Forwards of the future
Shane Yarran, Michael Apeness and Matthew Taberner made their first appearance as a trio against GWS on Saturday and held their own. Yarran was electric in the first term, with three goals and seven disposals. The mid-sized forward’s clean hands and pace featured heavily when the ball entered Fremantle’s forward half. Apeness was also strong as a lead-up forward, clunking five marks on the wing and inside 50, while Taberner worked hard up the ground. Opposed to a tough Giants backline without the support of experienced forwards Matthew Pavlich and Chris Mayne, the trio showed glimpses of what fans can expect in the future.
The Mayne man down back
Traditionally a lead-up forward, Chris Mayne usually spends only bursts of matches in his team’s defensive 50. Against the Giants he started on key forward Jonathan Patton and spent the whole game in the backline. The 27-year-old, who conceded 10cm in height to his 198cm opponent, was strong with his body work and courageous running back with the flight. He later shifted to a loose man role and was composed with his ball use, finishing with seven marks and 21 disposals at 90 per cent efficiency.
Match report: Giants too good for Freo
Connor Blakely v Callan Ward
Blakely and Ward share more than just shaggy looks. The two big-bodied midfielders lined up alongside one another at stoppages for much of the evening and made their presence known. Blakely was clean with his hands and showed improved skills by foot to finish with 18 touches. Both Blakely and the Giants co-captain have a desire to throw their weight around at the contest, and are similarly evasive with their hands. Ward had the edge on the day with 23 touches and three clearances, but Blakely continues to impress.
A litany of options
GWS have an embarrassment of riches inside attacking 50. Patton – selected with pick no.1 in 2011 – looks unhindered by consecutive ACL injuries, and slotted a career-best haul of six goals on Saturday. Jeremy Cameron (three goals) is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young key forwards in the game, as is 206cm Rory Lobb, who also has the ability to play on the wing and in the ruck. At ground level, Steve Johnson (three goals), Toby Greene (two goals) and Devon Smith are hard to contain, and all rotate through the middle of the ground when required.
