Footy Tragic

 

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Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn:

Port Adelaide:

• Kane Cornes was good to see back on the field – whilst I understand the whole ‘cultural issues’ line that Port are spinning, surely winning games will go a long way to helping their cause. Whilst Kornes isn’t particularly a flashy player, he plays his role well and consistently every week and certainly deserves his spot in this team. Wouldn’t put him in my dream team though…
• Hamish Hartlett was good AGAIN! I think he has featured in my wrap every week since returning from injury and every week I say, it won’t last, he’ll get injured again, blah blah blah. But whilst he is injury prone, his consistency and form becomes a little hard to ignore after a while…
• Danyle Pearce was another player to return from a stint in the SANFL and was one of the biggest four-quarter performers on the day. Unlike Cornes, I think Pearce deserved to be dropped, however by the looks of this game he has actually shown a real benefit from his time in the reserves – he worked a lot harder than he has for a while and saw good results for it.
• Robbie Gray was very quiet again and really looked like he was restricted by an injury as just wasn’t moving very well. If you are currently a Gray owner, I would strongly consider getting rid of him.

Hawthorn:

• Sam Mitchell – great again. He isn’t going to be the opposition’s first choice to tag with Burgoyne and Hodge floating around, but he is still a damaging player, especially in close. Won 31 touches and 7 marks playing through the middle.
• Liam Shiels continued his consistent season and whilst he did tire a bit later on, he has made impressive improvements this year. Finished the game with 24 disposals and 10 marks as one of the Hawks’ best.
• Isaac Smith was one player I paid particular attention to, and in the first half I was honestly not over impressed in his game – he looked a little lost in the plays and seemed like he may struggle to win much ball. However, he really stepped it up in the second half and looked like a valuable member of the team. Should really get another game next week, and if so, he could be one of the forward downgrade targets we have been waiting for.
• Paul Puopolo, like Smith, played his first game and he played the entirety of it as a small defender. He won his battle with Hitchcock (who only kicked one goal) and provided some good run from defence. His first half was much better than his second half – including one 4-possession play where he ran and linked the ball from half-back to the forward line – but I would be surprised if he didn’t get another game.

 

Western Bulldogs vs Sydney:

Western Bulldogs:

• Matty Boyd was great for the Doggies in the middle, especially early when they had their great start. He wasn’t particularly influential outside of packs and a lot of his kicks resembled just throwing it on the boot – but to finish with 33 touches and 134 DT points makes him a star in my books!
• Daniel Giansiracusa took a while to get into the game, but his final term was one of the reasons the Doggies had a real sniff in the last 15mins or so. Played the entire game up forward, occasionally venturing onto a wing, which is never going to be an amazing DT game style, meaning I wouldn’t consider him this year unless if there wan another injury to Boyd or the like.
• Robert Murphy was good again and I think he is being used well by the Dogs – their preference is clearly to have him running off half back (where his disposal and footy brain really help the Dogs), but if he gets shut down with a tag, Eade seems happy to move him forward. He played both roles for the second week in a row and looked good. Certainly worth considering – especially for SC.
• Mitch Wallis played a similar forward role to the one he played in the first half against the Pies last week. Unfortunately though, this time he didn’t move into the midfield. This role may be helping the team (he is predominantly being used to provide a forward tag), but it will kill his DT ability.

Sydney:

• Adam Goodes was very very good, playing his game between CHF and through the midfield. He is looking in great nick at the moment and is showcasing the form he typically just finishes the year with, so at this pace, he should be a great addition to any forward line. Finished this game with 24 disposals and 9 tackles.
• Ryan O’Keefe bounced back after a few poor games in a row, playing predominantly through the midfield, whilst also dropping forward for a couple of opportunistic goals. I really like O’Keefe for DT, but I do get concerned with how inconsistent he can be. Could be worth the risk, but his IS a risk.
• Andrejs Everitt swung forward pretty early and kicked a couple of really important goals, as well as presenting well up the field. However, this is not the first time we’ve seen him do this and it has become pretty clear that his position can’t be relied upon.
• Ben McGlynn was one to disappoint me, although his game is typically based upon finding space from his opponents – in this game he had Picken on his hammer all game and just couldn’t find any space. Couldn’t kick a goal all game.

 

Geelong vs North Melbourne:

Geelong:

• Joel Selwood was the best for the Cats, winning plenty of clearances and hard ball and tackling well. He even dropped forward for a cheeky two goals. It was good to see at least one of the Cats’ star mids carve up North, after the rest of them all caved under the stress of DT captaincy.
• Matty Stokes also looked particularly good, showing signs of his 2009 form with a great game playing as a high half-forward. He finished with 30 touches as well as three goals. I wouldn’t look to him for consistency though.
• James Podsiadly played his first good game since 2010 after having a pretty poor start to the year. It must be remembered though how well he always played at Skilled stadium in 2010, be was pretty poor elsewhere. Those considering him as a trade target should remember this and perhaps this twice.
• Paul Chapman was particularly disappointing, playing predominantly up forward and was rather ineffective for the majority of the game. After plenty looked to trade him in this week and even hand him the big ‘C,’ it was disappointing to see him finish with just 22 touches and a goal, particularly against a team he typically carves up.

North Melbourne:

• Brent Harvey must have been a happy man when Cameron Ling wasn’t named in the squad, and instead of copping the hard tag he was allowed to go head-to-head with Selwood. Whilst Joel won the battle, Harvey still managed to have his own effect on the game, racking up 30 touches and 7 marks.
• Brady Rawlings was good off half-back, a role he played very well last year amongst tagging roles. He was used a lot coming out of defence and it a pretty cool head with the ball. With the dearth of defence options this year, he should be at least considered.
• Jack Ziebell was used to negate Bartel early in the game and was actually quite effective, taking the Brownlow medallist right out of the game. Ziebs was then subbed off in the third term, further proving his lack of fitness in 2011. He may be someone worth considering for cheap in 2012, but not before then I think.
• Cameron Pederson came into the side for the injured Hansen and played the game at CHF with some time in the ruck. He was soundly beaten when moved into the middle, but competed well up forward, despite adding to the scoreboard at all. His scores suggest he is due a spot in the Roos’ lineup, but with Hansen back next week I just couldn’t trust his job security.

 

Richmond vs Fremantle:

Richmond:

• Robin Nahas was brilliant, bookending the contest with two beautiful quarters. His opening term was brilliant, setting up the lead for the Tiges, whilst his last term helped close the door on a tired Fremantle. He played mainly as a midfielder, but smartly moves forward to create opportunities for goals and regularly takes them. This is his third big game in a row, proving he needs to be taken seriously as a DTer.
• Trent Cotchin was also great for the Tigers and was the midfielder who really stepped up for a real four-quarter performance. Foley was pretty quiet and Martin was tagged out of it, but Cotchin kept working hard and had as much effect on the contest as the likes of Nahas.
• Jakey King just has to be mentioned here – he played the entire game up forward and was such a livewire, creating so many goals from his hard work and score assists. Definitely one of his best games, but it does sadden me to remind you that he is NOT a DTer.
• Dustin Martin came plummeting back down to earth after a couple of ripper games in a row. He was given a hard tag from DeBoer and just couldn’t shake it, regardless of where on the ground he went. There’s still no doubting he is a great player, but he is going to need to work even harder to break tags in the future.

Fremantle:

• Aaron Sandilands was far and away the best Fremantle player on the ground, and had they got up, he would have been one of the major reasons. His tap-work was exquisite as usual with 43 hitouts, but he also provided a great option in the midfield with 23 touches. He is fit and firing and should really be in every team.
• David Mundy continued his good season with another strong game through the midfield. As he has been doing all season, he is working hard to be both an inside and outside midfielder, which is certainly helping his disposals increase. Finished with 28 touches, but had few teammates who came along with him for the full four-quarters.
• Paul Duffield went back to his early season form after teasing us with a good game last week. He floated around the backline but really seems to be lacking the workrate which made him succeed as a DTer the past two seasons. I don’t think that it is so much of a role issue with Duffy, but a form issue.
• Greg Broughton, the other troublesome Freo defender, put in another woeful performance. The frustrating thing is that he actually looked quite good in the first 10 minutes of the match and I thought “here we go” as he took a couple of uncontested marks in the backline, playing a rather loose role. But unfortunately he did bugger all after that and stunk it up as usual. I don’t envy those who are stuck with him…

Gold Coast vs Brisbane:

Gold Coast:

• Jarred Brennan – was there any doubt he would come out of the blocks swinging at his old club? He seems like one of those players that would just thrive on the extra attention and on being the ‘bad guy’ and that’s just what he did, carving his old club a new one with a blinder of a game through the midfield. Amongst his whopping 14 clearances (most of them done one-handed!), he also won 30 disposals and 7 marks. I’d be lying to you if I didn’t admit I was tempted to bring him into my squad… I love the guy.
• Michael Rischitelli was another player up against his old squad and was another to carve them up through the middle, much like he has been doing for most of the year so far! 29 touches and 10 tackles were great numbers from the ex-Lion – another senior Suns player proving that it shouldn’t just be the Gold Coast’s rookies to be considered for your team.
• Nathan Krakouer returned from his stint in the QAFL in some scintillating form, booting five goals playing across half-forward. He certainly looks to be working harder and it was probably one of the best games of his career. At just over $200k, he looks awfully tempting! Can he keep it up though?
• Tom Lynch played his first game for the club, stationed at CHF, and whilst tall forwards are generally not worth considering for DT, he made a fair case for himself with a fantastic display both up forward and in the ruck. He kicked two goals amongst 17 possessions and 9 marks. He certainly looks a player and another who should be on radars for a downgrade after his second game next week.

 

Brisbane:

• Daniel Rich was clearly the Lions best through the midfield, not just picking up 26 touches, but also booting 3 goals in the first half to keep his side in the chase. Despite the side’s loss, this could be a game that really wakes Rich up to the star he could be, as he hasn’t really come along as anticipated since his NAB rising star win in 2009.
• Matthew Leuenberger had a great game in the ruck with 52 hitouts, but was solidly beaten around the ground by Zac Smith. It was good to see him back up field after spending the past fortnight in the forward line, which really wasn’t helping his numbers!
• Ash McGrath started the game at his usual post in defence, but moved to the forward line in the third quarter as Voss began to experiment. It was a great move as McGrath kicked six goals and nearly managed to get the Lions over the line off his own boot. I wouldn’t be expecting this role every week, but it may be something Vossy tries a bit more, especially now with Drummond back.
• Jack Redden was disappointingly very quiet for the Lions, especially considering he would have been a popular choice for those who have him. He has been a massive DT star so far this year, so it was a shame to see him so quiet – he just wasn’t getting anywhere near the ball and was getting beaten in close by Brennan and Rischitelli. Don’t write him off just yet!

 

Essendon vs West Coast:

Essendon:

• Jobe Watson had another solid game through the middle for the Bombers, continuing on his great season to date. Sneaky $10 for the Brownlow?? He wasn’t there through the whole game though, winning the majority of his touches in the second half as the Dons got on top of the Eagles. He finished with 11 clearances for the game amongst his 31 disposals though, which was a mighty solid effort.
• Stewart Crameri continued to prove his agility and size is a handful for any defender with three goals and 18 disposals mainly taken up the field. I think his midfield-only status this year turned a lot of people off him early, but geez he has come along in leaps and bounds this year and those who have him must be super happy.
• Michael Hurley started this game forward, but moved into defence very quickly, as he did last week. Whether it was because of West Coast’s super tall forward line or Hird actually wanting to play him there, I’m not sure. But I do know it’s not a spot that will make him any sort of DT star (SC maybe), so I think it’s about to time in to count your losses with Hurley.
• Brent Stanton’s subbing would have been a huge disappointment for his owners, as he had only racked up 34 DT points for the game. He has sustained a shoulder injury, however I’m not too sure of it’s severity.

West Coast:

• Daniel Kerr started the game in marvellous fashion, racking up 14 possessions, four clearances and a goal in the first quarter alone. Simply, he was awesome and looking back to some vintage form. Unfortunately, Hirdy got a bit worried and stuck the Hocking tag on him, quelling his influence for the rest of the game, yet still he managed to crack the ton and finish with 28 touches for the game. At a touch under $200k, he could be another tempting, if not awkwardly priced, option for your midfield.
• Nic Naitanui had one of his better game for the Eagles and showed some good signs that he is starting to learn the game and where to run, etc. He is not a DTer yet, despite cracking the ton here, but his 24 touches and 27 hitouts were a good sign that he could one day be a feasible replacement for an aging Cox.
• Mark LeCras was much quieter this week, after his big first game back from injury last week. He was kept very quiet, booting two goals and having very little effect further up the ground.
• Ash Smith was one player I talked up last week and whilst he wasn’t disappointing this week, his 47 DT points suggested he may not be the mid-priced backline saviour I had hoped him to be. That said, I haven’t given up and will continue to watch him over the next few weeks.

 

Melbourne vs Adelaide:

Melbourne:

• Colin Sylvia had a field day through the midfield against Adelaide as no Crows player seemed at all fussed about trying to stop him. Racked up 26 touches, 7 marks, 9 tackles and a bonus 4 goals in a great game. I am unashamedly a huge Sylvia fan and this game has further emphasised my theory that everyone must have a Sylvia in their Dream Team.
• Brent Moloney was another standout for the Dees, racking up a game-high 10 clearances alongside his 31 touches (21 of which were contested) and 5 tackles. His leadership on the field is really apparent as he works hard to redeem himself from the off-field incident of a few weeks ago that saw him lose his Vice Captaincy.
• Ricky Petterd made his way back into the squad after spending a few weeks back in the VFL and he really took his opportunity with a great game up forward, booting four goals. We all love Ricky, but he can’t be trusted in your DT until we are 100% sure his spot in the team is set – more games like this will help.
• Matthew Bate earned his recall to the seniors after some massive games in the VFL these past few weeks. Unfortunately he just didn’t justify his selection with a pretty poor game, booting just the one goal for the game, amongst 6 disposals.

Adelaide:

• Matthew Jaensch was one of Adelaide’s better players, providing them good run from defence in a game that seemed to spend a lot of time in his half. This is Jaensch’s fifth game of the year, but definitely his best one. Unfortunately he had few mates on the day.
• Rory Sloane was good to have back for the Crows, spending time through the middle and up forward. His hard-nosed attack on the ball was on display with 11 tackles, but he managed just the 16 disposals for the game. Still one of their best though.
• Chris Knights was really poor, but he probably can’t be blamed for it all as the delivery into the forward line was woeful. He finished with just one behind and won most of his 12 disposals when the game was already over in the second half.
• Taylor Walker was another disappointment, although again the delivery could be part to blame. That said, he does play a much higher role so could have done more to get into the game – he is such a good mark and a great player when he has his confidence up – but he just doesn’t seem like the type of player who will continue to try nearly as hard if a loss appears apparent as it did here.

 

St.Kilda vs Carlton:

St.Kilda:

• Sam Fisher was terrific in his 150^th and it was the most desperate I’ve seen him to win a game since the finals last night. Really lead the Saints’ backline well all night and had the Saints got across the line, he would have gotten the three votes. With Gilbert, Goddard and Clarke playing a variety of other roles, a lot of the rebounding will be left to Fish. Can have his quiet afternoons, but what defenders aren’t this year? Grimes to Fisher anyone??
• Ben McEvoy was brilliant again and is really showing some signs that he could be one of the top-few ruckmen in the competition. Whilst his tap-work certainly needs some work, his marking and the amount of ground he covers is fantastic. Those who took him as a smokey pre-season will start to see the fruit of their selection soon I think.
• Brendon Goddard is still not right – he spent the first half predominantly playing on Gibbs in the backline and was beaten, then moved into the midfield for the second half where he was a little better. I have heard people speak of trading him, but that is just crazy talk – he WILL come good and I don’t think it’s far away. A good game for the Saints last night will help him chill out a bit and a good win in the next fortnight I think could be a turning point.
• Arryn Siposs deserves a mention as I think the Saints may have finally found their man. Since Hamill retired a few years ago, the Saints have craved a third tall who can actually compete in the forward line. Whilst Sippo’s stats read just 4 disposals and 3 marks, his workrate up the ground and his forward-line harassment was great for a first gamer. Elevated himself to Saints fan cult status with a 60 metre bomb goal off two steps in the last quarter. The kid can play and he will be given his chances.

Carlton:

• Chris Yarran was brilliant for the Blues – it was great not only to see him suit up (after he was a late withdrawal last week), but also play a ripper of a game off half-back. The Saints are one side that will ALWAYS allow a loose man back for their opponents, as it allows Fisher roaming around the other end – nine times out of ten this works for the Saints, but in this instance, Yarran was equally prolific. Whilst just one mark didn’t help his DT score, 27 touches was a great return for the little man.
• Bryce Gibbs had a brilliant first half, doing an absolute number on Goddard, playing predominantly in the forward half. He kicked a couple of goals and racked up the touches in his best DT game for a while. After Goodes last week and Goddard this week, it seems Ratts wants Gibbs to be playing roles – I don’t mind this, as long as there are more Goddard games than Goodes ones.
• Nick Duigan was another to really impress for the Blues – initially being thrashed by a raging Milne, but from then on played on a variety of opponents in the Saints backline and impressed on each. He has stacks of courage and works really hard, confirming he is well cemented in the Blues best 22.
• Ed Curnow’s injury was a real disappointment, especially for those who needed a decent score from him to get them over the line. Unfortunately, it sounds like he may have fractured his collarbone, which will put him out for a little while. There will be much debate this week on whether or not to trade him out.

 

From now on, every Friday evening on lockout, the Footy Tragic boys will upload their own teams with any changes they have made that week. Feel free to let them know what you think!

 

KRISTIAN:

Footytragic.comEDT

IN: Paul Chapman, Sam Iles

OUT: Callan Ward, Tom Liberatore

I went with the ‘safe’ option in Iles over Wallis since the Bulldogs team is a bit all over the place at the moment. Chapman is in my midfield for now, but will move into the forward line once I bring in Tendai Mzungu to add greater flexibility.

 

BACKS

Bryce Gibbs

Brett Deledio

Jack Grimes

Brendon Goddard

Dyson Heppell

Danny Stanley

Nick Lower

 

Nick Duigan (emergency)

Andy Otten

Michael Hibberd

 

MIDS

Scott Thompson

Nathan Foley

Paul Chapman (captain)

Daniel Harris

David Swallow

Sam Iles

 

Rohan Bewick

Dane Swan

Scott Pendlebury

 

RUCKS

Dean Cox

Aaron Sandilands

 

Zac Smith (emergency)

Joel Tippett

 

FORWARDS

Lance Franklin

Jack Riewoldt

Chris Knights

Jack Darling

Nick Riewoldt

Drew Petrie

Brad Green

 

Brandon Matera (emergency)

Alan Didak

Cameron Richardson

 

DAN:

Boats N Hoes EDT

IN: David Mundy, Sam Iles

OUT: Bernie Vince,  Tom Liberatore

18 trades left, $213,400 cash in bank.

BACKS

Gibbs

Deledio

Goddard

Duffield

Stanley

Lower

L.Thompson

 

Toy (E)

Duigan

Otten

 

MIDS

Boyd

Selwood (C)

Mundy

Curnow

Swallow

Harris

 

Iles (E)

Krakouer

Swan

 

RUCKS

Cox

Sandilands (VC)

 

Smith

McCauley

 

FORWARDS

Franklin

S.Johnson

Goodes

N.Riewoldt

Knights

Petrie

Darling

 

Matera (E)

Tapscott

Richardson

 

TOBY:

Fiora’s Hardnuts

IN: Luke Thompson, Sam Iles

OUT: Nick Duigan, Tom Liberatore

20 trades left, $230,500 cash in bank. I did these trades purely to generate some cash. Considered Puopulo, but will have a look at him first tonight before being brash and trading him straight in. I traded Duigan out instead of Otten as I think Duigan has reached his peak price. Ideally I would have liked one more price rise from Libba, but his resting forced my hand. Next week I will be using the cash to trade Swallow to Pendles, meaning I will only have two Suns left in my midfield – three of them at the moment if really a bit too much.

BACKS

Gibbs

Deledio

Goddard

Heppell

Adcock

Stanley

Lower

 

Toy

Luke Thompson (E)

Otten

 

MIDS

Boyd

Selwood (C)

Montagna

Iles

Swallow

Harris

 

Krakouer

Swan

Bewick

 

RUCKS

Cox

Sandilands (VC)

 

Smith (E)

Moran

 

FORWARDS

Franklin

S.Johnson

Knights

N.Riewoldt

Darling

Yarran

Matera

 

Richardson (E)

Higgins

Prestia

 

 

PORT ADELAIDE V HAWTHORN

AS – Fri May 06, 8:10pm

Port Adelaide

B: Tom Logan, Alipate Carlile, Jackson Trengove

HB: Michael Pettigrew, Troy Chaplin, Jasper Pittard

C: Paul Stewart, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes

HF: Matthew Broadbent, Jay Schulz, Robert Gray

F: Brett Ebert, Justin Westhoff, Daniel Motlop

Foll: Dean Brogan, Hamish Hartlett, David Rodan

I/C: Danyle Pearce, Daniel Stewart, Cameron Hitchcock, Simon Phillips

Emg: Steven Salopek, Jacob Surjan, Matthew Lobbe

In: Danyle Pearce, Travis Boak, Daniel Stewart, Jay Schulz, Simon Phillips

Out: Chad Cornes, Jacob Surjan, Matt Thomas (Back), Mitchell Banner, Cameron O’Shea (Shoulder)

New: Simon Phillips (Gold Coast)

• Plenty of changes this week for Port, with O’shea and Thomas the only two missing through injury. They will miss Thomas!
• Pearce comes back after 30-odd touches in the SANFL on the weekend, whilst the likes of Shultz gets a reprieve with some good SANFL form.
• Boak will be a welcome addition after he was injured last week.
• Phillips will get his debut – he is a mature aged small forward with some senior experience at Norwood and was traded to Port through Gold Coast’s pre-listing scheme as he had spent two years on Sydney’s lists, where he averaged just 20 DT points. Should be better now after having some senior experience, but I would want to have a look at him first before trading him in.

 

Hawthorn

B: Brent Guerra, Stephen Gilham, Paul Puopolo

HB: Rick Ladson, Josh Gibson, Grant Birchall

C: Xavier Ellis, Sam Mitchell, Clinton Young

HF: Shane Savage, Lance Franklin, Liam Shiels

F: Shaun Burgoyne, Jarryd Roughead, Chance Bateman

Foll: Brent Renouf, Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell

I/C: Jordan Lewis, Brendan Whitecross, David Hale, Isaac Smith

Emg: Ryan Schoenmakers, Thomas Murphy, Kyle Cheney

In: Brendan Whitecross, Isaac Smith, Paul Puopolo

Out: Cyril Rioli (Hamstring), Matt Suckling (Knee), Cameron Bruce (Knee)

New: Isaac Smith (North Ballarat), Paul Puopolo (Norwood)

• The big story here seems to be the two heavily hyped debuts, but what shouldn’t be missed are the three big outs – Bruce (5 weeks), Rioli (1 week) & Suckling (TBA).
• Smith and Puopolo are both mature-aged picks for Hawthorn in last year’s draft, with Smith being picked up in the first round. They have both been in great form in the VFL and deserve their inclusions, although it must be remembered who they are coming in for – unless they really prove their capabilities immediately, they may find themselves making way for Suckling and Rioli next week.
• Smith will likely be the sub as he played in the VFL on Sunday, giving him just a five day turnaround. Puopolo and Whitecross were both rested from the game in anticipation of selection this week.

 

WESTERN BULLDOGS V SYDNEY SWANS

MO – Sat May 07, 1:10pm

Western Bulldogs

B: Liam Picken, Lukas Markovic, Dale Morris

HB: Lindsay Gilbee, Tom L. Williams, Robert Murphy

C: Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Justin Sherman

HF: Callan Ward, Liam Jones, Josh Hill

F: Jarrad Grant, William Minson, Daniel Giansiracusa

Foll: Ben Hudson, Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen

I/C: Brennan Stack, Brodie Moles, Mitchell Wallis, Zephaniah Skinner

Emg: Dylan Addison, Nathan Djerrkura, Jayden Schofield

In: Daniel Giansiracusa, Brennan Stack, Ben Hudson, Zephaniah Skinner

Out: Dylan Addison, Brian Lake, Jordan Roughead, Thomas Liberatore (Soreness)

New: Zephaniah Skinner (Northern Territory)

• Some big changes for the Dogs this week, with Hudson, Gia and Stack coming back in and Skinner set to debut.
• Libba is the big out for DTers, but Lake’s relegation to the VFL is the real talking point from a DT perspective!
• Good to see Mitch Wallis hold his spot!
• Skinner is an enigmatic Jurrah-like forward – he is a tall indigenous player with a huge leap and showed in the pre-season that he is more than capable at senior level. He may just be a stop-gap until Hall returns, although he is a unique enough player to still keep his spot, even when BBBB does return.

 

Sydney Swans

B: Martin Mattner, Ted Richards, Andrejs Everitt

HB: Tadhg Kennelly, Heath Grundy, Nicholas Smith

C: Craig Bird, Josh P. Kennedy, Nathan Gordon

HF: Ben McGlynn, Sam Reid, Daniel Hannebery

F: Rhyce Shaw, Adam Goodes, Ryan O’Keefe

Foll: Shane Mumford, Jude Bolton, Jarrad McVeigh

I/C: Jarred Moore, Mike Pyke, Lewis Jetta, Alex Johnson

Emg: Brett Meredith, Lewis Johnston, Luke Parker

In: Heath Grundy, Nathan Gordon, Alex Johnson

Out: Paul Bevan, Kieren Jack (Ankle), Jesse White

New: Nathan Gordon (East Coast Eagles)

• Kieren Jack is out with an ankle injury that will sideline him for approximately 6 weeks. White and Bevan have been dropped.
• Grundy returns after a week off and Johnston gets another chance.
• Parker will debut – he is a tough medium sized midfielder with reasonable ball-winning ability. The Swans seem quite excited to see him come in and he should be given Jack’s role in the midfield, which could certainly be beneficial from a DT perspective! Keep an eye on him over the next fortnight.

 

GEELONG CATS V NORTH MELBOURNE

SS – Sat May 07, 2:10pm

Geelong Cats

B: Josh Hunt, Matthew Scarlett, Tom Lonergan

HB: Corey Enright, Harry Taylor, James Kelly

C: Andrew Mackie, Joel Corey, Mathew Stokes

HF: Jimmy Bartel, Cameron Mooney, Daniel Menzel

F: Paul Chapman, James Podsiadly, Mitch Duncan

Foll: Brad Ottens, Travis Varcoe, Joel Selwood

I/C: Steve Johnson, Darren Milburn, David Wojcinski, Tom Hawkins

Emg: Allen Christensen, Josh Cowan, Nathan Vardy

In: Josh Hunt, Cameron Mooney

Out: Cameron Ling (Hamstring), Taylor Hunt (Knee)

• Nothing too exciting here – Hunt will miss around a month and Ling about half that.
• Mooney returns, as does the Hunt with the much bigger legs.

 

North Melbourne

B: Brady Rawlings, Nathan Grima, Scott Thompson

HB: Daniel Pratt, Michael Firrito, Jamie Macmillan

C: Benjamin Speight, Brent Harvey, Samuel Wright

HF: Scott McMahon, Lachlan Hansen, Lindsay Thomas

F: Kieran Harper, Drew Petrie, Jack Ziebell

Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Daniel Wells

I/C: Leigh Adams, Liam Anthony, Ben Cunnington, Shaun Atley

Emg: Aaron Edwards, Cruize Garlett, Cameron Pedersen

• No changes for the Roos, despite the injury scares to Hansen and Ziebell. Edwards and Garlett wait in the wings for a possible late withdrawal. Make sure you have cover in place if you have either of these guys.

 

RICHMOND V FREMANTLE

MCG – Sat May 07, 4:10pm

Richmond

B: Chris Newman, Alex Rance, Jake Batchelor

HB: Brett Deledio, Luke McGuane, Dylan Grimes

C: Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin, Shane Edwards

HF: Jake King, Tyrone Vickery, Shaun Grigg

F: Matthew White, Jack Riewoldt, Brad Miller

Foll: Angus Graham, Daniel Jackson, Nathan Foley

I/C: Robin Nahas, Ben Nason, Reece Conca, Bachar Houli

Emg: Jayden Post, Jeromey Webberley, Bradley Helbig

In: Daniel Jackson

Out: Shane Tuck (Soreness)

• Tuck is back out and Jackson returns from his suspension. No point changing a winning thing!

 

Fremantle

B: Greg Broughton, Antoni Grover, Garrick Ibbotson

HB: Michael Johnson, Luke McPharlin, Paul Duffield

C: Matthew de Boer, Matthew Pavlich, Nathan Fyfe

HF: Adam McPhee, Kepler Bradley, Jay Van Berlo

F: Hayden Ballantyne, Christopher Mayne, Stephen Hill

Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Nick Lower, David Mundy

I/C: Rhys Palmer, Clancee Pearce, Dylan Roberton, Jayden Pitt

Emg: Ryan Crowley, Jesse Crichton, Jack Anthony

In: Clancee Pearce, Greg Broughton

Out: Ryan Crowley, Jesse Crichton

• Pearce was elevated from the rookie list today in place of Morabito, who is set to miss the year. He has never proven to be an amazing dream teamer, so it’s nothing to get too excited about. Although, he will likely take up a defensive post, hopefully freeing up the likes of Broughton or Duffield.
• Broughton IS an exciting return for many… Now let’s keep our fingers crossed for no smoke or mirrors!

 

GOLD COAST SUNS V BRISBANE LIONS

G – Sat May 07, 7:10pm

Gold Coast Suns

B: Matt Shaw, Nathan Bock, Karmichael Hunt

HB: Nathan Krakouer, Jack Hutchins, Jarrod Harbrow

C: Sam Iles, Michael Rischitelli, Trent McKenzie

HF: Jared Brennan, Tom Lynch, Daniel Stanley

F: Brandon Matera, Sam Day, Daniel Gorringe

Foll: Zac Smith, David Swallow, Gary Ablett

I/C: Joseph Daye, Josh Toy, Daniel Harris, Liam Patrick

Emg: Marc Lock, Luke Russell, Steven May

In: Nathan Krakouer, Joseph Daye, Sam Day, Nathan Bock, Tom Lynch, Daniel Gorringe

Out: Luke Russell, Josh Fraser (Back), Charlie Dixon (Calf), Harley Bennell, Steven May, Seb Tape (Rested)

New: Joseph Daye (), Sam Day (Sturt, SA), Tom Lynch (Dandenong Stingrays, VIC)

• Whoa… a few changes here! Fraser and Dixon come out injured, with the rest presumably missing thanks to the Gold Coast rotation policy.
• Krakouer gets another shot and Bock comes back from suspension.
• Daye, Day and Lynch all get their chances, but none are really worth getting excited about – Day and Lynch are both tall forwards, who will likely take a while to have a significant impact (see Dixon), whilst Daye is a running half-back who averaged 13 disposals in the VFL last year. As with most Suns players, I would want to have a look at any of them before considering.
• Iles plays his third game – get on now if you are keen!

 

Brisbane Lions

B: Cheynee Stiller, Daniel Merrett, Ashley McGrath

HB: Pearce Hanley, Matt Maguire, Jed Adcock

C: Tom Rockliff, Simon Black, Luke Power

HF: Claye Beams, Mitchell Clark, James Polkinghorne

F: Todd Banfield, Joel Patfull, Bryce Retzlaff

Foll: Matthew Leuenberger, Jack Redden, Andrew Raines

I/C: Josh Drummond, Tom Collier, Daniel Rich, Jesse O’Brien

Emg: Matt Austin, Amon Buchanan, Joshua Green

In: Josh Drummond, Bryce Retzlaff

Out: Broc McCauley, Jared Polec

New: Bryce Retzlaff (Labrador (QLD))

• Drummond makes his long-awaited return from his ACL injury – Adcock owners, it’s time to hold your breath!!! Hopefully by now everyone knows the story with Drummond – as good as he looks, you just can’t trust his body!
• Polec and McCauley are two pretty disappointing exclusions and Bewick is another who misses out.
• Retzlaff does get his debut though and he is another key-position player (suggesting Leuenberger will likely spend more time in the ruck), so again, keep any expectations low. Has made the emergency list a few times already, so good to see him given his chance.

ESSENDON V WEST COAST EAGLES

ES – Sun May 08, 1:10pm

Essendon

B: Dustin Fletcher, Cale Hooker, Mark McVeigh

HB: David Zaharakis, Michael Hurley, Kyle Hardingham

C: Ben Howlett, Jobe Watson, Leroy Jetta

HF: David Hille, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Henry Slattery

F: Patrick Ryder, Stewart Crameri, Dyson Heppell

Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Heath Hocking, Jake Melksham

I/C: Sam Lonergan, Angus Monfries, Brent Stanton, Alwyn Davey, Kyle Reimers, David Myers, Michael Hibberd

In: Dustin Fletcher, Alwyn Davey, David Myers

• And onto the Sunday extended benches… Fletcher is a definite in according to Hirdy, whilst Myers has really pressed his case in the VFL – Hibberd owners beware!!
• Of that extended bench, you’d think Lonergan, Davey and one of Hibberd/Myers would miss.

 

West Coast Eagles

B: Sam Butler, Darren Glass, Shannon Hurn

HB: Andrew Embley, Eric Mackenzie, Scott Selwood

C: Bradley Ebert, Matthew Priddis, Matthew Rosa

HF: Luke Shuey, Josh Kennedy, Mark Nicoski

F: Mark LeCras, Quinten Lynch, Jack Darling

Foll: Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Adam Selwood

I/C: Will Schofield, Nic Naitanui, Thomas Swift, Ashley Smith, Patrick McGinnity, Gerrick Weedon, Ashton Hams

In: Will Schofield, Thomas Swift, Gerrick Weedon, Ashton Hams

Out: Andrew Gaff

New: Gerrick Weedon (Clontarf College)

• Gaff comes out of the side so he can get some full game time into his legs, according to Woosha. You wouldn’t expect too many other changes to the side though.
• There has been talk of Schofield coming in to help with the tall Bombers side, meaning Swift, Hams and Weedon would be the likely emergencies. Hopefully Smith can get another run after I talked him up last week…

 

MELBOURNE V ADELAIDE

MCG – Sun May 08, 2:10pm

Melbourne

B: James Frawley, Matthew Warnock, Clint Bartram

HB: Nathan Jones, Colin Garland, Luke Tapscott

C: Ricky Petterd, Jack Grimes, Colin Sylvia

HF: Jack Watts, Liam Jurrah, Addam Maric

F: Brad Green, Matthew Bate, Aaron Davey

Foll: Mark Jamar, Brent Moloney, Jack Trengove

I/C: Lynden Dunn, Michael Newton, Austin Wonaeamirri, Neville Jetta, Rohan Bail, Jordan Gysberts, Joel Macdonald

In: Matthew Bate, Michael Newton, Matthew Warnock, Ricky Petterd, Addam Maric, Neville Jetta, Joel Macdonald

Out: Jared Rivers (Ankle), Cale Morton, Stefan Martin, Jamie Bennell

• Geez, these Sunday benches do my head in! Anyone else??? The Dees have at least four changes to the side – only one of them forced!
• Of the list of ins, Bate, Warnock, Petterd and Maric have all been named on the field, suggesting that if there are no other changes, Macdonald, Newton and Jetta will make up the emergencies.

 

Adelaide

B: Michael Doughty, Ben Rutten, Graham Johncock

HB: Nathan van Berlo, Luke Thompson, Matthew Jaensch

C: Ricky Henderson, Brent Reilly, Brodie Smith

HF: Richard Douglas, Shaun McKernan, Chris Knights

F: Matthew Wright, Kurt Tippett, Taylor Walker

Foll: Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield

I/C: Ivan Maric, James Sellar, Brad Symes, Jared Petrenko, Rory Sloane, Christopher Schmidt, Jack Gunston

In: Ivan Maric, James Sellar, Jared Petrenko, Rory Sloane, Christopher Schmidt, Jack Gunston

Out: Brodie Martin, Phil Davis (Shoulder), Richard Tambling (Suspension)

• Three outs for the Crows – Davis is out indefinitely with his shoulder injury, whilst Tambling will miss one game with suspension. Martin is dropped after a rather average start to the year.
• Of the names added to the list, Sloane will definitely play, with Sellar/Schmidt (defence) and Petrenko the likely inclusions.

 

ST KILDA V CARLTON

ES – Mon May 09, 7:20pm

St Kilda

B: Sean Dempster, Jason Blake, Steven Baker

HB: Jason Gram, Sam Fisher, James Gwilt

C: Brendon Goddard, Leigh Montagna, Sam Gilbert

HF: Andrew McQualter, Nick Riewoldt, Adam Schneider

F: Stephen Milne, Justin Koschitzke, Arryn Siposs

Foll: Ben McEvoy, Nick Dal Santo, Clinton Jones

I/C: Raphael Clarke, David Armitage, Jack Steven, Brett Peake, Nicholas Winmar, Jamie Cripps, Ryan Gamble

In: Raphael Clarke, Justin Koschitzke, Brett Peake, Nicholas Winmar, Arryn Siposs, Ryan Gamble

Out: Alistair Smith, Zac Dawson (Suspension), Will Johnson (Concussion)

New: Nicholas Winmar (Scarborough), Arryn Siposs (Dandenong Stingrays)

• The Saints are (finally) another team to swing the axe, although they have swung it on two kids and Dawson, who is out suspended.
• In comes Siposs, named on the field for his debut game – he was the Saints fourth pick in the draft last year and is another medium sized forward option. He has been consistent so far this year at Sandringham kicking a couple of goals a game and has impressed with his ability to harass and tackle in the forward line. Winmar is named on the extended bench, but I don’t think he will make it though.
• Clarke will likely play, after getting BOG for Sandy on the weekend (the Saints will also need all the speed they can get in defence against the Blues), with Kosi also named on the field.
• Final emergencies will likely be Winmar, Peake and Gamble.

Carlton

B: Jordan Russell, Michael Jamison, Christopher Yarran

HB: Nick Duigan, Simon White, Bryce Gibbs

C: Heath Scotland, Chris Judd, Kade Simpson

HF: Andrew Walker, Jarrad Waite, Andrew Carrazzo

F: Eddie Betts, Setanta O’hAilpin, Jeffrey Garlett

Foll: Robert Warnock, Edward Curnow, Marc Murphy

I/C: Dennis Armfield, David Ellard, Aaron Joseph, Mitch Robinson, Lachlan Henderson, Jeremy Laidler, Matthew Watson

In: Christopher Yarran, Lachlan Henderson, Matthew Watson

• Three good ins for the Blues, although I can’t see Watson or Henderson actually making it into the final team.
• Ratten declared Yarran will play… All I can say is, He damn well better!!
• Joseph or Armfield will likely be the ones to make way for Yaz.

 

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By this stage of the year downgrades are going to start becoming relevant and here on Footy Tragic each Thursday morning our daily article will be on every rookie priced player due to play his third game and rise in price. I know Kristian has gone over some trade in options over the past couple of weeks, but no harm in me putting my own spin on it. This article will also be a rolling article on FT – this week it’s mine, next week it’ll be Toby’s and the week after will be Kristian (I think I got the order right…)

For the sake of avoiding wild speculation with team selection, we’ll always look at players who were selected the previous round ie. Matthew Watson could be a good rookie, but he’s been waiting a few weeks to get selected for his third game – unless we have info that he’ll be playing we’ll usually let those types slide.

There’s a couple of very handy cash cows set to go up in price in the midfield this week and a lot of people will be having an Iles vs. Wallis debate in their head. Apart from those two the cupboard is pretty bare this week, with only three other rookies set for their first price rise. Looking ahead to the next few weeks it’s an important week to look for a midfield downgrade, because the only one next week will be Michael Hibberd (BAC/MID), so keep an eye on team selection this week with particular attention to viable midfield rookie options (Hawks have already declared Isaac Smith a debutant this week).

Anyway, onto this week’s crop…

 

Matthew Wright (MID – Adelaide)

DT: $92,500. Scores: 27*, 60. Break even: -13

SC: $103,600. Scores: 25*, 87. Break even: -39

I really admire Matthew Wright’s story. Back in 2007 he was a draft prospect. I actually quite liked him as a strong bodied sneaky small forward, but about a month out from the National Draft while helping his girlfriend into a taxi after a party he was bottled. He suffered a fractured skull and had swelling on his brain. I’m sure he was on club’s radars before the incident, but the serious nature of his injuries saw him drop out of draft calculations as he got his life back together.

He got back on the horse and worked really hard at the Roosters in the SANFL and then late in 2009 he did his knee! He received the LARS surgery and a couple of months later was rookie listed by the Crows. He’s actually been pretty good in his first two games – in the Showdown he came on as the sub and I thought he was lively. He was a bit stiff to get dropped, but he came back against St.Kilda and was good again, kicking a lovely snap goal. I’m a bit worried about the amount of guys Adelaide have out of their team at the moment and therefore how secure his spot will be when they return. I like his scoring potential, but am very hesitant with his (as Ox would call it) “long-term-gevity.”

Jack Hutchins (BAC – Gold Coast)

DT: $97,600. Scores: 28, 44. BE: 6

SC: $126,600. Scores: 18, 61. BE: -2

The dreadlocked one is a pretty promising player for the future, but with so many experienced Gold Coast defenders close to a return (Bock, Brown, Krakouer) you couldn’t be too sure he’ll keep his spot. He’s not going to score very well anyway, so with the likelihood he’ll be one of the first dropped for a returning big man he’d be a crazy selection. He looks lost out there and is really struggling with the high ball.

Sam Iles (MID – Gold Coast)

DT: $110,400. Scores: 47, 74. BE: -33

SC: $159,800. Scores: 54, 67. BE: -36

In his first game for the Suns, Iles looked a little bit rusty, but not too bad. His performance against Essendon was much better. He provided a contest across half forward and bobbed up for a couple of goals. Many people were eagerly anticipating his debut after a great year in the VFL last year, where he won the Suns B&F. We had to wait a little while, but now is decision time on Iles.

Like I said in my preamble, a lot of the debate fantasy players will be having is Iles vs. Wallis. For job security you’d go with Iles hands down. Quite simply, there’s more competition for spots and the Bulldogs, while the Suns desperately need their older and experienced bodies on the park. He has a pretty good inside game and should be pretty reliable for the sort of scores Harris and Swallow have already been churning out for us.

He comes at a slightly more expensive price tag, but that comes with the added job security. I rate their scoring ability pretty similar, but I reckon Wallis has a higher ceiling, whereas Iles has a bit more of an advantage in that he’s unlikely to be a sub candidate.

Matthew Shaw (BAC – Gold Coast)

DT: $97,600. Scores: 34, 33. BE: 11

SC: $110,200. Scores: 38, 35. BE: 4

He’s already been in and out of the Gold Coast team and will probably spend a bit of time yo-yoing between seniors and reserves. McKenna will be backing his kids in (as he did with Toy after a bad game against Port), but he’d probably draw the line at Shaw’s job on Reimers last week. Poor scoring power, poor job security. Pass.

Mitch Wallis (MID – Western Bulldogs)

DT: $92,500. Scores: 10*, 70. BE: -6

SC: $103,600. Scores: 22*, 54. BE: -3

In his first game against Freo he started as the sub and didn’t come on until the final quarter. He got a few handballs in congestion, but didn’t really get into a groove. Last week against Collingwood he put up a very impressive fantasy game, particularly for DT. A 70 against the league leaders and the team that concedes the fourth least DT points in the league is a good showing for a youngster in his first full game.

Earlier I mentioned Iles’ advantage is better job security, but as we’ve seen with Libba already this year the Dogs will back their kids if they earn their spot. If Wallis keeps performing he’ll keep getting selected. To use Libba as a case study in the five games he’s played so far he’s gone up $135K in DT and $165K in SC. Wal’s initial price rise will be stunted by that sub game he had first up, but that score will be out of his rolling average by next week.

The advantage I’d give Wallis over Iles is that I believe Wallis has the higher ceiling to make quicker cash. Like I said, that 10/22 game where he was sub won’t affect his price rises after next week. We’ve spoken about his DT numbers as a junior and his 47 possession TAC Cup Grand Final before on Footy Tragic. We know he’s got massive ball winning ability, so for more of a quick buck I’d go Wal, but for more coverage I’d go Iles. I would love to hear if others view those two guys the same.

 

* indicates player started game as the sub

 

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Welcome to this week’s Trade Plans and Advice thread!

Are you offloading someone, bringing someone in, or are you starting a three-week plan to bring in a couple of new premiums (knowing full well that a bunch of injuries will likely ruin these plans)?

Or not sure what to do? Well post your options and your thoughts and hopefully your fellow Footy Tragics will be able to help you come to the right conclusion!

Looking forward to hearing about everyone’s round 7 movement!

 

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Captain Dan’s Captains – Round 7 aka WTF do we do without Swan and Pendles?!

So it’s the Collingwood bye round. This article might actually hold your attention past the part that says “Dane Swan” (or “Scott Pendlebury” for those who don’t own Swan). “That’s cool,” I’m sure a lot of you are thinking, “I have Matthew Boyd!” But what’s this? Boydy is playing against the Swans this week and his record is only pretty good against them. It could do, but it doesn’t scream auto lock captain choice this week. I’ll write about him more later.

For those who scan through the preamble I can save you a bit of time. A fair bit of the rest of the article is for my own amusement, so in short the Cats at Kardinia Park has a number of hot options. Rocky and Redden vs. Gold Coast would be unique and I’m pretty confident they’ll chop again.

I’ll also touch on a few unattractive options this week first.

-        Buddy generally struggles against Port. He’s only scored one SC ton in his career against them, but never in DT. His poor numbers against Port are also not uncommon against Adelaide as well, so it’s not a ground he plays too well at. Maybe in 2014 he’ll find a favourable ground in SA to play on.

-        The Carlton vs. St.Kilda game looks incredibly stinky for fantasy purposes. For Carlton, even though the numbers aren’t great, my eyes say Judd could be worth a go in SC on his current form. Murphy has that shoulder problem and not such a great record against St.Kilda. Gibbs hasn’t been in good form the last few weeks (fantasy wise anyway – he did a great job on Goodes last week…double ouch for a lot of us) and also doesn’t do so well against the Saints.

-        As for the Saints, Riewoldt – yuck. Montagna – yuck. Goddard – yuck. The Saints are in awful form and it all starts at the top. So Lenny does hold them all together! On top of the Saints being broken, it should also be noted that Carlton have conceded the fewest DT points of any side in the league this year. They’re stingy buggers.

-        I’m not so sure about Cox. Essendon have a tough ruck division to come up against and his scores against them over the years aren’t stand out.

Daniel Cross vs. Sydney

More of a SC this week. The contested game that the Swans bring to the table is something Crossy thrives on. In his last three games vs. the Swans (all in 2010) he’s only broken the DT ton once, but has three straight SC tons against them. There are huge discrepancies in his scores too. 67/106 and 93/145 (the SC score being the second number). One negative is that apart from his one game last year in Manuka (128 DT/129 SC) he hasn’t scored massively in the nation’s capital.

Last three vs. Sydney: 96 DT, 126.7 SC

Last three at Manuka: 98.3 DT, 99 SC

Matthew Boyd vs. Sydney

I’ve already written a bit about Boydy. He’s certainly not a bad option this week, but when you’re without Swan you would probably rather see Boyd averaging 120 against his opponent. His DT numbers aren’t too bad, but his SC ones aren’t ideal. He doesn’t seem to go too well at Manuka Oval though, only just getting to the ton in DT for the first time last year.

Last three vs. Sydney: 100.3 DT, 95.3 SC

Last three at Manuka: 83.7 DT, 87.3 SC

Paul Chapman vs. North Melbourne

I can’t pick my favourite Cat this week! Their guns become super guns at Kardinia Park. Their super guns have the ability to consistently reach 130+ scores. Who from the Kangaroos, who have been leaking points this year, can contain someone as elusive and creative as Chappy? I’ll just let the numbers do the talking. He has a 59/86 back in 2008 against the Roos in his three game averages. In that game he was returning from injury and his TOG was monitored and he only had 20 touches, two marks, one tackle and no scoring shots. That one has more to do with where his body was at. Last year he was the star of the show vs. North at Kardinia with a 130/133 performance.

Last three vs. North Melbourne: 103.3 DT, 116.3 SC

Last three at Kardinia Park: 115 DT, 105.3 SC

Jimmy Bartel vs. North Melbourne

Where Chappy has good all round numbers in the match up this week, Jimmy’s specialty is the match up against the Roos. He LOVES playing against the Roos. Last year he only had a 94/79 against them down at Kardinia Park, but his form last year was a bit down and that was the game after he suffered that elbow injury against St.Kilda and he was being hidden in the half forward line. Consider those circumstances and the score from that game last year when looking at his last three against North!

Last three vs. North Melbourne: 126 DT, 135.7 SC

Last three at Kardinia Park: 111.3 DT, 104.3 SC

Joel Selwood vs. North Melbourne

And where Chappy has good all round numbers and Jimmy kills the Roos, Selwood’s specialty is how much he dominates at Kardinia Park. I’d love to do a full study of players and their favourite grounds, but I’d be staggered if someone has a bigger love affair with a venue than Selwood does with the Cattery. Last year he scored 109/118 in the corresponding match-up. He’s probably the one I’m leaning to in my team…mind you, I don’t have Chappy and Bartel, but I reckon I’d have Selwood anyway.

Last three vs. North Melbourne: 103.7 DT, 115.3 SC

Last three at Kardinia Park: 133.3 DT, 142.3 SC

Brett Deledio vs. Freo

Lids is more of a SC option this week, both on recent form and his form against Freo. He’s looked good at the MCG so far this year and his differential between DT/SC is pretty big. We all know he’s a good user of the ball, so while I wouldn’t give him too much of a look in for DT he’s not without consideration in SC – 90/120 games are not uncommon for Lids.

Last three vs. Freo: 103.3 DT, 126 SC

Last three at MCG: 90.3 DT, 105 SC

Aaron Sandilands vs. Richmond

Richmond’s ruck division doesn’t put up too much fight against many good rucks, so 211 will be good for at least 40 points for hitouts alone. I can’t see Graham keeping up with him around the ground either, so add another 20 touches and a few marks and I reckon that’s Sandi’s basement this week. A bit of a rest up forward and a goal or two would be on the cards. I reckon he’d be a bit different  this week, but pretty safe points. He rarely plays at the MCG though. Famously the Dockers didn’t have a game at the G until the finals last year and they only had two there in 2010. Also, bear in mind he was playing very hurt and very burnt out by the time finals came around last year.

Last three vs. Richmond: 113.3 DT, 130.7 SC

Last three at MCG (very spread out sample): 96.3 DT, 96 SC

Tom Rockliff vs. Gold Coast

I love the way this guy goes about it. I could never understand why such a naturally talented footballer got completely overlooked in the 2007 and 2008 National Drafts, before finally going in the 2009 Pre-Season Draft. He’s a star and has a natural fantasy game. His football IQ for a kid so young is amazing and his start to this season has surprised me, and I’ve got a habit of massively overrating my favourites. He’s unique, but if you have him (or Redden) they tick so many boxes. Hot form in his last three games, amazing record at the Gabba and playing against by far the leakiest team in the league (GC average 1780 DT points against, next worst is Port on 1637).

Never played Gold Coast.

Last three at Gabba: 101 DT, 101 SC

Last three games: 124 DT, 131.7 SC

Jack Redden vs. Gold Coast

A lot of what I just wrote about Rocky can be said for Redden too…though, I can’t claim him as one of my draft pets from his year, but boy has he been in ridiculous form too. It’s actually really weird seeing two such amazing midfield fantasy guns in quite a poor team. His numbers at the Gabba actually include a 53/48 in their last game there in 2010, so they’ve been kinda epic so far this year. I love Redden’s ability to supplement a high possession game with 7-8 tackles to really drive those fantasy points up. It’s often the difference between a good fantasy player and a super one.

Never played Gold Coast.

Last three at Gabba: 101 DT, 100.3 SC (look at how similar they are to Rocky’s!)

Last three games: 129.3 DT, 114.7

Jobe Watson vs. West Coast

The last option I’m going to look at is Tim’s son.  He has gone well against West Coast in the past, but he’s taken his game to the next level this year. The main thing that stands out for me is his insane record at the Docklands this year. Six rounds into the season the Bombers have played three games there. Watson’s three highest scores in DT and SC have, by no coincidence in my opinion, come at the Docklands. I talked about Selwood and his love affair with Kardinia Park, but I reckon there could be something in Watson’s form at Insert Name Here Stadium.

Last three vs. West Coast: 103 DT, 96.3 SC

Last three at Docklands: 128 DT, 133.3 SC

DOWNGRADE TARGETS (MIDS AND FORWARDS)

On Thursday I decided to look at some rookie priced players from the back and ruck positions that we could downgrade to in the coming weeks when our rookie players peak in price.

 

Now it’s time for the midfielders and forwards…..

 

MIDFIELDERS

SAM ILES $110,400

We’ve been lucky enough to have a couple of looks at Iles now, and I must say I’ve been impressed with his work. As a mature age player with a bigger body, I don’t see any reason why Guy McKenna would feel the need to drop him, or rotate him throughout the year. They simply need guys like him playing week in week out, as he’ll provide an honest contest. Iles has mainly been playing off the half-forward flank in his first two games for the Suns, and he managed to get on the scoreboard twice on the weekend. I wouldn’t be too deterred by his score of 47 in his first game; he still managed to accumulate 17 touches. Iles will start moving through the midfield rotations I feel, once the kids get tired and he builds up his fitness after a limited pre-season. This is the week to trade Iles in if you want or need him, unless you’re happy to pay an inflated price next week. I also think we can expect regular scores in excess of 70 from Iles from now on.

TENDAI MZUNGU $97,600

There has been some great news come out of Fremantle in the past 24 hours that Mzungu could be playing senior footy as early as in the new few weeks! The injury list yesterday suggested he was 4-5 weeks away, but in an interview with Perth radio, Mark Harvey suggested Tendai is the closest to playing out of their long list of walking wounded and could be available for selection in as little as three weeks. We all the scoring capabilities of Tendai, so I won’t harp on it too much, but when he is selected, get him in and you could very well have yourself a keeper in the midfield or in the forwards for rookie price!

NICK WINMAR $97,600

Winmar is another midfield/forward positioned player in Dream Team that is primed for a senior game very soon. He has been named emergency in almost every game this season and with the Saints now struggling, he could come in and provide some much needed run and a bit of ‘x-factor’. I must say, I haven’t seen a lot of Winmar, as he only played the five VFL games due to injury last year, and I didn’t watch him all that much as a junior, so unfortunately I can’t give an accurate scope for his scoring potential. He was a 2009 draftee though, so he’s had a couple of pre-seasons under his belt which means he should be fine slotting straight into the big time.

HAYDEN JOLLY $97,600

This kid from the Gold Coast is an absolute ball magnet and I’m really shocked how he is currently not in the Suns best 22. I have a feeling this will change will quickly, even as soon as this week, and I recommend him highly to anyone looking to bring in a midfield rookie in 2 to 3 weeks time. We’ve seen McKenzie and Swallow average over 70 in their first seasons so far, and Jolly is capable of doing exactly the same.

MITCH WALLIS $92,500

Speaking of ball magnets, there is no greater than Mitch Wallis. He averaged 31 possessions in the TAC Cup last year, and put up a lazy 47 disposals in the Grand Final. We’ve seen him play two games so far, the first in which he was a sub, and therefore only scored 10 points, but on Sunday he accumulated a handy 70 points against the best team in the land – not a bad effort at all. The only real knock on him at the moment is his kicking is a bit hit and miss, but I have no doubt once he settles in he’ll be fine, as he has a good technique and makes good decisions. Some may be worried about his job security, but I actually think it’s really good! Rodney Eade absolutely loves his boys in Libba and Wallis, and I think he sees them as best 22 players. From what I gathered in Eade’s interview on ‘On The Couch’ last night, I don’t think Wallis will be going anywhere anytime soon.

EXTRA NOTES:

Matthew Wright from the Crows is on the bubble this week, after now playing two games this season. I wouldn’t recommend him as a downgrade option though, as Andy Otten, Rory Sloane and Bernie Vince are all expected back in the coming weeks which will put his spot in danger.

 

I can’t seem to find a definitive time frame for Ian Callinan’s injury. He’s another dual position option, but after injury his pectoral muscle in the pre-season he’s fallen off the radar. The AFL website has him listed as ‘indefinite’, which is not helpful at all, so if anyone has some information or something along those lines, please let us know!

 

FORWARDS

BEN GRIFFITHS $103,800

I’ll include big Griffo in here as there really aren’t many options for the forward line unfortunately. He played five games last year for the Tigers for a return of only four disposals a game. You won’t be picking him for his scoring, or his durability (chronic shoulder issues, but has had major surgery in the off-season), but you’d pick him for his job security. He played his first game last week in the reserves and got through fine, so I’d expect maybe one or two games there before he’s straight back into the seniors. Hardwick loves Griffiths, and played him last year when he wasn’t quite ready. Without having a major influence, he straightened the Tigers up, and he’s an important part to their structure. Just don’t expect anything special though.

KEIRAN HARPER $92,500

I really, really rate this guy, he’s an absolute beauty. I was mighty impressed with his debut on Saturday. I was a little worried he’d still be a little too slight for senior footy just yet, but he finds space beautifully and is just a smart footballer. He really stands out in a very vanilla North Melbourne team, and I can’t see him getting dropped anytime soon. I think the Kangaroos NEED him in the side!

ZEPHANIAH SKINNER $92,500

‘Zepha’s’ been playing some great footy for Williamstown lately and I think it’s about time he should be brought into the Doggies line up. He’s shown he’s able to match it in the seniors with a four goal game in the pre-season and without Barry Hall, and most of their forwards out of form, they need another avenue to goal. Eade got a bit desperate on the weekend, throwing Cooney, Griffen, Wallis and Murphy forward, when they were much needed in their preferred positions. I like Skinner as a Dream Teamer too. He’d get plenty of opportunity in the Doggies forward line, and he just draws the footy. Keep an eye out for him!

EXTRA NOTES:

It would be great if Tom Lynch (St Kilda), Lewis Johnston, and Isaac Smith looked even close to being selected. Things would be much easier, that is all!