After having an unlikely premiership medal draped around his neck, Daniel Venables started 2019 slowly, managed a rare feat of 15 disposals against St Kilda then was knocked out in round 9 against Melbourne and eventually shut down for the season with the after-effects of concussion. Venables gets a fresh start in his fourth season and will have to lift his ratings to get past a host of young players who offer more on the stat sheet. Everything in his recent history suggests it's going to be an uphill battle.
Veni vidi Venables
After having an unlikely premiership medal draped around his neck, Daniel Venables started 2019 slowly, managed a rare feat of 15 disposals against St Kilda then was knocked out in round 9 against Melbourne and eventually shut down for the season with the after-effects of concussion. Venables gets a fresh start in his fourth season and will have to lift his ratings to get past a host of young players who offer more on the stat sheet. Everything in his recent history suggests it's going to be an uphill battle.
Merry Venables
Three goals in Daniel Venables's second game in round 2 was followed by a bad ankle injury which threatened to end his season early. He returned for round 16 and wasn't dropped, earning his best figures of 17 disposals in the prelim... then just four in the granny. His two outings with multiple goals came in big wins over minnow clubs, and he posted a scoreboard total of 8.7 from his 12 home & away games. Venables is perhaps the luckiest of the premiership Eagles, as there were others on the list with more impressive WAFL pedigrees who were left watching on the sidelines in September. That is what coach Adam Simpson wanted. He does not appear to be a fantasy player, though if he gets more centre rotations then he's worth keeping an eye on as a free agent pick up.
Unable to pick Venables
Turf toe ended Daniel Venables's debut season before he could challenge for a senior game, going at rates of 13 touches and 59 fantasy points in the WAFL. He also had a poor 2017 preseason with a foot problem. You can probably chuck the numbers from Venables's first listed season in the bin and treat him as a new player when watching him in the JLT, assuming he has a better one going into 2018. Probably still too early for a pick.
