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          Stocks up, stocks down: The big signing which could backfire; the AA-calibre Saints star

          • ESPN staffMar 24, 2024, 10:00 PM

          In Round 2 of the 2024 AFL season, a young Saint starred in prime time, the Tomahawk wound back the clock, and a Port recruit showed his value. But one club's big signing could backfire. Here's whose stocks are up and down.

          Our footy experts cast their eye over the week's action to find out whose stocks are up -- whether it's a coaching masterstroke or a player having a blinder -- and whose are down.

          Adelaide

          Stocks up: In years gone by, the expectation has been on Taylor Walker to kick a bag for the Crows as the lead man up forward. But in Friday night's loss, Walker was ably supported in the key forward stakes by Darcy Fogarty and ex-Sun Chris Burgess. Burgess started strongly, providing a target up forward and booting two goals, while Fogarty (also with two majors) showed off new moves at ground level, as well as on the lead. Weirdly, though, they both hit the post from 15 metres out when their club needed a goal. Summed up their night, to be truthful.

          Stocks down: In a year his club simply had to make finals, an 0-2 start -- and against teams also vying for the eight -- isn't great for Matthew Nicks. It begs the question, why did the Adelaide Crows re-sign him during the week for a further two years? The pressure was on Nicks, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but now tied to the club until the end of 2026, it's a move which could backfire should the Crows continue to splutter. The build has been slow, and fans are already restless. For Nicks' sake, they need to start winning.

          Brisbane

          BYE

          Carlton

          BYE

          Collingwood

          Stocks up: There wasn't much for the Magpies to celebrate on Thursday night, but the inclusion of Reef McInnes was certainly something that paid dividends. The 21-year-old, in his 12th game and first of the year, booted a career-high three goals and had 12 disposals in the loss. With Collingwood struggling for answers in the early part of the season, expect McInnes to maintain his spot in the team.

          Stocks down: The Collingwood premiership defence is in absolute tatters. After three weeks, the Magpies are 0-3, and next face Brisbane -- the other 2023 Grand Finalist that's struggling -- at the Gabba. Craig McRae has his work cut out to solve the plethora of issues facing his team at the moment, including a lack of forward line firepower, a leaky defence, and a midfield which doesn't seem to have the legs to go with their opposition. Lose next week and it's a long road back to make finals.

          Essendon

          Stocks up: Jade Gresham didn't do too much wrong against the Swans and was constantly involved in the play, something that's generally tough to do as a small forward. The former Saint finished with three goals from 23 disposals, along with 11 score involvements and six inside 50s. He oozes class, his finishing was clean, and it's safe to say he is enjoying life as a Bomber.

          Stocks down: Have a spell, Peter Wright. You know the deal; elect to bump and get it wrong and you're looking at a stint on the sidelines. It's as simple as that. Wright made that choice on Saturday night, got it wrong and absolutely cleaned up Harry Cunningham, leaving the Swan concussed on the SCG turf. Horrible look and he must be punished.

          Fremantle

          Stocks up: Granted, it was only North Melbourne, but Fremantle's road confidence will have taken a giant step in the right direction after a hard fought come-from-behind win on Saturday afternoon. It's still very early in the season, but Justin Longmuir's side is earning tick after tick and already looking far better than it did at any point of 2023. The next challenge? Not falling five goals down to require said comeback!

          Stocks down: It's tough when things aren't going your team's way as a key forward, as talented youngster Jye Amiss found out on Saturday. Amiss had one disposal in the first half and struggled to assert himself on the contest. He ultimately finished with 1.3 next to his name. It's fair to say he's had better days in the league.

          Geelong

          Stocks up: When you're a man as big as Tom Hawkins, age just doesn't really matter. The 35-year-old key forward played a starring role in Friday night's win over Adelaide, booting four goals -- including a ripping set shot from close to the left hand boundary and a left foot snap in general play. Hawkins made Jordon Butts look undersized and underequipped for the job, and showed everyone he's still a major headache in 2024. Shoutout to Tom Stewart in his 150th too - the Crows just kept giving him gifts all night!

          Stocks down: From one veteran Cat to another ... Patrick Dangerfield. Geelong's captain was subbed out late in the contest with what's now known to be a minor hamstring injury. It will likely mean Dangerfield misses Easter Monday against the Hawks and Gather Round against the Western Bulldogs. Tough break after such a promising start to the season!

          Gold Coast

          Stocks up: Consistent and reliable, Sam Collins continues to show the competition he's one of the best key defenders in the league. His showing against the Dogs talls in Ballarat was excellent, intercepting and spoiling with aplomb. His 16 disposals and 10 intercept possessions stood out on a down day for the Suns.

          Stocks down: And there's the Gold Coast we've come to know. Frustratingly inconsistent. A 48-point loss to the Bulldogs on Sunday has to fall on Damien Hardwick (it's only fair if he received the majority of plaudits for the two wins to begin the year). If the Suns are to play finals this year, they simply can't have games like this.

          GWS

          Stocks up: We almost get sick of praising Sam Taylor, but he keeps doing things that warrant the spotlight. He was epic, again, for the Giants against the Eagles, clunking 10 marks -- SIX of which were contested. His 14 intercept possessions were a game high. Plus, describing his return to the west to play in front of family and friends as "a business trip" was elite banter as well.

          Stocks down: After reaching the highs of kicking five goals against the Pies in Round 1, Callum Brown had just five disposals against the Eagles, for one behind. Yes, it's tough to do, but he needs to build that consistency!

          Hawthorn

          Stocks up: Yep, Hawks fans are gonna really enjoy watching Josh Weddle strut his stuff for a very long time. The 19-year-old was brilliant against Demons, picking up 21 disposals, 10 marks, and finishing with a goal. He was able to cover the ground with ease and found himself deep in both arcs throughout the game, a sign of not only his versatility but also his impeccable work rate.

          Stocks down: It wasn't a good day for a lot of Sam Mitchell's side, but boy was Dylan Moore quiet. The underrated, hard-running forward failed to impact the game at all, and only touched the ball 11 times (his lowest count since 2021). As a more experienced leader of this team, he must find a way to do more than that!

          Melbourne

          Stocks up: He was unable to retain his place as ESPN's No. 1 player in the competition heading into this season, but it may not be long before Christian Petracca takes the title back. Petracca starred against the Hawks, tallying a game-high 29 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 11 score involvements, a goal, and an elite defensive act. Take a bow!

          Stocks down: Injuries to key players is the last thing you want after a healthy win like that, but Steven May (ribs) and Jake Lever (knee) failed to finish the match at the MCG due to separate incidents. Scans will tell us more, but the duo would be a brutal loss to a defence that has relied on them for so long.

          North Melbourne

          Stocks up: There's no such thing as a sophomore slump for Harry Sheezel. The second year Kangaroo continues to impress in the early part of season 2024, and against the Dockers he had an equal game-high 35 disposals, 17 kicks, six score involvements, five intercept possessions, and over 500 metres gained. Going to be a star of the game.

          Stocks down: We're not quite sure what Alastair Clarkson's halftime address was on Saturday afternoon, but it, quite clearly, did not work. The Kangaroos led Fremantle by 33 points late in the second term before giving up nine straight goals and throwing away any chance of taking home four premiership points. If you're one of the greatest coaches in league history, you just have to be able to halt that sort of momentum.

          Port Adelaide

          Stocks up: There's always expectation attached to key position players when they come across from other clubs, but it's fair to say Brandon Zerk-Thatcher might be exceeding those at Port Adelaide already. Not the most highly-regarded defender at Essendon, his game on Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch was near perfect, keeping Lynch to just one major while picking up 12 disposals and six intercept possessions himself. Has found a home at the Power.

          Stocks down: He can be a handful at times, but Willie Rioli was poor for Port against the Tigers. Seven disposals, three turnovers, and just one behind isn't enough output to secure your spot in a team in the long term.

          Richmond

          Stocks up: You can't help but love the way Liam Baker plays footy. Tenacious, electric, and passionate. Baker was Richmond's best player in their loss to Port Adelaide on Sunday. Deployed in the middle of the ground for much of the afternoon, Baker picked up 23 disposals, had 12 score involvements, five clearances, and kicked three majors himself, including two within a minute in the dying seconds of the third term to keep his side in the contest.

          Stocks down: In a team which is trying its best to turn over the list and give young and inexperienced players a chance to find their feet, the veterans need to stand up, and unfortunately for the Tigers, not many did. Kamdyn McIntosh's nine touches weren't enough, Tom Lynch kicked 1.1 from seven touches, and Dustin Martin (0.1) went missing in the second half, having just three disposals after the main break.

          St Kilda

          Stocks up: Don't be surprised if Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is an All-Australian halfback at the end of the season. The highly talented 21-year-old starred for the Saints on Thursday night, finishing with a game-high 32 disposals, career-high 25 kicks, 11 marks, eight intercept possessions, and over 600 metres gained. He's such a beautiful user of the ball, too, and he demonstrated those skills against Collingwood, hitting targets with 81% of his kicks.

          Stocks down: Season 2023 was the making of Mason Wood, who was in the running for a place on the wing of the All-Australian team (speaking of AA!) until the final weeks of the year. However, on Thursday night against Collingwood, Wood was involved in a nasty collision when going back with the flight of the ball in the first term. The Saint suffered a broken collarbone and a concussion and is now set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines. Shame.

          Sydney

          Stocks up: Could Isaac Heeney pull an Aaron Hall and poll a perfect nine Brownlow Medal votes in the first three weeks of a season? It's very, very likely (here's our Brownlow Medal predictor). Heeney's Brownlow chances are rising with each passing week, the star Swan now equal fifth-favourite in betting after another dominant performance in the midfield. It's hard to see them taking him out of there when everyone else is fit.

          Stocks down: Speaking of those players to come back in ... young Corey Warner isn't doing himself a whole lot of favours to remain in the team. The brother of midfield star Chad kicked 0.3 against the Bombers and operated at a lowly 36% disposals efficiency. You simply must make the most of these opportunities when you're on the fringe of the team.

          West Coast

          Stocks up: It's easy to forget just how good a footy player Elliot Yeo is, but it's great to see him getting back to his best at the Eagles. His 27 disposals, nine clearances, eight tackles, and a goal would get votes in a closer game. His penetration by foot and hard edge has been missed, and it's fantastic to see him fit and healthy.

          Stocks down: With Oscar Allen out of the forward line, and the Eagles desperately needing a veteran presence to convert in front of the big sticks, it was a shame to see Jack Darling's return of just 0.2 and one mark on Sunday. Needs to do more when his team is desperate for a target.

          Western Bulldogs

          Stocks up: Cometh the moment, cometh 'the Bont'. The Bulldogs captain was unstoppable on Sunday afternoon in Ballarat, helping his side to its first win of the campaign. Bontempelli put the Suns to the sword with 31 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 10 clearances, and two goals. Superstar!

          Stocks down: Well, Jack Macrae's VFL career surely now has to be over, after having a day out in the twos. Continuing his comeback from a hamstring injury, the seemingly out-of-favour midfielder, had a staggering 47 disposals, 17 clearances, and four tackles against the Giants in the VFL on Sunday. Eyes on Luke Beveridge come Thursday night.