Opinion
There are many tantalising contests in Round 1 of AFL season 2023. Find out which player needs to make a difference for your team.
Richmond: Tim Taranto needs to win the ball in the clinches up against reigning Brownlow Medallist Patrick Cripps. That’s what he was brought to Richmond for, to play well in big games; win the ball in traffic and hit the scoreboard.
He must make his presence felt with Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin coming towards their end of their career if he is to win the contested ball against a Carlton midfield missing arguably their most important player, Sam Walsh.
Carlton: Harry McKay must have a big game for Carlton to win in order to take the pressure off Charlie Curnow. If he can take the attention away from Curnow it will make the job of Curnow a lot easier.
In season 2021 he won the Coleman Medal and he must recapture that form against Richmond and negate the influence of Nick Vlastuin who averaged the equal fourth most intercepts of any player with an average of eight intercepts per game in season 2022.
Geelong: Max Holmes needs to have a good game in the absence of Mitch Duncan on the wing. He is a player that his coach Chris Scott sees plenty of upside in.
He will be up against Josh Daicos and Steele Sidebottom and if he can get the better of them then it will improve the chances of Geelong winning. He also has the capability of playing in the centre square and exposing the likes of Tom Mitchell for speed through congestion.
Collingwood: Jordan De Goey has to have a big game for Collingwood to get the four points, it’s as simple as that. He has shown that he has the capability of playing in the midfield and up forward. He could go head to head with Cam Guthrie and if he comes up on top, it will give Collingwood a greater chance of winning the game. Finally, he must hit the scoreboard, when he spends time up forward.
Jordan De Goey. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
North Melbourne: Griffin Logue must have a good game in the absence of arguably the most important player for North Melbourne, Ben McKay. He has to curtail the influence of Jack Darling and Oscar Allen. He was brought to the footy club to make a difference and Round 1 will be a tough test for him.
West Coast: Tim Kelly is a player that West Coast need to win the contested ball up against the likes of Jy Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke.
He finished third in the best and fairest for West Coast in season 2022, despite only playing 17 games, which outlines how important he is to them winning their Round 1 game against a North Melbourne team that will be desperate to put on a good showing.
Port Adelaide: Jason Horne-Francis must prove that the hype around is warranted. His youthful exuberance in his first game for his new team will go a long way to helping Port Adelaide get a win on the board and take the pressure off Ken Hinkley. He can play on the half forward flank and push up into the midfield.
Brisbane: Will Ashcroft has so much expectation on him, but he has a wise head on his shoulders and appears to be a humble player with a fantastic attitude. If he can win plenty of the ball, as he did in the preseason then it will go a long way towards Brisbane claiming the four points. His presence in the midfield will take the pressure off the likes of Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley.
Joe Daniher of the Lions celebrates the winning goal against Richmond. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Melbourne: Steven May needs to have a good game in order to negate the influence of the Western Bulldogs tall forward line. If May can do what he usually does it will go a long way towards helping Melbourne getting a win. He was named full back in the AFL All Australian team in season 2022 as he is capable of intercepting the ball.
Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli is the obvious one, as he will spend more time in the midfield after the departures of Josh Dunkley and Lachie Hunter. He has the talent to go head to head with the likes of Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca and punishing their failure to negate him by hitting the scoreboard.
His leadership will be pivotal if the Western Bulldogs are to win this game, as it may be Round 1, but it may be a season defining win should they beat a Melbourne team they’re expected to lose to.
Gold Coast: Ben King needs to bring the ball to ground and keep the ball in the forward 50 for Gold Coast; he must attack every contest. The onus will be on him to kick a bag and take the pressure off Mabior Chol. He can expose a Sydney defence that were beating comprehensively in the grand final by Geelong in season 2022. The Sydney key defenders Dane Rampe and the McCartin brothers are overrated, which he can exploit.
Sydney: Peter Ladhams is the name that springs to mind. He will have to a tough job up against one of the best ruckmen in the game in Jarrod Witts. He also has a point to prove with Tom Hickey out through injury, which will give him the opportunity to prove he should be the number one ruckman for Sydney. Witts is a tough opponent that must be kept quiet in a game that Gold Coast will fancy their chances of winning.
GWS: Toby Greene needs to embrace being the sole captain of the club and kick goals and lead by example. He obviously has the faith of the coach as he is the only captain and he needs to vindicate that up against an inexperienced back six, that Adelaide possesses. He is a player who must produce as there’s no definitive Adelaide player who could stop him.
Adelaide: Tom Doedee must prevent the GWS tall forwards from having an impact. He is a player that will need to assert himself on the contest by preventing Harry Himmelberg and Jake Riccardi from hitting the scoreboard. He is in the Adelaide leadership group for a reason and he needs to vindicate that decision in Round 1.
(Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Hawthorn: James Worpel needs to prove his worthy of being a permanent part of the Hawthorn midfield. He has to win the ball against the likes of Zach Merrett and Darcy Parish. He has the talent to do so and the pressure will be on his shoulders in what is a young midfield brigade. He is a player that needs to be at his best from Round 1 and lead by example, given the departures of Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara.
Essendon: Sam Draper needs to lift against an inexperienced ruck pairing of Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek. He didn’t even finish in the top ten of the Essendon best and fairest in season 2022, even though he played every game. He is a cult figure, that needs to lead by example and help his midfielders win the ball and have a presence. It starts in Round 1 where he must make an impact in a game that Essendon need to win for their morale.
St Kilda: Mason Wood should relish the opportunity of following up an outstanding display in the preseason and prove that he is a player that should be a permanent part of the St Kilda best 22. He will play on the wing where he should take plenty of marks against smaller opponents with the likes of James Aish likely to play on the wing. He can also help St Kilda win by hitting the scoreboard as they’re missing Tim Membrey and Max King and he started his career as a forward.
Fremantle: Matt Taberner; it’s now or never for him, as he has so much upside. He will be up against a St Kilda defence lacking a good key defender. He must kick a bag and show that he warrants a permanent place in the best 22 for Fremantle and he needs to do so if they are to win a danger game if they take it lightly. He must also take the onus off Luke Jackson who will be playing his first game for Fremantle.
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