Gunnar Longshanks
12 Jun 2006, 01:33
MICHAEL BRAUN – 11 games, 1 goal. A
Has been one of our most consistent players, and is in close to career-best form. Is one of the fittest players around and covers as much territory as any player in the league. Has been one of the main guys to step up a notch in our last quarter surges. Very reliable. Going beautifully.
DEAN COX – 11 games, 11 goals. A+
Started in a blaze of glory, but has plateued slightly. Still the #1 ruckman in the comp, and is rarely beaten. One of our genuine top-tier guns, whose work around the ground and ability to go forward to great effect have been the stand-out features of our season to date. Absolute gun.
ANDREW EMBLEY – 11 games, 16 goals. C
Very good in patches, but has drifted in and out of games. At his best, Embley is one of the league’s best utilities. Yet to hit those levels in 2006. Work rate remains very high, but hasn’t gotten full value with his touches, and has been patchy when playing forward. Will get better.
CHAD FLETCHER – 11 games, 1 goal. C
An improved output in recent weeks after a pretty ordinary first two months. Bad disposal has marred games where he found plenty of the ball. Has been played across HF, but his deliveries into F50 have been disappointing. Can re-establish himself in the side, but needs to do more.
DARREN GLASS – 11 games, 0 goals. B+
Rarely beaten, and has worked hard to remove errors from his game. His one-on-one work has been top-tier for almost two years, and he’s improved dramatically when clearing the ball. A bad first half against Carlton doesn’t outweigh his otherwise excellent season to date. Going well.
JAYMIE GRAHAM – 11 games, 8 goals. B+
One of the real bonuses for us this year. Mobile, strong overhead, with very good skills. Has been very reliable in defence in a variety of roles, and has also shown a bit when played forward. His development allows us to throw Hunter forward with confidence. More of the same, please.
ADAM HUNTER – 11 games, 14 goals. A-
A little up-and-down, but overall very good. Contested marking continues to improve and remains a genuine wildcard with his ability to go forward. Has been exposed a few of times closer to goal, but his versatility has won us a couple of games. Needs to produce his best more often.
QUINTEN LYNCH – 11 games, 19 goals. B+
One of my favourites. Huge improvement since 2005, and is now an automatic selection. Work-rate at ground level is fantastic. One of our best long kicks and generally finds a team-mate. Still a little unfashionable, and started slowly. But overall, The Big Unit’s output has been very good.
ADAM SELWOOD – 11 games, 3 goals. A-
His improvement has been one of the most pleasing aspects of 2006. Usually gets a run-with job but continues to find the ball. His work around the contest, his tackling and his courage in close have been excellent. Automatic selection, and is becoming a very important part of our make-up.
BRENT STAKER - 11 games, 12 goals. C+
Improved contested marking has allowed him to cement a spot, but has still played a few stinkers. Very good at ground level, and generally uses the ball well. Has all the ingredients, but just needs to find an extra level when playing deep. Greater consistency needed to fulfil his potential.
TYSON STENGLEIN – 11 games, 5 goals. A
Having an excellent season and has added a vital defensive edge to our midfield. Tackling is a stand-out, and rarely coughs it up. Has done some excellent tagging jobs on dangerous players. Uses the ball well under pressure. Strong overhead. Very important player. No complaints.
DAVID WIRRPANDA – 11 games, 5 goals. B
Hard to criticise, on account of his innately risky sweeper role. Is still an integral part of the team, but hasn’t been as good as in 2005. Has been beaten for pace by a few opponents, and his normally sublime disposal has gone down a notch. Will get better, and will step up when it counts.
DANIEL CHICK – 10 games, 13 goals. B+
Shoulders more than his share of the grunt work and has been fantastic in bursts. Increasingly played alongside Lynch close to goal and has been one to lift at crucial stages. Tackling and hardness at the contest is a stand-out. Prone to patchiness, but overall very good.
DANIEL KERR – 10 games, 4 goals. A-
Unbelievable in patches, but another player struggling for consistency. A power midfielder who is very creative going forward. The contested nature of his touches can limit their effect, and sometimes fails to take the first option. Huge contributions at crunch stages. 4 quarters needed.
MATT ROSA – 10 games, 2 goals. B
Devloping nicely and looks more composed than a 13-gamer. Still very much an outside-player, but that’s not a bad thing. Often gets the ball in space and can carry the ball. As such, needs to use the ball better when delivering to forwards. May be dropped come September for balance.
MARK SEABY – 10 games, 3 goals. C-
22 years old and still developing. Tap-work is very good, but doesn’t offer enough otherwise. Suspect skills at ground level, and hasn’t shown much when playing forward. Needs to start holding contested marks in order to cement a spot. Probably not in our best 22.
ROWAN JONES – 9 games, 7 goals. B-
An unfashionable player who has long been a favoured whipping-boy. Work-rate partially makes up for lack of pace and ordinary skills. Delivery to forwards needs to improve, but has managed to create opportunities for team-mates at crucial stages. Encouraging, but well short of top-tier.
CHRIS JUDD – 9 games, 12 goals. A+
The complete package. Tackling, contested ball and clearances from clinches are as much features of his game as the more spectacular elements. Amazing purple patch R5-7 when scoring power was added to his repertoire. Needs to convert more set shots. Superstar. Please stay fit.
MARK NICOSKI – 9 games, 4 goals. A-
Has come up a notch in 2006 and is developing into dynamic rebounding HBF. Great acceleration and a beautiful long kick. Probably doesn’t help out team-mates enough by chopping off passes. Can kick a long goal and is dangerous when in space. A wildcard who is yet to peak.
BEAU WATERS – 9 games, 2 goals. C
Disappointing. Yet to cement a spot and doesn’t appear to have an obvious role. Harsh criticisms of a 20 year-old. Hardness at the contest is outstanding, but needs to use the ball better and make smarter decisions. Looks strong overhead and could find his niche as a mid-sized forward.
BEN COUSINS – 8 games, 6 goals. A+
Unbelievably, remains under-rated. Clearly still the on-field leader. Non-stop run and willingness to take hits has been nothing short of inspirational. While many have struggled for 4-quarter outputs, Cousins has been relentless. Somehow finds an extra gear at crunch stages. Awesome.
ASHLEY SAMPI – 7 games, 7 goals. C-
The small forward walks a tightrope, and for the moment, Sampi looks to have taken a tumble. Although his hardness and tackling was still OK, lack of fitness limited his capacity to do the 1%ers which are part of his role. A return of 7.10 reflects a failure to take chances. Struggling, but not finished.
ASHLEY HANSEN – 6 games, 8 goals. C+
Another forward whose promising form has been diluted by periods of frustration. Remains our best option at CHF and was a big factor in 4th quarter surges against Collingwood and Essendon. Works hard but has made some ordinary decisions, and probably hasn’t taken all his chances.
BRETT JONES – 4 games, 0 goals. C
Prospects have been hurt by the form of Jaymie Graham, who is smarter, more versatile and better-skilled. Can cough it up and make bad decisions. Still a solid depth-player who could hold down a spot in the event of injury, but his deficiencies mean his opportunities may be limited.
DREW BANFIELD – 3 games, 0 goals. B+
The old stager was welcomed back after 8 weeks on the sidelines. Definitely plugs a hole and his composure at the coalface means he’s still best 22. Isn’t getting any quicker and won’t break many games apart, but his steadying influence and work-rate are valuable assets. Very reliable.
SHANNON HURN – 3 games, 1 goal. C
Hard to assess a 3-gamer. Grade is pretty meaningless. Definitely showed enough to suggest a bright future, but may take some time to adjust to the tempo of AFL. Limited game-time reduced his impact, but it’s unclear what role he will fill. Very promising, but won’t be a regular this season.
JOSH WOODEN – 2 games, 1 goal. C+
Starved of opportunities despite being a pretty handy player. Still quick enough to have an impact and long kicking remains dangerous. Probably won’t get the chances he deserves on account of his age, but will do a job if selected. Would have played 100+ games at most clubs. Unlucky.
MATTHEW PRIDDIS – 1 game, 0 goals. B+
After a strong debut in remarkable game, Sideshow Priddis was sent back to the WAFL. Will take a lot of hard work to cement a spot in a stacked midfield, but looks to have the tools. Could definitely take over Fletcher’s role eventually, but needs to keep banging on the door until then.
NB: Players are graded based on what we need from them to be at our best. Andrew Embley is not on the same scale as Matthew Rosa.
Has been one of our most consistent players, and is in close to career-best form. Is one of the fittest players around and covers as much territory as any player in the league. Has been one of the main guys to step up a notch in our last quarter surges. Very reliable. Going beautifully.
DEAN COX – 11 games, 11 goals. A+
Started in a blaze of glory, but has plateued slightly. Still the #1 ruckman in the comp, and is rarely beaten. One of our genuine top-tier guns, whose work around the ground and ability to go forward to great effect have been the stand-out features of our season to date. Absolute gun.
ANDREW EMBLEY – 11 games, 16 goals. C
Very good in patches, but has drifted in and out of games. At his best, Embley is one of the league’s best utilities. Yet to hit those levels in 2006. Work rate remains very high, but hasn’t gotten full value with his touches, and has been patchy when playing forward. Will get better.
CHAD FLETCHER – 11 games, 1 goal. C
An improved output in recent weeks after a pretty ordinary first two months. Bad disposal has marred games where he found plenty of the ball. Has been played across HF, but his deliveries into F50 have been disappointing. Can re-establish himself in the side, but needs to do more.
DARREN GLASS – 11 games, 0 goals. B+
Rarely beaten, and has worked hard to remove errors from his game. His one-on-one work has been top-tier for almost two years, and he’s improved dramatically when clearing the ball. A bad first half against Carlton doesn’t outweigh his otherwise excellent season to date. Going well.
JAYMIE GRAHAM – 11 games, 8 goals. B+
One of the real bonuses for us this year. Mobile, strong overhead, with very good skills. Has been very reliable in defence in a variety of roles, and has also shown a bit when played forward. His development allows us to throw Hunter forward with confidence. More of the same, please.
ADAM HUNTER – 11 games, 14 goals. A-
A little up-and-down, but overall very good. Contested marking continues to improve and remains a genuine wildcard with his ability to go forward. Has been exposed a few of times closer to goal, but his versatility has won us a couple of games. Needs to produce his best more often.
QUINTEN LYNCH – 11 games, 19 goals. B+
One of my favourites. Huge improvement since 2005, and is now an automatic selection. Work-rate at ground level is fantastic. One of our best long kicks and generally finds a team-mate. Still a little unfashionable, and started slowly. But overall, The Big Unit’s output has been very good.
ADAM SELWOOD – 11 games, 3 goals. A-
His improvement has been one of the most pleasing aspects of 2006. Usually gets a run-with job but continues to find the ball. His work around the contest, his tackling and his courage in close have been excellent. Automatic selection, and is becoming a very important part of our make-up.
BRENT STAKER - 11 games, 12 goals. C+
Improved contested marking has allowed him to cement a spot, but has still played a few stinkers. Very good at ground level, and generally uses the ball well. Has all the ingredients, but just needs to find an extra level when playing deep. Greater consistency needed to fulfil his potential.
TYSON STENGLEIN – 11 games, 5 goals. A
Having an excellent season and has added a vital defensive edge to our midfield. Tackling is a stand-out, and rarely coughs it up. Has done some excellent tagging jobs on dangerous players. Uses the ball well under pressure. Strong overhead. Very important player. No complaints.
DAVID WIRRPANDA – 11 games, 5 goals. B
Hard to criticise, on account of his innately risky sweeper role. Is still an integral part of the team, but hasn’t been as good as in 2005. Has been beaten for pace by a few opponents, and his normally sublime disposal has gone down a notch. Will get better, and will step up when it counts.
DANIEL CHICK – 10 games, 13 goals. B+
Shoulders more than his share of the grunt work and has been fantastic in bursts. Increasingly played alongside Lynch close to goal and has been one to lift at crucial stages. Tackling and hardness at the contest is a stand-out. Prone to patchiness, but overall very good.
DANIEL KERR – 10 games, 4 goals. A-
Unbelievable in patches, but another player struggling for consistency. A power midfielder who is very creative going forward. The contested nature of his touches can limit their effect, and sometimes fails to take the first option. Huge contributions at crunch stages. 4 quarters needed.
MATT ROSA – 10 games, 2 goals. B
Devloping nicely and looks more composed than a 13-gamer. Still very much an outside-player, but that’s not a bad thing. Often gets the ball in space and can carry the ball. As such, needs to use the ball better when delivering to forwards. May be dropped come September for balance.
MARK SEABY – 10 games, 3 goals. C-
22 years old and still developing. Tap-work is very good, but doesn’t offer enough otherwise. Suspect skills at ground level, and hasn’t shown much when playing forward. Needs to start holding contested marks in order to cement a spot. Probably not in our best 22.
ROWAN JONES – 9 games, 7 goals. B-
An unfashionable player who has long been a favoured whipping-boy. Work-rate partially makes up for lack of pace and ordinary skills. Delivery to forwards needs to improve, but has managed to create opportunities for team-mates at crucial stages. Encouraging, but well short of top-tier.
CHRIS JUDD – 9 games, 12 goals. A+
The complete package. Tackling, contested ball and clearances from clinches are as much features of his game as the more spectacular elements. Amazing purple patch R5-7 when scoring power was added to his repertoire. Needs to convert more set shots. Superstar. Please stay fit.
MARK NICOSKI – 9 games, 4 goals. A-
Has come up a notch in 2006 and is developing into dynamic rebounding HBF. Great acceleration and a beautiful long kick. Probably doesn’t help out team-mates enough by chopping off passes. Can kick a long goal and is dangerous when in space. A wildcard who is yet to peak.
BEAU WATERS – 9 games, 2 goals. C
Disappointing. Yet to cement a spot and doesn’t appear to have an obvious role. Harsh criticisms of a 20 year-old. Hardness at the contest is outstanding, but needs to use the ball better and make smarter decisions. Looks strong overhead and could find his niche as a mid-sized forward.
BEN COUSINS – 8 games, 6 goals. A+
Unbelievably, remains under-rated. Clearly still the on-field leader. Non-stop run and willingness to take hits has been nothing short of inspirational. While many have struggled for 4-quarter outputs, Cousins has been relentless. Somehow finds an extra gear at crunch stages. Awesome.
ASHLEY SAMPI – 7 games, 7 goals. C-
The small forward walks a tightrope, and for the moment, Sampi looks to have taken a tumble. Although his hardness and tackling was still OK, lack of fitness limited his capacity to do the 1%ers which are part of his role. A return of 7.10 reflects a failure to take chances. Struggling, but not finished.
ASHLEY HANSEN – 6 games, 8 goals. C+
Another forward whose promising form has been diluted by periods of frustration. Remains our best option at CHF and was a big factor in 4th quarter surges against Collingwood and Essendon. Works hard but has made some ordinary decisions, and probably hasn’t taken all his chances.
BRETT JONES – 4 games, 0 goals. C
Prospects have been hurt by the form of Jaymie Graham, who is smarter, more versatile and better-skilled. Can cough it up and make bad decisions. Still a solid depth-player who could hold down a spot in the event of injury, but his deficiencies mean his opportunities may be limited.
DREW BANFIELD – 3 games, 0 goals. B+
The old stager was welcomed back after 8 weeks on the sidelines. Definitely plugs a hole and his composure at the coalface means he’s still best 22. Isn’t getting any quicker and won’t break many games apart, but his steadying influence and work-rate are valuable assets. Very reliable.
SHANNON HURN – 3 games, 1 goal. C
Hard to assess a 3-gamer. Grade is pretty meaningless. Definitely showed enough to suggest a bright future, but may take some time to adjust to the tempo of AFL. Limited game-time reduced his impact, but it’s unclear what role he will fill. Very promising, but won’t be a regular this season.
JOSH WOODEN – 2 games, 1 goal. C+
Starved of opportunities despite being a pretty handy player. Still quick enough to have an impact and long kicking remains dangerous. Probably won’t get the chances he deserves on account of his age, but will do a job if selected. Would have played 100+ games at most clubs. Unlucky.
MATTHEW PRIDDIS – 1 game, 0 goals. B+
After a strong debut in remarkable game, Sideshow Priddis was sent back to the WAFL. Will take a lot of hard work to cement a spot in a stacked midfield, but looks to have the tools. Could definitely take over Fletcher’s role eventually, but needs to keep banging on the door until then.
NB: Players are graded based on what we need from them to be at our best. Andrew Embley is not on the same scale as Matthew Rosa.