Game Day Trial V Pear 20.2

[SydCrow]

If Stretch plays, and Curtin makes it in the midfield, we don't have any obvious weaknesses.

 

[Syd Crow]

Tell that to Luke Jericho

I just did, he wasn't that interested.

 

[Golumless]

Alrighty, finally had time to sit down and watch the trial, so thoughts.

Not a lot to take out from that one, which is a tick in my book for this match. Mainly we got a buffer against an inferior team and did just enough to maintain it throughout the match.

I didn't pick up a great deal of difference in terms of style compared to last year, though it seemed we were happier to be patient with the ball and change up directions more. I was also pretty happy with our skill level considering the difficulty of conditions. The rust with decision making also didn't seem to be too prevalent, though there were a few shockers early.

Inside midfield is still going to be a glaring weakness, though with Curtin's injury that's not a huge surprise. At least we seemed willing to give Peatling more responsibility there as he's probably the best clearance winner on our list outside of Laird/Keays. We don't really have a lot to add outside of that until Draper is fit and ready, though that might be a next year proposition. Rachele also looked good in this role, however, our issues were at the coal face, not with class. I'm decently sceptical he's the answer, but had some nice moments and accumulated well.

Defensively, we looked solid but in saying that, Port have one of the worst offensive units in the league. How Murray and Butts go together over the next couple of months is a big watch for me, seeing neither are good interceptors/ball movers. Thought Milera and Worrell looked excellent though.

Forward line was excellent. Thilthorpe took a cupcake matchup and smashed the living daylight out of it. Tex had some class moments as well, though he does look slow. Keays/ANB/Fog had moments but were largely passengers.

Big winner of the trial was McAndrews. That was an electric first half, but seemed to fade as Port made adjustments to nullify his leap. Still, you'd think he's not too far from locking down a round 1 spot. Cook was another one who had plenty of impact offensively and defensively in the game which was super promising. Pedlar two goals and general energy as well, seeing if he can add a genuine pressure/defensive game, he can at least salvage a career as a mid-rotation forward.

Big loser? Probably Taylor with Pedlar knocking in a few goals and Zac not really doing anything of note. Edwards as well, got the nod over Dowling and was very middling.

 

[Golumless]

My theory is that you want to be predictable if you're a high-skill, attacking side, and unpredictable otherwise.

Predictability is only an boon if you take advantage of it.

Nah, unpredictability destroys low skilled teams. Last thing you want is more mental load from decision making added on in a side that's already struggling.

Ultimately, you always want to be predictable just to make sure your ball movement is as fast/skilled as possible (noting predictability increases skill level), as a means to capitalise on periods of disorganisation. Chemistry and structures is all about predictability affer all.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Thilthorpe, Pedlar & McAndrew.

Not so good for Port

The Winners and Losers of the 2026 Match Sims - The Mongrel Punt

Every round during the 2026 AFL season, we’re looking at the Winners and Losers of the week. Even in the pre-season, it’s good to get your head around which players fired up, and which players cooled off. And so, with that, we head into the Winners and Losers of the Match Sims. THE WINNERS...

themongrelpunt.com

 

[1970crow]

Thilthorpe, Pedlar & McAndrew.

Not so good for Port

The Winners and Losers of the 2026 Match Sims - The Mongrel Punt

Every round during the 2026 AFL season, we’re looking at the Winners and Losers of the week. Even in the pre-season, it’s good to get your head around which players fired up, and which players cooled off. And so, with that, we head into the Winners and Losers of the Match Sims. THE WINNERS...

themongrelpunt.com

Or O’Brien if they’re right.

 

[bigman]

Thought I’d take down some basic stats for those interested, even though the game is a few days old at this point. AF = AFL Fantasy. Reminder that the stream lost about seven or so minutes, so stats are lower than reality.

1. Jones - 17 disposals (12 kicks, five handballs), five marks, two tackles, one free for, one goal, one goal assist, 76 AF

2. Keays - 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs), three marks, four tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 54 AF

3. Berry - 14 disposals (nine kicks, five handballs), three marks, two tackles, one free for, two frees against, two behinds, 51 AF

7. Thilthorpe - 12 disposals (11 kicks, one handball), seven marks, one tackle, three frees for, five goals, two behinds, 95 AF

8. Rachele - 15 disposals (10 kicks, five handballs), five marks, three tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 71 AF (goal was scored when the stream went down, but I still included it)

9. Murray - 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs), four marks, one tackle, one free against, 38 AF

10. Pedlar - eight disposals (six kicks, two handballs), six marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, two goals, 58 AF

11. Edwards - 11 disposals (six kicks, five handballs), four tackles, two frees for, three frees against, 37 AF

12. Dawson (first half only) - 11 disposals (eight kicks, three handballs), six marks, one tackle, two behinds, two goal assists, 54 AF

13. Walker - 12 disposals (10 kicks, two handballs), nine marks, one tackle, two goals, two behinds, one goal assist, 79 AF

14. Soligo (second half only) - six disposals (five kicks, one handball), one tackle, one free for, one free against, 19 AF

15. Cook - 18 disposals (14 kicks, four handballs), seven marks, one tackle, one free for, one behind, two goal assists, 77 AF

16. Michalanney - eight disposals (four kicks, four handballs), two marks, 26 AF

19. Taylor - eight disposals (three kicks, five handballs), two marks, one tackle, 29 AF

21. Bond - 11 disposals (four kicks, seven handballs), one mark, two tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal assist, 35 AF

24. Worrell - 23 disposals (19 kicks, four handballs), eight marks, one tackle, one free for, one free against, one goal assist, 91 AF

25. Peatling - 15 disposals (eight kicks, seven handballs), five marks, seven tackles, one free against, two goal assists, 78 AF

27. Nankervis (second half only) - eight disposals (seven kicks, one handball), two marks, three tackles, one free for, one free against, 39 AF

28. Neal-Bullen - 13 disposals (eight kicks, five handballs), three marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 55 AF

29. Laird (just over a half) - 11 disposals (eight kicks, three handballs), five marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, 51 AF

30. Milera - 24 disposals (19 kicks, five handballs), four marks, three tackles, one free for, 92 AF

32. Fogarty - 11 disposals (five kicks, six handballs), three marks, one free against, one goal, one goal assist, 39 AF

39. Murray - eight disposals (four kicks, four handballs), one free for, 11 hit-outs, 33 AF

41. Butts - nine disposals (eight kicks, one handball), five marks, one tackle, one free for, 46 AF

42. McAndrew - 12 disposals (six kicks, six handballs), four marks, four tackles, two frees against, one behind, one goal assist, 21 hit-outs, 74 AF

Centre Bounce Attendances (out of 25):
17 - McAndrew
16 - Peatling, Edwards
13 - Berry
12 - Rachele
11 - Soligo
8 - Murray
4 - Dawson
3 - Thilthorpe

Kick-ins:
5 - Milera
4 - Worrell
3 - Cook
1 - Laird, Nankervis

 

[Golumless]

Thought I’d take down some basic stats for those interested, even though the game is a few days old at this point. AF = AFL Fantasy. Reminder that the stream lost about seven or so minutes, so stats are lower than reality.

1. Jones - 17 disposals (12 kicks, five handballs), five marks, two tackles, one free for, one goal, one goal assist, 76 AF

2. Keays - 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs), three marks, four tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 54 AF

3. Berry - 14 disposals (nine kicks, five handballs), three marks, two tackles, one free for, two frees against, two behinds, 51 AF

7. Thilthorpe - 12 disposals (11 kicks, one handball), seven marks, one tackle, three frees for, five goals, two behinds, 95 AF

8. Rachele - 15 disposals (10 kicks, five handballs), five marks, three tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 71 AF (goal was scored when the stream went down, but I still included it)

9. Murray - 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs), four marks, one tackle, one free against, 38 AF

10. Pedlar - eight disposals (six kicks, two handballs), six marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, two goals, 58 AF

11. Edwards - 11 disposals (six kicks, five handballs), four tackles, two frees for, three frees against, 37 AF

12. Dawson (first half only) - 11 disposals (eight kicks, three handballs), six marks, one tackle, two behinds, two goal assists, 54 AF

13. Walker - 12 disposals (10 kicks, two handballs), nine marks, one tackle, two goals, two behinds, one goal assist, 79 AF

14. Soligo (second half only) - six disposals (five kicks, one handball), one tackle, one free for, one free against, 19 AF

15. Cook - 18 disposals (14 kicks, four handballs), seven marks, one tackle, one free for, one behind, two goal assists, 77 AF

16. Michalanney - eight disposals (four kicks, four handballs), two marks, 26 AF

19. Taylor - eight disposals (three kicks, five handballs), two marks, one tackle, 29 AF

21. Bond - 11 disposals (four kicks, seven handballs), one mark, two tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal assist, 35 AF

24. Worrell - 23 disposals (19 kicks, four handballs), eight marks, one tackle, one free for, one free against, one goal assist, 91 AF

25. Peatling - 15 disposals (eight kicks, seven handballs), five marks, seven tackles, one free against, two goal assists, 78 AF

27. Nankervis (second half only) - eight disposals (seven kicks, one handball), two marks, three tackles, one free for, one free against, 39 AF

28. Neal-Bullen - 13 disposals (eight kicks, five handballs), three marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 55 AF

29. Laird (just over a half) - 11 disposals (eight kicks, three handballs), five marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, 51 AF

30. Milera - 24 disposals (19 kicks, five handballs), four marks, three tackles, one free for, 92 AF

32. Fogarty - 11 disposals (five kicks, six handballs), three marks, one free against, one goal, one goal assist, 39 AF

39. Murray - eight disposals (four kicks, four handballs), one free for, 11 hit-outs, 33 AF

41. Butts - nine disposals (eight kicks, one handball), five marks, one tackle, one free for, 46 AF

42. McAndrew - 12 disposals (six kicks, six handballs), four marks, four tackles, two frees against, one behind, one goal assist, 21 hit-outs, 74 AF

Centre Bounce Attendances (out of 25):
17 - McAndrew
16 - Peatling, Edwards
13 - Berry
12 - Rachele
11 - Soligo
8 - Murray
4 - Dawson
3 - Thilthorpe

Kick-ins:
5 - Milera
4 - Worrell
3 - Cook
1 - Laird, Nankervis

Quietly, the thing I'm most excited for since Curtin's injury is we seem to be wanting to roll Peatling through the middle more. Dude has that 6-7 clearance per game potential we are sorely lacking.

 

[bigman]

Quietly, the thing I'm most excited for since Curtin's injury is we seem to be wanting to roll Peatling through the middle more. Dude has that 6-7 clearance per game potential we are sorely lacking.

Was the best of our midfield group. Looked sharp.

Best for mine were Thilthorpe, Worrell, Milera, Tex (after a poor start), McAndrew, Cook, Peatling and Dawson.

Soligo looked unfit.

 

[bigman]

Also fwiw I was pleasantly surprised.

Not saying we played amazing but Port would’ve wanted to impress their new coach and home crowd at Alberton. We just didn’t let them though. Bullied them a bit.

Still think our start to the year will be tough going but we definitely looked switched on.

 

[FR0GGY]

Thought I’d take down some basic stats for those interested, even though the game is a few days old at this point. AF = AFL Fantasy. Reminder that the stream lost about seven or so minutes, so stats are lower than reality.

1. Jones - 17 disposals (12 kicks, five handballs), five marks, two tackles, one free for, one goal, one goal assist, 76 AF

2. Keays - 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs), three marks, four tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 54 AF

3. Berry - 14 disposals (nine kicks, five handballs), three marks, two tackles, one free for, two frees against, two behinds, 51 AF

7. Thilthorpe - 12 disposals (11 kicks, one handball), seven marks, one tackle, three frees for, five goals, two behinds, 95 AF

8. Rachele - 15 disposals (10 kicks, five handballs), five marks, three tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 71 AF (goal was scored when the stream went down, but I still included it)

9. Murray - 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs), four marks, one tackle, one free against, 38 AF

10. Pedlar - eight disposals (six kicks, two handballs), six marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, two goals, 58 AF

11. Edwards - 11 disposals (six kicks, five handballs), four tackles, two frees for, three frees against, 37 AF

12. Dawson (first half only) - 11 disposals (eight kicks, three handballs), six marks, one tackle, two behinds, two goal assists, 54 AF

13. Walker - 12 disposals (10 kicks, two handballs), nine marks, one tackle, two goals, two behinds, one goal assist, 79 AF

14. Soligo (second half only) - six disposals (five kicks, one handball), one tackle, one free for, one free against, 19 AF

15. Cook - 18 disposals (14 kicks, four handballs), seven marks, one tackle, one free for, one behind, two goal assists, 77 AF

16. Michalanney - eight disposals (four kicks, four handballs), two marks, 26 AF

19. Taylor - eight disposals (three kicks, five handballs), two marks, one tackle, 29 AF

21. Bond - 11 disposals (four kicks, seven handballs), one mark, two tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal assist, 35 AF

24. Worrell - 23 disposals (19 kicks, four handballs), eight marks, one tackle, one free for, one free against, one goal assist, 91 AF

25. Peatling - 15 disposals (eight kicks, seven handballs), five marks, seven tackles, one free against, two goal assists, 78 AF

27. Nankervis (second half only) - eight disposals (seven kicks, one handball), two marks, three tackles, one free for, one free against, 39 AF

28. Neal-Bullen - 13 disposals (eight kicks, five handballs), three marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 55 AF

29. Laird (just over a half) - 11 disposals (eight kicks, three handballs), five marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, 51 AF

30. Milera - 24 disposals (19 kicks, five handballs), four marks, three tackles, one free for, 92 AF

32. Fogarty - 11 disposals (five kicks, six handballs), three marks, one free against, one goal, one goal assist, 39 AF

39. Murray - eight disposals (four kicks, four handballs), one free for, 11 hit-outs, 33 AF

41. Butts - nine disposals (eight kicks, one handball), five marks, one tackle, one free for, 46 AF

42. McAndrew - 12 disposals (six kicks, six handballs), four marks, four tackles, two frees against, one behind, one goal assist, 21 hit-outs, 74 AF

Centre Bounce Attendances (out of 25):
17 - McAndrew
16 - Peatling, Edwards
13 - Berry
12 - Rachele
11 - Soligo
8 - Murray
4 - Dawson
3 - Thilthorpe

Kick-ins:
5 - Milera
4 - Worrell
3 - Cook
1 - Laird, Nankervis

Did you count meters gained mate?

 

[bigman]

Did you count meters gained mate?

Maybe next year.

 

[AFC979810]

bigman - whats your opinion on how Murray is looking?

Really dont know what to make of him. Would not be surprised in 2026 if he ends up being in the AA discussion, but also wouldn't be surprised if he is dropped for form by round 7.

 

[bigman]

As an aside, a mate who knows his stuff attended the sanfl trial. These were his thoughts:

• Too many top-ups made it a hard watch. We got badly outclassed.
• Too often we bombed long to our talls up forward and had no smalls to crumb. Really need to draft one or two nippy forwards.
• Dowling tried hard and was the only midfielder to have an influence.
• Foot looks good when bursting through traffic but is too fumbly and error-prone which won’t cut it at AFL level.
• Borlase and Ryan played their worst ever games. Ryan got caught at least two times.
• Ludowyke excites. Competes for the ball and is no slouch on the deck. Could be a gem.
• Marsh was a bit soft early but after a talk with the runner lifted his game. Great work-rate, just needs to get stronger over the ball.
• ROB and Sweet broke about even. Nothing particularly inspiring.
• Welsh tried hard but we gave him little to work with.
• Cotton all at sea with his defensive positioning in the first half, got better as the game wore on though.

 

[bigman]

bigman - whats your opinion on how Murray is looking?

Really dont know what to make of him. Would not be surprised in 2026 if he ends up being in the AA discussion, but also wouldn't be surprised if he is dropped for form by round 7.

With Keane’s injury I doubt he gets dropped.

His mobility is the best I’ve seen since the knee. He’s definitely a bit more dour than 2023 though - I’d like to see him back himself aerially more. Hopefully he gains the confidence to not just defend.

 

[AFC979810]

With Keane’s injury I doubt he gets dropped.

His mobility is the best I’ve seen since the knee. He’s definitely a bit more dour than 2023 though - I’d like to see him back himself aerially more. Hopefully he gains the confidence to not just defend.

Thanks mate. Thats definitely a massive concern.

No way we can play Bond in that back 6 alongside Murray and Butts - too close to our 2022 defense.

 

[cmndstab]

Thought I’d take down some basic stats for those interested, even though the game is a few days old at this point. AF = AFL Fantasy. Reminder that the stream lost about seven or so minutes, so stats are lower than reality.

1. Jones - 17 disposals (12 kicks, five handballs), five marks, two tackles, one free for, one goal, one goal assist, 76 AF

2. Keays - 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs), three marks, four tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 54 AF

3. Berry - 14 disposals (nine kicks, five handballs), three marks, two tackles, one free for, two frees against, two behinds, 51 AF

7. Thilthorpe - 12 disposals (11 kicks, one handball), seven marks, one tackle, three frees for, five goals, two behinds, 95 AF

8. Rachele - 15 disposals (10 kicks, five handballs), five marks, three tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 71 AF (goal was scored when the stream went down, but I still included it)

9. Murray - 10 disposals (five kicks, five handballs), four marks, one tackle, one free against, 38 AF

10. Pedlar - eight disposals (six kicks, two handballs), six marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, two goals, 58 AF

11. Edwards - 11 disposals (six kicks, five handballs), four tackles, two frees for, three frees against, 37 AF

12. Dawson (first half only) - 11 disposals (eight kicks, three handballs), six marks, one tackle, two behinds, two goal assists, 54 AF

13. Walker - 12 disposals (10 kicks, two handballs), nine marks, one tackle, two goals, two behinds, one goal assist, 79 AF

14. Soligo (second half only) - six disposals (five kicks, one handball), one tackle, one free for, one free against, 19 AF

15. Cook - 18 disposals (14 kicks, four handballs), seven marks, one tackle, one free for, one behind, two goal assists, 77 AF

16. Michalanney - eight disposals (four kicks, four handballs), two marks, 26 AF

19. Taylor - eight disposals (three kicks, five handballs), two marks, one tackle, 29 AF

21. Bond - 11 disposals (four kicks, seven handballs), one mark, two tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal assist, 35 AF

24. Worrell - 23 disposals (19 kicks, four handballs), eight marks, one tackle, one free for, one free against, one goal assist, 91 AF

25. Peatling - 15 disposals (eight kicks, seven handballs), five marks, seven tackles, one free against, two goal assists, 78 AF

27. Nankervis (second half only) - eight disposals (seven kicks, one handball), two marks, three tackles, one free for, one free against, 39 AF

28. Neal-Bullen - 13 disposals (eight kicks, five handballs), three marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, one goal, 55 AF

29. Laird (just over a half) - 11 disposals (eight kicks, three handballs), five marks, two tackles, one free for, one free against, 51 AF

30. Milera - 24 disposals (19 kicks, five handballs), four marks, three tackles, one free for, 92 AF

32. Fogarty - 11 disposals (five kicks, six handballs), three marks, one free against, one goal, one goal assist, 39 AF

39. Murray - eight disposals (four kicks, four handballs), one free for, 11 hit-outs, 33 AF

41. Butts - nine disposals (eight kicks, one handball), five marks, one tackle, one free for, 46 AF

42. McAndrew - 12 disposals (six kicks, six handballs), four marks, four tackles, two frees against, one behind, one goal assist, 21 hit-outs, 74 AF

Centre Bounce Attendances (out of 25):
17 - McAndrew
16 - Peatling, Edwards
13 - Berry
12 - Rachele
11 - Soligo
8 - Murray
4 - Dawson
3 - Thilthorpe

Kick-ins:
5 - Milera
4 - Worrell
3 - Cook
1 - Laird, Nankervis

Really appreciate your effort on that bigman, I'm terrible at judging stats from watching the match and couldn't find them anywhere.

Just to summarise best-to-worst in terms of AF:

95 Thilthorpe
92 Milera
91 Worrell
79 Walker
78 Peatling
77 Cook
76 Jones
74 McAndrew
71 Rachele
58 Pedlar
55 Neal-Bullen
54 Dawson (H1 only)
54 Keays
51 Berry
51 Laird
46 Butts
39 Nankervis (H2 only)
39 Fogarty
38 N. Murray
37 Edwards
35 Bond
33 T. Murray
29 Taylor
26 Michalanney
19 Soligo (H2 only)

 

[Golumless]

bigman - whats your opinion on how Murray is looking?

Really dont know what to make of him. Would not be surprised in 2026 if he ends up being in the AA discussion, but also wouldn't be surprised if he is dropped for form by round 7.

The one thing we can guarantee at this point is Murray will never be in an AA discussion. Dude has one of the worst offensive games in the league for a big man, and is kind of lucky that Butts is the worst. You can't get in those conversations without being a gun interceptor as a KPD.

As it stands, he and Butts are probably fighting for one spot. My expectation is Murray will end up winning out, seeing we've typically preferred his defensive game over Butts

 

[Cromulant]

The one thing we can guarantee at this point is Murray will never be in an AA discussion. Dude has one of the worst offensive games in the league for a big man, and is kind of lucky that Butts is the worst. You can't get in those conversations without being a gun interceptor as a KPD.

As it stands, he and Butts are probably fighting for one spot. My expectation is Murray will end up winning out, seeing we've typically preferred his defensive game over Butts

Being a good defender gets you in those discussions, not how good of an offence you have.

Its like saying the Coleman Medalist wouldn't get in because he doesn't tackle.

 

[Golumless]

Being a good defender gets you in those discussions, not how good of an offence you have.

Its like saying the Coleman Medalist wouldn't get in because he doesn't tackle.

Dude, have a flick through the recent AA selections at KPD. Without fault, they all put up big numbers offensively, for the position.

No one cares for the KPD who can just defend. Intercepts are the KPD equivalent goals, to steal your Coleman analogy.

 

[FR0GGY]

Dude, have a flick through the recent AA selections at KPD. Without fault, they all put up big numbers offensively, for the position

No one cares for the KPD who can just defend. Intercepts are the KPD equivalent goals, to steal your Coleman analogy.

Nick Murray not much difference to Harris andrews in D50 rebound and meters gained (more rebounds, less metres)

 

[Daniel6]

The one thing we can guarantee at this point is Murray will never be in an AA discussion. Dude has one of the worst offensive games in the league for a big man, and is kind of lucky that Butts is the worst. You can't get in those conversations without being a gun interceptor as a KPD.

As it stands, he and Butts are probably fighting for one spot. My expectation is Murray will end up winning out, seeing we've typically preferred his defensive game over Butts

Nick Murray was in the AA discussion for a key defender at the half way point of the 2023 season. Then he had a knee injury.

 

[Golumless]

Nick Murray not much difference to Harris andrews in D50 rebound and meters gained (more rebounds, less metres)

Try intercepts (both ground and marks) and score launches.

To make it, a KPD must be the first link in the chain of a turnover game.

 

[Golumless]

Nick Murray was in the AA discussion for a key defender at the half way point of the 2023 season. Then he had a knee injury.

On this board, maybe. Was nowhere near it in reality.

I do say that as junior vice president of the Muz fan club. Great defender, but not AA material. For us, that's for Keane and Worrell.

 

[Cromulant]

Try intercepts (both ground and marks) and score launches.

To make it, a KPD must be the first link in the chain of a turnover game.

How were Tex's tackle numbers in his AA year ??