Footy Tragic

St.Kilda:

2010 Most Improved:

• James Gwilt – Gwilt has been nothing much more than a bit-part player for the Saints over his career, but this year a move to defence saw him totally revitalised. He played some very good games, not only beating his man one on one, but also providing some strong rebounds from defence. Gone are the days of his notorious brain fades.
• Ben McEvoy – McEvoy well and truly stepped up to the place of second ruck this year, displacing the seasoned Steven King from his spot. His strength is his work around the ground and up forward, but he is even becoming better at his ruckwork – the main flaw in his game to date.
• Brett Peake – Peake was a surprising choice for the Saints in the off-season and if it weren’t for Lovett’s sacking, we may never have seen him this year. He has played some good games for the Saints and has been much better at winning the contested ball than he was at Fremantle. Whilst he is still not the star that he once promised to be, his form has been good enough to keep the Saints happy with the pickup.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Justin Koschitzke – Kosi was really expected to step up when Riewoldt went down with an injury in round two, but he instead struggled with the extra attention. He has found a bit of form lately, but it hasn’t been the greatest year for the big guy overall.
• David Armitage – With Luke Ball moving on, Armo was highly expected to take his game to a new level this year, but he struggled again with inconsistency, meaning he found himself again playing at VFL level. Knee injuries sustained at this level then derailed his season further.
• Andrew Lovett – Many are talking about Fev’s trade being one of the worst in a long time, but this one surely isn’t far behind it! Lovett was sacked after two late night incidents and an apparent lack of effort on the track. He could have been what the Saints needed this year, but unfortunately we will now never know.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Nick Riewoldt – ‘Roo’ spent most of his season on the sidelines thanks to his hamstring tendon injury in round three. He has since returned strongly, but a few average games on his way back to fitness have certainly affected his average. He is a known star and a hugely consistent DTer, so his lowish price at the start of next year will mean you just about have to have him!

• Luke Miles – Miles played the last two games of the year for the Saints and looked like a really composed small defensive option. He came off the rookie list at the start of the year and is a very fast rebounding defender who has had good form in the VFL. A small defender to play alongside Baker is just what the Saints are really lacking – especially one with pace. So have a very close look at this kid prior to round one.
• Tommy Walsh – Tommy is St.Kilda’s Irish experiment, and whilst he didn’t play a game in 2010, there are big hopes he could be a success within the AFL. He was upgraded to the senior list in round 20, so is clearly in contention for a spot and his big body should see him capable at the highest level. In the VFL he has played between forward and back and has been in the best players multiple times. He could be the medium forward the Saints really crave.

Sydney:

2010 Most Improved:

• Kieren Jack – Jack has always been a tagger for Sydney, but was let off the leash in round 16 to instead be an attacking midfielder. And boy did he play some good footy in the last seven rounds – he won stacks of contested ball, kicking some great goals and really broke the lines. He averaged 107 points in this seven game period, compared to the 83 he averaged until then. There is no way he won’t be played in this role next year, so I for one am locking him in as soon as dream team opens for business!
• Daniel Hannebery –  Highly deserved his 2010 rising star award. He wasn’t just consistent, but also had some amazing games amongst them. He is great around the packs and loves a handball receive or two – he will certainly be both a great player and dream teamer of the future.
• Shane Mumford – After crossing from the Cats in the off-season, Mummy was forced to lead the Swans ruck division when Seaby injured himself in round six. He was great in the ruck, but also around the ground, with his tackling being a specific highlight as he averaged nearly five a game – great numbers for a ruckman!

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Daniel Bradshaw – Crossed to Sydney in the off-season and struggled for most of the year with knee injuries. The games he played were very good, but at his age, I doubt there is too much consistent football left in his body.
• Mark Seaby – Seaby was one of the biggest traps of the season, averaging 105 in the first two games before running off the rails with a pathetic average of 35 over the next four, including an in-game injury which finished him on just one point in round six – the ultimate kick in the teeth.
• Rhyce Shaw – After a strong 2009, Shaw’s 2010 season was pretty up and down – he did play some good roles for the team, but most of them were negating ones, meaning he often sacrificed his own DT score for the good of the team – what a bad bloke.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Kieren Jack – I talked him up above, and I want to second it – the kid is going to be a star and you will be happy when you jump on him prior to round one!
• Shane Mumford – Mummy had a great year, but a slow start and a late injury cost his scoring percentage, meaning he should the start next year at a great price for your second ruck. He should keep improving and he has proven that he can still play well even with a second ruckman in the side.
• Trent Dennis-Lane – TDL took a long time to debut, but when he finally did he looked very good. Although his first few games were pretty average as he got used to the pace of the game, his return to the team in round 19 saw him play the next four games for an average of 68 points, which included 12 goals. He should get even better next year thanks to the experience these few game gave him.

West Coast:

2010 Most Improved:

• Brad Ebert – Ebert had a really consistent season through the middle, and whilst he did fade late he will definitely poll in the top few for the club’s B&F. He was great both in and out of the contests and the size of Subi really appears to suit his game.
• Scott Selwood – Selwood’s season was like a snowball rolling down a hill – it started slowly, but as the season progressed it gathered more and more momentum, finally coming home with a bang. He continued on his tagging role, but played more through the midfield than in the backline as he has in previous years. Like his brother Adam, Scott has found the perfect balance between defensive and attacking football.
• Matt Rosa – I have really liked Rosa for a few years, although he never seemed to progress from his very good 2007 season. However, this year he looked to finally take that next step, playing all but the first two games and establishing himself as a key part of West Coast’s young midfield.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Dean Cox – Cox came into the season extremely underdone, still carrying injuries from last year and it was really obvious in his form-line, averaging just 67 points for the first four rounds. Unfortunately, he never particularly hit his straps, often showing glimpses of form before having another shocker the next week. A real disappointing season from one of the best DTers of the past few years.
• Chris Masten – Masten was another high draft pick who went into the season with plenty of DT buzz around him but he just couldn’t hit any sort of form. He averaged just 58 points for the first five rounds before injuring himself and missing the next seven games. For a mid priced player who was meant to make a bit of money for his owners, he ended up losing them over $80k through the year.
• Bradd Dalziell – Triple D is famous for his great first year of AFL footy at Brisbane, and after being traded to WCE in the off-season, there were plenty excited about what a career shake-up could do for the one-time ball winner. Unfortunately he managed just eight games with an 80-point average…

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Scott Selwood – His second half of the year was enough to prove that this kid is capable of being a DT jet, averaging 88 points since round 12. However, a low scoring first half of the season has seen his yearly average sit on just 70 points, meaning he could be a great mid-priced pick for next year.
• Shannon Hurn – Hurn has never been an amazing dream teamer – more just a great footballer with an average DT game. However, after a poor season riddled with injuries, his last couple of games saw him spend some time drifting through the midfield – if this is a sign of things to come, and a role we see him playing through the NAB cup, he could potentially be a huge improver.
• Koby Stevens – Stevens played just the five games for the Eagles, but showed in each of them that he is capable at the top level. He is a ball-winning midfielder and should be used alongside Priddis for most of next year as West Coast’s second blue-chip ball winner.

Western Bulldogs:

2010 Most Improved:

• Jarrad Grant – I must admit, Grant was one player I wrote off through the NAB cup after some pretty lazy and lost performances made him look way out of his depth at AFL level. However, he took to the season proper like a duck to water and was one of the better kids unearthed through the year. He is an exciting tall forward with plenty of flair about him and just screams ‘X-factor.’ His last game of the season saw him boot six goals straight – a sign of things to come perhaps.
• Brodie Moles – Delisted by Geelong last year and picked up by the Dogs in the off-season. By season’s end he was in the Dogs best 22 and a regular contributor to their strong midfield.
• Jordan Roughead – Appeared to overtake the maligned Will Minson for eight games this year and looked more than able for a kid of his size (typically talls take much longer to develop). He will only get better as his body continues to develop.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Jason Akermanis – Such a retched end to the career of such a highly regarded footballer, although he could hardly argue he didn’t bring most of it on himself. Some were surprised when he went around one more year, and as it seems it was probably the wrong decision.
• Ryan Hargrave – Hargrave was one of the premium defenders of dream team 2009, but this year he could hardly even count himself as one of the mid-ranged defenders after he scored over 100 on only four occasions. Played much more defensive football and it obviously hurt his DT.
• Lindsay Gilbee – Gilbee had some OK patches of football this year, but overall it was a disappointing season from a player who is typically a DT stud. His scoring was constantly flying up and down, frustrating even the most unflappable coaches.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Callan Ward – Ward’s 2009 season was enough to suggest he would be a future gun, but his 2010 season was wrecked by injuries. These injuries brought his average down to a paltry 61 points, meaning he will start 2011 dirt cheap compared to his abilities. If he has a full pre-season he could be a great pickup.
• Liam Jones – Jones played the last five games of the year and was highly impressive, playing as a half-forward alongside Grant. His scoring was only moderate, meaning a low 2011 price, but I reckon there should be enough potential improvement in his game next year for him to at least be considered.
• Shaun Higgins – Higgins is another Dog to have a season cruelled by injury – and certainly not the first time for him. There will be plenty of coaches scared off by his injury history, but I reckon there is enough talent in this kid to still at least consider him for a berth in your squad.

Melbourne:

2010 Most Improved:

• Tom Scully – There was much debate at the start of the year as to who was really the bigger talent out of Scully and Trengove and I believe that Scully made a clear point as to why he was the number one pick. As the year grinded on he didn’t stop and was a king at the clearances, whilst also working hard in space too. Will be a star, and I doubt we will have to wait too long to see that!
• Mark Jamar – Jamar was a real surprise packet this year – after being a player often ridiculed by Melbourne faithful and nearly traded last year for virtually nothing, Jamar really had a strong season – one which has seen his name appear on the list of 40 All-Australian nominations.

• Lynden Dunn – I may get some stick for not picking Trengove here, but I actually quite liked Dunn’s year (maybe I was wooed by his final game against North!). He has provided a really strong target up forward and looks intent on attacking every contest full on. From last year where he was a bit-part player with no obvious future at the club, I believe he has come a very long way in 2010.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Joel Macdonald – When he crossed from Brisbane in the off-season, I think there was plenty of coaches who saw him as a very good smokey for a big year – a senior player coming to a young squad would typically be expected to win a fair bit of ball. But unfortunately, he was pretty average for most of the season and seemed to be outplayed by many of Melbourne’s youngsters.
• Cale Morton – Morton was a hot pick to have a breakout year in 2010 – his junior stats are amazing and he is a known ball winner, but he faced long patches of poor form and often found himself dropped to the VFL this year – a real surprise from a top-3 draft pick who has immense amounts of talent.
• Matthew Bate – Bate was another player who many expected to have a big 2010 after finishing 2009 so strongly. But like the two names above him, he just didn’t seem dedicated enough to being part of a winning team and found himself in the VFL on a few occasions.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Ricky Petterd – Petterd had a great start to the season but suffered a shoulder injury in round six. This low amount of games, plus his in-game injury will mean that he starts 2011 with a discount and will look a very attractive prospect after the strong form he had showed up until round five.
• Luke Tapscott – Tapscott was a high draft pick from Melbourne in the 2009 draft, but thanks to injuries he wasn’t able to debut in 2010. This however is a great thing for dream team – he was a great ball winner as a junior, where he played most of his footy on a forward flank. He is a big bodied player with a huge kick on him and Melbourne will be eager to debut him early next year. As a bonus he will start the season at the base price!
• Tom Scully – As I mentioned above, Scully was looking fantastic this year and after another pre-season next year he should be able to get even better. Watching him play, you can’t help but think of a young Chris Judd – and remember, Judd won his Brownlow in just his third season.

North Melbourne:

2010 Most Improved:

• Brady Rawlings – Rawlings was clearly already an established member of the North lineup, but his 2010 season was too good to go unmentioned. Each week he would either take the oposition’s best midfielder or small forward – he would then spend all day preventing them from getting the ball, whilst racking up stacks of it himself. Looks destined to with the North B&F.
• Ryan Bastinac – Bastinac has been a real constant for North this year – whilst he probably didn’t star for most of the year, he played all 22 games through the midfield and was a real positive out of North’s season.
• Andrew Swallow – Swallow was a huge improver last year, but I reckon he got even better again in 2010, concluding the year with an All-Australian nomination. His work both inside and outside the contests is amazing and he plays like a future skipper of the club. He’s got a decent amount of talent and he looks like he uses up every single bit of it.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Drew Petrie – Petrie had a horror run with injuries this year, breaking each of his feet on two separate occasions, meaning he only played two games with an average of 50 points.
• Ben Warren – Warren looked ready for a breakout year in the NAB cup, but his form in the real season was pretty average. Whilst he had a few good games, he seemed unwilling to pressure or work too hard in many of the others.
• Matt Campbell – Another player who had a great pre-season, but again he looked poor in the season proper, getting dropped on multiple occasions after turning in some real shockers.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Drew Petrie – After two separate (and non-degenerative) injuries destroyed his 2010, he looks set to be a mega bargain in 2011 – two games is easily enough to get a discount, plus in the two games he did play he only averaged 50 points. At his best he is a fantastic CHF for can average 90 points. He would have to be a lock for most teams next year if fit.
• Levi Greenwood – Greenwood has made a name for himself as a tagger, but I did like some of his games later in the season where he was allowed a bit more freedom from the coach. Check his role out in the pre-season, but he could be a smoky pickup if set loose in the midfield.
• Sam Wright – Wright started the year very slowly, but fortunately managed to build into some good form in the latter parts of the year. He is an exciting forward flanker and looked like he had some real confidence in himself in the latter rounds. Should be reasonably cheap and seems very likely to improve further next year.

Port Adelaide:

2010 Most Improved:

• Justin Westhoff – Westhoff’s season wasn’t always amazing, but I thought we really saw a bit of a reinvention of a player who has been rather quiet over the past couple of years. A move to the ruck inititally reinvigorated him, but when he moved back to CHF in the second part of the year he looked so much more confident in himself. Once again he looks like a good player of the future.
• Jay Shultz – Shultz crossed from Richmond in the off-season and despite having a few poor outings, I reckon his season was a clear win for Port. He takes a fantastic contested mark and his kicking for goal was another strength – he managed 33 goals from 16 games which was a pretty good return.
• Cameron Hitchcock – Hitchcock came off Port’s rookie list at the start of the year and only missed five games for the season. He was a real livewire around the half-forward line and in the middle and what impressed me was his ability to lead up the ground and be able to spot players up in the forward line – he didn’t just want to be the stock-standard one-trick-pony crumbing little man.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Steven Salopek – Another season effected by injuries for Sal – he started the year OK but really faded fast, not looking half the player he has been in his career to date. We keep saying he will bounce back, but the worry is that he is becoming a constant injury risk – the last thing you need in your dream team.
• Chad Cornes – Cornes had one of the most forgettable seasons of the year – he really struggled badly with form and when he injured himself in round 14 he just never made it back. Fingers are crossed he will still be at Port in 2011, although with the club going in a new direction, he’s be right to be a little worried about his spot going forward.
• Robbie Gray – Gray was more disappointing for myself – I talked him up so much at the start of the year – then I had to wait four weeks for his first game thanks to a last minute hamstring injury he sustained at training. Whilst he played out an OK year, his lack of conditioning meant we never saw the expected move to the middle and he scored accordingly.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Travis Boak – Boak has been getting better and better each year he has been in the system and depending on how Port look in the pre-season (form wise), he could be a reasonable pickup. He only occasionally gets tagged, with oppositions more often going to Pearce or Rodan. He would need to add another 5-10 points to his average though to make him a worthwhile pick.
• Matt Thomas – Thomas has spent his career to date either in the backline, tagging, or killing Crows… However, since Primus took over Thomas really seemed to step up as a more attacking midfield option for Port – he is being allowed to win plenty of his own ball and it goes without saying that he tackles very hard. Whilst he may not have enough improvement in him to be worthwhile, I reckon there’s a slim chance we could see a bit of a breakout year from him in 2011.
• Troy Chaplin – Chaplin was one of Port’s best players for the year, but a dry patch through the middle of the year really dragged his price down. He is being used as an attacking defender and if he can improve his ball winning ability in time for next year, he could be a decent mid-priced backline option.

Richmond:

2010 Most Improved:

• Jack Riewoldt – Even if we were creating a list of the most improved players in the AFL, Riewoldt would very likely still be number one. He won the Coleman medal in the team that finished second from the bottom, kicking 78 goals to get himself the award. He is a surprisingly strong player, capable of outbodying his opponents, however he also seems just as happy sitting on their shoulders to take a mark, or snapping over his shoulder from the pocket. This kid will be a future star – no doubt!
• Daniel Connors – Connors had a shaky start to the year when he was suspended for eight games due to a bad night out on the grog. However, he came back with a point to prove, not only turning around his season, but also his career. He averaged 97 points from this point on, playing as a running defender/midfielder.
• Dustin Martin – It didn’t surprise too many people when this kid had a brilliant season – picked by Richmond at number 3 in the draft, Martin is a strong-bodied midfielder with a brilliant mind for the game and a deadly accurate boot. Whilst he didn’t always win stacks of the ball, oppositions will be very nervous about him in the future thanks to his great ability to read the play and dispose of the ball beautifully.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Richard Tambling – Tambling player 13 games for the year but none of them were really any good. He struggled with form an injuries and played his last game in round 16. After Jade Rawlings managed to turn his career around last year, Tambling looks to be up to his old tricks again.
• Alex Rance – After a breakout season in 2010, Rance started the season in poor fashion, struggling to find a position which suits and therefore turning in some real shockers. He wasn’t bad enough to need to find a new home in the off-season, although he wouldn’t want to have too many more years like this.
• Nathan Foley – Foley is another young star whose season was cruelled by injuries. He managed just the four games and appeared to be carrying niggles through all of them anyway.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Nathan Foley – The beauty of him playing just the four games with an average of 71 means he will be pretty cheap next year. Whilst he has never been a huge ball winner, he is certainly capable of significantly improving on this average. Watch his pre-season carefully as he could be a good fourth midfield pick.
• Dustin Martin – He didn’t win stacks of the ball this year, but we certainly saw what he was capable of. After another pre-season to work on his fitness, Martin should hopefully be able to build on his great debut season.
• Jack Riewoldt – Despite winning the Coleman medal, Riewoldt’s form was a little up and down at times meaning his average is probably a little lower than expected. He is still young and has stacks of good footy in front of him – I dare say there will be plenty of coaches jumping on him at the start of next year, and I dare say they won’t be making a bad choice!

Essendon:

2010 Most Improved:

• Ben Howlett – Howlett started the season strongly, but his constant non-selection in the team made him an inititally frustrating DT prospect. Fortunately, he kept his spot in the team for most of the second part of the season, leading him to being one of the more consistent Essendon midfielders.
• Nathan Lovett-Murray – Lovett-Murray was thrown into a new position as a tagger/midfielder this season and it gave his DT ability an incredible boost. He averaged over 90 points for the year and was in some good form before getting injured late in the season.
• Scott Gumbleton – Gumby finally got the chance to play a full season, looking very good as the mobile tall target that the Bombers have been craving. He did succumb to injury late in the season but was more than handy to that point, having booted 19 goals for the season.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Mark McVeigh – McVeigh presented himself in the pre-season as a great value midfielder, but unfortunately disappointed when he instead spent the season playing as a small defender. Whilst he had a good year on the field, it didn’t translate to dream team.
• Jarrod Atkinson – Atkinson was one of my pre-season smokies to have a breakout season after a great finish to 2009. Unfortunately though he managed just seven games and was hardly too exciting in any of them.
• The Essendon Selection Panel – These guys were one of the biggest frustrations of the year, hardly letting any of the young players play more than a couple of games in a row and rarely giving games to the good mid-priced talent on their list like Myers and Houli.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Marcus Marigliani – Marigliani is a good sized medium midfielder who played just the one game late in the year. He is mature aged and was a good ball winner before being drafted to Essendon’s rookie list. Keep a close eye on his pre-season as he could be a good cheapie come round one.
• Kyle Hardingham – Hardingham was a mature aged draftee for Essendon and managed to play the last six games of the year, impressing with his aerial ability. In his six games he also managed to boot eight goals, including four on debut.
• Bachar Houli – Houli hardly got a chance to impress this year, but when he came into the side in round 18 against the Saints he was close to best on ground. The next week, he was dropped. Whether he is retained by Essendon or finds another club in the off-season, he could be a great mid-value pickup.

Fremantle:

2010 Most Improved:

• Michael Barlow – Barlow was the standout youngster in the competition this season, despite breaking his leg in round 14. In fact, he was the third highest DT scoring first year player despite missing seven games of the season (behind Rockliff and Scully)! He averaged nearly 110 points a game and was the second favourite for the Brownlow when he injured himself. Hopefully he can bounce back soon from what was an horrific injury!
• Nathan Fyfe – Fyfe wasn’t expected to do much this year after arriving at AFL level with a wiry frame and having completed a couple of very average NAB cup games. However, when he did debut in round five he never let go of his spot. He was amazing on a HFF for Freo and was a real livewire, kicking plenty of goals as well as setting up plenty through his great marking and disposal.
• Kepler Bradley – Bradley’s form was one of the bigger surprises of the year. Whilst he is certainly not an A-grade player, he played some really strong games both in attack and as a ruckman. He seemed to play much smarter football and disposed of the ball much better than he has in previous seasons.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Rhys Palmer – Coming back from a knee reconstruction, Palmer struggled to hold form and therefore his spot in a strong team. Then from the point where he was responsible for breaking Barlow’s leg, his season went off the rails, only five games since with an average of 71 DT points.
• Adam McPhee – Recruited from Essendon in the off-season, McPhee’s year started very slowly and he seemed prone to the odd brain fade which led him to be a highly criticised member of the Fremantle group. He did perform better later in the year, but his season never panned out as it was predicted, when in the pre-season he mused about a move to the midfield.
• Chris Mayne – Mayne is a highly rated forward at Fremantle but he didn’t seem to get any better than where he was in 2009. He was certainly consistent, but as a third year player much more improvement was expected.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Stephen Hill – Hill really struggled this year with the amount of attention he was receiving from taggers. Through several patches of the year he averaged under 10 disposals as he struggled to overcome the tag. Fortunately though, the last couple of weeks showed signs that he is working very hard to break free from the attention and it could be a very positive sign of things to come if he is able to perfect this ability before next season.
• Michael Johnson – Johnson missed a large chunk of the season after being suspended for drug possession, but from the point where he returned he averaged 83 points – 18 more per game than he averaged until that point. It seemed a real turnaround in both form and dedication as he worked much harder as a wingman-cum-ruckman-cum-forward.
• Greg Broughton – Broughton proved to us in 2009 as a defender that he was an awesome Dream Teamer, and he has backed it up this year with a move to the midfield late in the season. With a low-ish average to conclude the year thanks to some injuries, Broughton could be a great and uncommon pickup for your backline.

Geelong:

2010 Most Improved:

• James Podsiadly – Pods has had an amazing first year at AFL level, booting 45 goals from 17 games. In a highly attacking Geelong team he seemed destined to get a bit of the ball, but he still seemed to exceed all expectations. His form did dip towards the end of the year, but his season was still a 100% win for all coaches that had him.
• Travis Varcoe – Varcoe’s form was a real bonus for Geelong and his season seemed to slip a bit under the radar. He added some real pace and x-factor along the wings and in the forward line and looks like a player capable of stepping up even further next year.
• Tom Hawkins – Hawkins probably didn’t have as good a season as was hoped, but his stints in the ruck seemed very positive and gave him a new lease on his game – he looked like he had hit a bit of a wall. He has plenty of talent, but he does need to work even harder to fulfil it.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Joel Corey – Corey’s season was practically a write-off as he battled injuries for much of the year. He did play several games late in the season, although he seemed to come in to each one with an injury cloud lingering over his head. You would have been frustrated to have him in your team this year.
• Shannon Byrnes – Byrnes started the season with a bang, notching up 141 points with his three goal, 26 disposal game against Essendon, however he continued on the season with little signs that he would repeat this apparent once-off game. He is a decent player, but I feel he is already playing to his limitations.
• Cameron Ling – The Cats captain has never been a fast one, but this year he looked to be even slower. He struggled for patches of the year with hamstring issues and it took all of the DT ability out of his game. He is still a serviceable player, but I wouldn’t go near him in dream team.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Joel Corey – As I said above, Corey’s 2010 was a shocker, riddled with injuries. Hopefully though he can have a big pre-season and come back to the club fully fit in February. He averaged 93 points, which is down on his previous averages, so if he shows some NAB form, he could be a bit of a bargain premium for round one.
• Tom Hawkins – So far Hawkins has shown good signs, but he has far from established himself yet. Key position players can often take 4-5 years to develop and this may mean that his breakout year is just around the corner.
• Nathan Djerrkura – Djerrkura has already stated that he wishes to leave Geelong for a club which will present him with more opportunities, and I believe that if he finds that club he could be a great cheap pickup next year. He played just one game this year and a couple in 2009, but what I have seen of him I have liked. He is a pacy onballer or forward and seems very creative with his feet. If he finds himself at a club where he would be in the best 22, I reckon he could be a lock for one of your bench positions.

Hawthorn:

2010 Most Improved:

• Cyril Rioli – I’d say that there aren’t too many football fans who aren’t aware of the talent possessed by this young man and it was great that we got to see him take another step towards stardom this year. The scary thing is he is still far from his peak and will continue to improve as a massive midfield talent.
• Ben Stratton – Stratton wasn’t the type of player afforded too many plaudits this year, but he actually had a very consistent season at half-back for Hawthorn, playing all but two games for the year. His good decision making and strong disposal skills were highlights and he too looks like a great future prospect.
• Carl Peterson – With Cyril moving to the middle and Rhan Hooper injured, Peterson stood up as Hawthorn’s main small forward for the year and performed admirably, kicking 13 goals for the year in his 17 games.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Brad Sewell – After a great year in 2009 where he managed to be both a tagger and a ball-winner, 2010 saw him take a backwards step. He struggled to win as much ball and was totally out of form for most of the season until he was dropped in round 15. To that point of the year he had averaged just 72 points, but fortunately he was able to bounce back and managed an average of 94 points for the remaining rounds.
• Brent Renouf – Some coaches got a bit excited about Renouf when he went into the season as the sole Hawthorn ruckman. But unfortunately he has proven not to be the next Mitch Clark or Paddy Ryder and instead stayed consistent with his scoring from previous years.
• Rick Ladson – Ladson appeared as a great bargain buy at the start of the year, but unfortunately his season never really got going as he struggled for form before being dropped in round seven. He played another five games for the year but never appeared to have the form he showed back in 2008.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Cyril Rioli – As I said above, he has far from peaked and with several large scores this year he has proven that he is a competent dream team player. He has also shown an ability to break tags – a great feat at such a young age. He should play permanently in the midfield next year after he is able to complete another pre-season and presents as a potentially huge improver.
• Brad Sewell – As I have stated, his 2010 was poor, but he showed in the last eight rounds that he is still capable as a ball-winner. What’s more, he should come cheap and if he can prove himself through the NAB cup, we know he is capable of some massive scores.
• Clinton Young – Young had a late start to the year after taking longer than expected to get over his 2009 injuries. At his best, Young is one of Hawthorn’s most important midfielders with his run and carry and ability to deliver the ball with precision. Unfortunately, he still spent chunks of time on the sidelines this year with reoccurrences of his injury, meaning his scoring was lower than hoped. If he can finish a strong pre-season he is a player capable of adding another 10 points onto his 2010 average.

This week, as I did last year, I have created a wrap which encapsulates all 176 games of the year. I will summarise each club and their biggest improvers and biggest disappointments for 2010, whilst also looking forward to their best 2011 prospects. This is the first instalment of four, the other three appearing on the site over the next three days.

Also, please remember that we will be quite active over the off-season with articles appearing on the site when anything DT relevant may happen over the next six months. We will attempt to cover events such as trade week, the draft, as well as looking at the players who move to the Gold Coast in the off season. This looks to be the biggest DT off-season in a very long time, so be sure to frequently look at the site for your regular DT feed.

Adelaide:

2010 Most Improved:

• Richard Douglas – in the absence of Vince through the middle for large chunks of the year, Douglas really stepped up his workrate and became a genuine A-grade midfielder in the process.
• Rory Sloane – Played the season as a defensive forward and did a great job, becoming one of the better hard-tackling forwards in the competition.
• Ricky Henderson – Henderson only managed 12 games for the season, but he was one of their few highlights in what proved to be a pretty average forward line. He had a couple of 3-goal games and overall looked like a very good prospect.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Kurt Tippett – After a fantastic breakout year in 2009, Tippett’s 2010 season was less than ordinary, with the big man lowering his 2009 DT average whilst booting 44 goals – an average result for a full-forward.

• Jason Porplyzia – Seemed clearly hampered by injury for much of the year and scored accordingly. His lack of form also saw him dropped on a couple of occasions as he seemed to reverse his great 2009 form.
• Andrew McLeod – Spent much of the year with injuries surrounding him and ended up pulling the pin with no farewell game. It seemed he may have stayed around a year too long.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Brodie Martin – Martin played a couple of great games late in 2009 before doing his ACL. He returned from this injury in the latter part of this year and has played two games – one of which was a fantastic one this week against the Saints. Looks like a high quality player and should be able to fit very nicely into the Crow’s best 22 next year.
• Chris Knights – Knights spent most of the season recovering from injury, then when he returned late in the year he suffered a hamstring. This injury meant his season average was a very low 66.8 – much lower than his capabilities. Should be very cheap next year.
• Andy Otten – After missing the whole year with an ACL injury, Otten should come pretty cheap next year. He can second in the rising star in 2009 as a running defender and is good enough for a 70-odd average, but should come much cheaper than he deserves thanks to the injury.

Brisbane:

2010 Most Improved:

• Michael Rischitelli – After nearly being traded to the Blues in the off-season, Rischitelli played his best season yet and looks likely to win the Lions’ B&F. Unfortunately though, it looks likely he will now walk out on the club to Gold Coast.
• Tom Rockliff – Rocky was one of the biggest DT improvers of the season after he clearly worked hard on his notoriously poor tank in the off season. He moved to the midfield and regularly clocked up tons for his owners and looks a good chance to finish top 3 in the rising star.
• Matthew Leuenberger – Played as the Lions’ number one ruck for the first time in his career and we finally got to see some of the talent that we have been hearing so much about for years. He looks like a player capable of improving every year for the next few years.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Brendan Fevola – After famously switching to Brisbane in the off-season, Fev had a shocker season, dealing with plenty of off-field controversy whilst also suffering from continual groin injuries. He ended the year as the player with the largest drop in price – not something to hold your hat on.
• Mitch Clark – After a breakout year in 2009 as the Lions’ number one ruck, Clark had to play second fiddle to Leuenberger and struggled to have as much effect. He still had a decent year, but it was nothing compared to the form he showed in 2009.
• Daniel Rich – The 2009 NAB rising star seemed to have second year blues – often the target of taggers he struggled to break free and have much effect on games. He got a bit better as the year went on, but he certainly didn’t go forward in 2010.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• James Polkinghorne – Polkinghorne had a reasonable year, playing 14 games. He was never stunning but did show some signs that he could be capable of stepping up soon. With the expected exodus from Brisbane in the off-season, Polkinghorne looks a candidate for extra responsibility in 2011 and could be a real improver.
• Jonthan Brown – Brown suffered from injuries for much of the year and this really pulled his scoring power down. If he can get through a full pre-season next year he is a real chance to bounce back with a great year and some great DT scoring in the process.
• Brendan Fevola – Like Brown, Fev had a year to forget. He did start the year strongly, but as stated above, he fell away quickly thanks to injuries. With an average of just over 50, Fev will start 2011 dirt cheap and there will be plenty of coaches finding it hard to avoid him if he shows some good pre-season form.

Carlton:

2010 Most Improved:

• Kade Simpson – Simpson has been good for a while, but I think 2010 was when we really saw him come of age. He was the Blues’ best player for the season and looks likely to take out their B&F for the first time. For a player that was once considered their ‘other’ midfielder, he has done very well.
• Lachie Henderson – Traded to the Blues in the off-season, and whilst it took a little time, he is fast becoming a very good player and one capable of filling the very large hole left by Fevola.
• Jeff Garlett – In a side with two other very good small forwards (Yarran and Betts), I thought Garlett was probably the best of the three for large chunks of the year. He seemed capable of winning a game off his own boot (and did on a couple of occasions), and looks like another great find off the rookie list.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Paul Bower – Bower’s first two games for the year were fantastic, but since then he was either injured or out of form. He has the skills to be a great attacking backman, but needs to apply it consistently.
• Bryce Gibbs – Gibbs still had a decent year, but his role in the backline was a DT killer, forcing him to drop over $100k in price over the season. He really needs a move back to the midfield to become a fantasy gun again.
• Brock McLean – He appeared in the off-season as the final piece in Carlton’s midfield, but after another season riddled with injuries he played just six average games, was dropped, got injured and hasn’t been seen since.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Jordan Russell – Russell was another frustrating player for the Blues – he has all the tools to be a great running defender, but just doesn’t get the supply or opportunity to be a great DT prospect. If Gibbs gets moved back to the midfield, jump on Russell as he could be capable of some very high scoring, but currently Gibbs is drying up his supply.
• Matthew Kruezer – Kruez did his ACL in the middle of the year so should be back in time for round one. His DT average was just OK this year, but he is a talent and should improve that next year. Could be the ideal second ruck.
• Brock McLean – IF he can have a decent pre-season and come into the season fit and firing, he could be worth a look. He has only played six games with a weak average so should be pretty cheap.

Collingwood:

2010 Most Improved:

• Dale Thomas – After teasing us for so long, Daisy finally delivered with a fantastic high quality, consistent year. He played predominantly as a midfielder and seemed to have improved all facets of his game! Unfortunately, this was probably the first year that no one picked him though!
• Scott Pendlebury – He was already an A-grade midfielder, but I reckon he stepped up another notch this year. One of Pendlebury’s flaws has been his ball-winning ability, but he totally crushed that issue this year, winning over 30 disposals ample times.
• Sharrod Wellingham – Wellingham stepped up big time this year as a wingman/tagger for Collingwood. His pace was a real asset for Collingwood and he was used frequently to break the lines.

2010 Biggest Disappointments:

• Leon Davis – After being named All-Australian in 2009, Davis went a long way backwards this year, only kicking 23 goals for the year and averaging 12 disposals – well down on his 2009 numbers. The other main difference was his role as a permanent forward, rather than a midfielder/forward as he has done previously.
• Josh Fraser – He said in the off-season that he wasn’t at all concerned about the arrival of Jolly… well… I’m sure he doesn’t feel that way any more with his career now in jeopardy after he couldn’t find a spot in the side for much of the year.
• Paul Medhurst – Another shocking year ruined by form and injuries. This year I won’t now go on to say he could be a good bargain pick for next year – he is a write-off, plain and simple.

Best 2011 Prospects:

• Darren Jolly – He started the year very slowly, and if it weren’t for his good recent form he may have made the disappointing list. But thankfully this recent form has shown that he will be a success at Collingwood, whilst his early poor form has ensured a low starting price for 2011.
• Chris Dawes – Dawes had a breakout year this year and has consistently gotten better as the year has gone on. Malthouse knows now that Dawes is his best Full Forward option so he will continue to be the first picked for this spot every week – he is a chance to step up the scoring next year in what is a highly attacking team.
• Brad Dick – Dick was a highlight of the 2009 season with his crumbing work around the goals and after playing just two games this year he could be a great 2011 cheapie. He is a real livewire and capable of some great scoring. He could be a perfect 6^th or 7^th forward.

Expert: Dan
Team: Hank Scorpio EDT
Final Ranking: 2,378
Round 22 Score: 1,981
Trades Remaining: 0
Team Changes This Week: None

Expert: Toby
Team: Fiora’s Hardnuts
Final Ranking: 1,325
Round 22 Score: 2,119
Trades Remaining: 0
Team Changes This Week: None

Expert: Ben
Team: The Redbacks
Final Ranking: 1,252
Round 22 Score: 1.940
Trades Remaining: 0
Team Changes This Week: None

FREMANTLE v CARLTON

Fremantle

B: Dylan Roberton, Antoni Grover, Greg Broughton

HB: Roger Hayden, Luke McPharlin, Jay van Berlo

C: Garrick Ibbotson, David Mundy, Stephen Hill

HF: Chris Mayne, Matthew Pavlich, Michael Walters

F: Jesse Crichton, Michael Johnson, Matthew de Boer

Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Nick Suban, Paul Duffield

I/C: Adam McPhee, Paul Hasleby, Anthony Morabito, Nathan Fyfe

Emg: Rhys Palmer, Des Headland, Hayden Ballantyne

In: Hasleby, Pavlich, McPhee, Hayden, Sandilands, Mundy, Hill, Mayne, Morabito, Fyfe

Out: Kepler Bradley, Byron Schammer, Steven Dodd, Ryan Murphy, Rhys Palmer, Clayton Hinkley, Tim Ruffles (knee), Clancee Pearce, Justin Bollenhagen, Zac Clarke

• As expected, Freo have made a whopping ten changes to their team that was embarrassed by Hawthorn last week. They have brought back Pavlich, Sandilands, Mundy, Morabito and Fyfe, to name only half of them.
• Bradley, Bollenhagen and Palmer are somewhat surprising omissions though, but at least they shouldn’t hinder too many teams.

Carlton

B: Marcus Davies, Michael Jamison, Aaron Joseph

HB: Dennis Armfield, Paul Bower, Jordan Russell

C: Kade Simpson, Chris Judd, Shaun Grigg

HF: Chris Yarran, Jarrad Waite, Andrew Carrazzo

F: Jeff Garlett, Lachie Henderson, Eddie Betts

Foll: Robert Warnock, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs

I/C: David Ellard, Shaun Hampson, Mitch Robinson, Heath Scotland

Emg: Joe Anderson, Chris Johnson, Andrew Walker

In: Joseph, Hampson, Yarran

Out: Richard Hadley, Andrew Walker, Sam Jacobs

• I’m REALLY surprised that they have dropped Jacobs again for Hampson, especially since he more than held his own last week against the Cats. Walker and Hadley also make way.
• Yarran is the only real exciting inclusion after a great game for the Bullants on the weekend.

GEELONG CATS v WEST COAST

Geelong Cats

B: Darren Milburn, Matthew Scarlett, Tom Lonergan

HB: Andrew Mackie, Harry Taylor, Joel Corey

C: Paul Chapman, James Kelly, David Wojcinski

HF: Cameron Ling, Tom Hawkins, Steve Johnson

F: Mathew Stokes, Cameron Mooney, Travis Varcoe

Foll: Brad Ottens, Jimmy Bartel, Gary Ablett

I/C: Mark Blake, Shannon Byrnes, Joel Selwood, Corey Enright

Emg: Taylor Hunt, Daniel Menzel, Simon Hogan

In: Ling, Lonergan, Mackie, Ottens

Out: James Podsiadly (suspension), Josh Hunt (suspension), Taylor Hunt, Daniel Menzel

• As we already knew, both Pods and Hunt will miss this week with suspension, whilst youngsters Menzel and Hunt make way for more senior players, despite impressing over the past fortnight.
• Mackie is back in after a bout of the flu, whilst the inclusions of Ling and Ottens may help some.

West Coast

B: Will Schofield, Eric Mackenzie, Ashley Smith

HB: Beau Waters, Matthew Spangher, Shannon Hurn

C: Matt Rosa, Chris Masten, Andrew Embley

HF: Andrew Strijk, Josh Kennedy, Luke Shuey

F: Mark LeCras, Callum Wilson, Ashton Hams

Foll: Dean Cox, Scott Selwood, Brad Ebert

I/C: Jordan Jones, Patrick McGinnity, Nic Naitanui, Koby Stevens

Emg: Quinten Lynch, Lewis Stevenson, Tim Houlihan

No change

HAWTHORN v COLLINGWOOD

Hawthorn

B: Brent Guerra, Stephen Gilham, Thomas Murphy

HB: Brendan Whitecross, Josh Gibson, Ben Stratton

C: Chance Bateman, Sam Mitchell, Clinton Young

HF: Shaun Burgoyne, Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli

F: Michael Osborne, Jarryd Roughead, Carl Peterson

Foll: Brent Renouf, Jordan Lewis, Brad Sewell

I/C: Campbell Brown, Xavier Ellis, Rhan Hooper, Wayde Skipper

Emg: Rick Ladson, Liam Shiels, Ryan Schoenmakers

In: Young, Hooper

Out: Luke Hodge (knee), Grant Birchall (hamstring)

• Two very big outs for Hawthorn in the Grand Final – Hodge was 50/50 all week with his knee injury and unfortunately Hawthorn have erred on the side of caution, resting him this week. Birchall will miss around 3 weeks with a hamstring injury.
• Young and Hooper return, although I’m sure that won’t help too many.

Collingwood

B: Nick Maxwell, Nathan Brown, Ben Johnson

HB: Harry O’Brien, Ben Reid, Heath Shaw

C: Sharrod Wellingham, Dane Swan, Alan Toovey

HF: Brent Macaffer, Travis Cloke, Luke Ball

F: Dayne Beams, Chris Dawes, Steele Sidebottom

Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas

I/C: Jarryd Blair, Josh Fraser, Tyson Goldsack, John McCarthy

Emg: John Anthony, Leon Davis, Paul Medhurst

In: Fraser, Reid, McCarthy

Out: Leigh Brown (suspension), Alan Didak (shoulder), John Anthony

• Another huge blow for many teams with Didak a non-starter after suffering a shoulder injury in last week’s game.
• Leigh Brown will also miss with suspension, making way for Fraser’s 200th.

ADELAIDE v ST KILDA

Adelaide

B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Scott Stevens

HB: Brad Symes, Phil Davis, Michael Doughty

C: Nathan van Berlo, Richard Douglas, David Mackay

HF: Ricky Henderson, Taylor Walker, Patrick Dangerfield

F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, Rory Sloane

Foll: Ivan Maric, Scott Thompson, Brent Reilly

I/C: James Sellar, Brodie Martin, Chris Schmidt, Matthew Jaensch

Emg: Myke Cook, Jack Gunston, Shaun McKernan

In: Martin

Out: Will Young (shoulder)

• Young is out of the side and faces a 6 month stint on the sidelines with a shoulder injury. At least he will have a nice Plasma TV to entertain himself through the recovery…

St Kilda

B: Jason Gram, Jason Blake, Sam Gilbert

HB: Lenny Hayes, Sam Fisher, James Gwilt

C: Brendon Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Farren Ray

HF: Andrew McQualter, Justin Koschitzke, Leigh Montagna

F: Brett Peake, Nick Riewoldt, Stephen Milne

Foll: Michael Gardiner, David Armitage, Clinton Jones

I/C: Ben McEvoy, Zac Dawson, Luke Miles, Jarryn Geary

Emg: Alistair Smith, Sean Dempster, Rhys Stanley

In: Dawson, Jones, Gardiner, Hayes

Out: Adam Schneider (inj), Sean Dempster, Adam Pattison, Nick Heyne

• Schneids is not a huge surprise after hurting his knee last week against the Tigers, whilst Dempster, Pattison and Heyne have all been dropped.
• Hayes is the big inclusion, coming back against the Crows, a team he regularly chops against!

WESTERN BULLDOGS v ESSENDON

Western Bulldogs

B: Jarrod Harbrow, Brian Lake, Dylan Addison

HB: Ryan Hargrave, Tom Williams, Lindsay Gilbee

C: Andrejs Everitt, Matthew Boyd, Liam Picken

HF: Callan Ward, Mitch Hahn, Robert Murphy

F: Daniel Giansiracusa, Barry Hall, Jarrad Grant

Foll: Ben Hudson, Ryan Griffen, Daniel Cross

I/C: Brodie Moles, Nathan Eagleton, Liam Jones, Jordan Roughead

Emg: Shaun Higgins, Will Minson, Josh Hill

In: Addison, Everitt, Roughead

Out: Adam Cooney (hamstring), Dale Morris (back), Brad Johnson (ankle)

• Three very big outs for the Dogs, but fortunately only one of them is DT relevant – Adam Cooney, who will likely miss 6 weeks with a hamstring injury. Morris is also done for the year with a significant back injury.
• Roughead is the only somewhat interesting inclusion, however many coaches will be querying the placement of Higgins on the emergency list… will he be a late inclusion???

Essendon

B: Henry Slattery, Michael Hurley, Heath Hocking

HB: David Myers, Cale Hooker, Brent Stanton

C: Courtenay Dempsey, Ben Howlett, Travis Colyer

HF: Leroy Jetta, Jake Carlisle, Jason Winderlich

F: Stewart Crameri, Kyle Hardingham, Angus Monfries

Foll: David Hille, Marcus Marigliani, Jake Melksham

I/C: Patrick Ryder, Kyle Reimers, Brent Prismall, Sam Lonergan

Emg: Jay Neagle, Michael Quinn, Tyson Slattery

In: Colyer, Ryder, Winderlich, Lonergan

Out: Jobe Watson (ankle), Mark McVeigh (knee), Jay Neagle, Michael Quinn

• Watson has succumbed to an ankle injury and that will hurt plenty of teams, whilst McVeigh is also done for the year.
• Ryder is a very good inclusion, whilst Colyer may help bolster some midfield benches.

BRISBANE LIONS v SYDNEY SWANS

Brisbane Lions

B: Jed Adcock, Daniel Merrett, Ashley McGrath

HB: Pearce Hanley, Brent Staker, Cheynee Stiller

C: Michael Rischitelli, Daniel Rich, Jack Redden

HF: James Polkinghorne, Jared Brennan, Luke Power

F: Todd Banfield, Mitchell Clark, Joel Patfull

Foll: Matthew Leuenberger, Simon Black, Tom Rockliff

I/C: Ryan Harwood, Justin Sherman, Albert Proud, Tom Collier

Emg: Amon Buchanan, James Hawksley, Bryce Retzlaff

In: Collier, Proud

Out: Jonathan Brown (groin), Troy Selwood (ribs)

• After a great game last week, Brown pulled up sore and has hence pulled out of this match – a huge blow to many of teams.
• Selwood has played his last game for the club after the Lions announced this week he will be delisted at season’s end. Rumours are also circulating that this could be the last time we see both Brennan and Rischitelli in Lions colours too.

Sydney Swans

B: Paul Bevan, Ted Richards, Rhyce Shaw

HB: Nick Malceski, Heath Grundy, Tadhg Kennelly

C: Lewis Jetta, Brett Kirk, Jarrad McVeigh

HF: Daniel Hannebery, Ryan O’Keefe, Josh Kennedy

F: Trent Dennis-Lane, Adam Goodes, Jesse White

Foll: Mike Pyke, Jude Bolton, Kieren Jack

I/C: Martin Mattner, Brett Meredith, Jarred Moore, Nick Smith

Emg: Gary Rohan, Sam Reid, Patrick Veszpremi

In: O’Keefe, Moore

Out: Shane Mumford (knee), Gary Rohan

• Mummy is a big out for plenty, especially those who traded him in for Sandilands just a fortnight ago! Rohan omission surprises me as i thought he was quite good last week.
• O’Keefe returns after suffering from ‘soreness’ on the eve of last week’s game.

RICHMOND v PORT ADELAIDE

Richmond

B: Chris Newman, David Gourdis, Dylan Grimes

HB: Brett Deledio, Kelvin Moore, Daniel Connors

C: Mitch Morton, Dustin Martin, Shane Edwards

HF: Troy Taylor, Jayden Post, Jake King

F: Matt White, Jack Riewoldt, Ben Cousins

Foll: Angus Graham, Shane Tuck, Trent Cotchin

I/C (from): James O’Reilly, Alex Rance, Robin Nahas, Andrew Collins, Andrew Browne, Ben Nason, Dean Polo

In: White, Polo, Nason, Browne, Grimes

Out: Will Thursfield (leg), David Astbury (hip)

• Astbury’s injury may actually hurt a few teams needing him for cover, whilst Nason makes a timely return.
• Dylan Grimes – the brother of Melbourne’s Jack – will make his debut. He is a good medium sized defender, but the last player you need to trade in for the Grand Final.

Port Adelaide

B: Paul Stewart, Alipate Carlile, Andrew Moore

HB: Matthew Broadbent, Troy Chaplin, Tom Logan

C: Kane Cornes, Domenic Cassisi, Travis Boak

HF: Cameron Hitchcock, Jay Schulz, David Rodan

F: Justin Westhoff, Daniel Stewart, Nick Salter

Foll: Dean Brogan, Danyle Pearce, Robbie Gray

I/C (from): Jackson Trengove, Matt Thomas, Jay Nash, Michael Pettigrew, Mitchell Banner, Jason Davenport, Danny Meyer

In: Logan, Pettigrew, Banner, Davenport

Out: Brett Ebert (knee)

• Ebert’s year is over after rupturing his ACL last week, whist Banner makes a timely return, albeit on the extended bench. Davenport’s inclusion may also help a few teams.

MELBOURNE v NORTH MELBOURNE

Melbourne

B: Clint Bartram, Jared Rivers, Colin Garland

HB: Tom Scully, James Frawley, Cale Morton

C: Cameron Bruce, Nathan Jones, Liam Jurrah

HF: Colin Sylvia, Matthew Bate, Lynden Dunn

F: Austin Wonaeamirri, Brad Green, Jack Watts

Foll: Mark Jamar, James McDonald, Brent Moloney

I/C (from): Joel Macdonald, Paul Johnson, Jack Trengove, Jordie McKenzie, Matthew Warnock, Rohan Bail, Michael Newton

In: Johnson, Macdonald, Sylvia, Bate

Out: Jamie Bennell

• Sylvia is back, which is fantastic news after he was a late withdrawal last week. Bate also returns to the side after a five goal game for Casey on the weekend.
• Brad Miller has played his last game for the Demons after being delisted during the week.

North Melbourne

B: Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson, Brady Rawlings

HB: Daniel Pratt, Nathan Grima, Scott McMahon

C: Cruize Garlett, Brent Harvey, Sam Wright

HF: Ryan Bastinac, Corey Jones, Daniel Wells

F: Ben Cunnington, Aaron Edwards, Ben Warren

Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Andrew Swallow, Levi Greenwood

I/C (from): Todd Goldstein, Robbie Tarrant, David Hale, Matt Campbell, Jamie Macmillan, Leigh Harding, Marcus White

In: Jones, Campbell, Tarrant, Goldstein, Macmillan

Out: Leigh Adams (concussion), Lachlan Hansen (hamstring)

• Nothing too exciting here – Hansen misses with a hammy injury, whilst Tarrant returns for one more game this year.
• Corey Jones will play his last game after retiring today at age 29.

Now for the all important captain choice for those going into the Grand Final this weekend…or even those that didn’t make it, but are vainly clinging to the hope that they have one last chance of pulling off the weekly prize.

Some might want to go safe this week, some might not like their match-up and will be looking for a point of difference in captaincy this week. Either way, I’ve tried to cover the best few conventional options and a few sneaky sleepers you could have a look at.

Thanks for reading during 2010 and I hope you enjoyed my columns a little better than Toby and Tuney’s (I know my Mum does)!

Gary Ablett

2010 avg: 118.7

Last five avg: 119.8

Last five vs. WC: 125

For the first time since I’ve started on these articles I’m going to honour someone other than Swan with top billing. GAJ is an irresistible option this week, despite being somewhat disappointing last week vs. Carlton (only his second sub 100 this year). I know a lot of people (myself and Toby included) turned to him when we heard Aaron Joseph was a late out for Carlton. Luckily Swan didn’t go much better.

Anyway, Ablett LOVES playing West Coast with five straight tons against them, including scores of 147 and 155 in that stretch. Just note, that those epic scores were actually both at Subiaco. It doesn’t really detract from the fact that Ablett likes to have a crack (that word was just to keep the mad rhyme going) against the Eagles. I wish the Eagles wore black in their strip, so I could’ve kept the rhyme going even longer.

Dane Swan

2010 avg: 122.6

Last five avg: 118.6

Last five vs. Haw: 111.8

It still wouldn’t be a silly move to stick with Swanny. The one with the waddle has been head and shoulders above every other DT’er this year having scored 202 points more than his nearest rival. His durability and consistently high scoring makes it a no contest.

His last two scores against Hawthorn have been 141 and 119, so he doesn’t do too shabbily on that front. Last week was the first time he’s scored below 110 since Round 9, and I know I’ve said the stat before but he’s only scored below 120 four times since then! If you own Ablett and Swan it’s a genuine 50/50 call this week if you’re looking for safety in your Grand Final (or just in achieving your final ranking if you’re out of the race).

Nick Riewoldt

2010 avg: 96.7

Last five avg: 110.6

Last five vs. Adel: 103.6

St.Nick is definitely back to his old ways, and I must admit I didn’t think he’d get there this year. With such a major injury it’s amazing that he’s bounced back so quickly from it.

His last five against Adelaide is hurt by a 60 five games ago (back in 2006 – Bock smashed him that night). Bock has been a worthy adversary of his over the years, but with the Chicken Man kicking off his flip flops and soaking up a little sun on the Gold Coast (before an arduous pre-season, of course) then it looks like Rooey will get free reign against the Crows this week. He’s too fast and agile for Rutten, who is very much a straight line player that likes to play close to goal. I expect young Phil Davis will get first crack this week.

The Crows are in development mode and Neil Craig will enjoy giving him the challenge. I will also enjoy Neil Craig giving Davis that challenge, because I expect Riewoldt to develop Davis similar to the way Rocca developed Zac Dawson a few years ago. Viciously.

Lenny Hayes

2010 avg: 107.9

Last five avg: 118.4

Last five vs. Adel: 117.8

After having a week off Hayes should be fit and firing to face a team that he has a belting record against. Within his last five against Adelaide he has a 146 and 134 and one score below 100. One thing to consider is that a lot of his more enjoyable record against the Crows is at the Docklands. He still goes very well at Football Park, but he tends to dominate them a bit more at home.

He looks like the best midfield option outside of Ablett and Swan to me this week.

Jimmy Bartel

2010 avg: 105.6

Last five avg: 90.2

Last five vs. WC: 114.6

I debated with myself whether or not I should include Bartel. His recent form makes it hard to recommend him, but I just can’t go past the fact he’s scored seven straight tons against West Coast, with a low score of 107 and a high of 144 in that streak.

His form at Kardinia Park this year isn’t anywhere near as good as normal though. He’s only got past the ton twice (and only just). He’s scored four sub 100s at the Cattery this year, with his previous four sub 100s down there spread over the previous three seasons. You would approach him with some sort of uncertainty this week, but he just seems to really love playing the Eagles, so it could snap him back into form.

Daniel Giansiracusa

2010 avg: 92.8

Last five avg: 107.6

Last five vs. Ess: 97.2

OK, so the numbers don’t scream out captain choice this week, but I wanted to look a little bit deeper into how Gia performs when the Bulldogs are down a gun. Now there are some anomalies with the numbers, but I have always found that Gia does better when he has to move into a permanent midfield role.

A look at the numbers shows that when Boyd was out for two games earlier this year Gia scored 125 and 154. Even in Boyd’s first game back (when it didn’t look like he was quite 100%) Gia scored a 142. In Round 20 when Cooney missed with the flu against Geelong Gia scored 133 and was one of the few Dogs who could be happy with his personal perfomance.

Even when Higgins (who plays a similar role to Gia) misses he scores pretty well. This year with Higgins out he has scored 79, 108, 110, 140 and 35. The 35 was last weekend against Sydney and Cooney pretty much missed the whole game too, so the worry is if that puts a hole in the theory. What I’m more chalking his poor score on the weekend down to is that Sydney is his second worst DT match up.

I look at last week as the rarity, and that I expect Gia to go well with Cooney and Higgins out this week. The only thing to be wary of is that Johnson is out too, so this might make his forward role more valuable, but if the Bulldogs bring Hill or Stack back, then they might soak up the forward time to release Gia to the midfield. It would be a risky one, but he has a solid record against Essendon, but it just seems his best games are when the Dogs need him to take on more work.

Other notes

-       I apologise profusely for canning Montagna last week and saying that he has been looking lame. He looks good again FWIW…

-       Joel Selwood has only scored one ton against West Coast in his career.

-       Goddard does pretty well against Adelaide in general, but he seems to really struggle at Football Park. He only has one ton in seven games at the ground, with his next highest score being 82.

-       Jonathan Brown struggles a bit against Sydney. I know his form from last weekend would be really tempting. I suppose you could roll the dice if you felt daring, considering Craig Bolton usually gets him.

-       Boyd is really up and down against Essendon. For a man who’s so consistent, he doesn’t have a readable form line against them!

-       Bryce Gibbs could be another interesting smokey. His last three against Freo have been 142, 140 and 108.

This week I am looking at the players who have had ordinary 2010 seasons, whether it be due to injury, form or something else. Many of these players will be ones we will focus in on in next year’s pre-season as we try and find the best bargains that money can buy. Obviously with the Gold Coast team coming in, bargain mid-priced players may not be quite as necessary, however I still feel that these players aren’t just in your team to make money, but also contribute to your team with good scores.

The way that players are priced each year is determined by their average from the prior season. This number is then multiplied by a ‘magic number’ to equal the players starting price. There are, however, some flexibility in these rules – players that played zero games can get up to around a 60% discount – although this is where the rule gets messy – some players may only get 20%, or somewhere in between, or some are put all the way down to ‘base price,’ the starting price of a first year player. So it is hard to predict at this stage what sorts of discounts players will get – one thing we can rely on though is that players that have played anywhere between zero and five (or so) games for the year should be dirt cheap in comparison to their potential 2011 output. In 2010 we had players such as Malceski, Waters, Maguire and Hille who all proved to be great bargains for teams that selected them. In this article I will look at the best potential bargains in each position for 2011. Also, if you have any players you believe to be great 2011 bargains, I would love to hear your thoughts below!

Backs:

Andy Otten: Otten was a bit of a DT star in 2009, having a breakout season in which he came second in the NAB rising star to Daniel Rich. He averaged 68 points through the season as a running defender and was a standout player in the Crows’ campaign. Unfortunately, in the pre-season this year he ruptured his ACL, meaning he hasn’t played a single game all year. He should be back fit and firing for round one next year and should be dirt cheap thanks to the fact he hasn’t played at all this year. The Crows are a very good team at rebounding from defence, and with the deferral of Bock to the Gold Coast, there will be plenty of chances for Otten to step up and improve his average from 2009.

Nathan Bock: As we are now aware, Bock is officially the first recruit to the Gold Coast Suns and will very likely take his position at centre half back as he has done at the Crows over the past three and a bit years. When on song he is a great player and a great dream teamer – he has averaged 88 points a game across 2008 and 2009 (the two years where he has played CHB), and has the capacity to pull some pretty big scores. This year he has spent plenty of time injured on the sidelines and has never really had the chance to hit his straps, averaging just 78 points across 13 games. Whilst he won’t be eligible for a discount, I believe that he is capable of scoring much more than what his starting price will likely suggest. Being one of the senior, and therefore most trusted, players at Gold Coast should mean he is capable of winning plenty of ball – we will still need to watch his pre-season though to ensure that the GC gameplan will allow for a high-possession game from a half-back.

Midfielders:

Nathan Foley: Foley has had a shocking run with injuries this year, restricting him to just four games with an average of 71 points – enough to give him a sizeable discount next year! Last year, Foley was fantastic, averaging just over 90 points until succumbing to an injury in round 14. At his best, Foley is brilliant around the clearances and is also a very good outside runner for Richmond – he can sometimes struggle with a tag, however this is often to do with the lack of other decent midfielders at Richmond, something they are quickly changing with the emergence of Deledio, Martin and Cotchin. Whilst he won’t be a player capable of averaging over 100, he should be a very good mid-priced player to both make you some money and score pretty reasonably in the process.

Tim Houlihan: Houlihan has been another player to miss the entire of the year thanks to a series of injuries. He has played several games at WAFL level, but has frustratingly gotten injured every time he is close to senior selection. He is a very capable midfielder and a good DT scorer, however the concern must be his place in the team – I have heard many West Coast fans question why he regularly misses selection as he has previously proven himself as a good AFL player. He finished the 2009 season with a run of seven games through which he averaged 82 points and only dropped below 75 points once and scored over 100 points twice. If he manages to stay on the list until next year and proves himself fit and firing in the pre-season, I believe he could be a great pickup.

Brock McLean: After crossing to the Blues in the off-season, McLean has had a horrible season, which I’m sure he would rather forget. He has again been plagued with constant injuries and has only managed to get onto the field six times for an average of 70 points. At his best, McLean is a great in-and-under midfielder and exactly the type of player needed by the Blues to help give Judd a chop-out. Over previous years at Melbourne (in a team at the bottom of the ladder), McLean has proven himself as a decent Dream Teamer, averaging 83 in 2009, 86 in 2008, 74 in 2007 and 92 in 2006. The problem is, injuries have often struck at some point in many of these seasons and thus he has averaged just 14 games a season since 2006. However, if he can prove to be fit, he could again be worth some close consideration, especially if he comes at a tempting discounted price!

Ruck:

Drew Petrie: Every year we seem to get treated to one bargain in the rucks – next year it looks to be Petrie (assuming he keeps his ruck status). Unfortunately for Petrie, he has played just two games this season after suffering two separate broken feet. Fortunately though, both injuries are just impact injuries and not degenerative ones, meaning that once he has recovered, there shouldn’t be any reoccurrences unless he is incredibly unlucky. It has actually been in both of his games this year that he has gotten his injuries, meaning he has finished the year on a very low average of 50 points. On top of the fact he has a low average, he should also come with a very good discount thanks to the fact he has only played twice this year. Over the previous couple of years, Petrie has been a great player, switching between the forward line and the ruck and has averaged 85 points over the past two years. He should be 100% fit come round one next year and is every likelihood of lining up at CHF for the Roos (his best position), meaning he will be a player almost impossible to neglect from your Dream Team.

Forward:

Chris Knights: Knights was one of the stars of the competition in 2009, playing a new role across the Adelaide half-forward line, not only racking up plenty of ball before it was delivered inside the arc, but also booting plenty of goals himself, including one five-goal haul. Unfortunately, 2010 hasn’t been so kind to him and he has struggled most of this season with hamstring troubles. The latest injury came in his second game back in round 20 when he pinged his hammy after just two disposals, finishing him on four points, a score which dragged his five-game season average down to 66 points. This eventual average will drag his price right down in 2011 and if he can show the form we know he is capable of in the pre-season, then I believe he should be one of the first picked players. There are also rumours that he could be on the move in the off-season to a Victorian club, but time will tell as to whether that is true or not.

Max Rooke: Rooke is an interesting case – he isn’t particularly a great dream teamer, but his low average (36 from one game) will see his price start very low in 2011 and mean that he could be a fantastic 7^th forward option for teams looking to save on a bit of cash. Rooke is a tough-nut half-forward and regularly throws himself onto loose balls with no respect for his own body. Over the past two seasons he has averaged 60 points, so he is not a total waste of space, but I think that if he starts the year priced between $150k and $200k it will be very hard to ignore him.

Ricky Petterd: Petterd was looking likely of becoming one of the breakout players of the year until he badly injured his shoulder in round 6. Until this point of the year he was averaging 80 points, but this mid-game injury pulled his average down to 76 for the year with a likely 2011 discount thanks to him only playing six games. Melbourne are looking very likely of going up another notch next year and becoming a very quality outfit, and up till the point of Ricky’s injury he was one of the Dees’ better players. And now with the news that Brad Miller will be delisted, it is a position that they are desperately crying out for. So it looks like the expected breakout year could be delayed until 2011 – and fortunately it should come pretty cheap!