Footy Tragic

Essendon vs West Coast:

Looking Good:

• David Hille: This was the ton that Hille owners have been waiting for since the start of last year! He far from dominated, but he seems to be building the fitness base to allow him to pick up plenty of kicks and marks around the ground, as he showed here.
• Dean Cox: This was easily his best game for the season – he was able to spend more time through the middle, and from all reports he pulled up really well. Worsforld said he is probably 2 – 3 weeks from returning to his best, and this display was certainly a step in the right direction!
• Beau Waters: Solid again in defence – I’m really impressed by his form considering the amount of time he has spent on the sidelines. Should continue to get better as his match fitness improves.

Disappointing:

• Scott Gumbleton: Got poor supply, but he does really look like a player still adjusting to the high speed of AFL. By the end of the season I expect he will be significantly better, however don’t expect anything more than an inconsistent season from the young big-man.
• Michael Hurley: His first game of the season probably didn’t impress as much as hoped, but I know I’ll still be keeping a close eye on him in the coming weeks! This kid has the potential to be a legitimate superstar – and I’m sure there wouldn’t be too many people surprised if it happened this year.
• Marc LeCras: LeCras is such a creative, smart player, but I just can’t understand why Worsfold doesn’t play him in the midfield and bring McKinley into the team. He didn’t have a disappointing game necessarily, but it is just frustrating to see such a good player stuck in the forward pocket.

Blip on the Radar:

• Nathan Lovett-Murray: Can be an exciting player, but is not a dream team star. Although he is at a reasonable price for what his 84 points suggests, a player who will simply maintain his mid-ranged average is not worth the trade.

North Melbourne vs Sydney:

Looking Good:

• Ryan Bastinac: Hands up which coaches left him on the pine because he was playing Sydney!? ME! (big mistake!). He had another great game, this time tagging McVeigh (and was very successful). His ability to tag and opponent, yet break free and win plenty of his own ball is testament to Basti in just his fourth game! Looks in for a huge year!
• Daniel Hannebery: Those set on already giving the rising star award to Naitanui ought to have another look at Hannebery – the kid is a great player – he is tenacious in winning his own ball, but has a good outside game too. Will be one of the big sub-50 game improvers this year.
• Daniel Bradshaw: Easily his best game for his new club, Bradshaw kicked four goals. He will continue to get better as he overcomes his off-season injuries, however don’t expect him to pull in too many big numbers this year.

Disappointing:

• Nick Malceski: Got stuck playing on a man for most of the game and it killed his DT score. Don’t write him off straight away after one game – he will bounce back!
• Ben McGlynn: After two huge games where he seemed to have all the space in the world around him, McGlynn suddenly found himself given much more attention by the opposition taggers. Don’t expect this every week though.
• Sam Wright: So much for Brad Scott’s philosophy of putting his developing players in important roles – Wright seems to have pulled the short still and played the game as a defensive forward.

Blip on the Radar:

• Shane Mumford: This is Mummy’s second good game in a row, and coincidentally, Seaby’s second poor one in a row. Coincidence? No. Sydney seem to have no consistency on which player will play the primary ruck role – for this reason and the subsequent inconsistencies that will follow, I would be avoiding either ruckman if possible!

Adelaide vs Carlton:

Looking Good:

• Marc Murphy: Ok… I think he is over his pre-season injury issues now. Murphy dominated both inside and outside the contests with 32 possessions. Hopefully he can continue to replicate this, regardless of his team’s inconsistent form.
• Chris Judd: Carlton play so much better when this man is in their team – he is not a natural ball-winner, although doesn’t seem to have too much trouble clocking up a ton. His presence should also help lift the rest of his teammates scoring.
• Kade Simpson: Doesn’t look like slowing down, despite the Carlton having their full contingent of midfielders playing. Could be a fantastic unique pick in your team – these are the kind of players that will win you DT!

Disappointing:

• Kurt Tippett: Still playing between the forward line and ruck and it is not helping him. He needs to stay in the forward line permanently and continue to learn that caper. His injury isn’t assisting him either – in fact, things aren’t looking all too positive at the moment for Tippett owners.
• Jason Porplyzia: His match fitness is way down on what it should be and it shows in his consequential output. Didn’t kick a goal all day – however, I expect in a few weeks that things could start looking a bit better for Adelaide players as most of them are coming off shortened pre-seasons. They are much like Hawthorn of 2009.
• Mitch Robinson: The return of Judd and the good form of Kane Lucas pushed the developing Robinson out to the flanks where he failed to have much impact.

Blip on the Radar:

• Andrew Walker: Walker’s game wasn’t really one I would expect to see any of the umpires voting for, but for us in DT land it was a dream game – he spent most of him time sitting in the backline taking uncontested marks and kicks. After three poor games in a row, I think Walker more found himself in the right place at the right time, rather than found form.

Collingwood vs Hawthorn:

Looking Good:

• Dane Swan: Was back to his ball-winning best, clocking up an impressive 34 touches. I don’t think he’s quite back into his 2009 form yet, although he doesn’t look far off! There will be plenty of massive scores ahead!
• Steele Sidebottom: Played a very good game between HFF and the midfield and had 27 possessions. It’s great to see Steele beginning to have the big DT games we always knew he was capable of when drafted in 2008.
• Luke Hodge: Appears to be unstoppable this year, and I for one am confused as to why no opposition teams seem to tag him! He is in great form, and what is more positive is the fact he still seems capable of scoring a ton, despite the fact his team got pumped!

Disappointing:

• Josh Fraser: Kicked 2 behinds playing mainly as a forward. As a forward in a team so dominant, it is disappointing he couldn’t have added at least a couple of goals to the scoreboard. Jolly’s arrival appears to be the end of Fraser’s time as a DT star.
• Rick Ladson: The fact he had 18 disposals, yet only scored 48 points was frustrating – he handballs way to much which cruels his potentially high DT score.
• Jarryd Roughead: Only kicked one goal despite being the main target form Hawthorn. He seems to operate much better with Buddy in the side. Also, he WAS well held by Presti…

Blip on the Radar:

• Stephen Gilham: The fact that Gilham, one of the league’s least attacking full-backs was able to rack up 21 disposals and 86 DT points was an indictment to his opponent, Leigh Brown. Don’t be expecting this too often!

Brisbane vs Western Bulldogs:

Looking Good:

• Jared Brennan: Was instrumental in the Lions win and lit the Gabba alight with his amazing skills and one-handed pick-ups. He has proven to me that his first two scores weren’t just one-offs and he seems to have finally found the consistency he has lacked for most of his career.
• Matthew Leuenberger: Was really impressive in the absence of Mitch Clark. He is not quite as agile as the likes of Clarke, but he competes well around the ground and appears to be much stronger than I was previously aware.
• Shaun Higgins: One of the Dog’s better players – he played the game through the midfield which was great to see. It wasn’t his best day as a few skill errors let him down, yet still he did compete more than many of his teammates.

Disappointing:

• Robert Murphy: Seemed unable to take a mark and really struggled to have any form all game. Just looked to be having one of those days where nothing goes right.
• Lindsay Gilbee: Saw very little of the ball, despite getting little opposition attention. Wasn’t the only one, so I expect he should be able to bounce back next week.
• Daniel Rich: Four weeks into the season and he is still showing little of his 2009 Rising Star form. He continues to give to many frees away and seems easily frustrated. Maybe some time in the QAFL could help to regain his confidence.

Blip on the Radar:

• Dylan Addison: Got a couple of very opportunistic goals which really bellied his score. He is typically a tagger, and is often one of the last picked, meaning that he is typically in and out of the team. Not what you want.

Melbourne vs Richmond:

Looking Good:

• Colin Sylvia: Great to see him back in the side and had a fantastic game, in turn proving that there is no concern over his recently broken jaw. His only worry will be a report in quarter two, but otherwise it was a great return.
• Brent Moloney: Having a very good, unheralded start to the year – this game is definitely his best so far. He proved last year he is a great ball-winner, however I would be hesitant to spend the big bucks on him due to the fact he plays for Melbourne, meaning his score could potentially fluctuate rapidly.
• Ben Nason: Played predominantly as a small forward and it suited him. He plays a high-intensity game so tackles and touches seemed relatively easy to come by.

Disappointing:

• Joel Macdonald: Before the season started, much was expected of Macdonald as a senior player coming across to an inexperienced one in Melbourne. However, whilst his form has been solid, it has not converted into any spectacular DT form – unfortunately, I can’t see this changing as it more seems to be about the role he is playing rather than his actual form.
• Dustin Martin: I’m sure I am not the only coach who feels burnt by Martin this season – after a scintillating NAB cup campaign, he has come into the season and only averaged a mediocre 60 points. Really needs the support of his team before we really start to see an improvement I think.
• Jamie Bennell: Played as a small forward and saw very little of the ball, being well held by an oddly positioned Shane Tuck.

Blip on the Radar:

• Shane Tuck: There is no arguing Tuck’s brilliant ability as a Dream Teamer, but unfortunately, his coach does not seem to have him in his team. Tuck will continuously find himself in and out of the team all year, as well as getting stuck in strange positions such as in a back pocket… So although he should score well when he plays, the last thing you want is a DT star who only plays every second week!

Geelong vs Port Adelaide:

Looking Good:

• James Podsiadly: I doubt I was the only one to be a bit surprised when Pods was named in this weeks team, despite the inclusion of Mooney from suspension. However, he did his chances of keeping his spot no harm at all, booting 5 goals – more than Mooney and Hawkins combined!
• Gary Ablett Jnr: As seems to be the case down at Skilled Stadium, Ablett had the ball on a string, plucking 37 possessions and a bonus 3 goals whilst ‘resting’ up forward. Still hasn’t peaked form-wise this year, so expect the best is yet to come – scary!
• Joel Corey: Bounced back after a couple of average game to start the year – he, like Ablett, racked up 37 touches and was one of the big reasons for their massive victory. Could be a great pick at his current bargain price.

Disappointing:

• Robbie Gray: He was actually one of Port’s better players, although 65 points was probably not ideal for the coaches who have held onto him for three weeks. Just remember (before you think of trading him), he won’t play the Cats every week, at Skilled Stadium, in a team which lost by nearly 100 points… I’m certain he will bounce back!
• Steven Salopek: Went head-to-head with Bartel and was soundly beaten. Once again – Cats, Skilled, 100 points – don’t be too concerned.
• Joel Selwood: Shut down very well by Cassissi which made plenty of coaches (who didn’t own him) very happy – he will be dirt cheap in a couple of weeks, so be sure you pounce!

Blip on the Radar:

• Cameron Ling: The Mayor of Geelong is definitely a player capable of some high scores, but it if far from what he bases his game around. He is first and foremost a tagger, meaning he will shut down his opposition before helping himself to the ball.

St.Kilda vs Fremantle:

Looking Good:

• Nick DalSanto: Was bizarrely left to run alone for most of the match and it allowed him to become the highest disposal winner on the field. Was great in the packs but played predominantly an outside game, setting up plenty of the Saints’ forays forward.
• Brendon Goddard: Easily the best on ground playing most of the game at Centre Half Forward. He kicked five goals and worked really hard. He was a far superior player for Freo’s backline and they struggled to contain him. His great contested marks and amazingly accurate boot were highlights.
• Paul Duffield: Played from behind the play and took mark after mark after mark – the perfect DT game! Spent a bit of time through the midfield, but mainly he was setting up from behind play, playing a mostly uncontested game.
• Aaron Sandilands: Sandilands was heavily exploited due to the lack of tall Saints players on the field. He won plenty of contested marks and was great around the field – already a lock for All-Australian ruckman.

Disappointing:

• Hayden Ballantyne: Struggled to have much impact with the Saints fast ball use in the backline causing him to struggle to chase many of them down. Baker sat on him for the game which was also a big cause for his low impact.
• Des Headland: Did very little playing mainly on a HFF – never threatened to kick a goal and was easily run off by his Saints opponents.
• Brett Peake: First game against his old club and despite a couple of nice highlights, he did very little. Needs to build on his consistency to be considered a regular for the Saints best-22.

Blip on the Radar:

• Roger Hayden: I thought his game was brilliant – his run out of the backline was incredible, and he was often the start of many Freo scoring chains. But unfortunately, this dash seems to be somewhat of a rarity, meaning his DT average is typically around the 60 – 70 range. If he were played as a loose man and given a real rebounding role he could be a must-have player, but unfortunately it is not the case and his game is foremost built around defensive football.

Expert: Dan
Team: Hank Scorpio EDT
Current Ranking: 20,228
Round 4 Score: 1,841
Trades Remaining: 18
Team Changes This Week:
In: Ryan O’Keefe, Brodie Moles
Out: Nick Riewoldt, Luke Shuey

Expert: Toby
Team: Fiora’s Hardnuts
Current Ranking: 3,777
Round 4 Score: 2,101
Trades Remaining: 18
Team Changes This Week:
In: Jared Brennan
Out: Nick Riewoldt

Expert: Ben
Team: The Redbacks
Current Ranking: 350
Round 4 Score: 2,036
Trades Remaining: 19
Team Changes This Week:
In: Jonathan Brown
Out: Nick Riewoldt

Be sure to check out today’s edition of Tuney’s Tuition!

WEST COAST v ESSENDON
West Coast
B: Matt Spangher, Darren Glass, Brett Jones
HB: Andrew Embley, Will Schofield, Beau Waters
C: Matt Rosa, Matt Priddis, Bradd Dalziell
HF: Chris Masten, Josh Kennedy, Ashton Hams
F: Dean Cox, Mitch Brown, Mark LeCras
Foll: Nic Naitanui, Daniel Kerr, Adam Selwood
I/C: Brad Ebert, Ashley Hansen, Pat McGinnity, Scott Selwood
Emg: Ben McKinley, Ashley Smith, Tom Swift

In: Hams, McGinnity
Out: Luke Shuey (knee), Tom Swift

New: Ashton Hams (South Fremantle/rookie list)

• Ashton Hams is the main inclusion here – Hams trained really well through the pre-season as a small defender but never featured in any of the NAB games. He is a mature aged rookie and was only elevated this week. Played most of his senior footy in the WAFL and averaged 14 possessions, however won best on ground in the WAFL Grand Final with 28 disposals and 14 marks. What is especially exciting though is that over the past month in the WAFL, Hams has averaged 26 disposals and kicked a total of 8 goals playing both on a wing and in the forward line. He is definitely one to watch!
• Luke Shuey is a big out of DT coaches – from my knowledge he wasn’t injured in last weeks game, so perhaps he picked up a niggle with training. I wouldn’t expect him to be out for too long.

Essendon
B: Henry Slattery, Tayte Pears, Dustin Fletcher
HB: Courtenay Dempsey, Cale Hooker, Nathan Lovett-Murray
C: Kyle Reimers, Jobe Watson, Jake Melksham
HF: Sam Lonergan, Scott Gumbleton, Bachar Houli
F: Jason Winderlich, Michael Hurley, David Hille
Foll: Patrick Ryder, Andrew Welsh, David Zaharakis
I/C: Mark Williams, Travis Colyer, Heath Hocking, Ricky Dyson
Emg: Alwyn Davey, Brent Prismall, Darcy Daniher

In: Hurley
Out: Brent Stanton (back)

• Hurley is a major in for the Dons – as he showed late last year, he has major star talent. He is dirt cheap for what he can potentially offer, so watch his first two games very closely before his price rises.
• Stanton’s injury is a major blow, and i would expect it only to be a minor one. Due to the game being played in WA, they are never going to risk a player of Stanton’s ilk.

NORTH MELBOURNE v SYDNEY SWANS
North Melbourne
B: Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson, Brady Rawlings
HB: Sam Wright, Nathan Grima, Scott McMahon
C: Daniel Wells, Brent Harvey, Ryan Bastinac
HF: Aaron Edwards, Lachie Hansen, Liam Anthony
F: Lindsay Thomas, David Hale, Ben Warren
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell
I/C: Leigh Adams, Gavin Urquhart, Todd Goldstein, Leigh Harding
Emg: Ben Cunnington, Josh Smith, Cruize Garlett

No change

• No changes is a good sign for the Roos, but Cunnington’s name on the emergencies list is an ominous sign after his BOG performance in the VFL on the weekend.

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

No change

ADELAIDE v CARLTON
Adelaide
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Phil Davis
HB: Michael Doughty, Simon Goodwin, Brent Reilly
C: Myke Cook, Tyson Edwards, David Mackay
HF: Chris Knights, Taylor Walker, Richard Douglas
F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, Brett Burton
Foll: Ivan Maric, Bernie Vince, Scott Thompson
I/C: Andrew McLeod, Patrick Dangerfield, Jared Petrenko, Chris Schmidt
Emg: Jonathon Griffin, Matthew Jaensch, Shaun McKernan

In: Johncock, Davis
Out: Nathan Bock(hamstring), Trent Hentschel (knee)

New: Phil Davis (North Adelaide)

• Not as many exclusions as perhaps expected for Adelaide. Bock is a big loss, but Davis will be brought in as cover. He has been talked up with plenty of potential (and has been touted as the heir-apparent to Bock), however his NAB cup was less than inspiring. Rookie backs are still worth gold though so keep an eye on him.
• Kurt Tippett being named will understandably frustrate many coaches who wanted to wait a week to trade him out. Unfortunately, unless if you are prepared to leak some cash (or gamble on him being a late withdrawal), now seems to be the time to offload him.

Carlton
B: Simon White, Michael Jamison, Aaron Joseph
HB: Dennis Armfield, Andrew Walker, Jordan Russell
C: Bryce Gibbs, Chris Judd, Kade Simpson
HF: Mitch Robinson, Setanta O’hAilpin, Marc Murphy
F: Eddie Betts, Lachie Henderson, Chris Yarran
Foll: Matthew Kreuzer, Heath Scotland, Andrew Carrazzo
I/C: Jeff Garlett, Ryan Houlihan, Kane Lucas, Robert Warnock
Emg: Joe Anderson, Richard Hadley, Simon Wiggins

In: Judd, White, Garlett
Out: Bret Thornton , Jarrad Waite , Brock McLean (hip)

New: Simon White (Subiaco/rookie list)

• Carlton have certainly swung the axe, chopping two of their most senior defenders in Waite and Thornton. Very surprising on each account – perhaps this isn’t the week to trade Tippett out after all!
• Coming into the team is Chris Judd – obviously the biggest inclusion of the week! But also on the way in is another mature-aged rookie in White. White is 21 years old and won the rising star award in his WAFL team whilst playing off the half-back line. He averaged 16 disposals.

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

In: Johnson, Shaw
Out: John McCarthy, Shane O’Bree

• It’s great to see Shaw back into the side after the one week out, however it is Johnson’s speedy return that is the most surprising!

Hawthorn
B: Brent Guerra, Stephen Gilham, Thomas Murphy
HB: Grant Birchall, Ryan Schoenmakers, Rick Ladson
C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Chance Bateman
HF: Michael Osborne, Jarryd Roughead, Cyril Rioli
F: Garry Moss, Carl Peterson, Campbell Brown
Foll: Brent Renouf, Luke Hodge, Xavier Ellis
I/C: Jarryd Morton, Ben Stratton, Brendan Whitecross, Clinton Young
Emg: Jarrod Kayler-Thomson, Shane Savage, Matt Suckling

In: Osborne, Young, Whitecross
Out: Lance Franklin (susp), Josh Gibson (hamstring), Matt Suckling

• Buddy’s one week suspension was a blow to many dream teams – but at least we know it is only a week and is not caused by some ambiguous injury.
• Clinton Young will play his first game of the year and is an absolute steal at his current price. His only issue is whether he can stay on the park – but if he can, make sure you jump on board whilst he is still cheap!
• Worth noting is Ben Stratton’s spot in the team – he came in for his first game last week and played well at CHB. Now with Gibson’s 12 week injury, Stratton looks the one most likely to fill his shoes, meaning he will be a great cash-cow option!

BRISBANE v WESTERN BULLDOGS
Brisbane Lions
B: James Hawksley, Daniel Merrett, Travis Johnstone
HB: Luke Power, Matt Maguire, Josh Drummond
C: Andrew Raines, Simon Black, Tom Rockliff
HF: Justin Sherman, Jonathan Brown, Todd Banfield
F: Brent Staker, Brendan Fevola, James Polkinghorne
Foll: Matthew Leuenberger, Joel Patfull, Michael Rischitelli
I/C: Daniel Rich, Jared Brennan, Albert Proud, Jack Redden
Emg: Troy Selwood, Pearce Hanley, Matt Austin

In: Brennan, Proud
Out: Ashley McGrath (susp), Mitchell Clark (susp)

• Jared Brennan is a very good inclusion, but not a surprise one as he only sat out round 3 because of suspension. Brisbane doesn’t look to be the only team Brennan comes into this week with thousands of dream teamers looking to bring him into their own sides for Riewoldt.
• Mitch Clark goes out for one week with a suspension (as does McGrath), and Rockliff keeps his spot. Interestingly, Black has been named despite injuring himself during last week’s game.

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

In: Addison, Eagleton
Out: Jason Akermanis (hamstring), Liam Picken (ankle)

• The main story here is Brad Johnson’s continued exclusion from the team – not that they wouldn’t want him there, but it seems he is taking a very long time to recover from his ‘minor’ injury. Brodie Moles keeps his spot, as does Will Minson (possible late withdrawal for Roughead??)

RICHMOND v MELBOURNE
Richmond
B: Shane Edwards, Alex Rance, Matthew Dea
HB: Mitch Farmer, Kelvin Moore, Matt White
C: Dustin Martin, Brett Deledio, Trent Cotchin
HF: Troy Taylor, Jack Riewoldt, Mitch Morton
F: Ben Nason, Jayden Post, Richard Tambling
Foll: Troy Simmonds, Daniel Jackson, Shane Tuck
I/C (from): Tyrone Vickery, David Astbury, Jake King, Graham Polak, Robin Nahas, Tom Hislop, Andrew Collins

In: Polak, Hislop, Nahas, Collins, Farmer, King, Taylor, Astbury, Dea
Out: Chris Newman (leg), Luke McGuane (club susp), Dean Polo (club susp), Relton Roberts, Daniel Connors (club susp), Ben Cousins (club susp)

New: Troy Taylor (South Alice Springs/NT Thunder), Matthew Dea (North Ballarat), David Astbury (North Ballarat)

• A statement has been made at Punt Road with six players dropped from the squad – Newman is out injured, Relton Roberts has been dropped (*sigh*) and all of Cousins, Polo, McGuane (one week each) and Connors (eight weeks) are out with suspensions.
• Three possible debuts for the Tigers; Matthew Dea is an extremely fit medium sized forward who averaged 10 disposals through the TAC Cup – perhaps not enough to consider him for dream team, but he does seem like a likely player.
• Troy Taylor is an indigenous medium forward, capable of the freakish. He looks very capable and only slid down the draft due to his personal history of violence. Will be an interesting player to watch, but his junior stats are not amazing, nor is the fact he is currently facing court regarding bashing allegations.
• David Astbury looks a very likely key-position forward, but the issue with his is his size – whilst standing at 195cm, he weighs in at only 81kg. Will be a good player, but is likely to take time – especially for DT purposes.

Melbourne
B: James McDonald, Matthew Warnock, James Frawley
HB: Cameron Bruce, Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn
C: Jack Trengove, Aaron Davey, Clint Bartram
HF: Brad Green, Ricky Petterd, Nathan Jones
F: Colin Sylvia, Matthew Bate, Rohan Bail
Foll: Mark Jamar, Jack Grimes, Brent Moloney
I/C (from): Joel MacDonald, Jordie McKenzie, Tom Scully, Jamie Bennell. Michael Newton, Kyle Cheney, Jake Spencer

In: Sylvia, Cheney, Spencer
Out: -

• Sylvia’s inclusion is a very exciting one – look for him to jump straight into it. I would still be a little worried he could be a late withdrawal like last week, but i’m of the belief he will play.

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

In: Mooney, Milburn, Ottens, Hogan
Out: Dawson Simpson

• Geelong welcome back a few old faces missing from last week’s loss to Freo – Ottens, Mooney and Milburn. Also, it is great to see Podsiadly has kept his spot in the team, despite both Mooney and Hawkins being named.

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, David Rodan
F: Cameron Hitchcock, Brett Ebert, Justin Westhoff
Foll: Dean Brogan, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
I/C (from): Jackson Trengove, Daniel Stewart, Robbie Gray, Nick Salter, Tom Logan, Mitch Banner, Matthew Lobbe

In: Brogan, Gray, Lobbe, Rodan, Salter, D. Stewart
Out: Cameron Cloke, Jay Schulz (knee), Paul Stewart (hip)

New: Matthew Lobbe (Eastern)

• Finally, Robbie Gray looks to be getting a game – we will know for sure tomorrow night when the final teams are named, but from all reports he trained well and deserves his spot. I think Port will be very excited about his much needed inclusion into their midfield this week.
• Matthew Lobbe, if he plays, will be backup ruckman to Brogan. Lobbe isn’t a huge ball-winner, but at the very least he will provide some relief to Brogan who already seems to be struggling with the sole-ruck position in the team.

ST KILDA v FREMANTLE
St Kilda
B: James Gwilt, Zac Dawson, Sam Gilbert
HB: Steven Baker, Sam Fisher, Brendon Goddard
C: Leigh Montagna, Clinton Jones, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Andrew McQualter, Jason Blake, Adam Schneider
F: Jarryn Geary, Michael Gardiner, Stephen Milne
Foll: Steven King, Jason Gram, Lenny Hayes
I/C (from): David Armitage, Raphael Clarke, Robert Eddy, Brett Peake, Farren Ray, Rhys Stanley, Jack Steven

In: Clarke, Eddy, Steven, Stanley
Out: Nick Riewoldt (hamstring)

New: Rhys Stanley

• Jack Steven and Rhys Stanley are two of the possible inclusions into the Saint’s 22 for the weekend. The are both very exciting young players – if Steven gets a game, it will be only the second of his career, but if Stanley gets the gig it will be his first. Stanley is a very tall ruckman/forward, capable of taking a huge pack mark. He is extremely athletic and is capable of chasing down much smaller players with his great speed for his height. Whilst he doesn’t get a lot of possessions, he will win his DT points through marks, tackles and goals. Unfortunately though, i would be surprised if he were chosen as a member of the final team.

Fremantle
B: Jay van Berlo, Chris Tarrant, Adam McPhee
HB: Greg Broughton, Luke McPharlin, Roger Hayden
C: Anthony Morabito, David Mundy, Paul Hasleby
HF: Michael Johnson, Matthew Pavlich, Stephen Hill
F: Des Headland, Chris Mayne, Hayden Ballantyne
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Michael Barlow, Paul Duffield
I/C (from): Matthew de Boer, Ryan Crowley, Dylan Roberton, Steven Dodd, Alex Silvagni, Clancee Pearce, Rhys Palmer

In: Palmer, Pearce, Roberton, Tarrant
Out: Nick Suban (ankle)

New: Dylan Roberton (Dandenong)

• Two very big ins for Fremantle; Chris Tarrant will be a welcome inclusion to their backline, and Palmer will come in for his first game of the year after rupturing his ACL early last year. Palmer is at a very low price due to his 2009 injury, so it will definitely be worth monitoring his form over the next couple of weeks.
• Another possible inclusion for Freo is first-gamer Dylan Roberton. Roberton is a medium ball-winning defender – he averaged 18 disposals and 5 marks per game for the Stingrays last year. However, through the NAB cup he showed he is not quite up to the pace of AFL, averaging just 35 DT points per game. But, just as most Freo youngsters seem to do, he will likely progress his game very quickly, being given every opportunity to do so.

Dear Footy Tragics,

Nick Riewoldt’s serious hamstring injury has hit dreamteam coaches around the country right between the eyes. The inspirational St. Kilda skipper is not only the focal point in the Saints forward line, he is also the focal point of 148,449 dreamteam forward lines. With an expected recovery time ranging from 8 – 16 weeks, the one thing we can be certain of is the need to use one of our 20 valuable trades to take Riewoldt out.

Many dreamteam coaches have taken advantage of price freezes prior to Round 3 to “fix up” their initial squad of 30 players. While these trades are a necessity for many teams, the reality is that these coaches are now left with 17 or 18 trades and they are competing with teams who still have 20 trades up their sleeve.

The most valuable dreamteam player is one that you originally pick up as a cash cow or value pick, who subsequently turns into a keeper. Mitch Clark, Jack Grimes and Greg Broughton were the perfect examples in 2009.

I’ve spoken previously about Clark, the Brisbane ruckman who started the 2009 season priced at $217,800 after averaging 49 points per game in 2008. History tells us that Clark went on to average 94 points per game in 2009, thus becoming a valuable keeper rather than the value selection he was at the beginning of the year.

I’m using Clark as the perfect example of the player we need to find in 2010. We cannot afford 22 premiums in the early part of the season, so we need to uncover those mid priced bargains that have the potential to become valuable keepers (thus saving us valuable trades in the process)!

I’ve set myself the task of selecting two unique (thus ruling out Nick Malceski) mid priced bargains who have the potential to become valuable keepers. I’ve also kept away from midfielders, because everyone already knows about Jack Trengove and Dustin Martin. The two players I have chosen are:

• Heath Grundy – Sydney – Defender / Forward, currently in 10,317 teams

Current average 96 points per game – Starting price $287,400, Current price $316,500;

• James Gwilt – St. Kilda – Defender / Forward, currently in 8,550 teams

Current average 87 points per game – Starting price $249,600, Current price $278,800.

I talked up Grundy in one of my pre season articles and he has been super impressive in the first three rounds. Grundy is now a key member of the Swans defence and he is fast establishing himself as one of the most improved players in the competition. Grundy seems to be playing in a similar mould to Nathan Bock, who has been a premium dreamteam defender for many years now. Like Bock, Grundy not only shuts down opposition key forwards, he also racks up plenty of disposals and marks in the process, which is perfect for dreamteam!

Gwilt has been a big surprise in 2010 and I still have my doubts as to whether he can continue his impressive early season form. Having said that, Gwilt has always been a talented player, with a lack of consistency being his biggest problem. The absence of Nick Riewoldt may help Gwilt, as the Saints midfielders will need to become less predictable and look to other targets in their forward line. While Sam Fisher appears likely to fill the now vacant Centre Half Forward position, Gwilt has strong hands and is a more than useful second or third forward marking option.

Gwilt would have been stung after playing 15 games in 2009 and being left out of all three of the Saints finals. Now in his 6^th season of AFL footy, maybe the penny has finally dropped. It seems like Gwilt has been around forever, but he is still only 23. With 44 AFL games under his belt, he could be set for a break out season in 2010!

I must warn you here that selecting mid priced players can be fraught with danger, as often there are more misses than hits. However, if you do your homework and have a good basis for choosing a particular player, don’t be afraid to take a risk and pull the trigger. If you do, you may find yourself an expected keeper, which allows you to use that saved trade to pick up another premium.

Good luck!

In an effort to improve our site, we’re looking at different ways to give our readers the best advice possible. From now on, my Player of the Week will have a slightly different take. Rather than looking at one player in great detail I’ll give a bit of a statistical analysis on a few guys who are ripe for the picking. I’ll also include an “On The Bubble” bit for all rookie priced players who have played two games. The idea of this is to make the articles more accessible and relevant to as many people as possible by throwing up more names.

Cyril Rioli

There’s been a bit of talk about him on Footy Tragic this week. I must admit I had him in very early versions of my team this pre season, but I cooled on that idea pretty quickly when there was talk of him having OP. He missed Round 1 as a result, but all that has done is made him relatively unpopular in Dream Team.

I love him so much as a player. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t love Cyril – he embodies so much to love about footy. As a DT’er, he knows how to score. Tackles, goals and marks are all a part of his game. I was really amazed that he scored 71 DT points from only 10 touches in his first game of the season against Geelong. SEVEN points per disposal – this is what four marks and five tackles will do to a relatively quiet day on the disposal count. He followed it up with an impressive 130 (career high) against the Bulldogs, including four goals, six marks and six tackles head to head with one of the best small defenders in Jarrod Harbrow.

Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we can only project that Rioli has long term sustainable DT improvement in him for 2010. It’s not like picking a falling premium – we are genuinely looking for Cyril’s breakout year. Some might say, wasn’t that his rookie year in 2008? I say not, because when Cyril truly breaks out he will be one of the best players in the AFL.

Keep in mind that last week against the Bulldogs was only the sixth time in his 46 game career where he topped 20 disposals. However, as I pointed out above he can score points on a low disposal count and in general he looks set to improve his numbers this year if he can stay healthy. His tackling is insanely good and his closing speed is better than anyone’s in the AFL – it’s some effort to catch Ablett holding the ball twice in your career, let alone twice in the same game, which is what Cyril did in Round 2.

Jared Brennan

It’s pretty convenient that there’s two guys under $400K who look set for big years, have only played two games and are set to go up in price the week the most common premium forward goes down with a DT season ending injury.

Not that this site is used for commentary on MRP decisions, but for those who don’t already own Brennan his incredibly soft and slightly confusing suspension was a blessing in disguise, just as Riewoldt’s hammy goes bang (in a bad way).

The big question has to be, is one of the biggest DT teases over the past few years doing it again? Is he luring us in and bending us over like he has to many time and time again? I gotta say, I’m not so sure this time. This could finally be what we’ve been waiting for from Jared Brennan.

His move to the midfield opened up a DT gold mine last year. He did admittedly show a bit of inconsistency, and this may be the sort of thing that continues to plague him as a player, but the trend moved greatly towards the higher end of his scoring. Just as he was looking good last year, he headbutted Josh Carr and thousands of DT coaches were cursing, thinking that he’d be looking at 3-4 weeks at such an important time of year. Luckily he only got one, and to be fair heaps of people have wanted to headbutt Josh Carr.

His scores of 121 and 119 so far this season are only a small sample, but he finished off last season quite well too. His big strength as a DT’er is his ability to pull down massive mark and tackle numbers, but disappointingly doesn’t kick enough goals.

On The Bubble

Keep an eye on these cheapies, who have played two games and are about to go up in price…

Rohan Bail

The mature aged selection for Melbourne was off to a flyer in his debut game last year picking up a kick in the first minute, but in turn injuring himself (hammy IIRC). Three points per minute is pretty awesome though! That was his only game for 2009, but after a good pre-season he cracked the Dees side in Round 2, where he had the game on his boot in the dying seconds – unfortunately he decided to put it into Petterd’s hands.

A 67 and 87 is none too shabby for a young Melbourne midfielder and I honestly rate his job security a little better than Tom Scully’s at this stage. Slightly risky to bring him in if you already have Scully and Jack Trengove – three rookie Melbourne mids is fraught with danger, but I don’t reckon Bail is too bad of a pick at $101K and a break even of roughly -80.

Brodie Moles

Another mature aged selection (we love them for DT) who had a cracking season in the Bulldogs midfield after spending two years on Geelong’s rookie list. A beautiful kick of the ball and once they get all the Geelong out of his system maybe he won’t handball so much and use that lovely right peg a bit more.

Job security will always be an issue at a contender like the Dogs, but with Picken out for 6-8 weeks that might help his cause a fair bit. Akermanis also to miss and only Johnson and Eagleton to come back in the short term means he should hold his spot for another few weeks. Priced at $83K and a break even score of roughly -84.

Ben Howlett

OK, so he’s not in my DT side, but I do have him in SC and when I saw his omission last week I went on a massive anti-Knights tirade. Some of that IS still left in my system and that may subtly come out as I write this paragraph.

I’ll just throw him in there, in case Essendon’s match committee opt not to smoke crack at the table this week and actually put him back in. I’m not thinking it’s likely though, after a good win against the Blues and Michael Hurley a lock to come back in. For the record, their wholesale changes were obviously a good idea, but dropping Howlett was crazy. Especially to bring up Bachar Houli and once again prove he has no clue.

I must admit I thought he did enough to ensure solid job security in a fairly average midfield. Scores of 74 and 63 is what you can expect from him if he comes back in, but he’s probably more relevant to people who already own him. Probably a bit too risky to trade him in after being unexpectedly dropped…

Relton Roberts

GOD NO! I have him and can’t wait to get rid of him. I hope he is named this week just so I can get a minor price rise out of him before trading him to Rockliff, but he is so far off AFL tempo that I can’t guarantee he will make his break even this week even if he does play. His break even is 1, by the way. ONE point.
Won’t be surprised if he is dropped after two very mediocre performances. Admittedly playing as a small forward for a team that can’t get the ball into their attacking half of the ground is not conducive to DT scoring.

Note: We suggest reading the article below before voting!!!

Ok… Well I’m sure there will be no big surprises as to what this article will be about; after the tragic injury to Nick Riewoldt on Friday night, 148,449 coaches felt the pain of losing Dream Team’s most premium forward. There are now plenty of questions on everyone’s minds; “Do I trade him?” “If so, do I swap him for a similarly priced premium?” “Or do I swap him for a cheaper option, allowing me to upgrade another player with the excess cash?”

All questions are appropriate, and different answers will apply to different circumstances – although one question will have a universal answer, and that is no matter how much you love the man, no matter how many trades you have left, you must trade him – firstly, it is expected he will miss (a minimum) 8 – 10 weeks, but as is the nature of his injury, any timeframe given will be purely speculative, meaning that it has every chance of being longer. Also, you don’t want a player worth $445,000 sitting idle on your bench when that sort of money could easily afford you a player who will average at least 100 points for the year.

I believe there are two main strategies to choose from, and within each strategy there are two players to choose from. For this reason I am going to shoot myself in the foot and set myself a massive task for this article – I will review all four players, as well as the pros and cons of each tactic.

Tactic 1: The Like-for-like Swap

I believe that this is the path most coaches will take for the Riewoldt trade – it is safe (as you know you are picking up a premium player), and to make it easier, there are two very clear options of who to trade to. This method involves swapping Riewoldt for a player of similar price and stature – the two clear trade options are Jonathan Brown and Ryan O’Keefe. Each player has his own benefits, and the great part about this tactic is that neither have any significant downsides.

Jonathan Brown:

Brown has started the year on absolute fire and after round two was the “must-have” player for just about anyone who didn’t have him. He has been in dominating form, already booting 17 goals for the year! Coming into the season, many people had worried about the possible adverse effect that Fevola would have on Brown’s game, but clearly Fev’s inclusion has worked brilliantly for him. Whilst Bradshaw was a great player, Fev is clearly better, meaning there is absolutely no chance an opposition coach will stick a second-rate defender on Fev – in turn this means Brown is less likely to be double teamed (and hence increasing his scoring potential). What’s more, Brown came into the season in great condition for the first time in many years – this means he is super fit, strong, and less likely to get injured. Anyone who has watched a Brisbane game this year will attest to the super form Brown is in – he is simply dominating games and looks close to unstoppable! If there were a downside to Brown, it would be the fact he has played three reasonably weak defences – West Coast, Carlton and Port Adelaide – and whilst none of these three are considered ‘poor’ backlines, they’re are certainly no St.Kilda, Geelong or Bulldogs. This means we have not yet seen Brown pitched against any of these top teams and makes us slightly hesitant to get him as we are unsure if he will have the capacity to dominate against such sides. At the end of the day, I think this weakness is one that could become over-exaggerated – regardless of the opposition, no one would have been able to stop Brown in his current form.

Key Stats:

Kick : handball ratio – 4.36 : 1

Average Marks per game: 10

Average Goals per game: 5.66

Average Disposals per game: 20

Breakeven: 86

Average Dream Team Points: 124.33

Price: $441,600

Ryan O’Keefe:

O’Keefe would bring a very different style of player into your Dream Team than Brown – O’Keefe is one of the few DT forwards who actually don’t play their games in the forward line. Although O’Keefe used to play as a third forward for Sydney, his role is now as a ball winning midfielder with a great workrate and a great kick. He is a very sneaky pick for your team as you are essentially picking up a midfielder in your forward line! His season to date has also been a very impressive one – he would likely be leading Sydney’s B&F at the moment thanks to his great ball-winning ability, but also has the capabilities to find space and hit up his forwards with precision. Last year O’Keefe proved that in his new role he was able to clock up some very impressive dream team scores, such as the 173 he scored against Carlton. He is also incredibly consistent, only dropping below 85 three times after round six. He has also already proven this year he can crack the big scores with two games above 120 points! The worry with O’Keefe, as there seems to be with any Sydney player, is the amount of ball that gets won through the Sydney midfield. Sydney have typically been a team known for their low disposal count – up until this year that is! They are really using the ball differently this season to years past with their injection of youth and speed into the lineup – Sydney have never been so exciting to watch. So as it stands, I think there is little to worry about regarding Sydney as a team – they are in winning form and have stepped up their disposal count, meaning O’Keefe could be every chance to step up from the high standard he set for himself last year.

Key Stats:

Kick : handball ratio – 1.67 : 1

Average Marks per game: 4.6

Average Goals per game: 1.6

Average Disposals per game: 27.6

Breakeven: 97

Average Dream Team Points: 114.67

Price: $438,300

Tactic 2: The Mid-Priced Bargain

This theory is obviously a little different to the first; it sees you instead downgrading Riewoldt to a cheaper player, but not necessarily one who will score you any less. These are players on the bubble – they have played two games and are in fantastic form. The trade to them will allow you some extra cash to perhaps upgrade (either this week or later on) one of your underperforming players from elsewhere on the field. It is a riskier strategy as you are not necessarily swapping for players with much of a rich DT history, but from their exposed 2010 form there is every likelihood that they are on the cusp of a breakout year.

Jarred Brennan:

Without wanting to blow my own horn (but when you have the opportunity…) I called Brennan’s meteoric rise this year in the pre-season when every training session he spent 100% of his time with the midfielders. So, what I mean by this is that his huge first two games weren’t necessarily out of the box – the writing was on the wall if you looked close enough. Brennan has for many years been a special talent, however we have never seen him mature into a consistent footballer. Now 25 years old, Brennan seems to have finally matured – it is certainly noticeable in his on-field presence as well as his maturity now when interviewed. Now, whilst only so much can be read into a player’s persona in front of a camera, for Brennan his maturity was often what Leigh Matthews (his previous coach) put as the reason for his inconsistencies as a player – so now he has grown up we should be able to expect a much better player. When we look at both games he has played this year (he sat out round 3 with a suspension), it is clear he is in form – he dominated in both games, winning plenty of the ball, but also adding tackling to his long list of skills. He is a highly talented player and there is no doubting his ability, but if we trade him in, the expectation is that he continues in the same vein. So what is to stop him from reverting back to his old ways? I believe, from both watching him onfield and listening to him off it, 2010 could finally be the year we see Brennan establish himself in the elite bracket of footballers.

Key Stats:

Kick : handball ratio – 1.5 : 1

Average Marks per game: 5

Average Tackles per game: 8

Average Disposals per game: 26.5

Breakeven: 31

Average Dream Team Points: 120

Price: $373,000

Cyril Rioli:

Sometimes it can be too easy to get sucked into a player just because they are highly skilled, but unfortunately they don’t get enough of the pill for DT. Rioli has often looked like he will be one of these players – he could be best on ground, yet only have 20 touches of the ball. But already this year, with his high pace, skill and frenetic energy, Rioli has shown he is no DT slouch. In his most recent game (against the Bulldogs), Rioli scored a very impressive 130 DT points – certainly nothing to scoff at! Coming into the season, Rioli had been suffering from early Osteitis Pubis – a cruelling groin injury, which strips players of their pace and penetration on their kicks. Fortunately, Hawthorn rested Rioli properly (the only way to get over this issue) and he appears to be now healthy. His role in the team sees him playing mainly as a forward, but he is capable of pushing up the field and racking up plenty of possessions on the wing. And it is no secret that Hawthorn want him to play as much time in the midfield as possible this year – not only does he have fantastic skills, but his renowned pace and tackling ability will put fear into any opposition midfielders. As the year wears on and Hawthorn are more confident with the condition of Rioli’s groin, I expect we will see much more of him in the midfield, but up until then, he will still spend large chunks of each game in the forward line, meaning there is a strong chance he will have the occasional stinker (i.e. 30 – 50 points). Other than his injury history, my main worry with Rioli is that his game has never been one very suited to Dream Team, so there is every chance that this 130 points is one out of the box. However, as Dan pointed out on the site yesterday, that just like Gary Ablett Jnr he has never had a game suited to DT – but perhaps he is just so bloody good he is going to score well anyway!

Key Stats:

Kick : handball ratio – 1.8 : 1

Average Marks per game: 5

Average Tackles per game: 5.5

Average Disposals per game: 16

Average Goals: 2.5

Breakeven: 42

Average Dream Team Points: 100.5

Price: $334,900