Club
Campbelltown Blues
Key players
They started the pre-season with a bang confirming the signing of Jason Fleming. Fleming played in the WAFL (Swans Districts) and NEAFL (Ainslie) in the last seven years as an on-baller and is a former two-time Campbelltown Best and Fairest. Cameron Gordon will be pivotal in the ruck and resting up forward.
Star on the Rise
Taran Etto has been a player on the radar for some time having had NEAFL experience with UWS GIANTS but he matured significantly in the senior sphere last year with a superb year, often in a lone hand in the midfield for the Blues last year. He managed to kick 13 goals from 17 games in the top grade and was a perennial figure in Campbelltown’s best. Played in the AFL Sydney senior representative side, and was stiff not to be named in the AFL Sydney Team of the Year.
Strengths
You could add Aiden Bell and Nathan Lomas to the list of rising stars at Campbelltown. The duo figured in the top ten of AFL Sydney Rising Star polling, and were pillars in defence for the Blues. They are two developing stars which coach, Neil Brunton can build a defence around. They have good pace on the wings and across half-forward through players such as Paul Green and Theo Gavuri. The problem is getting the ball to them.
Weaknesses
They seriously lack attacking flair, and this is cruelled even more by a lack of key position forwards. Last year’s statistics are sobering when you consider they had the poorest attacking record in the competition, only averaging 59 points a game and the leading goalkicker was Matt Edwins with 25 goals. That won’t win you many games of football. When you look at their list, it is hard to see how they have rectified this problem; maybe Gordon will play more time forward as a marking target.
Season defining month
Campbelltown are traditionally slow starters, only winning one of their first six games last year. They need to hit the ground running and take advantage of a soft opening month that sees them play at home three times. They will find worthy opponents particularly out of Sydney University, St George and Western Suburbs- all finalists in 2014. They need at least two wins on the board to dream about playing in September one feels.
Notable Transfers
Fleming heads the inward transfers for Campbelltown. They have lost Matt Edwins to injury this season. Both Josh Van Luenen who played 12 games in Premier Division last year, and Ben Yakimov have gone down the road to Camden. Another big loss is solid midfielder, Bryce Joynson to the East Coast Eagles.
Danny Says
10th
I can’t see improvement on their eighth-placed finish last season. The club admits the Premier Division squad is not as strong as they would like and they still have decent holes in their list despite the key addition of Fleming. Not enough quality, experience and physically imposing tall timber for my liking.
Last Modified on 31/03/2015 14:01
