One player from every AFL team that must stand out from the pack: Round 6

Round 6 should be an entertaining one, as for the first time in season 2023 there is no team that’s unbeaten, coming into the Round. Each team has a player that can make a difference.

Fremantle v Western Bulldogs

Fremantle:

Caleb Serong has averaged the fifth most disposals of any player in the AFL with an average of 32 per game. Along with that, he has averaged the eighth most clearances of any player in the competition with an average of 7.40 per game, which is the same as Touk Miller and Clayton Oliver. Serong will need to be at his best with the Western Bulldogs Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar having the second and third-highest average clearances of any players in the AFL. Serong can play a key role as he has 20 Coaches’ votes after Round 5.

Western Bulldogs:

Rory Lobb must improve if he warrants a spot in the Western Bulldogs’ best 22. He has looked all at sea so far in season 2023 – he was recruited to kick goals but has only managed three in four games. He is effectively keeping Sam Darcy out of the team who can play as a forward and as a defender. If playing against his former team doesn’t bring him into form then nothing will. He needs to make a contest and neutralise the contest to bring the ball to ground for the likes of Cody Weightman.

Port Adelaide v West Coast

Port Adelaide:

Todd Marshall has kicked the most goals of any Port Adelaide player so far this season with ten. He only kicked two goals in Round 5, but he kicked them at important times, which was vindicated by him polling two Coaches’ votes in a game Port Adelaide won narrowly against the Western Bulldogs.

West Coast:

Oscar Allen has kicked the equal third most goals in the AFL after five games in season 2023, as he has 14 goals along with Toby Greene and Tom Papley. Allen has kicked multiple goals in every game. If he can carry this form into Round 6 it will go a long way into curtailing the influence of Port Adelaide key defender Aliir Aliir who has had the third most intercepts of any player in the AFL season so far, with 47 intercepts in five games.

Caleb Serong of the Dockers. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

GWS v Brisbane

GWS:

Stephen Coniglio will have to play to his optimum level if GWS are any chance of claiming the four points, as Tom Green is suspended, which is a huge loss. Despite that, Coniglio has the capability of playing well and should produce in a game that will show why he is such a good player and leader. He will be up against one of the best midfields in the competition. He has had the most tackles of any GWS player with 23 in five games as well as having averaged the second most metres gained of any GWS player with 513.60 metres per game.

Brisbane:

Harris Andrews is a player that could play a key part in Brisbane winning or losing against GWS in Round 6. He will get the job of curtailing the influence of Harry Himmelberg or Jesse Hogan at different times in the game. Andrews has averaged 7.40 intercepts per game, which illustrates his value to the team.

Geelong v Sydney

Geelong:

Jeremy Cameron will want to kick more than the two goals he kicked in the one-sided Geelong win over Sydney in the 2022 Grand Final. He should have a great game in Round 6 and kick plenty of goals against a depleted Sydney defence. He won’t get a better opportunity to display why he is touted by some experts as being the best player in the competition.

Sydney:

Isaac Heeney should be eager to atone for his poor showing in the 2022 Grand Final. He needs to build on his performance in Round 5, as he polled five Coaches’ votes against Richmond in a comfortable win for Sydney. He must be more consistent and have more score involvements than an average of 5.80 per game, as well as take the pressure off his teammates. He is a midsized forward but can add to his game, as he has so much talent and can prove in Round 6 in a game that Sydney should find difficult to win. He may be able to take some pressure off Tom Papley who kicked six goals last round.

(Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Hawthorn v Adelaide

Hawthorn:

James Worpel needs to lead the way and show why he has the capability to be a highly regarded player, as he did in Round 5 in a game that Hawthorn lost narrowly to GWS. He has to be more consistent and it needs to start now against Adelaide in a game that will be a tough one based on the way they played in Round 5 when they obliterated Carlton. He has the most centre clearances of any Hawthorn player with 16 in five games. He will be up against Rory Laird and Jordan Dawson, which will be a stern test for him.

Adelaide:

Darcy Fogarty has had a good season in 2023 and he can get even better. Even though he has only played three of five games due to injury, he has averaged the most goals of any Adelaide player with an average of 3.33 goals per game. He will need to negate the influence of Hawthorn defenders that intercept well, in James Sicily, Sam Frost and Changkuoth Jiath.

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Carlton v St Kilda

Carlton:

Sam Walsh needs to get back to his best, following his first game of the season being in Round 5 due to injury. He was arguably the best player for Carlton last week, as he amassed the most disposals of any of their players with 25. He needs to build on that and take confidence from that game into Round 6, in what could be a season-defining game for Carlton and Michael Voss. They will be without Adam Saad, therefore there won’t be as much run and dare out of their defence, which means Carlton has to win the midfield battle against St Kilda.

St Kilda:

Callum Wilkie has been a revelation in season 2023. There’s an argument that he has been one of the best defenders in the opening five games, as he has averaged the third most intercepts of any player in the AFL after Round 5 with an average of 9.80 intercepts per game. Last week, he showed what he is capable of as he polled six Coaches’ votes in a losing team. Wilkie will need to play well as Carlton have a potent forward line.

James Worpel of the Hawks breaks a tackle. (Photo by Simon Sturzaker/Getty Images)

Gold Coast v North Melbourne:

Gold Coast:

Sam Collins needs to have an impact on the game if Gold Coast are to beat North Melbourne. There’s no doubt that he is a great leader and that Round 6 is a must-win game for Gold Coast. He will be matched up on Nick Larkey who’s kicked 13 goals in season 2023. Collins has the fourth most intercepts of any player in the AFL this year with 44 intercepts so far.

North Melbourne:

Cameron Zurhaar has to bounce back from his worst game this season in Round 5. He has kicked multiple goals in three games, while in the other two games, he was held goalless. He also has the capability of going into the midfield as he averages the third most centre clearances of any North Melbourne player with 1.80 centre clearances per game, which has added another string to his bow under Clarko. He may need to spend more time in the midfield in Round 6 as North Melbourne will be without Jy Simpkin.

Melbourne v Richmond

Melbourne:

Christian Petracca is a player that Richmond will find it tough to negate. He has averaged the most metres gained of any Melbourne player with an average of 533 metres gained per game. He has also averaged the third-most score involvements of any Melbourne player with an average of 7.60 score involvements per game. Petracca has the capability of playing in the midfield and has kicked five goals in the opening five games; this will hold him in good stead against Richmond.

Richmond:

Jayden Short will be a welcome addition to a Richmond team that’s been depleted by injury and suspension, after spending the last three games on the sidelines due to a calf injury. He has averaged the most metres gained of any Richmond player with an average of 481.50 metres gained per game. Along with that, he has had 11 score involvements in the two games that he has played in season 2023. His outside run can expose Melbourne and take the pressure off Daniel Rioli and Liam Baker. There’s also a good omen because Richmond are undefeated with Short in the team and they haven’t won a game without him in the team so far this year.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Collingwood v Essendon

Collingwood:

Nick Daicos can and has to do everything, as he did in Round 5 with the absence of Jordan De Goey. He amassed 42 disposals in Round 5 and was an integral part of Collingwood getting over the line against what was an unbeaten St Kilda team. Despite winning so much of the ball, he uses the ball well with the second-highest average disposal efficiency per game of any Collingwood player with an average of 82.78 per cent disposal efficiency per game. This game will determine whether Nick Daicos can have the same influence when up against an Essendon team with arguably the coach of the season so far, who should have a plan to negate the influence of Nick Daicos in Round 6.

Essendon:

Darcy Parish will need to stand up in the absence of Zach Merrett due to suspension. He is more than capable of doing so as he has the most centre clearances of any Essendon player with 19 centre clearances in five games. He can win the ball and will need to help Essendon win the clearance battle to prevent the ball getting to the outside and hopefully for Essendon negating the influence of Nick Daicos.