Alex Witherden is on the tips of the lips of some fantasy coaches as they start thinking about 2024, one of a number of Eagles who have been forced to play out of position to cover one of the most wide-ranging injury lists in living memory at AFL level. He is capable of Grant Birchall or Jack Sinclair levels of accumulation in the right role but, like Trent McKenzie at Port Adelaide, have his papers been stamped and put in a pigeonhole marked KEY UTILITY?Perhaps we will have to wait until next preseason to find out, as West Coast mounts an all-time rebuild.
Alex Witherden is on the tips of the lips of some fantasy coaches as they start thinking about 2024, one of a number of Eagles who have been forced to play out of position to cover one of the most wide-ranging injury lists in living memory at AFL level. He is capable of Grant Birchall or Jack Sinclair levels of accumulation in the right role but, like Trent McKenzie at Port Adelaide, have his papers been stamped and put in a pigeonhole marked KEY UTILITY?Perhaps we will have to wait until next preseason to find out, as West Coast mounts an all-time rebuild.
Alex Witherden could not get going in his first campaign for West Coast last year after transferring from Brisbane, but after missing round 1 this year he has peeled off three very good fantasy scores off a half back flank despite a merry-go-round of personnel in front of him. After a stellar debut season he never really fit in to the way the Lions wanted to play, and he has again had to relearn how to slot in to the Eagles zonal structure. He bears watching by fantasy coaches because if he keeps this form up, he is still undervalued as a potential top 6 fantasy back.
Alex Witherden had about as impressive a first season as you can have as a fantasy back, but since then it has all fallen in a bit of a heap. A trade to West Coast seemingly hand't improved his fortunes as he started 2021 in the magoos, but he finally pulls on a senior Eagles jumper this week as the direct replacement for Shannon Hurn, who has a LTI. Witherden's ceiling is high enough to make him of intense fantasy interest, and his role could be as lucrative as the one in which he made his name at Brisbane... or he could bust out again. Who is taking the plunge?
Alex Witherden has been in the footy wilderness since his breakout 2018 season, dropping off considerably last year and only returning to the senior side in the last month. His statistical output has returned with a bang, however, and fantasy coaches who remember his debut season will want a piece of that given his depressed price. The knock on his game is still that he doesn't hurt enough with his disposals, which means he's not a Supercoach special, but for basic scoring formats he's racking it up like a premium in the short term.
Alex Witherden is one of a number of Lions who must build on a decent campaign and go a step further if his team is to compete for top four once again.
Witherden dries up
A third season in the AFL produced surprising results for Alex Witherden, declining in disposal, marks and metres gained output following a highly consistent 2018. His best performance came in the resounding victory against the Suns in round 21 with 21 touches and 10 marks, but otherwise he dropped his fantasy rate by 15 and lifted his contested rate by five points.
Witherden's declined statistical output may be due in part to more defensive responsibility imparted on him by coach Chris Fagan. It remains to be seen whether the retirement of Luke Hodge will force Fagan's hand. A player with upside, especially if involved in the kick ins, so selection in middle rounds is warranted.
Alex Witherden burst onto the footy scene late in 2017 with a run of nine games at an average in basic fantasy scoring formats of 88. Last year, despite some coaches maybe having some reservations over whether he could back it up for a full season, posted a 21-game slate at a fantasy average of... 88. So far this year over the first four games of the season, Witherden's average is - yep, you guessed it - 88. Sometimes you just need a reliable conveyance who will deliver you consistent output, and in Witherden we have a gem.
Witherden vine grows sideways
Many fantasy coaches looked at Alex Witherden's nine-game run in 2017 and wondered whether he could back it up for a full season. The answer is yes, yes he could, as he delivered pretty much the same fantasy output as his debut campaign for 21 straight games. Luke Hodge yapped at him all year to help his positioning for two more marks per game to rank him in the top 10 for that stat, but his tackle rate dropped well below two. Coaches who used a high pick on Witherden in fantasy drafts would have done so with some trepidation, given his youth and the small sample size of production. He has proven to be the real deal, and has avoided the tags entirely so far in his short career. The remaining question is whether he has any upside left going into year three, but even if the answer to that is no, he will be off your board in early rounds.
Growth by Witherden
It took until round 14 last year for Alex Witherden to make his senior debut, starting slowly after a broken leg in his last junior year. He made it count with six 20-disposal games in a row and a high of 29, settling into a HBF as if he'd been there for yonks. His average rebound 50 stat was top ten in the league, just behind teammate Daniel Rich, though he had the worst disposal efficiency among the top 30 rebounders. Witherden now gets Luke Hodge chewing his ear all season, which should do the world of good for his development - a weakness for Brisbane in recent years. Chris Fagan has already mentioned in the press that midfield might be his eventual destination, which sounds a tad optimistic nine games in. For now, he is going to be very highly placed in drafts as most premium backs are ageing.
