The All In: The Advertiser’s footy writers give their answers to the big questions at the Crows and Power
Which Adelaide and Port Adelaide players will have breakout seasons? Should State of Origin make a permanent comeback? Our footy writers weigh into some burning questions in this week’s edition of The All In.
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The Christmas period is long gone and footy is not too far away.
In fact, it is less than 60 days until round one and the pre-season competition starts next month.
Although we are halfway through summer, there has been plenty of talking points in the AFL to keep us busy during the off-season.
Our team of writers discuss some of those issues in our latest instalment of The All In.
1. SHOULD A STATE OF ORIGIN-LIKE MATCH BE PLAYED EVERY YEAR?
Reece Homfray: Every second year I reckon, and make it SA versus Victoria. Pay the players and alternate between Adelaide Oval and the MCG. Play for the Kerley/Whitten Trophy.
Andrew Capel: Yes. Play two games on the same weekend (a bye in the AFL match fixture) every year. SA, Victoria, WA and the Allies should all have Origin teams and they should all play each other once over a three-year period.
Matt Turner: If the game can raise money for worthy causes, like next month’s will, and if the players take to the field wanting to win, rather than in NBA All-Star game ‘let’s score heaps and not play defence’ mode, then yes. I’m not sure whether a proper State of Origin throwback – SA versus Victoria, WA versus the Allies or New South Wales – would work because having multiple teams could prove trickier to organise. But having two of SA, WA and Victoria face off each year would be great. Only issue is the other two states would likely thrash the Croweaters right now.
Richard Earle: Yes, as Malcolm Blight told The Advertiser last week, the last weekend in February to first week in March is the ideal time. The players and coaches support the concept. The catalogue of injuries during pre-season sustained by players waterskiing, playing basketball or rolling out of bed disqualifies clubs from using injury concern over a high skill Origin game to rule the concept out.
Liz Walsh: No. The men’s football calendar is stacked enough as it is. The only matches that should be added to any fixtures for Australian football is in the AFLW competition, which has only eight minor rounds.
Simeon Thomas-Wilson: Yes, it should return but not every year. Go every second year or even every four and make it a State of Origin carnival and include Western Australia, NSW/Queensland and Tasmania etc. Make it an event people really look forward to and one that is prestigious.
Jordan Pinto: Not annually, but maybe every third or fourth year in the way of a cricket or soccer World Cup. It might be a better spectacle – and more of an honour for the players – that way.
2. IS A SEVEN-YEAR DEAL TOO LONG FOR SA RUCKMAN BRODIE GRUNDY?
Reece Homfray: No. Contracts don’t mean anything anyway. If Grundy wants to go home in five years they’ll negotiate a deal.
Andrew Capel: No. The game’s best ruckman has been rewarded with what the market is offering. Collingwood could simply not afford to lose a player of his ilk. It is very sound business by the Magpies.
Matt Turner: No. Grundy is one of the league’s best players and at 25 still has plenty of good footy left ahead of him. He will be 33 by the end of it and some people say he will be banged up and too old. But Dean Cox and Aaron Sandilands were All-Australians at 31. Tying him to a long-term deal does not mean he is untradeable, if Collingwood wants to go in another direction. It does ensure Collingwood will get much better value for him if he asks to leave.
Richard Earle: Yes and no. If Grundy falls over next season with injury or form wanes, Collingwood is left with a massive wage hole. However, he is strategically the most important player in the competition, the Pies are in the premiership window and won’t win without him.
Liz Walsh: No way. He’s an All-Australian and a fan favourite and this is just the way football is going. You want the best players to stick at your club? Then you give them big deals. But regardless, at the end of the day, we’ve all seen that contracts can be broken anyway, so who knows what the future holds in another five years.
Simeon Thomas-Wilson: No, he isn’t just the best ruckman in the competition but is like an extra midfielder for Collingwood. He rightfully was able to demand his price.
Jordan Pinto: No. With Grundy playing 91 of a possible 93 matches since Round 2, 2016, there’s no durability concerns. And Collingwood just had to satisfy the demands of one of the competition’s most-influential players – even if it does cost them elsewhere on its list.
3. WHO WILL HAVE A BREAKOUT SEASON FOR ADELAIDE?
Reece Homfray: Darcy Fogarty.
Andrew Capel: Chayce Jones and Ned McHenry. The club’s 2018 first-round draft picks are centrepieces of the Crows’ future and will get opportunities to shine under new coach Matthew Nicks as he rebuilds the list. The speedy Jones showed some good signs in his eight AFL games last year, while the clever McHenry was impressive at SANFL level despite being handicapped by a back injury.
Matt Turner: Chayce Jones.
Richard Earle: Wayne Milera – promising to superstar.
Liz Walsh: Tom Doedee. Not only is he returning from an ACL injury, but he’s newly appointed to the team’s leadership group – that’s huge for a 22 year old.
Simeon Thomas-Wilson: I’m big on Chayce Jones. He is looking the goods so far this pre-season. Outside of him Darcy Fogarty will be very exciting to watch.
Jordan Pinto: Chayce Jones.
4. WHO WILL HAVE A BREAKOUT CAMPAIGN FOR PORT?
Reece Homfray: Peter Ladhams.
Andrew Capel: Ruckman Peter Ladhams showed great signs in his five AFL games last year and with another pre-season under his belt, and Paddy Ryder having joined St Kilda, he will be given the chance to take his game to another level.
Matt Turner: Zak Butters.
Richard Earle: Todd Marshall.
Liz Walsh: Dan Houston. For some reason he’s not really a household name yet, but I think he’ll continue his form from 2019 and carry it into 2020.
Simeon Thomas-Wilson: Ask the coaches and Zak Butters is really impressing and could get some midfield time. Keep an eye out for Sam Hayes this year though.
Jordan Pinto: Dan Houston. Some might call his 2019 a breakout year, but he could be Port’s most important midfielder by the end of 2020.
5. CAN THE CROWS WIN ANOTHER AFLW FLAG WITH NO CHELSEA RANDALL AND WITH ERIN PHILLIPS COMING BACK FROM AN ACL?
Reece Homfray: Yes, well coached, know how to turn it on when it matters.
Andrew Capel: No. The Crows have been heavily reliant on their two stars. Losing Randall for the season with a knee injury is bad enough, but the jury also is out on just how good Phillips will be as she returns from her knee reconstruction. It would be an incredible triumph to claim consecutive flags from this position.
Matt Turner: If Phillips is back healthy and playing well, Adelaide can challenge. If she misses games or struggles in her comeback from injury, I reckon the Crows can make the finals but won’t win the flag.
Richard Earle: No.
Liz Walsh: Yes, absolutely, it’s just that it will just be much tougher for them. There is huge depth in the Crows squad that other clubs can’t boast: Anne Hatchard, Ebony Marinoff, Eloise Jones, Stevie-Lee Thompson. Those are the players who will be able to pick up where Erin Phillips left off in the mid-forward lines until she returns. The Crows’ defence, however, will be hugely impacted by the loss of Randall, but I’ve got a feeling that Sarah Allan will have a standout year at full-back and take over Randall’s “most courageous player” tag. There is also stacks of chatter around teenage draftee Madison Newman and I expect she’ll grow into a strong presence in the backlines, alongside the likes of Dayna Cox and Marijana Rajcic. This team is fully capable of premierships without their co-captains, but, fingers crossed, three important players do return from ACL injuries this season: Phillips, Chloe Scheer (who’s looking good on the training track) and Rhiannon Metcalfe in the ruck. If Metcalfe returns, that gives Jess Foley (2019’s best and fairest runner-up) the ability to head down back too and plug any gaps there.
Simeon Thomas-Wilson: Maybe. I’m leaning towards no though. I’m expecting some big improvement from some of the other clubs.
Jordan Pinto: It all depends on Phillips’ return, but I think they will fall short.
6.WHO SHOULD BE THE FIRST PLAYER SUPERCOACHES PICK THIS YEAR?
Reece Homfray: My boy Lachie Neale.
Andrew Capel: Brodie Grundy. Sure, he’s very expensive but if you make him captain you’re getting his score twice each week, so he’s worth the investment.
Matt Turner: Lachie Whitfield. Dual-position players are gold, but particularly stars like Whitfield in what looks a forward short on other top-end options.
Richard Earle: Tim Taranto.
Liz Walsh: BRODIE! GRUNDY!
Simeon Thomas-Wilson: Brodie Grundy, but if you want to be a bit different either Marcus Bontempelli or Stephen Coniglio.
Jordan Pinto: Patrick Dangerfield. Cats have added Josh Jenkins in attack and lost Tim Kelly through the middle. And there’s no stopping the former Crow at his midfield best.