Matthew Cottrell played a wing role last week for Carlton, a position that can sometimes lead to a spike in fantasy scoring, but also mean more unrewarded running. Cottrell's regular trade is running from forward 50 up the ground to provide space for his key forwards, while wingmen tend to fill space rather than open it up. Either way, he's not a midfielder so his presence at stoppages is rare and he's a receiver at heart. He might be worth a flier off the free agent pool in deep leagues if you're looking for a spot start, but otherwise he's not an accumulator for fantasy.
Matthew Cottrell played a wing role last week for Carlton, a position that can sometimes lead to a spike in fantasy scoring, but also mean more unrewarded running. Cottrell's regular trade is running from forward 50 up the ground to provide space for his key forwards, while wingmen tend to fill space rather than open it up. Either way, he's not a midfielder so his presence at stoppages is rare and he's a receiver at heart. He might be worth a flier off the free agent pool in deep leagues if you're looking for a spot start, but otherwise he's not an accumulator for fantasy.
Cottrell taking baby steps
All eyes were on Matthew Cottrell after winning his first club 2K time trial. Unfortunately, a knee injury sidelined him at season's outset and upon returning to the VFL, it hampered his consistency. Once the Dandenong Stingrays recruit got going he became a valuable addition for the reserves, amassing possessions on the wing and across half back. Cottrell spent a lot of time on the wing and improved substantially over the course of the year. The elite runner will be pushing his case for a senior debut, especially if he continues to produce vote-worthy performances in the twos. If he plays, his stat line won't have the volume near enough to warrant a pick. For now, it's a no from us.
Cottrell runs like Mottram
While he does not come with the hype of the other Blue picked up in the 2019 preseason, Matthew Cottrell made a name for himself on the training track with his elite running ability. He got the ball in his hands 13 times per game in the TAC Cup last season, going at a rate of less than two marks per game which is unusually low for a wingman. The AFL has a history of clubs drafting middle-distance running specialists and trying to teach them to play contact sport, with mixed results. Cottrell comes from a footy family, and the fact that he was drafted despite rather unimpressive statistics means he is more likely to be a project player than a ready-made round 1 starter.
