VFL Games 2026

[bandwagon]

HT 11.6 v 1.3
Sandy were bit more competitive, but there is a worry all our fringe players will look great without getting really tested. However best so far are Roberts, McLean, Cootee and Hanily. Melican, Snell and Rampe are looking solid in defence, but the ball isn't down there a lot. Green moving well for his first game of the season.

[dejavoodoo44]

Increased our lead to 72-9, perhaps largely due to the defence being right on top. Melican and Snell have snuffed out pretty well everything that's came their way. While Bowman, Kyle, Rampe and O'Loughlin have been doing some nice rebounding. Although O'Loughlin hasn't had a huge amount of it, the possessions that he has had, have further convinced me that he can assess options very quickly and then hit the best option. Which are traits that I value highly.

[dejavoodoo44]

Further increased the lead to 117-36 with some enjoyable forward half work. McLean and Phillipou staking their claims with 5 and 4 goals respectively. Both Warner and Hanily have a couple each and have been lively around the contests; especially Hanily. Pretty much everyone is playing well.

[UUaswan]

Amartey, Cleary, Hamling, Bice, Harry
Mclean,Phillipou,Melican,Rampe,Roberts

[Sandridge]

Well, we looked like a pretty good side on paper and the game developed accordingly.

GO BLOODS!!

[bandwagon]

FT 28.16 v 5.9
133 point win it difficult to pick the best as all listed players pretty much had decent games. However with one eye on AFL suitability my best are:
3 - Roberts. Excellent workrate, used it sensibly and found space. Very good all round game.
2 - McLean. Was the beneficiary of midfield dominance, but what else could he do? Strong in the air, kicked straight and showed good second efforts.
1 - Melican. Worked really well with Rampe and Snell to snuff out most attacks, contributed to rebounds.

I would have no objection if these three were elevated next week.

[bandwagon]

... While Bowman, Kyle, Rampe and O'Loughlin have been doing some nice rebounding. Although O'Loughlin hasn't had a huge amount of it, the possessions that he has had, have further convinced me that he can assess options very quickly and then hit the best option. Which are traits that I value highly.

O'Loughlin is still only 18. He never caught my eye in Academy games, but in these last 3 VFL games he has showcased his skills impressively. Hope he keeps his place for the rest of the year.

[dejavoodoo44]

FT 28.16 v 5.9
133 point win it difficult to pick the best as all listed players pretty much had decent games. However with one eye on AFL suitability my best are:
3 - Roberts. Excellent workrate, used it sensibly and found space. Very good all round game.
2 - McLean. Was the beneficiary of midfield dominance, but what else could he do? Strong in the air, kicked straight and showed good second efforts.
1 - Melican. Worked really well with Rampe and Snell to snuff out most attacks, contributed to rebounds.

I would have no objection if these three were elevated next week.

It'll be interesting to see the coaches votes, since I think that there's around ten players who could get a vote. As well as the ones you mentioned, I thought Cootee, Hanily and Warner were all close to BOG, with all rotating between midfield and forward line. While Phillipou would have boosted his chances of a debut, with five classy goals.

[dejavoodoo44]

O'Loughlin is still only 18. He never caught my eye in Academy games, but in these last 3 VFL games he has showcased his skills impressively. Hope he keeps his place for the rest of the year.

I tend to think he's now a reasonable chance of a rookie spot. Largely because I'm becoming increasingly convinced that he sees the play really well. Not sure if I'd currently back him in to shut down an AFL level small or medium forward, but he does have some reasonable defensive efforts and I suspect that he's still growing.

[dejavoodoo44]

And guess who got a sports drink shower for his first VFL win?

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaEyxTlRh_p/?l=1

[Dow]

I tend to think he's now a reasonable chance of a rookie spot. Largely because I'm becoming increasingly convinced that he sees the play really well. Not sure if I'd currently back him in to shut down an AFL level small or medium forward, but he does have some reasonable defensive efforts and I suspect that he's still growing.

I think it’s more to do with who his father was and the romance of it all, rather than what he’s doing of the field he’s shown climpses but not rookie worthy at this stage

[dejavoodoo44]

I think it’s more to do with who his father was and the romance of it all, rather than what he’s doing of the field he’s shown climpses but not rookie worthy at this stage

Yeah, nah. I tend to think that speed of mental processing and how well players see the options, can separate elite players from very good players. AFL is a very chaotic game, with threats coming from every angle and options opening up all over the field. People vary in their ability to see and process information. The better their processing, the more likely they are to make better decisions. To me, Gulden has always looked like he can see the field better than other players. Consequently, he can hit targets, that other players may not have even seen. Heeney also seems like that. Maybe Papley. So, if a young player appears to have superior mental processing, then I think he's very much worth continuing with.

I'm not saying that young Jimmy O is already elite, but since he's started playing half back, his disposals have almost always been very rapid and those disposals are almost always to our advantage. Which is even more impressive to me, as I've only seen him play forward pocket previously, with the occasional venture to the wing. Essentially he's playing a level up, in a position he might not have played in before, and showing a lot of genuine skill. Of course, it's only a small sample size, and I'd probably like to see more evidence of other desirable traits, like gut running and defensive grunt, but so far, I've been very pleasantly surprised.

[neilfws]

Sounds like a few could be knocking on the seniors door this week, going by the AFL report.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1546789/around-the-state-leagues-swans-huge-day-young-pie-fires-port-bull-back

[dejavoodoo44]

Coaches votes for the game against Sandringham.

9 Billy Cootee (SYD)
8 Hayden McLean (SYD)
6 Matt Roberts (SYD)
3 Tom Hanily (SYD)
3 Jevan Phillipou (SYD)
1 Corey Warner (SYD)

[dejavoodoo44]

The team for tomorrow's match against Gold Coast, which takes place at 11am at Carrara. It's a little bit unsettled due to recent injuries, but it still looks fairly strong, possibly because many of our VFL listed players have been doing well. Gold Coast look to have more AFL listed players, but they are bottom of the ladder, so we should have a reasonable chance of a win. An interesting inclusion is current academy player Isaac Luke. He's quite a skilful small forward, who was possibly a bit unlucky to miss out on Allies selection. He might be considered a bit small for the AFL, but he does remind me a bit of Rosas.

B: K. Gibbs (70), P. Snell (41), L. Melican (43)
HB: N. Bowman (23), R. Bice (26), J. O'Loughlin (60)
C: J. Sutton (54), B. Cootee (25), J. Tidemann (57)
HF: J. Phillipou (18), J. Dattoli (9), C. Peters (53)
F: T. Ryan (64), M. Mellis (50), J. Longmire (56)
R: W. Green (45), J. Harrison (65), M. Rosas Jnr (10)
INT: A. Norris (46), N. Shipley (52), H. Cameron (69), K. Harbour (66), I. Luke (68)
23rd Player: J. O'Loughlin (60)
EMG: O. Clifton (72), G. Jenkin (71)

IN: R. Bice, H. Cameron, K. Harbour, I. Luke, A. Norris, M. Rosas Jnr
OUT: T. Hanily, H. Kyle, H. McLean, D. Rampe, M. Roberts, C. Warner (AFL)
NEW: Isaac Luke, 17, 173cm, Sydney Swans Academy/Port Macquarie