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Opinion
Round 11 needs to follow the same trajectory as Round 10; hopefully there are more close games like Dreamtime at the G when Essendon willed themselves to victory over Richmond.
There is a player from every team who can make a difference this weekend.
Luke Parker led from the front in Round 10 against North Melbourne. He gave them a 10-point lead late in the second quarter. He polled 10 coaches’ votes in that game and was one of the reasons why Sydney won the game against North Melbourne. Parker will be challenged in Round 11 against the likes of Adam Cerra, Sam Walsh and Patrick Cripps.
Harry McKay will have a great opportunity to play a pivotal role in a must-win game for Carlton in Round 11 against Sydney, whose back line is depleted. There’s no disputing that McKay won’t get a better opportunity to silence the doubters. Hopefully he can kick straight and gain confidence and belief, which he can build on.
Jade Gresham makes St Kilda a better team. He missed the Round 9 loss where they were obliterated by Adelaide. He has averaged 5.89 score involvements in the opening nine games. Gresham doesn’t need to have much of the ball as he is an impact player, with plenty of X-factor.
He will be needed to play well against Hawthorn, as it’s a potential danger game for St Kilda.
Cam Mackenzie amassed 22 disposals and kicked two goals in Round 10 albeit against a hapless West Coast team. Hawthorn showed faith in him last week, as they extended his contract until the end of 2026. He repaid them in Round 10 and perhaps that solid performance can help him perform well in Round 11 against St Kilda.
Bayley Fritsch had a reasonable game in Round 10 against Port Adelaide, as he kicked a goal that made it an 18-point deficit for Melbourne in the second quarter. He then made it a 13-point deficit for them near the end of the second quarter. In Round 11, Fremantle could find it tough to curtail him as he is a mid-sized forward who has the capacity to hit the scoreboard.
Michael Walters was in form when Fremantle played against Geelong in Round 10, as he finished the game with three goals and seven score involvements. In Round 11, Melbourne will find it tough to the limit the influence Walters has on the game.
He should relish the chance to have an impact on the game and show why he still has so much X-factor.
(Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Jeremy Cameron should kick a bag against an undermanned GWS defence in Round 11 as he will want to bounce back from a goalless game in Round 10 against Fremantle. Geelong needs Cameron to have an impact on the game in Round 11, as he is arguably the best key forward in the game.
Toby Greene is an integral part of the GWS team. He has shown good leadership this season, as he kept their campaign alive in Round 7 when he kicked the winning goal against Sydney. He has kicked at least one goal in all the eight games that he has featured in.
Along with that, Greene has averaged the seventh-most goals per game of any player in the AFL with an average of 2.75. Round 11 against Geelong is a must win game for GWS and expect Greene to lead from the front.
Noah Anderson didn’t perform to his optimum level against Brisbane in Round 10; he will want to rectify that in Round 11. Gold Coast showed faith in Anderson when they extended his contract until the end of 2027. He needs to repay the belief that the club has in his ability and step up in the absence of Touk Miller in a big game for the Suns against the Bulldogs.
Tim English is probably the AFL All-Australian ruckman after 10 games. He is playing like a ruck rover as he has averaged 19.5 disposals per game. Despite that, he will face a tough dual against a formidable ruckman, in Jarrod Witts from Gold Coast, which will be pivotal.
Tim English marks over Lance Franklin. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Alex Witherden has performed admirably in the last couple of games, despite West Coast being obliterated. Witherden has persevered in the last two games with an aggregate of 54 disposals and nine tackles. He should continue this form in Round 11 and push his case to be a permanent part of West Coast’s best 22 when the injured players return to a depleted Eagles side.
Zach Merrett played one of the great games as he led from the front in Round 10 against Richmond. He had to play to an optimum level as Essendon were missing Will Setterfield, Dylan Shiel and Darcy Parish through injury. Merrett has to show the way to his teammates and have no mercy against a depleted West Coast in Round 11.
Daniel Rioli creates so much run off half back, which is what he displayed in Round 10, against Essendon. He had the second-most metres gained of anyone on the ground with 612 metres gained. He is a quality player and displayed why he is such a weapon.
Rioli needs to have a great influence on the game in Round 11 against Port Adelaide and will probably be tagged by Sam Powell-Pepper.
Jason Horne-Francis doesn’t have to do much to have an impact on the game. He kicked a goal on the quarter-time siren in Round 10 against Melbourne to give them a 12-point lead, proving to be crucial to the result. His game has evolved as he had seven intercept possessions in Round 10.
Horne-Francis will need to play his role against Richmond in Round 11 and he doesn’t need to get 30 disposals to do that, as he had five score involvements from 23 disposals in Round 10.
Jason Horne-Francis celebrates a Port Adelaide win. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Darcy Moore equalled the record for intercept marks for a game with 10 in Round 10 against Carlton. He will have a tough task in Round 11 as he will be opposed to Nick Larkey, who is a talented young forward. There are other times he will be opposed to Callum Coleman-Jones and perhaps Harry Sheezel, in other instances.
Harry Sheezel is a prodigious talent – the sky’s the limit for him. Sheezel had a great game against Sydney, in Round 10, as he amassed 25 disposals, kicked two goals and had eight score involvements. He can play half-back flank, wing or up forward. He could win the Rising Star award over Will Ashcroft, who is already a star. It will be interesting to see how Brett Ratten choses to use him against Collingwood, in Round 11.
Tom Doedee was sorely missed in Round 10 against Western Bulldogs. He will be needed against Brisbane in Round 11. He has had the most intercepts of any Adelaide player, as he has had 63 intercepts in nine games, which is 11 more than Wayne Milera.
Doedee will be needed to curtail the influence of Joe Daniher, who has kicked 10 goals in the last two games.
Will Ashcroft is a super player who is living up to his potential. He had 30 disposals, six clearances and seven score involvements and polled five coaches’ votes against Gold Coast in Round 10.
He is the icing on the cake as Brisbane have an elite midfield that contains Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley who are both stars. In Round 11 against Adelaide, Ben Keays will probably tag Lachie Neale, which should mean Ashcroft will have freedom to dominate.
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