Footy Tragic

Dear Footy Tragics,

I am going to add an extra feature to my weekly wrap from this week – the ‘blip on the radar’ player from the game – this is the player who may have scored highly in this round, but you should not trade in due to the fact he will never get close again this year. Also, please note that this wrap obviously does not include today’s Hawthorn vs Geelong game, which will be added this evening

Also, be sure to register on Footy Tragic so you will be the first to know when we release our new-look webpage, as well as when we announce the new exciting articles for 2010!

Carlton vs Brisbane:

Looking Good:

• Jonathan Brown: Was absolutely dominant, especially late in the game when it was there to be won. He has now kicked 12 goals for the year and is looking incredibly fit. Fev has become the ultimate decoy for Brown and he is looking better for Fev being there – I can’t see this form waning anytime soon, such is his dominance!
• Marc Murphy: Really turned it on in the third quarter and nearly won the game for the Blues off his own boot. He is looking much fitter than I expected for this time of year (due to his poor pre-season) and is already looking a great pick-up.
• Jared Brennan: Second week in a row my boy has chopped through the midfield. He reminds me a lot of Brendon Goddard with his ability through the middle, but he is able to drop back for a mark or go forward and kick a few goals. He could be elite by season’s end so now is the time to get him!

Disappointing:

• Brendan Fevola: He was never going to be as dominant with a player such as Jonathon Brown playing as his CHF. Brown is still the Lions focal point in the forward line, and rightly so – Fev just does not work hard enough at ground level – if he doesn’t mark it, he practically stops trying.
• Mitch Clark: With Leuenberger in the side, Clark’s time on ground and also in the ruck is much less than 2009. His versatility is his weakness – due to his ability to play anywhere on the ground, but the fact Leuenberger is more exclusively a ruckman, Clark will spend less time on the ball and more time in a key position. Even when he does drop in price in a few weeks, I couldn’t justify the spend unless Leuenberger was to go down.
• Andrew Walker: One of those players who could have been anything, but his poor disposal has seen him relegated to shut-down roles (much like Carrazzo in 2009). This totally discounts him from DT in 2010 unless you hear otherwise!

Blip on the Radar:

• Daniel Merrett: Whilst 63 isn’t fantastic, it certainly bellies his price – but one must always remember why he is this price! He is the Lions full back, and I would put money on this being his highest score of the year – it was simply effect of the Lions using him to switch the ball on too many occasions.
• Setanta O’hAilpin: May score some large scores this year, but not enough to value a trade – he has been in the system far too long now to be relied upon for improvement. And whilst Fev’s exit may see him given more responsibility, more often than not he will then get the side’s best defender.

Collingwood vs Melbourne:

Looking Good:

• Mark Jamar: Well done to Dan for tipping Jamar’s improvement in 2010 – whilst he won’t become a Cox or Sandilands replica this year, he looks to be one of the best valued mid-price ruckman this year. He comprehensively beat Jolly in the ruck and around the ground. Works really hard and got a fair bit of the ball himself.
• Scott Pendlebury: One of only a couple of decent Pies – his class stood out with the ball, but the thing he should really hold his hat on is his tackling – he racked himself up a team high nine tackles.
• Jordie McKenzie: Showed that last week was no fluke, again finishing the game with 12 tackles (that’s 48 points worth!!!). At his age he will still throw in an odd shocker or two, but at his price, that won’t matter at all. His price is about to go skyward, so jump on now if you are interested!
• Ricky Petterd: Was great all day up forward, booting four goals and continually presenting well. In his third year, he will begin to assert himself as one of the team’s young leaders. I’m expecting a fair amount of improvement from him this year.

Disappointing:

• Darren Jolly: Second week in a row the big man has given nothing to his owners, nor his new club. He was easily beaten again in the ruck and around the ground. It seems like a form issue (not a change of scenery one), so the question remains as to whether he can get back into any sort of form.
• Luke Ball: May have scored OK, but coaches who thought it was going to be a new Luke Ball should consider this – he still can’t kick 20 metres, he is still slow, and he is still getting only 60% game-time. And to rub salt in the wounds, talk has already begun regarding his spot in the team…
• Michael Newton: It wasn’t awfully surprising, but he did absolutely stuff-all in his first game of the season. Won’t hold his spot and would be lucky to feature again.

Blip on the Radar:

• Harry O’Brien: Due to the fact I only started this part of the article this week, I hold the right to go back to round one – Harry scored 97 points against the Dogs last week, but it is a score you won’t be seeing again in a hurry – he is a great player, but he is no ball-winner. He will get 10-15 touches a game, but that’s not enough for your DT!

St.Kilda vs North Melbourne:

Looking Good:

• Nick Riewoldt: The Saints Captain was simply amazing – he presented well, marked bravely and finished with a deserved seven goals straight. This game was just further justification to those who don’t have him as to why you NEED him in your team.
• Brendon Goddard: Played across the whole ground, but spent most of him game playing as a CHF and kicked himself four goals. He is a brilliant player, and as proven by the Roos, he is very hard to shut down due to his versatility.
• Leigh Montagna: Was the highest disposal winner on the ground and his work both inside and outside the packs was amazing. He looks set for another very big year, after a breakout last year!
• Nick DalSanto: The beauty of having DalSanto in your dream team is his ability to win both inside ball and outside ball, but also his newfound love of tackling. To add to all this, he kicks the ball far more than he handballs it, equalling a much bigger score for his coaches.
• Todd Goldstein: The big guy was one of the best for the Roos – he played both in the ruck and rested in defence as a loose-man, meaning for high point-scoring possibilities. He showed last year how big his potential is and I expect we will see more of it this year.

Disappointing:

• Adam Pattison: To be a full-forward in a team that kicked 23 goals, but to have kicked none yourself is reason to be worried. He did play a very unselfish game, but it would have been nice to see at least a couple of goals from the big man in his St.Kilda debut.
• Jack Ziebell: Had the tough task of playing on Lenny Hayes and was clearly beaten by a much bigger, stronger player. He did at least give his all at every contest and was one of the few Roos still pushing late in the last quarter. Don’t get rid of him as I’m sure there are plenty of big games ahead of him.
• Brent Harvey: Was taken right out of the game by Clinton Jones, who restricted him to just five possessions (the equal least on the ground). To make matters worse, he was reported in the last quarter due to frustration. He should bounce back, but the worry is that he has never been a player capable of breaking tags, and with no teammates in amazing form, he will likely be getting it most weeks.

Blip on the Radar:

• Brady Rawlings: Rawlings isn’t a DT slouch, but 122 far outweighs his usual capabilities. Do not trade him in for the sake of this game due to his immense inconsistencies – he did play this game well as a rebounding defender, but Brad Scott has made his intentions known – that he wants the kids to be given the most responsibility – so this means that Rawlings is every chance to being relegated to deeper in defence later in the year.

Port Adelaide vs West Coast:

Looking Good:

• Adam Selwood: For all those who listened to me pre-season and picked up Adam Selwood, you have now been well rewarded two weeks in a row! He took his game to a new level in the second half of last year and looks to be doing the same in 2010! Still a bargain at $388k, so jump on now if you have the cash!
• Jason Davenport: Had a stunning last quarter, practically winning the game for Port with his four goals. He is another player who gets many of his points from tackling and it could give him a chance to further improve this year.
• Justin Westhoff: For all those who took the massive risk by picking him pre-season, I salute you! Clearly after this game the selection has paid off with Westhoff spending most of his time up the ground – sometimes even as an on-baller! Hopefully this form can continue.
• Beau Waters: Whilst not spectacular, his game was very solid. He held his man well in defence and was always composed with the ball in his hand. He looks to have gained some real maturity with his time on the sidelines, and here’s hoping he stays injury free as at his current price, he looks to be a steal!

Disappointing:

• Matthew Spangher: I thought he was by far the worst player on the ground – continually fell over or turned over the ball. Has been a DT smokey for a few years now – unfortunately, it seems he is still no good.
• Dean Cox: Is still carrying the injuries that ended his 2009 season and forced him to miss this year’s pre-season. He is terribly underdone and performing accordingly – hold far off until you are sure he is back to the Cox of old, if that even happens.
• Domenic Cassisi: Typically, Cassisi can be relied upon as one of the few consistent Port players, and that is why it is surprising to see him have a stinker. He was tagged well out of the game by Selwood, which surely won’t happen too much with Pearce’s form.

Blip on the Radar:

• Troy Chaplin: As a floating defender, this game suited Chaplin perfectly, allowing him to take plenty of uncontested marks and kicks. Don’t get too excited though – any team that provides more frontal pressure than West Coast (which will be plenty since they played no small forwards) will force him to be more accountable and therefore stop him from getting so much ball.

Sydney vs Adelaide:

Looking Good:

• Ryan O’Keefe: Was great again through the midfield, racking up not only the disposals, but also tackles and goals. Adelaide did attempt to tag him in patches, but his ability to play up forward made this very hard for them – this to me proves even more how valuable he is in your dream team.
• Ben McGlynn: His ability to find space was amazing, although it may have had something to do with the fact he was ALWAYS left on his own in the forward line by Doughty and Young. Looked good, but I’d take his score with a grain of salt due to how little was done about him, even when he started firing early in the first quarter.
• Patrick Dangerfield: Was quiet mostly until the third quarter when he turned it on, kicking five goals. He played most of his time up forward and did present well – five goals against the Swans is nothing to be scoffed at, especially in a losing side! I worry that this won’t become as regular when Chris Knights returns.
• Mark Seaby: Easily the dominant ruckman on the ground and looked the best I have ever seen him. I was hesitant in the pre-season due to his lack of aggression or urgency, but he had plenty of both in this game. Whilst 127 would be a bit much to expect on a normal day (he played a lot of kick-to-kick), he will certainly make you a lot of cash!

Disappointing:

• Kurt Tippett: I feel bad singling Tippett out due to his lack of support, but that is exactly the problem – with Adelaide missing so many first choice forwards (or those that are playing are underdone), it is easy for the opposition to focus on Tippett. To his owners, yes he has started slow, but I advise holding onto him – remember why you chose him initially – he is still young and is only going to get better!
• Brett Burton: This was his first game of the year and it certainly looked like it – he was terribly out of touch and dropped many marks. At his age he is now much slower, but also looks to have lost his leap – those looking for a forward bargain out of him, look elsewhere.
• Daniel Bradshaw: Now he knows how Barry Hall felt – as the main forward target of the Swans, he is constantly double-teamed, and whilst he fights on admirably, he is never going to score as highly as when he had Jono Brown playing alongside him!

Blip on the Radar:

• Tadhg Kennelly: This is another player who’s round one score I will be quoting; despite the awful amount of hype in DT circles surrounding Kennelly’s return to AFL in 2010, it does not change the fact that Kennelly is NOT A DREAM TEAMER! Yes, he is a great footballer with a great kick on him, but he has never averaged more than 66 DT points in a season. So do not be expecting high scores from him week-in, week-out. His round two score of 59 is much more what is to be expected – sorry…

Essendon vs Fremantle:

Looking Good:

• Michael Barlow: Barlow is already proving to be a DT king in just his second game of  AFL football – his ball winning ability is amazing, and he is proving to be quite a handy player too. If you don’t have him, you need him now before his price skyrockets – he is easily worth the trade!
• Aaron Sandilands: Proving to be the dominant ruckman of the competition this year with fellow big men Cox, Clarke, Hille etc all having poor starts to the season. He continually wins hit-outs and plenty of the ball – he is the 2010 ‘must have’ ruckman.
• Hayden Ballantyne: Has really stepped up this year as a high-pressure half-forward. He tackles hard and gets plenty of goals – I expect him to be one of the big improvers this year.
• Scott Gumbleton: It was great to see the big man play a much better game than last week, kicking two goals and presenting well. He did fade out in the second half, but today’s game was a real sign that he is going to be as good as Essendon expect.

Disappointing:

• Paul Duffield: He sacrificed his DT game for the good of his team, which I believe is total crap! Sat in the holes down back, meaning we didn’t get to see any of his penetrating run. Fingers crossed this is just a one off!
• David Hille: Took ages to get into the game (he was on only 8 points at half time!), and fortunately did do ok in the second half. But still, it was a worrying sign seeing him loping all over the ground. Due to the fact he is coming back from injury, he may take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things. Also, you don’t have to play on Sandilands every week!
• Patrick Ryder: Another ruckman who showed very little. Matthew Knights singled him out at the end of the game and commented on his poor form. The trouble will be matching the lofty standards he set for himself last year!

Blip on the Radar:

• Alex Silvagni: Was played all over the ground, much to the delight of his current coaches, but it won’t be a role we’ll see him in too much this year. At his price, there is no way I’ll tell you to avoid him, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket and pretend that he will be the next Broughton.

Western Bulldogs vs Richmond:

Looking Good:

• Lindsay Gilbee: Was the key playmaker for the Dogs, continually running out of defence with little opposition. His great foot skills will see him used again and again by his teammates as a go-to option.
• Shaun Higgins: Took some beating throughout the game and still ended up on a DT-ton. He played predominately as a midfielder with stints in the forward line. Really building on last year’s great form and is every chance to improve on it.
• Brodie Moles: Looked faultless in his first game, and was surprisingly trusted with the ball (surprising due to the fact it was his first game) a huge amount for someone for his experience. Will only get better with more confidence, but he won’t play Richmond every week!
• Trent Cotchin: One of the better Tigers, he fought hard for the first three quarters (cramped up in the last) and was able to show that the club’s future is in good hands. He seems to think a second quicker than his teammates, and ironically it can often lead to turnovers as they aren’t ready for his disposal.

Disappointing:

• Barry Hall: Looked an angry man as he was given no love by his teammates all night. Was continually double and triple teamed by Richmond defenders, leading the Dog’s on-ballers to look for other options up forward.
• Troy Simmonds: Still looks like the game has passed him by – you would have to be stupid to pick this bloke up in your team.
• Jake King: King was played exactly where he should have been played – as a tagger, but unfortunately he had no effect on the game, let alone his opponent (Gilbee), who ran riot all night.

Blip on the Radar:

• Kelvin Moore: Moore is typically a shut-down defender, but as a senior player he seemed to be trusted more with the ball in his hands than many junior teammates. Don’t look for this high score to be repeated often, as most games he will be playing a purely dour role.

Hawthorn vs Geelong:

Looking Good:

• Jimmy Bartel: Was great again through the midfield and his 10 tackles really helped buffer his score! It is great to see him running through the middle again, and as we know, he is one of the most consistent dream teamers on the field.
• Gary Ablett: Again he got dominant amounts of possession, even though Hawthorn put a lot of work into him. Hopefully he can stay on the park for 22 games this year.
• Luke Hodge: Midfield again for Hodge, and set up plenty of their attacks with his piercing left boot. Looks in brilliant form.
• Sam Mitchell: Broke the lines a lot today, as well as winning the hard ball – a side of his game we typically don’t see too much of. I’m loving how much cheap ball he wins, so lock him in for a big DT year.

Disappointing:

• Campbell Brown: After playing a huge part in last weeks game, Brown barely featured in this one. Played a more defensive role, which really took his scoring down.
• Steve Johnson: Presented well, but was heavily harassed each time it went near him. Stevie J always gets off to slow starts, so watch for him to bottom out in a couple of weeks before shooting back up in price.
• Tom Hawkins: Played a reasonable game, but he just doesn’t get enough of the ball just yet – he is very good at chasing and harassing the opposition, but unfortunately this does not get you and DT points. He also loves to pass the ball off inside the 50m zone which is equally frustrating.

Blip on the Radar:

• Harry Taylor: Got plenty of the ball today from Scarlett and Enright as they set up the Cat’s run from defence, but this won’t happen every week. It must be remembered how differently Hawthorn set up their zone to everyone else, and it often means a lot of kick-to-kick in the opposition backline before they take it back out.

Brisbane Lions
B: Joel Patfull, Daniel Merrett, Ashley McGrath
HB: Jed Adcock, Matt Maguire, Travis Johnstone
C: Josh Drummond, Daniel Rich, Jared Brennan
HF: Luke Power, Jonathan Brown, Jack Redden
F: Brent Staker, Brendan Fevola, Justin Sherman
Foll: Mitch Clark, Michael Rischitelli, Simon Black
I/C: Cheynee Stiller, Andrew Raines, Matthew Leuenberger, Todd Banfield
Emg: Tom Rockliff, James Hawksley, Albert Proud

In: Stiller
Out: Amon Buchanan (thumb)

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

No change

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

In: Reid
Out: Simon Prestigiacomo (quad)

Melbourne
B: Jamie Bennell, Matthew Warnock, Lynden Dunn
HB: Jack Grimes, James Frawley, Joel Macdonald
C: Aaron Davey, Cameron Bruce, Nathan Jones
HF: James McDonald, Matthew Bate, Ricky Petterd
F: Tom Scully, Brad Green, Jack Trengove
Foll: Mark  Jamar, Jordie McKenzie, Brent Moloney
I/C: James Strauss, Jake Spencer, Michael Newton, Rohan Bail
Emg: Clint Bartram, Jordan Gysberts, Brad Miller

In: Newton, Bail
Out: Brad Miller, Jared Rivers (knee)

ST KILDA v NORTH MELBOURNE
St Kilda
B: Jason Gram, Zac Dawson, Sam Gilbert
HB: Steven Baker, Jason Blake, Brendon Goddard
C: Leigh Montagna, Clint Jones, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Andrew McQualter, Nick Riewoldt, Adam Schneider
F: James Gwilt, Michael Gardiner, Stephen Milne
Foll: Ben McEvoy, David Armitage, Lenny Hayes
I/C: Adam Pattison, Brett Peake, Farren Ray, Jarryn Geary
Emg: Alistair Smith, Robert Eddy, Steven King

In: Gardiner, Pattison
Out: Justin Koschitzke (suspended), Steven King

New: Adam Pattison (Richmond)

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

In: Jones, Grima
Out: Scott McMahon, Leigh Harding

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

In: S. Selwood, Spangher
Out: Mark LeCras (hamstring), Quinten Lynch

Port Adelaide
B: Jacob Surjan, Alipate Carlile, Troy Chaplin
HB: Nathan Krakouer, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek
C: Danyle Pearce, Domenic Cassisi, Jason Davenport
HF: Matt Thomas, Warren Tredrea, Brett Ebert
F: Cameron Hitchcock, Jay Schulz, Justin Westhoff
Foll: Dean Brogan, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
I/C: Jackson Trengove, Paul Stewart, Mitch Banner, Tom Logan
Emg: Jay Nash, Andrew Moore, Daniel Stewart

In: Chaplin, Logan
Out: Andrew Moore, Scott Harding

ADELAIDE v SYDNEY SWANS
Adelaide
B: Jared Petrenko, Ben Rutten, Brent Reilly
HB: Michael Doughty, Nathan Bock, Simon Goodwin
C: Myke Cook, Bernie Vince, David Mackay
HF: Patrick Dangerfield, Taylor Walker, Richard Douglas
F: Trent Hentschel, Kurt Tippett, Jason Porplyzia
Foll: Ivan Maric, Andrew McLeod, Nathan van Berlo
I/C (from): Scott Thompson, Jonathon Griffin, Tyson Edwards, Brett Burton, James Sellar, Tony Armstrong, Will Young

In: Burton, Maric, Porplyzia, Sellar, Young
Out: Scott Stevens (concussion), Rory Sloane (ankle)

New: Will Young (North Ballarat)

Sydney Swans
B: Craig Bolton, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Rhyce Shaw
HB: Martin Mattner, Heath Grundy, Nick Malceski
C: Jarrad McVeigh, Brett Kirk, Kieran Jack
HF: Ryan O’Keefe, Adam Goodes, Lewis Jetta
F: Jesse White, Daniel Bradshaw, Jarrad Moore
Foll: Mark Seaby, Jude Bolton, Ben McGlynn
I/C (from): Paul Bevan, Josh Kennedy, Tadhg Kennelly, Dan Hannebery, Shane Mumford, Ted Richards, Nick Smith

In: Bevan, Hannebery, Smith
Out: -

ESSENDON v FREMANTLE
Essendon
B: Heath Hocking, Cale Hooker, Henry Slattery
HB: Tatye Pears, Dustin Fletcher, Ricky Dyson
C: Courtenay Dempsey, Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton
HF: Jason Winderlich, Scott Gumbleton, Brent Prismall
F: Alwyn Davey, Patrick Ryder, Angus Monfries
Foll: David Hille, Mark McVeigh, Andrew Welsh
I/C (from): Mark Williams, David Myers, Jason Laycock, Kyle Reimers, Jay Neagle, David Zaharakis, Ben Howlett

In: McVeigh, Laycock, Myers
Out: -

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

In: Fyfe, Dodd, Bradley
Out: -

New: Nathan Fyfe (Claremont)

RICHMOND v WESTERN BULLDOGS
Richmond
B: Shane Edwards, Kelvin Moore, Chris Newman
HB: Mitch Farmer, Luke McGuane, Will Thursfield
C: Dustin Martin, Brett Deledio, Ben Nason
HF: Tom Hislop, Jack Riewoldt, Richard Tambling
F: Trent Cotchin, Mitch Morton, Robin Nahas
Foll: Troy Simmonds, Daniel Jackson, Adam Thomson
I/C (from): Tyrone Vickery, Daniel Connors, Jake King, Dean Polo, Jayden Post, Alex Rance, Jeromey Webberley

In: King, Polo, Post, Rance, Webberley
Out: Ben Cousins (knee soreness), Relton Roberts (club suspension)

New: Jeromey Webberley (Clarence)

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

In: Morris, Moles, Roughead
Out: -

New: Brodie Moles (Geelong Cats rookie list), Jordan Roughead (North Ballarat)

HAWTHORN v GEELONG CATS
Hawthorn
B: Grant Birchall, Josh Gibson, Tom Murphy
HB: Brent Guerra, Stephen Gilham, Rick Ladson
C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Xavier Ellis
HF: Michael Osborne, Ryan Schoenmakers, Rhan Hooper
F: Lance Franklin, Jarryd Roughead, Campbell Brown
Foll: Brent Renouf, Luke Hodge, Chance Bateman
I/C (from): Jarrod Kayler-Thomson, Jarryd Morton, Garry Moss, Carl Peterson, Cyril Rioli, Liam Shiels, Matthew Suckling

In: Rioli, Franklin, Bateman
Out: -

Geelong Cats
B: Josh Hunt, Matthew Scarlett, Harry Taylor
HB: Corey Enright, Tom Lonergan, Andrew Mackie
C: James Kelly, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Corey
HF: Steve Johnson, Tom Hawkins, Paul Chapman
F: Gary Ablett, Cameron Mooney, Shannon Byrnes
Foll: Brad Ottens, Cameron Ling, Joel Selwood
I/C (from): Mark Blake, Mitch Duncan, Ryan Gamble, David Wojcinski, James Podsiadly, Steve Motlop, Nathan Djerrkura

In: Gamble, Podsiadly, Djerrkura, Motlop
Out: Darren Milburn (hamstring)

New: Steven Motlop (Wanderers, NT), James Podsiadly (Geelong VFL)

Dear Footy Tragics,

The rookie list is widely acknowledged as a brilliant thing for AFL football. Many players who were overlooked for various reasons as 18 year olds have been given a second chance and grabbed that chance with both hands. Some of the best players in the competition and premium dreamteamers such as Brad Sewell, Matthew Boyd, Dean Cox and Aaron Sandilands have made their way into AFL footy courtesy of the rookie list. The AFL have now taken the rookie list a step further by allowing clubs to nominate a mature age rookie, giving players such as the 28 year old James Podsiadly from Geelong an opportunity to play AFL football in 2010.

As the rookie list expands, so too do the number of rookies being elevated to play senior AFL football. In Round 1, we saw the debuts of the following rookies: Michael Barlow, Fremantle (22 year old, $105,800 midfielder), Jarrod Kayler – Thomson, Hawthorn (24 year old, $77,800 midfielder), Alex Silvagni, Fremantle (22 year old, $77,800 defender), Ben Howlett, Essendon (21 year old, $77,800 defender), Cameron Hitchcock, Port Adelaide (19 year old, $97,800 forward) and Relton Roberts, Richmond (24 year old $77,800 forward).

From a dreamteam perspective, I see two distinct advantages with picking a rookie over a first year player who has come through the National Draft:

1 – Rookies are usually cheaper (Barlow and Hitchcock are slightly more expensive because they were selected at picks 8 and 12 in the rookie draft);

2 – These rookies are often in their early 20′s and therefore more advanced in their physical development when compared to 18 year olds in their first year of AFL footy.

Taking a closer look at my second point, the players I have mentioned above have had on average, 3 – 4 years experience playing senior VFL, SANFL, WAFL or QAFL football. Compare this to players such as Tom Scully, Melbourne ($157,500 midfielder), Gary Rohan, Sydney ($137,500 forward / midfielder) and John Butcher, Port Adelaide ($129,500 forward), who have all played almost exclusively against 17 and 18 year olds for the past two years. While I fully expect Scully, Rohan and Butcher to become quality AFL footballers in time, I don’t see any of them helping my dreamteam greatly in 2010.

We focus so much on the latest batch of draftees coming through the system, that we often ignore the fact that these 18 year olds are still boys, playing a brutal mans game. The exception to this rule is Dustin Martin, who already has the body of a 24 year old, but he is a freak of nature.

The perfect example last year is the number one draft pick Jack Watts. Watts was drafted as a 17 year old and he was still completing his VCE in 2009. The fact that he managed to play 3 games last year is a credit to him, but if you picked him in your dreamteam he was a wasted pick. Once again, I expect Watts to become a quality AFL player in time, but not in 2009 or 2010. We all love a first round draft pick in our dreamteams, but freaks like Joel Selwood, Daniel Rich and Dustin Martin are rare.

In conclusion, my advice is to embrace the mature aged rookie. The hard work and development has already been done at VFL, SANFL, WAFL or QAFL level in previous years. These rookies have worked and lived outside the AFL bubble and they appreciate how lucky they are to be full time professional footballers. They are so incredibly determined to succeed and work so hard, that they often produce immediate results. As an astute dreamteam coach, that should be music to your ears.

Good luck!

I have to admit I had a hard time figuring out what sort of player I should write about this week. I was thinking an underperforming premium might be a good idea – someone like Dean Cox to keep an eye on for a few weeks time, or an underpriced gun who performed well like Robert Murphy, but I don’t really want to be giving trade advice after Round 1.

Sure, Cox and Murphy are two guys to keep an eye on for different reasons if you don’t have them, but this week I just want to give props to a DT lord with only one game experience. Michael Barlow was amazing on debut and would be pretty stiff if he doesn’t poll three Brownlow votes from his first AFL match.

His ball winning capabilities were well known before the season started and his NAB Cup form indicated that he was going to find it at AFL level, so he was the most obvious rookie choice for me this year. I doubt there’d be many people who go to the extent of reading a site specifically for DT research that wouldn’t have him, so I’m sure we were all rejoicing each of his 33 touches as he cut up the Crows – I’m sure even the Crows fans were secretly psyched that he pumped out a 128 to pad their DT stats.

I’m sure I’m preaching to the wrong crowd here, because like I said, I’m sure pretty much everyone here would have him, but if you don’t, seriously, get around him! This massive score didn’t come from nowhere and for as much as I see scoring potential in Dustin Martin and Jack Trengove I was nervous watching them, because I wasn’t necessarily expecting them to chop straight away. I’m not just being a hindsight hero, but I was actually expecting Barlow to make a huge impression – though I must admit, not as much as he did!

His mature body and couple of years experience in the VFL has made the transition into AFL an easier one for him. Last year we saw how mature agers such as Greg Broughton and Liam Anthony came in and made a mockery of the competition. We can only hope that Barlow continues this form, because at what point would you upgrade him? All going well, you wouldn’t need to, but that’s obviously a very, very long way off. I mentioned before in the pre-season that you never bank on rookies being keepers, but if they do end up being that it’s to be considered a massive bonus that you hadn’t planning on.

OK, so we’ll basically all have him, so it kind of makes his scores redundant in a competitive sense, but at the very least he should make our scores look prettier. Generally for Player of the Week I’ll look for someone who could be a good trade in option (and oddly Barlow is only in 25% of teams). I really just wanted to give Barlow a hug after his score on the weekend, but I can’t do that, so I did the next best thing and wrote an article on his awesomeness.

Hi everyone.

We actually ran a similar poll to this in 2009. Considering however that we’ve had so much new traffic to the site in 2010, we thought it would be an ideal time to again pick your brains and get some further feedback.

Our registered users will know that we’re currently working on a complete site overhaul (and yes, the site will be more attractive on the eye!). We would love to hear your thoughts on how you believe Footy Tragic can improve moving ahead… So please vote and post your comments below.

Thanks to you all!