Nathan Buckley took a close look at the nine official practice-matches across the weekend.
With all 18 teams competing in AFL sanctioned hitouts across the country, here’s what Bucks felt were the key takeaways.
See the talking points below from SEN Breakfast:
Look out Geelong
Buckley: “Look out Geelong, Melbourne are on their way back.”
“Last year they could not get their back six in order form the get-go, still went 10-0 to start the season after their premiership in 2021.
“Then everything turned, they finished the year 6-6 and went out in straight sets in the finals but they look happy, healthy and hungry again.
“Their backline is where it’s all set up - Steven May, (Jake) Lever and (Harrison) Petty as a young underrated key - I just think the rest of their game sets up with the confidence of their back six.
“You can’t underestimate - what we saw from Gawn and Grundy was excellent - but it just comes off the back of the confidence in their back six.
“I think that’s where they got their mojo in 2021, the defence just came together so well that it gave their mids and forwards so much confidence to do what they had to do.”
Can Jones unlock the Western Bulldogs?
Buckley: “Number two is Liam Jones at the Dogs, what can he do to unlock the Bulldogs’ capacity from his role at full back?”
“Liam Jones on his own, he hasn’t been seen as a star of the competition at any time of his career, but what he is, is an effective key defender.
“You’re looking at a team that has struggled to find a key defender to build their defence around.
“They’ve had intercept defenders like Easton Wood or other players that have come off … but they haven’t had for the longest time that key defender to build a defence around that gives the midfielders and forwards the confidence to do what they need to do.
“He’s only played in two winning seasons in his career, he’s 57 wins and 104 losses in his whole career.
“That’s just wrong time, wrong place, could this be right time, right place?
“Could he be the right guy to help give that midfield (confidence) and some structure and stability to a back half that has struggled for it.
“Even in their flag year they did it in a different way.”
You have to tackle well to win
Buckley: “Number three is you’ve got to tackle well to win.”
“We were talking effective skills in the game, picking the ball up from the ground cleanly and consistently is my number one.
“This one I feel like will impact more games than we know going into this year for a few reasons.
“I’m not just talking about intensity, but the technique and capacity to tackle well as a team.
“The ball carrier is taking on tacklers more than ever, and that’s being coached.
“It seems like there’s more ways to give frees away, if you tackle too aggressively and sling you don’t just give a free away, you can get a week.
“The players let themselves go forward better than they ever have to force pushes in the back, we see arms being lifted to encourage a high-tackle, knees are being dropped a little bit.
“Even the capacity to for a small defender or key defender to tackle a player in the opposition forward 50 - that skill could be the difference between winning and losing.
“The best teams this year will have to be great tackling teams, there’s too much opportunity for ball carriers and frees can be given away and pressure released if you don’t get it right.”
Adelaide are a top four intensity team
Buckley: “The Adelaide Football Club, I’m so impressed with what I’ve seen from them across the last 13 or 14 months.”
“It’s largely around their intensity and capacity to put pressure on.
“I’d encourage anyone to go and look at Adelaide’s best 22 and find five or six no names, it’s not off the back of their names or style of play.
“Sam Berry, he’s a no-name, but he seems to lay 10 tackles a game.
“(Ben) Keays who has come across from Brisbane, now he’s being played as a pressure forward, he kicked four goals on the weekend, he seems to be more of a team-oriented player, he’s one of the fittest players in the competition.
“(Harry) Schoenberg no one would know, their backline looks like a cobbled-together back six … there are no names.
“Because of their pressure and intensity, you go forward and you have a mix of (Taylor) Walker, (Izak) Rankine, (Shane) McAdam - who I think is underrated, (Elliott) Himmelberg - who I think is an underrated tall, (Riley) Thilthorpe - who may struggle to get a game because of that, (Josh) Rachele, (Darcy) Fogarty - who has found something.
“You can’t look at the names … they shock teams with their intensity, I think they’ve got a top four intensity with the way they go about it.
“Don’t be penciling wins in against Adelaide, you’ll have to earn them.
Carlton have work to do
Buckley: “Carlton have work to do.”
“I was quoted as saying they might not make it (finals). It’s not run and won and it’s not something I’d expect to be a fait accompli.
“(Assistant coach) Ash Hansen had this to say about the Blues last practice match (against Sydney).”
Hanson: “We got beaten at the contested ball, we base our game around contest which I think most AFL teams do … it was a reality check tonight especially early around the ball with clearance numbers.”
Buckley: “They didn’t have Patrick Cripps, who is their contested ball leader, their heart and their soul and he’s dragged them over the line a couple of times.
“They didn’t have Sam Walsh, who eventually will come back into the side and he’s one of the best transition runners in the competition.
“But they cannot just roll into this season and assume improvement and assume they’ll go from ninth to into the finals.
“It’s the hardest position to make up, between ninth and eighth at the end of the year on the ladder.
“Their top end is elite, their clearance work into the forward area when they get that game going is nearly unbeatable. Their Plan A and the best of their best is as good as any team in the competition, but their transition efficiency needs work.
“When they don’t have their A-game going and you need to grind it out, I’m not sure how they hold up effectively and efficiently with momentum against them.
“I think the whack on top of this is the psychological challenge, and Vossy has spoken about this, they’re trying to stay in the moment and not get ahead of themselves.
“Saying that is the right attitude, doing it is harder than the words that you need to caution against it.”
Listen to the full Buck Stops Here below.