Footy Tragic

St.Kilda vs Richmond:

Looking Good:

• Brendon Goddard: Was the architect of the Saints wins – his 38 disposals came all over the ground as the Tigers were unable to shut him down. Possibly his best game of the year!
• Jack Riewoldt: Riewoldt was sensational and almost looked like getting the Tigers over the line with some amazing plays in the third quarter. He amazingly seemed too strong and too agile at ground level for his veteran opponents, Sam Fisher and Jason Blake (who even double-teamed him for a while, yet still to no avail!).
• Raph Clarke: The often maligned, often criticised half-backer from St.Kilda looks to be coming into some reasonable DT form over the past couple of weeks. He is regularly left free by the opposition thanks to his penchant for turnovers, allowing him to plenty of the ball. He could be an inconsistent option, but for his current price does present as reasonable value.

Disappointing:

• Robert Eddy: I still am unsure why he gets a game – he does work hard, but can’t kick, can’t mark and regularly goes to ground.
• Adam Schneider: Hungry, hungry, hungry. Those with Hayes in their team would have cursed Schneids as he attempted to mark a Hayes goal, only to just get a finger on it, causing a rushed behind… This was not his only hungry effort – in fact, if a possession doesn’t end with a goal at the moment for Schneids, then it’s a possession not worth having. Needs to play the team game or have a run in the VFL.
• Mitch Morton: Had only two opportunities to kick a goal (and surprise, surprise he played on and missed) and didn’t get much else done for the game.

Blip on the Radar:

• Stephen Milne: Milney was at his best on Friday night, kicking 5 goals as the Saints leading forward target. Whilst he missed all of his set shots, his kicks on the run and dribbling from the boundary were brilliant! He has become a better player in Riewoldt’s absence, but he is still one for inconsistency. He rarely plays well interstate or in big games, however in his 200^th game next week, look for another bag from the little man.

Carlton vs Melbourne:

Looking Good:

• Jarrad Waite: Kicked three goals as a CHF and looks really suited to the position. As one of Carlton’s few tall marking targets in the forward half, the ball does end up in his hands a bit and he finished with 10 marks.
• Ryan Houlihan: Really started Carlton’s surge with 3 goals in the first half and kept presenting. The only worry is that he only scored 90 points in a near BOG performance…
• Colin Sylvia: Whilst still not quite where we want him to be, he is looking a bit better, although still playing on a forward flank. He does present well upfield and his tackling is a strength – hopefully his form can both can continue and improve.

Disappointing:

• Bryce Gibbs: After a huge week last week, he was relegated to a tagging job on Green which really makes no sense – why play one of your best playmakers as a stopper!? I don’t understand Ratten sometimes – and it now seems Gibbs cannot be trusted regularly for a good score, just like Carrazzo.
• Jack Watts: Only the one goal this week – he looks good in fits and bursts and will come good eventually – nothing better than a bench option for you at the moment unfortunately.
• Brad Miller: The main reason Watts will remain in the team is because of the poor contribution from senior players such as Miller. The effects of his big bag a couple of weeks ago may have worn off now, possibly paving way for the return of Newton or Hughes.

Blip on the Radar:

• Cameron Bruce: This is probably one of the bigger calls, as Bruce is arguably still a very good DTer. However, the role of senior players in the Melbourne squad seems very speculative at the moment, and a player like Bruce is not unlikely to be stuck in a back-pocket for a few games, killing his DT scoring. Despite his ability to score well I would still avoid him, thanks the fact he could turn sour any week.

Adelaide vs Fremantle:

Looking Good:

• Scott Thompson: Really carried his team in the midfield, especially in the third quarter. He hasn’t been as damaging recently as in previous years, so hopefully this game could represent a turn of form for him.
• Michael Barlow: Came back from injury with style, racking up 32 disposals and kicking a bonus three goals. Palmer is the still getting the most attention from taggers, allowing Barlow to rack up the ball free of any attention.
• Graham Johncock: Dominated on Ballantyne (until he fired up in the last quarter) and played a great rebounding game, whilst also dropping forward on a couple of occasions. Looks in good form after his injury and suspension and appears to be pretty good value.

Disappointing:

• Adam McPhee: Played at full-forward and did very little except for fall over. Showed some form in the past two weeks, but is clearly now back to his old ways.
• Kurt Tippett: Not surprisingly, Tarrant did a number on him, allowing him to only the one goal. He looked much fitter against the Saints last week, so surely his best isn’t far off.
• Jason Porplyzia: Well held by Duffield and was hardly sighted – he even missed a set-shot, which is totally unlike him. He may be cheap at the moment, but doesn’t look any good.

Blip on the Radar:

• Tyson Edwards: Played a brilliant last game, but unfortunately it was just that – his last game. Goodbye to one of the greater Dream Team players of the past decade!

North Melbourne vs Brisbane:

Looking Good:

• Tom Rockliff: Stepped up in the second half with the rest of the team and seemed to be everywhere, racking up 29 touches for the game. After two tons in a row, questions will begin to be asked about where this kid sits in everyone’s teams – is he still first emergency, or does one of the underperforming premiums get the flick?
• Andrew Swallow: Found himself under every pack through the game, and whilst only touching the ball 21 times, his 7 tackles and two goals really buffered his score. He was a big reason for the Roos win.
• Travis Johnstone: Johnstone spent plenty of time steaming off the backline, playing just the kind of footy he loves – uncontested. Plenty of kick-to-kick games did buffer his score, although he did work hard for plenty of his 37 disposals and 16 marks.

Disappointing:

• Ash McGrath: After I put the weight of the DT world on his shoulders the past two weeks, he succumbed to a hamstring injury in the second quarter. Bugger.
• David Hale: Did nothing. Maybe just a little bit? No – nothing.
• Jared Brennan: Vossy was spruiking before the match “I got Brennan back a week early from his ankle injury!” But what he meant to say was “I got Brennan back a week TOO early…” Was clearly underdone and performed accordingly!

Blip on the Radar:

• Lachlan Hansen: Played the game out at full-forward and looked OK, but nothing amazing. The last thing you want to do at this time of year is trade ANOTHER inconsistent performer into your team.

West Coast vs Geelong:

Looking Good:

• Beau Waters: Mark, kick, mark kick, etc. This was pretty much Beau’s game – not that I’m complaining in the slightest, but he played on a HFF and was treated to plenty of marks and then kicks before the ball entered the Eagle’s forward-50.
• Paul Chapman: Was the main driver for the Cats and one of their only consistent performers across the four quarters. He finished with 32 disposals for the game, but hardly tackled which was disappointing. And still, he hasn’t scored below 100 once this season.
• Jimmy Bartel: It wasn’t his type of game, but still he played reasonably through the midfield. He did actually produce a lot of turnovers, but at least continues to win the hard ball and tackle hard – all we ask of him for dream team.

Disappointing:

• James Podsiadly: Had a game to forget – firstly, he didn’t kick his mandatory five goals, then he got reported for an errant elbow and also seemed to injure his groin late in the game. We will now be watching how his week unfolds closer than usual.
• Scott Selwood: Needs to learn from his brother (Adam that is – Troy wouldn’t help…) the art of winning his own ball whilst also shutting down an opponent. Moved to Gary when Adam was injured it and hardly touched it after.
• Cameron Mooney: Rolled his ankle early on and struggled for the rest of the game with only 6 disposals and no goals.

Blip on the Radar:

• David Wojcinski: Wojo’s game is perfectly suited to Subi – in fact, if he played for West Coast or Fremantle he could be a much better player. But unfortunately, he only plays on the wide ground twice a year, and in between those two games he does very little in many other games. He is a pure impact player and does very little in the DT department.

Sydney vs Essendon:

Looking Good:

• Jude Bolton: Played off Watson and had a stellar game, not only racking up 36 disposals, but laying 12 tackles too. He is a great grunt-work player and this game really suited him.
• Shane Mumford: Is fast becoming one of the better tap-ruckman in the league, finishing with over 40 tap-outs for the second week in a row. He is beginning to look very consistent and could be a great mid-priced option for those in the market for a ruckman.
• Patrick Ryder: Only the 12 possessions, but worked hard across the ground, laying 7 tackles and having two shots on goal. Is capable of stepping up if Hille misses with his hamstring injury.

Disappointing:

• David Hille: After a terrible start with a statless first quarter, he went down with a hamstring injury part way through the second, killing plenty of coaches chances of victory with a measly 10 points.
• Daniel Hannebery: After a BOG performance last week, he was rather ineffective this week with only 11 disposals. He is still my pick for rising star, but up and down form is to be expected from a kid of only 19 years.
• David Myers: There was a lovely interview with Myers in the Sunday Herald Sun where he talked up his newfound consistency and spot in the team – unfortunately he might have spoken too soon, only clocking up 6 handballs and 2 tackles for the game.

Blip on the Radar:

• Mark McVeigh: Whilst ‘Spike’ did step up with rebounding duties in this game and even drifted forward for a goal, he has already proven this year that his role is not typically an attacking one, being stuck deep in defence on a small forward. He may be cheap, but this game is simply a trap!

Hawthorn vs Port Adelaide:

Looking Good:

• Luke Hodge: Played up forward this week (just to change things up!) and kicked 1.5, which was slightly disappointing (just imagine if he’d kicked straight!). He did make up for it with an otherwise great game with 26 disposals and 10 marks by the end of the game.
• Travis Boak: Boak is fast becoming Port’s best player and had his skills on display, nearly giving enough to win the game for Port. He, like the rest of his teammates, has taken tackling to a new level, finishing with 11 himself for the game.
• Domenic Cassisi: Cassisi started with a bang, racking up a whopping five tackles in the first three minutes of play! He ended the game on 14 with 20 disposals to go alongside it.

Disappointing:

• Chad Cornes: Another game up forward for the veteran where he had no effect on the game. It couldn’t even be said he played a defensive forward game as his direct opponent Guerra had 24 disposals.
• Clinton Young: After an injury plagued 2009, Young was finally coming into some form before he injured his quad in the second quarter – he may spend several weeks on the sidelines to recover.
• Matthew Broadbent: After I talked his game up last week, he did very little in this one. Perhaps he is a wet weather specialist, or perhaps he is just inconsistent.

Blip on the Radar:

• Rick Ladson: We have had 11 rounds of football in 2010 to see that Ladson is not going to reach his 2008 level. A role as a midfield tagger and a couple of goals helped his score this week, but I wouldn’t be counting on it too frequently.

Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs:

Looking Good:

• Scott Pendlebury: Won the medal for best on ground in a solid four-quarter performance. He didn’t do anything incredible, but stuck to his job, even when the Dogs pressed late. The Dogs didn’t give him much of an opponent which helped.
• Matthew Boyd: Was huge in the last quarter when the Dogs made their unsuccessful press and finally looked back into some ball-winning form. He combines very well with Cooney in the middle, and if this last quarter was anything to go by, the Dogs might finally have re-found their kicking boots.
• Alan Didak: Was great all game, but especially early. This is one of the first times this year where Didak has really broken a tag. He only looked effected by Picken when he drifted forward and seemed on his own for great lengths of the game.

Disappointing:

• Shaun Higgins: Spent most of the game having his dodgy ankle worked on by the medical staff, meaning he was on and off the ground every five minutes. He finally succumbed in the last quarter and played no further part.
• Daniel Giansiracusa: Played a forward tag on Heath Shaw and saw very little of the ball. I was more disappointed that he wasn’t moved up the ground when Higgins went down with injury – his scoring as a forward this year has been less than ordinary.
• Paul Medhurst: This was his first game back from injury and he was poor – Leon finally fired as the small forward and Medhurst saw very little ball coming his way. May get better, but if you’re waiting for him to dominate a game you may be waiting a while.

Blip on the Radar:

• Will Minson: Played more as a permanent forward than usual and took a couple of decent marks. However, inconsistency has plagued Minson’s career, so don’t expect a turnaround now. Look to Mumford if you want a mid-priced ruck.

Expert: Dan
Team: Hank Scorpio EDT
Current Ranking: 8,148
Round 11 Score: 1,972
Trades Remaining: 8
Team Changes This Week: None

Expert: Toby
Team: Fiora’s Hardnuts
Current Ranking: 2,813
Round 11 Score: 2,050
Trades Remaining: 10
Team Changes This Week: None

Expert: Ben
Team: The Redbacks
Current Ranking: 445
Round 11 Score: 2,191
Trades Remaining: 10
Team Changes This Week: None

Don’t  forget to check out today’s “Submit Your Team” article!

RICHMOND v ST KILDA

Richmond

B: Will Thursfield, Luke McGuane, Jake King

HB: Chris Newman, Brett Deledio, Shane Edwards

C: Richard Tambling, Ben Cousins, Jeromey Webberley

HF: Matt White, Jack Riewoldt, Ben Nason

F: Robin Nahas, Ben Griffiths, David Astbury

Foll: Angus Graham, Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin

I/C: Mitch Farmer, Andrew Collins, Troy Simmonds, Shane Tuck

Emg: Mitch Morton, Alex Rance, Tyrone Vickery

In: Will Thursfield, Troy Simmonds

Out: Graham Polak, Kelvin Moore (leg)

• Troy Simmonds will return for his last career game, with the out of form Polak making way. Moore is also a big loss for the Tigers.

St Kilda

B: Steven Baker, James Gwilt, Sam Gilbert

HB: Raphael Clarke, Sam Fisher, Jason Blake

C: Brendon Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Farren Ray

HF: Clinton Jones, Rhys Stanley, Adam Schneider

F: Ben McEvoy, Justin Koschitzke, Stephen Milne

Foll: Michael Gardiner, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna

I/C: Robert Eddy, Jarryn Geary, Andrew McQualter, Brett Peake

Emg: Adam Pattison, David Armitage, Jack Steven

In: Jarryn Geary

Out: Zac Dawson (ankle)

• Geary is an appropriate inclusion after a good game for Sandy on the weekend. Dawson is set to only miss one week, however may be forced to earn his spot back via Sandringham.
• Rhys Stanley will play his third game.

CARLTON v MELBOURNE

Carlton

B: Aaron Joseph, Michael Jamison, Bret Thornton

HB: Steven Browne, Andrew Walker, Jordan Russell

C: Kade Simpson, Chris Judd, Heath Scotland

HF: Ryan Houlihan, Jarrad Waite, Andrew Carrazzo

F: Eddie Betts, Setanta O’hAilpin, Matthew Kreuzer

Foll: Sam Jacobs, Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy

I/C: Joe Anderson, Jeff Garlett, Richard Hadley, Mitch Robinson

Emg: Shaun Grigg, Lachie Henderson, Brock McLean

In: Ryan Houlihan, Jarrad Waite

Out: Brock McLean, Lachie Henderson

• Brock McLean is dropped for what would have been his first game against his old club. Lachie Henderson also makes way.
• Waite comes back into the side after serving his suspension.

Melbourne

B: Clint Bartram, James Frawley, Cameron Bruce

HB: Jack Grimes, Jared Rivers, James McDonald

C: Brad Green, Jack Trengove, Aaron Davey

HF: Nathan Jones, Brad Miller, Tom Scully

F: Jamie Bennell, Jack Watts, Cale Morton

Foll: Mark Jamar, Brent Moloney, Neville Jetta

I/C: Matthew Bate, Colin Sylvia, Jordan Gysberts, Colin Garland

Emg: Jordie McKenzie, Kyle Cheney, Michael Newton

In: Matthew Bate, Jack Trengove, Tom Scully

Out: Joel Macdonald , Austin Wonaeamirri , Matthew Warnock

• A few big inclusions for Melbourne with Bate, Trengove and Scully all making their way back into the squad. Gysberts is also named for his second game.
• Wona is not a huge surprise to see on the ‘out’ list, whilst Macdonald and Warnock are two senior omissions.

ADELAIDE v FREMANTLE

Adelaide

B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Michael Doughty

HB: Brent Reilly, Phil Davis, Nathan van Berlo

C: Andrew McLeod, Simon Goodwin, David Mackay

HF: Richard Douglas, Scott Stevens, Scott Thompson

F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, Taylor Walker

Foll: Ivan Maric, Tyson Edwards, Patrick Dangerfield

I/C: Jonathon Griffin, Rory Sloane, Jared Petrenko, Tony Armstrong

Emg: Myke Cook, James Sellar, Chris Schmidt

In: Graham Johncock, Tyson Edwards

Out: Nathan Bock (groin), Chris Schmidt

• Edwards comes into play his last career game, whilst Stiffy also comes back into the side after spending plenty of time injured on the sidelines.
• Bock is a big omission, but should only miss one game. Schmidt was terrible against the Saints so will need to earn his spot back via the SANFL.

Fremantle

B: Ryan Crowley, Chris Tarrant, Kepler Bradley

HB: Antoni Grover, Adam McPhee, Roger Hayden

C: Garrick Ibbotson, David Mundy, Steven Dodd

HF: Jay van Berlo, Matthew Pavlich, Stephen Hill

F: Nathan Fyfe, Chris Mayne, Hayden Ballantyne

Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Michael Barlow, Paul Duffield

I/C: Nick Suban, Rhys Palmer, Anthony Morabito, Matthew de Boer

Emg: Ben Bucovaz, Clancee Pearce, Alex Silvagni

In: Barlow, Dodd

Out: Paul Hasleby (back), Clancee Pearce

• Many will be happy to see Barlow back into this side – he was given a fitness test on Monday and by all reports was tested fine.
• Haselby is out with an injury to his back, and Pearce is omitted.

NORTH MELBOURNE v BRISBANE LIONS

North Melbourne

B: Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson, Brady Rawlings

HB: Lachie Hansen, Nathan Grima, Daniel Pratt

C: Jack Ziebell, Cruize Garlett, Ryan Bastinac

HF: Sam Wright, Todd Goldstein, Brent Harvey

F: Daniel Wells, David Hale, Lindsay Thomas

Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Andrew Swallow, Levi Greenwood

I/C: Scott McMahon, Ed Lower, Ben Cunnington, Matt Campbell

Emg: Corey Jones, Nathan O’Keefe, Brayden Norris

In: Wells, Lower, Garlett

Out: Drew Petrie (foot), Leigh Harding, Nathan O’Keefe

• Wells is back into the side, but the DT news here is that O’Keefe is omitted, despite Petrie also coming out of the squad – further proving his place in the team.
• Petrie will spend another six weeks on the sidelines from breaking his left foot in his return game from a broken right foot! The guy has no luck!

Brisbane Lions

B: Ashley McGrath, Matt Maguire, James Hawksley

HB: Travis Johnstone, Joel Patfull, Tom Collier

C: Justin Sherman, Simon Black, Tom Rockliff

HF: Todd Banfield, Jonathan Brown, Jack Redden

F: Luke Power, Brendan Fevola, Brent Staker

Foll: Mitchell Clark, Daniel Rich, Michael Rischitelli

I/C: Matthew Leuenberger, Amon Buchanan, Sam Sheldon, Jared Brennan

Emg: Andrew Raines, Callum Bartlett, Aaron Cornelius

In: Jared Brennan

Out: James Polkinghorne (leg)

• Brennan is a surprise inclusion, only four weeks after he injured his ankle. He will probably still need to pass a fitness test, but Brisbane would surely be very happy to see his return!

WEST COAST v GEELONG CATS

West Coast

B: Beau Waters, Eric MacKenzie, Will Schofield

HB: Sam Butler, Beau Wilkes, Shannon Hurn

C: Matt Rosa, Matt Priddis, Bradd Dalziell

HF: Brad Sheppard, Josh Kennedy, Andrew Embley

F: Ben McKinley, Mitchell Brown, Mark LeCras

Foll: Dean Cox, Adam Selwood, Brad Ebert

I/C: Nic Naitanui, Scott Selwood, Lewis Stevenson, Tom Swift

Emg: Brett Jones, Quinten Lynch, Patrick McGinnity

In: Mitchell Brown, Bradd Dalziell, Lewis Stevenson

Out: Quinten Lynch, Mark Nicoski, Patrick McGinnity

• Lynch is out after six goals in five games, with Mitch Brown back into the squad to take his place at full forward.
• Lewis Stevenson will be a welcome inclusion to plenty of dream teams after his good start to his career.

Geelong Cats

B: Josh Hunt, Tom Lonergan, Andrew Mackie

HB: Corey Enright, Harry Taylor, Darren Milburn

C: James Kelly, Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel

HF: Steve Johnson, Cameron Mooney, Travis Varcoe

F: Mathew Stokes, James Podsiadly, Gary Ablett

Foll: Mark Blake, Joel Selwood, Paul Chapman

I/C: Shannon Byrnes, Dawson Simpson, David Wojcinski, Simon Hogan

Emg: Ryan Gamble, Mitch Duncan, Taylor Hunt

In: Simpson

Out: Tom Hawkins (general soreness)

• The ‘general’ takes another victim – clearly the new role in the ruck has taken it out of Hawkins and he will be likely rested for just one week. Dawson Simpson takes his place.

SYDNEY SWANS v ESSENDON

Sydney Swans

B: Rhyce Shaw, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Nick Smith

HB: Martin Mattner, Heath Grundy, Nick Malceski

C: Daniel Hannebery, Brett Kirk, Gary Rohan

HF: Ryan O’Keefe, Adam Goodes, Josh Kennedy

F: Henry Playfair, Jesse White, Jarrad McVeigh

Foll: Shane Mumford, Jude Bolton, Kieren Jack

I/C (from): Paul Bevan, Craig Bird, Campbell Heath, Lewis Jetta, Matt O’Dwyer, Mike Pyke, Ted Richards


In: Ted Richards, Paul Bevan, Craig Bird

• Campbell Heath is another player waiting to play his third game, but his chances don’t look so good with Richards a possible inclusion. Watch for Friday night teams before confirming any trades involving him, however i still believe his lack of job security means you should avoid him.
• Ryan O’Keefe is worryingly named on a HFF, suggesting he won’t play this game through the midfield either. Possibly he is still recovering from his concussion of a few weeks ago.

Essendon

B: Heath Hocking, Tayte Pears, Courtenay Dempsey

HB: Mark McVeigh, Nathan Lovett-Murray, David Myers

C: Leroy Jetta, Jobe Watson, Jason Winderlich

HF: Angus Monfries, Scott Gumbleton, Brent Prismall

F: David Hille, Michael Hurley, Alwyn Davey

Foll: Patrick Ryder, Brent Stanton, Sam Lonergan

I/C (from): David Zaharakis, Jake Melksham, Jarrod Atkinson, Andrew Welsh, Tyson Slattery, Travis Colyer, Ben Howlett

In: Welsh, Melksham, Colyer, Slattery

Out: Dustin Fletcher (suspension)

• The Essendon extended bench is a scary one for Dream Teamers with all of Howlett, Melksham and Colyer playing the waiting game. Fletcher is out for a week after failing to overturn his tripping suspension.

HAWTHORN v PORT ADELAIDE

Hawthorn

B: Brent Guerra, Stephen Gilham, Thomas Murphy

HB: Grant Birchall, Luke Hodge, Ben Stratton

C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Clinton Young

HF: Chance Bateman, Jarryd Roughead, Michael Osborne

F: Cyril Rioli, Carl Peterson, Brendan Whitecross

Foll: Brent Renouf, Brad Sewell, Shaun Burgoyne

I/C (from): Xavier Ellis, Rick Ladson, Garry Moss, Beau Muston, Ryan Schoenmakers, Liam Shiels, Wayde Skipper

In: Chance Bateman, Rick Ladson, Garry Moss, Beau Muston, Liam Shiels, Ryan Schoenmakers

Out: Campbell Brown (knee), Lance Franklin (suspension), Rhan Hooper (hamstring)

• A few forced changes at the Hawks, including a one week suspension to Buddy and a four week knee injury to Brown.
• Bateman and Ladson are the bigger named inclusions, whilst Skipper is again left teetering on the extended bench – against a Port side with one real ruckman, he may be a chance to miss.

Port Adelaide

B: Jacob Surjan, Alipate Carlile, Troy Chaplin

HB: Paul Stewart, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek

C: Jay Nash, Domenic Cassisi, Travis Boak

HF: Matt Thomas, Daniel Stewart, David Rodan

F: Brett Ebert, Jackson Trengove, Tom Logan

Foll: Dean Brogan, Danyle Pearce, Kane Cornes

I/C (from): Matthew Broadbent, Josh Carr, Jason Davenport, Hamish Hartlett, Daniel Motlop, Danny Meyer, Nick Salter

In: Davenport, Hartlett, D.Motlop, Meyer, Brogan

Out: Cameron Hitchcock (shoulder), Justin Westhoff

• Hitchcock didn’t pass his fitness test on his injured shoulder, whilst Westhoff has been dropped, thanks to the form of Trengove.
• Davenport, Hartlett and Brogan are big ins for the Power, whilst it seems pretty easy to argue a case for anyone on that extended bench.

COLLINGWOOD v WESTERN BULLDOGS

Collingwood

B: Heath Shaw, Ben Reid, Ben Johnson

HB: Harry O’Brien, Simon Prestigiacomo, Nick Maxwell

C: Luke Ball, Dane Swan, Alan Toovey

HF: Paul Medhurst, Travis Cloke, Alan Didak

F: Dayne Beams, Brent Macaffer, Leon Davis

Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas

I/C (from): Chris Dawes, Cameron Wood, Steele Sidebottom, Sharrod Wellingham, Tarkyn Lockyer, Josh Fraser, Leigh Brown

In: Leon Davis, Josh Fraser, Leigh Brown, Paul Medhurst, Tarkyn Lockyer

Out: John Anthony, Shane O’Bree

• No surprises with the outs, whilst Medhurst and Davis are the only certain inclusions for the Pies. Lockyer could be a chance against the Dogs, my expectation would be that both Brown and Fraser will miss.

Western Bulldogs

B: Jarrod Harbrow, Brian Lake, Dale Morris

HB: Dylan Addison, Tom Williams, Lindsay Gilbee

C: Ryan Griffen, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross

HF: Shaun Higgins, Mitch Hahn, Josh Hill

F: Jarrad Grant, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa

Foll: Ben Hudson, Adam Cooney, Liam Picken

I/C (from): Nathan Eagleton, Andrejs Everitt, Will Minson, Brodie Moles, Sam Reid, Brennan Stack, Easton Wood

In: Eagleton, Everitt, Moles, Reid, Wood

Out: Jason Akermanis (ankle), Ryan Hargrave (hamstring)

• We knew Aker was to be out, but Hargrave is a further blow to his owners who are already sick enough of his inconsistency.
• Moles could be a great inclusion thanks to the 105 points sitting in his rolling average. But he will have strong competition for spots with Everitt and Reid each also pushing hard for a spot. Eagleton is a pretty likely inclusion in one of the two spots. Brennan Stack may also find himself out of the squad.

View Neenie21′s Team
Round 10 Score: 1,872
Current Overall Ranking: 12,652
Trades Left: 6
Remaining Salary Cap: $139,900

Dear Neenie 21,

Thank you for submitting your team. Overall you have done a very good job constructing your squad of 30 players. To have 26 of our 30 players score points in Round 10 is an excellent effort. Add Michael Barlow this week and assuming Cameron Hitchcock passes a fitness test on his shoulder you will have 27. In addition, Rob Warnock and Matt Lobbe are showing solid form for the Northern Bullants and West Adelaide respectively, which leaves little Relton Roberts from Richmond the only dead duck in your team.

I feel your pain with Roberts as I went for the Podsiadly / Roberts combination as my 8^th and 9^th forwards prior to Round 1. After Round 10, Podsiadly is my number 1 forward based on averages while Relton Roberts is struggling for form and has gone from playing AFL football to VFL reserves for the Coburg Tigers in the space of just seven weeks! Roberts has been clearly my worst selection since John Meesen in 2008. Meesen holds the unenviable record of being the only player I have ever selected who has gone through an entire season without scoring a single point! At least Roberts has played two games, despite the fact they were far from impressive.

Back to your team Neenie and let’s focus on your next 12 rounds. I’m very concerned about your lack of trades remaining. It will be a tough ask trying to avoid a donut over the next 12 rounds with only six trades up your sleeve. Your solid squad of 29 players will help you get through but I suspect your team will be running on fumes by Rounds 20 – 22 unless you go into conservation mode over the next four weeks.

I can see that you have used your 14 trades thus far wisely, but I strongly encourage you to hold fire for the next month. Even if Hitchcock does not get up for this round, avoid the temptation to bring in cover into your forward line.

Another reason for not trading is I cannot see any real stand outs to bring in this week that have played two games. Nathan O’Keefe and Daniel Stewart could turn out to be handy back up options, but I’m far from sold on both of them. The fact that O’Keefe is 193cms and Stewart is 200cms also concerns me because young developing key position players / ruckman take longer to develop than midfielders. Having said that, if anyone out there can think of a compelling reason to bring in one of these two players I’d be happy to hear it.

Good luck!

Colin Sylvia – Melbourne ($315,000, MID/FWD, Break even: 68, price drop this season: $103,700)

This one might hurt the 12,393 who have endured his 67 average over the last five games, especially when many would’ve traded him in after he opened the season with a 125 and 112. Ouch, this one will particularly hurt those that traded him in after two games – he scored 237 points in those first two games and 335 in the five games. If you take out his 107 in that period he hasn’t scored over 70.

It’s not the most glowing preamble, but what it does mean is that right now Sylvia is ridiculous value, because he’s not as bad a player as his recent form suggests.

I’m also not going to come on here and say that’s he’s a must buy just because he’s cheap. For a start, he is easily tagged out of games, which explains a lot of his low scores this year.

Melbourne are a better team now, and this oddly seems to be negatively affecting Sylvia. Now that they’re doing better, teams need to work on shutting down their damaging players, so Sylvia is copping a bit more serious attention than he has in the past. His awesome form in his first two games probably made a few teams stand up and notice how important he can be to Melbourne if he’s up and going.

With Sylvia though, you’re definitely getting value. He’s priced at about 70, and yes, while he has scored less than 70 four times this year, I can’t see him being this horrible. Even without finding form he should still be able to average about 80 from here on in. He had a cracking pre-season until his broken jaw, so his fitness base should be fine.

For $315K it wouldn’t be a terrible roll of the dice for someone who could turn out to be a premium. Immediately Melbourne don’t have a cracking fixture, but his last month of the season is pretty favourable DT wise (Richmond, Hawthorn, Port, North) so he could be a handy asset to have at the end of the year.

Austin Wonaeamirri – Melbourne ($138,700, FWD, Break even: 7)

First two games: 47 vs. Port (W), 51 vs. Geelong (L) = 49 avg.

Everyone’s favourite cult figure from 2008 has remarkably strung together two consecutive games. Back then he averaged 62.5, so he wasn’t too bad as a bench option. You could probably expect similar scoring from him this year too, but the big question is whether or not his body is up to it. He has been dogged by injuries for the last 18 months. It’s great to see him back out there, but his body has proved to be pretty frail. Scoring potential and job security wise, he’s a great option…but it’s his durability that worries me.

Nathan O’Keefe – North Melbourne ($94,500, FWD, Break even: -41)

First two games: 58 vs. Bulldogs (L), 55 vs. Freo (L) = 56.5 avg.

Last week I was thinking it’ll only be a matter of time before O’Keefe loses his spot in the Roos team, considering they named Petrie, Hale and McIntosh. Petrie going down with a six week injury again might be a good thing for O’Keefe, but even if he gets picked this week he’ll have Aaron Edwards and Josh Smith breathing down his neck from the VFL. I quite liked his debut game against the Bulldogs. He generated a few shots, but couldn’t convert – it’s not like Smith will threaten him with remarkable conversion (2.7 in his nine game career) but I couldn’t recommend O’Keefe with any great enthusiasm. He’s a very good mark, but I’m not sure that he has enough to his game for him to hold onto a spot (or score particularly well) at this stage of his career.

Daniel Stewart – Port Adelaide ($89,500, FWD, Break even: -5)

First two games: 33 vs. Geelong (W), 40 vs. Richmond (L) = 36.5 avg.

Nothing to suggest he would score well or keep his spot in Port’s team. Meh.

Rhys Stanley – St.Kilda ($94,500, RUC, Break even: -5)

First two games: 44 vs. West Cost (W), 33 vs. Adelaide (W) = 38.5 avg.

He hasn’t scored that well, but Stanley isn’t going too bad so far. With Kosi half way between anonymous and literally absent, Stanley provides an athletic tall target for the Saints. I feel safer having picked up Skipper last week, because I like his job security better, but I think the Saints will persist with Stanley for a bit. For a ruck bench, you’re not exactly shooting for the stars with scoring potential, so if he can get out there and he’s on your team, it’s a win. Wouldn’t be the worst option if you missed Skipper last week.

Campbell Heath – Sydney ($94,500, BAC, Break even: -47)

First two games: 71 vs. Freo (L), 48 vs. Hawthorn (L) = 59.5 avg.

Heath was really promising in his first game and scored a lovely 71. He looked a bit more shaky in his second game and made a couple of silly decisions. He might keep his spot for a little while, but I think he’s just keeping Craig Bolton’s seat warm. If he can last that long then he’ll make a bit of cash, but if you’re a trading in a rookie at this stage you shouldn’t be looking to trade him out – you’re looking for bench coverage right now. Heath is a decent option and I’d go for him if I needed to free up some cash, but I’d be fully aware that I’m probably leaving myself exposed with back coverage.

It’s about time to start getting serious – I have looked at players having a slow start, those just finding form, those who are elite but pretty cheap, but I think it’s time to talk about some big guns – guys who have been firing all season and whom those with enough cash in the bank and an appetite for the expensive have their eyes set firmly on. I am talking about a man who is averaging 120 points this year and another who is averaging 127 – the two bald superstars from Geelong: David Johnson and Tom Harley… oh wait, Gary Ablett and Paul Chapman (whoops!).

Gary Ablett Jnr:

By the age of 25 years, there is not much this little man from Geelong hasn’t accomplished: Two premierships, a Brownlow medal, Dream Team 2009… The list goes on. Essentially, he is an outright superstar and if you don’t know much about him there is clearly something not right. So far this year he has already given great value to his whopping starting price of $522,000 with an average of 127.67 and only one score under 100 points (a lowly 96 points).

He is widely regarded as the best current-day midfielder, but it is his great ability to not only be a consistent top-tier player, but also a fantastic dream teamer (not always a natural combination). He has perfected the art of handball-receives with his amazing ability to work his way through traffic. He uses the ball well enough, but he has the fitness to run all day and a freakish ability to break free of tackles, which keeps the disposal count growing. Unlike many other top midfielders in the game, Ablett has perfected the art of breaking a tag – in fact, I can hardly remember the last time he was nullified in a game. Being part of a top team, he gets plenty of support from the bigger bodied midfielders around him, who regularly block his opponents to allow him room to move (not that he needs much room). His ability to break a tag has gotten so ridiculous that some teams are not even bothering to tag him anymore, instead deciding to play a similarly attacking footballer on him so they can at least get something out of the contest (Ablett’s one slight is his lack of defensiveness). However, by no means does this adversely effect his scoring. Typically by half time, the opposition have a runner sitting on him (usually to no avail).

Whilst there are plenty of positives about Ablett, there does come some worry with spending over $500k on a player. Ablett has always had his odd injury concerns – nothing ever very significant, but the odd niggle has made him miss occasional matches in the past few years. In 2009 he missed three games and in 2008 he missed four – three of these seven games coming after round 15 in each season, a worrying stat when you rely on a player such as Ablett around finals time. Due to the high quality of the team around him, Ablett is never risked by the Cats, meaning he can find himself on the sidelines for even the most minor strain. He missed round 6 this year with a minor hamstring strain. Also, the other worry with top teams is the resting of players towards finals time – often in the last four rounds of the year, right when we are immersed in DT finals campaigns. This is not to say that Ablett is certain to find himself on the sidelines in round 21, but the concern is certainly there. There is even rumours currently circulating that he is carrying an injury, and the constant innuendo about his possible move to Gold Coast makes things even more unclear.

There is no doubting Ablett’s form, nor consistency. He has one of the highese DT ceilings in the competition, meaning he is regularly capable of scoring well in excess of 120 points – a feat he has achieved already seven times this year (from nine games!), meaning he is the perfect candidate for a regular captaincy! If you are looking at bringing him into your side, ideally next week would be the time to pounce – after two ‘average’ games in a row (where he averaged 100.5 points), his price has taken a heavy hit and will drop further next week. Potentially you could pick him up for around $485,000 at the end of round 11. Whilst I may have scared you off with his injury concerns, there is still no doubting his immense scoring ability – he is still the 3^rd highest ranked player in the competition, despite the fact he has missed a game.

Key Stats 2010:

Kick : handball ratio – 0.72 : 1

Average Marks per game: 5

Average Tackles per game: 4.6

Average Disposals per game: 34.55

Average Goals per game: 1.9

Breakeven: 153

Average Dream Team Points: 127.67

Price: $505,300 (-$16,700)

Paul Chapman:

Chappy is typically known for two things in DT circles: 1. He is an amazing dream teamer with arguably the highest ceiling in the competition. 2. His hamstrings are made from crepe paper and he will likely miss games at the business end of the season. So he essentially makes for a pretty interesting choice – part of you desperately wants him for his regular high scoring, yet the rest of you knows to avoid the temptation due to his injury history. However, if the man himself is to be trusted, season 2010 has seen his injury woes put behind him. A new fitness coach at Geelong has worked hard with Chappy and his troublesome hammys to make sure he lasts the full season with no more repercussions – and so far, things seem to be going to plan!

So far in 2010, Chappy has not missed a game and is the only player in the competition not to have scored below 100 in any of his games – an amazing feat! As far as point scoring goes, Chapman is leading all comers in DT 2010, sitting pretty as the number one player in the competition. He has had five scores over 120 points, three of which were over 140, proving his amazing scoring ability. His role in the team is predominantly as a midfielder, although he does spend a lot of time across the HFF thanks to his great ball-disposal skills and goal kicking ability. This year has seen him spend more time in the middle, with the likes of Ablett, Varcoe, Stokes and Duncan spending more time in his forward-line role. He is a very solid player and uses his body size to his advantage – like the rest of his teammates, he is very capable of busting through a tackle and takes a very strong mark. He is often used as a wide-receiver of the footy, meaning he is not often relied upon to win his own ball – however he will go in and get it when it is his turn. As is also proven in Ablett’s case, Geelong’s extremely high-possession game plan is ideal for dream team and it sees players like Chappy (and Ablett) treated to plenty of the ball, and like Ablett, Chapman is one of Geelong’s most trusted ball users, meaning he is frequently given the ball by his teammates.

Now back to the worries – as I mentioned before, Chapman claims that Geelong’s new fitness guru has cured his plight with hamstrings, so we have to choose whether to believe this or not before trading him in. The worry is, if the issues really aren’t gone, history suggests that Chapman will miss most of his games at the back-end of the year. For example, these are the games he missed for the past three years; 2009: Rd 8, 10, 19, 20, 22; 2008; Rd 9, 10, 18, 19, 20; 2007: Rd 7-9, 17-19. Get the gist? Knowing that rounds 19 – 22 are DT finals time, Chapman has missed 6 of a possible 12 finals games, including last year’s Grand Final! So if you were to trade him in, you’d want to damn well believe his word!

Despite the above facts, sometime the positives can become too hard to ignore; #1 in DT 2010 (so far), no games under 100 points, in seemingly good condition physically… And there is no doubting his ability on the football field. For those teams gunning for either a top place in their league, or for a new car, Chappy is going to cause a number of sleepless nights – do you take the risk on a player who has a poor injury history, but is the only real consistent forward of 2010 and is averaging a huge 20 points more than the second highest forward, Matthew Pavlich? Personally I love Chappy – in fact, until he ripped my Saints a new hole in last year’s Grand Final, he was my favourite player outside St.Kilda… But I had him in 2009… burned, 2008… burned. For me I think it’s a case of twice bitten…

Key Stats 2010:

Kick : handball ratio – 1.68 : 1

Average Marks per game: 6

Average Tackles per game: 4.1

Average Disposals per game: 29.3

Average Goals per game: 1.4

Breakeven: 157

Average Dream Team Points: 120.1

Price: $492,400 (-$2,100)