Welcome to this week’s ‘Rookie Watch’, where we take a closer look at rookie players who performed well over the weekend and assess their potential for future AFL Fantasy scoring. As we all know, rookies can be a make or break in AFL Fantasy, and finding those hidden gems early can give you a significant advantage over your competitors. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s players in focus
Jaspa Fletcher – Brisbane
Whilst most of the attention on Brisbane’s most recent draft haul revolved around father-son selection Will Ashcroft, the acquisition of another father-son in Jaspa Fletcher shouldn’t go unnoticed. Fletcher is a super classy midfielder who is capable of winning the ball on the inside or outside. He has a clean set of heels, good skills and can hit the scoreboard, and we were treated to a collaboration of all those traits last Friday against the Swans when he shrugged off a couple of tacklers and ran in to kick a terrific goal. Fletcher had a strong debut match, obviously highlighted by the goal, but he looked comfortable playing on the wing. He gathered 13 disposals and took four marks for 56 points before being subbed off. Fletcher was a prolific junior footballer and will form a terrific midfield partnership with Ashcroft in time.
Kai Lohmann – Brisbane
Brisbane’s Kai Lohmann would probably be getting a more regular senior game in most other sides. But Brisbane’s strong forward line has limited him to just three games to date. Lohmann is a small forward capable of impacting the game in the air and on ground level. He’s clever around goals and has terrific all-around athleticism. However, it remains to be seen whether he can become a handy fantasy prospect. Clearly, at the moment his job security is low, but the Lions rate him highly and I’m sure many Lions fans would prefer him getting games than Gunston. He’s never really been a great fantasy scorer, but with his blend of speed and evasiveness, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brisbane use him in a Zorko role once the former skipper hangs up the boots. One to watch for now.
Jack Buller – Sydney
Sydney drafted Jack Buller out of Western Australia in the recent mid-season draft. Due to their key position crisis, the Swans handed him an AFL debut against Brisbane. A key position player, Buller has played at either end of the ground and also through the ruck. He’s a strongly developed 22-year-old, so one who had the physical attributes to play right away. On debut he struggled to get involved, accumulating just two disposals. However, he put up some decent numbers in the WAFL prior to crossing the country and joining the Swans. Might end up playing a number of games this season but clearly not of Fantasy relevance yet.
Aaron Cadman – GWS
It’s time we talked about Aaron Cadman. He was drafted with pick one last season as a key forward, but one with great skills and an ability to play on the wing. Cadman was made to wait until round five to make his senior debut, but he hasn’t exactly set the world alight. Granted, key position players generally take a while to click. And I’m not suggesting he is a bust of a pick. But GWS traded up with him in mind and so far he hasn’t produced great numbers, averaging 4 disposals, 1.6 tackles, 1.9 marks and 25 AFL Fantasy points. I would like to see him used up the ground on a wing, where he can roam and hopefully get more involved. He is renowned for his strong leading, so if he can build up his tank I could see Cadman playing a Nick Riewoldt-style role. GWS have shown some faith in him and no doubt Cadman would be learning plenty, but we’ll soon need to see some bigger numbers if my Riewoldt-comparison is a chance of being around the mark.
