- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Expectations for many teams have drastically changed over the last three months.
Some are thinking about whom to rest in the lead-up to finals, others are consulting Pythagoras as to their September chances, while a few are already picking out their suits to wear on draft day.
>> ROUND 16 AFL EXPERT TIPS
>> PREVIEW FOR ROUND 16
The winter air is exceptionally cool, the byes are in the rear view mirror and September is frightfully just six weeks away. Believe it or not, footy fans, we’re nearing the end of the home-and-away season.
So what better time to have a look at how your club’s free agent and trade acquisitions have fared thus far?
We’ll spare the draftees the spotlight for now – they’ve only just hit double digits in the games tally. This one’s about the players who were brought across to give their club an immediate boost.
Part 1 of this series sees us take a look at Adelaide through Fremantle.
Adelaide Crows
Recruits: Kyle Cheney, Luke Lowden (both Hawthorn)
After struggling for regular game time at Melbourne and Hawthorn, defender Kyle Cheney has taken the opportunity at Adelaide with both hands. Hamstring and back injuries have hampered him a little, but he’s averaging career highs in kicks and tackles and could very easily set a new career high in marks as well.
Luke Lowden on the other hand has struggled to overcome an Achilles injury suffered in the pre-season. The 24-year-old still has something to offer at AFL level, but he’s found it hard to crack into a team boasting Sam Jacobs as its number one ruckman.
Verdict: Adelaide are probably a few pieces away from seriously contending, but given they picked up Cheney and Lowden for virtually nothing it’s hard to fault their offseason acquisitions. 7/10.
Brisbane Lions
Recruits: Dayne Beams (Collingwood), Allen Christensen (Geelong Cats), Mitch Robinson (Carlton)
Brisbane may be anchored to the bottom of the ladder, but you can’t pin the blame on their high profile recruits.
Former Collingwood superstar Dayne Beams is averaging close to career highs in disposals and marks – an outstanding effort considering he’s playing with a much more inexperienced midfield group.
Mitch Robinson has taken his second crack at AFL with surprising intent. Twice he’s hit double digits in tackles this season – including a mammoth 14-tackle effort against Fremantle. His hardness at the ball has been an invaluable example to set for the Lions’ youngsters.
Allen Christensen has copped some criticism for a supposed lack of influence, although he’s only averaging 1.5 fewer disposals than he did in his stellar 2013 campaign and he’s currently averaging a career high in marks.
Verdict: Brisbane have a bevy of problems on and off the field, but last off-season they got it right for the first time in a long time. Potential turning point for this once great club. 9/10.
Carlton
Recruits: Liam Jones, Jason Tutt (both Western Bulldogs), Kristian Jaksch, Mark Whiley (both GWS Giants)
Carlton took a long-term approach to recruiting last off-season, and so it’ll be hard to gauge just how wise their acquisitions were for a few years.
Jason Tutt and Kristian Jaksch have been in and out of the side, although the early signs from both players have been positive. Midfielder Tutt is averaging the highest number of disposals and marks since his three-game season in 2011, while defender Jaksch is averaging career highs in disposals and marks as well.
Jaksch especially is a long-term prospect but he could prove to be a boom signing over the coming years.
Mark Whiley on the other hand has found the going tough at his new club. He’s yet to play 20 games, so the sample size is quite small, but his averages for disposals, marks and tackles are well below what he’s managed in the past. Some notably weak efforts at the ball have already earned him the ire of some Blues fans.
Liam Jones, the only real ‘ready-made’ recruit of the off-season has been stunningly ineffective. He’s averaging career lows in disposals and marks and his accuracy in front of goal has been gobsmackingly poor.
Verdict: There’s time for Tutt, Whiley and Jaksch to make an impact at AFL level, but Liam Jones – the only player Carlton really needed to have immediate impact – has so far been a bust. 5/10.
Collingwood
Recruits: Travis Varcoe (Geelong Cats), Levi Greenwood (North Melbourne), Jack Crisp (Brisbane Lions)
With all the drama surrounding Dayne Beams’ departure, Collingwood’s otherwise solid trade period has been unfairly overlooked.
Two-time premiership player Travis Varcoe has taken his game to another level at the Pies, with his 18 disposals and four marks a game both career highs. The 27-year-old is imparting some important wisdom on his side’s young defensive corps.
Jack Crisp wasn’t the superstar Collingwood wanted in exchange for Beams, but when he’s averaging 22 disposals, six tackles, four marks and one goal a match – it’s hard to say the Magpies got ripped off by any measure. Even better for Collingwood fans, he’s only 21.
Levi Greenwood on the other hand has had his season derailed by ankle and thigh injuries. The jury’s still out on whether a top 30 pick was too much for a player who’s only put together one full season, but until he actually gets on the park we’ll never know.
Verdict: Losing Beams was always going to but Collingwood on the back foot, but they somehow managed to emerge from the trade period in as good a shape as they were at the beginning. 8/10.
Essendon
Recruits: Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs), James Gwilt (St Kilda), Shaun McKernan (Adelaide Crows), Jonathan Giles (GWS Giants)
Essendon’s season has been a tough one so far, and the yield from their off-season recruits has been a similarly mixed bag.
A hamstring injury hasn’t helped, but the biggest name recruit in Adam Cooney has struggled to make an impact at Essendon. Playing more forward of centre than normal has helped the former Brownlow winner kick just over a goal a game, but the veteran is averaging a career low in disposals and close to career lows in marks and tackles.
James Gwilt has been solid enough down back, averaging 18 disposals and 4.4 marks, although his disposal efficiency has proven frustrating for Essendon fans and as such the 28-year-old has found himself in and out of the side.
Shaun McKernan has stood up admirably in the absence of Tom Bellchambers, however. Despite only managing the 19 hitouts a match, he’s put up decent numbers around the ground with 18 disposals and four marks a game.
He’s proven to be better of the two ruckmen the Bombers picked up, with former Giant Jonathan Giles yet to Don the Sash in 2015.
Verdict: As well as Cooney, Gwilt, McKernan and Giles may go, you still have to scratch your head at the approach Essendon took to the off-season. They don’t look to have a list capable of contending for a premiership and as such I can’t get behind their decision to go for mature age recruits in the first place. 6/10.
Fremantle
Recruits: nil
Fremantle have a reputation for being stingy at the deadline – outright refusing to trade their first round pick for anybody. The Dockers would be upset, however, about missing out on James Frawley, who now joins an interestingly long-ish list of players Fremantle have swung for and missed.
Verdict: Fremantle have one of the competition’s best lists, and so not making a trade works out fine for them. But with Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands and Luke McPharlin all very close to retirement, sparing that first rounder for a key position player may have been wise. 6/10.
So there you have it folks, the off-season acquisitions of the Crows, Lions, Blues, Magpies, Bombers and Dockers all rated.
Did I get it right or wrong? Who do these clubs need to target this off-season? Time answers these questions better than anyone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a crack now.