Team of the Week: Round 23

DEFENDERS James Sicily (Hawthorn) Sicily continued his stellar 2019 with another impressive performance down back against the Eagles on Saturday night. The Hawk gained 505 metres from his 18 touches, took eight marks, had eight spoils, five defensive 50 rebounds, three tackles, and kicked a goal in Hawthorn’s upset win. Tom Stewart (Geelong) One of the league’s most dominant defenders, Stewart once again stood out for the Cats in their comfortable home victory against Carlton. Stewart had 27 possessions at 85 per cent efficiency, nine defensive 50 rebounds, seven marks and three tackles in a well-rounded performance. Nick Vlastuin (Richmond) Vlastuin has been magnificent for the Tigers all year and his performance on Sunday against the Lions showed why he is regarded as one of the league’s most improved players. The Tiger nullified Brisbane’s livewire forward Lincoln McCarthy, while also taking nine marks and collecting 19 touches at 84 per cent efficiency. [caption id="attachment_34004" align="alignnone" width="450"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 25: Nick Vlastuin of the Tigers handballs during the round 23 AFL match between the Richmond Tigers and the Brisbane Lions at Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 25, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)[/caption] Matthew Suckling (Western Bulldogs) Suckling was huge for the Dogs as they confirmed their spot in the finals with a comprehensive win over a Crows side that will be subject to huge changes over the off-season. The former Hawk had 29 touches at 93 per cent efficiency, nine marks and seven rebound 50s in a dominant effort down back. Jacob Weitering (Carlton) Having struggled to find his feet at AFL level since debuting in 2016, the former number one pick has been a standout for the Blues since the appointment of coach, David Teague. While the Blues did not have their best of nights against the Cats on Saturday, Weitering held Tom Hawkins goalless in an incredibly mature performance. Expect big things in 2020 from the young Blue. Connor McKenna (Essendon) The Irishman impressed under the Friday night lights, gaining a huge 711 metres from his career-high 25 disposals. McKenna also took five marks and collected eight rebounds 50s off the half-back flank. CENTRE Andrew Gaff (West Coast) Gaff was clearly the best Eagle on the field in their disappointing loss to the Hawks on Saturday night. The prolific midfielder had 37 touches, seven marks, five rebound 50s and six inside 50s as the Eagles slipped out of the top four on the eve of the finals. Patrick Cripps (Carlton) What more can be said about this man? A true star of the competition, and one of the Brownlow Medal favourites, Cripps showcased his dominance against arguably one of the competition’s best midfields in Geelong on Saturday night. Despite the Blues’ loss, Cripps finished with 35 disposals (20 contested), 13 clearances, eight tackles and six inside 50s. Another huge effort from Carlton’s skipper. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) One of the front runners for this year’s Brownlow, Bontempelli’s game has gone to another level in 2019, with his performance on the weekend helping the Dogs secure their spot in September. Bontempelli dominated against the Crows, collecting 31 touches (16 contested), winning seven clearances, laying 10 tackles and kicking a goal to round off an immense showing in Ballarat. [caption id="attachment_34003" align="alignnone" width="696"] BALLARAT, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 25: Marcus Bontempelli of the Bulldogs high fives fans after winning the round 23 AFL match between the Western Bulldogs and the Adelaide Crows at Mars Stadium on August 25, 2019 in Ballarat, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)[/caption] FORWARDS Gary Ablett Jnr (Geelong) The little master lit up GMHBA Stadium on Saturday with the Cats’ favourite son kicking three goals and racking up 14 score involvements in a dominant performance. Ablett also laid an impressive six tackles, amassed 28 disposals and finished with nine inside 50s in a performance that is sure to excite Geelong fans on the eve of another finals campaign. Jeremy Cameron (GWS) The 2019 Coleman Medallist. The GWS ace kicked nine goals in a personal and club best goal kicking performance which saw him pip North Melbourne’s Ben Brown to win his maiden Coleman Medal. Somehow it could have been worse for the struggling Gold Coast defence, with Cameron registering five behinds to finish with 9.5. Cameron finished the year with 67 goals at a league-high 3.4 goals per game. Tim O’Brien (Hawthorn) O’Brien was one of many crucial players for the Hawks in their big victory against the Eagles. The 25-year-old kicked a career-high four goals straight, while also taking four marks and recording three inside 50s. Hawks fans will be hoping O’Brien can build on his impressive form in 2020. [caption id="attachment_34002" align="alignnone" width="696"] PERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 24: Tim O'Brien of the Hawks celebrates after scoring a goal during the round 23 match between the West Coast Eagles and the Hawthorn Hawks at Optus Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)[/caption] Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs) Kicked 5.3 in a big win for the Doggies at their home away from home in Ballarat to end the Crows’ season and book an elimination final against the Giants. Dale finished with 17 possessions and took six marks in a superb individual performance. Jack Riewoldt (Richmond) Riewoldt blew the Lions away in the first quarter, kicking four majors to put the Tigers on the path to victory on Sunday afternoon. Was kept relatively quiet for the rest of the match, finishing with 14 disposals and seven marks as Richmond finished their home-and-away season with a 27-point win. Jamie Elliott (Collingwood) Following an impressive effort last week away from home against the Crows, Elliott continued his good form with a three-goal effort against the Bombers at the MCG on Friday night. The Pie finished with nine marks, nine score involvements and 18 touches in a performance sure to excite the Collingwood faithful. FOLLOWERS Max Gawn (Melbourne) In a hellish season for the Demons, very few players have stood out and matched last season’s efforts. However, Max Gawn is the obvious exception with the big man once again competing with Collingwood’s Brodie Grundy for the title of the competition’s best ruckman. Up against in-form Kangaroos ruckman Todd Goldstein, Gawn dominated all around the ground, finishing with 26 touches (20 contested), 10 clearances, eight marks, 41 hitouts (15 to advantage) and a bag of three goals. Lachie Neale (Brisbane) Neale’s monumental effort against the Tigers may be the one that secures a maiden Brownlow Medal for the former Docker turned Lion. A huge part of the Lions' top-two finish, Neale finished with video game-like numbers on Sunday, joining the illustrious 50+ disposal club; with Neale’s 51 disposals ranking as the fourth-highest ever recorded. Incredibly, Neale finished with 88 per cent disposal efficiency, while also finishing with 14 clearances, six marks, six tackles and five score involvements. Don’t be surprised if Neale becomes the first Lion since Simon Black in 2002 to finish with the Brownlow around his neck come the end of September. [caption id="attachment_34001" align="alignnone" width="696"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 25: Lachie Neale of the Lions in action during the 2019 AFL round 23 match between the Richmond Tigers and the Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 25, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)[/caption] Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong) Speaking of Brownlow Medallists, Patrick Dangerfield was once again in a dominant mood for the Cats as they romped to a 68-point victory over Carlton. Dangerfield had 34 disposals (18 contested), won 12 clearances, gained 818 metres, took five marks, laid six tackles, had nine inside 50s and kicked 4.3, in a performance that will certainly make opposition coaches and players very nervous coming into finals action. INTERCHANGE Brodie Grundy (Collingwood) Grundy was best-on-ground for the Pies on Friday night and can consider himself very unlucky not to be the side’s starting ruckman. The big man had 33 disposals (21 contested), seven clearances and 35 hitouts (10 of those to advantage). Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) Collingwood’s skipper was huge in their win over the Bombers on Friday night. Pendlebury continued his impressive 2019 form with another fantastic effort, finishing with 33 disposals at 78 per cent efficiency, five marks and four tackles as the Pies crept into the top four. [caption id="attachment_34000" align="alignnone" width="696"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 23: Scott Pendlebury of the Magpies celebrates with fans after the round 23 AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Essendon Bombers at Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 23, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)[/caption] Shaun Higgins (North Melbourne) One of North Melbourne’s best over the past two seasons, Higgins once again led from the front as the Roos finished their season with a tight win over the Demons. Linked to a move away from North in the upcoming trade period, Higgins showed why North should be desperate to keep him, finishing with 34 touches at an elite 88 per cent efficiency rate, six inside 50s, three marks, three tackles, and two goals; with the latter, coming in the last two minutes, sealing the result for Rhyce Shaw’s side. Josh Kennedy (Sydney) In a huge day for the club, Kennedy turned in a performance of the highest order to help send off the Swans departing premiership heroes (and celebrate Lance Franklin’s 300th game) with a victory. Sydney’s co-captain finished the match with 32 possessions, won 11 clearances, took five marks, laid nine tackles and kicked two goals in the Swans 45-point win.

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	HAW	3	3	0	12	129.9
2	ADEL	2	2	0	8	172.1
3	GWS	2	2	0	8	143.7
4	COLL	3	2	1	8	120.5
5	BL	2	2	0	8	114.6
6	GC	1	1	0	4	277.6
7	GEEL	2	1	1	4	142.5
8	NMFC	2	1	1	4	124

Team of the Week: Round 23

CENTRE

Latest News

AFL Draft: The top 13 prospects heading into the 2025 season

Round 3 Team Line-Ups

Carlton salary squeeze could force rivals to pursue All-Australian midfielder

Rivals tipped to pursue “clinical finisher”

The FIVE local football clubs set to land AFL greats for...

FOLLOW US