Jeremy Finlayson

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Jeremy Finlayson was mooted for a possible shift to defence in the preseason, but on his recent return to the senior lineup he has settled back into his most familiar role of third tall forward helping out in ruck. In this role, assuming he continues playing it today, he will not be tasked with keeping Tom Stewart quiet as the Cat is out with injury, but he has to give Mitch Georgiades and Ollie Lord a lot of help to provide a viable target, most likely matched up on the younger Connor O'Sullivan. The forward/ruck role is one that can go unnoticed, but it could be crucial today.

Jeremy Finlayson was mooted for a possible shift to defence in the preseason, but on his recent return to the senior lineup he has settled back into his most familiar role of third tall forward helping out in ruck. In this role, assuming he continues playing it today, he will not be tasked with keeping Tom Stewart quiet as the Cat is out with injury, but he has to give Mitch Georgiades and Ollie Lord a lot of help to provide a viable target, most likely matched up on the younger Connor O'Sullivan. The forward/ruck role is one that can go unnoticed, but it could be crucial today.

Jeremy Finlayson was one of the premier forward/rucks of the competition not that long ago, but he has struggled to maintain his spot in the Port Adelaide best 22 this year. The Power are still yet to find a solid side that that deliver finals appearances consistently and, even though the F/R position is often the 22nd picked because they can tend to get the least leather on palm, coaches pay as much attention to these roleplayers as they do most other positions. Mitch Georgiades gets his chance to be third tall forward tonight, with Dorsal lurking on the subs bench.

Jeremy Finlayson has become an unlikely lead ruck for Port Adelaide this year, a club hit by injuries and suspension plus the coach lacking any sort of faith in supposed back up Sam Hayes to step up to senior level. He has delivered two reasonable scores in the last two weeks, doing particularly well last week, making him an interesting asset who should have already been picked up off your free agent pool in draft leagues. He hasn't got the body for playing in ruck full time, plus he tends to run out of petrol tickets at times, but he works hard and scores decently.

Dorsal in the pool?

One of the success stories of the GWS run to September, Jeremy Finlayson enjoyed his new role as third tall forward, often rotating out of the goalsquare and beating more accomplished opponents. His fantasy average of 74.4 during GWS wins was more than acceptable for a depth player, however that benchmark slumped to the mid-60s during losing matches. The one-touch grand final performance is one to be forgotten.
Finlayson is the type of player who's a perfect last-second pickup from the free agent pool if the likes of Gold Coast are on the fixture, as his scoring tends to be concentrated in games where the Giants dominate and midfield supply is copious - admittedly, that is going to happen a lot in 2020 if the club has a decent run with injury. Every other week, his inconsistency will drive you nuts.

Jeremy Finlayson has perhaps surprisingly become an integral part of the GWS forward line, starting most often from the goal square or nearby in a spot that used to be filled by a much bigger unit in Jonathon Patton. His matchup on the third tall defender can sometimes be crucial to the Giants' chances of winning, and today in what looms as a bit of a shoot out, a big bag would go a long way towards keeping the orange tide flowing for another week.

No finals for Finlayson

After a series of injury issues held Jeremy Finlayson back over his first two seasons, 2018 proved a breakout campaign. Renowned for his booming left foot, Finlayson gained 352 metres per match and enjoyed a series of high disposal games including 25 against the Dockers in round 4. Positioned primarily as a rebounding defender, he was swung forward on occasion and managed two majors against the Cats.
Finlayson played his role whether it be driving off half back or providing an extra tall option in the forward arc. However, he failed to maintain his output in the second half of the season and was promptly dropped for finals. Entering his fifth season, he will aim for consistency at the elite level. An injury to a fellow rebounding defender may open the opportunity for Finlayson to improve his job security.