Sorry, time gets away, and I realised that I hadn’t completed my mid-season reviews.
In Part 5, we will look at the last two teams alphabetically – West Coast and the Western Bulldogs, name our AFL mid-season team, and give a quick summary of Round 1 of the AFL’s U18 National Championships.
West Coast:
Mid-season:
It’s a long process rising from the bottom. All West Coast can do is the continue to introduce and develop new and younger players into the team.
Tyler Young, from Richmond, has been a fillip to their defence. Lindsay, Duursma, and Murdock look very good too. Yes, the only way is up, but it will take time.
Western Bulldogs:
Mid-season:
The Bulldogs are going along okay, considering some big injuries. Budarick has found his best career form after transferring from Gold Coast. While opportunities to junior and developing players – Busslinger, Sellwood, Jacques, Jones, and Freijah – have added extra pace and enthusiasm.
The Bulldogs are sitting comfortably in the top 10, and can move into the top six.
AFL 2026 Mid-season Team
B: L.Ash, A.Aliir, S.Collins
HB: Sicily, Blakey, Wilkie
C: B.Smith, Newcombe, N.Daicos
HF: Heeney, Cameron, C.Serong
F: Gunston, B.King, Watson
R: Grundy, Cripps, Neale
I: Gawn, Holmes, Oliver, N.Anderson, and Wanganeen-Milera.
U18s Round 1 Summary
14/6/2026:
After Round 1 of the National Championships, we’re got our first look at the juniors at the elite level. Congrats to Western Australia and Vic Country, but remember, Vic Metro starts next week.
In the WA v SA game, Leo Steed, WA midfielder, dominated with 30 disposals, four marks, a goal, four tackles, and four clearances. Others major contributors were George Gale, also WA, Harvey Croker (SA), Memphis Webb (SA), James Artemis (WA), Heath Melody (WA), Harper Banfield (WA), Lucas Robinson (WA), Benji Van Rooyen (WA).
In the Allies v Vic Country game, both Ethan Matthews, GWS Academy (Mid/Wing), and Henry Meaney, Sydney Academy (Mid), dominated.
Other major contributers were Keenan Boi (VC), Tanner Armstrong (VC), Ethan Drever (VC), Caylen Murray (Lions Academy).
Again, remember, Vic Metro has its first game next week.
BTW, Keiran, is Harvey Croker (SA) related to you?
I think that’s it!
Further details, including your club’s best-performed mid-season team, can be found at https://www.ozfootylistmanager.com/
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It was 25 years ago that I began developing a model for analysing footy squad lists for the purpose of improving those lists into a premiership window. Since then, the model has been used to successfully predict premiership clubs and to improve either lop-sided or underdeveloped lists into premiership lists. Indeed, the model was used for an article that I had published as a double page spread in The Age 2005 Pre-Season magazine.
Over the 25 years, I have analysed the annual lists of one particular club but have used it for other clubs upon request. It has always been on my bucket list to display the lists of all the clubs, using the model, which I’ve done since 2021 on my website – OzFootyListManager.com
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