Sydney defender Harry Cunningham leads Brisbane star Charlie Cameron to the ball on Friday night. Photo: AFL MEDIA
FULL BACKS
Brodie Kemp (Carlton)
Carlton have been searching for an intercepting medium defender for some time, and while Kemp’s current run is still short, his form and role have been tremendous. The Suns didn’t manage many forward forays after quarter-time, but when they did it was Kemp who snuffed them out more often than not. He looks a promising find.
Jacob Weitering (Carlton)
There are high expectations for a player of Weitering’s calibre, and he’s certainly come under fire this season as a leader of the misfiring Blues. On Sunday, both he and his side hit back with stark returns to form, with the Carlton vice-captain giving Suns forward Ben King a good old fashioned pantsing at full back.
Harry Cunningham (Sydney)
Minding Charlie Cameron at the Gabba is one of the most arduous tasks in footy, but Cunningham performed it with aplomb on Friday night. Although the Swans failed to get the win, Cunningham’s contribution in keeping Cameron goalless (for just the fifth time since the beginning of 2022) meant he was one of the most impactful Swans.
HALF-BACKS
Dan Houston (Port Adelaide)
Teams contend for flags when they enjoy a critical mass of players having career years, and perhaps no one is more emblematic of that at the Power than Houston. A good player for years, he’s elevated himself to be the form half-back in the league, a point emphasised on Thursday night as he claimed best-on-ground honours in a great win over Geelong.
Charlie Ballard (Gold Coast)
A shining light on a pretty grim day for the Suns, Ballard held down his end as the Blues won centre clearance after centre clearance in the second quarter and beyond. That he held Charlie Curnow to just two goals in such an onslaught was impressive, as was his ability to win the ball back, with 12 of his 17 disposals coming from interceptions.
Nick Vlastuin (Richmond)
Vlastuin’s numbers look pretty similar from the beginning of the season to now, but the impact he’s had in the last five weeks has been far more significant. In what was his best game of the year, the gun defender was a wall across half-back against the Saints, also handing the Tigers their biggest lead with an excellent, and rare, third-quarter goal.
CENTRES
Josh Kelly (GWS)
Playing his first game back in nearly a month, Kelly stationed himself on a wing and set about absolutely blitzing an uninspired Fremantle midfield. With his presence on the outside clearly having an influence on the Giants’ game style, Kelly contributed in myriad ways with seven clearances at stoppage, three goals and nine score involvements.
Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
Bontempellli’s best games this season have been utterly comprehensive, producing numbers across the statistical columns that most players could only dream about. A cursory glance over the page could suggest he junked-up late against the lowly Roos, but that belies the fact that the game was actually alive until he finished it. Another dominant display.
Finn Callaghan (GWS)
On the opposite wing to Kelly for much of the day was Callaghan, the Giants’ prized No.3 pick from 2021. Having been a good contributor all year on the outside, he produced career-best numbers against the Dockers, gaining 655 metres from 27 touches, with eight marks and eight inside 50s.
HALF-FORWARDS
Zac Bailey (Brisbane)
This was Bailey’s best performance of the season, as a match split between half-forward and the midfield resulted in high involvement and impact. Hitting the scoreboard with 2.3 himself, he also sent the ball inside 50 seven times, and gained nearly 700 metres for the Lions with dash that shone in a congested game.
Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide)
Yet another long-term Power contributor who is excelling in 2023, Marshall got the ball rolling for Port Adelaide with a drought-breaking goal in the second term, before booting two in their ballistic run in the third. Again producing high numbers of marks inside 50, he also sent it in there six times, and took some strong contested marks.
Sam Powell-Pepper (Port Adelaide)
A crowd favourite at Port Adelaide home games, Powell-Pepper lived up to the billing with a couple of brilliant goals, the first of which a contender for goal of the year. Both of his majors came as quick replies to Geelong goals, and although he only managed 13 disposals, a further two of them were direct goal assists.
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FORWARDS
Toby Greene (GWS)
Greene’s consistency as a small forward is truly a sight to behold – he has kicked multiple goals this year in all but one game, and has found himself a member of Footyology’s Team of the Week on five occasions. Other Giants may have cashed in, but their skipper set the tone early with three first-half goals, including the 300th of his career.
Jake Riccardi (GWS)
Riccardi has long looked capable of being a consistent AFL-level forward, but for varying reasons hasn’t quite locked the role away at GWS. His performance against a generally strong defensive Fremantle group on Saturday not only yielded a career-best five goals, but capped off a really solid month. A vital stretch awaits after the bye.
Cody Weightman (Western Bulldogs)
Weightman has regularly feasted on North Melbourne over his short career, and it was no exception in Round 14 as the magnetic Bulldog managed a career-high bag of six. With Aaron Naughton required down back, Weightman was the main man up front in the second half, and got his goals from good leads and big marks, as well as craftiness at ground level.
FOLLOWERS
Oscar McInerney (Brisbane)
Brisbane’s “Big O” had the Swans crying on Friday night as he demolished a usually tough opponent in Tom Hickey. He thrived in the conditions of the game with a hitout count to match his high jumper number, as well as 18 disposals and eight clearances, however the highlight was a great set shot goal that gave Brisbane a half-time lead.
Tim Taranto (Richmond)
The outstanding form of Tiger Tim rolled on in the win against the Saints with a season-high 38 disposals and 10 tackles. A reliable player from a defensive and contested point of view, his work in offence has seen him soar into Brownlow contention in the last month, as typified with a brilliant snapped goal that sealed the win on Saturday night.
Adam Cerra (Carlton)
Cerra’s excellent season has probably gone under the radar due to Carlton’s losing form, but it would not surprise to see him ahead in the John Nicholls Medal by a considerable margin at this point in proceedings. He was a four-quarter contributor against the Suns, with a goal and eight touches in the first term while most Blues were still waking up.
INTERCHANGE
Sam Docherty (Carlton)
Carlton’s engine room was in superb form as a collective against the Suns, but it was Sam Docherty who finished off the work on the outside. Playing nearly a full game in defence, Docherty managed 27 uncontested possessions and eight rebound 50s, playing an important role as the Blues flicked the switch from slow to fast footy.
Adam Treloar (Western Bulldogs)
This was a highly comprehensive, well-balanced game in the midfield from Treloar. Entrusted by coach Luke Beveridge at more than 80 per cent of centre bounces, he contributed strongly both on the inside and outside of contests, picking up seven clearances and 13 score involvements among 34 possessions.
Trent Cotchin (Richmond)
Standout 300th performances have been the in-thing in recent years, and for the triple-premiership skipper it was no exception. Deployed back into the guts under interim coach Andrew McQualter, Cotchin was prolific in the first half with 22 disposals and two crowd-pleasing goals, before rising again with some important touches in the last quarter.
Jack Sinclair (St Kilda)
No backmen are as capable at clearance as Sinclair. Not only does he win them at stoppage, but he charges in off the back flank and settles the dispute in St Kilda’s favour before the midfielders can sort it out. His seven against Richmond were the equal of any, and when combined with eight intercepts, he stood out as the Saints’ best player in a close contest.
STIFF TO MISS
Connor Idun (GWS), Tom Green (GWS), Tim English (Western Bulldogs), Jeremy Finlayson (Port Adelaide), Harry Sheezel (North Melbourne), Lachie Neale (Brisbane), Luke Parker (Sydney), Patrick Cripps (Carlton), Dustin Martin (Richmond), Noah Balta (Richmond).
