Footy Tragic

Well that’s it… another year of fantasy footy in the can! For those lucky enough to be competing in grand finals over the weekend, how did you go? Who were your Winners & Wieners?

And to all of you out there… What was your final ranking? What did you learn from 2012? And who will be your first picked in 2013?

Thanks so much for being a part of the Footy Tragic community throughout 2012. Your contributions are what makes this site so special. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved this year and are looking forward to sitting down soon and nutting out plans for next season.

Enjoy the action throughout September and we’ll see you soon!!!

The team at Footy Tragic.
 
 

Preliminary finals week is done and dusted in the fantasy world. Many of you will have stories of triumph. Others will have stories of despair. Who were your Winners & Wieners following Round 22 and where are currently ranked?

Good morning all.

Twas as interesting week of Footy with late withdrawals Mitchell & Franklin costing many fantasy coaches a preliminary finals birth. Who were your Winners & Wieners from the weekend and where are you currently ranked?

Well the first week of league finals are done and dusted. How did you fair? I think Dan will be pretty happy with himself having finally overtaken KP in the rankings!

Share your weekend Winners & Wieners and let us know where you’re currently sitting overall!

Happy Monday all!

How’d you go over the weekend? Make it safely through to league finals? Or perhaps you have a story of heartbreak? Let’s get the week started with your Round 19 fantasy Winners & Wieners.

There were a heap of high scores and some potential carnage with donuts and stinkers (before putting words into your mouths – Stevie J and Stanton!) so hit us up with your winners & weiners…or Zorko’s and Duffield’s as we like to call them.

A number of seriously highs and lows this weekend. Who were your Winners & Wieners from Round 16? What did you end up scoring?

Also, we’d love to know how you’re all going from a ranking perspective, so please share!

Winners and Weiners Round 8:

Collingwood vs Geelong:

Collingwood:

Winner:

Steele Sidebottom was the clear winner here, racking up another 38 disposals, 9 marks and 3 tackles in a best on ground display. His season to date has been fantastic, so it was great to see him back it up again on the big stage.

Weiner:

Dane Swan went down late with a hamstring injury which looks to have him on the sidelines for two weeks. Bummer. At least he waited til late in the game to get injured!

Geelong:

Winner:

Corey Enright wasn’t the Cats best, but it was good to see him pump out a pretty solid Dream Team score after a slow start to the year. He is now pretty cheap and a worthwhile upgrade target in the backline if you are keen.

Weiner:

Bille Smedts had plenty of coaches excited when he was not only a late inclusion, but also avoided the sub vest. Alas, he was subsequently subbed off with just 19/17 points to his name.

Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne:

Port Adelaide:

Winner:

Danyle Pearce played easily his best game in a few years, taking the game on and using his clean disposal skills to set up plenty of attacks. I wouldn’t recommend jumping on board, but it is pleasing to see him show he does still have the talent he promised a few years ago. Now we just need consistency.

Weiner:

Travis Boak had another quiet game – he has been pretty out of form this year, looking to get a bit more frustrated by the attention he receives. Finished with 16 touches and 5 tackles.

North Melbourne

Winner:

The winner was clearly Andrew Swallow, although it does feel somewhat wrong giving the Winner award to the captain of a team who could lose a game like this. Anyway, he was clearly the Roos’ best again, finishing with 28 touches and a fantastic 12 tackles.

Weiner:

Is Ben Cunningham ever going to come good?? He had such high wraps coming to the club initially, but he has just never really come along, always towards the bottom of the disposal column every game. Had another quiet game with only 9 touches, 8 of which were handballs.

Hawthorn vs Fremantle:

Hawthorn:

Winner:

Clinton Young had one of his best games for a very long time, and if it wasn’t for the fact he continued to miss in front of goals he may have been BOG. He still has the tendency to kick for distance instead of accuracy, but it tended to work well against the Freo press. He finished with 25 touches and 12 marks.

Weiner:

Shaun Burgoyne has been a pretty disappointing pick-up for those who took the punt at the start of the year. He is playing well in defence, but not offering anywhere near enough rebound for dream team or SuperCoach purposes.

Fremantle:

Winner:

Greg Broughton continued to rack up the touches all game, somewhat innocuously. He’s one of those players who you rarely notice, but he tends to find himself plenty of the ball. He is still playing defence, but the inclusion of Spurr will allow him to play a bit looser, so fingers crossed this good scoring stays put!

Weiner:

Matthew Pavlich had another quiet outing, picking up just 11 touches from 7 marks. His form is well down, and considering Lyon’s low-scoring game-plan, I wouldn’t be bringing him in anytime soon, despite his price.

Sydney vs Melbourne:

Sydney:

Winner:

Ryan O’Keefe looks to be back, picking up 34 disposals through the midfield. His game should be taken with a grain of salt considering the opponent, but it was still good to see him racking up the touches. If you want him, now is the time to trade him in.

Weiner:

Sam Reid continues to struggle up forward, managing just the one goal (his first in a number of games, actually). I can’t imagine the Swans will drop him, but if you have him in your team, perhaps you should consider it!

Melbourne:

Winner:

Jack Watts played an extremely loose game off half-back, and whilst he did win plenty of touches (34 disposals and 11 marks), there were not too many defensive elements in his game. This role is gold for Dream Team, but I’m not sure he will be allowed this much disposal every week, nor will he be played in this role every week either.

Weiner:

Where do I start? I’ve already said it this week, but surely Melbourne need to trade off a bunch of their more senior players and bring in youth this year? Sylvia, Green, Moloney, Davey and Jamar all have currency – find out how much currency in trade week and do what you need to do. Do a GWS and load up in what will actually be a very strong draft. I know that if I were a supporter of the club, this is exactly what I’d want them to do.

Western Bulldogs vs Gold Coast:

Western Bulldogs:

Winner:

Brian Lake wins the points again for his great display in the backline. I am loving having Lake in my team this year – he has been so solid after pushing through those first few weeks and only looks to be getting better. Even if you don’t have him, it’s not too late to bring him in.

Weiner:

Ryan Hargrave was pretty quiet in the backline for the Dogs, being kept busy by Danny Stanley. He finished with 16 disposals and a rib injury which will need to be monitored through the week.

Gold Coast:

Winner:

Kyal Horsely is making plenty of friends in Dream Team and SuperCoach world with his third ton from four games. He is just the sort of player who puts his head down and does his business, working hard all game to rack up the touches. Fingers crossed McKenna doesn’t randomly think of making him a tagger (see Neeld).

Weiner:

Michael Rischitelli was extremely quiet, managing just 9 disposals as he slowly returns from injury. He was so good in his first year, it’s a shame to see him fall away so significantly in 2012.

Essendon vs Richmond:

Essendon:

Winner:

Jobe Watson was great through the midfield for the Dons, picking up 30 touches and 8 marks. He also kicked an uncharacteristic 2.1. He is having a great season so far and has shown no signs of those 2011 hamstring injuries.

Weiner:

Dyson Heppell copped the Jake King tag and didn’t cope very well. He still looked very good when he did get the ball in hand, but unfortunately he didn’t see it too often – only 18 times. It should help level out his score though for those who don’t have him.

Richmond:

Winner:

Brett Deledio was sensational again, picking up 35 disposals, 7 marks and 10 tackles. He is just such a hard worker and a good user of the ball – I honestly can’t believe he hasn’t had more press for the season he is having. He is in great form, so if you don’t have him, get him in.

Weiner:

Brandon Ellis started as sub again, which was very frustrating for those who had decided to hold onto him. Fortunately though, he came on early-ish for Grimes and still managed to outscore Steven Morris, the other popular Richmond backman.

Brisbane vs GWS:

Brisbane:

Winner:

Daniel Merrett was the big show early, but I liked Jon Brown’s game more. He was clunking the marks (in fact, he took a whopping 16 grabs!) and looking fresh and fit. He also looked like a man playing amongst kids, so don’t expect the Browny of old against more seasoned competition, unfortunately.

Winner #2:

Dayne Zorko also cracks a mention for his second game, nearly managing to ton it up against the AFL’s latest upstarts. He was very good through the midfield and half-forward, playing a good link up role. He was part of many good plays for the Lions and surely has a spot in their team. Now you need to find a spot in yours!

GWS:

Winner:

Sam Darley finally managed his debut game and he was pretty impressive, playing in the backline. He finished with 19 disposals, although I am nervous to see what happens when Bugg and Kennedy return – can he hold his spot. Because of this, definitely give him one more look before trading him in.

Weiner:

Tim Mohr really struggled for the Giants, getting absolutely mauled by Merrett early in the game before being moved off him. Unfortunately for his owners, he only managed 11 disposals of his own.

Carlton vs Adelaide:

Carlton:

Weiner #1:

Two weiners for the Blues – first one is Marc Murphy and his injury. Murph was kept pretty quiet early in the game before being absolutely smashed in a contest with Dangerfield. Unfortunately, scans today have shown a fracture and he will be out for at least five weeks. Doh!

Weiner #2:

Bryce Gibbs continued his poor early form, managing just 12 disposals for the game – an extremely low stat by his standards. He is really struggling to impact games, and appears to be lacking any confidence or drive. Watch for his to turn this around though as his price is getting very cheap.

Adelaide:

Winner:

Patty Dangerfield was fantastic for the Crows, dominating once again through the midfield with 35 touches and 6 marks. He just creates so much drive and enthusiasm through the Crows midfield and it is clearly contagious to his teammates. Those who started with him are looking inspired, and those who don’t have him still have time to get on!

Weiner:

I picked on Brodie Smith last week and he is going to cop it again now. He just isn’t getting into games at all, playing way too defensive and not presenting as an option on the rebound. If you have kept him, get him out!

West Coast vs St.Kilda

West Coast:

Winner:

Beau Waters had an amazing game, especially considering he nearly pulled our minutes before the game with a hamstring injury. He gave the Eagles plenty of drive from half-back, but also kicked a couple of ripper goals from outside the 50. Leaving him unmarked in the first half was just dumb by the Saints as he chopped off so many rebound-50 attempts.

Weiner:

Daniel Kerr had a pretty quiet game, being tightly worn by Clint Jones, who has done many jobs on him before. He managed just 17 touches and 4 tackles for the game, struggling a bit in the clearances with no Priddis.

St.Kilda:

Winner:

Nick Riewoldt played a very good game, booting 4.1 from 15 touches and 9 marks. He worked hard up the ground all day with the new Saints forward structure allowing for less attention directly on him, which means he can go for a few more runs. I can’t see him producing the consistently massive scores he once did, but he at least has the ability for the odd big-one.

Weiner:

Beau Wilkes was largely unsighted for a while in the forward line until he was switched back after Stanley’s injury. Unfortunately, we had a lesson in why Wilkes was drafted to play forward as he repeatedly made errors in the backline, directly costing the Saints 4.1. Perhaps he is still on the Eagles’ books??

Toby runs through his Winners & Weiners for Round 7 – who pumped up our weekly score, and whose dour performances made us red in the face??

Below is Part 1 – part 2 will come after the Carlton vs Saints game on Monday night.

Melbourne vs Hawthorn:

Melbourne:

Winner:

James Magner was one of the most traded out players this week, so it was nice for those who held onto him to see him put together a pretty handy score. He is still playing a tagging role and I really can’t see him cracking the ton too many more times this year, but still, he seems to have plenty of cash generation left in him.

Weiner:

Colin Sylvia was again anonymous, playing the majority of the game up forward. He managed only 6 disposals and no score for the game. As much as he will be getting very cheap, I would be avoiding him at all costs, at least until he shows some sign of good form.

Hawthorn:

Winner:

Grant Birchall owners have had a pretty frustrating past few weeks, so it was great he see him crack the ton in both Dream Team and SuperCoach. He combined well off half-back with Suckling and picked up 29 disposals and 8 marks. He is now pretty cheap too for those who don’t have him.

Weiner:

Cyril Rioli was frustratingly quiet and was eventually subbed off after having next to no impact on the game. He played up forward again, but struggled to exploit the Dees defence as he had done to the Saints a week earlier.

GWS vs Gold Coast:

GWS:

Winner:

Jonathan Giles was terrific again for Dream Team and SuperCoach, but also for the Giants themselves – his massive last quarter was a big factor in their first win of the season. He racked up 21 touches and 6 marks, plus managed to kick 3.1 – so far I’d say those who originally anticipated trading him may be having second thoughts! He’s starting to look like a keeper!

Weiner:

Tommy Bugg had one of his quieter games this year, playing a defensive role on Harley Bennell. He still actually had a reasonable game, but was one of the quieter GWS players from a DT and SC perspective. Managed just 12 touches and 4 marks for the game.

Gold Coast:

Winner:

Whilst not the highest DT or SC scorer, Gary Ablett won us over just for the fact he played, despite all the talk that he may have been out for at least another fortnight. He still played mainly midfield, although didn’t carve up GWS as we may have hoped. Still, he picked up a game-high 33 disposals.

Weiner:

David Swallow struggled through the entire game, looking to be carrying some sort of knee injury. He was eventually subbed off at three-quarter time without having had much impact, having had just 10 touches for the day.

Adelaide vs Geelong:

Adelaide:

Winner:

Scott Thompson had another brilliant game, although I still feel like no one really noticed. He has been remarkably consistent so far this year, having had only one game under 100 DT or SC points. He was a driving force through the midfield, picking up 34 touches, 7 tackles and 6 marks.

Weiner:

Brodie Smith has been one of the more disappointing defence options this year in Dream Team and SuperCoach. Through the pre-season it was suggested he would spend more time on ball this year, but unfortunately he has spent every game so far in the backline. He just isn’t putting together the disposal numbers we may have hoped, so it’s looking like it’s about time to trade him if you haven’t already.

Geelong:

Winner:

Whilst there was no huge standout for the Cats, I have enjoyed the back-to-back quality games of Paul Chapman. I actually said on the show a fortnight ago that his best is now behind him and he shouldn’t be considered as a DT/SC option anymore… Well, fortunately I am wrong. He picked up 24 touches against the Crows and was one of Geelong’s best.

Weiner:

Corey Enright bounced back into some form last week, but this week again saw him close to tagged out of the game. He has been Mr.Reliable in DT and SC over the past few years, so it’s hard to believe that he may no longer be an option. I am patiently waiting on some good form before I jump on board, but so far I am yet to see it.

Richmond vs Sydney:

Richmond:

Winner:

Brett Deledio was hugely impressive for the Tigers. This game solidified himself to me as a bonafide elite player of the competition. Lids copped the Rhyce Shaw tag, which is typically a very tight once, but he just worked so hard to get to contests and provide an option that he was able to beat Shaw and still have plenty of effect on the game. May it continue.

Weiner:

Brandon Ellis will be an unpopular man for many this week – if you started him on the field you will be staring at a 6 in DT or 2 in SC, plus have to deal with the fact that your ‘cash-cow’ is about to significantly drop in price. He started as a sub and then didn’t come on the field until very late, having absolutely zero impact.

Sydney:

Winner:

Josh Kennedy was again Sydney’s best player, although not many had their best days at the office. He was followed around all day by Tuck, but still managed to have his share of the ball through the midfield. Finished with 21 touches, 4 tackles and 2 goals.

Weiner:

Sam Reid was extremely quiet, being held goalless and to just 5 disposals by Rance. There was talk mid-week that he was to be a late withdrawal, so I’m not sure whether he was carrying an injury, but regardless, these sorts of numbers are still very disappointing.

Who were the AFL Dream Team and SuperCoach Winners and Weiners for this week?

Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood:

Western Bulldogs:

Winner:

Brian Lake makes his way onto this list once again with another great game. It wasn’t just a great game for Dream Team and SuperCoach, but he also played a great one for the Doggies, totally nullifying Cloke in the first half. He is looking much more confident in himself, so fingers crossed you held onto him after his shaky start to the year!

Weiner:

Liam Jones was again pretty awful for the Dogs, highlighting their current lack of depth in the forward line. The Doggies were competitive all game against the Pies, but oddly relied on midfielders and defenders to kick most of their goals. Jones has shown some great signs throughout his short career, but then also puts in stinkers like this one.

Collingwood:

Winner:

Dayne Beams really impressed me, and as Buckley even commented himself post-game, he has taken over the midfield role vacated by Luke Ball. He won plenty of his own ball (33 disposals), used the ball very well and laid 11 tackles – all great stats. Finally his form looks to be justifying his price-tag.

Weiner:

Travis Cloke, despite his great second half, still makes it onto my list as Collingwood’s Weiner. His first half was absolutely abysmal, finishing with just 4 DT and 13 SC points before the main break. He was troubled by Lake, who managed to get into his head, forcing him to drop just about every ball that went near him. His second half certainly saved him (and us coaches), but that half-time score was a very long way to come back from!

Essendon vs Brisbane:

Essendon:

Winner:

Once again, one particular man has made this decision very very easy for me by producing the highest ever score since the creation of AFL Dream Team – and that man is Brent Stanton. He played another scintillating outside game, racking up 39 touches, 17 marks and 8 tackles. I reckon we are about at the stage where even the Stanton haters need to jump on board and get him in the teams asap!

Weiner:

Patty Ryder had a bit of quiet one, trying to continue the week’s tradition of ruck issues. He played second fiddle to Bellchambers in the ruck (as Bellchambers himself discussed in the press through the week) and was largely ineffective up forward, failing to worry the scorers. We’ll let him have this quiet game, considering the form he has been in up to this point.

Brisbane:

Winner:

Jack Redden played his best game of the year – a relief for all his owners who have been worrying why he has fallen away a bit in 2012. He won plenty of his own ball (30 touches) and was definitely the Lions’ best midfielder in a game which saw Rockliff and Black held to relatively low possession counts.

Weiner:

Simon Black is allowed the odd stinker after a career of brilliance, and this appeared to be that game. He was heavily tagged throughout and whilst he still managed to win a bit of ball in close, he struggled to get to much outside the packs. Whilst he managed 27 disposals for the night, only 9 of them were kicks – he also didn’t manage to record a tackle.

Geelong vs Melbourne:

Geelong:

Winner:

Steve Johnson is the clear winner here with his 35 touches, 10 marks, 7 tackles and 3.2 – impressive stats in ever column. He played a lot higher up the ground and would have had countless inside-50s – I honestly couldn’t believe the amount of freedom he was given by the Dees, especially in the second half when it felt like he touched it every time Geelong went into their first half. This is his first real dominant game of the year, which is hopefully a sign of things to come.

Weiner:

Allan Christensen was a player traded in by many coaches this week, so it was a shame to see him only manage the 5^th lowest DT score of all Cats. His first half was actually very good, playing mainly through the midfield, but he seemed to spend the whole second half stationed in the forward line. What I felt most frustrating was that he was actually positioning himself quite well up forward, but the Cats looked to be going to Johnson and Podsiadly so much (due to their dominance), Christensen was hardly getting a look in. Hopefully we see more time in the midfield from him next week.

Melbourne:

Winner:

Mitch Clark was very good for the Demons up forward – in fact, I worry to think how their year would be going without him. He either kicked or had a hand in all their first quarter goals and the theme continued on from there. He is actually very opportunistic up forward and also has proven strong on the lead and in the air – one type of forward Geelong have been proven to struggle against over the years. He kicked 4.2 from 21 touched and 8 marks and was so clearly their best player it’s ridiculous.

Weiner:

Colin Sylvia had another quiet game, hardly displaying much brilliance or form. It is only his second game for the year, so I’m going to give him some time, but as it is he is just another Melbourne leader struggling to impact games. Fingers crossed he can get in some form though, as games like this are going to make his price sky-rocked down!

Gold Coast vs Fremantle:

Gold Coast:

Winner:

Harley Bennell was absolutely brilliant for the Suns, playing a role not too dissimilar to that of the injured Ablett. He was the Suns’ best playmaker through the middle, racking up the handball-receives, whilst delivering it into the forward line beautifully. He also kicked a couple of fantastic goals at important parts of the game. Whilst 2012 may not see him play consistently just yet, he looks like a SuperCoach jet of years to come.

Weiner:

Nathan Bock was another talented player we saw go down early in a game with a terrible injury – whilst the outcome of the injury is not yet known, on the night it appeared pretty clear he had broken his leg, an injury which will likely sideline him for the rest of the year.

Fremantle:

Winner:

Matthew Pavlich was one of the best Dockers from a fantasy point of view, although I didn’t think his game was amazing. He was let of the leesh a bit when Bock went down, but he still struggled a bit for impact against a side he really should have been dominating. It was at least positive to see scores like this from him after a pretty slow start to the year.

Weiner:

Paul Duffield clearly wins this award after his non-existent showing. Not only did he struggle to win the ball (every time he touched it he seemed to be knocking it out of bounds, or losing a one-on-one), but his direct opponent was the dangerous Harley Bennell. He had such a great game last week, so it was disappointing to see this sort of game from him just a week later.

St.Kilda vs Hawthorn:

St.Kilda:

Winner:

Justin Koschitzke played his best game for a very long time, managing to beat up on the undermanned Hawks defence. He kicked five goals, including 3 in the third term to really put the Saints back in the match. He took some great contested grabs in the goalsquare and would have been the match-winner had the Saints gotten across the line.

Weiner:

Nick Dal Santo had an absolute mare, being tagged right out of the game by Jordan Lewis. He struggled for any effect on the game, managing just 14 disposals. Scott Watters said after the game he wanted to keep Dal in the midfield and not move him forward or back to get into the game, as he needed to learn to press through a tag. Fingers crossed he bounces back next week.

Hawthorn:

Winner:

Cyril Rioli is easily the winner here as the Saints’ backline found no way to be able to contain him. He booted 6.1 in a dominant display, playing predominantly as a forward. Al Clarkson was smart, seeing the Saints had no opponent for him, hence using his creativity to their advantage in the forward half.

Weiner:

Grant Birchall made his return after a couple of weeks on the sidelines, but was pretty uninspiring, managing 21 touches, but only 3 marks and no tackles. He looked a little rusty and the Saints did seem to put a bit of work into him. Should be better for the run by next week.

Sydney vs Adelaide:

Sydney:

Winner:

Ryan O’Keefe, whilst not necessarily best on ground, backed up his Dream Team ton from last week with another against the Crows. After playing a mostly forward role last week, it was good to see him venture up through the midfield a bit more in this game, suggesting that that’s where he will be playing once he builds his match fitness up. Looks like he is as cheap as he will get this week, so now is the time to pounce.

Weiner:

Regardless of whether or not you are the sub, finishing on negative dream team points is not an option. For that, Andrejs Everitt and his -1 points are the weiners for this week.

Adelaide:

Winner:

Scott Thompson was great for the Crows, picking up 31 disposals and laying 10 tackles. He is another premium midfield option who has gone slightly unheralded (as usual), but his season so far has been mostly consistent and of a very good standard. Patrick Dangerfield also deserves a mention for backing up his great game from last week.

Weiner:

Kurt Tippett and Taylor Walker are going to get bundled together in this one, despite the fact Walker kicked five goals this week. What I find amazing is that neither one of these guys can perform when the other is one fire – not once this year has Tippett played well when Walker has fired and visa-versa. Once they get this sorted they will be a dominant force together.

Carlton vs GWS:

Carlton:

Winner:

Mitch Robinson is making me a very happy man with another fantastic midfield performance, crushing the younger GWS mids with 25 touches, 7 marks and 7 tackles. Whilst there were many Blues who took this game as easily as they expected the win to come, Robbo at least took the game on and tried hard for his thousands of coaches.

Weiner:

Eddie Betts had a shocker and was an example of the Blues expecting to win the game without trying. He was totally blanketed by Adam Kennedy, who kept him to just two behinds. From all the post-match media though, it already sounds like the Blues have learnt from their mistakes.

GWS:

Winner:

Devon Smith was one of a number of young GWS players to play their best games of the year. He was great across half-forward and set up plenty of attacks with his willingness to win the hard ball and take the game on. Finished with 22 touches, 6 tackles and 5 marks.

Weiner:

Jonathon Giles had his quietest game of the year so far, being smashed in the hitouts by Matt Kruezer and a dominant Shaun Hampson, playing his best game for a very long time. He still competed around the ground, but only 11 touches and no score impact limited his final score. I have faith he will bounce back though.

*Final two games will be up Monday