What your AFL club wants for Christmas
We’ve heard it before with Jared Brennan, but Charlie Curnow really does look like the second coming of his legendary fellow clubman. Here’s how Father Christmas can put a smile on the dial of each club’s fanbase.
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HO, ho, ho, it’s the festive season, so what is Santa Claus bringing your club?
Who knows, but we’ve got a fair idea what might be on their wish list.
Here’s a little guide to how Father Christmas can put a smile on the dial of each club’s fanbase.
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ADELAIDE CROWS
■ AFL to outlaw tagging to release Rory Sloane
Christmas came early for Adelaide when it added Bryce Gibbs to one of the best sides in the competition. But what they’d really like is for the AFL to take a look at tagging and basically stamp it out.
Rory Sloane is a superstar when he’s allowed to roam free, but becomes almost a non-factor when shadowed by an opposition shutdown player.
BRISBANE LIONS
■ Luke Hodge’s hardness to rub off on Cameron Rayner
By all reports, the No. 1 draft pick is as tough as nails. But there’s tough as nails and then there’s Luke Hodge.
Across a quartet of premierships, Hodge became known as the hardest player in the game and, if he can teach Rayner — who has been compared to Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin — the ways of The General, it’s all over.
CARLTON BLUES
■ Charlie Curnow to live up to the Kouta comparisons
We’ve heard it before with Jared Brennan, but the dashing Blue really does look like the second coming of his legendary fellow clubman. Anthony Koutoufides could do it all and Curnow appears to have the same skill set, if not the resemblance.
He can go forward and kick goals and create run off half back, but it appears he will eventually find a home in the midfield. For Blues fans, they will hope his tank matures sooner rather than later.
COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES
■ An overhaul of the Mark of the Year voting system
In the cold, hard light of day, Jeremy Howe should have won the Mark of the Year in 2017. But the public voted for Joe Daniher’s inferior mark, showing it’s become more a popularity contest than a judgment of pure footy skill.
Howe provides a Mark of the Year contender every second week and if he produces one like last season, let’s hope the mooted changes will help him receive his just reward.
ESSENDON BOMBERS
■ History to repeat for another “big three”
In the 2016 off-season, Richmond added Josh Caddy, Dion Prestia and Toby Nankervis. It proved a massive tick for the Tigers’ recruiting staff, with the star trio going on to play major roles in the club lifting the premiership cup. Is history about to repeat itself for Essendon and its own version of the big three?
The Bombers added Jake Stringer, Adam Saad and Devon Smith in the off-season and the early signs are all three will have a major impact in 2018. Saad will free up Andy McGrath to play in the midfield, Stringer is fitter than at any stage over the past couple of years and Smith is the mid-sized forward/midfielder the Bombers have been searching for.
FREMANTLE DOCKERS
■ Sean Darcy to go full Hodor
The man with the best nickname in football needs to live up to the hype in 2017. Sean Darcy, also known as Hodor from Game of Thrones, has a chance to make the Fremantle No. 1 ruck spot his own for the next decade.
Aaron Sandilands is 35 and after two injury plagued years, this could be his final season in the purple. Standing at a huge 111kg and 201cm, the time is right for “Hodor” to take over. If Darcy can protect the Fremantle midfield in the same way Hodor protected Brandon Stark, the Dockers will be onto a winner.
GEELONG CATS
■ SelFieldLett to stay healthy
The prodigal son has returned home to form what is, on paper, perhaps the best midfield of all time. But how many games will he play? Most Geelong fans are cautiously excited at Ablett’s return, but they will always give you the caveat of “how many games Ablett plays”.
He’s not just there to sit in the forward pocket and kick 40 goals, Gaz is going to play in the guts. If Santa can make him invincible, Cats fans will be very, very happy.
GOLD COAST SUNS
■ Tom Lynch’s signature
As the days go by, it’s becoming increasingly worrying that co-captain — and the club’s best player — Tom Lynch will make like so many stars before him and ditch the Gold Coast for a return home to Victoria.
If the Gold Coast has a heart, its epicentre is within Lynch and his co-captain Steven May. May’s already re-signed on a long-term deal, Lynch could make all their Christmases come at once if he put pen to paper.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
■ Jealousy to take over
Callan Ward and Ryan Griffen leave the Western Bulldogs, the Dogs win a premiership.
Brett Deledio walks away from Richmond, the Tigers win a flag. Phil Davis gets out of Adelaide, the Crows make the Grand Final.
It’s time for these Giants to turn their jealousy into an even bigger motivator towards Greater Western Sydney’s first flag. If they don’t, the last Saturday in September will continue to be a nightmare.
HAWTHORN HAWKS
■ Cyril Rioli tearing up the training track
Hawthorn’s spark plug had his 2017 season ravaged by a knee injury that restricted him to just seven games. His preseason plans were also thrown out when more important matters arose and he was granted compassionate leave by the club to care for his sick father in Western Australia. With dad on the road to recovery, Rioli is ready for a late start to the preseason — and a renewed focus on footy.
MELBOURNE DEMONS
■ For that to never, ever happen again!
Is there a worse way to miss finals than what the Melbourne fans had to endure last season? Going into Round 23 the Demons were all but assured of September action. All they had to do was knock off a Collingwood side with nothing to play for. Then, midway through the third term the Dees were down by nearly 50 points. Ouch!
The Melbourne fans then had to sit through a West Coast v Adelaide rollercoaster in which the Eagles won by enough to sneak into the eight by .5. So, for the sake of their fans, let’s hope Melbourne’s finals fate is well and truly sealed by the time Round 23, 2018 comes around. No fan base should be put under that sort of stress two years in a row.
NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS
■ Majak Daw to take the bull by the horns
Trading his No. 30 for No. 1 with a bullet, it’s time for Majak Daw to deliver for North Melbourne. Brad Scott has shown plenty of faith in the high flying beast who has the most powerful physique in the AFL. The glut of rucks with Todd Goldstein and Braydon Preuss makes it hard, but North fans will be hoping a breakout year for Daw is in their Christmas stocking.
PORT ADELAIDE POWER
■ David Koch to find the mute button
The time has come for David Koch to focus all his attention on Sunrise and stay out of the headlines when it comes to the Power. He made all kinds of waves in 2017, with his clip to the Power players after the club’s finals exit not sitting well.
“If they’re not prepared; if they’re just playing for us because they love to play AFL, they’re not players that we want,” he said.
Koch also admitted there was tension between himself and head coach Ken Hinkley. The Power wants to see names like Watts, Rockliff and Motlop in the headlines next year, not Koch.
RICHMOND TIGERS
■ Nothing, thanks Santa
Dusty re-signing on a long-term deal, winning the Brownlow, Norm Smith and then leading the Tigers to a drought-breaking premiership, followed by a super draft haul — Santa’s sleigh can skip Punt Rd in 2017.
ST KILDA SAINTS
■ Someone, anyone to become an A-grader
It might be a little harsh, but St Kilda lost two of their classiest players in Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna to retirement.
Saints fans will tell you any one (or all) of Seb Ross, Jack Steven, Luke Dunstan, Jack Billings, Blake Acres or Jade Gresham are A-graders, but the truth is each lacks a certain element that has prevented them from joining the AFL’s very elite. Perhaps all of them have the ability, but it simply must happen to fill the void left by their departed legends.
SYDNEY SWANS
■ A government commitment to a new headquarters
No ANZ Stadium, sharing their home ground with the likes of the Sydney Roosters, NSW Waratahs, State of Origin and even potentially Sydney FC, there’s not much Christmas cheer for the Swannies since the government’s announcement of plans for a $2 billion stadium rebuild.
CEO Andrew Pridham says their training facility is one of the worst in the AFL — $50 million or so from the government would help deck the halls.
WEST COAST EAGLES
■ For even more Rioli gold
Just in case there was any doubt, this year proved it again. If someone’s surname is Rioli, you do everything you can to get them to your club. Will West Coast be the next to cash in? The Eagles have exciting forward Willie Rioli on their list and there is no doubt he has plenty of the family magic in his trick bag.
After sitting out most of his debut season with an injury, Rioli finished his WAFL campaign with a bang and was seriously in contention to make his AFL debut during the finals series. With a full pre-season under his belt, the Eagles will be hoping Willie can join the likes of Cyril and Daniel as a non-stop highlight machine.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
■ Josh Schache to prove the doubters wrong
There was plenty of player movement throughout the trade period but it is possible the Western Bulldogs secured the biggest bargain. Just two years ago Josh Schache was viewed as the second best draft prospect in Australia. And to get him to the Bulldogs, all Luke Beveridge had to do was give up picks 25 and 40.
Schache clearly had a tough time in Brisbane but now that he is back in his home state, he should be more settled. With Jake Stringer heading out the door, the 20-year-old will get plenty of opportunity to thrive in the Dogs’ forward line. In anyone can get the best out of him, it will be master-coach Bevo.
Originally published as What your AFL club wants for Christmas