Alex Pearce is perhaps not in the top tier of interceptors in the league - Harris Andrews and Aliir Aliir stand atop those rankings - but he is one of the better back-shoulder full backs in the league, on a par with Jacob Weitering and Callum Wilkie. Hawthorn will probably try to exploit him on the lead by starting Jack Gunston in the goalsquare, hoping for a repeat of similar recent success against Weitering and Darcy Moore. The man they call Moose would prefer following a lumbering tall like Mitch Lewis, but he will have to contend with leapers and sprinters.
Alex Pearce is perhaps not in the top tier of interceptors in the league - Harris Andrews and Aliir Aliir stand atop those rankings - but he is one of the better back-shoulder full backs in the league, on a par with Jacob Weitering and Callum Wilkie. Hawthorn will probably try to exploit him on the lead by starting Jack Gunston in the goalsquare, hoping for a repeat of similar recent success against Weitering and Darcy Moore. The man they call Moose would prefer following a lumbering tall like Mitch Lewis, but he will have to contend with leapers and sprinters.
Piercing pain for Pearce
A nagging ankle injury cut short Alex Pearce's season, unable to return following the bye. He has become a mainstay of the Docker backline, regularly breaking even in a besieged defence. Pearce required further surgery in the preseason on the ankle injury and is expected to return to training in late February. A dependable negator, he has never shown a propensity for fantasy scoring.
Pearce's counterthrust
A leg break forced Alex Pearce to the sidelines midway through 2016, with ensuing complications causing him to watch from afar for the entirety of 2017 as well. The key defender returned in strong fashion in 2018, limiting the impact of dangerous forwards such as Tom J. Lynch and Jeremy Cameron across his 21 appearances. The Tasmanian’s role is exclusively team-first, and therefore he has never presented much fantasy value. Pearce’s injury troubles are now well and truly behind him as he looks to put together his first full back-to-back seasons. His name is now cemented into the key defensive post alongside ex-Dog Joel Hamling, where he will continue to suit up from here on. A certain starter, yes, but a respectable fantasy performer, no. Pearce is far too accountable to be up for our consideration.
Alex P. heat on
A bad leg break in round 9 of 2016 did not heal sufficiently for Alex Pearce to return last season. He was scheduled for a full preseason heading into 2018. Even when fit, Pearce is not directly fantasy relevant as his role is focused solely on close-checking defence.
