Early mail has dropped with some insights on Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy’s ruck split along with Tristan Xerri’s potential lone ruck role plus some potential debutants around the corner.
DEBUTANT ALERTS
Gold Coast confirmed a trio of debutants in Ethan Read (AF $276k SC $171k RUC), Will Graham (AF $225k SC $117k D/M) and Sam Clohesy (AF $200k SC $102k DEF).
Read was taken pick 9 in the 2023 AFL Draft and is a 202cm key position player/ruck. Read booted 2 goals from 19 disposals with 5 marks and 13 hit-outs in Gold Coast’s Round 1 VFL game a fortnight ago.
Graham went pick 26 in the 2023 AFL Draft and is an inside midfield/wing type. Graham had 28 disposals and 7 marks in the Suns’ Round 1 VFL game. Clohesy is a 21-year-old “electric rebounding half-back” who was selected with pick 4 in the 2024 Rookie Draft.
POTENTIAL DEBUTANTS
Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan noted rookie Logan Morris (AF $210k SC $117k FWD) in the mix for an AFL debut amid their winless run. Morris, who went with pick 31 in the 2023 AFL Draft, kicked 4 goals in a pre-season game and 3 goals last weekend in the VFL.
Fagan said: “Yeah he’s had some good performances both in the pre-season and more recent VFL games. He’s pretty close to getting a look-in.”
With Lachlan Murphy and Wayne Milera out injured, Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks was also asked about a potential debutant in Billy Dowling (AF $200k SC $123k M/F).
Nicks said: “Billy had a really strong game at SANFL level. Continues to improve. He’s an accumulator who can find the footy. So yeah, he’s put his name up.”
North could blood SSP recruit Tyler Sellers (AF $200k SC $102k MID) after 9 goals in the first 2 VFL games with Callum Coleman-Jones out injured.
Roos coach Alastair Clarkson said: “We’ve got a number of players that are right in the mix there, Sellers has been playing really good footy, Comben, Hughie Greenwood. We just need to work out what our best mix is.”
UPDATES
With backup ruck Coleman-Jones out, Tristan Xerri could potentially play as a sole no.1 ruck for North. Clarkson was asked about that, but replied: “He’s shouldered a big responsibility for us thus far, with the support of CJ.
“It’s not just about this game, we’ve got to think about the whole season. He could shoulder that really manfully for 6-8 weeks but then by halfway through the season he’s cooked. He’s making really good progress in the work he’s done thus far and we’ve just got to protect him a little bit. it’s a long season and we want to protect him as best we can.”
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir was asked about the ruck split of Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy, when the latter returns from injury, which is slated for Round 5. Longmuir said: “Realistically we want to get back to using them in the same way in the period last year when they were both playing really well before Sean got hurt. I think they were both in almost career-best form in that period.
“We understand there’s going to be a transition period for Sean to get his fitness up to be able to cope with high ruck minutes, so they’ll probably split the ruck early days. We really like Luke forward of the ball, we really like hm in the midfield, around the ball, winning it at ground level.
The Freo coach also discussed the likely role of Josh Draper against Carlton with Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay to come, amid talk that Luke Ryan could take on that key defensive role. Longmuir said: “He’s in the team to be a key back and their job is to play on key forwards. Carlton have obviously got a couple of key forwards in good form. We’ll see how it plays out, we haven’t settled on matchups and structure yet.”
Longmuir heaped praise on the form of Hayden Young. He said: “He’s been great. He was probably a little bit quieter against North Melbourne but the Brisbane game and last week I thought he was really strong. He adds another level of toughness in the midfield, the defensive pressure and the left-foot kick gives us another dynamic in there. I’m happy with how he’s going and how the midfield is balancing up.”
Sydney coach John Longmire declared Taylor Adams will make his club debut if he gets through training following a pre-season knee injury. Longmire said: “Taylor Adams, if he gets through training today, will play. That’ll be exciting for Taylor as well. We’re really looking forward to that.”
Essendon coach Brad Scott offered an update on Jordan Ridley, who has been out with a quad injury. He said: “If we name him, we still have to test him. He’s tracking along pretty well. My message to the medical team with every player, is we need them at 100%, so as long as it takes.”
On Will Setterfield, Scott said he could’ve played last week but wasn’t at 100% but “he’ll be a test later in the week”.
