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Your club's best AFLX: Part 1

Patrick Dangerfield (left) and Joel Selwood of the Cats. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Roar Pro
7th February, 2018
41

AFLX is the new and exciting concept created by the AFL that showcases some of the most thrilling parts of the game.

With many familiar aspects still in play there have also been many changes. For example AFLX is played on a rectangular field, has a last touch out of bounds rule and ten point super goals.

It’s designed to be a quicker more explosive game which is non-stop for 2×10 minute halves.

Each team has ten players, seven on the field and three on the bench with unlimited rotations.

The inaugural 2018 AFLX tournament will see games played across three days in three different states. The first games will be at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide on February 15.

The next games will be on February 16 at Eithad Stadium in Melbourne, before finishing at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on February 17.

Over three parts I will go through each club and name what I believe is their best AFLX line-up. It is a very fast paced game so speed and skill is a major aspect for me. Some clubs I’ve gone without a recognised ruckman due to clubs maybe having more agile players who could fill the role and push forward.

Another important factor is that players can play more than one role for example midfielders who can push forward and kick goals, or maybe small defenders that can push up onto the wing.

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In this first part I will be going through the AFLX line-ups from the clubs playing on the first night of games at Hindmarsh Stadium on February 15. These clubs are Port Adelaide, Adelaide, West Coast, Fremantle, Collingwood and Geelong.

Port Adelaide
Paddy Ryder Justin Westoff
Travis Boak Robbie Gray
Chad Wingard Ollie Wines
Tom Rockliff Jared Polec
Steven Motlop Jasper Pittard

Emergencies: Brett Ebert and Sam Powell-Pepper.

A very strong midfield based line-up from Port, with the likes of Gray, Boak, Motlop, Rockliff and Wingard also able to go forward and hit the scoreboard. Ryder about to play in the ruck and as a tall forward wherever needed and Justin Westoff a floating tall that can go forward, back and run through the middle.

Ollie Wines Port Adelaide Power AFL 2017

(Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

Pittard and Polec both fast with great skills will run from the backline pushing the ball up the ground. A very strong and well-rounded squad from Port Adelaide.

Adelaide
Bryce Gibbs Rory Sloane
Matt Crouch Taylor Walker
Eddie Betts Mitch McGovern
Hugh Greenwood Rory Laird
Rory Atkins Paul Seedsman

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Emergencies: Brad Crouch and Richard Douglas.

Adelaide also with a very strong midfield with some of the best in the game with Gibbs, Sloane and Matt Crouch.

Walker will play as the only tall in the ruck and will go forward. Exciting small forward Betts and high flying McGovern will be great forward targets.

Speed and skill will come from defence from the likes of Atkins, Laird and Seedsman who can all also push into the midfield if needed.

Greenwood will be a utility can go wherever needed and will compete fiercely for the ball. The Crows have covered all bases and will be difficult opponents.

Bryce Gibbs Adelaide Crows AFL

(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

West Coast
Nic Naitanui Andrew Gaff
Elliot Yeo Jeremy McGovern
Mark LeCras Luke Shuey
Brad Sheppard Dom Sheed
Josh Kennedy Lewis Jetta

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Emergencies: Shannon Hurn and Jack Redden.

The Eagles probably have the tallest AFLX line-up with three legitimate talls starting with Naitanui in the ruck, Kennedy as a tall forward and McGovern as an intercepting defender. The Eagles have Sheppard and Yeo who play mostly in defence but can push into the midfield.

The rest of the line-up are strong and skilled midfielders who are all capable of going forward and kicking goals if needed. Will be interesting how the Eagles go with such a tall line-up.

Fremantle
Nat Fyfe Stephen Hill
Brad Hill Michael Walters
Cam McCarthy Luke Ryan
Nathan Wilson Lachie Neale
Harley Bennell Tommy Sheridan

Emergencies: Michael Johnson and Connor Blakely.

Another strong line-up superstar Nat Fyfe playing in the midfield and will ruck for the Dockers. The Hill brothers, Walters, Neale all playing through the middle of the ground with maybe even Walters sneaking up forward as well.

Cam McCarthy playing as a key tall in the forward line. The backline of Ryan playing as the intercepting defender, with Wilson and Sheridan using their speed and skill running off the half back creating attacking opportunities.

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Harley Bennell the skilful X factor could add so much to the team no matter what position he plays. I very skilful and quick line-up on the counter-attack the Dockers could be damaging.

Collingwood
Scott Pendlebury Adam Treloar
Jamie Elliot Taylor Adams
Jeremy Howe Steele Sidebottom
Brayden Maynard Will Hoskin-Elliot
Mason Cox Jordan De Goey

Emergencies: Daniel Wells and Brodie Grundy.

Strong midfielders in Pendlebury, Treloar, Sidebottom and Adams headline the Collingwood line-up. Hoskin-Elliot, De Goey and Elliot both highflying forwards can also push into the middle to using their speed.

Steele Sidebottom Collingwood Magpies AFL 2014

(AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

Highflying running defenders Howe and Maynard will keep oppositions at bay and push the ball up the ground. The major point of this line-up which might create a few discussions is Mason Cox over Grundy being included.

The reason for this is to use him only in the forward line, with most of the clubs playing very small in defence and going with little to no talls, a 211cm forward is a prospect most clubs will struggle to cover. I believe Collingwood can be dangerous with this line-up.

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Geelong
Patrick Dangerfield Joel Selwood
Mitch Duncan Zach Tuohy
Mark Blicavs Cameron Guthrie
Gary Ablett Daniel Menzel
Sam Menegola Jordan Murdoch

Emergencies: James Parsons and Brendan Parfitt.

The Cats have a team where everyone has the ability to run through the midfield at some point if needed. The line-up has a great mix of speed and skill and most of the players can play multiple roles.

Patrick Dangerfield Joel Selwood Geelong Cats AFL 2016 tall

(AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Blicavs to play as a midfielding ruckman then Menzel, Murdoch, Menegola, Ablett and Dangerfiled are all capable of going forward and kicking goals. Tuohy and Guthrie will mostly play in defence running off the halfback line. Geelong should be a force to be reckoned with any line-up with two Brownlow medalists will be dangerous.

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