AFL Round 10 – Thursday 15th May ORFFA Round 9 - Rookie Round The 2024 AFL Draft was one out of the box, with highly credentialed youngsters right up and down the draft order. And already, plenty of these draftees are making an impact in the AFL and ORFFA. In this round we acknowledge the abundant draft riches welcomed into our teams earlier this season, and perhaps nominate who on our teams has been the most welcome rookie addition. (The correct answer to that question is, of course, the one who has played lots and has scored lots of fantasy points) Gariwerd Cockatoos v Cradle Mountain Devils Mount Beauty Uglies v Dunsborough Dung Beetles Waikickamoocow Incorrigibles v Junee Jaguars Charlies Opening Spelunkers v Iron Knob Codpieces Lovely Banks Lilacs v Wagga Wagga Wombats Wineglass Bay Packers v Nareewillock Nuffers Larrikin Lagoon Lefties v Venus Bay Vultures Birdsville Battlers v Gundagai Grasshoppers
In the rookie stakes, very happy with Murphy (Bruce) Reid plucked at #11 in the 2025 PSD - especially after he gained the F of F/M status. Played all 9 games at an average of 63. Form has tailed off a little since a great start including 4 goals in a quarter in his debut game, and a rising star nomination. Please do not ask this thoroughbred to do too much in his first prep Freo.
A bit light on for rookies to be honest but really happy with Thomas Sims' progress, and Nate Caddy seems to have taken a big step forward this year as a second year player. Tom Brown has been excellent too as a youngster. Meanwhile, the Nuffers are travelling to Wineglass Bay and I reckon Tracey's team having only 3 wins is a bit of a travesty. Provsional Nuffers mob: D: Idun, Dale, Redman, Clark (Keane) M: Richards, Serong, Warner, Horne-Francis R: Sims (Langford OOP) F: Higgins, Bedford, Ross, Caddy (West) I/C: Brown, Rowell (already played) Some names on the Nuffers' list that may be looking for a new team come MSD time - a changing of the guard up forward might be on the agenda given DPP status for Warner, Ross, Horne-Francis, Bedford, etc, will likely continue into 2026 ... and with hopeful returns for Gulden and Daniels quite soon. Simply don't need as many forwards as I have, especially with five of them going at around the 65-70 ppg mark so far this year.
Rookie: Riley Bice...liked him as a mature ager... but he has exceeded my expectations with an 83 average