R11 Suns vs Bulldogs: Notable Performances

The Suns went up to Darwin needing to win both games to really stay in the hunt for finals and thankfully the first half of the job is done. They held off a surging Bulldogs team and some shoddy refereeing to get the win.

I just wanted to highlight some of the players who stood out and look at a couple who need a big game next week before the bye to cement their place in the 22.

Jack Lukosius

Lukosius has either been extremely influential or completely absentgame to game. Fortunately this week he was a bright light as he contributed 5 goals to the tally. They mostly involved finishing up opportunities in the goal square as he read balls well in flight and knew to get out the back. He also took an excellent contested mark in tough conditions for his fourth. If he only scores his goals in big bursts like this its fine by me. King is a guaranteed 2 goals a game and if every other week Lukosius has a stand out performance it will add up to quite a successful season for a player who looks to have finally found his position.

Matt Rowell

That was a quintessential Matt Rowell performance. 14 clearances a heap of disposals and a goal. We knew the conditions would suit him we just wanted to see him deliver and he did. He is best when he is in tight and able to dispose the ball under pressure which he did countless times. He balanced this out with some brave runs out of stoppages as well. His goal was extremely well taken too and should be a boost to his confidence. Expect Adelaide to shadow him closely this week, they won’t want him to be the one to beat them. Based on his performance against a star-studded Doggies midfield he could still dominate.

Charlie Ballard

Ballard has been the best intercept defender in the competition for the last month or so. He is leading the league in intercept marks by a wide margin and his pace didn’t slow down, despite the adverse conditions in Darwin. He also kept Aaron Naughton quiet limiting him to one goal. There was one Jamarra mark where he and Collins failed to handover properly but Ugle-Hagan’s lead was perfectly timed. He is sneakily not a bad kick out of defence either, he is conservative with his decisions but he allows the back six to return possession most of the time. If Ballard keeps up this level of performance, he should make the wider All-Australian squad and the Suns defence will look as finals-ready as it ever has.

Need a big game v Adelaide

Andrew/Macpherson

I have lumped these two together because I don’t think Dew would drop both of them because there isn’t quite enough depth in defence to do that. But neither has looked totally convincing in recent weeks. Macpherson’s composure when kicking has waned which was what kept him in the side to start with. He deals with his defensive assignments quite well though so for the time being he should be playing ahead of the likes of Lemmens or Uwland. Andrew meanwhile has started to show he can be a marking presence and has commanded the air better as he gets more comfortable, which bodes well for his future. He is still biting off more than he can chew when he kicks though. I think some level of aggression in his kicking is important because you have to take chances when the opposition gives you them but in turn you can’t turn it over in such dangerous areas. If he can carry on taking intercept marks and getting the ball to ground I think he holds that third tall spot especially against bigger forward lines. But I still think Farrar deserves a start against smaller and quicker forwards where Andrew has been targeted often.

Malcolm Rosas

This is more of choice for the sake of encouragement than fear of him getting dropped. I think most Suns fans would love to see a young player kick a few goals in his hometown like he did against Hawthorn last year. He showed against Melbourne that he can get the job done against a top side so hopefully we see it again this week. He didn’t get many opportunities against the Bulldogs because the Suns weren’t really able to lock the ball in their front half and create stoppage and crumbing opportunities for the smalls. If they can do that this week Rosas will be a prime target dashing through stoppages at Witts’ feet. Some in the press have been calling for Sexton to come back into the side but for the long-term future of the club, blooding players like Rosas with greater potential could be more valuable. I would still like to see Sexton as an option on the bench or as sub for the meantime.