AAMI pre-season game v Lions - Monday March 8th @ Metricon.

[Supersuns]

With only one serious hit out before Round 1 this year, that’s definitely what you don’t want prior to heading over to Perth to face the Eagles. Still think we’re a bottom 6 team this year unfortunately. Hope the boys prove me wrong.

10th-12th I reckon is our range. Still so young we can't expect a massive rise just yet

 

[Supersuns]

Worked much harder this quarter. Much better

 

[Sunny_]

Would rather play against the Lions twice than North twice. Playing the best will make us better.

Our constantly rotating midfield has made it a bit tricky, too. Last year we had the same centre square mids every game. Now we've swung in the other direction. Can't really think of a mid that has stood out as a result.

 

[kreglze]

Sexton kicking a bag is nice though.

 

[Mini GF]

Burgess is actually going ok in the ruck

 

[Sunny_]

Ellis probably been one of our better mids. Worked really hard all day.

 

[Sunny_]

Brodie not been bad inside. Just been stepped or had his tackles broken going the other way.

 

[Supersuns]

Still worried about our midfield spread. Rowell, Brodie, Greenwood,Miller and Swallow aren't going to run anyone down at pace. I'm not sure we are quick enough in there

 

[Supersuns]

65 inside 50s for 13.11 isn't good enough. Need to work on those entries
We won contested ball and clearances so there is a lot to work with

 

[kreglze]

I think Brodie did enough to play himself into Round 1.

 

[Mini GF]

Other than one putrid quarter it was pleasing
However you can’t have putrid quarters

 

[Sunny_]

I think Brodie did enough to play himself into Round 1.

Had an impact in the midfield and up forward. Did get exposed a bit defensively but not sure he can do much else.

25 touches with 1.3 and some neat inside 50s. If he kicked 2 goals you'd think he was definitely in.

Lemmens surely plays over Harbs.

 

[Jack Richards]

Fiorini not getting a run? Bit rough

 

[briztoon]

FT 72 : 56

Goals: Corbett 3x, Sharp 2x , Ace, Conroy, Flanders, Murdoch, Fiorini, Davies

It looks like Lions came back strongly at the end. Not bad with 16 AFL listed players while Fiorini and Holman played only part time.

Yeah, we had 9 academy kids out there, so you had more listed players than us. Our only two KPP’s were both rucks, Archie Smith and Henry Smith. We didn’t have any listed KPD’s or KPF’s in the team.

 

[Iva Bigun]

Positives
Won 3 quarters of the game
Stats well in our favour
Marcov
Sextons bag

Negatives
3rd quarter was just disgusting,
Still can’t hit a target ( how is this even possible 10 years down the track)
Midfield is slow
Crowd set up at Metricon was weird, all piled into a small section, only one food truck open and Ran out of pies 10mins into the second quarter

 

[SnusCG]

Maybe controversially, but our weakest midfield link right now is Swallow, and if we need to shift someone out in order to give the team a bit more spread, he was comfortably the worst performed tonight and last season he didn't do a whole lot to make me think his spot in the team should be guaranteed (other than being a captain).

it's sad that injuries have cut him down so badly, but right now he's not a high volume ball winner, and he doesn't have the leg speed anymore to tag, or chase, nor is he a very potent forward target.

 

[Jirik13]

Good preparation for the season against a top team.

No injuries!!!!

Difficult to watch Rayner. I hate injuries in AFL.

We turned it on after 5 min. The confidence was obvious, beautiful display in 2nd QTR. Powell, Markov were on fire. Witts dominated BigO.

In the 3rd QTR after Fagan's pep talk Lions increased intensity, work rate. SUNS did not go with them, lost midfield contest, struggled under pressure, disappointingly did not arrest the momentum and intensity dropped.

We were back on equal terms for the most of 4th QTR and run out game well.

Collins was great.

I thought Ballard and Graham did improve together as 2nd half progressed.

Please, next time Lemmens on Cameron.

Burgess did again a decent job in the ruck.

Sexton on fire.

Time to beat Eagles for the first time in Perth. I suspect Ryan will kill Harbrow/Budarick.

 

[Mt Isa Mustang]

Pretty good hit out.
Brodie has earnt his spot for round 1. Like that he is staying dangerous in the forward line. 6 shots in 2 games.

Wil Powell

27

Wil Powell

Age

24

Ht

188cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.2

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.2

4star

MG

161.0

3star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

6.7

4star

M

1.7

2star

T

1.2

2star

MG

156.7

3star

D

8.8

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.6

4star

MG

133.2

3star

young gun in the making

Lachie's kicking so important with this game style

Haven't checked the fixture but god I hope we are playing mostly day games.

 

[SunnerSS]

Atkins and Rankine need to come into that team I suspect Harbrow and Mcpherson most likely to make way. With Graham, Burgess, Fiorini and Holman being cut from the extended squad.

 

[Goodguy72]

Good preparation for the season against a top team.

No injuries!!!!

Difficult to watch Rayner. I hate injuries in AFL.

We turned it on after 5 min. The confidence was obvious, beautiful display in 2nd QTR. Powell, Markov were on fire. Witts dominated BigO.

In the 3rd QTR after Fagan's pep talk Lions increased intensity, work rate. SUNS did not go with them, lost midfield contest, struggled under pressure, disappointingly did not arrest the momentum and intensity dropped.

We were back on equal terms for the most of 4th QTR and run out game well.

Collins was great.

I thought Ballard and Graham did improve together as 2nd half progressed.

Please, next time Lemmens on Cameron.

Burgess did again a decent job in the ruck.

Sexton on fire.

Time to beat Eagles for the first time in Perth. I suspect Ryan will kill Harbrow/Budarick.

Major issues with small forwards not hitting scoreboard like McCarthy and Cameron , some of them have shocking career goal kicking stats

 

[Jirik13]

Major issues with small forwards not hitting scoreboard like McCarthy and Cameron , some of them have shocking career goal kicking stats

Not as bad. It's always driven by midfield performances and I50 deliveries. But yes, we wasted a lot of opportunities yesterday. As for small forwards, both Ainsworth (played only 50% time against Lions) and Rankine look primed to become elite and deliver. Sexton showed he can kicks goals. Then it's up to Flanders, Macpherson, Holman. Does Flanders progress this year and take the spot? One would hope so.

I wish my favorite Rosas gets opportunity this year. It looks like he played well in VFL practice games.

 

[kreglze]

Maybe controversially, but our weakest midfield link right now is Swallow, and if we need to shift someone out in order to give the team a bit more spread, he was comfortably the worst performed tonight and last season he didn't do a whole lot to make me think his spot in the team should be guaranteed (other than being a captain).

it's sad that injuries have cut him down so badly, but right now he's not a high volume ball winner, and he doesn't have the leg speed anymore to tag, or chase, nor is he a very potent forward target.

The thing that Swallow does that most of our other midfielders don't is tackle hard. The man laid some absolutely brutal tackles last night and provides a bit of an enforcer type in there.

Agreed, he isn't a top rotation midfielder anymore but as a defensive minded player, he stills fills that role.

 

[Jirik13]

Yeah, we had 9 academy kids out there, so you had more listed players than us. Our only two KPP’s were both rucks, Archie Smith and Henry Smith. We didn’t have any listed KPD’s or KPF’s in the team.

Tell Hamilton to do his job. I may missed it but there seems to be no Lions reports on the VFL practice game - no team list, which academy players played, no report. What happened to Ballenden and Madden? I did not see them in AFL game. Did they play in VFL game?

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

Went to the game, aside from the 3rd really liked how we played - plenty of positives.

Markov is an amazing pickup. Adds A LOT. Brodie has added a lot to his game finally hitting scoreboard + spreading from the contest, I am starting to finally come around to him. Rowell was Rowell. Anderson gone to another level. Powell was unreal - if he continues in that form he could be AA quality almost.

Thought King got towelled up unfortunately. Swallow starting to look cooked. Defensive pressure gone in 3rd. Overall a good preseason hitout with no Suns injuries.

 

[Jirik13]

Went to the game, aside from the 3rd really liked how we played - plenty of positives.

Markov is an amazing pickup. Adds A LOT. Brodie has added a lot to his game finally hitting scoreboard + spreading from the contest, I am starting to finally come around to him. Rowell was Rowell. Anderson gone to another level. Powell was unreal - if he continues in that form he could be AA quality almost.

Thought King got towelled up unfortunately. Swallow starting to look cooked. Defensive pressure gone in 3rd. Overall a good preseason hitout with no Suns injuries.

FWIW, Swallow is coming back hamstring according to Alastair Lynch. He went hard at it, missed kicks too often as usual.