It was an ordinary day to be a Carlton supporter at Casey Fields today..

..but this match was jam-packed with Supercoach 2017 relevance.

Melbourne absolutely dominated Carlton defeating the Blues 17.14.116 to 9.8.62.

We saw a truckload of premium selections running around as well as six rookie priced players. It’s hard to judge players like Hibberd, Murphy and the Carlton rookies, as today was their first game in quite sometime. We can however judge the fact that Carlton has a lot of work to do and Melbourne are going to be pushing for finals with a squad that finally has some depth.

In terms of Supercoach we have a lot to be excited about so let’s get into it and review some key player performances below.

I’ve had a look at some of the more relevant players in this write out but you can check out the Excel sheet reviewing EVERY PLAYER from the game here. (SC Scores to come soon).

*Shoutout to Goal Umpire David “D-Rod” Rodan for a great performance today

Melbourne

Notable absentees: Neville Jetta, Jeff Garlett, Dom Tyson, Jack Watts

Max Gawn $645,000 (RUC)

Had a pretty quiet first half in the ruck. Pushed forward in the second and third quarter where he was able to take some contested marks and kicked 2 goals. By no means played badly and will almost certainly be a top 3 ruckman but I need to see a little more in JLT 3 at that price.

Jordan Lewis $540,600 (MID)

Had a really strong first half but dropped off after that. Still has influence on the game and provides an interesting POD selection. I don’t imagine he’ll make a lot of teams. Prefer his teammate Jack Viney.

Jack Viney $527,200 (MID)

Didn’t have a whole lot of the ball (18 touches) but was able to influence the game at stoppages as well as push forward and hit the scoreboard. I expect him to improve on last years average and he’s probably underpriced. Based on today’s game he’d be a good pick for the risk lovers out there.

Bernie Vince $501,100 (DEF/MID)

Has just gone BANG! If you wanted a defensive lock then I think we’ve found one. Vince played a sweeping defensive role and was able to push into the midfield where he found 22 possessions at 81.8 DE%. He had 4 rebound 50’s as well as 4 inside 50’s. At his price and with the added bonus of being a DPP I’m very aroused.

Michael Hibberd $402,200 (DEF)

Didn’t really have an impact today. Was just easing back into AFL football but I suspect he won’t be worth selecting. He could be a trap for owners this year so we’ll need to watch him in JLT 3.

Clayton Oliver $382,500 (MID)

A breakout contender through and through. Reminded me off Chris Judd or Patrick Cripps the way he stands up in tackles. He’s a big-bodied player who was able to impact the game throughout the day. He had 20 possessions and 6 clearances from stoppages, the Jock Reynolds Magazine has him touted as the next midfield beast and after today I can see it.

Dion Johnstone $117,300 (FWD)

Played less than a half of football and didn’t make the most of his time on the ground. Only had 3 touches and I highly doubt he’ll be getting any games in 2017.

Joel Smith $117,300 (DEF)

A rookie we’ve been keeping an eye on over the preseason. He struggled to find a lot of the ball (mostly due to a lack of forward half possessions from Carlton) but he was very efficient with his 11 disposals. Smith is currently in my defensive structure.

Carlton

Notable absentees: Sam Petrevski-Seton, Patrick Cripps, Nick Graham, Andrew Phillips

Sam Docherty $591,600 (DEF)

One of Carlton’s best players today. He had 23 possessions at 95.7 DE% and was able to push out of defence and play on a wing. Seemed to push up the ground in tandem with Kade Simpson. Won’t let his owners down but it is worth noting that Melbourne were attacking him at stages throughout the game.

Kade Simpson $578,700 (DEF)

Carlton’s best in the first half but dropped off after that (like most of the Blues). I love this man and he’s in my side as we speak, played in defense but like Docherty pushed up to some centre bounces. Simpson is a valid selection that should play 22 games in 2017. Had 22 touches.

Bryce Gibbs $577,200 (MID)

Leading disposal getter on the field. Always seems to play better with Marc Murphy in the team. He had 20 uncontested possessions of his 28 so the return of Cripps should only help him. Will be a nice POD selection for those who go with him.

Marc Murphy $432,500 (MID)

Had a really nice first half and was quiet after that, played in defence for the final term. Still had the 20 possessions and played well at centre clearances, hard to say whether he’s a good selection based off of today’s performance. Still need to watch him in JLT 3 (might get suspended for a love tap on Viney for JLT 2).

Zac Fisher $117,300 (MID)

Had 10 touches in his first game for the Blues. Has a fair bit of work to do to play round 1 but I’ll be keeping an eye on him. Positive signs out of today…watchlist.

Kym Lebois $123,400 (FWD)

Started off with an amazing goal but only had four touches for the day. Will struggle to make the list but if he’s upgraded during the season he might be a cheap downgrade option.

Harry McKay $123,900 (FWD)

Only had 3 touches for the Blues but looks to cover the ground well and applies pressure nicely (got robbed of two great tackles called for in the back). KPP so no relevance in Supercoach but he might be a bubble option later in the year.

Jarrod pickett $123,900 (MID/FWD)

Another Carlton rookie player who didn’t really trouble the stats keepers. Only 5 touches but kicked two nice goals in a row for the Blues. Potential to play some early games in the season although I’m not sure he can score enough. Watchlist.

How did you see it community?

LekDog

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