WHY JOEL IS CATS’ MOST IMPORTANT
OX RANKS EACH CLUB:
WHEN Josh Kennedy came off the ground with a calf injury on the weekend, West Coast lost its most important player.
Clubs proclaim that every player has an equal role in the team, but let’s be honest, there’s a stand out influencer in every group.
Adelaide — Rory Sloane
He’s ticked up 150 games and is the engine room for the Crows’ midfield. He is also the team barometer, as we all saw a few weeks ago when North Melbourne and then Melbourne shut him down and they lost.
Brisbane Lions — Stefan Martin
Now the big man is not a matchwinner, but he’s one player you get 100 per cent out of him.
He feeds the midfield of Dayne Beams, Dayne Zorko and Daniel Rich and would be more of a star player if he was still playing at a Melbournebased club.
Carlton — Jacob Weitering
He’s young, only 19, but after playing every game this year we know the future for him and the Blues is bright. The club has enough midfielders, so the strength for Weitering is his ability to play tall up forward or in the backline. His No.1 selection in the draft will prove in the next 10 years to be one of the greatest decisions in Blues history.
Collingwood — Brodie Grundy
He’s improved out of sight and the Pies need his midfield pressure. The team has enough in its midfield pack, but Grundy is the cream on top of it. He commands a great player to match up against him. Plus, he’s versatile when he goes forward.
Essendon — Michael Hurley
So far in 2017 Michael Hurley has been phenomenal. Every week he stops the best forwards having a major impact. The brilliance of Hurley down back is elevated because his skills up forward when he’s needed are first class. You know what you get, he’s an All-Australian for a reason.
Fremantle — Lachie Neale
Yep, not Aaron Sandilands or Nat Fyfe. We can’t be guaranteed they’ll be there for too much longer, but Lachie Neale is the leader of the future. He was won games with deft touches against Melbourne and Richmond. His work ethic is first rate and he is the future of the Dockers.
Geelong — Joel Selwood
Captain courageous — when the Cats need to be picked up and carried across the line then Selwood does it for them. I reckon he’d be the most underpaid player in the competition for dollars for effort.
Gold Coast — Tom Lynch
By the length of the straight Lynch is the best forward in the business. Lynch is the only player who plays well when the chips are down or the team is winning. All other 17 clubs would want him in their side.
GWS — Jeremy Cameron
Similar to Lynch, but Cameron has a team with more stars. I believe he is the most important Giant because he consistently kicks bags of goals, he’s always on the move and very hard for a defender to stop.
Hawthorn — Shaun Burgoyne
He’s the oldest player on the Hawks’ list, but he’s their most important player. He’s a big moment player, his ball use is exquisite and opposition teams can’t allow him to run free because he’ll make you pay.
Melbourne — Max Gawn
We’ve seen how hard it’s been for the team when he’s been out. Last year Gawn was immense for the Demons and now the club is sitting at 5-5 after 10 rounds, the return of the big man from a hamstring injury will be essential for improving the up and down year.
North Melbourne — Robbie Tarrant
The backman very rarely gets beaten. It’s not often bags of goals get kicked against him and he’s the marshal in defence for a team that sets up its attack from the half-back line.
Port Adelaide — Ollie Wines
Now in his fifth season, he understands how to use his body, genuine wrecking ball of the AFL. He’s now played 93 games and he has another 200 in him.
Richmond — Alex Rance
He is the standout defender in the competition. Rarely does a game end and Rance has lowered his colours. He is the ultimate competitor. He is crucial to the Tigers’ success.
St Kilda — Jack Steven
He’s been at the Saints for eight years and he’s crucial. With genuine speed, he breaks the lines and he is the first player at St Kilda every other side tries to stop in order to win the game.
Sydney — Buddy Franklin
Watch the tape from last Friday night.
Western Bulldogs — Marcus Bontempelli
He’s only 21 and yet we marvel at his ability to shred games. He’s a beast in the midfield and he’s so assured when he goes forward. “The Bont” is a great decision maker.
So, if all those players were lined up on a fence and I had to choose just one, I’d take Alex Rance.