The previously durable Matthew Broadbent, having missed two games in five seasons, has now played two of the last 27 with both of those in the SANFL. First it was right ankle syndesmosis, then a stress fracture in a toe upon return that held him out. His role before the injury had drifted back from a wing to a sweeper role at half back. The Power team now is a lot different to when Broadbent was last playing. He will have to climb over Riley Bonner and Ryan Burton for a spot at half back, and may be too slow for his old wing role, at least to start with. He's not old enough for the scrap heap quite yet, but there are significant obstacles facing him. Best to leave as a free agent.
Stress reaction for Broadbent
The previously durable Matthew Broadbent, having missed two games in five seasons, has now played two of the last 27 with both of those in the SANFL. First it was right ankle syndesmosis, then a stress fracture in a toe upon return that held him out. His role before the injury had drifted back from a wing to a sweeper role at half back. The Power team now is a lot different to when Broadbent was last playing. He will have to climb over Riley Bonner and Ryan Burton for a spot at half back, and may be too slow for his old wing role, at least to start with. He's not old enough for the scrap heap quite yet, but there are significant obstacles facing him. Best to leave as a free agent.
Narrow appeal for Broadbent
Ankle problems meant Matthew Broadbent played only three games after round 13 and missed the final last season. Before that, his role shifted even more towards defence than in previous years, with 71% of his ball in the back half. Two-thirds of Broadbent's scores are startable in his current role, which can be frustrating for his fantasy owners as they are hard to predict with some of them coming against poor sides. He should only be drafted late.
