Footy Tragic

Geelong vs Collingwood:

Looking Good:

• Jimmy Bartel: This was always going to be a game he would thrive in and he did exactly that – his work under the packs was fantastic, but what separates Bartel from other midfielders is his ability above his head – he finished with 7 marks for the game – very good for an inside midfielder.
• James Kelly: Kelly lined up on the wing in a best on ground display. He showed a lot of poise and class for a player who had missed the prior week with injury and now looks in some great form. It is also great that you can pick him as a defender after playing roles back there in 2009.
• Corey Enright: This was Enright’s second strong rebounding game in a row as he worked hard off Didak. He has the ability to push high through the midfield, as well as drop back to play kick-to-kick with Scarlett – awesome for dream team. Like the Cats, he is coming into some super form and he has always been a consistent scorer, so jump on board!

Disappointing:

• Leon Davis: Another big game and once again, Davis did nothing. He finished the game with 9 disposals and one behind – very, very poor for a player with his capabilities. Stay well away from him in 2010!
• Chris Dawes: After some super recent form, Dawes was easily beaten by Taylor and Lonergan. He did try hard, but the delivery was well below par.
• Tom Hawkins: Hawkins had a super first half, but faded in the second. He is actually looking in some good form as he is rotated through the ruck, but he is still lacking that consistency which is preventing him from taking the leap from good to great. He could be a great 2011 option though.

Blip on the Radar:

• Nick Maxwell: Maxwell is very good at playing behind the ball and taking plenty of marks and kicks, but the irregularities of his game mean that he is far from a consistent dream teamer. Some weeks he will play much tighter on his man, leading to some very hyperactive scoring.

Western Bulldogs vs Sydney:

Looking Good:

• Brian Lake: Lake’s 192 points was the 6^th best dream team game in recordable history – not too bad at all for the few that own him! It was a classic kick-mark-kick-mark-etc game as he played off the first gamer, O’Keefe. Lake will typically only average half of this, so don’t get too excited…
• Adam Cooney: Looked back at his browlow best, winning possessions and clearances at will. Take note though, Cooney is typically more of a SuperCoach player than DT, however he does win enough of the ball to clock up the ton a few times!
• Ryan Hargrave: YAAAAY!!! Finally, after ‘apparently’ bottoming out a few weeks ago, Hargrave has finally bounced back with a great game off half back – he was loose man alongside Lake and together they did as the pleased.

Disappointing:

• Sam Wright: One touch in the first half and five in the second sum up his efforts – it’s probably time he headed back to Werribee to find some form.
• Barry Hall: Was reported twice against Scott Thompson and despite each time being provoked, Barry is every chance to be gone for at least a couple of weeks with his record. Wasn’t in amazing form either…
• Matt Campbell: Campbell has proven to be one of the biggest NAB cup teases of the year – average for a few games before being dropped, and now that he is back, all he could conjure up was five touches, equalling the game’s lowest score of 29.

Blip on the Radar:

• Brian Lake: … Don’t be expecting 192 every week!

Sydney vs Fremantle:

Looking Good:

• David Mundy: Despite coming into the game under an injury cloud, Mundy proved to be one of the most pivotal players for Freo. His precise kicking is a feature of his game and his teammates constantly deliver him the ball because of this.
• Nick Malceski: Was great off half-back and kicked a ripper goal too. He really stood up in Kennelly’s place, which was great to see. His kick to handball ratio is also brilliant!
• Nat Fyfe: I’m loving watching this kid on the half-forward line. He seems to read the game beautifully and is always waiting across the half-forward line as Freo’s main link player. He is also highly skilled in the air and has a lot of confidence in himself despite his size, allowing him to play at the capacity he currently is.

Disappointing:

• Aaron Sandilands: Leading into this game many people were suggesting that big 211 could be the first AFL player to make it to 50 hitouts in a game and would therefore be a brilliant captain choice… Unfortunately, although he got himself 35 hitouts, his meagre 10 disposals dragged his score down a bit.
• Tadhg Kennelly: Copped a knee injury that took him off the field statless. Unfortunately, 2010 is the first year in which Virtual Sports have changed the rule to state that the zero WILL count towards your score… how unfortunate!
• Stephen Hill: Couldn’t handle the tag from Smith in the slightest and was hardly seen all day. Whilst he is damaging, the likes of Mundy and Duffield are probably more likely to be the ones getting attention in the future.

Blip on the Radar:

• Kepler Bradley: Has come into the side to fill Michael Johnson’s role and actually played quite well (he looked good in his other game for the season too). But seriously, Bradley is a known DT/AFL dud – this long into his career things aren’t about to change!

Essendon vs Richmond:

Looking Good:

• David Hille: I don’t envy all the people who traded Hille to Seaby after round two… Hille absolutely dominated this match – he was very strong through the midfield and smashed Richmond in the ruck. His three goals up forward were just icing on the cake. He looks to be recovering very well from his knee injury – he looks to have his speed and agility back, in fact, his fast leads in the forward line were a highlight.
• Jack Riewoldt: Riewoldt looked dangerous every time Richmond went forward and he finished the game with six goals. I love the fact he is very strong in the air, but as soon as the ball spills he has the awareness, agility and nous of a small forward.
• Paddy Ryder: Floated around the ground as second ruckman and rarely seemed to be caught with an opponent. Over the past couple of weeks it looks like he has come back into some form, but he is still very much second-fiddle to Hille.

Disappointing:

• Jake King: Why people have him in their teams is beyond me – played as a back-pocket tagger on Davey – about the only role he should be trusted with.
• Mark McVeigh: Once again, McVeigh played deep in defence and had occasional stints in the forward line, but he seems to be going nowhere near the midfield. He could have been a bargain this year, but it is time to count your losses and move him on.
• Scott Gumbleton: Really well held by McGuane, but for what it’s worth, he never looked like he stopped leading or trying, so it’s not like he had a stinker – he just couldn’t get anywhere near it!

Blip on the Radar:

• Angus Graham: Graham showed last year that he is capable of scoring the occasional big score, but his job security and immense inconsistency should rule him out of any dream team.

Melbourne vs Port Adelaide:

Looking Good:

• Brad Green: Green continues to be damaging both through the midfield and up forward, finishing with 23 disposals and three goals for the night. In a much more mature Melbourne team, Green is likely to take his game to another level.
• Travis Boak: Boak was easily the most influential Port player and used his foot much more than his hands, which was a bonus. Really stamping himself as a premium player in the making.
• Colin Sylvia: Sylvia finally showed us some form after several poor games in a row – he moved up to the HFF and had several stints through the midfield. The return on Wonaeaimirri and the form of Miller should mean Sylvia will get plenty of opportunities on the ball in the coming weeks.

Disappointing:

• Daniel Motlop: He spends too much time trying to do the special stuff and not enough time doing much else. Essentially, if he isn’t on a boundary or on someone’s shoulders, he ain’t interested!
• Jordie McKenzie: Still had his five tackles, but his average 10 disposals wasn’t enough. With the consistency he has shown throughout the rest of the season, I expect that he will bounce back pretty quickly.
• Chad Cornes: Has been deployed forward in Tredrea’s absence but was well held to only one goal. Unfortunately, for DT purposes, Cornes has always been much better in the backline, so don’t be looking at him as a bargain pick anytime soon.

Blip on the Radar:

• Brad Miller: Was great at full-forward, but just ask any Melbourne supporter when was the last time he kicked five goals straight! He may be coming into some form, but he is not the player you want!

Adelaide vs Brisbane:

Looking Good:

• Ash McGrath: Went back to the rebounding role that saw him finish 2009 strongly. He plays this role well and has the potential to pull in some big numbers. Definitely one to look closely at!
• Richard Douglas: Played through the midfield with time on the HFF and was Adelaide’s most damaging player. I still don’t trust his consistency, however he is looking better than the past couple of years.
• Nathan Van Berlo: NVB is starting to learn the art of DT in 2010, proven by a few games where he has managed a respectable number of possessions. In years past he has not been much of a ball-winner, but this year things look to be changing a bit for him.

Disappointing:

• Jonathan Brown: Clearly hampered by the injury and really needs to be rested. I would prefer him to take a zero than continually see him leak stacks of cash on my field!
• Nathan Bock: Played a much more defensive game this week on Brown. I’m not sure if his lack of rebound was due to the quality of the opposition or the role he was given, but he didn’t look much like a player I’d want in my dream team.
• Amon Buchanan: Looks a chance to be dropped again as he gave very little to the Lions cause.

Blip on the Radar:

• Brent Reilly: Reilly once tempted us as a player with lots of DT potential, but all he has shown us this year as a tagger is an ability to prevent his opposition from getting possessions, rather than getting them himself. This one game goes nowhere near suggesting that he is a player you want.

Carlton vs Hawthorn:

Looking Good:

• Luke Hodge: Dominated Carlton, and once again found himself without an opponent. I think it is his ability to play so many positions that prevents him from being matched by a tagger. Not that I’m complaining as he is in super form!
• Chris Judd: Once again Judd proved untaggable and also a very good DT prospect in the process. He is having a brilliant year and is showing no signs of slowing down – for the first time in a few years, Juddy could be a great choice in your team.
• Heath Scotland: Scotland doesn’t play the most amazing style of football, but he is a great dream teamer. He continually streamed off the half-back line with ball in hand on his way to a nifty 132 points.

Disappointing:

• Setanta O’hAilpin: Whilst he is not expected to star, the fact he has been a dominant figure in several games this year causes expectations. Unfortunately, he had only the one disposal in the first half as a full-forward, but managed to get a couple of cheapies when thrown back later in the game.
• Cyril Rioli: Tagged out of the game and had little effect on the contest. He will struggle to work through tags with his groin injuries.
• Eddie Betts: As Carlton’s ‘full-forward,’ Betts kicked no goals and looked easily beaten. He has definitely stepped up in 2010, but he is still as inconsistent as ever!

Blip on the Radar:

• Sam Jacobs: Jacobs has really impressed in his few games as replacement for the out-of-form Warnock, but I always worry how long this form will last with young ruckmen. You are better spending your money elsewhere anyway.

West Coast vs St.Kilda:

Looking Good:

• Lenny Hayes: Oh what a champ – this was my favourite individual performance of the weekend. Lenny worked his heart out, especially in an inspirational third quarter where he willed the Saints to lift. He is in stellar form and it is not yet too late to get on board!
• Brendon Goddard: BJ really lifted in the second half when moved to CHF. As usual he worked really hard in the contests and is consistently the go-to player before heading into the forward-50, equalling plenty of marks and kicks.
• Adam Selwood: Tagged Goddard in parts, but won his own ball very well. Despite his role involving preventing another player from getting the ball, he is always willing to win his own ball and be used as an outside option too.

Disappointing:

• Mark LeCras: Was smashed by Raph Clarke to the point of frustration. He had very little effect on the game and just couldn’t get into it when it counted.
• Nick Heyne: After his second game, eyes will look upon this ‘bubble-boy,’ however I feel his spot in the team may not be very safe. Whilst playing well in patches, he did lack consistency across the four quarters, which may end up seeing him make way for a more senior player.
• Nic Naitanui: Played well in the ruck, but was beaten for smarts around the ground by Gardiner and McEvoy. He was even trialled as an on-baller in the last quarter to try and get him into the match, yet this still didn’t work.

Blip on the Radar:

• Ben McKinley: Kicked four goals in the first half and then was hardly sighted again. He is a player known for his low work-rate when the chips don’t fall his way and he proved this tonight. When the Eagles are up he will fire, but if there are struggling, he’s not going to be anywhere near it.

Expert: Dan
Team: Hank Scorpio EDT
Current Ranking: 2,912
Round 9 Score: 2,217
Trades Remaining: 10
Team Changes This Week:
In: Adam Goodes, Jeromey Webberley
Out: Robert Murphy, Josh Hunt

Expert: Toby
Team: Fiora’s Hardnuts
Current Ranking: 1,195
Round 9 Score: 2,286
Trades Remaining: 10
Team Changes This Week:
In: Jeromey Webberley
Out: Ben Nason

Expert: Ben
Team: The Redbacks
Current Ranking: 560
Round 9 Score: 1,937
Trades Remaining: 12
Team Changes This Week: None

Don’t forget to check out Ben’s ‘Submit Your Team‘ article from this morning!

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

In: Wellingham
Out: John Anthony

• Wellingham is the big in for the Pies, however plenty of coaches will be disappointed to see that Presti didn’t get a guernsey – especially after his 2 goals for the VFL on the weekend.
• Not surprisingly, Jack Anthony makes way. Medhurst is still not back into the team.

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

In: Kelly, Podsiadly
Out: Simon Hogan, Mitch Duncan

• Podsiadly is fortunately over his general soreness and is back in the side alongside Kelly who missed last week’s game with injury.
• The unlucky Mitch Duncan makes way despite plenty of great performances through the year – this is the problem with playing for a great side i guess!

NORTH MELBOURNE v WESTERN BULLDOGS
North Melbourne
B: Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson, Brady Rawlings
HB: Nathan Grima, Lachlan Hansen, Daniel Pratt
C: Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright, Ryan Bastinac
HF: Aaron Edwards, Josh Smith, Brent Harvey
F: Daniel Wells, Nathan O’Keefe, Lindsay Thomas
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Levi Greenwood
I/C: Scott McMahon, Ben Cunnington, Leigh Harding, Matt Campbell
Emg: Brayden Norris, Corey Jones, Cruize Garlett

In: Campbell, O’Keefe
Out: David Hale (back), Cruize Garlett

New: Nathan O’Keefe (Eastern Ranges)

• O’Keefe is a medium sized full-forward and appears to be coming into the side in favour of Corey Jones and Ben Warran. He is a good size and can take a decent mark – he has been in good form in the VFL. Last year he kicked 22 goals from 14 games at Werribee.
• Campbell also comes back in after falling out of favour earlier in the season. Hale and Garlett make way – no huge fantasy news there.

Western Bulldogs
B: Jarrod Harbrow, Brian Lake, Dale Morris
HB: Ryan Hargrave, Tom Williams, Lindsay Gilbee
C: Josh Hill, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross
HF: Brennan Stack, Mitch Hahn, Jason Akermanis
F: Jarrad Grant, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa
Foll: Ben Hudson, Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen
I/C: Dylan Addison, Nathan Eagleton, Will Minson, Liam Picken
Emg: Andrejs Everitt, Brodie Moles, Easton Wood

In: Griffen, Picken
Out: Shaun Higgins (general soreness), Robert Murphy (knee)

• Two huge outs for the Dogs – we knew Murphy would miss (likely a month) with his knee issues, but Higgins’ soreness is an unwanted surprise. It is likely the Dogs are resting him due to his poor injury history – no point in risking him. I would be surprised if he weren’t back next week.
• Griffen comes back into the squad after being a late withdrawal last week and Picken plays his first game in six weeks after an early season injury.

SYDNEY SWANS v FREMANTLE
Sydney Swans
B: Rhyce Shaw, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Tadhg Kennelly
HB: Martin Mattner, Heath Grundy, Nick Malceski
C: Daniel Hannebery, Brett Kirk, Nick Smith
HF: Ryan O’Keefe, Adam Goodes, Josh Kennedy
F: Paul Bevan, Daniel Bradshaw, Jarrad McVeigh
Foll: Mike Pyke, Jude Bolton, Kieren Jack
I/C: Campbell Heath, Lewis Jetta, Henry Playfair, Gary Rohan
Emg: Matt O’Dwyer, Ted Richards, Patrick Veszpremi

In: Heath, Bradshaw
Out: Ted Richards, Jesse White

New: Campbell Heath (Gippsland Power)

• Heath’s selection is a surprising one considering both his age and injury woes – after rupturing his ACL early in last year’s pre-season, Heath spent very little time at the club, instead choosing to focus on his year 12 studies. He was the second youngest player drafted in 2008 and therefore has very little footy behind him. Since being drafted, he has gained 10kgs and his form in the reserves has been solid, running off the half back and through the middle. Roos hinted on Thursday that a similar role would be played by the debutant in his first game, so he could be worth keeping an eye on.
• Bradshaw also returns after missing last week’s game and versatile tall, Jesse White makes was after several sub-par performances.

Fremantle
B: Garrick Ibbotson, Chris Tarrant, Kepler Bradley
HB: Antoni Grover, Alex Silvagni, Roger Hayden
C: Adam McPhee, David Mundy, Paul Hasleby
HF: Jay van Berlo, Matthew Pavlich, Stephen Hill
F: Nathan Fyfe, Chris Mayne, Hayden Ballantyne
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Michael Barlow, Paul Duffield
I/C: Nick Suban, Rhys Palmer, Anthony Morabito, Ryan Crowley
Emg: Matthew de Boer, Steven Dodd, Clancee Pearce

In: Grover, Suban, Bradley, van Berlo
Out: Luke McPharlin (knee), Greg Broughton (foot), Michael Johnson (club susp), Matthew de Boer

• Grover and Suban are the main inclusions for Freo, putting further pressure on the rookies that have so far been treating the team very well over the past couple of months.
• Greg Broughton however looks to be out for up to a month with his foot injury – as devastating as this is, his omission may have just saved Silvagni’s bacon!

ESSENDON v RICHMOND
Essendon
B: Heath Hocking, Dustin Fletcher, Courtenay Dempsey
HB: Mark McVeigh, Tayte Pears, Brent Prismall
C: Jake Melksham, Jobe Watson, David Zaharakis
HF: Angus Monfries, Scott Gumbleton, Sam Lonergan
F: David Hille, Michael Hurley, Alwyn Davey
Foll: Patrick Ryder, Brent Stanton, Jason Winderlich
I/C: David Myers, Leroy Jetta, Jarrod Atkinson, Ben Howlett
Emg: Kyle Hardingham, Mark Williams, Travis Colyer

In: Pears, Lonergan
Out: Cale Hooker (hamstring), Travis Colyer

• No huge surprises with the omissions – Hooker will miss four weeks of footy with his hamstring and Colyer seems to be out with the ‘last in, first out’ policy. Howlett seems to be safe after a good game against the Saints, as does Melksham with his NAB rising star nomination.

Richmond
B: Kelvin Moore, Will Thursfield, Luke McGuane
HB: Shane Tuck, Brett Deledio, Chris Newman
C: Shane Edwards, Ben Cousins, Jeromey Webberley
HF: Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt, Ben Nason
F: Robin Nahas, Alex Rance, Matt White
Foll: Tyrone Vickery, Trent Cotchin, Nathan Foley
I/C: Angus Graham, Jake King, David Astbury, Mitch Farmer
Emg: Andrew Collins, Tom Hislop, Graham Polak

In: King, Astbury, Cousins
Out: Graham Polak, Richard Tambling, Daniel Jackson (susp)

• Astbury comes back in after missing the game against the Hawks and Polak leaves the squad after providing very little in his couple of games.

MELBOURNE v PORT ADELAIDE
Melbourne
B: Clint Bartram, Joel Macdonald, Jared Rivers
HB: Jack Grimes, James Frawley, Colin Garland
C: James McDonald, Jack Trengove, Aaron Davey
HF: Jamie Bennell, Brad Miller, Cale Morton
F: Nathan Jones, Brad Green, Jack Watts
Foll: Mark Jamar, Brent Moloney, Colin Sylvia
I/C: Tom Scully, Austin Wonaeamirri, Jordie McKenzie, Jake Spencer
Emg: Neville Jetta, James Strauss, Lynden Dunn

In: Miller, Macdonald, Wonaeamirri, Morton, Spencer
Out: Cameron Bruce (hamstring), Paul Johnson, Matthew Bate (ankle), Daniel Hughes, Matthew Warnock (soreness)

• Melbourne will be stoked to see Wona and Morton lining back up in the squad! Morton is nearly premium priced, but Wona is dirt-cheap for his potential. He does have some injury worries, but after missing all of last season he could be a bargain buy for a downgrade in the forward line. Hopefully his return could see Sylvia move back into the midfield!
• Bruce and Bate make way with unfortunate injuries, which Danny Hughes is surprisingly dropped.

Port Adelaide
B: Jacob Surjan, Alipate Carlile, Troy Chaplin
HB: Paul Stewart, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek
C: Danyle Pearce, Domenic Cassisi, Jason Davenport
HF: Matt Thomas, Justin Westhoff, David Rodan
F: Robbie Gray, Brett Ebert, Daniel Motlop
Foll: Dean Brogan, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
I/C: Tom Logan, Jack Trengove, Jay Schulz, Cameron Hitchcock
Emg: Josh Carr, Daniel Stewart, Jay Nash

No change

• Both Hitchcock and Trengove are the good news here, keeping their spots. Shultz is very lucky, whilst Stewart is a bit stiff after a good game in the SANFL on the weekend.

ADELAIDE v BRISBANE LIONS
Adelaide
B: Brent Reilly, Ben Rutten, Scott Stevens
HB: Simon Goodwin, Nathan Bock, Michael Doughty
C: Myke Cook, Tyson Edwards, David Mackay
HF: Richard Douglas, Taylor Walker, Nathan van Berlo
F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, Jared Petrenko
Foll: Ivan Maric, Andrew McLeod, Patrick Dangerfield
I/C (from): Scott Thompson, Jonathon Griffin, Phil Davis, Jack Gunston, Tony Armstrong, Chris Schmidt, Will Young

In: Griffin, Gunston, Mackay, Thompson, Young
Out: Bernie Vince (club susp), Matthew Jaensch (club susp)

New: Jack Gunston (Sandringham Dragons)

• A club imposed suspension has outed Jaensch and Vince, although Vince will miss more than the nominated week due to an ankle injury (estimated return is 3 weeks).
• Mackay and Thompson are two very strong inclusions for Adelaide, whilst Gunston may make his debut after being named on the extended bench. Gunston is a full-forward whose junior stats definitely compliment him – as a lead-up forward, he averaged 15 disposals, 5 marks and nearly 2 goals a game – impressive stats. He is a little undersized though, so the expectation is that he won’t be able to replicate this yet in seniors, however he certainly has the talent. Keep an eye on him, however i feel he is just keeping the seat warm for the likes of Knights and Burton.

Brisbane Lions
B: Jed Adcock, Matt Maguire, Luke Power
HB: James Hawksley, Brent Staker, Joel Patfull
C: Tom Rockliff, Michael Rischitelli, Justin Sherman
HF: Jack Redden, Jonathan Brown, Amon Buchanan
F: Todd Banfield, Brendan Fevola, James Polkinghorne
Foll: Matthew Leuenberger, Simon Black, Daniel Rich
I/C (from): Matt Austin, Andrew Raines, Cheynee Stiller, Ashley McGrath, Mitchell Clark, Travis Johnstone, Aaron Cornelius

In: Clark, Cornelius, Johnstone
Out: -

• Clark in the big possible in for the Lions – the fact he is named intimates that he is fit and capable of playing and therefore will.
• Tom Rockliff is named on the field, a massive relief to those missing the likes of Higgins/Murphy/Brennan etc from their squad.

CARLTON v HAWTHORN
Carlton
B: Michael Jamison, Bret Thornton, Aaron Joseph
HB: Bryce Gibbs, Simon White, Jordan Russell
C: Heath Scotland, Dennis Armfield, Kade Simpson
HF: Marc Murphy, Setanta O’hAilpin, Ryan Houlihan
F: Chris Yarran, Matthew Kreuzer, Eddie Betts
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Andrew Carrazzo, Chris Judd
I/C (from): Joe Anderson, Steven Browne, Jeff Garlett, Richard Hadley, Lachie Henderson, Chris Johnson, Mitch Robinson

In: Hadley, Anderson, Browne, Henderson, Robinson
Out: Jarrad Waite (susp), Kane Lucas (hamstring)

• Waite will miss two weeks with suspension and Lucas will likely miss 3-4 with his hamstring trouble.
• Henderson looks a likely inclusion in Waite’s place and Robinson will likely step in for Lucas.

Hawthorn
B: Brent Guerra, Stephen Gilham, Campbell Brown
HB: Grant Birchall, Ben Stratton, Brendan Whitecross
C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Clinton Young
HF: Cyril Rioli, Lance Franklin, Carl Peterson
F: Shaun Burgoyne, Jarryd Roughead, Rhan Hooper
Foll: Brent Renouf, Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell
I/C (from): Xavier Ellis, Thomas Murphy, Beau Muston, Michael Osborne, Wayde Skipper, Cameron Stokes, Matt Suckling

In: Osborne, Murphy, Hooper
Out: -

• No outs yet, but Osbourne and Hooper are both very good boosts to the Hawks forward line. Expect Muston, Stokes and Suckling to miss.

WEST COAST v ST KILDA
West Coast
B: Scott Selwood, Eric Mackenzie, Beau Waters
HB: Lewis Stevenson, Will Schofield, Shannon Hurn
C: Matt Rosa, Matt Priddis, Brad Ebert
HF: Brad Sheppard, Josh Kennedy, Andrew Embley
F: Nic Naitanui, Quinten Lynch, Mark LeCras
Foll: Dean Cox, Adam Selwood, Tom Swift
I/C (from): Mitchell Brown, Bradd Dalziell, Ashton Hams, Patrick McGinnity, Ben McKinley, Mark Nicoski, Beau Wilkes

In: Wilkes, Brown, Dalziell, Embley
Out: Darren Glass

• Embley is a very welcome inclusion for the Eagles, especially on the wide expanses of Subi. Dalziell may also get the gig due to his running power.
• Glass is a big out for the Eagles, but fortunately in DT land, it’s not such a big issue.

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

In: Clarke, Peake, Eddy, Steven, Stanley
Out: Jason Gram (groin), David Armitage

New: Rhys Stanley (West Adelaide)

• Some very big changes at the Saints: Gram will miss four weeks with a groin injury and Armitage is dropped (he would have been rubbish at Subi anyway). I will also eat my hat if McQualter doesn’t get dropped.
• Into the side is Rhys Stanley, the Riewoldt prodigy which made most Saints supporters wet their pants in the pre-season – he was also the only bit they remember from Grand Final day when he won the 100metre sprint at half time. He is a high-leaping ruckman-cum-forward with a great set of hands, agility and leap – not unlike Paddy Ryder. Don’t expect too much from the kid in his debut, but he could be the hit-up player the Saints are looking for in Roo’s absence.
• On the extended bench, expect Steven, Peake, McEvoy and Geary to play – Raph is also a chance in Geary’s place due to the ground. Also great to see Nick Heyne named for his second game.

Adelaide, the Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Hawthorn, West Coast and St Kilda will name their final sides (22 plus three emergencies) from 5pm AEST on Friday.

View Kreuze Kontrol‘s Team
Round 8 Score: 2,036
Current Overall Ranking:23,131 of 298,872 (Total score: 15,858)
Trades Left: 12
Remaining Salary Cap: $65,900

Dear Kreuze Kontrol,

Thank you for submitting your team. At first glance, I can see that you have picked up two unique players in Paul Bower and Bernie Vince. From a personal perspective, I’ll be looking very closely at these two players for my dreamteam in 2011, because I believe they have the potential to be DT stars. Unfortunately for you, they have caused you nothing but nightmares for various reasons in 2010.

Bower has a magnificent average of 111 points per game; his problem is he can’t stay out on the park. Suspect quads have reduced him to just two games in 2010. Bower is likely to miss another next three weeks due to his latest quad injury, but you have adequate cover so I recommend keeping him. Furthermore, I like Bower as a unique selection and he will provide you with a very handy point of difference upon his return.

Vince on the other hand has played all eight games in 2010; his problem is heavy attention from opposition taggers and ongoing hamstring concerns. An average of 89 points per game in 2010, well down from his 2009 average of 100 points per game tells the true story. Vince is now likely to miss at least the next two games through a combination of a rolled ankle sustained at training and a one match club suspension. Assuming one of Ben Howlett or Luke Shuey can cover for you for the next two weeks, I recommend holding onto Vince because I expect him to finish the season strongly. The saying “form is temporary, class is permanent” springs to mind with Vince.

My recommendations this week:

OUT: Ben Nason (227,900) and Scott Gumbleton ($235,100);

IN: Jeromey Webberley ($89,500) and Alan Didak ($397,200).

Nason and Gumbleton have both been brilliant for you thus far, but they are now ripe for the picking.

In relation to the ins, the 21 year old mature age recruit Jeromey Webberley has scored 61 and 52 in his first two games with the Tigers. This is your last chance to snap him up for a bargain, so my advice is to act now. One thing I like with Webberley is that assuming he continues his current impressive form, he should hold his position in Richmond’s best 22. Coach Damien Hardwick has an obligation to find new players capable of playing AFL football. The only way he can find these new players is to give them plenty of games.

My reason for recommending Didak is simple; he is a proven DT gun.

Good luck!

 We apologise for the delay in posting this morning’s article. There were some technical difficulties.

PLAYERS ON THE BUBBLE

Tony Armstrong – Adelaide ($94,500, MID, Break even: -88)

First two games: 36 vs. Fremantle (L)*, 123 vs. North (L) = 79.5 avg. *Note: his first game was Round 1 and was dropped after that.

Don’t be fooled by his shiny 123 last week. Armstrong has very low job security and Saturday night was the sort of game where a lot of cheap stuff was going around. Did you notice the names of Adelaide’s Top 6 scorers? They were mainly defenders getting a lot of cheap marks for the most part. Adelaide has a long injury list, which we assume will get shorter at some stage (not that it’s showing signs of doing that). Knights, Mackay and Symes sound pretty close to a return though and Rory Sloane is back playing SANFL (and is much better than Armstrong).

Armstrong had 13 marks to his name. I will be surprised if he has that many for the rest of the season, to be perfectly honest. I don’t really rate him as a player (poor decision making, limited hurt factor) and Neil Craig seems to have a “last man in, first man out” selection policy, so even though he had a good game he’d be pretty close to getting dropped in a couple of weeks, in my opinion. Obviously he’s set to make a quick buck, but only expect him to be there for a good time, not a long time. For what it’s worth, the last player I used that phrase on was Jarrod Kayler-Thomson…

Danny Hughes – Melbourne ($94,500, FWD, Break even: -66)

First two games: 63 vs. Bulldogs (L), 74 vs. West Coast (L) = 68.5 avg.

I missed Melbourne’s game against last week, but he really impressed me in the wet against the Bulldogs a couple of weeks ago. He’s a strong marking player and while his form for Casey hadn’t been fantastic, I thought there were a couple of things in his game that looked good.

His work rate is pretty good and given limited competition for key spots in the Melbourne forward line, he should be good to go to make a bit of cash. At this stage though, you pretty much want your guys to be able to play the season out. Is Hughes that safe? I wouldn’t put my house on it, but with Petterd out for the year he’s some chance. Jurrah will come back at some stage and maybe they wheel out Brad Miller again, but for the most part the job is Hughes’ to lose and he’s done well to date. Not a bad downgrade option.

Jeromey Webberley – Richmond ($89,500, DEF, Break even: -45)

First two games: 61 vs. Adelaide (L), 52 vs. Hawthorn (almost W) = 56.5 avg.

Some have been waiting for this guy for some time. I know that he was hovering around a few Dream Teams in the planning stages of 2010, but it took him a while to crack the formidable Richmond line up.

Richmond are the lowest scoring team in the league for DT points, but that’s not near as important with the rookies. Webberley looks very secure in his job and will score pretty well for a bench player, so he’s an ideal downgrade option at this time of year. His debut game was 17 touches at 100% efficiency…that sounds very un-Richmond like, but it’d be a welcome change that should see him stick around in their 22.

Gary Rohan – Sydney ($137,500, FWD/MID, Break even: 12)

First two games: 40 vs. Geelong (L), 52 vs. Bulldogs (L) = 46 avg.

Rohan is an absolute jet and easily the most exciting player to watch out of last year’s draft. However, he is NOT a DT’er! He’s a great impact player, but while he’s learning his trade the Swans are using him as a defensive forward a fair bit. His tackling pressure down there is very valuable for them.

Rohan has never been a high possession winner, but when he gets the ball he can be so mesmerising, but don’t let that attract you to him. I’m not saying stay away completely, but I would be treading with extreme caution. The advantage is that he’s a dual position player, but he also comes at a pretty heavy price tag for a rookie.

Mike Pyke – Sydney ($128,500, RUC, Break even: 23)

First two games: 47 vs. Geelong (L), 27 vs. Bulldogs (L) = 37 avg.

If you are looking for a back-up ruckman wait and see how Wayde Skipper goes this week (even if he shows nothing or gets dropped it’s not like Pyke is going to bolt in price). Skipper would have better job security, scoring potential and is cheaper than the big Canuck.

Pyke might get games while Mumford and Seaby are out, but with Mumford due back next week they might not use Pyke as back up. Jesse White could do some part time work, or they might want to give Daniel Currie a shot. Avoid, even if you are solely looking for bench coverage.

Brad Sheppard – West Coast ($133,500, DEF, Break even: 1)

First two games: 35 vs. Hawthorn (W), 65 vs. Melbourne (W) = 50 avg.

I’m a big wrap for Sheppard and reckon he could make a good DT’er in years to come. As I said in the Hughes write-up, I missed the Melbourne vs. West Coast game on the weekend, but it seems as though Sheppard played much better than his debut game (where, to be fair, he did cop a knock in the head early).

I’m not sure that he’s worth the extra price tag with Webberley set to rise in the same week though. I think Webberley has better job security and scoring potential (well, for 2010 anyway) than Sheppard.

As was the theory last week, I am this week going to be comparing two very important midfielders from top-eight sides. Both started the season a little shaky, but have since well and truly hit their straps. Furthermore, both are certainly underpriced for what they offer. Each could be locked in for captaincy across the entire season and both are well-known DT heroes from season’s past as well as this one. Give up? I’m looking at my main man Lenny Hayes and DT stud, Dane Swan.

Dane Swan:

If you are a dream team coach and you are not completely in love with Dane Swan, there is something clearly wrong with you! This is a man who over the past four years has dominated the dream team competition, averaging a remarkably high and consistent 106.5 across his past four years, including a whopping average of 119 points last year! But Dane goes about his footy a little bit differently to a lot of the other DT studs – whilst there is no denying his ability as a footballer, you would be stupid to suggest he is as good as someone like Gary Ablett, let alone better than him in his Brownlow year of 2009 – but if you go by stats alone (and that is all we are concerned about in DT), Dane was the best player in the competition in 2009, a season in which he became the first player in AFL/VFL history to top 700 disposals in a season – that’s a monstrous average of 32 a game!!

So that’s enough gushing about his stats – clearly he is a man capable of fulfilling a huge role in your team – hell, you could lock the “C” onto him every week and be pretty confident he will deliver. There are several very good facts that surround Swan that make him an even more appealing addition to your team – he plays for Collingwood, a team who are sitting a game clear on top of the ladder and play a great style of high-possession footy; as far as the opposition is concerned, Swan is not the greatest player on the team – therefore taggers are likely to assume roles on teammates such as Pendlebury, Didak and Thomas; also, Swan has a great ability to win his own ball and a tank that allows him to run all day, clocking up dozens of handball-receives, all the way to the final siren.

This year has been a bit of a slower start for Swan – after scoring 143 points in round one, over his next four rounds he averaged just under 100 (99.5). Whilst if these scores came out of 95% of the competition, I’d say most coaches would be very pleased, but the fact he started the year priced at a lofty $523,500, it’s fair to say it was a hard pill to swallow for some coaches who had him locked in before the start of the season. But his past three weeks have seen him return to the Swan we know and the Swan we paid the big bucks for – he has averaged 131 points over the past three weeks and his price looks to be as low as it is going to get for the season (barring an early injury).

With Swan’s amazing DT history, and the fact he has now got the runs on the board for season 2010, he looks like an obvious choice in any midfield. He is a player capable of running all day and burns off an opponent when he does find himself with one. He has averaged five tackles and 30 disposals a game this year, showing he is right on the pace to claim a spot in the top five DTers for the year (again…).  The only question is whether you can afford him – he is the third most expensive player in the competition, but with an average of 117 points, it seems almost impossible to avoid wanting him for your team.

Key Stats 2010:

Kick : handball ratio – 1.3 : 1

Average Marks per game: 5.3

Average Tackles per game: 5

Average Disposals per game: 29.6

Breakeven: 93

Average Dream Team Points: 116.88

Price: $484,300 (-$39,200)

Lenny Hayes:

Like Swan, Lenny has been a DT jet for a few years now, however in 2009 he took his game up another notch, averaging 109 points for the season. Although not quite as big a scorer as Swan, Lenny is massively consistent and comes $50,000 cheaper – and despite his scores not being as high as Swan’s, they are still big enough and consistent enough to lock him as Captain each and every week.

The interesting thing with Lenny this season is how he started it – in fact, it is exactly the same way he started his stellar 2009 – he came into the season with a calf complaint which saw him eased into the action for the first four rounds where he averaged 90 points and around 65% game time. Obviously, as his time on ground increased, so did his scoring. Since recovering from his injury and returning to his usual 85% TOG, his scoring has increased respectively – he have averaged 115 points in the four games since.

As a player, Lenny is a star and plays the sort of game that attracts Brownlow votes as he plays a very uncompromising inside brand of football – however he is also more than capable of spreading from a contest and providing an option. As a huge Lenny fan, his ability to work his way around a man and avoid tackles is a highlight – a talent he has worked hard on due to his average level of pace. Like Swan he can run all day and proves very hard to tag – whilst he has high-quality teammates in DalSanto, Montagna and Goddard, all of whom are more likely to attract a tag, Hayes still finds himself with a defensive player on him due to his ability to will his team across the line – not unlike Chirs Judd. But, he has proven that he is able to work off his opponents through hard running and an uncompromising attack on the ball and the ball carrier.

This is where Lenny’s game differs to players like Swan – whilst Swan makes 80% of his scoring through marks, kicks and handballs alone, Lenny uses tackling as a large part of his point scoring. This year, just over 25% of Lenny’s scoring has been from tackling – a whopping 208 points worth. This is not to say he is not a ball winner – in 2009 he averaged 28 disposals, whilst this year he is already averaging 27 per game, however his huge average of 6.5 tackles (he has averaged 8 per game for the last four rounds) it what really gives his score a nice buffer.

At this stage of the game, Lenny looks to be only getting better – he is pushing 30, but is still showing continued class and longevity at his age, despite the hard-hitting way in which he plays his football. Even though the Saints appear below par, the midfield is still getting more of the ball – it is just their forward line (or backline on Sunday night) that is dysfunctional. I have even expected Hayes to step up his workload (if that is possible) whilst Riewoldt is out and now that he is skipper – until recently I was always of the opinion that Hayes was a better leader than Roo. He may average around 5 – 10 points less that Swan, but he is $50k cheaper and also presents himself as a much more unique pick (Hayes = 5.8% of teams vs Swan = 28%) – essentially, Hayes is a hugely consistent player, and just watching him you will see that he never gives up, no matter what the score-line.

Key Stats 2010:

Kick : handball ratio – 1 : 1

Average Marks per game: 3

Average Tackles per game: 6.5

Average Disposals per game: 27

Breakeven: 92

Average Dream Team Points: 102.5

Price: $443,500 (-$35,000)