Footy Tragic

Dan runs through all the best Captain choices for both AFL Dream Team and SuperCoach for the all-important Grand Final Week. Who will you be locking in for the big score this week?

For the all important Grand Final captain choices you’ve come to the right place, whether you’re looking for DT or SC advice Footy Tragic has you covered. Tactics are a big part of picking your captain, especially in a Grand Final. If you back your own squad, then take the more conservative route by locking in Swanny for DT and good ol’ GAJ for SC. Maybe you’re looking for a point of difference though? There’s no shortage of options if you’re straying from the norm this week, starting with a well rested Sam Mitchell vs. Gold Coast.

Before I get started, there’s a couple of warning flags over Scott Pendlebury and Chris Judd this week on their histories against their Round 24 opponents. St.Kilda could feasibly sit eight blokes on Juddy, while Pendles doesn’t have numbers that jump out against Hawthorn.

Dane Swan

Last five vs. Geelong: 109 DT, 112 SC

It should be pretty well accepted that Dane Swan is the go to captain choice in DT by now.  There could be a bit of foxing going on if you’re in a DT Grand Final this week, because the issue will be if you want to try and get an advantage on your opponent with someone else (or is it the old double fake – will your opponent go someone different to try and be a bit unique?). Going with Swan is the safe DT option for the week. He’s got a solid record against Geelong, it’d be unlikely they would tag him and he performed against them earlier in the year. Even though his recent Super Coach form is so hot I have him slightly back in the pack this week, but certainly a very good choice.

Joel Selwood

Last five vs. Collingwood: 105 DT, 100 SC

Joel Selwood is always worth a mention, but he probably doesn’t quite inspire as much confidence this week. His last two games haven’t been captain material, but his run immediately before that was fantastic, particularly in SC. He had a massive game against Collingwood last time they met with a 121 DT and 153 SC (his second highest SC for the season).

Gary Ablett

Last five vs. Hawthorn: 127 DT, 130 SC

Gary’s your man for SC this week with his stunning record against Hawthorn and his recent good form. If you take out his injury affected game the last time he scored less than 120 in SC was back in Round 10 against his old mob, Geelong. He scored 135 DT and 144 SC in the one time he played the Hawks as a member of the Suns. I think his DT form is not quite as safe as you’d be looking for in a Grand Final. His mark numbers are just a bit on the low side, so his big scores are dependent on 35+ touches and five of more tackles. He’s only had four or more marks on five occasions this year.

Sam Mitchell

Only appearance vs. Gold Coast: 132 DT, 144 SC

Here’s the sexy option for the week. If you want to try something a bit different Sam Mitchell is your man. His recent form is fantastic, with his 96 DT score in his last game the first sub ton he’d scored since Round 9. It’s a similar story in SC where you had to go back to Round 12 to find his last sub ton before the Carlton game. He’s coming off a rest and is up against the Gold Coast, who he dominated last time he played them.

Adam Goodes

Last five vs. Brisbane: 90 DT, 105 SC

Goodes doesn’t really have that stellar history against Brisbane, but if you consider the Lions are close to as weak as he’s ever had to encounter from them and his epic SC game last time he played them and he’s a decent outside option for SC this week. In their last meeting he had a 109 DT and 144 SC. As an aside, by playing this game it will be the 11^th time Goodes has played every game in a season, which puts him equal second with Brad Johnson and Jack Titus, and one behind the great Jock McHale.

Matthew Boyd

Last five vs. Freo: 109 DT, 115 SC

Boydy absolutely dominated Freo earlier in the year over at Subiaco, scoring 162 in both DT and SC. With Freo fielding an incredibly weak side you’d imagine there’s a strong possibility of 2011’s leading disposal getter could slot his ninth 35+ touch game for the year. He’s actually running a current streak of four straight games where he’s had at least 35 possessions. Perhaps this is a lazy out, but does anyone know what the record is for consecutive 35 touch games? Anyway, Boydy loves playing at the Docklands in particular, so is a strong ‘non Swan’ choice.

Toby runs through all the best Captain choices for both AFL Dream Team and SuperCoach in the Prelim finals. Who will you be locking in for the big score this week?

Well, as we get closer and closer to finals time, the decision of who to make your captain becomes more and more important. Many coaches will be faced with the dilemma of giving the captaincy to Mr. ‘Perma-Captain’ Swan, or perhaps trying their luck with another option. And there are plenty this week. May of the big name midfielders stack up pretty well against their round 23 opponents, so statistically, there shouldn’t be too much risk on picking up someone other than Swan. So let’s get into it…

Dane Swan vs Fremantle:

Dane hasn’t let us down all year, bar those few weeks prior to his little Arizona holiday. His past month has been immense, averaging 145 DT and 146 SC in his past four games alone – so there is absolutely no doubting his recent form. Firstly, to deal with the worries – there has been much talk and speculation through the week already that Collingwood may look to rest a number of their stars against Fremantle this weekend. My take on it? I think a few will be rested, but not many. They got a little close to flirting with form against Brisbane last weekend, and it was clear that Malthouse was not impressed with the results. They looked far from their best and proved they need to maintain the rage heading into finals – for this reason alone, I can’t see many of Collingwood’s A-graders getting a rest. Swan especially, as he has already had a bit of time off through the year, so essentially should have a fresher set of legs than most.

Now, onto the positives – Swanny has a decent record against Fremantle, avering 127 DT and 126 SC against them in his past five games. With the knowledge that Freo will be without many of their stars, there should be little quality opposition for Swan in the middle, meaning he should be allowed to run freely around the wide expanses of Pattersons stadium. He is still the best option of the week due to his consistency, and the only reason you wouldn’t pick him is because you can think of someone better.

Gary Ablett vs Melbourne:

Gary’s past month hasn’t been terrific, but this is mainly thanks to his run of niggling injuries. We got to see him bounce back into some good form against Adelaide though, cracking 140 points in both competitions. This week he is pitted against the lowly Melbourne Demons, whose form over the past month has been somewhat woeful. For this reason, I believe Ablett could be a very good bet for a massive score. He averages good numbers against them – 109 DT and 110 SC – and certainly doesn’t have any issues playing at the MCG. This could also be a game that the Suns are pencilling in as a possible win, so expect the skipper to go all out to bring home the points. Melbourne’s best stopper, Jordie McKenzie, hasn’t been in the greatest form lately anyway.

Scott Thompson vs Richmond:

Scotty T had a day out against the Suns this week, notching up 51 disposals – only two short from the all-time AFL record! So once again, he is another player coming into this round with some solid form behind him, as well as being up against a weaker opposition (although, I say this after Richmond have won two in a row…). Chances are, Daniel Jackson will head to Thommo at the opening bounce, but he has already proven this year that taggers don’t really effect him – he wins a lot of his ball in close, but also has a tank and workrate capable of burning off a persistent tagger. Averages 122 in both DT and SC against the Tigers, so is another solid bet. Also, he loves playing at AAMI stadium, averaging 110 DT and 114 SC at the venue this year.

Matthew Boyd vs Hawthorn:

On paper, the above three names probably scream out a little more than Boyd vs Hawthorn, but his numbers against them deserve paying attention to. Across his past five games against the Hawks, he has averaged 121 DT and 131 SC, including 119 DT and 128 SC when he played them earlier in the year. He is coming off a good game, so it in good form, and whilst he seems to have slipped down the calculations as a captain option recently, he should still be given strong consideration. He is in good form, can win plenty of the ball and comes up against a team he is historically very good against. Certainly worth considering.

Steve Johnson vs Sydney:

Stevie J is back after the week off and comes up against Sydney, statistically his favourite opponent to play. He averages 117 DT and 123 SC against them, including 119 DT and 120 SC earlier in the year. The game is played at Skilled Stadium – a ground where Johnson also has a great record.

Scott Pendlebury vs Fremantle:

Pendles is the warning story of the week – not only is he one of the players rumoured to be getting a rest this weekend, but also his history against Fremantle is poor, averaging just 85 DT and 96 SC in his past 5 games against them.

MY TOP 3 DREAM TEAM PICKS:

1. Dane Swan

2. Gary Ablett

3. Scott Thompson

MY TOP 3 SUPER COACH PICKS:

1. Gary Ablett

2. Matthew Boyd

3. Dane Swan

Toby runs through all the best Captain choices for both AFL Dream Team and SuperCoach. Who will you be locking this week as your team pushes for a finals berth?

Well, it’s been an article that has seen many face-lifts this year – we have had ‘Captain Dan’s Captains,’ and recently ‘Kristian’s Kaptains’ has had it’s time in the sun, but now I finally get my own shot with ‘Captain Toby’s Captains.’ Uncreative name? Yes. But heck, I’ve always wanted to be a captain, so I finally get my shot.

As you are likely aware, Thursdays typically see the Boys on the Bubble article featured on Footy Tragic, but unfortunately, due to the fact we have NO rookies who have played the past two game – and I wasn’t going to get away with an article that featured absolutely NO content – we thought it appropriate that we offered up a Captains article instead! Enjoy!

Steve Johnson vs Gold Coast

Well, this is a pretty tempting one straight off the bat – we saw what happened last week when a flat Melbourne side showed up at Skilled Stadium – Geelong took it upon themselves to thrash them by 186 points with Stevie J kicking seven of the most beautiful goals you have ever seen (although they would have been more beautiful had it not been bye week!). We also look back to Stevie’s last game against Gold Coast in round 10 – 171 DT points and 162 SC points as he bagged another seven goals. So if we were to do the math…

Steve Johnson + Gold Coast + Skilled Stadium = MASSIVE Score

However, if there is ONE thing to perhaps sway us to look at other options, it is amazingly Stevie’s history at Skilled Stadium. I’m sure many of you have quizzical looks on your faces – ‘But ALL Geelong players SMASH it at Skilled Stadium, yeh?’ – well yeah, but Stevie not so much. If we take out his massive game vs Melbourne on the weekend, his previous four games there have averaged him 92 DT and 84 SC points – so nothing amazing. That said, that formula above DOES look pretty tempting.

He would be the out-there captain selection this week. He is pretty likely to go bang, although his history stats are a bit inconsistent to totally rely upon him. I reckon I’ll be able to squeeze him into my top-5 though, for what it’s worth.

Joel Selwood vs Gold Coast

OK, I’ve already introduced the Geelong at Skilled vs Gold Coast theory, so I won’t go into it again… However, if you thought Steve Johnson’s stats looked delicious, then you should see Selwood’s…

Firstly, last time he played Gold Coast he had a pass-mark 116 DT and 136 SC points. But it is his history at Skilled Stadium that gets the juices flowing – over his past five games at the Cattery he has averaged a whopping 137 DT and 139 SC points! These numbers are massive – I challenge you to find a player that performs any better at a certain ground! There is no doubting that Geelong will absolutely PUMP Gold Coast on Saturday, and really, Selwood has been a great Captain option all year (bar his suspended weeks of course), so sticking the ‘C’ on him against the Gold Coast – the leakiest team in the AFL (for DT and SC points) – and down at his favorite hunting ground would certainly not be a bad idea! Surely he deserves Vice-Captaincy at least!

Dane Swan vs Port Adelaide:

Sometimes we almost try to find reasons why we shouldn’t pick Swanny – maybe he will get tagged, he’s playing a good team, or perhaps he ONLY averages 110 against his opponent – however, every time we don’t give him the captaincy we live to regret it. But there are some weeks where he simply screams ‘Pick Me!’ and there is really no point in even trying to argue with him… THIS is one of those weeks…

So firstly lets have a look at his last 5 games against Port Adelaide:

DT: 109, 82, 154, 141, 137 (Av. 125)

SC: 118, 118, 166, 127, 166 (Av. 139)

Those averages are, quite frankly, ridiculous. Especially when we consider the form he is currently in, averaging 134 DT and 126 SC points from his past five games (including 171 DT – a personal best – and 176 SC last week). Port Adelaide is also the team he holds his highest possession tally against, when he racked up 48 touches against them last year in round 10. In years gone by we have often been afraid of our DT and SC guns playing off against Port Adelaide in fear of Kane Cornes, but fortunately (or unfortunately), he is not a factor anymore – his influence has waned over the past couple of seasons, and regardless, he would be more likely to play on Pendlebury anyway, who is a much better user of the ball.

Anyway, I digress – without wanting to give away my top-five Captain options just yet, I reckon if you have Swan you simply have to lock him in – he has awesome form against Port and is coming into the game on the back of a score in excess of 170 points. We know what he can do – don’t regret it come Monday!

Chris Judd vs Melbourne

We all know that some players are Dream Team relevant and not SuperCoach relevant, and then there are some the other way around – Juddy is certainly one of them (although, to give him credit, he has become a bit of a DT champ of late too). But this difference in point-scoring ability seems to be exemplified against Melbourne, a side he averages 108 DT and 146 SC against – a whopping difference of 38 points. So simply, he is one to consider as a SuperCoach captain, but put him way out of your thoughts for Dream Team.

Melbourne has been struggling a bit lately with their whole 186 point loss and coach sacking and all that, so it would be pretty easy to pencil Carlton in for an easy win already. However, we know that sides can bounce back pretty significantly after a coach sacking, and if there’s one thing we know about Todd Viney, their caretaker coach, it’s that he is all about tough, uncompromising football. So don’t put the win in the book for the Blues just yet. Fortunately, I don’t think their playing group will be either.

That all said, I reckon Juddy could still be up for a pretty decent game, despite Melbourne’s resiliance – it would be assumed that McKenzie will go head-to-head with Judd, but we can also use the assumed knowledge that it is very hard to stop Juddy. He is clearly very fit this year and has been working his way into games very well – even if he starts slowly, he manages to have had a significant effect on the game by the final siren. For this reason, put together with his great history against Melbourne, I reckon he could be a great pick for SuperCoach captain this week.

Scott Pendlebury vs Port Adelaide:

Pendles has been a superstar this year, however his history against Port Adelaide is enough to make you a little concerned – 98 DT and 107 SC from his past five games. That said, Pendlebury didn’t really become a DT jet until this year, so his scores of 121 DT and 120 SC against Port Adelaide earlier in the year should hold much more stead. He is another player is ripping form recently, coming into the game on the back of a five week average of 120 DT and 141 SC (including 141 DT and 160 SC last week), so this certainly shouldn’t be discounted when making your decision – in fact, it’s enough to make us give some forgiveness for his average average against Port.

Others to consider:

Brendon Goddard vs Fremantle:

BJ has a great history against the Dockers, averaging 112 DT and 129 SC from his past five games against them. He is also back under the roof of the dome where he has averaged 119 DT and 132 SC from his past five games.

Sam Mitchell vs North Melbourne:

Firstly, Mitchell is under an injury cloud this week which makes him a slightly nervous selection. Also, his history against North is not amazing (he also hasn’t managed to play them in two years, having missed those games through injury… Cursed perhaps?) – he has averaged 85 DT and 119 SC against them in his past five outings.

Dean Cox vs Richmond:

This looks a pretty tantalizing battle – Richmond’s rucks have been poor all year and Cox is coming off one of the best games of his career. In some bad news though, Naitanui will be back (whose absence last week did help his scoring), but the rest is good news – he averages 105 DT and 95 SC from his past five games against Richmond, but his exciting numbers come from the fact he is playing at Subiaco, averaging 118 DT and 134 SC at the venue.

Marc Murphy vs Melbourne:

Murph’s history against Melbourne isn’t amazing, only averaging 108 DT and 103 SC from his past five games against them. However, his game earlier this year saw scores of 145 DT and 147 SC, suggesting that he should be OK this week – recent history is good history! I think there are better options out there, but he could still be a pretty decent pick if you reckon the Blues will beat up on Melbourne.

Gary Ablett vs Geelong:

Haven’t you heard? He’s done his hamstring an won’t be out there this week… He IS hoping he will be back for the first week of DT/SC finals though… #Phew

My Top 5 Dream Team Picks:

1. Dane Swan
2. Steve Johnson
3. Joel Selwood
4. Dean Cox
5. Scott Pendlebury

My Top 5 SuperCoach Picks:

1. Chris Judd
2. Dane Swan
3. Joel Selwood
4. Scott Pendlebury
5. Dean Cox

In Lieu of Kristian’s new article on the TAC Cup and U/18s, we promised something a bit different as a captains article from here-on. So this is it… Pretty much, we will provide you with the raw stats (and a poll of course!), whilst also providing the video of us discussing it on last night’s show (the captains bit goes for only a few minutes). The issue this week is, I bought the wrong DVDs, so it won’t let me chop the captains bit out for you… doh! So here is the full video for you to check out… BUT, if you just want the Captains talk, it’s only 4:40 into the video.

VTS 01 1ep7 from Steve Greenwood on Vimeo.

• Dane Swan
  • Never played Gold Coast
  • Averaging 117 DT and 114 SC from past 5 games
• Scott Pendlebury
  • Never played Gold Coast
  • Average of 109 DT and 133 SC in his last 5 games
  • Typically it is the classy players that carve up GCFC
• Dale Thomas
  • Never played Gold Coast
  • Average of 115 DT and 121 SC in his last 5 games
• Gary Ablett
  • Averages of 117 DT and 114 SC in his past 5 vs Collingwood
  • Would still have to be a concern this week against Pies
• Sam Mitchell
  • Averages of 105 DT and 101 SC in his past 5 vs Melb
  • Last time they met he scored 110 DT and 96 SC
• Dean Cox
  • Averages of 92.8 DT and 89.2 SC in his past 5 vs Fremantle
  • BUT, no Sandi: This year at Subi: 117 DT and 130 SC
• Adam Goodes
  • Averages of 114 DT and 123 SC in his past 5 vs WBD

Words of warning:

• Chris Judd
  • Averages 87 DT and 90 SC against Essendon.
  • Scored 79 DT and 84 SC against them earlier this year
• Matthew Boyd
  • Averages of 102 DT and 94 SC in his past 5 vs Sydney
  • Last 5 at SCG: 73 DT & 74.5 SC
  • Last time they met he scored 134 DT and 124 SC
• Geelong players
  • Up against Richmond, however the form lines of Chappy, Stevie J and Selwood are a little tricky to predict at the moment – personally I would avoid.
  • Richmond 3^rd lowest team for DT points conceded

KRISTIAN’S TOP 3 DREAM TEAM PICKS:

1. Dane Swan

2. Scott Pendlebury

3. Dale Thomas

KRISTIAN’S TOP 3 SUPER COACH PICKS:

1. Scott Pendlebury

2. Dale Thomas

3. Dane Swan

KRISTIAN’S KAPTAINS: ROUND 17

First of all, I sincerely apologise for cursing Gary Ablett on the weekend, and if you made him captain because of my stats, well then I’ll have to say sorry twice. It’s amazing the curve balls that Dream Team throws at us every year, and Ablett getting injured in the first quarter, and get subbed off with a score of 23 will prove to be a major factor in the overall rankings this year.

Round 17 is a very interesting round for captain options. Firstly because Hawthorn has the bye, which rules out Mitchell, Hodge and Franklin, who are all legitimate candidates, and also because the big game between Collingwood and Carlton features the most popular players, and both teams are so good at negating the opposition.

It has been reported that Ablett’s knee has been given the all clear, but surely all the early talk about 3-4 weeks is enough to give him a rest from the captaincy, even though he plays against Richmond this week. There is always a chance he’ll be a late withdrawal even if he does get named.

SCOTT THOMPSON VS ESSENDON

Recent history against the Bombers suggests he is a great option this week. He’s been in ripper form all year after pretty much carrying the entire Adelaide side on his shoulders. He’s coming fresh off the bye, but one would have to think he’s the first player Heath Hocking will go to. Having said that, Trent Cotchin got off his leash quite easily on the weekend, so Thompson shouldn’t really have too many problems, considering his elite inside capabilities. Thompson has averaged 116 DT and 116 SC in his last five games against the Bombers, including a massive 146 DT and 155 SC score in his last outing.

DANE SWAN VS CARLTON

He was brilliant on the weekend, and those who made him captain gained a major advantage. The game against Carlton worries me, in the fact that I can’t see them letting him run around wherever he likes, but now that Carrazzo is confirmed out (probably better news for Pendlebury or Thomas) and just the form he is in, makes me think he might just be a little too good. His recent history against the Blues is outstanding, averaging 120 DT and 120 SC, so really, can you go past him?

MATTHEW BOYD VS NORTH MELBOURNE

As far as safety goes this week, you can’t go past Boyd. He plays the Kangaroos, who generally leak midfield points like a sieve, so it should be party time for the Doggies captain, especially in their recent awesome form. With Cooney back to his best, and Griffen playing well, Boyd is probably third in line for the tag now, which should see him be free to do whatever he likes. His record isn’t brilliant against the Roos, but it’s enough, averaging 108 DT and 107 SC in his last six games against them, including 145 DT and 110 SC in his most recent game last year. Personally, he’s my favourite Dream Team choice this week.

OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER……..

I don’t like Marc Murphy against the Pies. He averages 93 DT and 96 SC in his last five games against them, but his most recent two games have been 69 DT & 79 SC and 67 DT & 79 SC. There are better options out there this week, despite his form. He might be due for a downer.

Chris Judd is in great form, and he should really turn it on this week against the best, especially in SC. He averages 109 SC in his last five games against the Pies.

Scott Pendlebury is another great option, but Carlton worries me. His SC history against them is very good, averaging 126, and a solid DT average of 105.

Brendon Goddard plays WCE this week, which is concerning in itself, but you can’t go past his SC average of 128 against them in his last five games.

Paul Chapman has been frustratingly up and down this year, so it’s hard to trust him. He’s playing Brisbane, so surely he’s in for a big one, but that’s what we said we he played the Gold Coast. An average of 116 DT and 112 SC against them is very good, but this is a very brave pick.

Joel Selwood is back this week, and you can’t go past his most recent game against the Lions of 162 DT and 175 SC! If you’re backing him in to be ready to go after a month off, have no hesitation!

MY TOP 3 DREAM TEAM PICKS:

1. Matthew Boyd

2. Dane Swan

3. Scott Thompson

MY TOP 3 SUPER COACH PICKS:

1. Chris Judd

2. Scott Pendlebury

3. Dane Swan

Kristian runs through all the best Captain choices for both AFL Dream Team and SuperCoach. Who will you be locking in for the big score this week?

Well we’re to round sixteen already, and I must say it’s been a pretty good fortnight for Kristian’s Kaptains! Hopefully you all went with one of Ablett, Swan or Mitchell as your captain on the weekend in what was a HUGE round for AFL Dream Team and Super Coach!

Ablett was simply outstanding, Swan made it clear that he is officially back and Mitchell continued a run of sublime form. As predicted, Boyd didn’t quite come home with the goods, Marc Murphy still got a solid score and Fyfe and Pavlich dominated the Gold Coast.

This week it’s Sydney’s turn to play the Suns, with Adam Goodes and Ryan O’Keefe becoming two genuine options for the captaincy, but there are three standout options this week that you’d be crazy not to select, and it’s really not that hard to predict who they might be.

This week there are three teams with the bye; Fremantle, Melbourne and Adelaide.

SAM MITCHELL VS BRISBANE

Mitchell’s in the form of his life at the moment, and I really can’t see it stopping against the Lions at one of his favourite hunting grounds in Aurora Stadium. He’s really blossomed into the new Hawks game plan, by increasing his uncontested marks and ultimately pushing himself into the elite Dream Team bracket. He is now a genuine captain option most weeks as he’s very hard to stop, because he can play both inside and outside, so now the occasional low scores he uses to dish up in previous years should be a thing of the past. His recent history against the Lions is solid to say the least, averaging 112 DT and 116 SC in his last five encounters against them. Jump right on board!

GARY ABLETT JNR VS SYDNEY

When digging up the stats for Ablett’s last five games against the Swans, I was astounded. To say he dominates them would be an understatement, and considering his monster game on the weekend and the form he’s in, you’d be mad not to make him skipper if you have him. Just check out this for a form line……

127 DT & 135 SC

167 DT & 203 SC

141 DT & 164 SC

126 DT & 155 SC

150 DT & 254 SC

That right there is Gary Ablett’s last five games against the Swans at an unbelievable average of 142 DT and 182 SC! Is there really much more else to say? The guy is a machine and he’ll undoubtedly deliver for you!

DANE SWAN VS NORTH MELBOURNE

Well if you doubted him last week, don’t again. The man is back as good as ever, and he produced a very nice score for those who invested faith in him (me). He normally produces against the Roos, particularly in his last three games (134 DT & 135 SC), and most recently in round two, where he dominated for 162 DT and 152 SC. I wouldn’t expect the same again, but it is Swanny, so who knows? He’s a very, very good option for the captaincy this week, especially if you don’t have Ablett (me again).

OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER……..

Personally I wouldn’t go near Dean Cox this week against the Cats, even though he’ll be fresh off the bye. He has an up and down history against the Cats and he’s up against a very good ruckman in Ottens, so he won’t have it all his way. In his last five games against Geelong, he averages 94 DT and 111 SC.

Paul Chapman is another guy who I wouldn’t go near this week, even though he had a very good game on the weekend and finally looked back to his best. West Coast will likely send Scott Selwood straight to him this week and he has been in very good form as a tagger so far this year.

Lance Franklin against the Lions is tempting (considering their depleted backline), but I really don’t like making him captain, especially since he is coming into the game under an injury cloud (calf soreness/sookiness). He has also been so up and down lately so to me it just seems way too risky. In his last game against the Lions he scored 32 DT and 23 SC.

Luke Hodge racked up 40 disposals against the Pies on Sunday just sitting on a half back flank. You’d think the Lions will sit James Polkinghorne on him, as a defensive half forward, so he won’t have it all his way this week. However, in his last five games against the Lions, he averages 137 SC points.

Adam Goodes and Ryan O’Keefe play the Suns this week. I have a feeling Karmichael will get the job on Goodes, which could be massive if Goodes decides to rock up to the game this week. O’Keefe is in the better, more consistent form of the two, so I’d be recommending him. I still think there are better options out there though.

Scott Pendlebury is always a good option, especially if you go by his last game against North Melbourne where he scored 141 DT and 162 SC.

Matthew Boyd against Carlton is risky. 142 DT and 140 SC in his last game against them say otherwise, but they’re a different team now and are one of the most restrictive in giving DT points to their opponents. He’ll get you a solid score, no doubt, but most likely not the big one.

Marc Murphy and Chris Judd against the Dogs should do well, but I’d really only look at them in Super Coach. Murphy averages 119 SC against the Dogs, and Judd 121 SC. Their DT averages are much lower unfortunately.

MY TOP THREE DREAM TEAM PICKS

1. Gary Ablett

2. Dane Swan

3. Sam Mitchell

MY TOP THREE SUPER COACH PICKS

1. Gary Ablett

2. Chris Judd

3. Luke Hodge

Welcome to another week of Kristian’s Kaptains! I’m pretty sure everyone would be feeling pretty bullish about who they picked last week, unless you decided to go for someone like Steve Johnson or Jobe Watson (who I did recommend in Super Coach, woops!).

This week West Coast has the bye, so only Dean Cox is the major exclusion from this round’s article.

It’s actually going to be quite the difficult task picking a captain this week given there are so many options.

Dane Swan looked back to his brilliant best on the weekend, making himself a genuine option once again, while pretty much all of the other captaincy options for the week have solid records against their upcoming opponents.

Question marks still hang over the likes of Jimmy Bartel and Leigh Montagna, so you’re better off going with any one of the much safer options coming up, even though Bartel averages a very nice 117 DT and 123 SC in his last five games against the Bombers.

MATTHEW BOYD VS MELBOURNE

I’m not particularly keen on Boyd this week for some strange reason. Jordie McKenzie is a very under rated player, who does the job week in, week out on the oppisitions best midfielder. It’s hard to tell who he’ll go to, but it’ll most likely be one of Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen, or Matthew Boyd. Boyd has started copping some attention from the opposition recently, which has me a little concerned, and we all know he didn’t cope with it too well against the Crows, of all teams. Boyd is always a solid option, but I just can’t see him getting that monster score this week that sets you apart. It really depends on your captain strategy, and what you like to achieve from them. Having talked him down for the first time in a while, watch him score 150 this week! His record against the Dees in his last five games is 109 DT and 95 SC,

MARC MURPHY VS RICHMOND

He’s now officially in the ‘group’. Murphy has had an outstanding season, and he was put to the true test on the weekend and succeeded with flying colours. I’ve been really wary of picking captains who play West Coast, as have been choking up teams this season, but Murphy just continued on his merry way. He scored 118 DT in a team that was convincingly out played on the day, which is a great sign, and shows just how good a form he actually is in. He comes up against the Tigers this week, which he should score well against. Daniel Jackson always goes to Chris Judd, but Murphy’s form could have a say in that match up. I can see a player like Shane Edwards getting the gig on him, whom it must be said, has done some brilliant tagging jobs recently that have gone largely unnoticed; his last scalp being Colin Sylvia. Murphy’s last five games against the Tigers have been really solid, especially in SC, averaging 104 DT and 123 SC.

DANE SWAN VS HAWTHORN

He’s back, and looked in ripping nick on Saturday night! With an average of 131 DT and 124 SC in his last three games against the Hawks, he’s hard to ignore in any competition. Even though the Hawks are flying, they do still leak some midfield points as they really don’t tag opposition midfielders very heavily. The fact Brad Sewell is now out, means that Swan will be on a pretty loose leash all night, and the Hawks will back their midfielders in head to head. You can’t go wrong with Swanny this week; I think he’s the best option out there hands down.

GARY ABLETT VS FREMANTLE

A very close second to Dane Swan, Ablett is the next best captaincy option. Fremantle are pretty hapless at the moment and couple that with the fact Sandilands is out again, and you get an Ablett picnic. His recent history against them is very good as well, averaging 122 DT and 140 SC in his last three encounters with the Dockers. Not much else more to say really, the guy’s a superstar, so why not enjoy the points he accumulates doubly?

OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER………

Bryce Gibbs had an outstanding round one game against the Tigers, but that was played mostly through the midfield. Since then, he’s put back down in defence, so he’s not really an option anymore, even though he averages 104 DT and 107 SC in his last five against Richmond.

Chris Judd is definitely a Super Coach captaincy option this week, with a really solid average of 117 in his last five games against the Tigers.

Fremantle have the Gold Coast this week, so Matthew Pavlich, Greg Broughton and Nat Fyfe would be the main guys to consider. I still think you could do much better than those guys though.

Paul Chapman has an awesome recent record against the Bombers, but can we trust him anymore? He’s just not pulling out those monster scores, and even getting to the ton every week is proving to be a battle. Still, Essendon really don’t have an obvious match up for him, and you can’t ignore his last five games against them, averaging 115 DT and a whopping 129 SC.

Scott Pendlebury is still a guy you must seriously consider, although he looked a bit proppy on the weekend. An average of 99 DT and 107 SC against Hawthorn probably suggests you could do better though.

Sam Mitchell is in ripping form, but how will he go against the Pies? He has a good record against them, averaging 106 DT and 114 SC. He’s not for me this week though.

Brendon Goddard against North Melbourne looks good, but he was pretty terrible against the Cats, so you can’t ignore that. I’m wary of players coming off the bye, but his record against the Roos is healthy, averaging 122 DT and 134 SC in his last three games.

MY TOP 3 DREAM TEAM OPTIONS

1. Dane Swan

2. Gary Ablett

3. Marc Murphy

MY TOP 3 SUPER COACH OPTIONS

1. Gary Ablett

2. Chris Judd

3. Dane Swan

Kristian runs through all the best Captain choices for both AFL Dream Team & SuperCoach.

KRISTIAN’S KAPTAINS ROUND 14

Welcome to another Tuesday of Kristian’s Kaptains. First of all, I’d like to apologise for Matthew Boyd’s disgraceful performance on the weekend after I pumped up his tyres significantly and assured everyone he was a guarantee for at least 100. Little would I know, Doughty would put such a tight tag on him and do such a fine job of it. I hope you went with my second option in Sam Mitchell instead, who did what we all thought he’d do, and that’s basically run around by himself all afternoon and collect 40 disposals.

It wasn’t the greatest week for captains at all, barring Mitchell, Thompson and Ablett, who are fairly unique choices, everyone else disappointed. Cox barely got to 100, Bartel got knocked out on 2 (I was on him for a BIG score!), Montagna got subbed off, Boyd was a disaster, Nick Riewoldt was hardly seen all game, and Goddard was terrible as well. It was a terrible week for captains, but not as bad as it was for Dream Team and Super Coach as a whole.

This week doesn’t really forecast as a great round for captains either and it’s fair to say I was having a tough time trying to come up with a top three I felt comfortable with! There are lots of players under injuries clouds, in poor form, and also the ones who have just gotten off the plane from Arizona. Who knows what is in store for Dane Swan this week?

Anyway, let’s get stuck into some of the options!

GARY ABLETT JNR VS WESTERN BULLDOGS

I have strayed away from mentioning Ablett in previous weeks, purely because I wasn’t sure if he was ‘back’ in Dream Team terms, and if we could trust him to pull out the big scores week in, week out like he did for the Cats. That myth is now over. Boy is he back, and in a massive way too. In four of his last five games he’s exceeded 130 Dream Team points, and this week he looks to be one of, if not the best captain option this week. He’s managing to break the tag quite easily now, and the Suns players are doing a great job of feeding him the ball. His tackle counts are also at a career high, which is an added bonus, getting up to 8 tackles a game in the past couple of weeks. The main reason he is such a relevant option this week is because his record against the Dogs is quite outstanding. With the Western Bulldogs being so out of form, you’d think Ablett will bring his own picnic down to Metricon Stadium. The only thing that should sway you from picking Ablett as your captain this week (average of 121 DT and 134 in his last 5 games against the Dogs) is that you don’t have him in your team. If not, get him in!

MATTHEW BOYD VS GOLD COAST

I know he may have let you down last week, but if you don’t have Ablett, I still think Boyd is your next best option for the captaincy this week. You can’t hold grudges for too long and he rarely has two bad games in a row. Even though this match is against the Gold Coast, it’s a really important match for the Dogs to keep their season alive, so there’ll be no messing around for Boydy this week; he’ll be getting a ton of the pill. When they met in round 3, Boyd scored 125 DT and 131 SC, which is pretty much all you can ask for from a skipper, so don’t be all hasty and abandon him this week, Boyd is a mighty fine option.

DANE SWAN VS SYDNEY

Dane really only gets a mention here because of his recent history against the Swans. Even still, it’d take a lot of guts to back him in straight away after his ten day adventure up at Arizona. We still don’t exactly know what is wrong with him, or if the trip actually worked at all. If you’re THAT keen to make him captain, I’d go to the lengths of heading down to training to get a first person view of how he’s moving. Look, I honestly doubt not making Swan captain will hurt anyone this week. I don’t see him churning out a 150 straight away, and if he does, who cares? Not many people will make him captain this week, so you won’t be losing many points. You also run the risk that he could potentially be a sub this week. It’s extremely unlikely, but Didak started as a sub a few weeks back, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. For what it’s worth, his record against the Swans is great; as is the case with most teams I guess (116 DT and 111 SC). I still wouldn’t risk him though; there are much ‘safer’ options out there this week.

MARC MURPHY VS WEST COAST

Well he’s the best Dream Team player in the land at the moment, and the Blues are flying, so you really can’t go wrong with selecting Murphy as captain, no matter who they’re playing. He’s taken his game to another level this year. We always knew he could kick goals, tackle, take a good mark; but now it’s all come together into this awesome package, and that’s why he was taken at pick number one. He does come up against the Eagles this week, who have done a really good job of containing the opposition’s gun midfielders this season, so be wary of that. Having said that, his last three games against them haven’t been too shabby at all, averaging 122 DT and 136 SC. For me, there’s three ways of looking at it:

1) He’s in RED HOT form, so why wouldn’t he continue that?

2) He’s due for a bad game, surely?

3) I don’t have him, so I hope he scores 10.

This one’s a really speculative call. Personally I’d go with Boyd or Ablett if you have either of those two.

OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER……..

Speaking of some good form, Sam Mitchell is definitely having a purple patch. He’s a pretty safe bet to knock up some good points although he’s been a bit up and down against the Bombers in recent years, averaging 92 DT and 93 SC.

Jobe Watson should be right to go now after having two ‘quietish’ games coming back from his injury. His last two games against the Hawks have been particularly good, and the Hawks do tend to leak midfield points.

Scott Pendlebury has a pretty lacklustre record against the Swans, and personally, I really don‘t like him this week. Sydney knows how to shut players down, and Pendles will be their number one target.

Jimmy Bartel has an AWESOME record against the Crows, but I don’t reckon you can select him after being KO’ed on the weekend. His last five games against them he’s managed to amass 122 DT and 117 SC.

Paul Chapman is another option, but he could be Doughty’s target for this week, and he did a massive number on Matthew Boyd. He averages 99 DT and 98 SC in his last five games against the Crows. He also isn’t in the best of form either.

Dean Cox is always a safe captaincy option, but he’s recently been spending a bit more time forward, which is affecting his scoring slightly. I think there are better options out there this week; especially that he’s playing Carlton, who nullifies the opposition’s scoring quite significantly.

MY TOP 3 DREAM TEAM OPTIONS

1. Gary Ablett

2. Matthew Boyd

3. Marc Murphy

MY TOP 3 SUPER COACH OPTIONS

1. Gary Ablett

2. Matthew Boyd

3. Jobe Watson

Welcome to another Tuesday of Kristian’s Kaptains! I hope you all jumped on board Matty Boyd, Brendon Goddard, Marc Murphy or Gary Ablett (who I copped a bit of stick for leaving him out of my article last week!). Apart from those four, there weren’t many stand-out performances on the weekend. Even Scott Pendlebury was struggling to reach a score of 80 before a bit of junk time footy luckily got him over the ton.

This week will present many challenges! Of course, Collingwood has the bye, so those without Pendlebury and Swan will automatically have two players out of their midfield. If you really copped some bad luck, you’ll be missing David Mundy, Leigh Montagna, Joel Selwood and possibly Brent Stanton as well! All of those guys are legitimate captain options, so stocks will be running pretty thin!

Luckily there are quite a few guys who have good records against their upcoming opposition, so all is not lost yet. I’ll now run through the guys who you should be considering for your captain in round 13.

MATTHEW BOYD VS ADELAIDE

Mr Consistent, you can’t go wrong with this selection at all. You can basically lock in at least a 100 score, with the chance of a possible monster, like last week. I know I keep harping on about Boyd’s safety and consistency, but you just can’t go past it. The ONLY thing that should worry you about Boyd this week is his record against the Crows in his last five outings. He has a DT average of 86, and a SC average of 87. However, in a must win game for the Dogs, at Etihad on a Friday night, can you not see Boyd having a massive game? Put this one in the book.

HAWTHORN STARS VS GOLD COAST

If you don’t have Boyd, look here next. This game is being playing at Aurora, statistically the BEST venue for Dream Team scoring in the country. With the way the Hawks have been playing this season, there should be an absolute feast of points for the taking and there is no doubt one of your Hawthorn premiums will be cashing in. The two obvious candidates are Sam Mitchell and Lance Franklin, but don’t discount Hodge, Shiels, Rioli, and even Suckling! If you’re in the mood to go chasing for the monster, this is your game; it’s just a matter of picking the right bloke!

GARY ABLETT VS HAWTHORN

It’s taken me a while to get the faith back with Gazza, but it is back! He’s finally starting to gel and find his own in that midfield, and there’s really no stopping him from here. Having said that, I don’t like the match-up this week, as this could be a serious smashing with Hawthorn on the rebound, so I don’t see Gaz scoring like he has in previous weeks. He is pretty much a sure thing for 90’s at least most weeks anyway, so he isn’t the worst option, but I don’t see him putting up another massive score this round. His record against the Hawks is super-impressive though, with a DT average of 120 and SC average of 130 in his last five games.

JIMMY BARTEL

Some say his Dream Team and Super Coach days of dominance are over, but he’s still pulling out some massive scores. His record against the Saints is outstanding, and with no Joel Selwood by his side, he really is the main midfielder in the team for a few weeks. I think Jimmy is just being eased into this season to be honest, and I reckon we’ll see him bring out a massive second half to the year. I think it starts right here against the Saints; the guy’s a champion, averages 120 DT and 130 SC against the Saints, and it’s his big stage to step up and be the veteran in the midfield. Jump on the Jimmy train!

DEAN COX VS PORT ADELAIDE

This looks like a really enticing match up for Cox, especially at Paterson’s stadium. It’s hard to see not having a massive game, and like Boyd, should be a guarantee for at least a DT and SC ton. Naitanui has been doing the bulk of the ruckwork lately, with Cox spending a bit of time forward, so when he moves into the middle, he’s most likely be battling it out with Justin Westhoff. Lock him in for 30 hitouts just there. His last five games record against Port looks average, but that includes a 45 DT, 41 SC game from early last year when he was under done. It still adds up to a 94 DT and 107 SC average which is still rock solid.

OTHER POSSIBLE OPTIONS………

Do you take the risk on Jobe Watson’s second week back from a hamstring injury? He struggled on the weekend, but his history says so, averaging 111 DT and 116 SC against the Roos.

Brendon Goddard is back in hot form, but against the Cats, you would be just a little wary of a potential blow out. He has a great record against them though, averaging 105 DT and 114 SC.

Marc Murphy is having a massive season, and he’ll look to continue that against the Swans at Etihad Stadium. He has a rock solid average of 100 DT and 106 SC against the Swans, although Keiran Jack is now back into the side, so that could be a potential match up.

Paul Chapman’s not in the greatest of form, and therefore can’t be trusted. I’d wait until he shows signs of exploding again, before making him captain!

Steve Johnson is in the form of his life, yet he’s still too inconsistent to be a genuine captain option for my liking. He’s due to have a quiet game, and against the Saints it might be, only averaging 64 DT and 68 SC!

MY TOP 3 DREAM TEAM CAPTAIN OPTIONS

1. Matthew Boyd

2. Dean Cox

3. Sam Mitchell

MY TOP 3 SUPER COACH CAPTAIN OPTIONS

1. Lance Franklin

2. Gary Ablett

3. Dean Cox

KRISTIAN’S KAPTAINS ROUND 12

Welcome to another weekly edition of Kristian’s Kaptains!

For those that have continued to stick with Dane Swan as their captain for the past few weeks, this round will certainly makes things interesting now that he’s jumped on a flight to Arizona!

Port Adelaide have the bye this week, which means we pretty much have a full list of captains to choose from, bar Paul Chapman (still not sure whether he’ll be back this week), Dane Swan and Lance Franklin.

The match up we always look for is which team is playing the Gold Coast, and unfortunately this week it’s North Melbourne. There aren’t too many options, unless you have Andrew Swallow. Brent Harvey is an option, but I don’t think it’s worth it. Drew Petrie and Todd Goldstein are the other two possibilities, but you’d have to be pretty brave.

I’ll go about this article a little bit differently this week considering there are so many options!

MATTHEW BOYD VS ST KILDA

He’s my ‘safe’ pick for the week as always, and if you’re really struggling with who to pick, then just go Boydy. He will not let you down unless he got struck down with injury, but then even still, it’d be hard to keep him off the ground. Pendlebury and Thomas got off the leash on Saturday night against St.Kilda, two guys who you’d think would be prime candidates for the hard tag. Boyd won’t get tagged, so imagine what he’ll score under the roof of Etihad. His last five games against the Saints he’s averaged 105 DT and 96 SC. Make him vice captain at the very least!

BRENDON GODDARD VS WESTERN BULLDOGS

BJ’s back, with a bang. Awesome form, playing an out of form Doggies, and a good history against them suggests he’s a ‘must consider’ for the captaincy option this week. I’m not exactly sure who’ll run with him, or who can, so he’ll more than likely do as he pleases again at his favourite hunting ground, Etihad Stadium. His last five games against the Dogs he’s averaged 113 DT and 127 SC.

SCOTT THOMPSON VS WEST COAST

In previous years, I would’ve given this a serious consideration, but Scott Selwood has become a really great tagger and he’ll most likely get the gig on Adelaide’s only player at the moment. Still, he gets a mention because his current form is awesome, and so is his record against the Eagles, averaging 117 DT and 106 SC in his last five encounters.

DEAN COX VS ADELAIDE

Todd Goldstein murdered the Adelaide ruckmen on Sunday by himself. Imagine what Cox and Naitanui might do? Cox was simply awesome on the weekend, moving even better than he was in his prime. You can’t go past an average of 111 DT and 111 SC in his last five against the Crows. He’s a safe as houses option.

JIMMY BARTEL VS HAWTHORN

This man steps up for the big games, and there is none bigger than this clash. Jimmy LOVES playing against the Hawks, and he’ll undoubtedly put up a massive score if you have him this week. He averages 119 DT and 122 SC in his last five games against Hawthorn, so expect much the same this week.

SAM MITCHELL VS GEELONG

He’s been in blistering form so far this year, and has very much slipped under the radar of a few teams and fantasy coaches this season. Personally, I’m looking to bring him into my side this week for the run home, and he’ll come into serious consideration for the captaincy as well. His last five games against Geelong (101 DT and 95 SC) don’t necessarily scream out captain option, but this year he’s taken his game to a new level.

MARC MURPHY VS BRISBANE

Again, much like Sam Mitchell, Murphy has taken his fantasy game up another notch this season, and has now become a legitimate captain option. He’s coming up against a rather dismal Brisbane Lions outfit, so it really should be party time for the Carlton midfield and cricket scores could be posted. Murphy only averages 93 DT in his last five against the Lions, but his SC average is very good with 115. Again, history doesn’t really mean a whole lot in this one, Murphy is about as safe as you can get this week.

JONATHON BROWN VS CARLTON

To the select few who have him; his record is amazing against Carlton, although you could mount a case that he’s bullied a terrible Carlton side all these years. An average of 117 DT and 137 SC in his last 9 games against them surely can’t be sneezed at though!

ADAM GOODES VS RICHMOND

As a Richmond fan, I’m really nervous as to what he might do to us this week, as always. He’s capable of the big 150 games, as this is a candidate to be one of those days if he floats through the middle as I’m really not sure who’ll be able to with him everywhere; maybe Shaun Grigg? His record is alright in his last five against Richmond, without being sensational. A big score of 158 boosts his DT average up to 104 and in that same game he got an amazing 223 in SC to sky rocket that average to 118. Take out that game, and his record isn’t that great, which I must say, surprised me.

SCOTT PENDLEBURY VS MELBOURNE

It will definitely be interesting to see how he cops without Dane Swan this week, and that one factor could sway a lot of people away from him. Melbourne do have some good defensive stoppers, and with the news that the Pies will be without Dale Thomas this week as well through suspension, means Pendles will cop the brunt of attention. I am definitely wary this week, even though he is in some scintillating form. His last three games against Melbourne (two before that were only in his first few games, so there’s not a lot to read into) have been brilliant, averaging 133 DT, and 118 SC, so how do possibly ignore that form line?

KRISTIAN’S TOP 5 CAPTAIN PICKS

1. Matthew Boyd

2. Dean Cox

3. Scott Pendlebury

4. Jimmy Bartel

5. Brendon Goddard