AFLX Preview: Herald Sun reporters run the rule over each side
Eighteen AFL clubs will be nervously watching the revamped AFLX competition on Friday night with their fingers crossed that their stars get through unscathed. But which coach will be most nervous?
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Eighteen AFL clubs will be nervously watching the revamped AFLX competition on Friday night with their fingers crossed that their stars get through unscathed. But which coach will be most nervous?
Eliza Sewell, Gilbert Gardiner, Sam Landsberger and Jon Ralph run the rule over the four AFLX teams in our fun preview that will hopefully get you at least a little excited that the footy is finally back.
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BOLTS
ELIZA SEWELL
Squad: Patrick Dangerfield (captain), Luke Hodge (vice-captain), Tom Hawkins, Steele Sidebottom, Mark Blicavs, Andrew Gaff, Luke Parker, Jaidyn Stephenson, Andrew McGrath, Jack Billings, Daniel Rich, Tom Rockliff, Jack Steele, Jamie Macmillan.
In: Jamie Macmillan
Out: Robbie Gray and Robbie Tarrant (both injured)
Forecast highlight: Jack Billings dobbing them from all corners of the rectangle and sending Saints fans into a February frenzy. Worth the price of entry alone.
Keep him on the bench: This squad is super quick — except for power forward Tom Hawkins (understandable) … and Tom Rockliff. We love Rocky, but at times he does a fair impersonation of a turtle on the field. Keep him on the bench at the start, then when everyone gets tired, bring him on and let him wreak havoc with this footy smarts.
Breakout player: If a player can break out two years running, it’s Jaidyn Stephenson. The young Magpie was a star in his debut season and with his lightning pace and goal sense, appears tailor-made for therealestate.com.au AFLX tournament.
Nervous club: Geelong. Chris Scott isn’t a good watcher at the best of times, but with three of his biggest stars in Danger, Hawkins and Blicavs running around with no points on offer, he’ll be riding every bump — If he can bear to look.
Special moment: Given there appears to be no coaches in AFLX, we’d love to see Danger run up to the coaches box, maybe when an umpire forgets the 20m bounce rule and pings Gaffy on the goal line, and put his hand through a plaster wall, Clarko style.
The commentary we’d like to hear: Sidebottom has run his full 20m, he’s got to get rid of it. Hang on, there’s Hawkins, he’s pushed into the launch zone and he’s demanding it. Two seconds to go, he’s got it now and oh my, it’s gone through post-high, it’s a 10-pointer and the Bolts are the 2019 realestate.com.au AFLX champions!
DEADLY
JON RALPH
Squad: Eddie Betts (captain), Shaun Burgoyne (vice-captain), Bradley Hill, Jarrod Harbrow, Tim Kelly, Jack Martin, Travis Varcoe, Jade Gresham, Lewis Jetta, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Nathan Wilson, Willie Rioli, Sam Powell-Pepper, Cam Ellis-Yolmen
Forecast highlight: We can’t wait to see what Tim Kelly brings to the table in his first AFL outing since his aborted trade. But have a look to see if Lewis Jetta and Willie Rioli get too close to him during warm-ups as they put in an early-season pitch … Watch this space.
Keep him on the bench: Jarrod Harbrow won the Suns b-and-f last year. Stewie Dew will be praying he doesn’t go down because he hasn’t got many stars. Time for some bruise-free footy Jarrod.
Breakout player: When has “Silk” Burgoyne ever let his team down with the game on the line? If you are looking for a Gatorade gamechanger to score double points with five minutes remaining, it couldn’t be anyone but the AFL’s Mr Clutch.
Do it yourself Eddie: Eddie Betts didn’t select human highlights reel Liam “Flyin” Ryan so after his own spring-heeled leap this week it might be up to the Adelaide favourite to take matters into his own hands. After all, this game is all about the X-factor.
Greased lightning: You can’t tackle what you can’t catch. Look for Harbrow to play on from full back to SPP, who don’t-argues Patrick Dangerfield, who flicks it to Travis Varcoe who slots a goal from 50m. Poetry in motion.
The commentary we’d like to hear: “The Magician from Marvel Stadium!!!!!”
Eddie Betts already has his own pocket at Adelaide Oval but will he take on opponents with checkside dribbling kicks on a more challenging ground — one that is rectangular rather than oval.
RAMPAGE
SAM LANDSBERGER
Squad: Jack Riewoldt (captain), Patrick Cripps (vice-captain), Lachie Whitfield, Rory Sloane, Phil Davis, Dayne Zorko, Jared Polec, Lachie Weller, Easton Wood, Bayley Fritsch, Dylan Shiel, Shaun Higgins, Tim Membrey, Zac Fisher
In: Bayley Fritsch, Lachie Weller, Jared Polec
Out: Tom McDonald (injured), Isaac Smith and Luke Breust (can’t be bothered)
Forecast highlight: Bayley Fritsch has been a summer standout training as a midfielder but how many Team Rampage loyals will pack their allocated bays to witness it? Tickets are being given away like Chinese takeaway menus and failure to sell footy to obsessed Melburnians would be a fair underachievement.
Keep him on the bench: Whoever came up with the Gatorade Game Changer rule. There is designing a version of Australian rules which can be played on rectangular fields across the world and then there is the downright Americanisation of our game, which supporters will have trouble swallowing.
Nervous club: Carlton coach Brendon Bolton’s heart rate probably rises whenever Patrick Cripps crosses Royal Parade without looking twice. AFLX is training drill stuff, with limited chance of players breaking down, although it was at pre-season training where the Blues lost their other co-captains in Sam Docherty.
Big winner: Carly Riewoldt, who has an extra $50,000 to go shopping with alongside husband Jack. In total the AFL will hand out more than $450,000 in player payments but it is the four captains who will profit the most, banking almost as much as a base rookie contract in one night.
Special moment: The final siren. Who knows — it’ll probably sound like the horn in the car Homer Simpson designed. The Melbourne-North Melbourne AFLW clash on Sunday at Casey Fields deserves more attention, just ask Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon, and after AFLX we can turn our attention to the real stuff.
The commentary we’d like to hear: “Who would’ve thought the sequel would be as good as the original?” as AFLX premier Team Rampage beats Team Deadly for the second time in an hour.
FLYERS
GILBERT GARDINER
The squad: Nat Fyfe (captain), Marcus Bontempelli (vice-captain), Scott Pendlebury, Alex Rance, Callan Ward, Isaac Heeney, Stephen Coniglio, Rory Laird, Travis Boak, Lachie Hunter, Aliir Aliir, Michael Hurley, Josh Kennedy, Jack Higgins
In: Callan Ward
Out: Jeremy Cameron (injured)
Forecast highlight: Jack Higgins. Not all heroes — at Marvel Stadium — wear capes. Surprised, actually, the AFL hasn’t sponsored the pint-sized Tiger yet, given a likelihood he could be the pink Sherrin poster boy by stumps on Friday night.
Keep him on the bench: The Dogs have had enough problems the past two seasons than to worry about Flyers vice-captain Marcus Bontempelli getting hurt in the kick and giggle. Suspect Fremantle supremo Ross Lyon will also be watching closely and hoping Nat Fyfe’s role is restricted to spinning magnets over the boundary line.
Breakout player: Aliir Aliir
How do you go past a player with a peroxide blonde mohawk? It just screams AFLX breakout contender. Jokes aside the rangy Swans defender Aliir will be perfectly suited to the hi-octane brand with his ability to read the play and intercept accordingly.
Nervous club: Just because GWS Giants coach Leon Cameron has a garage full of Ferraris it doesn’t mean The Flyers can thrash Stephen Coniglio and Callan Ward. Nothing wrong with burning off at the lights and revving up the engine, akin to look-at-me Chapel St types, but a strict pedal-to-the-metal policy must apply.
Special moment: The final siren.
The commentary we’d like to hear: Pendlebury goes one way, then the other, shimmies past a third and hits Cameron by foot (insert some obscure reference to the Collingwood captain’s basketball background which is said to make him suited to the AFLX format).
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