Tag: AFL

Labeling something a ‘certainty’ in any sport is fraught with danger.

But we’ll attempt to find some anyway.

Here is what we consider certainties for Friday night’s clash between Melbourne and Collingwood:

Fritsch to kick multiple goals

Bayley Fritsch is leading Melbourne’s goalkicking with 43 majors so far in 2022.

The Demons forward’s marking ability, work at ground level and lethal finishing makes him a tough match-up.

Fritsch is coming off a three-goal showing in last week’s win over Fremantle – the 13th time he’s kicked multiple goals this season.

Melbourne’s most dangerous forward is averaging a tick over two goals per match.

Petracca to have 20+ disposals and 4 score involvements

Christian Petracca is one of the most damaging players in the competition.

Last year’s Norm Smith Medalist finds plenty of the ball and quite often hurts the opposition with his disposals.

The Melbourne star has recorded the equal-most score involvements in the competition this year averaging 8.4 per game.

Petracca is also ranked first across the league for inside 50s and goal assists.

The Magpies would want to quell Petracca’s influence, though that’s easier said than done.

alex zaya

Subscribe to the SEN YouTube channel for the latest videos!

Pendlebury to have 18+ disposals with a combined total of 8+ inside 50s, clearances and tackles

Scott Pendlebury has fallen below his season average over the last two weeks.

The Collingwood captain averages 22 disposals but has picked up only 16 in each of his past two outings.

However, with Taylor Adams out of the side for Friday night’s clash with Melbourne, he should shoulder more responsibility in midfield.

Pendlebury has been in a consistent nick against the Demons of late, averaging 25.2 touches, 3.6 inside 50s, 3.2 clearances and 3.2 tackles over his last five meetings.

With a vacancy in the middle to fill, we’re going with Pendles to pick up at least 18 touches and have a combined total of at least 8 inside 50s, clearances and tackles.

Elliott and De Goey to combine for 3+ goals

Jamie Elliott has been a consistent source of goals for the Magpies in recent weeks.

Over the course of the year, he has kicked 17 from 13 games, with 12 of those coming in his last seven.

I have kicked 3.1 in the win over the Dees in Round 13.

Jordan De Goey returned with two goals and 23 touches last week.

This season he has kicked 14.17 goals from 14 outings.

He was goalless in this fixture last time, but the Pies are going to need him to step up.

The duo of Elliott and De Goey will need to combine for 3+ goals if Collingwood is to kick a winning score.

Andrew Slevison

Gold Coast forward Izak Rankine has a decision to make.

According to SEN’s Sam Edmund, the Suns livewire has been offered a $4 million, five-year deal to return to South Australia and join the Adelaide Crows.

Edmund understands the Suns would demand Adelaide’s first-round pick to be involved in any deal for the out-of-contract 22-year-old.

speaking on SEN BreakfastDavid King has urged Gold Coast to “take a stand” and play hardball with Rankine.

“Brave from Adelaide – tick – love the adventure,” King said.

“It just never ends at the Gold Coast, does it? It just never ends.

“Just when you think they’ve got perfect harmony between on-field performance, the unity you can see, this list building together, they’ve signed probably six of their top eight players over the last six months and you sort of expected Izak will sign. It’ll be a reasonable deal and he’s only 22 years of age.

“It’s incredibly tough for the Gold Coast and I just wonder if they would say, ‘You know what? We’re not doing this deal. We’re going to take a stand. We’ve got enough first-round picks. We’ve got enough future picks coming in’. Let’s dig our heels in and say, ‘You know what? You want to leave? You can go in the draft’.

“Why not? They did it with Jack Martin – why not?

“I’m just wondering what the Gold Coast do. Do they say, ‘Do we just draw a line in the sand again?’ Because this is going to continue to happen if they allow it to happen. I think they’ll take a stance.”

Subscribe to the SEN YouTube channel for the latest videos!

SEN Breakfast co-host Kane Cornes also weighed in on Rankine’s links to the Crows.

“I’m speculating here that Adelaide knew that the Eddie Betts information was going to come out and they needed some good news,” Cornes said.

“They have then gone, ‘Izak Rankine hasn’t re-signed… we’re going to give him an offer that he cannot refuse’.

“They’ve had issues with their Indigenous program and criticism from Andrew McLeod and of course the issues that happened with Taylor Walker.

“Let’s get a star Indigenous player on a contract that he cannot refuse because we know we’re about to get smashed with the Eddie Betts (fallout) and the damage that’s going to do to the club.”

King wonders if Rankine can handle the pressure of being a highly paid Crows player in a two-team town.

“Can I throw another angle at you? This guy is 22 years of age, so from his management point of view of him, is this the right thing to do by your client at 22 years of age to send him to a two-team town on top dollar? The dual All-Australian said.

“The pressure would be enormous.

“He’s a forward pocket, he’s not Chris Judd as a breakaway midfielder. Is this the way you should handle a young man?”

Cornes replied: “It’s an excellent point because he looked to have turned the corner with his footy and he looked to be really happy. He looked to be in an exciting group and away from the spotlight.

“He’s going to have that many eyeballs on him. You will not believe the scrutiny that Izak Rankine is going to be under in South Australia being the highest paid player in the town and one of the biggest names.

“Can I cope with that? I don’t know. He’s been an inconsistent player to this point.

“Is it the right move? It’s a lot of money to reject.”

Rankine, the third pick overall in the 2018 National Draft, has kicked a career-high 27 goals from 16 games in 2022.

Collingwood appears the likely destination for Daniel McStay should he depart Brisbane at year’s end.

The Magpies have reportedly offered the Lions free agent a five-year deal worth close to $600,000 a season.

McStay has kicked 16 goals in as many appearances this season and hasn’t troubled the scorers in five of his last six games.

The reported figure Collingwood is prepared to offer McStay has raised some eyebrows within AFL circles.

Dermott Brereton has floated two fringe Swans players the Magpies could look at instead of the Lions forward.

Subscribe to the SEN YouTube channel for the latest videos!

“I would query why you would put so many dollars in a player into your list,” Brereton told SEN’s The Run Home.

“They’ve probably got the answers.

“He will stand under the ball. He’s brave as they can be, Dan McStay, he will take punishment.

“I just mentioned his name, Hayden McLean and Joel Amartey, one of those two boys, who have come to be very capable, if they all stay fit in Sydney, they won’t play a game.

“I would look at getting one of those.

“It’ll be one-third of the price of a Dan McStay and you might be able to cultivate and groom him into what you want.”

McLean, who is contracted for 2023, has played eight games in 2022, kicking six goals.

The 23-year-old has made 30 appearances since debuting in 2019.

Amartey is also contracted for next season. The 22-year-old has played six games this year.

West Coast champion Josh Kennedy will play his final AFL game this weekend.

The 34-year-old announced this week that Sunday’s match against Adelaide at Optus Stadium will be his last game for the Eagles.

Kennedy initially started his career at Carlton before moving to the West Coast in the now famous trade that saw Chris Judd join the Blues.

Since moving home to Western Australia to sign for the Eagles, Kennedy has gone on to become one of the best key forwards of the modern era and one of the West Coast’s greatest ever players.

Across his 271-game career, Kennedy has kicked 715 goals – 704 of those with West Coast – earning three All-Australian blazers, winning two Coleman Medals and seven leading goalkicker awards.

Kennedy also played a key role in West Coast’s 2018 premiership.

The former Blue and Eagles champ opened up on his highly publicized trade at the end of 2007.

Subscribe to the SEN YouTube channel for the latest videos!

“Two years later the opportunity came up to come back home and I had two years on my contract with Carlton,” Kennedy told SEN WA Breakfast.

“West Coast wanted to be a part of the deal and ‘Juddy’ obviously requested to go to Carlton.

“It was mixed emotions. I wanted to be a one-club player. I wanted to stay at Carlton.

“But going through the week, going through the pros and cons and looking at the West Coast and where they were, it was a really good opportunity.

“I was also able to come home and be closer to family, my sisters were seven and eight at the time and was able to see them grow up and mum was only four-and-a-half hours up the road.

“It ended up being a no-brainer in the end towards the end of that week.

“I haven’t looked back since then. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to be able to play in Western Australia at a fantastic footy club.”

Kennedy is an Eagles life member and the club’s all-time leading goalkicker.

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan is thrilled Will Ashcroft chose to be nominated to join the Lions as a father-son selection.

Ashcroft, widely viewed as the best player in this year’s draft pool, informed the Lions of his decision on Thursday.

The prolific young midfielder is the son of 318-game Brisbane great Marcus Ashcroft.

Fagan says Ashcroft is an “outstanding” footballer and an “incredible” professional for someone so young.

Subscribe to the SEN YouTube channel for the latest videos!

“I’ve had a big smile on my face all day,” the Lions mentor told sports day.

“He’s trained a fair bit with us, played some games in our reserves… he’s a wonderful person and he’s an outstanding footballer.

“He’s a real professional for his age – he’s incredible, really.

“I’ve been very, very hopeful that he would make that call and I’m so glad that he has.

“Obviously with Marcus playing 300 games for the club, it’s fantastic to continue the family tradition.

“He’s got a younger brother by the name of Levi who’s a pretty good little footballer too. Maybe they’ll all be in Brisbane colors eventually, which would be great.

“We’re incredibly grateful that he’s made the call to come to us.”

Fagan was asked if Ashcroft is currently at the level to play in Brisbane’s AFL side.

“It puts a lot of pressure on the kid if you answer yes to that question,” he replied.

“On what we saw in the reserves game he played against the Swans, it wouldn’t have been beyond the realms of possibility this year that if he was our player right now that he would’ve played at least some games.

“I think he’s a pretty special talent.”

Ashcroft, 18, averaged 28 disposals, eight tackles and five clearances across the two VFL games this year.

Port Adelaide remains tied with Western Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley.

The out-of-contract 25-year-old is yet to re-commit to the Bulldogs who have reportedly offered him a long-term deal.

Dunkley is on the radar of the Power, but what would they have to give up to get him to Alberton?

Matt Rendell speculated about what would be a fair trade for the 112-game premiership Dog.

“Dunkley has been talked about a lot,” Rendell said on SEN SA’s The Run Home.

“I think Dunkley is a good pick if they can get him, but I wouldn’t be offering any more than a second-round (pick).

“They (the Dogs) wanted two first (rounders) off Essendon a couple of years ago.

“Dunkley is out of contract, so Port can walk him to the pre-season (draft) if they want. They won’t want to.”

There are plenty of clubs who are reportedly keen on Dunkley with Adelaide and Port as well as big Victorian clubs showing interest.

While Dunkley would provide plenty of midfield depth for Port, a position they need strengthening is in the area of ​​the small forward.

With Robbie Gray nearing the end, Connor Rozee flourishing as a midfielder and Steven Motlop retiring this week, it heaps pressure on the often injured Orazio Fantasia.

Rendell says the situation presents as a problem for the Power.

“Fantasia is the big issue here,” I added.

“He hasn’t played hardly for four years. At his best, he makes Port so much better.

“With Gray probably close to retirement, Rozee playing in the midfield and Motlop retiring, their small forwards have gone from a big group to virtually none overnight.

“That’s their big issue, small forwards. Can they get Fantasia up?

“I’d be trying to find another one. Most of the good clubs have got a couple there.

“The rest of the balance of their team looks great to me.”

The Run Home co-host Kym Dillon indicated that a small forward at this year’s draft is well within the sights of Port, but stopped short of naming who they may be interested in.

“I’m hearing they’ve got their eyes on someone in the upcoming draft in terms of a small forward,” he added.

The Power, who are now highly unlikely to make the finals, host ninth-placed Richmond at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.