Footy Tragic

Carlton vs Essendon:

Looking Good:

• Jeff Garlett: Garlett was brilliant as the Blues’ main avenue to goal and was able to slip around the packs, landing himself a career-high six goals. It isn’t form I’d expect him to show in every game, but it is really pleasing to see what the kid is capable of!
• Brent Stanton: Stanton was again a fantastic DT-slut through the game – despite not being in amazing form, he still manages to rack up the ball week to week. I am slightly concerned about his spot in the team (Knights keeps giving him ‘jobs’ – the first sign that Knights is trying to teach him a lesson), but as long as he plays he will rack them up!
• Chris Judd: Judd had a real return to form after a couple of quiet matches recently. I think the inclusions of Hadley and Robinson have really helped Judd around the clearances as he is not the only one left to win the contested ball. Finished with 28 touches and 5 tackles.

Disappointing:

• Jordan Russell: Monfries gave Russell the forward-tag treatment and he didn’t cope… again. He is still young and seems like a player capable of beating a tag moving forward, but perhaps he is a speculative pick in the remaining rounds.
• Cale Hooker: I talked him up last week after a super game on Riewoldt, but he was back acting as a dour defender this week, picking up just the 8 touches.

• Bachar Houli: Another player to have a breakout game last week, Houli was not so impressive this week. The lesson learned is to give younger players time before trading them in – and a similar lesson should be given to Knights about dropping them.

Blip on the Radar:

• Richard Hadley: He is that potential smokey to rack up some good numbers in the remaining rounds this year, but I still don’t like his prospects of staying in the team for the remaining rounds. Also, he is probably every chance to do his hamstring or something!

Sydney vs Hawthorn:

Looking Good:

• Heath Grundy: Grundy was brilliant, playing both a negating role on Franklin and a rebounding role out of the back half, racking up 32 disposals and 11 marks in the process. He has been very inconsistent lately, so hopefully he can back this up over the next few weeks.
• Kieren Jack: Jack was a clear BOG for mine – his ability to find space, combined with his sheer willingness to win the hard ball, then hunt the opposition when they had it was simply brilliant. He reminds me very much of one of my favourites – Lenny Hayes – and is continuing to get better. Could be a huge DT improver for 2011 – watch this space!
• Lance Franklin: All credit to Buddy – he continued to lead hard all the way to the final siren, despite his team being totally flogged. To me he has always seemed like a player who would turn the engines off when the game was lost, but fortunately, his continued presenting created opportunities for three late goals.

Disappointing:

• Simon Taylor: When Sandilands was deemed unfit to tackle North Melbourne, it is fair to say there was plenty of devastated dream teamers. Then when thousands of those coaches got wind that Skipper was dropped for Taylor, the week went from bad to worse. Unfortunately, Taylor played a dud of a game, rubbing salt into the wounds of pissed off Skipper owners.
• Rhyce Shaw: When Shaw does get a chance to run out of the backline he does look very good and confident, but the problem is the minimal times he does actually rebound. With Malceski and Kennelly both in the squad, he often finds him self just defending rather than rebounding.
• Clinton Young: I am making an example of Young here as he was one of the worst of Hawthorn’s midfield, which as a unit played really poorly. All of Young, Hodge, Sewell, Ellis and Osbourne had afternoons to forget.

Blip on the Radar:

• Lewis Jetta: There was not a person at the SCG not willing this kid to kick his first AFL goal after kicking 19 behinds in a row in his first year of AFL football. After finally kicking that magical goal in the last quarter, Jetta’s performance has become part of folklore – but don’t be distracted – that is an accuracy rate of 5% for the year…

North Melbourne vs Fremantle:

Looking Good:

• Brent Harvey: Harvey had a brilliant ‘tick-every-box’ game, with stacks of stats in every column. Despite an apparent tag from Van Berlo, Harvey ran rampant, racking up 34 touches, 8 tackles, 9 marks and kicked 3 goals – awesome stuff!
• Brady Rawlings: Rawlings has had a brilliant season, following the current trend of taggers capable of winning their own ball. Here, he not only clearly smashed Hill, but racked up 39 disposals of his own. His workrate is clearly amazing and he is a player who typically works very hard for each of his touches.
• Hamish McIntosh: In a week where Sandi went down, Big-Mac stepped up, taking advantage of Freo’s depleted ruck stocks. He tallied up 26 touches, 11 marks and banged through two bonus goals.

Disappointing:

• Stephen Hill: As stated above, he was smashed by Rawlings and had absolutely no impact on the game.
• Matthew Pavlich: Just the solitary behind from the Freo skipper was not a good way to get his troops firing. Was regularly beaten in the forward line and rarely ventured into the midfield.
• Lindsay Thomas: Thomas was about the only Roo who didn’t join in the party. Disappointing.

Blip on the Radar:

• Leigh Harding: Leigh Harding is probably the main reason why I have a column called ‘Blip on the Radar’ after he sucked in so many coaches last year with a string of good games to start the season, only to fall away with inconsistency and low scoring. Once bitten, twice shy – don’t go there again!

Collingwood vs Geelong:

Looking Good:

• Alan Didak: The bonus of big games like this is that teams will tend to only tag one or two key individuals – fortunately for Didak, Pendlebury copped the Ling tag, allowing him to run much more freely than he has all year. He continued his good recent form with 35 touches, 8 marks and a goal, playing predominantly as a midfielder.
• Dane Swan: We questioned whether he could do it against the best, and those who avoided making him captain deserved to miss out on the massive score he produced once again. Never doubt the Great Dane – NEVER!
• Dale Thomas: This game was another big test for Daisy, a player who is known for fading on the big stage. Fortunately, he stuck it in his doubters faces with a 23 disposal, 7 tackle game, further asserting himself as a great player.

Disappointing:

• James Podsiadly: For the second time this year, Pods has failed on the big stage. He booted just the one goal and looked out of his depth. Many seem to be trading him off now, and personally I believe that this is probably the right thing to be doing.
• Leon Davis: Davis, once again, failed to make any impact, kicking just the 2 behinds. He can’t cope with a lack of space in the forward line and doesn’t seem prepared to work hard enough to create space.
• James Kelly: Kelly has had a super consistent year in 2010, but got caught spending too much time chasing his opponent than winning a kick unfortunately. He did finish with 20 disposals, but most of them were handballs.

Blip on the Radar:

• Brent Macaffer: I think Macaffer shows a lot of spark and a lot of potential to be a really good player in the years to come. However, at this time of year the last thing you want to do is gamble on a mid-priced 20-game player who is no guarantee of seeing out the season.

Brisbane vs West Coast:

Looking Good:

• Scott Selwood: Selwood has been getting gradually better and better this season, and personally I have seen a few of his games as potential one-offs. But full credit to the kid, he worked really hard in this game and looks to be pushing himself to a new level. He finished with 28 disposals, 8 marks, 8 tackles and a goal. Could be a great pick for 2011.
• Jonathan Brown: Brown wasn’t brilliant all game, in fact he was far from his best, but as Brown has a habit of doing, he stood up when it counted, booting the goal that won the game for the Lions. He finished with five goals from 10 marks and 15 disposals for the game.
• Michael Rischitelli: Rischitelli seems destined for his first Lions B&F, as he has clearly been their most consistent player this year. Again he was their strongest midfielder, finishing with 29 disposals and 6 tackles.

Disappointing:

• Aaron Cornelius: Took Fev’s spot in the team and scored Fev’s mandatory 15 points. Deserves to keep his spot though on previous performances alone.
• Brad Ebert: Ebert is starting to find life a little harder thanks to the newfound attention from taggers. He couldn’t break through the tag and finished with just 10 disposals.
• Mark LeCras: LeCras has been brilliant this year – especially over the past month since booting 12 goals against Essendon. Unfortunately, he now seems to put it on himself to kick all of his teams goals, meaning he rarely passes anything off to his teammates. He finished with two goals here, but needs to learn to be less greedy sometimes.

Blip on the Radar:

• Joel Patful: Patful is a bit of a floater (or ‘Utility’ in AFL lingo) – and this season has mainly seen him drift between defence and as a tagger. Now, with Maguire back he has moved into the midfield to play tagging roles, but don’t always expect them to be point-winning roles. He is a highly inconsistent DTer and not worthy of a spot in your team.

St.Kilda vs Port Adelaide:

Looking Good:

• Adam Schneider: Schneids was on fire in this game – he not only bobbed up for three goals, but alongside Riewoldt he totally marshalled the half-forward line, touching the ball almost every time it went forward. His current role sees him playing through the midfield in bursts to lose his opponent before dropping forward and providing an option. Racked up 30 possessions, 13 marks and 5 tackles.
• Lenny Hayes: Hayes had another terrific game, tackling anyone that went anywhere near him. He was the best midfielder on ground, constantly finding space (he was constantly left alone as TWO port players were tagging Montagna…), as well as providing an option up forward, kicking two goals for the game.
• Sam Gilbert: Gilbert had one of his best games for the year and had a new sense of determination after having little effect on the past few matches. He finished with 21 disposals, but his 7 tackles were highlights – all made to hurt. He is playing with a newfound aggression and it is fantastic – Lyon is also rewarding him with brief stints through the midfield.

Disappointing:

• Danyle Pearce: As usual, Pearce resigned to his tagger about halfway through the first term and was as comprehensively beaten as any other time this year.
• David Rodan: Rodan has the ability to tear the Saints a new A-Hole – and he knows this! Yet still, he gave into the tag early and did very little to break it, rarely running to space or properly presenting.
• Nathan Krakouer: Whilst the above two couldn’t stop from being shut-down, Krakouer did one of the worst shut-down jobs of the year, letting Schneider off the leash way to frequently, whilst only picking up 11 touches himself.

Blip on the Radar:

• Jason Blake: When Blake is going for runs up the wings, you know your side is being smashed. Blake is in the bottom few in the AFL for metres gained from kicks, proving he is not an option regularly used when the Saints move forward. He does enjoy kick-to-kick and there was plenty of this late in this match.

Melbourne vs Richmond:

Looking Good:

• Liam Jurrah: Jurrah played one of his best games for the club, igniting them across the line with four goals. He was at his high-leaping best, pulling in 8 marks from 17 touches. He doesn’t play a game-style very suitable to DT though, so don’t be too expectant of this sort of score happening too regularly.
• Brad Green: Green continued on his great season with another fantastic game, kicking three goals in his high half-forward role. Melbourne have a good run home so could be a good smokey for some reasonable scoring over the next month.
• Ben Cousins: Cousins once again turned back the clock with a great midfield performance. He not only clocked up an impressive 26 touches, but also drifted forward for two goals.

Disappointing:

• Jack Riewoldt: Riewoldt was smashed all day by Frawley, who was constantly able to beat him in one-one-one contests – something that Riewoldt has been fantastic at all season. He kicked just the one goal for the game in a sign that he may also be tiring after a long season.
• Ben Nason: Nason not only had just the 9 touches, but his four frees against ensured he had a terribly low score.
• Mark Jamar: Jamar competed well in the ruck but did very little else around the ground, picking up only 5 disposals for the game.

Blip on the Radar:

• Kelvin Moore: Moore has been an occasionally big scorer this year with some large numbers like 109, 90, 86 and 93… however these numbers are littered with other scores like 21, 33, 41, 31 and 26. Simply, he is a defender that occasionally gets a forward lacking much defensive pressure (e.g. Jurrah), meaning he is much more capable of zoning off for loose ball. Therefore, unless if you also like the look of those lower scores, stay well clear.

Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide:

Looking Good:

• Daniel Giansiracusa: Gia played much more in the midfield, allowing him to rack up his third ton in a row. He played a very good game, tackling hard and working hard to get into space. He did also drift forward on occasion, allowing just the one goal on this occasion. He also had 30 touches, 9 marks and 6 tackles for the game.
• Scott Thompson: The Crows midfield actually appeared to be on top for most of this match and it was well led by Thompson, who already had 20 disposals to half time. He finished with 33 disposals, 5 marks and 7 tackles for the game – hopefully he can continue this on, despite the Crows finals hopes being shut out thanks to this loss.
• Brad Symes: Symes was a general across half-back, alongside Johncock and Bock, both of whom were also very influential. Symes stood out as the main rebounder of the three and his 11 tackles were also a highlight.

Disappointing:

• Barry Hall: Jack Riewoldt would have been one of the few happy watchers when BBBBBBBH didn’t kick a single goal all game, leaving Riewoldt one goal clear in the race for the Coleman medal.
• Lindsay Gilbee: Gilbee had a night I’m sure he will prefer to forget, not only for being kept relatively quiet by Douglas, but also due to him turning it over almost every time he did actually get a chance to dispose of the ball.
• Taylor Walker: Walker kicked no goals for the whole game, with Henderson seemingly taking over his role at the half-forward line. Needs to find some form and fast.

Blip on the Radar:

• Ben Hudson: I don’t know what it is about Huddo, but he loves playing in the rain – he always seems to rack up some decent numbers in this sort of weather. But despite this, he is not the big man for your team. Whilst consistent, he never scores enough to figure in DT calculations, sorry.

Expert: Dan
Team: Hank Scorpio EDT
Current Ranking: 2,156
Round 19 Score: 2,074
Trades Remaining: 2
Team Changes This Week:
In: Robert Warnock
Out: Wayde Skipper

Expert: Toby
Team: Fiora’s Hardnuts
Current Ranking: 1,687
Round 19 Score: 2,098
Trades Remaining: 2
Team Changes This Week: None

Expert: Ben
Team: The Redbacks
Current Ranking: 840
Round 19 Score: 2,153
Trades Remaining: 3
Team Changes This Week:
In: Adam Goodes, Kyle Hardingham
Out: James Podsiadly, Ben Cunnington

Dan here, filling in for Toby this week with the team selection news. Let’s see how we’re all shaping up for the first week of DT finals…

ESSENDON v CARLTON
Essendon
B: Heath Hocking, Dustin Fletcher, Courtenay Dempsey
HB: Mark McVeigh, Michael Hurley, Cale Hooker
C: David Zaharakis, Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton
HF: Kyle Hardingham, Jay Neagle, Travis Colyer
F: Angus Monfries, David Hille, Alwyn Davey
Foll: Patrick Ryder, Bachar Houli, Ben Howlett
I/C: Kyle Reimers, Sam Lonergan, Jason Winderlich, Brent Prismall
Emg: Nathan Lovett-Murray, David Myers, Jake Carlisle

In: Winderlich
Out: Scott Gumbleton (ribs)

• Gumbleton owners have done well to get 18 weeks out of him. Kudos to him on being a fine cash cow in 2010.
• Hardingham plays his third games this week. He adds plenty of excitement to their forward line, but is only mid eligible in DT.
• Winderlich returns for the Bombers. He’d be a pretty crazy sort of unique to have, though I don’t mind him as a player.

Carlton
B: Jordan Russell, Michael Jamison, Aaron Joseph
HB: Dennis Armfield, Paul Bower, Shaun Grigg
C: Heath Scotland, Chris Judd, Bryce Gibbs
HF: Kade Simpson, Lachie Henderson, Marc Murphy
F: Shaun Hampson, Jarrad Waite, Eddie Betts
Foll: Robert Warnock, Andrew Carrazzo, David Ellard
I/C: Marcus Davies, Jeff Garlett, Richard Hadley, Mitch Robinson
Emg: Joe Anderson, Mark Austin, Setanta O’hAilpin

In: Hadley, Armfield, Davies, Robinson
Out: Brad Fisher, Andrew Walker, Chris Johnson, Chris Yarran (ankle)

New: Marcus Davies (Tasmania U18)

• The new guy, Davies was one I was keeping an eye on in the pre-season. I thought he was set for some early games this year, but better late than never. He’s back eligible.
• David Ellard plays his third game for the season (after being a late in last week). He’s back eligible too.

SYDNEY SWANS v HAWTHORN
Sydney Swans
B: Paul Bevan, Ted Richards, Rhyce Shaw
HB: Nick Malceski, Heath Grundy, Tadhg Kennelly
C: Daniel Hannebery, Brett Kirk, Jarrad McVeigh
HF: Ben McGlynn, Ryan O’Keefe, Josh Kennedy
F: Mike Pyke, Adam Goodes, Jarred Moore
Foll: Shane Mumford, Jude Bolton, Kieren Jack
I/C: Trent Dennis-Lane, Lewis Jetta, Martin Mattner, Jesse White
Emg: Nathan Gordon, Brett Meredith, Sam Reid

In: Dennis-Lane
Out: Brett Meredith

• TDL comes in for this third game as a rookie priced forward. He’s look relatively patchy in his two games so far, but he kicked four goals in only half a game for the reserves last week (was pulled from that game half way through to be on standby for the Swans).

Hawthorn
B: Stephen Gilham, Ben Stratton, Thomas Murphy
HB: Grant Birchall, Josh Gibson, Brent Guerra
C: Chance Bateman, Sam Mitchell, Xavier Ellis
HF: Shaun Burgoyne, Lance Franklin, Clinton Young
F: Michael Osborne, Jarryd Roughead, Jordan Lewis
Foll: Brent Renouf, Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell
I/C: Rick Ladson, Garry Moss, Matt Suckling, Simon Taylor
Emg: Jarryd Morton, Ryan Schoenmakers, Brendan Whitecross

In: Moss, Taylor, Suckling
Out: Wayde Skipper, Cyril Rioli (suspension), Brendan Whitecross

• I’ll get to the big news in the next game, but GREAT, there goes my ruck coverage! Skipper is way better than Taylor! Get a grip, Clarko!
• Rioli will cop his two weeks at the wrong time of year for his owners. However, those owners could probably consider themselves lucky he’s only out for two. I know that my SC team was planning for a finals series without him.

NORTH MELBOURNE v FREMANTLE
North Melbourne
B: Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson, Brady Rawlings
HB: Daniel Pratt, Nathan Grima, Scott McMahon
C: Leigh Adams, Brent Harvey, Sam Wright
HF: Ryan Bastinac, Aaron Edwards, Daniel Wells
F: Ben Cunnington, Lachlan Hansen, Lindsay Thomas
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Andrew Swallow, Levi Greenwood
I/C: Todd Goldstein, Leigh Harding, Jamie Macmillan, Cruize Garlett
Emg: Gavin Urquhart, David Hale, Marcus White

In: Pratt, Wells, Grima, Garlett
Out: Josh Smith, Ed Lower (collarbone), Marcus White, Ben Speight

• A couple of rookie priced options in White and Speight get the chop this week. You’d be really scraping if you were looking to bring in either of them for the run home though. Speight’s interchange on the weekend was quite comical though.

Fremantle
B: Dylan Roberton, Antoni Grover, Greg Broughton
HB: Justin Bollenhagen, Luke McPharlin, Roger Hayden
C: Garrick Ibbotson, David Mundy, Nathan Fyfe
HF: Jay van Berlo, Matthew Pavlich, Stephen Hill
F: Adam McPhee, Michael Johnson, Matthew de Boer
Foll: Kepler Bradley, Nick Suban, Paul Duffield
I/C: Rhys Palmer, Anthony Morabito, Paul Hasleby, Jesse Crichton
Emg: Michael Walters, Clayton Hinkley, Zac Clarke

In: Bradley, Palmer, Roberton
Out: Aaron Sandilands (foot), Hayden Ballantyne (foot), Chris Tarrant (knee)

• Holy freaking crap! Sandilands is out! My Trengove to Prato trade for a cash grab really stings now. I figured, what are the chances of two of Sandilands, Hille and Skipper missing in the run home? Massive DT implications. Well done to those of you who have Warnock, Roughead or Trengove on the bench (though keep an eye on the Bulldogs and Port’s final team when it’s announced tomorrow arvo)! The relieving news is that he’s only expected to miss this week.
• Balla will be out for a few weeks with a foot problem. The annoying goal sneak has burnt his owners at the wrong time of year.
• You could be doing a lot worse than having Roberton as back coverage. He doesn’t score that great, but he’s had a few more games than I thought he was going to get initially.
• Jesse Crichton is in for this third game for the Dockers. The Tasweigan is an $89,500 midfield option. He could be pushed out of the team as the H & A season draws to a close, so tread carefully.

GEELONG CATS v COLLINGWOOD
Geelong Cats
B: Darren Milburn, Matthew Scarlett, Josh Hunt
HB: James Kelly, Harry Taylor, Corey Enright
C: Jimmy Bartel, Cameron Ling, Andrew Mackie
HF: Paul Chapman, Cameron Mooney, Steve Johnson
F: Mathew Stokes, Tom Hawkins, Travis Varcoe
Foll: Brad Ottens, Joel Selwood, Gary Ablett
I/C: Joel Corey, David Wojcinski, Shannon Byrnes, Tom Lonergan
Emg: James Podsiadly, Trent West, Simon Hogan

In: Bartel
Out: Trent West

• Bartel is back after his rest/injury/whatever they were dressing that up as for this massive clash. Go Jimmy!
• Pods? What the hell? Stuck on the emergencies list.
• There’s been a lot of speculation about Geelong resting players in the run home, but it’s clear that they want to have a crack at Collingwood this week. Maybe next week…

Collingwood
B: Nick Maxwell, Simon Prestigiacomo, Ben Reid
HB: Harry O’Brien, Tyson Goldsack, Heath Shaw
C: Sharrod Wellingham, Dane Swan, Alan Toovey
HF: Luke Ball, Travis Cloke, Leon Davis
F: Dayne Beams, Leigh Brown, Steele Sidebottom
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas
I/C: Alan Didak, Ben Johnson, Brent Macaffer, Chris Dawes
Emg: Tarkyn Lockyer, Nathan Brown, Jarryd Blair

In: Shaw, Prestigiacomo
Out: Nathan Brown, Jarryd Blair

• Heater makes his way back in for the Pies, much to the relief of his patient owners.
• Presti is back too! I hope you didn’t miss him too much last week.
• Jarryd Blair has done alright in his games so far with a couple of good tagging jobs. Probably not a bad move to send him back to the magoos at this stage though.

WEST COAST v BRISBANE LIONS
West Coast
B: Will Schofield, Matthew Spangher, Brett Jones
HB: Beau Waters, Mitchell Brown, Brad Sheppard
C: Andrew Embley, Matt Priddis, Matt Rosa
HF: Brad Ebert, Josh Kennedy, Andrew Strijk
F: Mark LeCras, Quinten Lynch, Ben McKinley
Foll: Dean Cox, Scott Selwood, Tom Swift
I/C: Patrick McGinnity, Nic Naitanui, Ashley Smith, Lewis Stevenson
Emg: Callum Wilson, Koby Stevens, Beau Wilkes

In: McKinley, Spangher
Out: Eric Mackenzie (suspension), Chris Masten (ankle)

• Nothing too interesting here…Koby Stevens name pops up as an emergency.

Brisbane Lions
B: Joel Patfull, Daniel Merrett, Ashley McGrath
HB: Pearce Hanley, Matt Maguire, Cheynee Stiller
C: Jack Redden, Tom Rockliff, Jared Brennan
HF: Daniel Rich, Mitchell Clark, Luke Power
F: Albert Proud, Jonathan Brown, Brent Staker
Foll: Matthew Leuenberger, Michael Rischitelli, Simon Black
I/C: Jed Adcock, Ryan Harwood, Todd Banfield, Aaron Cornelius
Emg: Travis Johnstone, James Hawksley, Jesse O’Brien

In: Maguire, Adcock, Cornelius
Out: Xavier Clarke (hamstring), Justin Sherman, Brendan Fevola (groin)

• Maguire is back in and could be decent coverage for those who have held onto him. You’ll just be hoping that Vossy holds onto him too in the run home.
• As quick as he’s in, he’s out. I really feel bad for X, but his body just struggles to get right.
• Call me crazy, but with his monumental price drop, Fev could be a pretty cheap 7^th forward in 2011. Or he could be a hack past his used by date. He’ll be one to keep an eye on.

ST KILDA v PORT ADELAIDE
St Kilda
B: Robert Eddy, Jason Blake, Sam Gilbert
HB: Jason Gram, Sam Fisher, James Gwilt
C: Brendon Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Farren Ray
HF: Andrew McQualter, Justin Koschitzke, Leigh Montagna
F: Sean Dempster, Nick Riewoldt, Stephen Milne
Foll: Michael Gardiner, Lenny Hayes, Adam Schneider
I/C (from): Ben McEvoy, Jarryn Geary, Clinton Jones, Brett Peake, Rhys Stanley, Tom Simpkin, Luke Miles

In: McQualter, Eddy, Jones, Miles, Simpkin, Stanley
Out: Zac Dawson (hand), Jack Steven, Tom Lynch

New: Tom Simpkin (Geelong Falcons/rookie list)

• Miles and Simpkin make their way onto the extended bench. I find it really interesting that the Saints listed Simpkin as a new player, but didn’t mention Miles, who is also yet to debut. Is this a slip up indicating that Simpkin is going to get the nod?
• If he makes the cut, the timing couldn’t be better for Stanley owners with Sandilands missing this week. However, he’s only likely to score you 20 points anyway.
• For as much enthusiasm for Lynch’s debut as Toby had last week leading into the game, I was at the other end of the scale, and that feeling was confirmed watching his lacklustre efforts against the Bombers (I’m not a fan, if you can’t already tell).

Port Adelaide
B: Paul Stewart, Alipate Carlile, Tom Logan
HB: Nathan Krakouer, Troy Chaplin, Danny Meyer
C: Kane Cornes, Domenic Cassisi, Travis Boak
HF: Cameron Hitchcock, Jay Schulz, David Rodan
F: Justin Westhoff, Daniel Stewart, Brett Ebert
Foll: Dean Brogan, Danyle Pearce, Robbie Gray
I/C (from): Mitchell Banner, Matthew Broadbent, Andrew Moore, Jackson Trengove, Scott Harding, Jasper Pittard, Matt Thomas

In: Logan, Harding, Thomas, Pittard
Out: Nick Salter (calf)

New: Jasper Pittard (Geelong Falcons)

• Jasper “Don’t Call Me McMillan” Pittard is named on an extended bench for his debut. The boy genius would be a sneaky chance of cracking a game just from looking at that list too. He’s listed as a defender in DT.
• Sandilands owners looking for coverage will want to make sure Trengove is named in their final 22 tomorrow afternoon.

MELBOURNE v RICHMOND
Melbourne
B: Colin Garland, Jared Rivers, Clint Bartram
HB: Rohan Bail, James Frawley, Joel Macdonald
C: Brent Moloney, James McDonald, Jordie McKenzie
HF: Liam Jurrah, Jack Watts, Tom Scully
F: Jamie Bennell, Lynden Dunn, Brad Green
Foll: Mark Jamar, Colin Sylvia, Aaron Davey
I/C (from): Cameron Bruce, Austin Wonaeamirri, Nathan Jones, Jack Trengove, Paul Johnson, Cale Morton, Brad Miller

In: Miller, Moloney, Trengove
Out: -

• Trengove named on an extended bench is about the only interest here, though I don’t imagine too many would have held onto him for this long.

Richmond
B: Chris Newman, Will Thursfield, David Astbury
HB: Brett Deledio, Kelvin Moore, Daniel Connors
C: Mitch Morton, Dustin Martin, Shane Edwards
HF: Ben Nason, Mitch Farmer, Jake King
F: Matt White, Jack Riewoldt, Ben Cousins
Foll: Angus Graham, Shane Tuck, Daniel Jackson
I/C (from): Andrew Collins, Andrew Browne, Tyrone Vickery, Jeromey Webberley, Robbie Hicks, Luke McGuane, Alex Rance

In: Collins, Rance, Vickery
Out: -

• Not much interest here either. Webberley should keep his spot on the extended bench and if Hicks can crack a second game he could be a viable FWD/MID option, purely for his DP capabilities and that he’d be a live body (and after so many went nuts on trading in McNeil).

ADELAIDE v WESTERN BULLDOGS
Adelaide
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Scott Stevens
HB: Michael Doughty, Nathan Bock, Nathan van Berlo
C: Brad Symes, Bernie Vince, David Mackay
HF: Ricky Henderson, Taylor Walker, Chris Knights
F: Rory Sloane, Kurt Tippett, Richard Douglas
Foll: Jonathon Griffin, Scott Thompson, Brent Reilly
I/C (from): Phil Davis, Ivan Maric, James Sellar, Jason Porplyzia, Brodie Martin, Chris Schmidt, Matthew Jaensch

In: Johncock, Knights, Sellar, Martin, Davis
Out: Patrick Dangerfield (hand), Jack Gunston

• Johncock is straight back in after serving his suspension.
• Davis gets a look in on the extended bench. It looks pretty dicey as to whether or not he’ll get named in the final 22 though. Monitor this situation.
• Dangerfield will miss just this week, according to the Crows, with a hand injury.
• Gunston is dropped for the second time this year. He’ll get to that third game eventually. Talented player.
• Schmidt and Jaensch are a couple of DT bench options that could be sweating on keeping their spot in the final 22 this week.

Western Bulldogs
B: Easton Wood, Brian Lake, Dale Morris
HB: Ryan Hargrave, Tom Williams, Lindsay Gilbee
C: Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Liam Picken
HF: Robert Murphy, Liam Jones, Brad Johnson
F: Jarrad Grant, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa
Foll: Ben Hudson, Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen
I/C (from): Dylan Addison, Nathan Eagleton, Andrejs Everitt, Shaun Higgins, Josh Hill, Brodie Moles, Jordan Roughead

In: Addison, Hill, Eagleton
Out: -

• Not much interesting here. Jordan Roughead should keep his spot this week, which is great news for his owners that also have Sandilands.

Dear Footy Tragics,

I must start by apologising for last week, where my article went missing in action. Basically, I couldn’t access the internet for three days, hence the “technical difficulties”.

Moving on and this week I look at Josh Toy, the young man from the Aberfeldie football club in the Essendon and District Football League. Toy was regarded as a certain top three draft selection by most recruiters, before the Gold Coast swooped.

Toy is a medium sized defender (185cms, 87kgs), known for his poise across half back and his penetrating kicking. Toy turns 19 in April next year and assuming he remains injury free, I expect him to be a certain starter for the Suns in Round 1 2011.

Here is a quick snapshot of Toy’s last three years of footy:

• 2008 – Represented Vic Metro at the NAB AFL Under 16 National Championships;
• 2009 – Represented Vic Metro at the NAB AFL Under 18 National Championships, played 5 matches, averaged 21 disposals per game and made the All Australian team. Toy also played for the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup and his school side, Pentleigh and Essendon Grammar (PEGS);
• 2010 – Toy has played three games for the Gold Coast in the VFL and has been named in the best twice. Toy is playing most of his footy with his school side PEGS, as he completes his schooling in Melbourne. Toy will move to the Gold Coast in November this year, after he has completed his Year 12 exams.

For those of you unfamiliar with the private school football competition in Melbourne, let me tell you that it is a very strong competition. The majority of Melbourne metropolitan draftees play in this competition in Years 11 and 12. Toy first played First XVIII football for PEGS when he was in Year 8, which is truly remarkable.

Having played the majority of his junior career across half back, let’s hope we can select Toy as a defender in 2011. If this is an option, I expect Toy to be inserted into over 50% off all dreamteams in 2011.

Good luck in your finals this week!

Dane Swan

2010 avg: 123.8

Avg last five: 137.4

Last five vs. Geel: 100.6

Originally I wrote down on this page, “If you have Dane Swan, pick Dane Swan.” But then I thought I better back that up and you can actually make a case against him this week. First of all, he’s playing against Geelong and he hasn’t cracked the ton the last two times he’s played them (Round 9 this year and the Prelim last year). He had three straight tons before that and has scored four tons against them in nine games.

It’s a big game and I think Swanny will lift. He’s in ridiculous form, even though some may have been slightly disappointed with his 114 last week. He’s still the man, if you ask me, but I wouldn’t blame you for casting an eye elsewhere this week.

Gary Ablett

2010 avg: 119.2

Avg last five: 110.2

Last five vs. Coll: 117.2

All of GAJ’s above numbers look pretty good. Not eye popping captain stuff, but still pretty good. He’s scored five straight tons against the Pies, but really, a ton isn’t the benchmark that it was 2-3 years ago. His last two weeks have shown a real return to form with back to back 120+ games.

I’d be surprised if he failed here and I reckon he’s just starting to warm up after ‘coasting’ through the middle stages of the season.

Paul Chapman

2010 avg: 115.5

Avg last five: 110.4

Last five vs. Coll: 108.4

I wasn’t going to include Chappy this week, but there’s a case to be made. His last three games against Collingwood have been for 152, 130 and 107 (129.7). He looked very proppy last week though, so ultimately I’m giving him the Leigh Montagna steer clear this week. Of course, some of you may not be as concerned about him breaking down, so I just thought it was worth mentioning how well he’s done against Collingwood lately. They don’t really have a good match up for him.

Matthew Boyd

2010 avg: 117.6

Avg last five: 131.6

Last five vs. Adel: 89.6

What a superstar this man has been lately. He’s second only to Dane Swan on the five week average and has been absolutely lighting DT up. He’s also currently enjoying an eight game streak of 30+ disposal games (including the first 40 of his career last week). He tackles like a maniac too and those things are DT gold.

One thing to contrast though is his average record against Adelaide. He’s never really chopped them up. He’s had three tons and a high of 127, but something has to give here. Will it be his current amazing form, or will it be his poor record against Adelaide? Given that he wins his own ball and Adelaide’s contested game hasn’t looked great lately, I’d back him in to rack up a whopper this week. Personally he’d be my second choice behind Swan.

Leigh Montagna

2010 avg: 113.6

Avg last five: 115

Last five vs. Port: 102.8

First of all, it should be noted that his five week average includes an in-game injury that saw him score 68, so he’s in much better form than that. After what look like a pretty painful injury the week prior, I thought Monty looked OK against Essendon last week…you know, considering his team was rubbish. A 110 was a pretty good return, all things considered.

I’m pretty high on him this week to bounce back with a 120+.

Adam Goodes

2010 avg: 96.2

Avg last five: 122.4

Last five vs. Hawks: 109

Adam Goodes on the run home can never be ignored. He’s an absolute star in the second half of the year and he’s not let us down again. His lowest score in the past four weeks is 116 and he loves playing the Hawks. Last week I snuck him into this list as a bit of a smoky, but this week I consider him up there jostling for third spot with Ablett.

He scored 87 against the Hawks earlier this year, but that was before he hit his straps. He’s now belting those straps mercilessly, so you’d have to consider him.

Other notes

• Hodge has never scored a ton against Sydney.
• Even though key forwards have a good record against Sydney, Buddy doesn’t.
• Goddard has a terrible record against Port.
• Pendlebury doesn’t have a great record against Geelong, but his mo looks sick.
• I looked for a smoky this week, but no one’s record really stands out against their opposition – I looked at Green, Stanton, Sylvia, Watson, Lake, Cross. I wasn’t wrapped with Selwood or Hayes either, nothing that could have me recommend them over the featured six options.

With the finals now on our doorstep, everyone will find themselves in a variety of different circumstances – whether you have made the top four, just missed it, or are sitting outside the eight, you will be working on your own strategies to deal with the next month – a month which will build to that one day in August – the dream team grand final.

As well as everyone having different finishing positions, everyone will also find themselves with varying amounts of trades. We have talked many times on this site about the ‘ideal number’ of trades, but whether you have stormed in with six or limped in with one, you must use them all very wisely. The first issue that will test coaches will be player resting, which will likely happen over the next month or so. Fortunately, the Saints and Hawthorn losses on the weekend will make it very hard for them to rest any players, just as Freo and the Bulldogs will be needing to win every match to snare fourth spot. Collingwood and Geelong on the other hand are another story – whilst Collingwood may play around a bit with their lineup, I can’t imagine them really resting too many stars since they far from have top spot sealed. Geelong is the real DT enemy this year – they have already forecast resting Enright, Chapman and Ablett, after already resting Podsiadly and Bartel this week. We as coaches are going to have to think very long and hard about what to do if one of our stars is put out for a week through finals, and I think it will differ depending on where you sit on the finals table;

• If you are in the top four, and have bench cover, you can certainly consider saving a trade. I probably wouldn’t trade if your opposition the rested player too, but would certainly consider it if you are going in as the underdog.
• If you are ranked 5-8 (whether in the top or bottom league), I would probably trade unless if you have very good bench cover (i.e. a mid priced player who could score 80+ points). You have no second chance here so you need to go in with the best team possible.

When trading in players in the finals series, suddenly trading strategies become a bit different. When through the season, trading in a Swan, Ablett or Montagna are all good picks, it can be worth looking at who your main opposition has in their team. If all of the top four have Ablett and Swan, what is the point of trading them in? All that you will do it match them point for point when ideally you want to be beating them. Look to less common players like Boyd, Tuck, Hayes, Cross or Corey to give you an edge on the opposition. Whilst your player may not outscore theirs, it is a risk worth taking at this time of year. Over the next three weeks, my ‘Who’d You Rather’ article will focus on these less common picks.

This above point can also be made about Captain choices. I know some coaches who intentionally try to pick the same captain as their opposition every week – this is simply just not backing your own judgement and it certainly won’t help you win matches. Whilst Swan is probably going to be the best captain choice through the finals, why wouldn’t you select an in-form Montagna, Goddard, Chapman or Hodge who may be able to give you an extra 20-30 points? Swan only got 114 points on the weekend to Boyd’s 145, proving that the great Dane is not always going to be the BEST option for you every week (make sure to read Dan’s Wednesday article on Captain choices for hints and advice!).

I have already spoken about trades, but to go back over it, I want to remind you to use ALL of your trades! This probably sounds laughable to all the people limping in with one or two, but there is a chance of getting to the final week with one or two still in hand. Whether this means using the spare trades to upgrade your 7^th forward or defender, or possibly just upgrading on your bench, it won’t harm your finals aspirations in any way. And by this same theory, if you are in an elimination final, throw everything you have at it – remember that if you lose this game your season will be over.

At the end of the day, I think there is one rule more important in dream team than any other – and that is showing off, talking yourself up, rubbishing your mates team and being anything but humble in either victory or defeat. It has been a long season and we have finally hit the business end – I must comment that it has been a thoroughly enjoyable year on Footy Tragic. I can speak on behalf of the rest of the boys when I say that we have really appreciated the comments, feedback and ‘robust discussion’ on the site this year and can’t wait to show you the bigger and better site layout that has been in development all year (hence some occasionally short articles!) – hopefully we can get it online before the season closes.

Best of luck to you all over this next month and keep the comments flying – great to hear how everyone is doing in their own personal leagues!

Expert: Dan
Team: Hank Scorpio EDT
Current Ranking: 2,040
Round 18 Score: 2,176
Trades Remaining: 3
Team Changes This Week: None

Expert: Toby
Team: Fiora’s Hardnuts
Current Ranking: 1,629
Round 18 Score: 2,141
Trades Remaining: 2
Team Changes This Week:
In: Nick Riewoldt, Dylan McNeil
Out: James Podsiadly, Luke Shuey

Expert: Ben
Team: The Redbacks
Current Ranking: 917
Round 18 Score: 2,145
Trades Remaining: 5
Team Changes This Week: None

St.Kilda vs Essendon:

Looking Good:

• Jobe Watson: As usual, he cut a swathe through the Saints midfield, and despite carrying an injury into the game, he totally dominated. He racked up 30 disposals, 7 marks and 5 tackles for the game at his hard-at-it best.
• Heath Hocking: Hocking was brilliant down back, holding Riewoldt to only two goals. Not only that, but he ran off him and repeatedly beat him one-on-one, finishing with 30 possessions and 9 marks for the game.
• Jason Gram: Gram is now finally back at his ball-winning best, racking up 35 disposals playing as a backline sweeper – more a role which he played in 2008 to much effect. He will get plenty of the ball playing here and is currently priced to clear!

Disappointing:

• Sam Fisher: Suffered the forward tag from Monfries and was not only held pretty quiet, but was also pretty well beaten by his man, with Monfries kicking four goals for the game.
• Kyle Hardingham: After a super debut last week where he kicked four goals, he was much quieter against the Saints, kicking just two goals from limited disposals. He should stay in the team, but it has proven his is not quite the next Barlow as some have suggested.
• Tom Lynch: This isn’t meant to be ‘pick on the new kid,’ but I was less than impressed by Lynch’s debut. I, more than anyone, was excited about his debut game, but he just looked lost on the field for large chunks of the game, missing a couple of gimmes, as well as letting his direct opponent, Fletcher, rack up 24 disposals as one of the best players on ground. Will hopefully get another chance but I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

Blip on the Radar:

• Michael Hurley: Hurley was solid down back, but plenty of his stats came uncontested in the Bomber’s backline. He proved in 2009 that he could be a good dream teamer, but this sort of game appears to be a bit of a blip on the radar to what he has typically been scoring in 2010 in similar roles.

Collingwood vs Carlton:

Looking Good:

• Scott Pendlebury: After a bit of a slow start, Pendlebury really turned it on through the middle, chopping up the Blues midfield on his way to 34 touches. I’m sure I have said it before, but Pendles is fast becoming a DT star in 2010, after being more predominantly a Supercoach selection in years past.
• Dayne Beams: I love the forward role that he plays – he is fantastic at receiving the ball around the flanks, then it is not so much his goal kicking that stands out, but his forward entries – he is brilliant at hitting his teammates on the chest again and again. Hence, he will continue to get the ball delivered to him, allowing him to rack up big DT numbers like this one.
• Alan Didak: Didak’s form has been great recently and he continued it here in full force, kicking two goals from his 31 disposals. The real bonus with Didak is his love of kicking the ball, meaning most disposals are worth 3 points to you rather than 2.

Disappointing:

• Eddie Betts: Betts never got into the game and kicked his solitary goal when it was all over. He has been in good form this year, but can be as inconsistent as buggery!
• Andrew Carrazzo: Attempted a tag job on Swan but was simply wasting his time. Unfortunately, he forgot to get much of the ball for himself, only finishing on 18 touches for the game.
• Paul Bower: Bower owners would have been happy when he started the game strongly, leading the way at the 10 minute mark of the first quarter, but unfortunately he did very little after that, scoring just the 10 points after half time, further ridiculing those who picked him.

Blip on the Radar:

• Chris Johnson: Like many of his teammates around him, I thought Johnson was quite average. He has shown very little since famously crossing over from the Blues at the end of 2008. He plays roles in the backline and on the wing and in this game was able to pick up a bit of ball. Don’t rely on him to do it frequently, nor should you be expecting him to consistently hold his spot in the team.

Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn:

Looking Good:

• Jay Shultz: Shultz was sensational up forward, marking everything that came his way, including plenty that will feature on the week’s highlights reel. He finished the game with four goals, all of which came at key stages of the match.
• Justin Westhoff: Not wanting to be out-done, Westhoff’s marking was equally thrilling, with a really strong set of hands and a large wingspan both features of his arsenal. He only kicked one goal, but set up plenty more with his work around CHF. Looks like having a true breakout year and could really be anything if he puts his mind to it.
• Domenic Cassisi: Cassisi did the same thing that he does every week – plenty of contested ball, stacks of tackles and a bonus goal. He has had a great season and is really taking leadership of the side, especially since the arrival of Primus. Will go head-to-head with Lenny Hayes next week which will be an awesome battle.

Disappointing:

• Luke Hodge: Hodge finished with 18 disposals for the game but none of them had any effect on the game. He simply couldn’t break the Kornes tag and got very little support from his teammates.
• Jarryd Roughead: Roughy looked back in form last week against the Saints, but just couldn’t get near it this week, being well held by youngster Trengove. He shouldn’t be a DT option to consider anyway.
• Nathan Krakouer: This was Krakouer’s first game back from injury and it certainly showed. He didn’t want to work hard to get anywhere and is practically a write-off as an option for the rest of the season.

Blip on the Radar:

• Brent Renouf: Renouf had a game out of the box, kicking two goals and featuring as one of Hawthorn’s best midfielders for the game. This could be a sign of things to come, yet not necessarily this year.

Sydney vs Geelong:

Looking Good:

• Steve Johnson: Stevie booted a very accurate six goals straight from 25 touches and looks to be back into some form after missing a few games with suspension. The worry is whether his inconsistency virus will hit again mid-finals. At least we know he won’t be rested thanks to his recent suspension.
• Gary Ablett: His revised role of midfielder/forward seems to be revitalizing him a bit by allowing him to spend time hunting his own ball up forward. He finished here with three goals, whilst his 29 touches were certainly serviceable.
• Adam Goodes: Continued his recent good form, booting another three goals and picking up 22 disposals playing predominantly as a forward. His run through the middle over the past few weeks certainly seems to have revitalised him and hopefully he can carry this form through the finals.

Disappointing:

• Rhyce Shaw: Played mainly forward again but had absolutely no effect on the contest, finishing with just 9 disposals.
• Heath Grundy: After looking like he has returned to DT form over the past few weeks, Grundy has returned to his defensive ways, killing his point scoring once again. Bugger.
• Paul Chapman: Whilst he was far from shocking, a knock to Chappy’s knee early in the game saw him struggle a bit throughout. What are the chances he will sit week one of the finals on the sidelines AGAIN!?

Blip on the Radar:

• Cameron Mooney: Mooney is a good player – a good player made to look better thanks to the team he plays for. Ideally, playing for Geelong he should be able to kick 3-5 goals a game and average around 90 DT points, but it is just not him – never has been, never will be. Occasionally he will have a big game or two, but it should be far from expected.

Brisbane vs Melbourne:

Looking Good:

• Colin Sylvia: Sylvia was terrific once again! Finally those who have held tight through a long season are reaping the rewards. He once again played through the middle and rested up forward, helping himself to 31 touches, 9 marks, 8 tackles and 2 goals for the game.
• Mitch Clark: Spent little time up Ruck and moved up forward when Fev injured himself early. Whilst he only kicked three goals, he did get plenty of the ball, ending up with 28 disposals and 12 marks.
• Tom Rockliff: He needs another mention for getting another DT ton. Despite giving away two very costly penalties late in the game, he otherwise had a great day, picking up 30 disposals and 5 tackles for the game. Vossy loves him and he shouldn’t miss any of the remaining rounds barring injury.

Disappointing:

• Xavier Clarke: You had to feel for the guy when he pulled his hamstring only a quarter into his comeback match from an ACL injury. Clarke has a horrible history of hammy injuries and if Voss was smart he wouldn’t play him again this year.
• Jonathan Brown: Brown briefly looked like he was going to fire his team for a big win but he unfortunately waned along with the rest of his team. He seems to be improving, but at no huge pace unfortunately.
• Liam Jurrah: Looks to still be adjusting to the pace of the game with a limited fitness base. He is still in Melbourne’s best-22, but don’t be expecting any huge hauls between now and the end of the season.

Blip on the Radar:

• Jared Rivers: Floated around the backline, mainly playing on Clarke who enjoyed floating in and out of the attack, often leaving Rivers unattended. He finished with 12 marks for the game – most of which were uncontested – a clear sign that he won most of his points through kick-to-kick.

Richmond vs Adelaide:

Looking Good:

• Shane Tuck: Tucky did what he did best – won sh#t-loads of ball whilst also tagging Thompson. Whilst Thompson still had a good game, Tuck himself finished with 33 touches and 10 tackles. If you dare pick him he is a super DTer.
• Chris Newman: Showed his young opponent, Jaensch absolutely no respect, zoning off him at every opportunity, working himself to 26 possessions in the backline.
• Bernie Vince: Vince was Adelaide’s best and was for once given little opposition attention, allowing him to reach such a lofty number. He is becoming better at winning his own ball and finished with 26 touches for the game.

Disappointing:

• Ricky Henderson: After several sizeable scores in a row we are beginning to count on him for similar numbers, so when he doesn’t produce them he is therefore ‘disappointing.’ Was going well til half time when he took a knock to the leg – he played on, but with much less effect.
• Kurt Tippett: Well… that good form he appeared to be coming into seems to have left him pretty quick. Another solitary goal in a losing Adelaide team.
• Ben Nason: Nason typically thrives in the wet, but just couldn’t get into the game at any stage. Bobbed up late for a behind, but that was about all we saw of him for the match.

Blip on the Radar:

• Scott Stevens: Stevens got the pleasure of manning first gamer, Hicks, meaning that he was regularly left to rack up plenty of ball. Typically he is a dour defender and nothing more, but the inexperience of his opponent allowed him to find plenty more cheap kicks.

Melbourne vs Sydney:

Looking Good:

• Matthew Boyd: Boyd plodded along til half time when he absolutely exploded, racking up 93 points in the second half alone. As usual, he dictates his own stats sheet, winning all of his own ball. He is in super form, Captain form in fact. He is the mid you want if you are chasing one at the moment!
• Brian Lake: Lake matched himself up on Wright and it was no surprise he chopped. He finished with another whopping 15 marks and 27 touches.
• Sam Wright: Wright was Lake’s direct opponent and he used the space allowed to him to the best of his ability. He ended with two goals and racked up 21 disposals in his best game for the year.

Disappointing:

• Lindsay Thomas: Thomas battled again and had no effect on the game. It is such a shame after we saw what he can be capable of a few weeks ago.
• Shaun Higgins: Although scoring 73 points, Higgins was the fourth lowest scorer for the Bulldogs. His form this year has simply not been consistent enough – he too regularly scores around 70 points and never much more. A real shame after such a good breakout season last year.
• Ryan Bastinac: Brad Scott showed that Bastinac was out of favour by dropping him in the lead up to this game, but he got his recall when Campbell was a late withdrawal. Unfortunately, his form was lacking and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was dropped again for next week.

Blip on the Radar:

• Sam Wright: Unfortunately, he won’t be playing on Lake every week. Therefore don’t be expecting too many tons from the kid for the remaining rounds. He is a good future prospect though.

Fremantle vs West Coast:

Looking Good:

• Greg Broughton: Broughton played the majority of the game through the midfield and he was easily able to transfer his ball-winning ability into the role, racking up 31 possessions and 7 tackles for the game. I really like him as an option on the home stretch for those in need of a defender.
• Hayden Ballantyne: Plays both forward and through the middle and each with significant zip and good ball-winning ability. He finished with 6 goals straight and was stiff not to win the BOG medal that was given to 211.
• Matthew Pavlich: Pav really looked like he was hitting some form, finally marking balls in the forward line and kicking goals from 65m out. He is also really strong in the clearances, winning plenty of his own ball. Although he is apparently underdone, he still came away with 19 possessions and four goals.

Disappointing:

• Chris Masten: Masten was poor, again. West Coast are apparently building a future around this kid, but his work rate, nor ball winning ability is up to scratch. Finished with just seven disposals.
• Anthony Morabito: Was pretty average and seemed quite undisciplined on a couple of occasions. He seemed like he didn’t want to be out there today – strange for a kid in his first year.
• Dean Cox: Cox did finish on 79 points, but his start to the game was poor, attaining just 16 points in the first half. He managed to junk it up a bit in the second half, but please don’t consider trading him in!

Blip on the Radar:

• Matt de Boer: de Boer played probably his best game for the club up forward – most of his possessions were deadly accurate and he managed to set up plenty of attacks. However, this is not the time of year to start jumping on mid-priced kids who are showing a bit of improvement. Look to 2011 if you fancy him, but steer well clear at the moment.