AFL Player Of The Week: Round 11
Brett Kirk of the Sydney Swans.
In an era when coaches want to rotate everyone they have to the bench, even their superstars, it is good to see a great player spend every second on the ground. The Swans needed Kirk out there for the entire match as they battled an improved Hawthorn side.
The Swans were coming off a close loss at home, Everitt was going up against his former club and in the first couple of minutes the Swans lost one of their key players, Kennelly. It was always going to be tough for the Swans, and the loss of Kennelly and the play of Lance Franklin in the first quarter gave the Hawks all the momentum.
Kirk took charge in the middle of the ground, some of his 9 tackles for the game were very important as the Swans gradually gained control. Kirk was responsible for the umpire blowing his whistle 11 times to award free kicks, 5 times it was Kirk who gave them away but he came out slightly ahead as he received 6 free kicks.
Captain Kirk increased his disposal numbers every quarter, and when the game was there to be won at the end he was at his best. Among his 12 possessions in the final term was a lightning-quick handball that cleared the congestion around half forward, he only had a split second and a small window and like many of his disposals it was right on target.
Kirk had 12 kicks, 13 handballs and 9 tackles. Without his huge effort, the Swans would have gone into the midseason break with a losing record. He put his body on the line and came out on top against a very talented Hawthorn midfield, Bret Kirk is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Brett Kirk's profile at the Sydney site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Dean Cox.
In an era when coaches want to rotate everyone they have to the bench, even their superstars, it is good to see a great player spend every second on the ground. The Swans needed Kirk out there for the entire match as they battled an improved Hawthorn side.
The Swans were coming off a close loss at home, Everitt was going up against his former club and in the first couple of minutes the Swans lost one of their key players, Kennelly. It was always going to be tough for the Swans, and the loss of Kennelly and the play of Lance Franklin in the first quarter gave the Hawks all the momentum.
Kirk took charge in the middle of the ground, some of his 9 tackles for the game were very important as the Swans gradually gained control. Kirk was responsible for the umpire blowing his whistle 11 times to award free kicks, 5 times it was Kirk who gave them away but he came out slightly ahead as he received 6 free kicks.
Captain Kirk increased his disposal numbers every quarter, and when the game was there to be won at the end he was at his best. Among his 12 possessions in the final term was a lightning-quick handball that cleared the congestion around half forward, he only had a split second and a small window and like many of his disposals it was right on target.
Kirk had 12 kicks, 13 handballs and 9 tackles. Without his huge effort, the Swans would have gone into the midseason break with a losing record. He put his body on the line and came out on top against a very talented Hawthorn midfield, Bret Kirk is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Brett Kirk's profile at the Sydney site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Dean Cox.
