VFL and development coach, Craig McRae provides an exclusive summary of the AFL and VFL-listed players from Sunday’s Round 18 VFL win over Sandringham.
AFL LISTED PLAYERS
Sam Lloyd
48 disposals, ten clearances, ten tackles, eight marks, four goals five behinds.
Played inside-mid and played a terrific game, an exceptional performance. He’s playing at an extremely high level and ready for AFL if the opportunity presents.
Anthony Miles
42 disposals, eight clearances, seven marks, one goal one behind.
Returned from playing AFL footy and as a carry-over in previous weeks. He was another who dominated the game. He had a really good balance of contested and un-contested ball, which is something he's working on within his game. He’s an above-the-level player at VFL level.
Jayden Short
23 disposals, nine marks, six inside-50s, two goals.
Played half-back and then went to the wing and it was really exciting to see him show his skillset on the wing. A really hard-running player and set up many scores with his ball use, and managed to kick two goals himself. A really good performance from him.
Corey Ellis
23 disposals, eight clearances, six tackles, one goal one behind.
Returned from playing AFL footy in recent weeks and played as an inside-mid. His contested possessions stood out, as did his clearance rate. A really good performance from Corey, he looked above the level
Callum Moore
23 disposals, five marks, seven inside-50s, eight score assists, two goals two behinds.
Played his best game for the year. Played as a key forward working up the ground, but also working hard inside 50. Everybody that was at the game would have seen his strengths, particularly his running with the ball and his speed.
Connor Menadue
23 disposals, seven marks, four score assists, one goal one behind.
Continued his good recent form. His last two performances were AFL-standard at VFL level playing on the wing. He’s really creative, his contest stuff was strong, and he set up four goals as well.
Jake Batchelor
21 disposals, five marks, seven rebound-50s.
Was one of our best players; many times he saved goals when getting back to help out the defence, but also won the one-on-one contests as well. A team-high for rebound 50s on the day; a great performance and showed great leadership as well.
Shai Bolton
19 disposals, ten contested possessions, two goals one behind.
Returned to his very best form. His ability to get out of traffic stood out but also his run-down tackles - he had one in particular where he ran 40 meters and brought the crowd to life. Loved the unselfish nature of his game.
Ben Lennon
17 disposals, eight marks, four score assists, two goals three behinds.
Missed a couple of set shots from in front, which he hasn't been missing. He had moments in the second quarter where he looked like the best player on the ground. Some good form from Ben, he continues to be a very good player at this level.
Steven Morris
16 disposals, four marks, four inside-50s, one goal.
Good to see Steve return from injury, and it looked like he hadn't missed a beat. All the customary stuff you'd expect from him; his pressure around the footy was a real standout.
Reece Conca
15 disposals, six marks, two inside-50s (75% game time).
Another who returned from injury. A bit scratchy early, but went to half-back and started to really work his way into the game. He played the three quarters and looked like he got through well. It’s positive to have him back in the team.
Ryan Garthwaite
14 disposals, five marks, four tackles, three rebound-50s.
Continues his growth as a key defender, learning his craft playing on good players, and quite often taller players as well. He’s not often beaten in the contest and was instrumental in the victory.
Shaun Hampson
20 hitouts, 13 disposals, five marks, three clearances, two goals.
Second game back and played more minutes this week. Looked like he added more layers to his game other than just the ruck contest. He was a very good contributor on the day.
Mabior Chol
11 disposals, three rebound-50s.
Developing player and every opportunity is a great opportunity for him to learn his craft as a key defender. Opportunities to strike at the ball in the air were there this week, but also at ground level he showed he’s really capable of using the ball well.
Todd Elton
11 disposals, four marks, three inside-50s, two goals one behind.
Some highs and lows in the game; he had some real moments that stood out, including a contender for mark of the year. He kicked two nice goals. We would like a little more of the fundamental stuff to feature in his game.
Ivan Maric
11 hitouts, ten disposals, four clearances.
Played a really good role as a second ruck to Shaun Hampson. He competed well with his contest stuff, but his ability to get back and help out our defence was a feature.
Tyson Stengle
Nine disposals, four tackles, two goals one behind.
Had low numbers this week, but still had an impact in the game. He had two nice goals - one in particular was a set shot from the boundary, that was a real highlight. He’s such a creative player and sets others up.
Ben Griffiths
Eight disposals, five marks, three inside-50s (75% game time).
Ben was another who returned from injury looking to get some continuity in his game time. He played three quarters, and by the end of the game started to look really comfortable in his environment and started to launch at balls, which is customary to him playing towards his strengths. That was pleasing as well.
VFL LISTED PLAYERS
Sam Darley
22 disposals, four marks, three inside-50s, two score assists.
Returning to form after having a long stint off with injury. Playing half-back he set up many opportunities with his rebound-50s, he looks to be returning to his very best.
Jacob Ballard
20 disposals, four marks, three inside-50s.
One of our few VFL listed players this week, an inside-mid who competed really hard, he's such an important player for us and we value what he delivers every week.
Derek Smith
19 disposals, five marks, three tackles, three inside-50s.
Our 23rd player, looked really capable at the level in his fifth game. He played across half-back and looked like a real smooth mover.
Hugh Beasley
13 disposals, five marks, five tackles.
Returned from injury as well, he’s another really important link in the chain but his pressure around the football early really set the scene. A couple of run down tackles was a standout but he's so strong in the contest.
Daniel Coffield
13 disposals, four marks, three tackles, three inside-50s, two clearances.
Had a bit of a poor performance last week, but returned to form this week and showed everyone what he's capable of with his great positioning and intercept marking. Really hard to play on this week which is pleasing for him.
