Note to reader: In this weekly piece we will review the week’s hottest teams, players and anything to do with AFL from the round just played. Not to self: This is only week one.
Mark Thompson
Three years out of the game and he proves his two premiership medals weren’t just won by his talented personnel at Geelong.
Not only did Thompson calm his players in the wake of Tania Hird’s comments, he got his Bombers to belt (refrain from Tania Hird comment) a team many people (myself) think could be top-four material.
Bomber’s tinkering of the game plan was clinical, as Essendon looked to short-chip and possess the football, resulting in a landslide 159 marks for the game.
Thompson-coached sides are built on great defence, and in the time he has been in charge at Essendon it seems his number one focus been just that, defence.
Jake Carlisle and Kyle Hardingham moving up forward has let Michael Hurley bash and crash down back. Essendon only allowed the Kangaroos to score 60 points against them; their defence was rock solid.
Milestone men
Dustin Fletcher and Jimmy Bartel are pure class.
What more can be said about Fletcher? The challenge for Fletcher this season is to create more offence and he was another reason why the Bombers only had 60 points scored against them on Friday night. 379 games of pure class.
It seems silly placing Jimmy Bartel in a ‘hot’ piece. He’s done it all – Premierships, Brownlow and Norm Smith medals. However Bartel’s reinvention up forward could prove pivotal to Geelong doing amazing things in September, again.
Bartel has pinch-hit forward in the past but his more permanent role in his 250th game resulted in him kicking four goals and 21 disposals. Class.
Greater Western Sydney/Phil Davis
The GWS victory means their stocks are rising rapidly, do we buy in or wait?
Regardless, Phil Davis deserves a medal for not only holding Lance Franklin to one goal, but also for singing the club’s song with gusto before the extent of his kidney injuries were known.
Jared Polec
After being drafted by the Brisbane Lions at pick five in the 2010 National Draft, Polec was fast becoming one of those ‘what if’ recruits. A trade to the Port Adelaide seems to have rectified that.
The smooth-moving left-footer collected 24 touches and kicked one goal in his first appearance in Round 1.
Port Adelaide
If we mention Jared Polec, it’s best we acknowledge the efforts of his teammates after their Round 1 defeat of the Blues at Etihad Stadium.
The Power has silenced those of us who couldn’t put them in our top eight and deserve a ‘high stocks’ mention early on to admit our (my) error.
Fremantle’s quest for a flag starts now
Yes it’s early, but did we really think the Dockers would be that good this early on?
The Dockers were supreme in burying their demons from last year with the 70-point drubbing of the Magpies in the first game of the year.
The Dockers were back to there brutal best, only allowing Collingwood to kick five goals in the process. Nat Fyfe and Hayden Ballantyne seem to have moved on from any grand final nightmares from last year, starring in the win.
Luke Dunstan
21 disposals, five clearances and nine tackles on debut is nothing to be scoffed at.
Of the debutants in Round 1, the ready-made St Kilda recruit (pick 18 in 2013 national draft) was sensational and the Saints have found a future leader.
St Kilda
Take a screen shot of the ladder Saints fans, your boys are eighth! And our predictions for the wooden spoon have taken a bigger beating than the Demons on the weekend.
Sure the Demons had no forward line but the Saints had no midfield. Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and Jack Steven – their top three midfielders – were all missing, but the remaining leaders for the Saints were magnificent.
If I told you Clinton Jones and Farren Ray were your top two possession winners you would think a belting would have been the result. Jones relished the opportunity not tagging, collecting 39 disposals, and Ray had his best game for the Saints, winning 25 touches.
Nick Riewoldt was the deciding factor after booting four goals and racking up 23 disposals.
Mark LeCras
27 touches, five goals and 12 score involvements, I’d say Mark LeCras is back in a big way.
Make sure to check back tomorrow for who’s stocks have slid after Round 1.
Bet you can guess one, it rhymes with Morth Nelbourne…
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Brian Taylor was adamant Blues defender Brodie Kemp had milked this free kick.
Did the Dees get dudded?
Good sense of humour from the Blues superstar!
The Demons star certainly loves a bit of a vent at his teammates!
The Blues star was pumped after slotting an early goal at the MCG.
Gold Coast defender Wil Powell has been banned for five matches after using a homophobic slur during the Suns' loss to Brisbane. Powell was…
