for anti-doping breaches have been selected to run out at Etihad Stadium, including Jobe Watson, Michael Hurley and newly appointed skipper Dyson Heppell.

But Heath Hocking, who also missed all of last year as part of the WADA-imposed suspensions, will not play, alongside other late outs Jayden Laverde and Jake Long.

The Pies will welcome back exciting forward Jamie Elliott and top draft pick Matt Scharenberg as well as Lachie Keefe, who has served his anti-doping suspension.

Father-son recruit Josh Daicos will run out for the black and white for the first time, but Adam Oxley and first-year pair Liam Mackie and Max Lynch did not make the final squad.

Collingwood v Essendon Etihad Stadium, Thursday February 16 at 7.40pm AEDT

COLLINGWOOD Out: Adam Oxley, Liam Mackie, Max Lynch 

ESSENDON Out: Jayden Laverde, Heath Hocking, Jake Long

COLLINGWOOD 1. Alex Fasolo, 2. Jordan De Goey, 5. Jamie Elliott, 6. Tyson Goldsack, 9. Jesse White, 11. Jarryd Blair, 12. Matthew Scharenberg, 14. James Aish, 15. Lynden Dunn, 16. Chris Mayne, 18. Travis Varcoe, 19. Levi Greenwood, 21. Tom Phillips, 22. Steele Sidebottom, 23. Lachlan Keeffe, 25. Jack Crisp, 26. Josh Daicos, 28. Ben Sinclair, 30. Darcy Moore, 31. Jackson Ramsay, 32. Will Hoskin-Elliott, 37. Brayden Maynard, 38. Jeremy Howe, 40. Josh Smith, 41. Henry Schade, 46. Mason Cox

ESSENDON 1. Andrew McGrath, 3. Darcy Parish, 4. Jobe Watson, 7. Zach Merrett, 8. Martin Gleeson, 9. Brendon Goddard, 11. David Zaharakis, 12. Mark Baguley, 13. Orazio Fantasia, 15. Josh Green, 17. James Stewart, 18. Michael Hurley, 20. Jackson Merrett, 21. Dyson Heppell, 22. Matthew Leuenberger, 23. David Myers, 24. Craig Bird, 28. Mitch Brown, 29. Patrick Ambrose, 30. Kyle Langford, 32. Travis Colyer, 40. Ben Howlett, 43. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, 44. Shaun McKernan, 47. James Kelly, 49. Matt Dea

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