Hayden Crozier

23 disposals (17 kicks), seven marks, five tackles, 10 rebound 50s

“Hayden was very sound defensively for us. He was under immense pressure in the first quarter and had to defend 21 entries, but his ability to jump into contests and knock people over throughout the whole game was outstanding. He was really important for us, not only behind the ball as a defender, but also when he swung forward late. His experience and knowledge of the game helped us calm down in those critical moments.”

Josh Schache

15 disposals (14 kicks), 11 marks, one goal

“Schack’s ability to swing between playing forward and defence in those sort of wind conditions was great. He was able to intercept a couple of times as a defender, and kept giving us a target ahead of the ball when we were playing a bit of a shorter forward line – he was a really important focal point for us, and brought the ball to ground to help our smalls go to work.”

Rhylee West

17 disposals, seven tackles, two goals

“Westy split his time between forward and mid – when he went to a more permanent on-ball role in the second half, he helped win the ball back and wrestle some momentum our way. He got the ball into some dangerous territory which allowed us to score, but for him to also hit the scoreboard a couple of times going against the wind, was really important.”

Toby McLean

20 disposals, five tackles, seven clearances, one goal

“It was really hard for our mids to compete early – we lost control of the centre bounce, but Toby worked his way into the game in the second half with multiple source-pressure efforts. Some of those resulted in turnovers, which we then scored off the back of them. His work inside late with his hands, and his ability to get us to the outside were the features of his game.”

Louis Butler

25 disposals, seven marks, five tackles

“Louis did what he always does - running goal-line to goal-line to help us attack and defend the ground. There were probably a few kicks he might like to have back, but his ability to jump into aerial contests showed real growth. A couple of big aerial marks late in the game too were telling for us.”

Buku Khamis

13 disposals (11 kicks), seven intercepts, five marks, three rebound 50s

“Again, Buku had to defend plenty of entries – he weathered a lot of the storm against some really tall Sydney forwards. He did a great job, with several intercept marks and plenty of spoils. His ability to just repel entry after entry was really important for us, and he was really brave in the air - under high, swirly balls he marked calmy and comfortably.”

Ben Cavarra

15 disposals, four inside 50s, two goals

“It was pretty tough around the ball early for Cav – it’s a hard day as a forward when the ball isn’t coming to ground and Sydney is marking everything. To his credit though, he worked really hard and had four shots on goal in the last quarter – one of those which got us across the line. His ability to win big one-on-one contests, against larger opponents at times, was a real feature of his game.”

Dom Bedendo

Eight disposals, four marks

“Dom had a bit of a quiet day – it was hard for the talls in those sort of conditions and with big-bodied defenders playing on him. He still stayed in it though - late in the game, he was really important for us linking the ball from defence to offence and into our forward 50, which helped us ultimately win the game.”

Patrick Lipinski

36 disposals, four marks, seven clearances, one goal

“Same as Toby, because we had no stoppage dominance early Lippa had to work really hard for his possessions. In saying that, he had a massive second half with 24 touches and six clearances. His ability to just work from contest and get us from inside to outside, while continually putting pressure on, was brilliant.”

Will Hayes

35 disposals, 11 marks, three tackles

“This was probably one of Hayesy’s better games for us. He used the ball really well, his positioning at stoppages was very good, and he helped us defend and attack. His ability to help us set up the ground, especially late, was also very good.”

Roarke Smith

21 disposals, four marks, one goal

“This was probably Roarke’s best game for the year. His ability to dominate aerial contests both in front and behind the ball, jump into their talls, and also help us move from contest with his hands and feet was great. He played a really well-rounded game – it was great to see him hit the scoreboard and have a little bit more of an offensive flair.”

Jordon Sweet

10 disposals, four marks, 31 hit-outs, two goals

“It was a very tough start to the game for Sweety. He gave away a few free kicks early, but to his credit, his ability to work back into the game in the second half as a forward and a ruck was really important for us. He really evened up our clearance work and gave us some follow-up, and took some marks up forward and converted which was a great turnaround for him. It was something he’ll take great confidence from.”