Footy Tragic

Welcome to the first of the Weekly Wraps for 2010! I hope that once again that I and the team at Footy Tragic can assist you in creating, coaching and managing the greatest dream team possible in 2010! This year’s wraps will be formatted a little differently to last year – where last year I used most of the article to discuss the game, this year I will spend the effort talking about individual players – I assume everyone knows which teams are best for DT, etc etc, and also if anyone wants a wrap of the games, have a look at the AFL site – I am here to talk exclusively about dream team, not about which teams look most likely of winning a flag! I hope you enjoy it! – Toby

Carlton vs Richmond:

Looking Good:

Andrew Carrazzo: Looked back to his best of a couple of years ago, winning the ball at will. The fact he was given captaincy in the absence of Judd suggests to me he is much more respected within the club than he was 12 months ago and therefore is likely to be given more responsibility this year (unlike last year where he simply played bit-part roles).

Kade Simpson: He really is an important cog in the Carlton side, but will never ever get attention from the opposition with the quality of teammates he has. Has a real ability to win the ball and his 119 points proved this.

Eddie Betts: Became the key target in the Blue’s forward line with Fevola’s absence and scored accordingly. His off season indiscretions and the punishment that followed may have been the rocket he needed to work extra hard on the field. As a small forward his consistency will be a worry, however he seems to be more a small forward playing the role of a tall.

Daniel Connors: Far from the best player on the ground, but I thought it was good he did fulfil the promise he showed us in the pre-season. He has always been the type to tease but never deliver.

Disappointing:

Troy Simmonds: He is lucky that Richmond have no other option but to play him. Like this time last year, he spent the game dropping marks and grubbing kicks.

Chris Newman: Really didn’t contribute very much ‘captain’s spark’ to the game – played a key role in defence and saw very little time up field.

Lachie Henderson: Shows real signs that he will be a player, but those expecting him to replicate Fev’s numbers in his first year are just stupid.

Geelong vs Essendon:

Looking Good:

Brent Stanton: His pre-season form carried into the real season, and this time it was against some decent opposition. I expect these kinds of scores (145ish) to continue on this year – Watson will always be the first choice to tag due to Stanton’s average disposal skills. His greatest attribute is his ability to find the ball – exactly what we want in dream team!

Gary Ablett: I was concerned about his form through the NAB cup, but against Essendon he was already looking back at his best. All the concerns about his move to the Gold Coast look like they aren’t effecting his ability on the field – briefly, he’s a star and is worth every cent of his whopping price tag.

James Kelly: I mentioned a lot through the pre-season that Kelly looked likely to move back to the midfield in 2010, and his game proved the point, scoring a very good 106 points – great for a player priced at under $400,000.

Disappointing:

Josh Hunt: We knew he would play a defensive role this year, but a score of 46 whilst playing purely as a stopper was pretty ordinary. We will be furiously hoping that Geelong start to need his penetrating long boot within the next couple of weeks!

Scott Gumbleton: Gumby’s score of 17 was true punishment for all the coaches who selected him for the sole reason of him being named in round one.  He is at least guaranteed games in the future and the fact that this game was against the reigning premiers will allow him some grace. Should improve in time but I would not be expecting a breakout year.

Melbourne vs Hawthorn:

Looking Good:

Luke Hodge: Played the entire game through the midfield, which was simply divine to watch! Despite being tagged, he racked up 34 disposals – the greatest on the ground. Is an absolute steal at his price and if you don’t have him he is almost worth the cost of a trade to get him.

Jordan Lewis: Great through the midfield with his  inside work and hardness at the contest. What surprised me is that he only had three tackles for the game – I expect this to grow and hence his scoreline accordingly.

Rick Ladson: Looked much better than he did in the pre-season, bringing a bit more urgency and better disposal to this match. At his price he is a steal – it is just a shame that his NAB form turned so many off.

Jordie McKenzie: One of the Dees best, but what stood out from a DT perspective was his 11 tackles!

Disappointing:

Brent Renouf: Just because he is Hawthorn’s only ruckman, it doesn’t mean that he will score amazingly. And score amazingly he did not, pulling in only 54 points from (nearly) a full game in the ruck.

James Strauss: Disappointing to see him playing as a defender as he was initially drafted as a ball-winning midfielder. Unfortunately, it looks like this position will suck all life out of any DT potential – at least for now.

St.Kilda vs Sydney:

Looking Good:

Ryan O’Keefe: Was in everything, playing the entire match as a midfielder. What is really amazing is how well he plays under the packs for a player who has spent most of his career as a leading forward. There is every chance his game could go to another level in 2010, so make sure you have him when it happens!

Nick Riewoldt: Was great all day, and what made his score so impressive is the fact that it was against Sydney – a team he NEVER plays well against. His huge fitness base is going to see him be a very big DT scorer this year.

Tahdg Kennelly: Was great off half-back, although the Saints didn’t put a lot of effort into stopping him (as it allowed Gilbert to be free at the other end). My only worry is whether he will back this up – Kennelly has never been a good DT player, so I would be waiting another week before pushing any trade buttons to get him in your team.

Nick Malceski: Spent time as both a rebounding defender and a midfielder – both great DT positions. He really looks to be back to his 2007 form and I would be surprised if he doesn’t continue his round one form through the rest of the season.

Disappointing:

Martin Mattner: Many coaches wondered how it was possible for Sydney to have four rebounding defenders in their team and who in turn would be shunted – the answer it seems is Mattner. He was given the very DT-unfriendly position of playing as a tagging forward – this to me rules him out of any chance of being in my team, and it should be the same for you.

David Armitage: Tried hard, but suffered from poor time on ground and from the fact he was playing Sydney – typically a team which generates poor scores for the opposition midfielders. Before you write him off, watch him again next week – I think he will improve.

Brisbane vs West Coast:

Looking Good:

Jonathon Brown: Stood tall as the main target in the new-look Brisbane forward line, squashing any worries that Fevola would get in his way. If anything, Fev’s arrival will push Brown further up field, allowing him to get more marks and possessions through the midfield.

Jared Brennan: My main man Brennan set the Gabba alight with a sparkling performance, playing the entire game on the ball, clocking up an impressive 31 disposals. With Black, Power and Rich in the team, Brennan will rarely get tagged and has the ability to bring home some pretty big scores as demonstrated by his 121 points against WCE.

Adam Selwood: I love this new form of tagging – get as many disposals as possible to force your opponent work hard the other way too. It is made exclusively for DT and it is a tactic heavily employed by Selwood. He proved late last year and early this year that he is capable of some massive scores and I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes one of the better DT options by seasons end.

Disappointing:

Dean Cox: As expected (after no pre-season), Big Cox didn’t participate in a huge amount of the game, and when he did he didn’t look like himself. All we can hope is that his price will drop enough to trade him into your team on the cheap. Just be thankful that he’s not already in your team, right?…. Right…???

Mitch Clark: The other premium ruck on the ground did even less than Cox – he couldn’t seem to work out how to play on Naitanui and in turn played a pretty poor game. Here’s hoping there’s improvement ahead.

Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne:

Looking Good:

Kane Cornes: He’s back! All this pre-season talk about him playing as a forward is obviously rubbish as he spent his day running through the midfield and racking up a whopping 39 disposals along the way! Cornes at his best is a DT superstar – so don’t expect this score to be a flash in the pan!

Liam Anthony: It can sometimes be hard to talk up a player as young as Anthony, but also the same price as him. However, he proves time and time again that he is a DT stud – he can’t keep away from the ball and is always seen running alongside teammates, calling for the ball even when he isn’t in the best position – this isn’t always great for his team, but is damn good for coaches who own him in DT!

Jack Ziebell: Looks more mature this year than last and really sets an example for his teammates with his efforts and tackling. Should be a real improver this year and would be a strong chance to take out the rising star award.

Disappointing:

Chad Cornes: It is so sad to see him playing a defensive role nowadays – clearly his body isn’t up to playing through the midfield anymore, but sometimes it is hard not to think back to all the tons he has scored us in the past number of years. Unfortunately, you don’t want Chad anywhere near your team in 2010.

Sam Wright: I’ll use Wright as an example for all of the young Roos players who showed great form in the NAB cup – his (and also that of Warran and Campbell) form in round one is disappointing from the inevitable value increase they suggested only a few weeks ago. Should definitely get better, but the jury is still out on how much better that will be.

Robbie Gray: The man was a late withdrawal and I want to bitch about it one more time… clearly.

Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood:

Looking Good:

Dane Swan: I was nervous coming into this season that Swan would take a massive dive in his point scoring due to the increased attention he got from the opposition at the back-end of last year. But fortunately, he has already disproved this theory, beating every opponent that Collingwood threw his way. So expect another point-scoring bonanza of a year from Dane Swan, Dream Team’s greatest hero.

Heath Shaw: Shaw seems to be now playing his role in the side much better than he did a couple of years ago when he would either get shut out of the game or his opponent would kick a bag. Now he has worked out that happy middle ground between defence and attack and it has already translated to a personal-best disposal total of 36 – could really get some big numbers this year.

Matthew Boyd: Boyd is Mr.Consistent when it comes to dream team – he will almost always crack 100 points, just as he has done here. He is the perfect player to put in your team – you know always what you will get.

Disappointing:

Ryan Hargrave: Followed Medhurst around all day and didn’t do much himself – worrying signs for a player who still has never stamped himself as a consistent dream teamer. Whilst many coaches pick him up, the truth is that he has always been a mixed bag with scoring – defensive one week, attacking the next, never settling on one or the other.

Darren Jolly: Was just terribly out of form, never really looking like having much effect on the game. I imagine he will turn this form around, but the worry is still there.

Fremantle vs Adelaide:

Looking Good:

Michael Barlow: Was brilliant in his first game, kicking two goals and winning plenty of disposals and clearances. It won’t take long until the taggers cotton on, but until that point he is a bargain at $100k.

Paul Duffield: He played a great game running off the half-back like and through the centre, but the real bonus is how well he places himself to win the cheap ball. He will consistently score well thanks to this last fact alone – although it does also help that he is a very good footballer too.

Taylor Walker: Kicked four goals and looked about the only live body in the Crows forward line. Had a shocking pre-season so it is good to see him turning the form line around.

Disappoining:

Adam McPhee: Absolute stinker again – I think even the Freo crowd booed him at one stage. Do not go anywhere near this bloke!

Anthony Morabito: I feel mean to pick on the new kid, but it needs to be emphasised, Morabito is NOT a dream teamer – he has great skills and pace and size (etc etc), but he does lack the ability to win the ball. He is not a bad pick perse, but there are just so many other better ones to go for in his price bracket.

Richard Douglas: I still don’t understand why he gets games (I have honestly been saying this for years) – he had another stinker with absolutely no contribution to the result. Yes, he can run, but what the hell else does he do??

Note: The Footy Tragic team of experts have now analysed each DT position in detail, letting you know who to consider and ignore in each price bracket… This is essential reading… Check it here:

And to access all other Footy Tragic pre-season content from 2010, click on the following category links listed on the right hand side of your window:

Dans Draftees
Toby’s Team Summaries
Tuney’s Tuition
Weekend Wrap-Up

RICHMOND v CARLTON

Richmond
B: Shane Edwards, Kel Moore, Chris Newman
HB: Mitch Farmer, Luke McGuane, Will Thursfield
C: Dustin Martin, Brett Deledio, Ben Nason
HF: Tom Hislop, Jack Riewoldt, Richard Tambling
F: Relton Roberts, Mitch Morton, Robin Nahas
Foll: Troy Simmonds, Daniel Jackson, Trent Cotchin
I/C: Ty Vickery, Ben Cousins, Daniel Connors, Adam Thomson
Emg: Dean Polo, Graham Polak, Matthew White

New: Mitch Farmer (Port Adelaide), Dustin Martin (Bendigo), Ben Nason (Central District), Relton Roberts (NT Thunder)

Carlton
B: Bret Thornton, Michael Jamison, Aaron Joseph
HB: Paul Bower, Jarrad Waite, Jordan Russell
C: Ryan Houlihan, Marc Murphy, Heath Scotland
HF: Andrew Carrazzo, Lachie Henderson, Kade Simpson
F: Setanta O’hAilpin, Matthew Kreuzer, Eddie Betts
Foll: Robert Warnock, Bryce Gibbs, Brock McLean
I/C: Joe Anderson, Mitch Robinson, Andrew Walker, Chris Yarran
Emg: Shaun Grigg, Sam Jacobs, Kane Lucas

Friday March 26

Geelong v Essendon
MCG @ 7.40pm

GEELONG
B: Josh Hunt, Matthew Scarlett, Harry Taylor
HB: Corey Enright, Tom Lonergan, Andrew Mackie
C: James Kelly, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Corey
HF: Steve Johnson, Tom Hawkins, Paul Chapman
F: Gary Ablett, Cameron Mooney, Shannon Byrnes
Foll: Brad Ottens, Cameron Ling, Joel Selwood
Int: Mark Blake, Mitch Duncan, Darren Milburn, David Wojcinski
Emg: James Podsiadly, Steve Motlop, Nathan Djerrkura

New: Mitch Duncan (East Perth)

ESSENDON
B: Henry Slattery, Cale Hooker, Dustin Fletcher
HB: Heath Hocking, Tayte Pears, Courtenay Dempsey
C: Ricky Dyson, Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton
HF: Brent Prismall, Scott Gumbleton, Angus Monfries
F: Mark Williams, Patrick Ryder, Alwyn Davey
Foll: David Hille, Jason Winderlich, Andrew Welsh
Int: Kyle Reimers, Jay Neagle, David Zaharakis, Ben Howlett
Emg: To be announced

New: Ben Howlett (Peel Thunder), Mark Williams (Hawthorn)

Saturday March 27

Melbourne v Hawthorn
MCG, 2.10pm

MELBOURNE
B: Jamie Bennell, Matthew Warnock, Jared Rivers
HB: Jack Grimes, James Frawley, Joel MacDonald
C: Aaron Davey, Cameron Bruce, Nathan Jones
HF: James McDonald, Matthew Bate, Ricky Petterd
F: Brad Green, Brad Miller, Jack Trengove
Foll: Mark Jamar, Lynden Dunn, Brent Moloney
Int: James Strauss, Jake Spencer, Jordie McKenzie, Tom Scully

Emg: Addam Maric, Rohan Bail, Clint Bartram

HAWTHORN
B: Grant Birchall, Josh Gibson, Tom Murphy
HB: Brent Guerra, Gibson, Rick Ladson
C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Xavier Ellis
HF: Michael Osborne, Ryan Schoenmakers, Rhan Hooper
F: Jarryd Morton, Jarryd Roughead, Campbell Brown
Foll: Brent Renouf, Luke Hodge, Garry Moss
Int: Jarrod Kayler-Thomson, Carl Peterson, Liam Shiels, Matt Suckling
Emg: Taylor Duryea, Ben Stratton, Jordan Williams

New: Carl Peterson (St Mary’s), Jarrod Kayler-Thomson (Perth)

Sydney Swans v St Kilda
ANZ Stadium @ 7.10pm

SYDNEY
B: Craig Bolton, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Rhyce Shaw
HB: Tadhg Kennelly, Heath Grundy, Nick Malceski
C: Jarrad McVeigh, Brett Kirk, Lewis Jetta
HF: Ryan O’Keefe, Adam Goodes, Ben McGlynn
F: Jesse White, Daniel Bradshaw, Jarrad Moore
Foll: Mark Seaby, Josh Kennedy, Jude Bolton
Int: Kieren Jack, Martin Mattner, Shane Mumford, Ted Richards

Emg: Paul Bevan, Gary Rohan, Nick Smith

ST KILDA
B: Jason Gram, Zac Dawson, Sam Gilbert
HB: Steven Baker, Jason Blake, Brendon Goddard
C: Leigh Montagna, Clint Jones, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Andrew McQualter, Nick Riewoldt, Adam Schneider
F: James Gwilt, Justin Koschitzke, Stephen Milne
Foll: Ben McEvoy, David Armitage, Farren Ray
Int: Steven King, Brett Peake,  Lenny Hayes, Jarryn Geary

Emg: Alistair Smith Robert Eddy Adam Pattison

New: Brett Peake (Fremantle)

Brisbane Lions v West Coast
Gabba @ 7.10pm
BRISBANE LIONS v WEST COAST
Brisbane Lions
B: Joel Patfull, Daniel Merrett, Ashley McGrath
HB: Josh Drummond, Matt Maguire, Jed Adcock
C: Justin Sherman, Daniel Rich, Michael Rischitelli
HF: Luke Power, Jonathan Brown, Jack Redden
F: Amon Buchanan, Brendan Fevola, Todd Banfield
Foll: Mitchell Clark, Jared Brennan, Simon Black
I/C: Travis Johnstone, Andrew Raines, Matthew Leuenberger, Brent Staker
Emg: Cheynee Stiller,Tom Rockliff, James Hawksley

New: Todd Banfield (Swan Districts), Amon Buchanan (Sydney Swans), Brendan Fevola (Carlton), Matt Maguire (St Kilda), Andrew Raines (Richmond), Brent Staker (West Coast)

West Coast
B: Eric Mackenzie, Darren Glass, Brett Jones
HB: Beau Waters, Mitch Brown, Shannon Hurn
C: Andrew Embley, Matt Priddis, Adam Selwood
HF: Mark Nicoski, Josh Kennedy, Luke Shuey
F: Nic Naitanui, Quinten Lynch, Mark LeCras
Foll: Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Chris Masten
I/C: Sam Butler, Brad Ebert, Pat McGinnity, Tom Swift
Emg: Bradd Dalziell, Will Schofield, Matt Spangher

New: Luke Shuey (Oakleigh)

Sunday, March 28

PORT ADELAIDE v NORTH MELBOURNE
Port Adelaide
B: Jacob Surjan, Alipate Carlile, Andrew Moore
HB: Nathan Krakouer, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek
C: Danyle Pearce, Domenic Cassisi, Jason Davenport
HF: Robbie Gray, Warren Tredrea, Brett Ebert
F: Cameron Hitchcock, Jay Schulz, Daniel Motlop
Foll: Dean Brogan, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
I/C: Jackson Trengove, Mitch Banner, Justin Westhoff, Paul Stewart
Emg: Scott Harding, Nick Salter, Matt Thomas

New: Mitch Banner (Western Jets), Cameron Hitchcock (Glenelg), Andrew Moore (Eastern Ranges), Jay Schulz (Richmond), Jackson Trengove (Calder)

North Melbourne
B: Gavin Urquhart, Scott Thompson, Brady Rawlings
HB: Michael Firrito, Lachie Hansen, Scott McMahon
C: Ryan Bastinac, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright
HF: Daniel Wells, Todd Goldstein, Brent Harvey
F: Leigh Harding, David Hale, Ben Warren
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Liam Anthony, Andrew Swallow
I/C: Lindsay Thomas, Leigh Adams, Ben Ross, Matt Campbell
Emg: Nathan Grima, Corey Jones, Robbie Tarrant

New: Ryan Bastinac (Dandenong)

WESTERN BULLDOGS v COLLINGWOOD
Western Bulldogs
B: Jarrod Harbrow, Brian Lake, Dale Morris
HB: Ryan Hargrave, Tom Williams, Lindsay Gilbee
C: Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Josh Hill
HF: Robert Murphy, Mitch Hahn, Shaun Higgins
F: Jason Akermanis, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa
Foll: Ben Hudson, Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen
I/C: Liam Picken, Will Minson, Brad Johnson, Andrejis Everitt
Emg: Brodie Moles, Dylan Addison, Callan Ward

Collingwood
B: Alan Toovey, Simon Prestigiacomo, Tarkyn Lockyer
HB: Harry O’Brien, Nick Maxwell, Heath Shaw
C: Luke Ball, Dane Swan, Ben Johnson
HF: Josh Fraser, John Anthony, Alan Didak
F: Paul Medhurst, Travis Cloke, Leon Davis
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas
I/C: Shane O’Bree, Sharrod Wellingham, Steele Sidebottom, Leigh Brown
Emg: Dayne Beams, Nathan Brown, Brent Macaffer

New: Luke Ball (St Kilda), Darren Jolly (Sydney Swans)

FREMANTLE v ADELAIDE
Fremantle
B: Alex Silvagni, Chris Tarrant, Garrick Ibbotson
HB: Greg Broughton, Luke McPharlin, Roger Hayden
C: Anthony Morabito, David Mundy, Adam McPhee
HF: Michael Johnson, Matthew Pavlich, Stephen Hill
F: Jay van Berlo, Chris Mayne, Hayden Ballantyne
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Michael Barlow, Paul Duffield
I/C: Des Headland, Nick Suban, Paul Hasleby, Ryan Crowley
Emg: Byron Schammer, Steven Dodd, Kepler Bradley

New: Michael Barlow (Werribee), Anthony Morabito (Peel Thunder), Alex Silvagni (Casey)

Adelaide
B: Andrew McLeod, Ben Rutten, Scott Stevens
HB: Brent Reilly, Nathan Bock, Michael Doughty
C: Myke Cook, Simon Goodwin, David Mackay
HF: Bernie Vince, Trent Hentschel, Tyson Edwards
F: Richard Douglas, Kurt Tippett, Taylor Walker
Foll: Jonathon Griffin, Nathan van Berlo, Scott Thompson
I/C: Tony Armstrong, Patrick Dangerfield, Jared Petrenko, Rory Sloane
Emg: Jarrhan Jacky*, Ivan Maric, Will Young

New: Tony Armstrong (Calder)

*Jacky took Graham Johncock’s place in the squad after he was ruled out on Friday morning with a broken thumb.