So from the combined teams, can we infer the Simpson is in enough doubt that the Match Committee felt the need to name a like-for-like potential replacement (in Garlett), despite VFL form that sounds less than stellar? Having said that, I don't mind either way, we need to get used to life without Simpson in any case, and at the risk of speaking anti-Russell heresy, I think Marchbank for Garlett happened one week too early. A week in the VFL would have done Marchbank no harm. Didn't seem to hurt Kreuzer or Silvagni.
And so I hope Polson is retained, to give Cuningham the opportunity to combine his fitness and skill with some actual touch and confidence at the lower level. He is not yet so seasoned that it wouldn't do him good.
But also because Polson and Cuningham are not really very similar players (and no, not just because Cuningham is more likely to get the pill and kick a goal!). The stats don't really capture the contribution of fast small defensive forwards, but it's more than tackles, one-percenters, or even pressure acts. I read a good post associating Polson with "electrifying pace and crippling panic", but the thing is, some of that panic is induced in his opponent as he bears down, and it really matters. In the modern game, you must have defensive foot speed in your F50, and we don't have many that provide it (after Fisher, our next best is probably Thomas, which is a bit of an indictment on everyone else). It's a curious hole in our list (as others have noted), and until it's remediated, we'll be better when Polson plays, than when he doesn't.
Of course, I'd prefer his actual stats were better, and I'm not certain he'll ever be AFL standard with ball in hand. But with our 2019 list the way it is, I reckon he'll play a lot of AFL this year... in a very strong Carlton side, he might get pushed out by Fisher playing predominantly out of the F50. But not yet.
The actual game: I was bullish until I looked at the defensive matchups. Happy with Jones on Lewis and Weitering on Roughead, but looking at Breust-Wingard-Puopolo against Thomas-Plowman-Newman-Simpson/Garlett... well, we're going to have to do a lot better than break-even in the middle.