WITH Round 1 of the AFL done and dusted, Northern Blues senior coach Josh Fraser summarises and analyses the games of the Carlton-listed players who featured in last Thursday’s VFL practice match against Richmond:

David Cuningham
Stats: 23 disposals, 10 handball receives, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal
From the coach: ‘Cunners’ was really impressive off half-back, where he used his speed and movement to set up a number of forward entries. We also used him through the middle late in the game where he managed to get forward and hit the scoreboard: we were really pleased with his output.

Tom De Koning
Stats: 9 disposals, 5 marks (3 contested), 1 goal, 13 hitouts
From the coach: He continues to grow, and he’s starting to build a brand for himself with his aerial contest as well as his ruck work. He’s really athletic and he’s working hard on following up and adding layers to his game: he made a strong impression.

No.30 draft pick Tom De Koning takes a contested grab against Richmond VFL. (Photo: Ashley Perez)

Jesse Glass-McCasker
Stats: 5 disposals, 3 tackles
From the coach: A slow start for him in terms of adjusting defensively to impact high balls, which he was able to do after quarter-time and influence the contest. We need more output from Jesse next week which we’re confident he’ll give us.

Nick Graham
Stats: 26 disposals, 11 handball receives, 8 clearances, 1 goal
From the coach: He spent time in the middle and up forward. We always get a strong contest inside and around stoppages from Nick. He set up a number of opportunities for us forward of centre and kicked a goal himself. He'll keep spending time in the forward line and midfield.

Nick Graham found plenty of the footy against Richmond VFL. (Photo: Ashley Perez)

Patrick Kerr
Stats: 9 disposals, 6 marks (3 inside 50), 2 goals
From the coach: It was an encouraging game from Patty: his work-rate was high, he took a nice contested mark and got his hands to a few other opportunities while kicking two goals. His game is starting to round off well.

Sam Kerridge
Stats: 23 disposals, 6 clearances, 1 goal
From the coach: ‘Kedge’ worked really hard, his running patterns helped us on both sides of the ball from both an offensive and defensive point of view. He was generally pretty consistent with the ball, and we think he’ll build with his leadership and continue being an asset for us.

Kym Lebois
Stats: 5 disposals, 1 goal
From the coach: He had some exciting moments, but just wasn’t able to do it for four quarters. He’s really exciting for us in our front half when he chases with intent: he also managed to get in behind and kick a great goal from 50. There was enough to like - the next step is seeing his good stuff for longer.

Cillian McDaid
Stats: 7 disposals, 4 handball receives
From the coach: He’s still very much learning the game from a defensive and positioning viewpoint, where he keeps making encouraging strides. He probably had his best defensive game as part of a unit. He’s also looking for the opportunity to run off and create something for us going forward. Shane Watson is working hard with him, and he’s got some exciting attributes.

Harry McKay
Stats: 8 disposals, 3 marks, 2 inside 50s
From the coach: Harry shared his time forward with a number of key talls, where he managed to get himself in a number of positions to mark the ball but couldn’t hang on. The pleasing thing was the amount of contests he got to and we want him to keep playing with that presence.

Harrison Macreadie
Stats: 15 disposals, 6 marks
From the coach: His game was a step forward from the previous one — he impacted more aerial balls, found the ball in offence and helped set up our defenders behind the ball. He’s assuming more responsibility at VFL level which will hold him in good stead going forward as he mounts his case for AFL selection.

Lochie O’Brien
Stats: 17 disposals, 6 handball receives, 5 inside 50s
From the coach: Lochie ran some really strong patterns, which allowed him to find the ball pretty regularly and able to penetrate inside 50. He also had some good moments with contested ball and laid some important tackles. It was a strong performance from him.

Lochie O'Brien stood out in his first game for the Northern Blues. (Photo: Ashley Perez)

Andrew Phillips
Stats: 6 disposals, 28 hitouts
From the coach: ‘Flip’ returning was great to see. He competed hard in the ruck and his follow-up is something he’ll keep working on as someone who’s missed a bit of footy. We know his skill and he managed to get involved in the contest. We’re looking forward to seeing him build as he gets more game-time.

Andrew Phillips made a successful return from injury on Thursday. (Photo: Ashley Perez)

Cameron Polson
Stats: 8 disposals, 2 inside 50s, 2 clearances
From the coach: He didn’t have the same impact as our first two games, but he did spend more time as a forward. We want him to keep playing with his speed and quick decision-making, his talent and upside is huge. We like him being able to play inside where he gives us burst coming out of the stoppage as well as a small forward, with a knack of getting front and centre. We’ll keep giving him exposure in both positions.

Angus Schumacher
Stats: 10 disposals, 3 inside 50s
From the coach: He continues to learn his craft down back, while we also gave him some midfield time where he looked pretty comfortable. He’s still very much learning his defensive caper. We’ve seen that when he gets the ball, he’s got the confidence to step around his opponent and get us going forward.

Alex Silvagni
Stats: 7 disposals
From the coach: Alex was competitive early which we know we get from him each week. By his own admission, he turned a few over which he normally wouldn’t but that should be rectified as he keeps building his game-time as someone who’s missed a bit of footy. He played limited game-time and we were pleased with his output for the time he was on.