Cam Rayner arrived at the Brisbane Lions in 2018,the No.1 pick in the 2017 draft. Dustin Martin had just come off one of the most dominant seasons anyone had ever seen. Every club was looking for the next explosive midfielder who could also tear a game apart up forward,and Rayner was the most likely young prospect. It was a heavy burden to carry.
Since then,Rayner has occasionally delighted,but more often teased and frustrated Lions fans. He’s played 118 games,mostly as a high half-forward in a powerful Lions attack. He didn’t have the tank to play midfield. A brief trial at half-back early last year was quickly abandoned. He was ineffectual in last year’s grand final defeat.
Cam Rayner starred in the midfield against Melbourne.Getty Images
But Rayner has improved his endurance,and has spent more time on ball so far this year. He was good against Collingwood a fortnight ago,but his game against Melbourne on Thursday was his long-awaited breakout as a midfielder. Rayner was a weapon,with 18 possessions,seven clearances and two goal assists in the first half alone. Game over.
He faded a little after half-time,suggesting he’s still a fraction below being able to run out a full game. But Rayner’s 25 total possessions were notable for their efficiency (80 per cent) and where he won them. Ten inside-50s and seven score involvements tells the story. He was no slouch when he didn’t have the ball either,laying tackles and smothers.
The Lions midfield is led by Lachie Neale’s brilliant roving,with Josh Dunkley giving them a better defensive balance. Losing Will Ashcroft to a long-term knee injury has hurt them creatively. But for years,the Lions have longed for a big-bodied burst player to compete with the likes of Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver. Rayner destroyed both on Thursday night.
Speaking of which …
Christian Petracca lays a tackle on Dayne Zorko.Getty
Spare a thought for Petracca and Oliver. Both were far below their best,with 38 possessions and just three clearances combined for the match. But the Dees were playing their third game in just 13 days,after backing up a narrow win over Port Adelaide on March 30 with a 15-point victory over the Crows on April 4 for Gather Round. Both games were Adelaide Oval.
Is it any wonder they looked flatter than the Nullarbor? The early start to the season – with eight teams playing opening round and byes everywhere you look – has resulted in some deeply iniquitous scheduling. Collingwood also played three games in 13 days after a shortened pre-season. They will play another three in 13 after their bye this week.
The fixture is contentious enough already without placing such insane demands on the athletes,who need adequate time to recover between half-marathons. Moreover,the staggered schedule means it won’t be until the end of round seven – when all 18 teams will have played the same amount of games for the first time this year – that we will truly know where clubs sit on the ladder.
In an attempt to compete with the NRL’s Las Vegas adventure,the AFL has only succeeded in further distorting the fixture picture in a way that serves no one except broadcasters.
What happened to Libba?
Concussion has been a hot topic in the AFL,especially since Angus Brayshaw’s medically enforced retirement in the off-season. In fact,the league even changed the rules of the game in response to the incident in which Brayshaw played his last game,when a smother from Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard went horribly wrong. On Friday night,the sudden,disturbing collapse of Tom Liberatore prompted the Western Bulldogs to decide to get out in front of the debate.
Liberatore has entered concussion protocols and miss this week’s game against St Kilda. That’s despite him quickly regaining his feet,passing a head injury assessment immediately after the event,and presenting free of symptoms the following day. Liberatore later told ABC radio he had hurt his ankle and momentarily lost balance.
Essendon’s Darcy Parish signals for assistance after Tom Liberatore collapsed.Channel Seven
But the behind-the-goals vision didn’t look like that. Not at all. Given concussion symptoms can be delayed,no doubt the Western Bulldogs are motivated by genuine concern for Liberatore’s wellbeing. But they may also be concerned by the optics of playing anyone a week after he’s fallen to the turf like he’s been shot,absent any body contact.
It’s worth remembering Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy here. Murphy ruled himself out at quarter-time of last year’s grand final against the Brisbane Lions after a collision with Lincoln McCarthy. Murphy,too,passed his concussion test. But he had too much experience with the effects of delayed concussion already. And he hasn’t played since.
Here come the Suns
. That’s a big call. But the odds of the Suns finally breaking through for a maiden finals berth is getting shorter by the minute. On paper,they haven’t beaten much yet:Richmond,a struggling Adelaide and a risible Hawthorn – all at home,where they are becoming a formidable team.
The next step is to start winning games away. They’ve got Sydney at the SCG next week,a tough ask,but they’ve won there as recently as 2022. If they do it again,the hype will build. A friendly draw means they also have return bouts against West Coast,North Melbourne and the Bombers booked. They should win all six of those. They’ll beat many better teams.
In a pre-season review,I queried the number of depth players on the Suns list. Coach Damien Hardwick dropped the hammer on them two weeks ago,omitting Brandon Ellis,Levi Casboult,Ben Long,Rory Atkins and Alex Sexton. The performances of academy guns Ethan Read,Sam Clohesy and the raw but terrifying Jed Walter show why he was right to do so.
Moreover,the Suns are playing attractive,exciting football,and Hardwick is wearing the smile of a kid at Christmas with his new set of toys. They’re going to be fun to watch,and that’s also a crucial part of this club’s plan as it desperately tries to woo a bigger audience to fill the (twice-renamed) People First Stadium.
… and here comes Harley
We started this column with the slow-burning Rayner. Another No.1 draft pick,Harley Reid (you may have heard of him) showed West Coast fans they won’t have to wait nearly as long to see why their club resisted all overtures to part with him. Reid is the latest Dustin Martin clone to step off the assembly line. On Sunday,they met on the football field for the first time.
Harley Reid celebrates a goal in West Coast’s win over Richmond.AFL Photos
After that game,Dusty himself wouldn’t argue with Reid,at least not his bona fides as last year’s best young prospect. After announcing himself in round four against the Swans,Reid took it up several notches against Richmond,collecting 27 possessions,seven clearances,a goal and a direct assist to Jake Waterman,whose six-goal performance was a story in itself.
It’s not just the numbers,of course. It’s the damage done. Put Reid in a contest and he’s a monster,but once he’s outside it – either bursting away from a stoppage,or breaking tackles at will – he’s a surgeon. He should walk away with this week’s Rising Star nomination. Good luck to anyone who somehow stops him winning it.
As for Waterman,Sunday’s effort is enough to make you wonder how he’d go in a better team. He’s nearly 26,but has spent his career trapped behind Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling,unable to settle as a natural forward. He’s got strength,speed off the mark,a true kicking action and a perfect sharpie mullet. Like Reid,and the Eagles,better days lie ahead.
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