With the 2021 AFL season just around the corner, our experts tackle some of the burning questions ahead of Round 1.
Which team has you thinking twice about their 2021 fortunes after the AAMI Series?
Rohan Connolly: Essendon. I've been very downbeat about the Bombers in 2021, and I'm still not predicting big things, but there were some promising signs in Saturday night's game against Geelong, none the least a discernible game style and a level of pressure on the opponent, far exceeding anything they showed last season. Jayden Laverde to defence looks a smart move, Nick Hind will offer plenty of rebound, while Nik Cox and Harrison Jones look like they can add plenty. The Dons will be a popular bottom four pick, but they might be a bit better than that.
Jake Michaels: For me, it's Gold Coast. I think a few weeks ago I was getting well and truly swept up in the Matt Rowell euphoria (yes, I still believe he will live up to the hype!), and maybe overexaggerated how good the Suns could be in 2021. But after watching Gold Coast against the Lions, when Brisbane actually put their foot down, it's clear they still have some serious issues which need addressing. The kids can only carry them so far and it's hard to see them finishing outside the bottom four.
Matt Walsh: Is it strange to think the Bulldogs might be even better than some had first thought in 2021? I had them making the top six, but I'm willing to say they're more than capable of making the leap to top four. They have the deepest midfield in competition and many of those know their way around goal, and their workmanlike defense just gets the job done. The only question that remains is their forward line, but there were no issues during preseason action.
Jarryd Barca: GWS. Everyone knows to take a side's preseason form with a grain of salt, but the Giants -- a side many have tipped to fall (including me) -- showed they still have enough talent and match-winners across the field to create serious headaches for more fancied opposition. How good was Toby Greene!? And Tanner Bruhn wasn't bad, either.
Did Zac Williams deserve the one-game ban for his head-high hit?
RC: Yes. Carlton will argue the MRO ruling of "medium impact" is too severe, given Hunter Clark suffered no immediate ill effects and played out the game, and if that ruling was reduced to "low," a fine would be sufficient. But in my view, any bump in which the player leaves the ground deserves little sympathy. Williams was too late to impact on Hunter Clark's disposal, and by leaving the ground greatly increased the chance of high contact and serious injury and/or concussion. With concussion a red alert in the game now, that risk shouldn't be treated leniently.
Will Carlton's new recruit Zac Williams face scrutiny for this incident? #AAMISeries pic.twitter.com/ef4TrTMbL2
— AFL (@AFL) March 4, 2021
JM: Absolutely! In fact, he can probably consider himself pretty fortunate to not have been slapped with multiple weeks for the hit. Don't even try and downplay it by the fact Clark played out the match. The action was reckless and unnecessary and that's what has to stamped out of the game. But credit to the AFL for banning him, as we've seen a few things in previous pre-seasons slip through to the keeper, when a bold statement could, and probably should, have been made.
MW: Yep, I think if we've learned anything over the last 12 or 18 months -- from Shane Tuck's CTE diagnosis, to Paddy McCartin and everything else -- it's that ANY hit to the head must be graded as at least medium impact. Intentional, high contact, medium impact - that's a ban in my (and the AFL's) books.
JB: He was in trouble the moment his feet left the ground and, actually, one week was generous. He's probably lucky Clark played out the rest of the game but it was an action far from a good look. With concussion a massive talking point in our game, the MRO had a chance to set a stern precedent going forward and failed, in my opinion. Zac, it was the opening minute of a practice match!
Which preseason injury is going to have the biggest impact?
RC: Surely it has to be Cam Rayner. A tremendously exciting prospect who, after 63 games and in his fourth season, just seemed ready to explode from talent to genuine star of the game. There's some other draftees from his year of 2017 who have accomplished more, but I still suspect Rayner's peak might be higher than theirs, and his gradual progression has had a very ominous look about it. Let's hope his recovery is a relatively smooth path.
JM: Yeah, seeing the anguish splashed across Rayner and Chris Fagan's faces on Monday night was certainly hard to watch but I reckon Michael Walters' hamstring injury is a huge blow for a Dockers side which has hopes of returning to September action. Fremantle will likely be battling away for the lower rungs in the top eight of the ladder, and missing Walters for two, maybe three games, could come back to haunt them by Round 23.
MW: The Dockers have had a stiff run in recent times, and after regaining a much-needed key duo in Alex Pearce and Joel Hamling, they now face the prospect of not having two leaders up the other end, with Michael Walters' hamstring playing up, and Rory Lobb suffering a nasty looking knee injury. They looked set to take the next step, but injuries to those players may hamper their rise up the ladder, if for a bit... For the Dogs, Aaron Naughton looked in a bad way, but should be okay for Round 1, which is a relief for coach Luke Beveridge.
JB: Is there anything worse than watching players endure long, hard pre-seasons and then stumble at the final hurdle before Round 1 through no fault of their own? In terms of impact, I think the Dockers losing both Lobb and Walters is a huge blow to a side that needs all the scoring power they can get in a season where the finals race promises to be as tight as we've seen in recent times.
Which team enters 2021 with the best midfield?
RC: Western Bulldogs, for me. Depth, class and an impressive variety of midfield types in that long roll call of talent. Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Tom Liberatore, Bailey Smith, Lachie Hunter, Josh Dunkley ... that's a pretty awesome half-dozen even before you add a certified A-grader in Adam Treloar, then another at least half-dozen lesser lights capable of going through the rotation. Not sure any other team has a group that is both that good as a collective nor bats as deep.
JM: Is there another team that actually comes close to be the Bulldogs!? RoCo nailed it, the mix of inside-outside, speed and strength makes them a daunting midfield group to go up against. Add Caleb Daniel's name to those above, who pulls the strings in the back-half and sets up much of their midfield play, and they are hard to top, even if their ruck stocks are a little below par at the moment.
MW: Bit of a silly question - the others have answered it with aplomb, but I'll go a little off track and ask if having a great midfield is enough to be a great team? Their defense is -- as I've said before -- very workmanlike, they can't seem to settle on where Aaron Naughton should or will be played and they lack solid key position depth for me.
JB: The Western Bulldogs and any other answer is wrong. I mean, look at their raw numbers from the weekend; Macrae (39 disposals), Bontempelli (32), Dunkley (32), Liberatore (31), Hunter (27). Add in Adam Treloar and it's scary good. I know it was only a pre-season hit out but good luck finding me a midfield that bats that deep and is deadly the whole way through.