AFL track watch: First round of pre-season games previewed, team hints
The AFL’s pre-season games are about to get underway, with no shortage of talking points for fans and KFC SuperCoaches. Jay Clark looks at the biggest talking points.
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Melbourne will unleash its new-look superstar ruck pairing for the first time against St Kilda on Friday night in a bid to hit the regular season running.
The Demons will play big men Brodie Grundy, 28, and Max Gawn, 31, together in their first competitive hit-out since Grundy’s move from Collingwood last year.
It was a bold trade from the Demons as coach Simon Goodwin begins to trial how effective the pair can be working in tandem in the ruck and playing key forward.
Former premiership Western Bulldog Lachie Hunter is also set to step out for the first time in red and blue for Melbourne on Friday to help sharpen the Dees’ forward connection.
However, Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch (foot) is expected to sit out the Tigers’ practice match against North Melbourne on Friday at Arden St.
Richmond’s aim was to play Lynch the following week against Melbourne after a foot problem over summer kept him out of the main group until after Christmas.
New recruits Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper and superstar Dustin Martin are expected to play against the Kangaroos on Friday as Damien Hardwick unveils a turbo-charged onball group.
Melbourne premiership full forward Ben Brown trained lightly on Wednesday as he works back from another round of knee surgery, opening the door for jet second-year key forward Jacob Van Rooyen.
But gun goal kicker Bayley Fritsch will be missing from the practice match against the Saints at Moorabbin as he deals with a foot injury.
It is only a minor issue for Fritsch who is expected to be available for the following week’s practice match against Richmond on Saturday, March 4.
St Kilda will begin a new chapter under coach Ross Lyon, however a disastrous run of preseason injuries will force the club to adopt a smaller forward structure for the start of 2023.
Max King (shoulder), Tim Membrey (knee) and Jack Hayes (foot) will all be missing, meaning the Saints will look to swingman Josh Battle, gun youngster Mitch Owens and pre-season pickup Anthony Caminiti to provide a marking target.
The Saints are preparing to play a high-pressure game style in the forward half and capitalize on the outside running power to generate scores.
However, it looms as a challenging year for the Saints as new list boss Stephen Silvagni prepares to make changes to the squad to re-align the salary cap and bring in more top-end talent.
Top draft pick Mattaes Phillipou has been a stand-out over summer with his running and contested ballwinning and is set to make an early-season debut swapping through the middle, while youngster Marcus Windhager has also shone.
But playmakers Nick Coffield and Jack Billings have endured an interrupted summer as they recover from serious injuries.
Goal kicker Jade Gresham, who is a restricted free agent this year, is set to play a major role for the Saints through the middle of the ground.
Melbourne’s Fritsch, 26, sustained a foot injury after being stepped on during the pre-season.
He has trained in the rehab group for at-least the last fortnight, but returned to kicking and light mobility work during Wednesday’s training.
Veteran Jake Melksham will also miss Friday’s warm-up game against St Kilda after hurting his lower leg injury during last week’s training.
Former Saint Luke Dunstan is also battling a hamstring injury which puts him in doubt for Melbourne’s round one clash against the Western Bulldogs.
With the depth and strength of the Dees’ midfield group it could be a tough road back to senior football for Dunstan.
Dangerous rebounding defender Christian Salem looks to be overcoming his thyroid concern as he ran laps during training.
News Corp understands that the Demons will select a strong side for Friday’s match and play a younger squad the following week against Richmond at Casey Fields.
BIGGEST WINNER FROM SCOTT’S DONS REVOLUTION
Harper Sercombe
Essendon’s go-to intercept defender Jordan Ridley looks set to take his game to the next level in 2023.
The Bombers 2020 best and fairest winner impressed again at Tuesday’s training as the conductor of Essendon’s back six.
The interceptor did just that during match-sim while also being accountable for his direct opponent, refusing to get out marked.
Ridley and former Saint Nick Hind used their precision kicking to set up offensive chains from the back half.
Hind also made use of his electric speed to transition play from half back to half forward.
Jayden Laverde, Jake Kelly and Mason Redman were all solid in defence and look certainties to join Hind and Ridley in the defence which takes on Hawthorn in round 1.
With the final one or two spots in the Dons defence still up for grabs, new vice-captain Andrew McGrath is expected to be used in defence.
Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and 2020 picks No.8 and No.10 Nik Cox (foot) and Zach Reid (foot) were in the rehab group.
MIDFIELD DEPTH GROWS
The Dons’ midfield set up for the 2023 season could see a few names roll through there. Newly appointed captain Zach Merrett will lead both the side and the midfield brigade alongside former Giant Dylan Shiel and 2021 All- Australian Darcy Parishwho both featured heavily in the centre bounce drills.
While Kyle Langford, Will Setterfield, Archie Perkins, Jye Caldwell, Sam Durham, Nick Martin and former skipper Dyson Heppell all featured at stages.
COMPETITION FOR DRAPER?
Dangerous and much improved ruckman Sam Draper is guaranteed to be the Dons’ main ruckman for the upcoming season, but the Dons have a solid backup option if required.
21-year-old Nick Bryan impressed during Tuesdays’ match simulation, highlighting his athleticism, run and good foot skills.
With the AFL amending the substitution rule over the off-season some clubs may be more inclined to adopt a two ruck model.
BUDDING RIVALRY SET FOR HUGE ANTI-CLIMAX
Jay Clark
On the surface it looks like the biggest blunder in this year’s AFL fixture.
When it comes to grudge matches this season, there will be no backward steps taken when Jason Horne-Francis locks horns against his old North Melbourne teammates for the first time in round 9.
It is when the subtle jabs from the past few months will surely manifest on the field after a missed ice bath, bad body language and homesickness, in part, led to Horne-Francis’ trade request.
In recent times, these sorts of game have been a love-in. Adam Treloar hugged his Collingwood teammates the first time they met.
Brodie Grundy will do something similar. Ditto Lachie Hunter against the Western Bulldogs.
But this situation feels different.
There will be fireworks when Horne-Francis and the “raging bull” Cameron Zurhaar, who is as equally fearless, come anywhere near each other in search of the footy in the round 9 clash.
The Power are quietly thrilled with the aggressive ball-winner after fixing a calf nerve problem which had plagued him (and went somewhat under the radar) at Arden St last year.
Port’s recruiting team were in awe of Horne-Francis when he dazzled them in his draft year for South Adelaide, slotting three goals in the SANFL preliminary final.
Both SA clubs tried to sell the farm to get him that year.
And over summer, the goalkicker has been quickly whipped into the centre bounces as Port targets a return to the top four under coach Ken Hinkley.
A massive breakout year beckons in season two for Horne-Francis after saying the competitive training environment at Port was “something I have never seen before”.
But in what might be the most unusual call in the 2023 schedule, this game is scheduled for 2.10pm Saturday at Blundstone Arena, in Hobart.
Talk about off-Broadway.
If North is ever going to receive a big Saturday night fixture this game was it, and surely the return of the No.1 pick who walked out on last year’s bottom-placed club would have drawn 30,000-plus to Marvel Stadium.
The Roos topped that crowd figure only twice last season at Docklands (in the Good Friday game against Western Bulldogs and against Carlton) but are certain to be a lot more competitive on the field under Alastair Clarkson this year.
The irony in all this is the former Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein lambasted the games Tassie had been given this year as “crap”.
“Should send this lot back so they can have another go,” Gutwein said.
Labor leader Rebecca White agreed, saying “the AFL certainly hasn’t done us any favours with that fixture” as the league looks to secure the Federal Government stadium funding required to tick-off a new Tassie team.
But the truth is the North versus Port Adelaide battle on top of Clarkson’s first game against Hawthorn in round 3 (where this no love lost either) will have more spice than a Sri Lankan curry.
North could start favourite against the Hawks in that one and, as much as they will play it down, Clarkson and Sam Mitchell would surely love to take the four points against one another.
Remember, Hawthorn picked the apprentice over the master two years ago, in what the club believes was no doubt was the right call.
But Clarkson is a competitor, and the signs in North’s match simulation in recent weeks are very encouraging about the Roos’ upwards trajectory.
See the growth of Charlie Comben, Paul Curtis, Will Phillips, Griffin Logue and Harry Sheezel, for example.
They are the new Roo guard, and Horne-Francis didn’t want a bar of it.
It will certainly be worth the watch when these two planets collide.
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