If there’s anything this weekend’s games have shown us, it’s the importance of depth. With many of the league’s most important players missing this round through injury, it could have been a round beset by upsets.
What clearly stood out in this round was the ability of the teams in finals contention to cover for their missing stars with capable reinforcements.
One only need look as far as the top four teams on the ladder to see that this is the case.
The Hawks are perhaps this season’s best example of this. Losing some of their biggest names including defenders Josh Gibson, Brian Lake and Ben Stratton, star midfielder Sam Mitchell and first-choice ruckman Ben McEvoy would have left a lesser team decimated and seen a tumble down the ladder.
However, the Hawks’ replacements have performed with aplomb. Kyle Cheney has been a solid contributor off half-back, inexperienced ruckmen Jon Ceglar and Luke Lowden have made contributions, and youngsters Mitch Hallahan, Angus Litherland and Will Langdon have all made promising starts to their AFL careers.
Young forward Tim O’Brien also showed encouraging signs in his two games earlier this season, while last year’s top draft selection, Billy Hartung, has made the jump to AFL level with ease.
Collingwood, too, has shown the value of excellent depth this season. Its defensive structure took a hit at the beginning of the season with injuries to key defenders Ben Reid, Nick Maxwell, and Nathan Brown. In their place, the Pies unearthed Jack Frost from the rookie list, now an automatic selection in a key defensive post, and Lachie Keefe, who has curtailed some of the opposition’s best forwards.
The reinforcements through the midfield are also impressive – Paul Seedsman and Josh Thomas have performed well in their few games this season, showing coach Nathan Buckley that they are ready to perform their role if called upon. After queries over their form earlier in the season, the Pies are fourth on the ladder and reaping the benefits of fierce competition for senior spots.
Likewise, Sydney has had to make personnel changes that for many other teams would have spelt the end of their season. This has particularly been the case in the ruck department – with the loss of Shane Mumford and Jesse White over the off season, Myke Pyke was left as Sydney’s solitary first-choice ruckman.
Injury to Pyke saw the Swans’ depth challenged, but his replacement, Richmond discard Tom Derickx, has performed admirably, so much so that he can lay claim to a spot as a starting ruckman, even with Pyke back in the side.
Young midfielder-forward Harry Cunningham has forced veteran star Ryan O’Keefe out of the side, and youngster Jake Lloyd has made the running half-back role his own after being promoted from the rookie list. Such is Sydney’s depth that capable players Gary Rohan, Tom Mitchell and Brandon Jack are being kept out of the side.
By contrast, teams that have struggled this year are largely those who lack the depth to replace their best 22. Richmond has been arguably the biggest victim of that this season, with the loss of seasoned players through injury and poor form playing a part in the team’s slide down the ladder this season.
In the absence of key ruckman Ivan Maric, Shaun Hampson failed to perform, soon being dropped back to the VFL. Defence has also been an issue – several options were tried in the absence of David Astbury and Alex Rance, to no avail.
The Tigers’ dilemma has been the lack of players knocking down the door at VFL level. The one standout was rookie Anthony Miles, recently elevated to the senior list, but beyond Miles, there has been little in the way of commanding VFL performances.
Brisbane and St Kilda have also struggled with depth this season. Whereas the Tigers’ lack of depth is largely due to the poor form of senior, experienced players, the Saints and Lions find themselves with only inexperienced reinforcements on which to call.
The Saints’ backline has been decimated by injury, with Sam Fisher, James Gwilt, Sam Gilbert, Nathan Wright and Luke Delaney all missing games at times this season. In their place, the Saints tried 2013 draftee Blake Acres, who put in some promising performances before being injured, and have had to rely on inexperienced youngsters to fill gaps.
Likewise, Brisbane’s loss of five young players in the off-season, and injuries to experienced personnel, has meant that at times this season the Lions have fielded a team with up to seven first-year players in it. While these players have tried hard, most noticeably last year’s seventh pick overall, James Aish, a reliance on these inexperienced players has the Lions firmly anchored to the bottom few positions on the ladder.
For a bevy of other teams fighting for the middle rungs on the ladder, depth has also been an issue. Carlton, West Coast and Adelaide have had mixed fortunes in replacing injured or suspended stars; however, what these teams have shown is that when the replacements are capable, the team fares well. For instance, see Adelaide’s ability to rotate Josh Jenkins, James Podsiadly, Sam Jacobs and Tom Lynch through its forward line to cover for Taylor Walker.
The competition this season is so even that there are four or five teams at this stage of the season who are fighting for seventh and eighth spot on the ladder. Whether or not they make it will be largely due to the depth teams possess. As the saying goes, a team is only as good as its weakest player.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
There’s no disputing that Cam Guthrie will be important against Melbourne, given Patrick Dangerfield is set to miss due to injury.
The All-Australian player has been below his best this year, and Matthew Lloyd has suggested that he be moved more into the midfield to…
He and Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell do not like having a player to sub on and would rather have an extra player available on…
Multicultural round was changed in 2018 showing that the AFL have not been as committed to multiculturalism as they should be.
Collingwood led by a point with minutes to go, Kyle Langford had the chance to be the hero with a set shot, however, he missed, and we saw the first draw of the season.
There's some high standards at Sydney!
