Tom Cole spent the vast majority of his career for West Coast as a small defender, without adding anything to his quiver like the ability to rotate through midfield. In recent weeks he has been used as a defensive forward, to not much effect if we are being brutally honest. He fills out the age profile of a rebuilding team which still needs experience on every line to help the high draft picks develop, but one imagines that younger players will take his spot in the 23 for the next Eagles team which challenges for a finals spot. A solid soldier.
Tom Cole spent the vast majority of his career for West Coast as a small defender, without adding anything to his quiver like the ability to rotate through midfield. In recent weeks he has been used as a defensive forward, to not much effect if we are being brutally honest. He fills out the age profile of a rebuilding team which still needs experience on every line to help the high draft picks develop, but one imagines that younger players will take his spot in the 23 for the next Eagles team which challenges for a finals spot. A solid soldier.
Light goes out for Cole
Luck, serendipity, or whatever it was which had propelled him to a premiership medal in 2018 deserted Tom Cole last season, as he finished the year in the reserves after being dropped twice. Cole will have to clamber his way back over Jackson Nelson and stave off a challenge from the developing Francis Watson. Fantasy coaches will hope he loses that positional battle, as his fantasy output is minimal.
Cole fires at right time
Timing is everything, and especially so for Tom Cole who entered the senior Eagle side in round 5 last season and rode his 14-disposal average all the way to a premiership medal, including 28 across the three finals. Cole's worth to the side is evidently measurable in things other than basis statistics, because in those he's worse than replacement-level. You don't get points for exotic stats in basic fantasy formats, where he is unstartable.
Coal for Cole's Christmas
It was a classic case of second-year syndrome for Tom Cole in 2017, as his WAFL numbers went backwards and his rare senior appearances amounted to very little. Cole needs to bulk up, to put it bluntly, and he may not ever fit into the Adam Simpson mode of defence where you need to be able to break out of the zone to hit contests hard as typified by Shannon Hurn.
