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Liam Kermode

GameDay Squad Aussie Rules: Round 2 Player In Focus

Each week we will do a deep dive into a player that had a strong performance in the previous round. The player may not have had the top score of the weekend but a solid outing nonetheless. I’ll look to cover the previous rounds performance, outlook for the season ahead, outlook for 2024 and beyond and my recommendation for this player. Let us know your thoughts on who we have down below on all of our social channels: twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.


Round 2 AFL player in focus Will Setterfield

Player of the Week

Player Name: Will Setterfield Age: 25 Club: Essendon Bombers Position: Midfielder Round 2 Score: 152 2023 Ave Score: 144 2023 Positional Rank: 2nd 2023 Overall Rank: 4th


Round 2 Performance

Bombers fans will be buying lotto tickets in bulk after midfielder Will Setterfield essentially fell in their laps over the 2022-2023 offseason. Setterfield made the move from Carlton to Essendon and has made the most of the opportunity so far! He was every all at once in round 2 as Essendon put the Gold Coast Suns down, totalling a team high 17 kicks, 11 handballs, 4 marks, 9 tackles and a goal to complement it all. Setterfield also led the game in score involvements, finishing the day with 11 total SI's.


2023 Outlook

The footy world is essentially Will Setterfield's oyster now. Coming into the 2023 season there were still questions about his role and how involved he would be in Essendon's engine room. He was starved of opportunity at Carlton but early signs point to Setterfield finally having a chance to really nail down a spot. As we stand two rounds in, Setterfield leads Essendon for centre-bounce-attendance percentage... I doubt many had Setterfield beating out Zach Merrett and Darcy parish for CBAs! He has also lead Essendon in both games for fantasy scoring just to top it all off, scoring 136 GDS fantasy points in round one and then an insane 152 GDS fantasy points in round 2. Clayton Oliver is the only midfielder ahead of Setterfield on score per game average rankings at the moment, and while it would be hard for anybody to hold onto a second overall ranking amongst midfielders, as long as this level of opportunity remains consistent, I see no real reason why Setterfield couldn't hold on to a top 15-10 finish.


GDS Dynasty Ranking

Setterfield's dynasty outlook is as promising as it has ever been before. Still only 25 years old, Setterfield has finally found a home within Essendon's midfield and with that way that he's been performing, there is no reason why that opportunity should be taken away from him any time soon. Essendon do boast an array of young midfield talent, Ben Hobbs has been killing it in the VFL, Archie Perkins is biding his time in the forward line and players like Jye Caldwell and Nik Cox are also waiting for opportunities, however, it feels as though Setterfield has impressed enough to carve out a really solid role in this midfield rotation. To echo my point above, as long as the opportunity remains consistent, I can't see how Will Setterfield isn't a fantasy stud in the not so distant future.


Kerm's Call

I'm not really sure what Will Setterfield's fantasy scoring ceiling is... and that is almost the most exciting part! He's finding the ball well, he's getting a ton of CBAs, he's impacting the scoreboard, he's doing everything an elite fantasy midfielder does and he's doing it really well! I myself am actually going to consider starting him in round 3, I smell blood in the water as he takes on the a Jack Steele-less St Kilda midfield this week. Definitely consider starting him this week and beyond!


 



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