The Monday Debrief: All the news and best lines as AFL players speak across the country

You’ve heard from the coaches and the experts, but what are the players saying? See the latest on Ben King, Clayton Oliver, see who this week’s Rising Star was and more in The Monday Debrief.

The AFL season kicked off with a big opening round as Brodie Grundy got one back over the Demons and Damien Hardwick’s Suns made a statement against Richmond.

You’ve heard from the coaches post-match, and our expert analysts – but what are they players saying?

Here’s all latest from around the country in The Monday Debrief.

SWANS YOUNG GUN GETS RISING STAR NOD

– Lachlan McKirdy

Sydney Swans youngster Matt Roberts has earned the first Rising Star nomination of the AFL season after relishing his start to life off the halfback flank.

Roberts, who had played seven matches across the past two years, came into the year ready to make his mark after spending most of the summer training in defence.

He made an immediate impact against the Demons in Opening Round, finishing with 19 disposals, eight marks and three tackles as the Swans registered a 22-point victory.

“I think upon reflection it’s a cool thing to be recognised as a young player coming through and making their mark on the team and the game,” Roberts said.

“It’s come off the back of a pretty strong pre-season for me and really working on my fitness base and aerobic capacity to be able to run out games at the top level.”

Roberts impressed in his first chance to play in defence in the AFL. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Roberts was the No.34 pick in the 2021 draft after impressing in the SANFL with his reading of the game through the midfield.

But after a knee injury curtailed his impact in the Swans’ senior side in 2023, John Longmire and his fellow coaches floated the idea of moving Roberts into a rebounding role.

While the move was only meant to last “a few weeks”, the 20-year-old has found it liberating as it gives him a chance to showcase his strongest attributes as a footballer.

“Horse (Longmire) has spoken a little bit about the potential to move across halfback and to just add another string to my bow,” Roberts said.

“We locked it in at the start of the summer when we came back from the Christmas break. It was only meant to be for a couple of weeks, but they really liked having me back there with my poise and composure.

“You obviously have to change a little bit of your mindset, especially when you’re in the defensive 50 on a pretty good forward, it’s something you mentally have to prepare yourself for.

“But I think I see the game pretty well and that’s a strength of mine. That helps being able to go back and you can see everything in front of you. Which makes things a little bit easier if you can say that.

“It’s sort of a new sort of chapter for my footy and is something I’ve definitely enjoyed.”

The 20-year-old is determined to make the most of his opportunity as part of the Swans’ best 23. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Roberts still sees himself playing as a midfielder in the future but knows the move will help him build confidence that he can compete at AFL level.

There is also less pressure on him to break the game open, particularly when he is playing in the same line as Nick Blakey who has established himself as one of the most damaging rebound players in the competition.

But Roberts doesn’t have to look far for inspiration. In his captain, Callum Mills, he has a clear example of a talented midfielder who bided his time in defence. While in Errol Gulden and Chad Warner he has the perfect showcase of youngsters who were quickly able to establish themselves as elite players in the AFL.

“I’d love to work my way back into the midfield eventually,” Roberts said. “But for now it’s important just about locking in my role in the team.

“Millsy, when he started, he played the first four or five years off the halfback, and he’s now the captain of the footy club and playing a crucial role in our midfield. So yeah, I think along the way, I’ll be able to push back up the ground when needed.

“To know (Gulden and Warner) are only a couple of years older than me, that’s something I definitely look at and see I can make an impact even though I’ve only played a handful of games. If I can bring what I have at all levels that I’ve played at, I can make an impact.

“Last year, I started the year in the team and then had a knee injury and missed a 12-week period. So, I know that when you do get your opportunity, make sure you’re ready to go and you can take it and then don’t look back.”

FOOTY FIT FOR A KING

- Callum Dick

With the contract shackles now off Ben King is happy to finally talk footy once again.

The Gold Coast spearhead signed a two-year extension last month to push pause on speculation he would return home to Victoria and immediately repaid the faith with a five-goal haul against Richmond on Saturday.

After a quiet pre-season King was among the Suns’ best in the Opening Round demolition of the Tigers, equaling his career-high goal tally to go with six marks and seven score involvements.

“I’d rather talk about football than the semantics of a contract,” King told this masthead.

“I’m just relieved I was in a position to get another couple of years and keep playing my footy up here.

Ben King is in fine touch. Picture: Getty Images

“I understand (contract speculation) is all part of footy. I was getting those questions on draft night and I’ve had them consistently ever since – it doesn’t faze me too much.

“I’ve recycled the same answers for the last six years and I’ll keep doing so.”

Hopefully now those questions can fade into the background as King and the Suns set about realising new coach Damien Hardwick’s vision of finals and premierships on the Gold Coast.

The Suns’ first half against the Tigers was the best in club history and certainly the most electric football ever played by a home side at People First Stadium.

Hardwick had called for patience from fans after his side was well handled by both Brisbane and GWS in pre-season. However the version that ran out to face the Tigers looked much improved.

“It was always going to take a little bit of time for this game plan to kick in and for us to get used to it and tinker with it a bit,” said King.

“We learned a lot from those two practice games and we still have a lot to work on, but it was definitely a step in the right direction on the weekend.

“We had confidence that we would be able to sort it out and the system would start to click.”

CLARRY ON THE IMPROVE

– Russell Gould

Melbourne midfield bull Jack Viney dismissed concerns over his team’s misfiring forward line, declaring their contest work was to blame for last week’s opening-round loss to Sydney.

Viney, who was his team’s best in the 22-point SCG loss to the Swans, also declared the improvement of “freakish” Clayton Oliver after an interrupted pre-season would enhance his team’s capacity to control the ball more often.

The lack of output from the forwards, an issue for the Demons throughout 2023, was again highlighted against the Swans, with Jacob van Rooyen kicking just one of his team’s nine goals, while Josh Schache and small-forwards Charlie Spargo and Kade Chandler all went goalless.

But Viney said the defeat came about because the “process” of getting the ball forward broke down and needed to be refined, adamant it was not a major concern.

“A lot of our contests, we’ve spoken about – (we) lost clearances … there were multiple areas that broke down for us,” Viney said.

“We were beaten by a better side. In terms of the contest, we were beaten convincingly.

Jack Viney was one of Melbourne’ best. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Clayton Oliver gets one of his 30-disposals against Sydney. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos/Getty Images

“It’s something we really try to pin our game on, that contest work, and to get beaten on it, it’s hard to win from there.

“Scoreboard, not too frustrating – it’s probably more the process of how we get there.

“That’s what we really look at and where the frustrations come from.”

Viney said the continued improvement of Oliver, who spent time away from the club and didn’t join the main training group until February as he battled off-field issues, would be crucial in helping Melbourne respond against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Oliver still managed 30 disposals with managed game time, but Viney said the four-time best and fairest would be back to his best “real quick”.

“He’s coming off not ideal preparation, he’s had knee surgery, he played modified game minutes coming into the season,” Viney said.

“He’s probably not at his 100 per cent fittest, but even ‘Clars’ at 70-80 per cent is freakish … he’ll get back to his best real quick.

“You just love seeing competitive beasts (Grundy and Gawn) go at it like that.”

Melbourne will also have to find a replacement for young defender Jake Bowey, who will miss the next two moths after injuring his collarbone against the Swans.

MAC BACKED

– Callum Dick

Gold Coast vice-captain Sam Collins has backed “sensational footballer” Mac Andrew to bounce back from a luckless pre-season and recapture a regular place in Damien Hardwick’s side.

Key defender Collins took Andrew under his wing last season and helped show the 20-year-old former first-round pick the ins and outs not just of the position but also what it took to be a professional footballer.

Andrew grew into a reliable third tall in the Suns’ back six by the end of the 2023 season and new coach Hardwick had high hopes for the 201cm talent before a string of bad luck cruelled him.

Andrew was first sidelined with COVID before Christmas and then a hamstring injury. When he returned, he suffered a concussion at training early in the New Year and was again sidelined for a number of weeks.

There are high hopes for Sun Mac Andrew. Picture: Getty Images

Already well behind his teammates, Andrew was then tested as a key forward by Hardwick in pre-season before the coach declared ahead of Opening Round the experiment was over and the talented tall would return to the backline.

He was left out of the match day squad for Saturday’s 39-point win over Richmond – but Collins expects his fellow defender to be back in action sooner rather than later.

“He’s a sensational footballer … he’s going to learn a lot just by playing football, whether it’s in the development team or the AFL team,” Collins said of Andrew.

“The hard thing is you can play him forward, ruck (or) in the backline, so I think if he can really nail his spot and his craft and what he wants to be known as, as a key defender in the AFL, he’ll go a long way.

“I’ve been really impressed with the way he’s working and embracing a slightly different role when it comes up.

“He’s going to be a really talented player for us and we can’t wait to get him in the side when that chance comes.”

VOSS ROCKED BY DOCHERTY INJURY

Carlton coach Michael Voss says the news of a third ACL injury for former co-captain Sam Docherty “levelled me out pretty quick” in the wake of a stirring opening round win, knowing a sharp refocus will be needed for Thursday’s MCG showdown with Richmond.

Coleman Medal winning Blues forward Charlie Curnow also confirmed the impact the injury of Docherty, who has overcome two bouts of cancer, had on his the group, asking “how much can one bloke endure?”

Carlton rallied from 46 points down to produce one of the greatest home-and-away wins with the one-point victory on Friday night before the euphoria was soured by day-after confirmation of Docherty’s injury.

Speaking at the club’s announcement of major sponsor Great Southern Bank extending its partnership with the Blues, Voss said Docherty wanted “no sympathy” in his rehab and and would take on a coaching and mentoring role during his 12-month recovery.

Aside from the emotional impact of the cruel Docherty blow, Voss said the veteran defender would also be missed from his team, which is looking to go one better than last year’s preliminary final and would turn to their “resilience” to move forward. Foot

“(We were) gutted for him. It certainly levelled me out pretty quick,” Voss said on Monday.

“He’s going to be missed, he’s a loved person to us. The other thing is we understand the real challenges he’s had in his life in most recent times.

‘Hearing that news about him doing his third ACL is devastating.’

Originally published as The Monday Debrief: All the news and best lines as AFL players speak across the country