St Kilda fans will be excited by the acquisition of Jack Silvagni after a dominant performance in Friday's intra-club.
Silvagni was stationed in defence alongside Callum Wilkie, Alix Tauru and Anthony Caminiti, providing a hint as to how Ross Lyon's backline will start in 2026.
The former Blue was strong in the air, taking control of the intercept marks.
High-priced recruit Tom De Koning spent the majority of his time in the ruck, while Rowan Marshall was placed in the front half as the Saints look to fill the Max King-sized void, with the star tall likely to miss the start of the season with a calf injury.
Richmond gun midfielder Tim Taranto showed his versatility in match simulation, booting four goals as he prepares for more time up forward.
Taranto has expressed a willingness of the Tigers to see Sam Lalor, Taj Hotton and Kane McAuliffe in the midfield, meaning the ex-Giant will be pushed inside 50.
On Friday, the two-time Jack Dyer medallist slotted four goals in three 20-minute, plus time-on, quarters.
Hotton was arguably best afield for the Tigers, showcasing his craft in traffic and clean ball use.
Emerging gun forward Harry Armstrong bested Taranto with five majors, as fellow key tall Mykelti Lefua slotted four.
North Melbourne's Matt Whitlock was a significant scoreboard contributor at Arden Street Oval, kicking five goals.
Whitlock played exclusively in defence in 2025, but a switch up forward reaped rewards for the Kangaroos.
Top draftee Lachy Dovaston increased his Round 1 debut chances with another impressive performance, adding three majors to his tally in 15 minutes.
GWS ruck-forward Nick Madden shun also by kicking five goals in the intra-club clash, and will be looking to rival Kieren Briggs for the Giants' top spot.
Giant recruit Clayton Oliver showed glimpses of his immense talent in the absence of the Origin crew.
Oliver's inside-midfield role set the tone on the day, and will be pivotal to the club's 2026 chances following Tom Green's suspected ACL injury.
Brent Daniels also returned from a wretched run with injury, displaying his trademark zip and creativity in the forward half.
Keen observers will notice a few key positional changes over the pre-season.
Finn O'Sullivan (North Melbourne), Josh Rachele (Adelaide) and Murphy Reid (Fremantle) all produced stellar outings as starting midfielders for their sides.
More from Friday's match simulations
- Melbourne speedster dominates in new role
- West Coast talls shine in intra club
- Crows selection hint following Keane injury
- Untried Roos midfielder presses for debut
- Power SSP presses claim for AFL return
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