Footy Tragic

Who are the best trade targets for your AFL Dream Team and SuperCoach after the round 12 byes? Toby runs through all the best options for you to consider.

Similar to last week, now is the time to trade in the players who had their bye in round 12, meaning they shouldn’t (touch-wood) be missing any more games for the remainder of the year. Here are some of your better options…

Defenders:

Michael Johnson:

Johnson has been one of the surprise stories this year from a fantasy perspective, and to be honest, has gotten very little recognition for it. I think this is due to the fact he is such an unlikely fantasy scorer that we have all just turned a blind eye. But after a season average of 92 DT and 99 SC (including 98 DT and 106 SC from his past five games), he should well and truly be on the radar. He is scoring solidly in the Fremantle backline, providing some run whilst also holding down a defensive post. Could be a good smokey selection for the back half of the season.

Beau Waters

I spoke about Waters last week, but due to his suspension you wouldn’t have traded him in then. If you are keen on the Eagles hard-nut, this is the week to pounce.

Greg Broughton

Whilst he had a frustrating start to the season, Broughton’s role appears to have settled somewhat, leading to an average of 93 DT and 98 SC from round 3 onwards. He is still playing backline with some time on the ball, but Lyon at least appears to have him settled, which what he needs from a fantasy perspective. There haven’t been any monster scores from him this year (highest is 109 DT and 110 SC), but he has at least been consistent.

Dyson Heppell

We all know Heppell for his strong breakout season in 2011 and he has continued into 2012 with similar form. After averaging 96 DT and 94 SC points up until round six, he has hit a bit of a wall, averaging just 66 DT and 69 SC since. It means he will be pretty cheap at the moment and getting cheaper, but you would really want to see him hit some good form before bringing him into your side.

Corey Enright

Enright has been a picture of consistency in year’s past, but 2012 has been pretty quiet by his standards. He has only managed an average of 73 DT and 86 SC for the year, with only one ton in DT and three in SC. He has copped plenty of opposition attention this year, plus doesn’t appear to working through the tags as well as he did in years gone. We know he has potential to score well, but don’t trade someone into your team based on that alone.

Midfielders:

Dane Swan

We all know the sorts of numbers Swanny can produce and he has been producing them at his best again in 2012. He missed a game through injury a fortnight ago, but bounced back very quickly with a huge game on Queen’s Birthday against Melbourne. He is a must-have in Dream Team, so if he’s not currently in your team, now is the best time to find a way to get him in.

Brent Stanton

Stanton has always been a good fantasy option, but his major drawback has been the difference between his best and worst is just too great. In 2012 he appears to have turned that around, working harder through games to exploit his opponents with his monstrous tank. His fast fortnight before the bye was pretty quiet by his standards, but he has still managed a monstrous average of 123 DT and 122 SC for the year, including three scores over 150 in DT and four in SC – massive!

Jobe Watson

Jobe’s having another great year and has slipped under the radar a bit as an option. He hasn’t scored under 90 points all year in either competition and has put together some averages to match it with all the other premiums – 116 DT and 125 SC. A great option for the run home who can score well and is relatively unique.

Joel Selwood

Selwood’s year has been pretty consistent, but there has been a bit of a lack of massive scores from him. He actually hasn’t scored under 100 points in SC all year, but has only scored over 150 once (although, there have been four scores over 140). In Dream Team his year hasn’t been as good, with two scores under 100 and only two over 120. I like him as an option, but I don’t reckon he will be a top-5 mid by season’s end, which is probably more likely with the other three names above.

Rucks:

Jon Griffin:

Griffin has had a really interesting year – he has only played four games – one with Sandliands and three without. He scored 26 DT and 47 SC in his game alongside big Sandi, but has averaged 88 DT and 107 SC in the games where he got to play as the sole ruck. We also saw this last year as Griffin banged out some huge scores as the sole ruckman. Now with Sandi out for an extended period of time (which could become the season), Griffin will play as the side’s first ruck, hopefully meaning a continuation of these sorts of scores. It is a slight risk, as we have seen him dropped for Sandi in the past, regardless of his form-line, but it is a risk which could pay very handsome dividends. For those still needing to offload Sandi himself or even Giles, Griffin could be your man!

Patrick Ryder:

Ryder has had a pretty solid year for the Bombers, playing up forward and with time in the ruck. His scores have been pretty decent, especially in SuperCoach, so he could be a great trade target if in need of a ruck. I’d be a bit more hesitant in DT though as he’s only cracked the ton once since round two. David Hille will also be back soon, which could mean a slight change in role.

Forwards:

Steve Johnson

Stevie J has had a great year, although his last game left a sour taste in our mouth, getting pretty well held by Bryce Gibbs in round 11. He is easily one of the top few forwards though and a must-have in both competitions.

Dayne Beams

Beams has quickly become the number one forward in both competitions, averaging 121 DT and 124 SC from his past five games – these are midfielder-like numbers. In fact, it’s little surprise he is pumping out midfield numbers as this is exactly where the Pies are playing him – Buckley has not been shy is stating that Beams has replaced Luke Ball’s role in the side and he has grabbed hold of it with both hands. He wins stacks of the ball and also kicks goals, but isn’t going to cop much opposition attention at this stage. He is pretty expensive, but you will want him for the run home.

Steele Sidebottom:

Steele is another young Pie to have taken a significant step up this year, averaging 121 DT and 128 SC from his past five games. He too has moved to the midfield and is already playing like a senior member of the side. Most teams should hopefully have him locked in by now, but if not it’s time to start finding yourself some cash.

Paul Chapman

With names like Beams and Sidebottom as options, our yesterday’s heroes such as Chappy quickly get forgotten. He shouldn’t be dismissed too easily though, with an average of 103 DT and 106 SC for the year – these numbers are up from 2011. He has had a couple of quiet games, but overall has been one of the Cats’ better performed players this year and fortunately hasn’t broken down yet. For similar cash I reckon you will get more from the likes of Beams or Sidebottom, but if you already have these guys in your squad, then Chappy is also looking like a solid pick.

Matthew Pavlich

Pav is relatively cheap at the moment thanks to the fact he’s having one of his quieter seasons in a while. He has only scored four tons in DT so far this year and only three in SC, which is quite surprising from him. I honestly wouldn’t get too excited about him, despite his price. This isn’t the time of year to trade in someone because they are cheap – you want someone to help carry to team to through the finals.

Adam Goodes

Goodes has been out for a number of weeks with injury and should return this week. I wouldn’t be getting on board just yet though – he has a few dollars to leak and we actually don’t know how well he will return from injury as this is the first time in his career he has missed this many games. Keep an eye on him for future weeks, but I wouldn’t be pouncing now.

Toby looks at all the players returning this week from the byes – which ones should you be considering for your AFL Dream Team and SuperCoach?

Well, the first week of byes is done and dusted and we are likely onto another week of carnage. Oh well – at least we are all in this together!

But amongst all the chaos, we can’t forget the overall picture, and that is of what we want our team to look like over the remaining rounds. It’s important to use these next couple of weeks – and the triple-trades that come with them – wisely to set ourselves up for our finals assault.

Right now, we need to focus on players who have gotten their byes out of the way – fresh from a week off, these players can be brought into your team without the issue of byes over the remaining rounds. I will use this article to discuss some of the better players to focus on this week. As it turns out, this is a good week to sure-up your defence of midfield ahead of some pretty feral looking bye weeks for these positions.

Defenders:

Beau Waters:

Waters has had a very solid season to date, missing only one game all year, or at least he is about to – unfortunately he will miss this week with suspension. Inconsistency to our defenders, amazingly Beau has been one of the few to buck the tent – a great result considering his terrible injury and suspension history. He has been one of West Coast’s best backmen, generally providing plenty of run, whilst also doing some decent shut-down roles. His ball use isn’t amazing (still not bad, but no Shannon Hurn), which often means his opponents don’t pay him as much attention – but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. From his past five games he has averaged 99 DT points and 112 in SC.

Pearce Hanley:

The irishman’s year has been pretty solid, although he looks to have really hit his straps over the past month. He provides a very good rebounding option for the Lions, but has also played some games on the wing, which certainly isn’t a bad thing from a fantasy perspective. He is still young and learning the game, but his improvement so far has been immense – I can only imagine him getting better as the year rolls on. Has averaged 94 DT and 96 SC points in his past three games.

Jed Adcock:

Adcock’s name is one feared by many fantasy coaches considering his inconsistent form over previous years. His 2012 form has been solid, although not spectacular. His numbers have been pretty good though, with an average of 94 DT and 99 SC points from his past three games. His last game saw him play through the midfield in a very encouraging role, but we have seen him play these sorts of roles in the past only to be moved elsewhere over the coming weeks. That said, I believe the addition of Golby and Hanley to the backline will go a long way to ensuring he keeps freed from defensive roles.

Brian Lake:

I’d say most coaches will already have Lake in their side, but if you don’t, now is as good a time as any to pounce. After three very good games in a row, he has dropped off a little bit over the past two games though, not getting as much ball as you would hope. His form as a defender has still been very good though. He’s not looking like pumping out too many huge scores, although it has been great to see his yearly scores dotted with the odd ton.

Sam Shaw:

Shaw will certainly get a pump up on our ‘Boys on the Bubble’ article this week, but he has certainly been one of the more promising rookies we have seen in the backline this year. He is a third tall who has shown great promise over his first two games this year – he would likely have played more games had it not been for injuries. He has averaged 68.5 in DT and 74 in SC, presenting himself as a good downgrade target perhaps for Marty Clarke who has stagnated, or maybe even for Spurr if you don’t believe he will be back anytime soon.

Midfielders:

Scott Thompson:

Thompson has proved over many years that he is a great fantasy player, although he has had a pretty retched past fortnight, averaging just 75 DT and SC points – not great for his current owners, but terrific for those looking to bring him in. His price will drop further from where it is now, although there’s not a heap stopping you from pouncing now if you have the cash. On his day, he is one of the top-5 fantasy midfielders and can put together some absolutely immense scores. Fingers crossed he can bounce back from his average couple of weeks with a solid close to the season – up until two weeks ago he was averaging 117 in DT and 128 in SC.

Matthew Boyd:

Boys is another players many coaches will have, but there is a reason for this. Boyd is a prolific scorer who still manages to rack up the touches regardless of whether his Doggies are winning or losing – fortunately! He is averaging 118 DT and 114 SC points a game this year and it really should continue until the end of the year.

Jack Redden:

Redden’s year has been pretty up-and-down, although he appears to have gotten it back on track this past month with an increase of 25 PPG in SC and 28 PPG in DT from his first six games. The worry has been that he and Tom Rockliff (another solid option) tend to alternate their good games – whilst I’d like to be able to give you stats to disprove this, I really can’t. In fact, it’s bizarre how much their respective points go up when the other has a quiet one. On recent form, you would be choosing Redden over Rockliff.

Rory Sloane:

I think there were plenty of coaches tempted by Sloane after his great pre-season, but the hype died down as the season got underway. But this amazes me as his season has actually been incredibly consistent. Everyone is banging on about Dangerfield (and rightly so), but where’s the hype around Sloane? From a fantasy perspective, he has averaged 100 in DT and 114 in SC, where he has only dropped below 100 points on two occasions. He also got his season (and career) high points last week against Freo, with 150 DT and 178 SC. If you are after a bit of a smokey – especially in SuperCoach – then Sloane could very well be your man!

Matt Priddis:

I spoke about Priddis a fortnight ago due to the fact he is now dirt cheap thanks to an early in-game injury in round 7. As of this week, that score is out of his rolling average, meaning he will begin to go up in price. Since that game he has managed an average of 110 in DT and 125 in SC – so he has certainly proved that at $388,600 and $464,500 respectively, he is a complete bargain! I floated the theory a fortnight ago about trading him in as your 7^th midfielder, and this will still work, especially now we are within the bye rounds – he would provide great cover over the next fortnight and through the rest of the year. But can’t afford the luxury of a premium M7? Then by all means put him on your field – you could do a lot worse!

Ruck:

Dean Cox

Ruckmen are suddenly going to become in vogue this week for all those Sandilands owners and anyone feeling like offloading Giles, and Cox presents as probably the best option, especially now that he has no byes left. Whilst he hasn’t been in the best form of his career, he has proven that he can still score very well, despite the inclusion and continued development of Naitanui. He is certainly pricey, but if you are looking for someone to lead your ruck division for the rest of the year, then surely Cox is your man.

Todd Goldstein:

Goldy is a pretty cheap option considering his potential. But the worry is not his own form, but that of McIntosh, who is currently out of the team injured. For now, H-Mac is out of the side for quite a while, and Goldstein proved last year that he can play fantastically as the sole ruck in North’s side. But there will forever be the spectre of McIntosh looming over him – Goldstein’s scores whilst H-Mac is in the side are pretty average, so anyone tempted to take the punt would be wanting to hope the North Melbourne doctors under-exaggerated on his return date.

Forwards:

Patrick Dangerfield:

Amazingly, Dangerfield is about the only round-11 bye forward worth considering. There are others, but none you’d particularly be thinking are top-10 forwards – the type of player to be targeting on the run home. Dangerfield has been improving all year and has had a terrific past month, with an average of 101 DT and 125 SC from his past five games. He is a bullocking midfielder who is now managing to win plenty of ball outside packs and on the spread too, and not just inside packs – probably one of the things which limited him as a fantasy option over the past couple of years. He is quite expensive at the moment, but if you are looking at finalising your forward line over the next fortnight, then Danger should be right in your calculations. Adelaide have a pretty good upcoming run too – Saints, North, Richmond, Port and GWS are their next five – I can see a few decent scores amongst that lot!