The sweet-kicking, fleet-footed Windsor and ex-Saints recruit Jack Billings have so far kept Lachie Hunter out of the senior side, and the evidence is resounding that it won’t be the No.7 pick making way.
McVee, an ultra-composed defender, might be the best young player no one knows. Thirteen of his 21 disposals were kicks against Geelong, and he went at 92 per cent efficiency. There’s a reason they trust him with kick-ins.
Judd McVee is efficient by foot.Credit: AFL Photos
Taylor’s consistently excellent hit-rate is what separates him from his peers, but there is one big miss that blots his copybook. He called out Sam Weideman’s name at No.9 in 2015, one pick before Harry McKay and three ahead of Charlie Curnow.
Weideman is now at Essendon but stuck in the VFL, whereas Carlton’s McKay and Curnow have three Coleman Medals between them and will occupy much of Goodwin’s planning ahead of Thursday night’s blockbuster.
Meanwhile, the Dees are still trialling their ideal key forward set-up, with Petty, Jacob van Rooyen and mid-season rookie Daniel Turner performing well as the aerial targets on Saturday night.
Taylor is backing van Rooyen – who has drawn David Schwarz comparisons – and Jefferson to be Melbourne’s long-term future in attack, hoping they avoid fellow first-rounder Weideman’s fate.
Draftees of 2023 shine
Do we have ourselves a super draft?
Windsor’s eye-catching display against the Cats capped a strong start to his career and could score him a Rising Star nomination, after draft peers Harley Reid (No.1), Darcy Wilson (No.18) and Jake Rogers (No.14) received the past three.
Hard-running Wilson was terrific again in St Kilda’s win over North Melbourne and looks a bargain.
Crow Daniel Curtin’s debut in Thursday night’s Showdown means Bomber Nate Caddy is the sole top-10 draftee from last year yet to play at AFL level.
Jed Walter in action for Gold Coast.Credit: AFL Photos
Man-child Jed Walter is already patrolling Gold Coast’s forward line; North Melbourne pair Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma are doing nice things at either end of the ground; Nick Watson returned from an ankle injury for the Hawks’ win over the Dogs; Ryley Sanders boasts three 20-plus-disposal games; and unicorn big man Ethan Read came back in for the Q-Clash.
Outside that elite group, fellow first-round selections Connor O’Sullivan, Koltyn Tholstrup, Rogers, Wilson, Riley Hardeman, Will Graham and Lance Collard have also appeared at least once.
There were questions about the depth of the 2023 draft class, but Harvey Thomas, Cooper Simpson, Angus Hastie, Calsher Dear, Logan Morris, Harvey Johnston, Kane McAuliffe and mature-ager Shaun Mannagh – all taken after the first round – have also debuted.
What to do with Roo?
There are whispers that North Melbourne might consider recruiting a veteran midfielder to provide leadership and stability for their wide-eyed youth, but there is an elephant in the room.
They already have the experienced Jy Simpkin as a dual club champion and co-captain with Luke McDonald, but he is struggling to adjust to being squeezed out of the centre-bounce rotation.
The 26-year-old has not won 20 disposals in any of his seven matches this season while spending more time forward, and all his key numbers are down, including inside 50s, contested possessions, clearances, score involvements and pressure acts.
Simpkin is averaging 16 centre bounce attendances, albeit with 12 or fewer in five of his games and only one in round four, compared to an average of 20-plus in matches he completed last year.
To continue making the point: his nine attendances on Saturday were just the fifth-most among North midfielders after ranking top two 10 times last year.
North Melbourne skipper Jy Simpkin (centre) hasn’t been attending as many centre bounces as last year.Credit: AFL Photos
Simpkin could not get going, recording a season-worst 33.3 per cent kicking efficiency and even missing the ball completely on a kicking attempt off the ground in the last quarter, when he coughed up three turnovers.
Alastair Clarkson has a big call to make on what to do with him, given the Roos’ midfield logjam and desire to expose their blue-chip prospects.
Still sentiment in footy
The AFL is a high-stakes, serious business, but we too often forget that playing at the highest level was a childhood dream for the footballers making it all happen.
Collingwood debutant Lachie Sullivan and St Kilda big man Jack Hayes delivered a timely reminder this past round of how much the game, and this opportunity, means to them.
Lachie Sullivan celebrates his first AFL goal.Credit: AFL Photos
Sullivan, 26, had been one of the premier VFL players for years, including winning back-to-back best and fairests for Footscray, and may have thought his AFL window had closed. But a summer invite to train with the Pies was the impetus for a life-changing few months.
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Sullivan scored himself a list spot via the pre-season supplemental selection period, then forced his way into Collingwood’s senior side on Friday night before kicking a goal with his first touch and being mobbed by teammates.
Hayes had a long wait for his AFL shot, too – also as a pre-season recruit, ahead of the 2022 season – but his fellow Saints’ excitement at his weekend goal went beyond that.
Not only did the 27-year-old’s chance come late, but an ACL rupture in his fifth game sent him to the sidelines before a metatarsal break in his left foot last year delivered more heartbreak. Hayes played in round 24 last year but nothing has come easy for him, which his teammates wanted to recognise.
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