Search the Community

I'm a tad late this year, but for those of you with a spare hour or so (and let's face it, us Victorians have time to burn), then here's this year's list. Feel free to comment but please just copy and paste the bit you don't agree with - none of us need the whole transcript again. Deespicable’s 2020 Mid-Year Player Rankings It’s amazing what a few wins does for your confidence. The chances of one of our players nailing a shot from just over 50m aren’t high normally, but as Angus Brayshaw went back early in the first term against the Pies you almost knew what would happen. Mr Hole-in-one absolutely flushed it. Clearly the Pies had four-day backup issues and were nowhere near their best, just as we were in la la land when we took on Port on a four-day turnaround. But suddenly finals are on everyone’s lips and unless our inconsistency re-emerges against the Bulldogs this Saturday or the Saints the following week, then it’s hard to see us missing. Just talking about finals is a godsend, given the first half of the season was all about Goody. Boy he copped a battering on this medium and every fan I met in the street wanted him gone – gameplan useless, no idea at selection, unable to explain to Clayton and his fellow midfielders how to connect with the forwards – you name it Goody was persona non grata. Which is not to say he’s in the clear, two losses will turn the screws back on him. But there’s a difference this year - we have unearthed the Beatles. In 2001, Brisbane boasted Michael Voss, Simon Black, Jason Akermanis and Nigel Akermanis … arguably the greatest midfield of the 21st century and dubbed the Fab Four. It may sound like a stretch, but I reckon our own version stands up in comparison and we have Gawny to guide them. They relied on Clark Keating. So without further ado, it’s Trac (Paul McCartney), Jack (John Lennon), Clayton (George Harrison) and Angus (Ringo Starr) on the drums. For a while this season, Olly was singing Hot Potato by the Wiggles and Angus was on the nose like his onions as Goody kept sending him to the wing. But in the past few weeks the pair have taken their game up a notch and are producing incredible numbers even without Gawny and hitting targets, short and long, again. The arrival of Trac as a midfield guru and the return of a fit and fired-up Viney began pre-season and the new mix is amazing. But the Dogs biggest strength is also that they boast an excellent quartet (Bont, Macrae, Libba and Bailey Smith) so I hope our lads don’t get ahead of themselves. There is one other factor that has turned our season around – The Weid. Like many I was worried he wasn’t the player we hoped he’d be. I mean he’s a nice strapping lad and had game sense but he’s never really provided a reliable target. But after our loss to the Tigers it finally dawned on Goody that his passion for small mobile targets wasn’t working and he had to try plan B (or was that E). Anyway Jacko became the mobile tall forward up the ground and Weid (not Fritta or Melky) played out of the goal square. And T-Mac was out of there – at least in the short-term. The Weid is yet to have a really big haul, but he’s been like Tom Hawkins for our mids. He’s now a big-bodied 23-year-old and gets his role. He flies for everything and clears a path for our mosquito fleet. And on plenty of occasions he’s so clean in the air that he’s not even providing any crumbs, even against an All-Australian bound Darcy Moore. So in the space of three weeks, it now looks like we are all on the same page with our game plan and it’s way more exciting than most sides. Our rise will still depend largely on our Beatles continuing to avoid the red mist and coping with the taggers that will come – starting with Libba this week. But which Beatle does he tag? Goody’s now smiling again – he’s gone from being a Nowhere Man to getting by with a little help from his friends. 2020: One to 44 – Rating our list (last year’s rank in brackets). 1 Max Gawn (1) It hasn’t been an easy year for Max and I’m not talking COVID. Firstly he’s been made captain which sounds like an honour, but it also means he has to deal with all the off-field sh.t 24/7 and his appointment represents a significant switch in the power balance at the club – the likeable larrikin being preferred to the tough as nails, no-nonsense, son of a gun. He loves the media so he can cope with most of the extra commitments and his Captain’s Run podcast is a must watch/listen … but even that takes its toll. You can tell who he’s in with straight away and he has to work on getting Jack Viney and his dad in as his guest pretty soon. Then he’s had to overcome a knee issue pre-season when he was rushed in to do battle with NicNat in Rd 1 with no tall support – Jacko and Weid weren’t picked for that one. He was blitzed early but to his credit he took some big marks after halftime in a loss that grated for 10 weeks. More recently he copped a knock to his shoulder but agreed to take on the Crows to help Goody out. And that’s despite the fact that Goody clearly doesn’t rate ruckmen highly – you can tell that by the coaches votes each week. Well here’s my rating. Max is our No.1 and the best marking/tapping ruckman in the game. And as we’ve seen by a couple of amazingly clean ground-ball pick-ups this season, he can do it all. I hope his body holds up and that he can join NicNat in the All-Australian side. He won’t win our B&F but as manager of the Beatles, he’s crucial. 2 Christian Petracca (8) I said last year that his workrate had become exceptional and his use of his body was De Goey-esque. And early in the off-season Goody decided to allow him on the ball. And thank christ he did. Sure it’s meant Harmes is struggling to find his way in his new role down back, but Trac is finally the main man, actually he’s the lead singer of our Beatles. Robbo’s comparison with Dusty was a bit early, but he certainly has the power, breakaway game to do untold damage against anybody and he also hits the scoreboard. 3 Jack Viney (9) What a comeback from our raging bull. He cops the insult of having the captaincy taken away from him (so did his mate Ollie Wines mind you) and trains his [censored] off and emerges Rd 1 with a phenomenal game, putting the club ahead of any dissatisfaction. And he’s done the same thing every week – hard, team-oriented footy. As the only left-footer in our star quartet, he’s crucial for the right mix and he’s also the most defensive of the foursome so come finals he may have to switch to more of a tagging role. But it’s off-field where he needs to improve. I hated the look of him away from Gawny and the boys in the stands against North and while he may not suffer fools lightly, it’s time for him to take an off-field hit for the team and be part of the social side of the game. I get that he’s a proud family man, but I’m sure even the Solo man had a drink with the boys on occasions. He’s a RFA this year and I’m sure Adelaide will come courting him, but hopefully he realises that the Dees are edging closes to the holy grail by the day. 4 Clayton Oliver (4) Like many I was sick and tired of him going sideways and to start the season off he took his game of “hot potato” to a new level. The coach has always loved him but even Goody must have seen when he handballed backwards to Joel Smith against Richmond that his ‘panic ball’ style was flawed and it was impacting the whole team. I advocated for him to miss a week and sit in the box with the coach, but it seems Goody lectured him privately. There’s never been any doubting Olly’s courage, just his willingness to take the game on himself, risk admonishment for a poor kick or being caught with the pill. Even the greats make mistakes at times. He was way more proactive against Brisbane but his disposal game against the Power was a howler – he wasn’t alone mind you. But the line-breaking speed against Adelaide and North evoked Chris Judd memories and his give-go play with Angus to set up Weid for our first goal against the Pies was top shelf and hopefully made him aware that he is a damn good kick. He’ll have tougher games to come this season and it won’t always come off, but at least now he’s looking like a complete champion. 5 Steven May (NR) Maysie had his COVID year in 2019, so this year’s problems have been a doddle for him. He got himself mega-fit and surprise, surprise, his hammy issues appear a thing of the past and he’s playing like an A-grader – he’s taken all the big jobs whether it’s been Charlie Dixon, Kennedy, Hipwood or Tom-a-Hawk and fared pretty well on all occasions. And he’s had to cop “was he worth pick No.6 and Ben King” from the media when our forward line malfunctions – which is mega divisive and not his issue. He’s still only 28 and gives our backline a toughness that we needed. I’m still not so sure he’s our best kick-in man, but at least his super boot means he can go long or short, which ensures defences can’t overpress. 6 Ed Langdon (NR) Hello, I’m out here on the wing. I’ve got a headband on and I’m wearing a long-sleeved jumper but you can use me. Ed’s been ignored more times than a surfer with a coldsore this season and yet he just keeps bobbing up in position waiting for the panic outlay to clean up our mess. He’s quick and elusive and he’s just what we needed – he saved Vanders hide against North with a timely spoil and he’s like an everyready battery – always chasing, always available for the outlet if our mids ever spot him. Thankfully they are starting to. Against the Pies he was way more than a security outlet and he snagged his first goals for us. His kicking does lacks a little punch but you can’t have everything. He’s the main reason why Oskar Baker and Kyle Dunkley can’t get a game this season. 7 Jake Lever (NR) I don’t like his moustache and I think he’s a bit of a nerdy Hugh Jackman sort of guy that marries and has children early. But I love the way he plays. He’s like a mathematician strategically summing up the best angles to intercept down back and he is amazingly courageous in the air. He’s not mega-quick, but he’s mega-fit and that more than makes up for things. As with Maysie, it’s not his fault that the Dees gave up so much for him. I said on D’Ler early this season that he is now a fully-grown lad, so unlike his final year at the Crows, he has to take the opposition’s second big. But his smarts mean that he should still be able to intercept anyway. He just reads it so well. And he sure did against North and the Pies. 8 Angus Brayshaw (5) I’m still a little worried about Angus. I know he’s quality and he showed against North once again why he’s suited to the middle of the park (in old terms, he’s a genuine centreman) and with his confidence up against the Pies he nailed his set shot with his one-wood from 50m to start the show. But surely if he’s as good as we all think, then he can cope with being on a wing or playing half-back or half-forward. And given he’s the Ringo Starr of our Fab Four, he’s got to find a way to beat the drums at any venue or in any spot. I did like the way he had to get mega-fit pre-season once he was restricted by a shoulder injury and I reckon he is one player who just has to sit out the odd training session and do 50 sprints and ideally with Joel Smith by his side to make him work harder. 9 Sam Weideman (23) One of the highlights of our past six weeks. Like many of you I thought he was almost gone as Petty developed as a forward late last season and then we drafted Luke Jackson. He got through most of pre-season, but clearly was well back in the queue with Goody preferring three-quarter talls like Fritter and Melky and Hannan playing out of the goalsquare. But when he finally got his chance against Gold Coast, he stepped up and has presented like Tom Hawkins. He showed when Ben Stratton poleaxed him that he’s not a kid anymore – jumping straight up and sending the ball inside 50 for a key goal. He’s already kicked 14 goals and he now seems to know where to be – whether that’s over the back or on a lead. Olly might have straightened up his game, but Weid has straightened our entire side up – probably even the coach. It’s his time now, let’s hope his manager doesn’t get greedy again and worries more about getting him money via bonuses, which will come his way in droves now anyway. 10 Michael Hibberd (10) A tricky start to the season for him copping the blame for sending the ball long to the Eagles talls in Rd 1 (playing four guys under 180cm up forward might have been the factor, not his kicking) and then losing his brother. Not sure why he was left out of side for a couple of weeks but loved having him back against the Cats and Tigers where I had him in our best three in both losses. Still tough and uses his body well to edge out opponents. He’s out of contract, but I reckon he’s still got two years left in him … maybe more. 11 Christian Salem (3) It’s been a bit of a so-so year for our resident soccer expert so far this season. The panic ball from Olly in our early losses hurt him big time and it’s only been in the last couple of weeks that you can see his precision coming to the fore. Gawny seemed to make a point of giving it off to him against the Crows and you sense that his confidence to evade tricky situations like Pendles is growing again. As our only real quarter-back he’s a crucial part of our back six and he probably ended Aaron Hall’s already tenuous career at North with that run-down tackle. 12 Jake Melksham (6) It was a slow start to the year for Melky and there were times when we all wondered if he could ever get anywhere close to his form of 2018 when he was the assist king. His game against Richmond was the low point with one effort on the wing that day heartbreaking. You will all recall it. Melky, a man with the most dangerous kick in our side, marked and didn’t like his forward options (it was pre-Weid) and he waited for a runner to provide a decoy for him to peel inboard and it was read so well by his Tiger opponent (Baker I think) that Jake tried a Don’t Argue fend off to the head and was pinged for going high. He could also have gone for holding the ball. I reckon even Goody would have been wondering about resting him after he barely touched it against the Hawks, but in the pressure cauldron of the Lions game, he lifted and a nice chip kick from Jackson seemed to clear his head. Jake, use the force. He did, nailing a lovely 50m goal and since then he’s got back to what he does best – setting up forwards, particularly the Weid who has replaced T-Mac as his best over-the-back longball mate. Filled in as skipper against the Roos, so you can tell he’s respected. 13 Bayley Fritsch (13) Trac may have caught eyes pre-season, but Fritter was like a man on a mission in the match-sim games in December through February. Playing out of the goalsquare he seemed to love making fools of Maysie, Lever and Oscar and he rarely missed. But come the real stuff Fritter has been a bit of a disappointment. He’s our leading goalkicker with 17 but he’s also had that many behinds and his misses have been chronic. He may play like Brad Green, but I know who I’d rather have going for goal. I still think he’s not quite physical enough and I’m in the camp that can see him playing off half-back – he’s Hibberd’s replacement in waiting if you like. 14 James Harmes (2) I loved Harmsey well before his clash with Joel Selwood in the 2018 finals. And he was fourth in our B&F last year, so the club knows all too well the things he brings to the table. I thought he was on his way to being a star ‘tagging’ midfielder, but when Trac got given the licence to roam pre-season, something or someone had to give up their slot in the middle and team-oriented Harmesy became a defender. Given we needed a right-footer to balance our lefties back there, it seemed fine in theory. But Jay Lockhart’s emergence pre-season meant the right-side requirement was not as critical anymore and then Goody confused the issue even more by sending him back into the middle for a few weeks. What’s been more perplexing is his failure to break tackles this season and to not read the new ‘ball’ interpretation, which has meant he leads our frees against with 15 which is surprising given he’s one of our quickest and with 101 games already, he’s now one of our most experienced. On current form he could get dropped, but even if he does, he’ll be back super quick. He’s our No.1 for one percenters and he’s a keeper. 15 Aaron vandenBerg (NR) It is five years (six seasons) since he made his debut for us and I will never forget his fourth game when he almost single-handedly led us to our win against Richmond with his brute strength and love of hard tackling. Sadly he’s spent more time in the medical room than on the field since and if he gets to 50 games this season it will be a minor miracle. Some point to his errors, and let’s face it against the Roos there were quite a few, but others will remember his desperate last-quarter against Gold Coast where he helped turn the game – not with his disposals, more with his disposing of bodies. He is a modern-day Dean Chiron, the guy you need in a side to add a fear factor. Which is not to say Vanders is dirty, it’s more that his commitment is unquestionable. Just ask Mihocek or Jed Anderson. 16 Jay Lockhart (16) One of our four standouts pre-season, he just made an artform of evading tackles and hitting targets prompting me to declare he was reminiscent of club great Alan Johnson. I reckon the Cats game, where he was caught twice rocked his confidence for a week or two, but he was so good defensively against the Lions, that I think Goody realised the time had come to give him the nod ahead of Nev, which says something. He was rested against the Roos, but he’s such an attacking livewire as well that he must be persevered with. 17 Kysaiah Pickett (NR) OK don’t panic when you read this, because like you I love him and realise the POD that he brings to our side which was mega-needed. But on paper Kossie has been an abject failure this season. Six goals and an average of eight disposals a game and I still can’t forget how he failed to handball to Ed Langdon in the goalsquare against the Lions which you could argue cost us the game (Bennell’s miss and Weid’s three set-shot errors were also crucial). He also gave away three free-kicks that night. Any other player would be back in the twos ... for good. But what Kossie has brought is pace, aggression and much-needed unpredictability to our forward line. Gerard Healy and Bruce McAvaney have a new pin-up boy to wax lyrical about. He’s still a kid and still a long way off being a star. But there will come a game, maybe even this season, where he’ll put it all together and I just wish we all could be there to watch it. 18 Tom McDonald (18) One of only three survivors of the Dean Bailey era, but now on unfirm ground. In this modern era, the value any player who is a tad slow is questioned. Originally Tom’s super endurance over came such concerns but injuries (turf toe/knee soreness) has meant that he no longer leads our 200m reps. He is still pretty fearless and has great judgment in the air, but not being blessed with a big leap makes it hard for him to be used as a back-up in the ruck and the arrival of Jackson means we had that area covered until recently. Tom’s still a deadeye [censored] in front of goals – he rarely misses any set-shots. The problem is that he rarely marks inside 50, so we don’t often see those skills in action. Can he still line up with Weid and Jacko in a three-pronged attack? Maybe in good conditions, but not if it’s wet or greasy. 19 Luke Jackson (NR) Goody’s other new toy. It was bit surprising that he initially sat in the cupboard. At his first day at training he somehow (I suspect he volunteered) ended up running a 400m time trial first up against ANB and Jake Lever. He loped around and whilst he finished behind ANB, he was a good 30m ahead of Lever, so you knew the kid was an athlete. Like many I was a little skeptical about using such a high pick on a ruckman, especially given we should have at least five more years of Gawny, but Jacko showed early that he was capable of playing as a forward and having missed out on the King brothers, this fact may well save Steven May from decking a reporter down the track. He’s not as quick as the Kings, nor is he a true goalsquare marking type (yet). But I reckon he’d beat the Kings over 400m and his endurance means he’s a natural to play CHF for several years before taking over Gawny’s role. Sadly a hamstring tendon most likely will mean we have to wait until next year to see him progress. 20 Adam Tomlinson (NR) The Dees have long been keen on Tommo and to be honest it’s a bit of a funny one. Like T.Mac, he has great endurance for a big guy and if you’ve seen his podcast video interviews then you would know he’s a ripping bloke with ripping muscles. But finding a spot for the 194cm tall is proving a tad hard at the moment. The club originally felt wing was the place for him (GWS often did too) and it meant he could be used as a tall outlet from kick-ins. But his ground skills weren’t majorly evident in his first four games and VDB’s return along with Jones and Bennell’s ability to play wing means he may struggle to get another go there. So after an absence of four weeks, he’s played the last three games as the third tall defender and I suspect that’s where he’s going to have to make it, otherwise it’s going to be a long four years at the club. 21 Mitch Hannan (NR) Bombing drop punts through the big sticks from 50m at training and watching his matchwinner against Geelong has been about as good as it gets for Mitch for much of the past two years. He finally returned from his knee issues in Rd 4 and was useful against Richmond. But that’s it – he generally looks dangerous but fails to hurt opponents. I reckon his best games are usually after a break and that was the case when he played North after a week off. But he’s a bit like Warren Dean and you wonder if he’ll really ever tear apart a game before his next injury. Nice if it happened over the next few weeks though. 22 Nathan Jones (14) OK, Jonesy is eight games away from joining Neiter as our only greats to play 300. So barring an amazing run through the finals, that won’t happen this year. Should he play on? That is the question that started last year and has basically been around from the day he was moved out of the middle by Goody – and given our current midfield mix I think we all get why that has happened. I mean Joel Selwood was on a wing the other night. So at 32 does Jonesy get another contract if he’s stuck on 298 or 299 games. Sadly I’m in the camp that says it’s time up. He’s still courageous and his skills are still first rate so that’s not the issue. It’s just that he’s now just a tad slow for the outside roles (Callum Brown won’t agree) and his lack of height means he can’t offer an aerial outlet. But hopefully now he can finish with a key role in another finals series. 23 Neville Jetta (NR) The Lord Nev fan club won’t like this, nor will his new little mate Kossie. But like Jonesy, time’s up. Nev’s been such a great story for us since Roosy spotted his skills and asked him to stay on as a rookie, rather than heading back to WA. He’d been typecast as a forward up until then and Roosy could see his one-on-one skills were exemplary and tried him out as a defender. Since then he’s played on the trickiest forwards from Eddie through to the day down at Kardinia Park when he beat Danger in a couple of goalsquare contests. He’s now played 153 games and he’s just a man of honor and integrity – that’s why he’s so well loved and respected by everybody. Even played State-of-Origin this year. 24 Alex Neal-Bullen (15) It’s a hard one for every coach I imagine. What do you do with guy who works the hardest and is regularly the best at training? You play him and that’s what Goody had pretty much done with ANB (warts and all) until this season. Those of you who watched his game against Carlton will know he was in the best, yet he was on borrowed time with Goody’s new toy Kossie back the next week. Since then he’s been on the outer until Kossie hurt his ankle. On return against the Crows, ANB was mega unlucky that his sling tackle actually led to Will Hamill missing the rest of the game. I mean there must have been 30 of them done this year and almost all have got off – Shaun Burgoyne about three times I think. Yet ANB cops four weeks and amazingly the club chooses not to appeal – can you imagine the Cats or Tigers or Pies saying yep, we’ll take a four-week penalty for Ablett, Rioli or Brown. It says a bit about how our admin still works. And it probably tells you that ANB will need to look elsewhere if he wants to continue his AFL career. It’s a shame because I still have way more confidence in him than others in our sizeable mosquito fleet. 25 Trent Rivers (NR) Goody’s third new toy and this present came courtesy of Tubby Taylor’s lengthy stint in WA last season. I watched him get knocked off the ball by Olly at in his first-ever club drill and wondered how he’d react. He paused, dusted himself off for a bit (looked like he’d taken in his lesson) and jumped straight back into things. He’s quick (and I’m not talking about the speed he picks up women), he can fly more a mark, he’s not scared of taking a bounce and he’s a good kick. His body is still immature (Cam Guthrie showed that outmarking him against the Cats), but I suspect that with weights, dedication and good coaching, he’ll be playing as our third or fourth tall defender for many years to come … and there’s a bit of Corey Enright in the way he goes about it. 26 Jayden Hunt (7) I still love watching Jayden play, but sadly I think it will be at another club next season. There was no more exciting time than when he used to springboard us off half-back in Roosy’s last season and Goody seemed to like him too initially before deciding that he wasn’t reliable enough with his kicking. For two years now we’ve tried him as a forward and he snagged quite a few in 2019 and his running goal off a Tomlinson give against Carlton will remain one of our plays of this year. But like many of our players, the worst thing you can do is be selected as a forward against Richmond – it’s almost a direct ticket out of the side unless you have built up a stack of credits. Goody doesn’t even seem to want to try him again as a defender, which is a shame. 27 Joel Smith (NR) I’ve always been a Joel Smith fan, rating him way higher than most Demonlanders. To me he’s got pace, endurance, aerial skills and he’s not a bad kick. He just needs to play games to grow into the AFL. But his late start to footy and injuries have meant he’s only played 14 games and he’s now 24. O-Mac’s the same age and has been gifted 79 games already. It did look like our SOS (son of Shaun) was going to be given a chance as our third defensive tall this season, but sometimes you can be unlucky who you play and his cards fell against the Cats and Tigers and whilst he wasn’t terrible, he looked a tad unsure, especially when Olly gave him a hospital handball at his ankles to deal with. What worries me now is that Trent Rivers is coming along so quickly that the athletic third/fourth tall role may be taken in years ahead. 28 Harley Bennell (NR) Finally our club had the balls to use a late pick on a risky option with potentially high reward. And as he walked along the boundary line bouncing and handballing the footy almost the entire pre-season, occasionally breaking his routine to jag a goal from the boundary, you sensed that it was more risk than sense, which I was OK with. But somehow during the COVID break, his confidence in his calves returned and he was able to sprint and join in training drills. As is Goody’s way, he rushed Harley in way too soon for the Blues game, and he’s been back a couple of times since. He looks classy but you can tell he’s not working hard enough in the defensive area – and I don’t really recall that being a big trait when he was at the Suns either. But if he is to make it back permanently now, then he’s going to have to stick his tackles and play with a little more of the new era passion. One positive for him is that we have three “hard-ground, high-humidity” weeks where he must play at least twice coming up – Alice Springs and Cairnsx2. With finals in October and hard grounds likely, it could well be his time to shine. Sean Charles of 1994 reincarnated maybe, albeit without the need for a helicopter. 29 Tom Sparrow (31) He’s starting to warm on me and in his defence you’d have to say it’s not easy breaking your way into a midfield that is regarded highly, even if the results don’t always match. He’s not a wow player with explosive pace or a thumping kick, but he certainly works hard and hopefully a bit more flare will come as he grows in confidence. 30 Braydon Preuss (19) Big Preussy must have flipped a lid on draft night. Having been heavily courted to come to our club and learn from Gawny and play back-up tapman and tall forward, we select … another ruckman. Worse was to follow. He tore his meniscus in his knee pre-season, which normally would have meant he barely played all season. But COVID gave him more time to get back up to speed and then he finally got a break - Jacko and Gawny both out injured. Copping Grundy first up could have been nasty for him, but the Pies and Brodie were in four-day break mode, so the big fella stood tall all game. Tim English (injury permitting) will also be tricky this week, but in Preussy we trust, at least until Gawny’s fully fit. Glad he’s on our list and has another year to run on his contract. 31 Charlie Spargo (26) The Charlie Spargo fan club would have been cheering loudly on Saturday night. What a first half, his best return goals wise, and his most significant contribution since he snagged a couple on debut against Essendon in 2018. It was also vindication for Goody that you could play two smalls (and in Kossie and Spargos case I mean small) in a forward line. But I’m a little old school and I just can’t see it working come finals if we get that far. And it will be interesting to see which of them gets Caleb Daniel this week. Pleasingly for Charlie, his output v the Pies means he is now certain to get another year at least on his contract. And it gives him another year to muscle up more – he still looks like a young Bambi running along to me. As I said last year, he’s classy enough to make it. It’s just his kicking depth that makes me query his longevity at this level. 32 Mitch Brown (NR) A lot of Bomber fans were surprised he was delisted and with Weid initially out of favour, we decided to lure Brown as a pre-season supplemental selection just in case. He was noted as a dead-eye [censored] and he showed enough in our pre-season games for Goody to race him in as one of just two talls against the Eagles. That’s two talls, four non-aerial tiny’s and Fritta with Melky as back-up. Little wonder he was pressured in every marking contest and while he did present, it was lambs to the slaughter that day. I actually think he could be a worthy third tall because he leads-up well, but I don’t really see Goody giving him a chance in that role this season now. And given he turns 30 next week, it’s not hard to see the next step. 33 Oscar McDonald (24) It took 76 games but I finally had Oscar in our best six after his game against Gold Coast. The lengthy break being overlooked had done wonders for his intent and he was just so clean that night. He was serviceable against the Hawks and even ran hard to receive an Angus handpass. But the next week Daniel McStay had him at “hello” and timid, unsure Oscar of old was back. It took Mitch Georgiades’ mark and goal and Garry Lyon’s damning highlighting of his non-commitment to the player to make some of us aware of it. But I’ve been watching Oscar’s “sag off out the back” move for so long now and at so many training sessions that I have virtually banned myself talking about him on Demonland. Oscar, or the Porterhouse, as Gawny and Angus call him, will make a sensational forward at OM’s or Old Xavs next year (yes that’s the position and comp where he should have been playing for three years now) and if he wants to kick an even easier ton, then Edenhope FC awaits. 34 Toby Bedford (33) How to ruin a player the Goody way. Toby had been a marked improver on the training track this pre-season and when he came on and played a lively second half against the Hawks in the Marsh series you knew a debut wasn’t far away. But no, six touches that game was enough for him to debut straight away along with six other newbies against the Eagles. We all know the outcome now and hopefully down the track he’ll get another crack at it. But at least Toby contributed a memorable highlight in the last term with his persistence earning Kossie a goal. No ratings Harrison Petty (28) A bit of the forgotten man. I was lucky enough to attend the only match-sim game Harrison played back in December before his season effectively ended courtesy of OP. He lined up as the mobile forward (CHF for us old schoolers) and he just led up at the ball so well and clunked everything that I rode home that morning thinking he was a lock in that role all season. It would be interesting to see now where he would have fitted in and the Weid/Jacko combo means he may be better off returning next year to his original role as a defensive tall. Marty Hore (11) We all loved his first dozen games last year as he read the play with the aplomb of a veteran. But once Jake Lever returned, his role as our intercepting defensive tall was taken and injuries started taking their toll as well with collarbone (last year) and then quad surgery rendering him a rehab regular this season. He’s a clever footballer with lovely kicking skills, but that may not be enough in this cutthroat era. Oskar Baker (17) As with Marty Hore, Oskar was a great story in a dismal 2019. The amiable redhead has an amazing workrate and showed a bit in his nine games out on a wing. But this season he spent virtually the entire pre-season in rehab (hamstring and groin issues) and the club spent time and big money on luring two wingmen, one of whom is a quicker, more experienced everyready-battery version of him. Josh Wagner (27) Another year of treading water for Wags and the arrival of Rivers and a healthy list has pushed him further back in the selection queue. I still fondly recall his first game down in Tassie in 2016 when he had a real dip and also his chase-down tackle on Gary Ablett a few weeks later. Corey Wagner (30) Another player hurt by the absence of the reserves. Corey is widely regarded as one of the best mids in the VFL and doubtless he would have had three or four 30-plus disposal games by now to push his AFL selection claims. If lists are cut it’s hard to see him surviving a cull, but there’s no doubt he’s a goer. Kade Chandler (32) The club was quite excited by what this little leftie was doing pre-season and he reminds me a lot of St Kilda’s Jack Lonie. But he got a bit of a stressy at training and was in the rehab group for a lot of February. Bedford’s form back then saw the club toy with him as a defender, but I’m sorry in my book, you have to be a long kick to warrant that role, especially when you are just 174cm. He’s definitely improved but he’s another player who’s really missed having the VFL to press his claims. James Jordon (34) I said last year that he just looks like a nice guy to me and I struggled to see the traits that made him a must have mid by Taylor at pick 33 in 2018. But he certainly worked hard in his second pre-season and at least you know that in scratch matches he has plenty of good role models schooling him. He’s quick with the hands, but he’s not line-breaking quick like Olly getting out of scrimmages and he’s not a thumping kick like Angus, so it’s a stretch to see him making it. But Sam Menegola was a slow-burn at Geelong, so maybe another year of slogging it out will see him on the big stage. Still only 19, he’s too young to delist. Kade Kolodjashnij (NR) It was worth a shot taking him as part of the Hogan/May deal because he clearly has talent and his CV as a junior and at the Suns was exceptional. But unfortunately luck has not been on his side and no-one seems to have been able to solve his concussion issues. So sadly both parties need to move on. Aaron Nietschke (NR) I saw this guy at training a few times and he looked lively doing all the drills in November and I was starting to get excited about his chances of making it. But a second knee reco so soon is David Schwarz-like and shows the darker side of the sport. Will have to wait and see what list sizes the AFL goes with, but at best he should be kept on as a rookie, especially given he now unfortunately wears the “risky” tag. Kyle Dunkley (NR) It was always going to be a harder year for Kyle getting a game than during last year’s injury crisis. But he certainly looked the part on the wing in match-sim games after an off-season in San Diego and the odd trip to Noosa to train with his brother. A heel injury (stressy I think) meant he was out of action in March and since COVID, it’s been hard for all our fringe players to make a case for selection. He’s only 20, so hopefully we can keep him for another year when VFL games are played and we can gauge his progress. Austin Bradtke (NR) Another player who really needed games to develop and has been hurt by the VFL absence. He definitely is improving and did a lot more work against Gawny pre-season and looks stronger. But I’m still a little worried about his mobility and Jackson’s arrival made us all aware of what a kid needs to be able to do to make it on the big stage. Worth another year to see his progress, but only as a rookie. 2019 rankings 2018 rankings 2017 rankings: 2016 rankings