How your AFL team went in 2021 and what they should do this off-season

[Dry Rot]

Thoughts on this analysis North - Swans

How your AFL team went in 2021 and what they should do this off-season
September 14, 2021 — 9.27pm
By Matthew Rendell

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/how-your-afl-team-went-in-2021-and-what-they-should-do-this-off-season-20210831-p58ngg.html

With the season coming to a close over the next few weeks, draft and list expert Matt Rendell is taking a look at each team’s season in 2021 and what they need to do with their lists over the off-season. This article will be updated daily with a new team.

6th. SYDNEY

Was the season a success?
(16th in 2020) 15 wins, 7 losses in 2021, lost elimination final to GWS by one point.
Sydney had an unexpectedly good season, similar to Essendon’s, despite their heartbreaking loss to GWS in an elimination final. The Swans completely changed their brand of football in 2021 but this started in 2020, not long after the boring debacle of a game against Richmond. While the change didn’t transfer to wins last year because of major injuries, it sowed the seeds for 2021. Why wouldn’t you take the game on and play aggressive fast football when you have the likes of Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Errol Gulden, Oliver Florent, Braeden Campbell and Justin McInerney – all runners under 22 – kicking into an electric forward line of Buddy Franklin, Tom Papley, Will Hayward, Isaac Heeney and Sam Wicks? Desperate to find a ruck, they settled on Tom Hickey but because of a very tight salary cap had to release Aliir Aliir and put their faith in Tom McCartin and Dane Rampe, who were excellent all year as key backs. I thought Hickey was the third-best ruck this year behind Max Gawn and Sean Darcy. Players who have been around a while and who had their best years were Callum Mills, Harry Cunningham, Jordan Dawson and George Hewett.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
Keeping their best players on the oval each week is the key to any side but especially the Swans. Depth on their list is only average and we saw last year what happens when they have injuries to multiple key players. Having re-signed Luke Parker (crucial), they have two or three players they might put on the trade table. The Swans would love to have another key back who can lock down and ex-Crow Daniel Talia should be contacted. It will be interesting to see where Talia ends up, because I think a few clubs should sound him out.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 12, 31, 67)
Sydney could grow their draft hand by bringing in some picks with a couple of trades. Dawson has told the club he wants to return home to South Australia, and he is being courted with substantial money by the two Adelaide clubs. That should bring in an early second-round pick. Hewett is another trade option who could bring in a second-round pick. He is a lockdown midfielder and the Swans have a couple who could replace him in James Rowbottom and Ryan Clarke, if he stays on the list. There has been talk about Dylan Stephens returning to South Australia as well, and having been taken at pick five two years ago he won’t be cheap. Port have pick 17, which might get it done, and the Crows’ pick 23 could be packaged with something else thrown in to seal the deal. The Swans are going to be around the mark again next year, especially if that forward line can stay healthy. Mainly Franklin – he takes the pressure off everyone. He can expect Logan McDonald to be with him for most of the year and that’s an extremely dangerous front six. Joel Amartey, Sam Reid and Hayden McLean can also help out as tall forwards and local products in Gulden (who had an outstanding first year) and Campbell will only improve. There are exciting times ahead for Sydney.

7th. GWS

Was the season a success?
(10th in 2020), 11 wins, 10 losses in 2021, lost semi-final to Geelong by 35 points.

At the start of 2021 everyone would have thought GWS would finish in the top eight and it was a major struggle to finally get there. There were plenty of reasons for that. One of their best three players in Lachie Whitfield missed two thirds of the season. The back line was decimated by long-term injuries to Lachie O’Keefe, Jack Buckley and, for chunks of the season, Phil Davis. But Sam Taylor stood up as did Connor Idun, Isaac Cumming and Jake Stein. They blooded many promising players including Tom Green, Tanner Bruhn, Connor Stone and the above defenders. They have a plethora of gun midfielders, with a great balance between tough inside and outside runners who are great kicks and good decision-makers.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
What to do with Stephen Coniglio? It was another poor year injury-wise, and he looked a shell of the player he was two years ago. He is on too good a contract to trade, so he stays and hopefully has a very good pre-season. Jake Riccardi, key forward and back, Matthew Flynn, ruck, should be looking for new clubs because they have something to give but are behind a few players to get a game. Both should command second-round selections. GWS really don’t need any players as they have a very well-balanced list, with good young key backs and forwards. The midfield is arguably the best in the competition.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 2, 13, 50, 68)
The list management team made one of the greatest trading moves last year in securing Collingwood’s first round pick. No one in their wildest dreams thought it would end up being pick 2, which is unbelievably valuable. If North Melbourne call out Jason Horne-Francis at No.1, as I think they will, GWS will definitely call out Sam Darcy and Nick Daicos, then take the next best player, which might be Finn Callaghan, a quick, left-footed midfielder with great running powers.

Considering the Giants are 15th in the competition for experience, they have much improvement to come. Brayden Preuss to replace ruckman Shane Mumford, who is likely to retire, is perfect. The only trouble they will have is fitting their gun young players into the midfield in Stone, who I really like, and Bruhn. They will have many suitors next year. GWS should be challenging the top four next year and are very capable of winning their first premiership as long as they stay healthy, which has been their biggest challenge.

8th. ESSENDON

Was the season a success?
(13th in 2020), 11 wins, 11 losses, lost elimination final to Western Bulldogs by 49 points.
What a super season Essendon had, off the back of a handover to coach Ben Rutten and the loss of key players in Joe Daniher, Orazio Fantasia and Adam Saad, although the first two had hardly played for two years. There was doom and gloom from all the pundits, but they underestimated the new coach and his main assistant Blake Caracella, who had come from the best system of the past four years in Richmond. Credit should also go to list/draft boss Adrian Dodoro, who had a stellar off-season. The only game I could view live was the Anzac Day game and I really liked what I saw, which had strong elements of the Richmond brand.

New acquisitions in Nick Hind and Peter Wright had strong years and the positional moves of Jayden Laverde and James Stewart (out of necessity) to defence were inspired. Draftees Nik Cox and Archie Perkins had great first years, while Jake Stringer elevated himself to match-winner. Improvement came across the board and that tells me the coaching group has developed a great culture in quick time.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
The midfield is super strong, which allowed Essendon to be the fourth-highest scoring team in the competition without any superstars in the forward line, except when Stringer was prowling. They have great key back and forward depth, but those players are young in Zach Reid, Harrison Jones, Cody Brand and Josh Eyre. The back line stood up without Michael Hurley, who missed the whole year, and this is an area they need to bolster if they are going to challenge the top four. Essendon are set to pick up Crow Jake Kelly through free agency, while they could get Daniel Talia cheaply if they desire.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 11, 48, 54)
I would go to the draft again with pick 11 and take the next best player with their first round selection because they want for nothing. They really haven’t got any players to put on the trade table because they are all playing, and playing well, or are very young. Positions will need to be created for these young players, or some may wish to move at the end of next season.

This list looks outstanding with great balance and considering they made the top eight with the 17th-most experienced list and 15th-oldest is a brilliant achievement, and credit to Dodoro and his team. They are not without issues, though, with Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti missing the last few rounds with off-field issues and the promising Irving Mosquito - both small forwards - struggling after his knee reconstruction. This list has the smell of “Baby Bombers” mark two, and that should excite Essendon supporters. They have senior players at the top of their game and gun kids coming through with a great culture and brand of football. It sounds simple, doesn’t it?

[Dry Rot]

Re: How your AFL team went in 2021 and what they should do this off-season

9. WEST COAST

Was the season a success?
(7th in 2020) 10 wins 12 losses in 2021
For the Eagles to miss the finals and have a 10-12 win-loss record is an indictment on this group of players. Put their best 25 players down on paper, and it looks excellent, but you don’t win games on paper. They rarely took the game on, played risk-free football, and tried to control the ball with kicks and marks, and that style of play has become outdated. The loss of Luke Shuey for large parts of the year, a late start by Elliot Yeo, and the absence of Tim Kelly for a few crucial weeks really hurt their midfield. A heavy reliance on their key forwards to kick goals also hurt as that is not sustainable. They also did not look fit as a group and I suggest they had too many good players carrying extra kilos. They need a seriously tough pre-season and to find pace in the midfield and off half-back. As good as the players in the back line are, and they are great at intercept marks, they do not provide any run or dash since Lewis Jetta retired. Jack Petruccelle needs to play wing or half-back and I know he can turn the ball over, but he is one of the few who can run and break lines. The return of Willie Rioli will also help, and they unearthed some likely types in Harry Edwards, Connor West and Luke Foley, but they are very similar types to their good players.


What needs to happen during the off-season?
They should investigate the possibility of attracting Carlton’s Sam Petrevski-Seton (it would require a late first-round pick or two seconds, or include Jarrod Brander or Tom Cole in the trade). Brander, Cole and Jackson Nelson are handy players who could attract second-round selections to help with any trades. I would also chase Jordan Clark from Geelong, who has genuine speed and toughness and can play half-back. He needs to tidy up his kicking and decision-making, but it’s only tinkering needed. A second-round pick would be all that’s required there. I feel that the Eagles can challenge again in 2022 as they have loads of talent, but they require a seriously difficult pre-season, a return of their hard-nosed desire - which was severely lacking this year - and a massive review of their game plan. When you have players with the capabilities of Liam Ryan, Willie Rioli, Oscar Allen, Jack Darling, Josh Kennedy and Jamie Cripps in the forward line you have to move the ball quickly for this group to be at their best.

How should they approach the November draft?
(Picks 10, 29, 36, 50, 65)
If the Eagles don’t trade their first pick, they could take a local player and there are three who are around the top 15: Jacob van Rooyen, a third tall forward who can really cover ground with a great work ethic, Matt Johnson, a big-bodied midfielder, and Rhett Bazzo, a very accomplished key back. Van Rooyen would be my pick if he is still available, as he might also be capable as a midfielder down the track.

10. ST KILDA

Was the season a success?
(5th in 2020) 10 wins, 12 losses in 2021
St Kilda had a really disappointing season after looking as if they might challenge after an excellent 2020. My information is that they had a poor pre-season, allocating a lot of time to strategy and tactics at the expense of strength and conditioning. Players who were on top of the ground and running hard last year were nowhere near that level in 2021. They had an exciting brand of “take the game on, run and gun” and hit the top of the square using their fleet-of-foot, deep group of smaller runners and put massive forward pressure on opposition defences. They weren’t even close to that brand his year. I’ve seen this error made numerous times over my time in football, and it astounds me it still happens. That they still nearly made the finals is testament to a very good and experienced playing list and the loss of, in particular, Jade Gresham and Ben Paton for the whole year and Zak Jones, Paddy Ryder, Jimmy Webster and Hunter Clark for large chunks of the season. Highly paid players Brad Hill and Dan Hannebery had very disappointing seasons with the latter unlikely to be at St Kilda next year after only appearing late in the season.


They found some good players, though: promising midfielder Ryan Byrnes, Cooper Sharman as a hybrid forward, intercept defender Tom Highmore and lockdown defender Callum Wilkie. A special mention goes to Jack Steele, All-Australian midfielder. The combination of Ryder and Rohan Marshall as ruck/forwards is crucial to the success of this team, and that didn’t happen often enough in 2021.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
Jack Lonie, Luke Dunstan, Seb Ross and Josh Battle should go into the trade pool. They are all good players but could find a home where they can receive more opportunities. They are unlikely to bring more than third-round selections. Jack Billings is an interesting case as he was a high draft pick (No. 3 in 2013) and struggled this year. St Kilda might put him on the trade table but at best he’s going to attract a late first-round selection. The Saints need another gun key back and Daniel Talia should be on their radar. If Hannebery and Jake Carlisle are gone they should have some money to spend. Their best 25 looks well-balanced and is capable of challenging again next year with a good pre-season. Paton and Gresham returning adds real speed and football smarts to this team.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 9, 46, 64)
St Kilda have pick nine in the draft, which will effectively become 11. If Talia decides to go elsewhere they need to use that selection on a key back. Josh Gibcus is the best key back in the draft but highly likely to be gone by 11. So a leap of faith is required in selecting Josh Sinn or Campbell Chesser. Why? Because neither would have played more than five games over the past two seasons. Both are Sandringham Dragon players, although Chesser is from the country on scholarship in Melbourne. Both had serious injuries this year but on my observations from the under-16 games in 2019, they could have gone in the top five. Lack of games will mean both will spill to around pick 11, and, again, I would suggest judging them on their best - and their best in the under 16s was great.


11th. FREMANTLE

Was the season a success?
(12th in 2020) 10 wins and 12 losses
Fremantle should be proud of their season. They were in contention to play finals right up to the last round. You know you have great coaching, culture, system, process and communication when the young players on your list play beyond expectations, middle range players play to their ability and the senior players are playing some of the best football of their careers. That’s what Fremantle have produced for the past two years under Justin Longmuir.

What they haven’t produced yet is a healthy list. They have had a wretched run. Alex Pearce missed the first half of the year, as well as young guns Sam Sturt and Hayden Young missing early games. Then, when still in contention, they lost Nat Fyfe, Michael Walters, Rory Lobb, Brennan Cox and Nathan Wilson with around six rounds left. The beauty about this was they were able to put games into their good young players in Brandon Walker and Liam Henry – loved them both in last year’s draft – and Josh Treacy. I can’t believe he went through to the rookie stage.

Great seasons were had by several Dockers: Sean Darcy should have been All-Australian second ruck; James Aish has turned out to be a super pick-up from Collingwood; and David Mundy, at 35 years old, had his best season. Also starring in 2021 were young guns Andrew Brayshaw – I would make him captain next year – Caleb Serong and Adam Cerra, with Luke Ryan and Griffin Logue also having excellent years in defence. They were competitive virtually every week bar one and there is a lot to like about Fremantle next year, when they will surely have better luck with injuries.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
Cerra has requested a trade back to his home city of Melbourne, but they should receive great compensation. The talk is Carlton is on his wish list, and the Blues have pick six. But they will need to give up more and could throw Sam Petrevski-Seton into the mix, as he had an indifferent year and is a WA boy via Halls Creek. He could slot straight into the midfield in Cerra’s place and his best is great. The talk around Lachie Neale returning from the Lions is strong and Fremantle received great compensation for him originally. I would offer pick eight for him and nothing else. Fremantle are in the box seat and Brisbane in a very tricky situation. Neale still has many good years left but turns 29 early next year, and you don’t command anything more than pick eight for a player of that age, no matter how good. Elsewhere, perhaps Cox (second round) could attract interest on the trade table.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 8, 27)
Fremantle do not want for much bar a 40-goal-a-year small forward or two – but those roles might be filled by Walters and Henry – and a midfielder to replace Cerra. They are loaded with key backs.

The aforementioned trade with Carlton would leave them with picks six and eight in the draft, a magnificent hand, though they would likely have to give Carlton a second-round pick back. There are some players from WA who could be around the top 10 in Jacob van Rooyen (key forward), Rhett Bazzo (key back) and Matt Johnson (midfielder), but it is way too early to predict the draft.

[Dry Rot]

Re: How your AFL team went in 2021 and what they should do this off-season

12th. RICHMOND

Was the season a success?
(Premiers in 2020) 9 wins, 12 losses, 1 draw in 2021.
Who’d have thought Richmond would fall to 12th after winning three of the past four premierships? They had injuries to key players, but still, they should still have made the finals. I would suggest a very late start to the pre-season played a part in the fact that they didn’t make the eight, along with the large chunks of footy missed by Kane Lambert, Dion Prestia, Nick Vlastuin, Toby Nankervis, Bachar Houli, Tom Lynch, Ivan Soldo, Noah Balta, Nathan Broad and Shane Edwards. Then disaster hit when Dustin Martin suffered a kidney injury when they were still in contention for finals. The season dissipated very quickly without him.

The Tigers will have a great lead-in to 2022 and I suspect they will rebound quickly. They are fourth for age and experience, so their list shouldn’t fall off a cliff. Their best 23 next year contains 11 players who are 28 years old or over. Six of those players are in their best 10, with Jayden Short, Nankervis, Liam Baker and Shai Bolton rounding out the numbers. None of their older players look like retiring at the end of 2022, bar perhaps Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt.


The return of players such as Balta and Soldo after knee reconstructions, and the beauty of the games put into Callum Coleman-Jones, Mabior Chol, Thomson Dow, Hugo Ralphsmith, Riley Collier-Dawkins and Maurice Rioli will stand them in good stead next year. They have announced two retirements already in David Astbury and Houli, but Daniel Rioli is going to fill in beautifully down back.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
For the first time in a long time, the Tigers have draft selections to play with: two first-round picks and two second-rounders. The only problem is this is a terribly difficult draft because of the lack of viewing and the fact some prospects have played fewer than 10 games over two years. In addition, some of the best talent, Josh Sinn and Campbell Chesser in particular, have been injured for most of the year. Richmond don’t need anything in the trade market; at a pinch, maybe a key back to replace Astbury and Daniel Talia might be on their radar, but they are well-served everywhere else. Unrestricted free agent Chol and Coleman-Jones will struggle to be in their best team next year. They played some very good football this year and will have suitors and should be looking for opportunities. Both would likely bring second-round picks, which would give the Tigers an even stronger hand in the draft.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 7, 16, 26, 28, 40, 44)
They could package 26 and 28 and have another selection in the first round. North Melbourne, Adelaide and Gold Coast could accommodate them as their draft is still about the number of players they bring in to complement great young players. The Tigers could use one of their first-rounders to trade into next year’s draft as well, but that might be difficult as most clubs might be attempting this too. Richmond are in a very good position to go again next year after a big pre-season reset. Their brand of football is excellent and stands up, but they only have a year or two left in their premiership window.


13th. CARLTON

Was the season a success?
(11th in 2020) 8 wins, 14 losses in 2021.
I expected Carlton to make the final eight this year and they failed miserably, winning only eight games and losing four of their last five under David Teague.
Closer inspection of their list reveals they do not have one player aged 28 or older who I consider to be in their best 10 players, except for Ed Curnow.
My conclusion is they are not quite ready and have major problems with their defensive capabilities, mental aptitude and work rate/effort. There were just too many games where they did not turn up to play as a group. That is alarming, and why they had a mid-year review.

Jacob Weitering, Liam Jones, Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps, Harry McKay, Curnow, Jack Silvagni and Matthew Kennedy gave their all most of the time, but the rest were found wanting.
The positives were McKay winning the Coleman Medal and coming of age as a key forward, Weitering’s development into one of the league’s best key backs and the return of Charlie Curnow. I liked what I saw of Tom De Koning in the ruck.
The disappointments were Sam Petrevski-Seton, Jack Martin, Zac Williams, Mitch McGovern and Will Setterfield. I expected more from some of their higher-paid players.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
The information is that Adam Cerra from Fremantle will be joining the Blues, and he’s a star. He will complement the midfield beautifully. He will cost them their pick in the first round of the draft and then some, but I’m happy with that. He has done his development at Fremantle and is ready to go. The big improvement will come from the above players who under-performed, particularly Petrevski-Seton and Martin. I would test the trade waters with Petrevski-Seton, particularly with West Coast, who are in desperate need of some straight-ahead speed in their midfield. The Blues might be able to entice their first round selection for him, and his best deserves that. McGovern has to go on the table along with Setterfield. If Cerra is arriving I can’t see Setterfield getting back in, and he might attract a second round pick. Cory Durdin has to fill the Eddie Betts role but don’t expect too much too soon.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 6, 25, 61)
There’s plenty of upsides here. They should take ex-Crow Tyson Stengle in the draft. I was surprised they didn’t take him in the mid-season one. Caleb Marchbank should return, a good pre-season will help Cripps, and they have some good kids ready to go in Brodie Kemp, Sam Philp, Jack Carroll, Durdin, Luke Parks and Josh Honey.

Improvement from the players who had poor years should see Carlton make the eight next year, no matter who is coaching, because this list is ready to go.

14th. HAWTHORN

Was the season a success?
(15th in 2020) 7 wins, 13 losses, 2 draws in 2021
We weren’t sure what we were going to see from Hawthorn in 2021. Their form was inconsistent leading up to their bye but in typical fashion under Alastair Clarkson, they knuckled down and produced some great results in the second half of the season. The Hawks plan for the opposition as well as anyone in the competition, and they took out some contenders while unearthing some exciting players. Across half-back, Will Day and Changkuoth Jiath look exciting; Jack Scrimshaw finished off the season outstandingly well and is justifying his lofty selection in the draft. The moves of Tim O’Brien to defence and Jacob Koschitzke to the key forward role worked well, Tyler Brockman excelled as a roaming forward, and with James Sicily and Jarman Impey to return I am bullish about their chances of making the finals next year. The unknown is new coach Sam Mitchell; for Hawks supporters’ sake, I hope the hierarchy know what they are doing.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
The Hawks have a good hand in the draft, and they need to use it wisely because they are at least three years away from challenging again. They can trade or go to free agency in 2022. They picked up a gun last year in Denver Grainger-Barras and their defence looks dangerous. If Luke Breust and Jack Gunston remain, which I expect they will, their forward line can also cause some havoc. The midfield has a very familiar look – tough inside mids who can defend, win their own ball and use it well, but besides Chad Wingard they lack genuine line-breaking speed and this is an area they have to target in the draft or trading. Trouble is, no one is giving away quick, skilful midfielders, so to the draft it is.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 5, 21, 24, 56, 62)
They will hope Finn Callaghan is available at pick five, but he’ll more than likely have been snapped up by then, so maybe a trade is in order to move that pick up. Hawthorn have a very well-balanced best 28-odd players. The big interest next year will be: what does their brand of football look like? Is it sustainable? Does it win finals? Is it too defensive or too attacking? They certainly have weapons to score off half-back and their forward line is going to be very mobile and flexible, although it does lack a big competitive beast down there. Maybe that’s where Ben McEvoy plays his last couple of years.

15th. ADELAIDE

Was the season a success?
(18th in 2020) 7 wins, 15 losses in 2021
If you said at the start of the year that Tom Lynch would be out injured for most of the year and Daniel Talia, Matt Crouch and Wayne Milera wouldn’t play at all, with Luke Brown, Rory Sloane and Taylor Walker also missing matches, you’d think they would be lucky to win a game. That they won seven is a testament to the work coach Matthew Nicks and his team have performed over the past two years. They have played with excitement, energy and effort, and given their supporters great hope.


They have played roughly 10 first-, second- and third-year players every week all year and many have delivered. Harry Schoenberg has been outstanding in the midfield, Jordon Butts was excellent as a key back along with fellow rookie Nick Murray. Will Hamill and Lachlan Sholl had very good moments at half-back/wing but need a good pre-season in the gym. Riley Thilthorpe showed why he was No. 2 in last year’s draft, Sam Berry settled into an unfamiliar position as a half-forward and Chayce Jones, who had a slow start, was great on some of the best small forwards. High selections last year Brayden Cook and Luke Pedlar showed enough at the end of the year.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
Lynch and Talia have been delisted and will find a home somewhere else but for no return. David Mackay has retired after great service. I would trade Matt Crouch*, as they need to play younger midfielders next year and are still two years from challenging for the eight. They really have no one else to trade, as you need to keep some senior players and I wouldn’t be bringing anyone in unless they are cheap from a trade point of view. Fischer McAsey, a key back and high draft selection, in his second year, might attract some interest after an indifferent season but with Talia gone they will need him.

*Note: since this article was published, Matt Crouch has re-signed with the Crows for the next two years.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 4, 23, 37, 59, 63)
The Crows have pick four and would love home-grown product and standout Jason Horne-Francis. They would already be planning what they could offer North to swap picks one and four. He is such a good prospect that they are going to have to give up plenty to get this done, and next year’s first round will be involved, but even then it’s unlikely.

North would love someone such as Jones, but that is a big price to pay. There’s much to like about this rebuild and, like the Roos, they should hold their nerve, bank money in the salary cap and have a decent crack at free agency and trades in 2022 and 2023 when these very good young players have played 50-odd games and are ready to go.

[Dry Rot]

Re: How your AFL team went in 2021 and what they should do this off-season

16th. GOLD COAST

Was the season a success?
(14th in 2020) 7 wins, 15 losses in 2021
The Suns’ list is 18th out of the AFL clubs for experience and 16th for age, so did we really expect them to be challenging for the eight? No team of that profile has been close. In addition, they lost captain and elite ruckman Jarrod Witts, back-up ruckman Zac Smith, key back Rory Thompson and small back Connor Buderick for large chunks of the season, as well as experienced forward Sam Day, No.1 pick Matt Rowell and tough inside mids Hugh Greenwood and Lachie Weller. It’s no surprise that they had an up-and-down year and relied on their gun young players to get through. Touk Miller had an All-Australian year, while Ben King, Will Powell, Josh Corbett, Noah Anderson, Charlie Ballard, Brayden Fiorini, Jeremy Sharp and Jack Lukosius made progress. Izak Rankine was the big disappointment, while Rowell needs a good pre-season and confidence in his body. The main improvement will come from having all their injured players back, and they can challenge for the eight.


What needs to happen during the off-season?
The Suns have pick three in the draft and that is highly valuable even though the draft is messy this year, unless we can have some representative games. It would take a big name who wishes to go to the Gold Coast to trade that pick out. The only two players with currency in the trade market are Will Brodie – he’ll definitely be traded, but they will get nowhere near the return on the No.9 selection they took him with in 2016 – and I would throw in Day (second round) and see what he attracts. He is a versatile, athletic swingman who has had many injuries, and a change in environment might benefit all parties. They should go to the draft again and pick off a free agent here or there. I would definitely go after delisted Crow Daniel Talia, as he will be cheap and extremely valuable to them, allowing Charlie Ballard to free-wheel in defence. That one is a no-brainer.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 3, 19, 22, 43, 55, 58, 66)
Outside the two father-son selections and Jason Horne-Francis, the draft is wide open. The Suns should take Finn Callaghan, a left-footed midfielder with a great work ethic and pace.

It’s important for Gold Coast to keep all their young players and build a great culture with great people. They cannot have young players wanting to leave, and there are a few out of contract at the end of 2022, so next year is a super important one in the history of the club. It could make or break them and considering the reported $250 million dollars invested over the years, the AFL and all the clubs need this to succeed.

17th. COLLINGWOOD

Was the season a success?
(6th in 2020) 6 wins, 16 losses in 2021.
Frankly, no. An uncompetitive final against Geelong after an amazing win against West Coast in 2020 rolled on to a trade period that will be remembered as the worst ever by any club. A bloated salary cap led to a firesale to shed roughly $2 million from the cap and send Adam Treloar, Tom Phillips and Jaidyn Stephenson to new clubs. The good news was that they were able to offload their first-round pick in 2021 for two picks, which brought in Caleb Poulter and Liam McMahon – both very good players – on top of tall midfielder Reef McInnes, their next generation academy recruit. The downside is that pick is now No.2 and it belongs to GWS.

After the mid-season departure of coach Nathan Buckley, the game plan became more attacking under Robert Harvey, and the young players acquitted themselves well. There’s much to like about Trent Bianco, Finlay Macrae, Trey Ruscoe, Jack Ginnivan, Beau McCreery and Oliver Henry, and we saw improvement in Isaac Quaynor, Nathan Murphy and Max Lynch.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
My information is the salary cap is still tight, which is unbelievable for a second-bottom team, so there will be no trading or free agency in 2021 and it’s back to the draft. The huge bonus is they have the best player in the draft under the father/son rule in Nick Daicos. If he is nominated No.1 by North Melbourne, Collingwood will need to find 2400 points, and at present they only have around 1700. They would need to perform some fancy trading out of players, or trade out picks in 2022, to have enough. You can go into deficit in 2022 up to 700 points, which Collingwood won’t want to do. But the Pies expect Daicos to be bid on between pick two and four, which would mean there would either be no points deficit or a smaller one.

Players they could trade out with some currency are Mason Cox (second round at best), Max Lynch (ruckman who had a good year), Brayden Sier (third round) and Tom Wilson (third round). They should want to leave anyway for more opportunities.

How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 33, 39, 41, 45)
Next year should bring a better balanced salary cap, although they have to re-sign Darcy Moore and Jordan De Goey and they won’t be cheap. They have a great bunch of kids, some of whom haven’t played yet. With Moore and Jeremy Howe slotting back into defence, Tyler Brown in the midfield and an adventurous new coach who can bring the excitement back, they can recover quickly.

18th. NORTH MELBOURNE

Was the season a success?
(17th in 2020) 4 wins, 17 losses, 1 draw in 2021.
North Melbourne were the best-performed wooden spoon team we have seen. They struggled early, partly because the appointment of new coach David Noble came late, so they had trouble bedding down the game plan. An excellent second half of the year coincided with Ben Cunnington playing his first game in round three and taking a few weeks to get up to speed. Their defence held up and they have found a gun key back in Ben McKay. Kayne Turner was great as a small defender, Jack Ziebell roamed half-back and Aaron Hall had a new lease on life running the ball. Against the odds, Nick Larkey was super as a key forward and he’ll receive help from mid-season pick-up Jacob Edwards next year. I love the new players from last year’s draft in Charlie Lazzaro, Will Phillips and Tom Powell. Phoenix Spicer had to wait until the final round for his debut, but he will light it up in 2022.

What needs to happen during the off-season?
The Roos started their rebuild at the end of last year with high selections in the draft and prudent trades. Free agent Aidan Corr will be excellent and Jaidyn Stephenson had a good year. Though Stephenson has broken his hip doing stupid stuff, I expect him to recover well. They need to repeat the dose this off-season. It will be two to three before they seriously challenge, so they have to hold their nerve. I would put Jared Polec, Trent Dumont, Taylor Garner, Shaun Atley, Dom Tyson, Jed Anderson and Connor Menadue on the trade table*. They are good players but not in North’s best 22 next year and might have currency elsewhere. They need to play their kids in front of these players. They probably need to keep Robbie Tarrant as they are light on for key backs. The player I would really test the market with is Cunnington. His health is the priority after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but it was reportedly found early. I played with four players with the same issue and they are all in very good health many years on. He definitely has currency; his best is great, but importantly he is likely to be retired when North are challenging. If they could get a favourable deal, this is a trade I would entertain. I think it is a win/win – he might get a chance to play in a premiership team, while North would go to the draft again.


How should they approach the November draft? (Picks 1, 20, 38, 70)
North have first selection in the draft and it is extremely valuable. The top two selections are likely to be Nick Daicos and Sam Darcy, both father/son selections. The likely next pick is Jason Horne-Francis from South Australia, who has played senior football for two years in the SANFL. At the moment he is clearly in front of pick four. He will play straight up, barring injury. North should take all their selections, maybe bring in a free agent who is cheap, and prepay their highest-paid players so they have a treasure chest to attack free agency next year.

*Note: since this article was published, Taylor Garner, Dom Tyson, Will Walker and Connor Menadue have been delisted by North Melbourne.