Was hot as buggery here at Unley Oval today folks.

And West Coast bought a fair dinkum reserves team over to Adelaide this arvo. Their entire bloody midfield and defence was missing. This is good and bad for us as fantasy coaches.

Plenty of good young players hit the park – a few of them impressed me. But it’s very difficult to get a solid gauge on some of these kids in a game with so many top liners not on the park.

That’s not to say there I didn’t take much out of the game kids.

Missing from teams best 22:

Adelaide (7): Rory Sloane, Troy Menzel, Ricky Henderson, Riley Knight, Brad Crouch, Andy Otten, Matty Jaensch.

West Coast (15): Nic Nat, Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff, Matt Priddis, Chris Masten, Sharrood Wellingham, Eric Mackenzie, Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern, Jack Darling, Jamie Cripps, Mark LeCras, Josh Kennedy, Dom Sheed, Scott Lycett

ADELAIDE

Probably the strongest Crows team we’ll see on the park until Round 1. Spoke to new coach and good mate Don Pyke in the coaches box just before the game – he’ll rest most of the Crow guns over the next few NAB matches when they have to travel away.

Wayne Milera FWD $176K The story of the day for me. As classy and impressive a first up performance as they come. Twice in the second quarter he split the game open with 100 metre plays. With one of them he missed a 9 pointer by a bees dick, with the other he hit Betts on the tit. Was poised. Great quick decision maker. Dangerous. Damaging and constructive every time he had the ball. They’re comparing him to Andrew Macleod in the press over here. While I reckon they need to back the truck up a touch there – the kid could be something special. Interested to see how his performance translates fantasy wise. Slightly awkward price for a rookie but could be worth the extra based on what I saw today. 12 possessions at 85% efficiency.

Rory Atkins MID $304K Only 8 games for the Crows in 2015 and with Dangerfield gone he’s gagging to get himself into the best 22. Did enough today.. showcased his first class disposal. At one point in the second quarter sailing a majestic ball through from 55 out on the boundary line. Interesting. Can see him competing with The Seed for a round 1 gig. 14 disposals, 7 marks and 2 inside 50’s today. 

Dean Gore MID $124K  2 nice goals and had it 12 times.Was really looking forward to seeing him today. He spent 2015 in the VFL at Geelong, had just signed a contract extension with the Cats, but was traded to Adelaide as part of the Dangerfield trade. Looked ok. Coughed the pill up with an under 12s standard handball early but composed quickly and eased into things. Looks hard, quick, like he’d attract a lot of contested ball. Lovely red nut.

Welcome home Dean Gore! @SturtFC #weflyasonehttps://t.co/3NI3WIMmzn

— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) February 21, 2016

Matt Crouch MID $368K 115 Supercoach points today from 66% time on the ground. Came out of the blocks today like an angry snarling bull. He’d had 13 disposals, 9 of the contested by quarter time. His brother was missing today. The competition between Matty, Brad Crouch, Rory Atkins, maybe even The Seed is a significant one fantasy wise. Danger is gone and there is a void to be filled. Matty did his claims no harm at all today. Finished as the leading pill gatherer of the game with 24 possessions, 12 of them contested.

Matt Crouch with some serious leather poisoning early. Can see why they called him a ball magnet when he was drafted.

— Barron Von Crow (@BarronVonCrow) February 21, 2016

Paul Seedsman DEF/MID $325K  Just 10 touches and 48 Supercoach points. Needed to see more from The Seed. Absolutely no certainty for Round 1 with plenty of competition amongst similar types Brodie Smith, Riley Knight, Rory Atkins, Rory Laird and Co. But they love the speed he injects and he displayed a bit of that today. Nowhere near my starting teams this year based on today. A generally ordinary display by The Seed.

Eddie Betts FWD $465K Eddie danced. Eddie pranced. The tongue wagged with joy at an adoring Unley crowd. Kicked 6 goals the cheeky little bugger. Not fantasy relevant for mine but shit he enjoyed himself here today. Had 10 score involvements to half time. Shorts are still too bloody big.

Brodie Smith DEF/MID $416K Just 53 SC but saw more than this. Started quietly but worked into the game. The good news was he collected more of that rebounding out of the back half pill as the game wore on and looked commanding. Started to take the game on and pump it into inside 50 more the game wore on. This is where he racks up his fantasy points. And I reckon he’ll take that role this year.

Cam Ellis-Yolmen MID $401K Looks pretty fit and has definitely bulked up over the preseason. Started in the midfield and another one that could find himself rotating through the guts this year with Danger out of the picture. Might need to do a bit more work oh his defensive running based on what I saw today, but did his prospects no harm based on is performance today.

Harry Dear FWD $124K Has been hanging around at Adelaide for a few years and has some shoulder trouble. Probably his last year to show a bit. Aggressive, but looks a bit lost and indecisive up forward.

Mitch McGovern FWD $124K

Barely sighted.

WEST COAST

Played with a quarter of a real team so very difficult to extract much. They’ll start injecting their guns back in over the next two NAB games where they’ll play at home.

Elliot Yeo DEF/MID $443K Already locked into many Supercoach backlines, but the boy was pretty quiet today. Just 53 Supercoach points. Would have liked to see him stand up with such a young team in. Did tackle pretty well which is a good sign. Shows a kid is willing to do the hard things to will himself back into the contest. Lets have another look at him in NAB2.

Matthew Allen FWD $117K Had to look twice – a lot of Cambridge Tom Hawkins about him. 2 classy goals here today. Averaged 5 goals a game at under 18 level with Glenelg. Lovely strong mark in front of Lever early. Followed up a few minutes later with a composed and classy left foot snap for a goal. Composed and looked like a bloke with 60 games under his belt. Very difficult to see a spot for him in the best 22 with Kennedy, Darling and Lycett there as the West Coast talls up forward. One to look for if any of these big blokes get injured. Impressed. 61 Supercoach.

Corey Adamson DEF/MID $117K Big bodied boy who spent 2015 in the WAFL. Collected enough of the ball early, but appeared possibly a touch slow at this level. Can take a lovely contested mark. Not quite up to the standard for mine and unlikely to stitch together many games in a strong West Coast Lineup. 84 Supercoach points surprised me.

Lewis Jetta MID $448K Had a shocker. Barely touched it. His first kick he couched up under very little pressure straight onto the tit of young Milera.

Mitchell Brown DEF $134K Did nothing to push him higher up my DEF rookie watch list. Don’t think he has the capacity to score enough to push that value up and generate any cash when it’s time to trade him in. Not a certainty for Round 1.

Luke Partington MID $117K Kid doesn’t look ready. Did clear the ball out of the guts in Q2 but made a very poor decision with time on his side. One to look at in a year or two down the track.

Jamie Bennell DEF $228K Played up FWD and was very busy early. Definitely played the small forward role, applying tackling pressure when he didn’t have the pill. Snagged an excellent roving goal early – they are definitely having a look at using him in this role this season. Priced out of our fantasy teams at this price and with his job security.

Malcolm Karpany FWD/MID $124K Lovely snapped goal sharking the pack in the goal square late in the game. Has been hanging around at West Coast for a few years now and needs to step up. Hard to see him break into the lineup with LeCras, Jetta, Hill and now Jamie Bennell as similar types well and truly in front of him in the pecking order.

Jordan Snadden MID $105K, Paddy Brophy DEF $117K, Brant Colledge MID $124K, Tom Cole DEF/MID $117K  – all hardly sniffed it

That’s all from me signing out from beautiful Unley. How did you see the game folks?

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