Former Peter Jackson VFL players Robbie Fox and Tom Stewart played their third and final games of the JLT Community Series for their new AFL clubs on the weekend.
Ex-Coburg midfielder Fox (pictured) and ex-Geelong VFL key defender Stewart, along with former Footscray forward Ben Long (one match for St Kilda), were the three players from among the 13 VFL graduates selected in the 2016 NAB AFL and Rookie Drafts or as pre-selected rookies to appear during the pre-season series.
On Sunday, 23-year-old Fox (pick no.34 in the Rookie Draft) had eight disposals and five contested possessions in 72 per cent game time during Sydney’s three-point victory over St Kilda in Albury, backing up 16- and nine-disposal performances in the Swans’ first two JLT Series games respectively.
The 2016 VFL Team of the Year wingman averaged 21 disposals and seven tackles per game in 13 matches for the Lions last year but faces a difficult task to break into a Sydney midfield stacked with big, AFL-hardened bodies like Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker and Dan Hannebery, though the injury clouds hanging over Swans runners Isaac Heeney, Kieren Jack and Jarred McVeigh may help his cause.
Also on Sunday, 23-year-old Stewart (pick no.40 in the AFL Draft) recorded 10 disposals, four marks and three one-percenters from 76 per cent game time in Geelong’s 22-point defeat of Essendon in Bendigo, following performances of 16 disposals and eight marks in week 1 and 15 disposals and seven marks in week 3.
The 2016 VFL Team of the Year centre half back and Cats’ VFL best-and-fairest runner-up has seen plenty of game time across his three pre-season hit-outs, but his chances of playing early-season AFL games could be dependent on whether Geelong coach Chris Scott continues to use traditional key defender Harry Taylor predominantly in the forward line.
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VFL draftees in JLT Series week 3
VFL draftees in JLT Series week 1
Last Modified on 13/03/2017 17:49