AFL pre-season news: Nine things we learned from week one of games
Tom De Koning is worth the price tag, we have an early Smokie for AA, and the Power has a serious concern. Here are nine things we learned from week one of pre-season practice games.
We finally have official practice matches under our belts as clubs begin going head-to-head. Here are the major takeaways from the weekend’s practice match.
1. TDK IS WORTH EVERY BIT THE PRICE TAG
Tom De Koning looks every bit worth the $1.7 million-a-year price tag.
If he stays at Carlton based on everything we saw last season and again on Saturday, he’d be one of the most loyal players in history, leaving about $5 million on the table over the course of the a seven-year deal.
He was brilliant against the Saints at Ikon Park, showing the mobility, marking power, ruck spring and athleticism that makes him a modern day AFL unicorn. A big man who can do it all.
And this year he may have to help save the Blues in defence which looks reliant on Jacob Weitering even with new co-pilot Nick Haynes next to him.
If the Blues remain shaky down back, TDK will have to play a crucial role dropping back like he did late in the third term with the superb grab over Harry Boyd.
It’s like the Max Gawn role at Melbourne, as the Blues are already stacked for talls in attack.
2. DEMONS FINALLY NAIL BACK-UP PLAN
Melbourne paid up big for million dollar ruckman Brodie Grundy in 2023 and it was a catastrophic failure.
In truth they didn’t pay all of his wage yet he and Max Gawn were rarely able to make that ruck combo work effectively.
But as 33-year-old four-club journeyman Tom Campbell strutted his stuff on the weekend against North Melbourne it was obvious the cheap-as-chips backup might be exactly what Simon Goodwin is after.
As assistant coach Troy Chaplin said post match he is the perfect player to support Gawn and even give him a spell during games after he effectively rucked one-out last year.
The club could play Campbell as a second ruck or just rest Gawn once or twice through the year to ensure he remains fresh for what is hopefully a September campaign.
Campbell played 42 games at the Dogs, then 12 at North Melbourne and four at St Kilda for a 58-game career that is now in its 14th season.
He is a cracking bloke and great for club morale, but could he actually be more than a back-up for the first time in a long time.
3. THE ALL-AUSTRALIAN SMOKIE OF THE YEAR
All the talk about Kysaiah Pickett has centred on whether he has one foot out the door at Melbourne already.
But even if he is texting Dockers’ players, the dynamite forward definitely has his head in the game after lighting up Saturday’s hit-out against the Kangas.
With his speed, power, strength and blinding skill, Pickett looks like he can become a top-10 player in the comp this year, nailing two long first-term set shot goals against North like they were dead-straight three irons from 50m.
Yes the Cyril Rioli-clone will miss the first three games and remains a constant suspension threat.
But if he can stay on the park for the rest of the year he is a lock to receive his first All-Australian jacket at season’s end which one bookie considers a remarkably long $7 chance.
4. MOMENT OF THE PRESEASON SO FAR?
St Kilda first-year hard nut Hugh Boxshall shrugged off dual Brownlow Medalist Patrick Cripps in a centre square tussle on Saturday like it was easy.
Boxshall isn’t Dusty Martin just yet, but what a promising performance it was from a kid taken with pick 45 from Claremont for the Saints.
SuperCoach fans will be all over him, but not they’re not as happy as the Saints’ recruiters who have plucked one from the middle rounds.
This is why coach Ross Lyon thinks the club can rise up without having to spend years at the bottom.
Mature-age ruckman Harry Boyd also looked comfortable at the level and could play round one if Rowan Marshall doesn’t recover in time from his pelvis injury.
ON THE 195CM BROWNLOW MEDALLIST?!
— Alan (@alkaiuf_) February 22, 2025
WHAT THE FUCK pic.twitter.com/0EFZ6OgFIL
5. FORWARD OPTIONS EMERGE FOR MELBOURNE
When you invest so much draft capital in a top 15 pick you can’t afford to waste it.
So the Demons were thrilled to see key forward Matthew Jefferson convert an excellent summer into a strong performance kicking two goals against the Roos.
He took marks at their highest point and looked the part alongside Jacob Van Rooyen after two seasons in the VFL without an AFL debut kicking 23 and then 29 goals.
The No. 15 draft pick should ideally form a long-term partnership with Van Rooyen and Daniel Turner but he had never knocked down the selection door at the Demons last year.
As assistant coach Troy Chaplin said after the victory: “He really worked hard on his contest work and started to see some results in the VFL. He’s carried that through to an AFL (practice) game.
“He’s had a pretty big summer and we think he’s got a really good footy IQ, and his ability with his leading patterns and ability to hit the scoreboard we know is there.
“With any young player, especially a key forward, it does take time. We’re hoping ‘Jeffo’ gets exposed to some AFL footy this year.”
6. CHIP CHIP WOOD CHIP
The Tigers took a bunch of kids to West Australia and played a largely risk-averse chipping game at times out of the backline against West Coast’s more seasoned outfit.
Fair enough with a bunch of kids who didn’t need an on-field obliteration in one of their first contests in Richmond colours.
But if No. 1 overall pick Sam Lalor can continue his form from early in that game along with Tom Lynch, the Tigers should play the quickest corridor-based game they can.
Lalor had never had an AFL pre-season and looked the part with a strong mark back with the flight and goal early in the contest.
He smacked of class in everything he did as a deep forward … until he was smacked in the jaw in an incident where he was pushed by Reuben Ginbey.
He still hasn’t been ruled out for round 1 with a broken jaw and concussion but regardless he showed enough for Yze to believe he and Lynch can make a forward-line impact this year.
7. POWER BACKLINE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
It is just one game and a first look at Jeremy Finlayson as a key defender with talls Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and Esava Ratugolea sidelined, but the Power will be hoping its backline looks a little more settled after this week’s trial against St Kilda. Aliir Allir, Miles Bergman, Logan Evans and Kane Farrell are locks for round 1. Lachie Jones and Josh Sinn seem likely to be there. So is it Finlayson and Ryan Burton battling for one spot? Although Port’s backline was not helped by the team’s on-ballers getting well beaten in the centre during the middle of the game and both teams could be excused for being a little rusty, there seemed to be several breakdowns of communication that led to Crows players being unmarked inside 50 coming out of the centre and too many one-on-one contests lost.
8. CROWS’ SELECTION SQUEEZE LOOKS REAL
Adelaide needs to fit Izak Rankine, Isaac Cumming, Lachie Sholl and Max Michalanney back into its team for round 1. Rankine, Cumming and Sholl are all expected to face Brisbane on Thursday, boosting a team that suddenly has depth and experience across every line. It will mean players who have long been A-grade regulars will be pushed out of the side. Third-year midfielder Billy Dowling is likely to make way for the returns of Cumming and Sholl after lining up in their spots on a wing against the Power.
9. MOUNT BARKER DESERVES MORE GAMES
Summit Sport and Recreation Park again put on a great showcase, two years after debuting as an AFL ground when it hosted Gather Round for the first time. Mount Barker’s bucolic setting with rolling paddocks behind the northern goals, a pristine surface resembling a bowling green and family-friendly atmosphere are all big ticks as it pitches itself as an alternative venue for future footy festivals, pre-season matches or SANFL games. The local council wants to host more top-level footy and it will be well deserved if the region gets another bite of the Gather Round pie, which can hopefully be eventually shared with the Barossa Valley.
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