Footy Tragic

Melbourne vs Carlton:

Melbourne:

• Brad Green was one of the better Dees on the night, but like his teammates, he was terribly inconsistent between quarters. He spent much of the game up on the wing and through the midfield, racking up 22 touches and 7 tackles. I think this is where he plays his best football, so hopefully he stays in this role. I wouldn’t look at trading him in, but if you have him, you might as well hold tight for a while longer.
• Colin Sylvia was the highest DT-point scoring Demon, but again had a largely inconsistent game. He started really well before slowing down for the second quarter, scoring only 8 points for the term. He ended with 21 touches and 8 tackles and was the only Demon to crack the ton.
• Ricky Petterd was one of the more disappointing players, clocking up just 9 touches for the game and spraying his only shots on goal. His form really seems to fluctuate between good and bad, which is really surprising – he has often been such a highly rated player, so not sure why his season to date has been so poor. Maybe we should just blame the coach as it seems this is the thing to do.
• Michael Evans played his second game and once again he got amongst it – his main slight though is his use of the ball and I feel this could cost him his spot in the team over the coming weeks as the Dees get some of their more experienced players back this week. Those considering bringing him in this week may want to give this some real consideration before hitting the trade button.

Carlton:

• Marc Murphy was fantastic for the Blues, but lets be honest, he will only get the two Brownlow votes for this game. He was great through the midfield and manages to find space really well, meaning he can be a massive accumulator, as he was here. Finishes with 31 touches (21 of them were kicks too!), 9 marks and 7 tackles.
• Chris Judd came into this game under an injury cloud, but you wouldn’t know it. He fought hard in the packs all night and dominated the Demons at the stoppages. Won himself 31 touches, but also laid 12 tackles in a highly influential game. There is little wonder why he is now odds-on favourite for this Brownlow and likely also the next three.
• Heath Scotland had another good game, coming off half-back and pushing up into the midfield. He really has no trouble finding the ball and I reckon his disposal has gotten a bit better than where it was last year too. Got 26 touches and disposed of 19 of them by foot, which is great to see. Also had 7 marks.
• Brock McLean really hasn’t done enough over this past fortnight to secure his spot in the lineup whilst Curnow is out injured. He still looks awfully slow and his disposal can let him down – he also doesn’t win enough of it in close (hard when Juddy wins EVERY contest). Only got 17 touches and also shanked a couple of opportunities in front of goal – despite his low price, he shouldn’t even be considered for any Dream Teams.

 

North Melbourne vs Sydney:

North Melbourne:

• Drew Petrie started in brilliant style, smashing Ted Richards in the first quarter and notching up a handy 46 DT points by quarter time. After that, Grundy was shifted onto him and he was a lot more competitive. Still, Petrie finished with 3.4 from 18 touches and 5 marks.
• Andrew Swallow played a brilliant game through the middle and was the most dominant midfielder on the ground, despite his team’s loss. He was great in and around the packs, notching up 28 touches and 9 tackles – there has been much talk recently about some of the more unique midfield premiums – Swallow’s name really shouldn’t be discounted from that list – he is consistent and also has a whopping ceiling.
• Scott Thompson actually deserves a bit of a mention here, despite him really not being a DT player. He played the game of his life on Adam Goodes, working hard up the ground to provide rebound, but was also a rock in defence for the Roos, repelling plenty of Sydney attacks, as well as really limiting Goodes’ influence. Don’t be considering him for your DT though…
• Levi Greenwood played his first game of the year, on his comeback from injury. He was one player who we’d kept a close eye on through the pre-season before he got injured, but this game didn’t do much to suggest he could be a great DT option for the second half of the year. He only had 11 touches and 2 tackles and was largely anonymous for most of the game. That all said, he is still worth keeping an eye on.

Sydney:

• Heath Grundy was the hero for Sydney – not only was he the man who slowed down Petrie after he started the game in great form, but he was also the man to take the game-saving mark, deep in defence with less than a minute to go in the last quarter. Provided plenty of run from defence and was their best player all game, finishing with 22 possessions and 9 marks.
• Ben McGlynn is another favourite of mine and he had a very good game up forward, kicking three important goals, but also harassing his North opponents well in the forward line. He has a great knack of finding space and is often happy to venture outside the forward-50 to get the ball. He finished this game with 22 touches.
• Adam Goodes was pretty disappointing, especially considering his good recent form. He was well beaten by Thompson, but also, when the ball did come his way he really had the fumbles and just didn’t look ‘on’ all night. That said, his 76 DT points was still respectable, but it certainly is above what his game deserved.
• Lewis Johnston played his first game for Sydney and I thought he competed well – he didn’t get a stack of the ball, but he looked composed and often made good opportunity from his limited touches. His one goal was also a ripper, kicked from outside the 50. Expect him to stay a little while, so monitor his progress.

 

Fremantle vs St.Kilda:

Fremantle:

• Paul Duffield started well, winning plenty of ball off half-back, but was then switched forward in the second half as Harvey tried something different. Most of his points we racked up early though as Fremantle chipped it around their backline, trying to find a way through St.Kilda’s zones. The Saints often leak points to loose defenders, so keep this in mind, but after two tonnes in a row, he is starting to deliver the sorts of scores we expect of him.
• Greg Broughton was another one many coaches were happy to see back in the ‘ton-club’, thanks to his 27 disposal game. He was pretty well smashed by Schneider, so like Duffield, he was moved forward for stints and actually made the most of it, booting two pretty opportunistic goals. I would take this score with a grain of salt due to the chipping around – honestly, I would like to see another score like this before getting tempted to trade him in.
• Tendai Mzungu looked composed all game and was actually one of Fremantle’s best players. He played the whole game as Freo’s most attacking defender, often playing on from marks and taking runs up the wing, unlike his fellow defenders who just wanted to chip around. He looked as good as he did in the pre-season and looks like a must-have player for most teams. Get him in this week before his price rises.
• Rhys Palmer was really poor, again. I don’t know what has happened, but his game has fallen right away since his NAB Rising Star win in 2008. He played between the forward line and midfield and hardly featured all game. If you have him, get rid of him asap, just as I reckon Fremantle will try to do at the end of the year.

St.Kilda:

• Nick DalSanto was the best for the Saints, playing the game between half-back and the midfield as he did last week. He won 30 touches and used it 20 times by foot. He uses the ball very well and is given the ball asap by his teammates – the Saints also don’t mind chipping it around in their backline, so this should help him get some easy stats week-to-week if he stays in this role.
• Jack Steven was great and is one of the more exciting youngsters on the Saints’ list. He covers a lot of ground and is now playing predominantly in the midfield – he works very hard up the wings to present an option coming out of defence and is also very comfortable up forward. He finished the game with 27 touches and 4 tackles from just 77% game time and could be a very good bet for the NAB Rising Star nomination this week.
• Sam Gilbert played another good game – he has slowly been getting better over the past few weeks and finally looks like he is close to his best. Despite all the pre-season talk about him playing up forward, he is playing totally as a rebounding defender with time in the midfield on rotation with Sam Fisher. At his current price he is a steal, so if you are keen to back him in, now is the time to pounce.
• Brendon Goddard started the game in fine form, amassing 10 touches and 41 DT points in the first quarter before he was collected by Dawson’s hip and raced to hospital with possible neck injuries. Fortunately, scans have shown a neck strain and he is even a chance to line up against Collingwood this week – great news as it could have been a MUCH more significant injury!

 

Gold Coast vs Geelong:

Gold Coast:

• Gary Ablett was obviously always going to be the focal-point of this game as he came head-to-head with his old mob, and he actually played very well. That said, Geelong looked determined to not necessarily stop him from getting the ball, but to stop him getting the follow up handball, continually blocking him once he had disposed of the ball. It was good to see him back up his good game last week with another good one this week – the Suns are very quickly becoming better and better, so it’s no longer the case that he is surrounded by a rubbish team of rookies, so expect his form to continue on an upward trend along with his teammates.
• Danny Stanley was impressive early – he is one of the more senior players who has been getting better and better each week, and at this rate he looks like he could be a great 7^th defender for most of the year. He did go quiet later in the game, but til that point he managed 19 disposals and 7 tackles, playing mainly across half-forward and through the middle.
• Zac Smith, despite a slowish start, did everything we hoped he would whilst filling in for Sandilands. His workrate and second efforts as stoppages are great, with a highlight being a beautiful snap-goal in the first quarter. Managed 14 disposals and 28 hitouts for the game.
• Daniel Harris was the real disappointment of the game, especially for all the coaches who have held onto him, despite missing the past fortnight with an injury and then the bye. He just appeared a step behind the pace all game and looked to cop a bit of a spray from the coach before being subbed off in the third quarter. Deserves to keep his spot after his year to date, but you’d have to be a little concerned.

Geelong:

• Steve Johnson played a brilliant game from the goalsquare for Geelong – he smashed every opponent thrown to him by Gold Coast, so Chris Scott just left him one-out in the square for much of the game, allowing him to do what he wanted. He finished with 7 goals, 29 disposals and 12 marks, and despite a few selfish bits of play (seriously, I didn’t mind!), he was clearly best on ground.
• James Kelly continues his brilliant year to date, looking to have been the biggest beneficiary from the Ablett trade. He racked up 30 touches and 11 tackles playing through the middle and occasionally across the HFF. He has easily averaged over 100 points this past month, so should be another worth considering for your final midfield spot.
• Paul Chapman was a real disappointment for me (especially after trading him in this week) – he just looks out of form, not running to the right places and just doesn’t seem to have the intensity we are used to from him. He did manage 28 touches and 7 marks, although much of that came late in the game when all the intensity had come out of the contest.
• Tom Hawkins looks like he may have played his last game in the seniors for a little while – even by the coach’s admission, he is well behind where they expect him to be at this stage of his career. Despite beautiful forward-50 delivery that most forwards would die for, he still can’t capitalise on his opportunities. Needs to find some form and fast, or he may find himself on the trade table come season’s end.

 

Richmond vs Port Adelaide:

Richmond:

• Nathan Foley had another very good game, confusing the hell out of those who are wanting to trade him, then think he’s a keeper, then have no idea anymore… Despite copping the tag he worked hard all night and racked up 34 touches and 9 tackles. Now with a score like this in his rolling average, it seems it will be worth holding on for him for a little while longer.
• Bachar Houli had one of his better games for the Tigers this year with a 31 possession game, including a cracking 49 DT-point second quarter. He played mainly through the middle and off half-back and looked impressive, using the ball pretty well. He has been up and down all season though, so I wouldn’t count on this game giving any sort of understanding of his form.
• Trent Cotchin copped the Kane Cornes tag and didn’t cope awfully well, only managing 17 touches – well down on what he has been delivering over the past month. Unfortunately, other than Foley, Richmond were pretty well beaten through the midfield by Port, meaning there was never much support for the likes of Cotchin or Dustin Martin, who also struggled.
• Jack Riewoldt still isn’t in any sort of amazing form – he just isn’t working up the ground enough to be a feasible DT option for me. He relies solely on marks and goals to get a good DT score, so when he is well held, as he was here, he struggles to score big, due to the fact he doesn’t work up the ground for some cheap stats as many other key forwards might.

Port Adelaide:

• Travis Boak was the best for the Power and best on the ground for the night, racking up 23 very clean disposals and 10 tackles through the midfield. Despite copping a tag from Jackson, Boak pushed up and showed why he will be such a great player – both his inside work and outside work is great, meaning it is going to be hard work for a tagger to really stop him getting his hands on the ball.
• Robbie Gray was one of the big reasons for the win, showing some real class across half-forward with four very handy goals. He started slowly, but was one of the pivotal players in the second half in getting his side across the line. His form this past fortnight has been good after a terrible month before that – you wouldn’t consider him for your DT, but you would have to have a sneaky look for SuperCoach.
• Cameron O’Shea was one youngster to impress me, mainly playing off half-back. He’s not really been a player I’ve noticed much of in the past, but I liked what I saw in this game – he isn’t particularly flashy, but uses the ball pretty well and is pretty tough, laying 7 tackles for the night to go with his 14 touches.
• Hamish Hartlett was pretty disappointing, capping off a pretty average past month after having started the year so well. He has only averaged 65 points over the past three weeks – well down on his earlier form. It doesn’t seem so much to be poor form, but just he isn’t really finding the footy as much as he was (which maybe is form…) – if you took a very brave early punt on him, it looks like it may be about time to sell up – he was never going to be a keeper.

 

Adelaide vs Brisbane:

Adelaide:

• Scotty Thompson continued on his great form this year, saluting the few coaches who have taken the punt on him. He is a great ball-winner in packs, but also does a great job at finding space to provide an option – his disposal skills even look like they have improved markedly this year. He is still cheap for what he offers, and is definitely worth bringing in, although you’d want to do it quick before his price rockets up.
• Rory Sloane had another very good game, especially early (although sometimes it was hard to tell whether it was him or Cook with the ball… those guys are identical!) and his toughness didn’t go unnoticed. Frequently manages to win his own ball and then streams from the pack with it – hopefully this guy can become a DT jet sometime soon as he is great to watch and would give his all for your team.
• Chris Knights floated in and out of the game, and by the end of it we were pretty lucky to get the score he gave us. He started the game in the midfield and looked good there, but it wasn’t long before he was back in the forward line. I have no idea why Neil Craig doesn’t want him as a permanent forward – I really think he would offer much more to them there.
• Patrick Dangerfield was poor – after kicking the first goal he did very little else, winning just 6 touches for the game. He just wasn’t giving a contest, which is generally one of his strengths, and so he ended up spending a lot of time just sitting on the bench instead as Craig didn’t know where to play him.

Brisbane:

• Mitch Clark was very good all game, playing a much higher role now that Jon Brown is back. He floated between ruck (sharing duties with Leuey), forward and defence, similar to how he played in his breakout 2009 season. He is so much more effective when he is given this sort of freedom and hence he came away as BOG with 24 touches, 8 marks, 6 tackles and 2 goals.
• Pearce Hanley was impressive – he is another player who gets a little better and a little more confident every week. He played a much more attacking role for the Lions than he has done in the past, as Adcock was resigned to being a bit deeper in defence. His ball use is very good for an Irish convert and he has good nous for the game. He looks capable of doing this consistently, but the real question is whether he will be allowed to.
• Jonathan Brown had a rather quiet game, kept goalless by Rutten (That said, he missed three set-shots on goal, so did have his chances), who typically does a reasonable job on Brown. As with any player who has had an extended absence, his not quite hit any sort of form and isn’t quite ‘one-touch’ with his skills yet, but it will come – the injury he had really shouldn’t effect his footy ability as was the case last year. I’d say there will be plenty of keen coaches looking his way in the next fortnight or so.
• Jed Adcock was the disappointing one – he didn’t play a bad game, but just played a lot deeper in defence than he has been all year. He started on Taylor Walker, but then spent time on a variety of other opponents after he got subbed off at half time. I wouldn’t be freaking out seeing this sort of score, we know by now that Brisbane want the ball in his hands so he should really bounce back. For those that don’t have him, this could be the ideal time to watch his price slip a little bit before pouncing.

 

Collingwood vs West Coast:

Collingwood:

• Dale Thomas had another super game in the midfield, making many coaches start to ask themselves, ‘How many Collingwood midfielders is too much?’ Well, I wish I knew the answer to that, as I am asking the same question. Honestly, once their round 13 bye is done with, I’d say you can have as many as you like – Daisy is certainly in some good form and could really warrant selection as a unique. He is such a skilful player, but has now added ball-winning to his armoury, finishing the game with 30 disposals and 2 goals.
• Scott Pendlebury came bouncing back after a couple of dry weeks in a row, racking up 31 touches and 2 goals. His price is now very tempting for those who don’t have him, so now would be the time to grab him, as I don’t think it will get much lower all year. He is playing the starring role in the midfield at the moment as both a ball winner and a great user.
• Dane Swan… oh what a shadow of yourself you are becoming. He is quite clearly injured and very clearly hampered by it – his strength has always been his gut-running and ability to run out games, but now that he is sore through injury he just isn’t able to provide as much run and therefore isn’t getting to as many contests or winning as much ball. It will be interesting to see what coaches decide to do with him – scores of 90 are still OK, but the worry is whether this will just get worse, and if it will, Collingwood will likely shut him down for a few weeks.
• Andrew Krakouer continues to play forward and I reckon these are the sorts of scores to be expected from him for the rest of the year – 60-70 points with the occasional one on either side. He is clever when he gets the ball, but just struggles to be a big ball-winner. If these scores are to be consistent, that means he has reached his peak-price and therefore you can either keep him for bench cover moving forward, or it may be time to put him on the trade table.

West Coast:

• Dean Cox was good for the Eagles, but probably not as prolific as some had hoped against an undermanned Collingwood ruck division. He did well in the ruck and around the ground, but without any huge amount of midfield support, he failed to totally chop, finishing with 20 touches and 32 hitouts.
• Matt Priddis was very good in close for the Eagles and won 32 touches, although he has a frustratingly high number of handballs – 20 – which is not going to help his DT numbers. Continues to present himself as a decent fantasy smokey, but probably isn’t consistently high enough to be considered over others at the moment.
• Jack Darling was kept pretty quiet, which was disappointing, as it lead to his first ever price drop this year. After he has slowed down over the past few weeks, many coaches will be tempted to trade him out (after many had thought he could be a keeper), but before you do that, remember that he is up against the Gold Coast next week, so could be a chance to give you a pretty decent farewell game!
• Marc LeCras was another Eagle kept pretty quiet by the Pies, which is disappointing after he had such a mammoth game last week against the Dogs. He also spent his entire game as a forward, not venturing up field as he did last week. Expect him to bounce back, in fact, I reckon he is my odds-on favourite to be the highest DT point scorer against the Suns next week.

 

Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn:

Western Bulldogs:

• Matthew Boyd was one of the better Doggies, but even then he was not awfully consistent through all four quarters. He started really slowly, building into the game – one thing I thought it a bit strange was that he seemed to be playing a lot more outside the packs, rather than in-and-under all day, but that shouldn’t really effect his scoring. He still managed 26 touches and 6 tackles, but I doubt he would have gone home too happy.
• Ryan Griffen was good again – he has actually been quite consistent this year and if it weren’t for the Dog’s poor form, I’d say it would be a lot more noticeable. He racked up 31 touches and booted a goal. Unfortunately though, with the form of the team and his known inconsistencies, I wouldn’t be considering him for you DT.
• Christian Howard came in for his first game of the year and looked really composed and happy to take the game on from half-back. He brought a bit of spark to the Dogs, which they certainly need, so expect him to be kept in the lineup for a little while.
• Brian Lake and Lindsay Gilbee were both late call-ups for the game and were both really poor. Lake looks a stride behind his opponent and just isn’t switched on, making so many uncharacteristic errors. His price now is remarkably cheap, but don’t get too excited until you see some form first. Gilbee is the same – he is a shadow of his former self, not providing the run and carry he was once renowned for – if you still have him, offload him asap as I can’t imagine him making the side again next week.

Hawthorn:

• Brent Guerra racked up the biggest DT score for the year, but don’t start planning to get him into your team just yet. The Hawks played a massive game of tempo football, chipping it around in the backline again and again until they could find a way through the Bulldogs zones. As a side they racked up 150 uncontested marks, which is just ridiculous. Guerra was the biggest beneficiary as he sat behind the ball – kick, mark, kick, mark… etc. He managed 35 disposals and SEVENTEEN marks for the game – whopping stuff!
• Luke Hodge was the best afield, even though he couldn’t manage to beat Guerra’s massive mark-count. He played mainly across half-forward and through the midfield and managed to get away from having any real opponent much of the night. He managed 33 touches and 14 marks, making those who didn’t pounce on him three weeks ago wish they had have now.
• Jarryd Roughead continues to be playing as Hawthorn’s main ruckman around the ground and it really looks to be working wonders for him. He competes well in the ruck, but gives a great contest as stoppages and wins plenty of his own ball. The only worry is that Renouf will likely be back in the next week or so, so he may go back forward. But that said, I think this setup is working much better for the Hawks than what they had with Renouf, meaning it may relegate either Renouf of Bailey back to the VFL.
• Shaun Burgoyne’s form this year has been rather disappointing, especially considering the overall form of Hawthorn. On a night where the team managed 150 uncontested marks, he only managed 2 and really had very little effect on the game, considering his capabilities. If you have him in DT, I’d be looking to offload him, but if you have him in SC, perhaps give him a little longer… that said, his form doesn’t appear to be turning around any time soon.

 

Tweet

Well it’s been a few weeks between rant threads (and lets be honest – last week hardly warranted one!). But I thought it worth getting one of these up in anticipation of this big weekend. I do expect this thread to crash if Swan is a late withdrawal btw!

Please use this thread to discuss all your Dream Team and SuperCoach heroes and villains for round 10 – who let you down and who is carrying the weight of your team on their shoulders??

Also feel free to gloat about all your successful trades this week, or perhaps you may like to concede it was your fault for a player’s injury or poor score after you trades them in this week!

Please just avoid obscenities or abuse… as hard as that may be!

Enjoy!

So we each sat down and all had a look at the different strategies – there are three main ones – trade for a premium, keep him, or offload him to a rookie. Each have their own merits and each of the Footy Tragic boys will look at one of the strategies. Let us know which way you plan on going!

 

Trade him for another Premium (Toby):

It’s happened so many times before that a club has given us an expected time frame on an injury that just keeps getting stretched out further and further… And when is it that we see the majority of these stretched-out injury dates? On bizarre injuries that no-one has heard of, that’s when. So the first question is, what the hell is turf toe? Well, Turf toe is a condition characterized by a painful, red, swollen great toe caused by acute inflammation of the tendons on both the dorsal and plantar surfaces, often seen in those who play American football, Rugby, Beach Soccer, and Tennis (thankyou to the good folks at Wikipedia). Well considering this injury is a slight bit abnormal, there will be plenty of coaches not taking the risk (if it was 4 weeks – hamstring, we would know a bit more about what we are dealing with here). What is initially 4 weeks could become 5, then 6, then Freo have the bye, so it could be closer to two months before we get him back.

So who do you trade him for if you like this idea? Well, it’s pretty simple as there are really only four good options.

Dean Cox ($405,000, Av. 113.62, 35% of teams)– If you don’t have him, then simply you don’t even need to consider the other options. He is currently averaging over 10 DT points a game more than Sandilands, despite the fact he is $5,000 cheaper. Cox has been incredibly consistent this year and is truly playing some of his best football in years – he has only scored under 100 DT points twice (91 vs Freo & 79 vs Hawks), whilst he has also scored four scores in excess of 120, showing his ceiling is still as high as ever.

Todd Goldstein ($383,700, Av. 99.86, 2.17% of teams) – Goldstein has been having a great year for the Roos, having stepped up to assume the #1 ruck mantle in the absence of McIntosh and Hale. His scoring is more consistent than prolific, with only one score under 85 (against Freo) – in fact, he has been getting better and better over the past few weeks, averaging 108 points over the past 5 games. He is great in the ruck, but also does well around the ground and up forward, meaning he has many avenues to scoring, unlike some other big men.

Shane Mumford ($336,600, Av. 83.88, 5.53% of teams) – Big Mummy is a great ruckman, able to win plenty of hitouts, averaging 30 a game, but his other big strength is his tackling, where he averages just under 5 a game – great numbers for a guy his size. The issue with Mummy is his consistency – he has proven he can make some big scores, but his recent form lets him down, only averaging 68 points over the past 3 games. He IS underpriced though and that’s what you would be punting on – he won’t average you 100 points like Sandy or Cox, but he will pull out the odd big score, as well as making you about $80,000 profit which you can use on an upgrade elsewhere.

Sam Jacobs ($306,200, Av. 79.2, 1.39% of teams) – Jacobs will help you make some money as well as giving you some good talent to put on the field in the meantime. Like Mumford, you are investing a bit in potential here – after scoring just 45 points in his first game of the year (back from injury), he has averaged 88 points since and is getting better. Again, he won’t average 100 points, but 85-90 points isn’t out of his range. He is another hitout specialist, averaging 32 a game, but also competes around the ground, averaging 11 disposals – fair, but not amazing.

So at the end of the day, any of these four names could appeal to you for a variety of different reasons – they all have their own positives and negatives. It is certainly a strategic move getting rid of Sandy – you are banking on the injury being a little longer and perhaps you don’t have any DPP link to your forwards. Or maybe you just don’t trust Zac Smith to hold strong against Geelong, West Coast, North Melbourne and Hawthorn – his next four games. Or maybe you have been desperate to get Cox in this year and this is your perfect opportunity.

Good luck whichever way you go!

 

Stick him on the bench (Kristian):

I’m fairly lucky at the moment to have a ruck set up where I can afford to keep Sandilands without losing too much points wise. Currently I have;

Dean Cox

Aaron Sandilands

Em:

Joel Tippett (ruck and forward DPP link)

Zachary Smith

Drew Petrie is in my forwards at the moment, so I’ll simply swap him with Joel Tippett and start Petrie in my rucks. This also does mean I have to carry Joel Tippett on my forward bench, and that could be disastrous if my other three forward rookies aren’t playing (Jack Darling, Cameron Richardson and Brandon Matera.

Another option I have is to simply play Zachary Smith as my second ruckman. He’s been scoring really well without Josh Fraser in the team, and if you don’t have the ability to swap Drew Petrie into your rucks, well then I think this is a more than viable option. None of the other ruckman really stand out at the moment. The way I look at it is like this;

If Petrie or Smith average 75 over the next month that Sandilands is out, that will equal 300 points. If you trade in another ruckman that is averaging, for example, 90 (unlikely), that will obviously equal a total of 360 points.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, is one trade worth the 60 point differential?

My decision to play Smith or Petrie as my second ruck will most likely be on a week by week basis, depending on match ups and the strength of my forward bench.

 

Get some cash – trade him for a rookie (Dan):

I’m going to have a look at downgrading Sandilands to a rookie. Not just any rookie but a DP RUC/FWD rookie. There’s a specific audience this advice could help, and that would be people who have Petrie in their forward line, but no link in their ruck division.

The basis of this theory is only a slight variation of what Kristian is talking about – however, Kristian is dealing with coaches that already have that DP link. It’s a bit safer to hold Sandilands and just use that DP link to get you through the next month without the big fella.

If you’re trading Sandilands out, naturally you want to find strength in who your second ruck will be (this advice assumes you have another ‘gun’ ruck, likely Cox). Drew Petrie has the fourth highest DT average for any ruck in the league this year behind Cox, Sandi and Goldstein. Sandi to Goldstein will only make you minimal cash, and compared to Petrie only minimal points.

In SC Petrie is a bit further down the list in 9th, but Sandi, Mumford, Jamar, Ottens and McEvoy are all not playing this weekend, so that bumps him up to 4th active ruck behind Cox, Goldstein and Minson. The similar philosophy applies – you can make a lot of cash by going Sandi to J.Tippett or Lobbe, to basically make Drew Petrie your second ruck.

This cash gives you plenty of flexibility to upgrade in other positions. If it leaves you worried about your forward depth, you can simply upgrade some deadwood (Tapscott, Dixon) to a premium. If you want to be ultra crazy, you could actually then trade J.Tip/Lobbe out for a premium if you’re that set on locking Petrie in as your second ruck for the year. Personally I’d rather keep a DP link for coverage, but if you don’t value the link going forward it’s a thought that could cross your mind, because even though I could see Lobbe possibly getting some games this year he will add very little in points and cash flow for your team.

The advantage of this strategy is that you get to move one of the top ruckmen in the league from your forwards into your rucks and it gives you a bundle of cash to play with. The disadvantage is that planning to get Sandilands back will be a monumental task, so you need to plan for life without him, because even if you plan to get him back you know what they say about the best laid plans when it comes to fantasy footy!

 
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MELBOURNE V CARLTON

MCG – Fri May 27, 7:40pm

Melbourne

B: James Frawley, Matthew Warnock, Joel Macdonald

HB: Cale Morton, Jared Rivers, Neville Jetta

C: Jack Watts, Brent Moloney, Matthew Bate

HF: Addam Maric, Michael Newton, Liam Jurrah

F: Brad Green, Colin Sylvia, Jamie Bennell

Foll: Stefan Martin, Nathan Jones, Jordie McKenzie

I/C: Ricky Petterd, Jordan Gysberts, Daniel Nicholson, Michael Evans

Emg: Austin Wonaeamirri, Max Gawn, Jeremy Howe

In: Cale Morton, Jamie Bennell, Daniel Nicholson

Out: Clint Bartram (Hip), Aaron Davey (Knee), Luke Tapscott (Hamstring)

New: Daniel Nicholson (University Blues)

Carlton

B: Jordan Russell, Bret Thornton, Christopher Yarran

HB: Nick Duigan, Michael Jamison, Jeremy Laidler

C: Heath Scotland, Brock McLean, Kade Simpson

HF: Chris Judd, Jarrad Waite, Eddie Betts

F: Jeffrey Garlett, Setanta O’hAilpin, Andrew Walker

Foll: Shaun Hampson, Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy

I/C: Andrew Carrazzo, Dennis Armfield, David Ellard, Mitch Robinson

Emg: Ryan Houlihan, Aaron Joseph, Lachlan Henderson

In: Shaun Hampson

Out: Robert Warnock (Concussion)

 

NORTH MELBOURNE V SYDNEY SWANS

ES – Sat May 28, 2:10pm

North Melbourne

B: Jamie Macmillan, Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson

HB: Daniel Pratt, Luke Delaney, Brady Rawlings

C: Daniel Wells, Levi Greenwood, Scott McMahon

HF: Lindsay Thomas, Aaron Edwards, Brent Harvey

F: Lachlan Hansen, Drew Petrie, Jack Ziebell

Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Leigh Adams

I/C: Liam Anthony, Benjamin Speight, Ben Cunnington, Shaun Atley

Emg: Cruize Garlett, Cameron Richardson, Cameron Pedersen

In: Levi Greenwood, Liam Anthony

Out: Cruize Garlett, Kieran Harper (Rested)

 

Sydney Swans

B: Nick Malceski, Ted Richards, Alex Johnson

HB: Tadhg Kennelly, Heath Grundy, Lewis Johnston

C: Rhyce Shaw, Jude Bolton, Nicholas Smith

HF: Ben McGlynn, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Josh P. Kennedy

F: Jarrad McVeigh, Adam Goodes, Ryan O’Keefe

Foll: Mark Seaby, Craig Bird, Daniel Hannebery

I/C: Martin Mattner, Lewis Jetta, Sam Reid, Luke Parker

Emg: Jarred Moore, Jesse White, Andrejs Everitt

In: Lewis Johnston, Mark Seaby

Out: Shane Mumford (Knee), Andrejs Everitt

New: Lewis Johnston (North Adelaide (SA))

 

FREMANTLE V ST KILDA

PS – Sat May 28, 1:10pm

Fremantle

B: Greg Broughton, Antoni Grover, Paul Duffield

HB: Garrick Ibbotson, Luke McPharlin, Dylan Roberton

C: Matthew de Boer, Matthew Pavlich, Nathan Fyfe

HF: Stephen Hill, Kepler Bradley, Ryan Crowley

F: Hayden Ballantyne, Christopher Mayne, Michael Johnson

Foll: Jonathon Griffin, David Mundy, Nick Lower

I/C: Rhys Palmer, Clancee Pearce, Jesse Crichton, Tendai Mzungu

Emg: Zachary Clarke, Jay Van Berlo, Jack Anthony

In: Jonathon Griffin

Out: Aaron Sandilands (Toe)

New: Jonathon Griffin (East Fremantle/Adelaide)

 

St Kilda

B: Sam Gilbert, Zac Dawson, Farren Ray

HB: Sean Dempster, Sam Fisher, James Gwilt

C: Brendon Goddard, David Armitage, Clinton Jones

HF: Brett Peake, Nick Riewoldt, Adam Schneider

F: Stephen Milne, Justin Koschitzke, Arryn Siposs

Foll: Jason Blake, Nick Dal Santo, Leigh Montagna

I/C: Jack Steven, Tom Lynch, Nicholas Winmar, Dean Polo

Emg: Ben McEvoy, Andrew McQualter, Tommy Walsh

In: Tom Lynch

Out: Jamie Cripps (Calf)

 

GOLD COAST SUNS V GEELONG CATS

MS – Sat May 28, 7:20pm

Gold Coast Suns

B: Karmichael Hunt, Steven May, Jarrod Harbrow

HB: Campbell Brown, Nathan Bock, Maverick Weller

C: Sam Iles, David Swallow, Trent McKenzie

HF: Daniel Stanley, Tom Lynch, Nathan Krakouer

F: Sam Day, Charlie Dixon, Brandon Matera

Foll: Zac Smith, Michael Rischitelli, Gary Ablett

I/C: Jared Brennan, Daniel Harris, Matt Shaw, Dion Prestia

Emg: Joseph Daye, Tom Nicholls, Taylor Hine

In: Maverick Weller, Daniel Harris, Charlie Dixon, Dion Prestia

Out: Joseph Daye, Tom Nicholls, Liam Patrick, Seb Tape (Illness)

 

Geelong Cats

B: Josh Hunt, Darren Milburn, Matthew Scarlett

HB: Taylor Hunt, Tom Lonergan, Andrew Mackie

C: Paul Chapman, Cameron Ling, James Kelly

HF: Steve Johnson, Tom Hawkins, Travis Varcoe

F: James Podsiadly, Cameron Mooney, Mathew Stokes

Foll: Nathan Vardy, Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel

I/C: Joel Corey, David Wojcinski, Mitch Duncan, Josh Cowan

Emg: Tom Gillies, Daniel Menzel, Cameron Guthrie

In: Cameron Ling, Tom Lonergan, Cameron Mooney, Josh Cowan

Out: Corey Enright (Soreness), Brad Ottens (Knee), Harry Taylor (Chest), Allen Christensen (Concussion)

New: Josh Cowan (North Ballarat U18)

 

RICHMOND V PORT ADELAIDE

TIO – Sat May 28, 8:10pm

Richmond

B: Chris Newman, Alex Rance, Jake Batchelor

HB: Brett Deledio, Luke McGuane, Bachar Houli

C: Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin, Bradley Helbig

HF: Jake King, Tyrone Vickery, Robin Nahas

F: Reece Conca, Jack Riewoldt, Brad Miller

Foll: Andrew Browne, Daniel Jackson, Nathan Foley

I/C: Shane Tuck, Matthew White, Mitchell Farmer, Shaun Grigg

Emg: Jayden Post, David Astbury, Jeromey Webberley

In: Matthew White, Brad Miller

Out: Jayden Post, Dylan Grimes (Hamstring)

 

Port Adelaide

B: Tom Logan, Alipate Carlile, Jackson Trengove

HB: Michael Pettigrew, Troy Chaplin, Jasper Pittard

C: Danyle Pearce, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes

HF: Matthew Broadbent, Jay Schulz, Robert Gray

F: Cameron Hitchcock, Justin Westhoff, Daniel Motlop

Foll: Dean Brogan, Hamish Hartlett, Matt Thomas

I/C: Andrew Moore, Simon Phillips, Ben Jacobs, Cameron O’Shea

Emg: Chad Cornes, Jason Davenport, Daniel Stewart

In: Cameron Hitchcock

Out: Steven Salopek

 

ADELAIDE V BRISBANE LIONS

AS – Sun May 29, 12:40pm

Adelaide

B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Luke Thompson

HB: Nathan van Berlo, James Sellar, Michael Doughty

C: Matthew Jaensch, Patrick Dangerfield, Brodie Smith

HF: Chris Knights, Kurt Tippett, Rory Sloane

F: Richard Douglas, Taylor Walker, Matthew Wright

Foll: Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Brent Reilly

I/C: Brad Moran, Myke Cook, Jared Petrenko, Shaun McKernan, Ricky Henderson, Aidan Riley, Jack Gunston

In: Brad Moran, Myke Cook, Taylor Walker, Jared Petrenko, Aidan Riley

Out: Christopher Schmidt, Richard Tambling

New: Aidan Riley (Wollongong Lions)

 

Brisbane Lions

B: Matt Austin, Daniel Merrett, Jed Adcock

HB: Cheynee Stiller, Joel Patfull, Pearce Hanley

C: Luke Power, Simon Black, Rohan Bewick

HF: Sam Sheldon, Mitchell Clark, Todd Banfield

F: Ashley McGrath, Jonathan Brown, Bryce Retzlaff

Foll: Matthew Leuenberger, Daniel Rich, James Polkinghorne

I/C: James Hawksley, Tom Collier, Jack Redden, Andrew Raines, Ryan Harwood, Jesse O’Brien, Joshua Green

In: Ashley McGrath, James Hawksley, Tom Collier, Andrew Raines, Ryan Harwood

Out: Tom Rockliff (Foot), Matt Maguire

 

COLLINGWOOD V WEST COAST EAGLES

MCG – Sun May 29, 2:10pm

Collingwood

B: Leon Davis, Ben Reid, Heritier O’Brien

HB: Alan Toovey, Nick Maxwell, Heath Shaw

C: Dale Thomas, Dane Swan, Sharrod Wellingham

HF: Chris Tarrant, Chris Dawes, Andrew Krakouer

F: Alan Didak, Travis Cloke, Steele Sidebottom

Foll: Cameron Wood, Scott Pendlebury, Luke Ball

I/C: Tyson Goldsack, John McCarthy, Dayne Beams, Lachlan Keeffe, Jarryd Blair, Simon Buckley, Alex Fasolo

In: Alan Toovey, Lachlan Keeffe, Alex Fasolo

New: Lachlan Keeffe (Queensland U18/ Gympie), Alex Fasolo (East Fremantle)

West Coast Eagles

B: Shannon Hurn, Darren Glass, Ashley Smith

HB: Sam Butler, Will Schofield, Scott Selwood

C: Andrew Embley, Matthew Priddis, Matthew Rosa

HF: Luke Shuey, Josh Kennedy, Mark Nicoski

F: Mark LeCras, Quinten Lynch, Jack Darling

Foll: Dean Cox, Adam Selwood, Daniel Kerr

I/C: Chris Masten, Bradley Ebert, Nic Naitanui, Patrick McGinnity, Brad Sheppard, Andrew Gaff, Jacob Brennan

In: Brad Sheppard, Andrew Gaff, Jacob Brennan

New: Jacob Brennan (East Fremantle)

 

WESTERN BULLDOGS V HAWTHORN

ES – Sun May 29, 4:40pm

Western Bulldogs

B: Liam Picken, Tom L. Williams, Ryan Hargrave

HB: Robert Murphy, Dale Morris, Easton Wood

C: Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Christian Howard

HF: Ryan Griffen, Liam Jones, Mitchell Wallis

F: Shaun Higgins, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa

Foll: William Minson, Thomas Liberatore, Callan Ward

I/C: Josh Hill, Ben Hudson, Sam Reid, Lukas Markovic, Brodie Moles, Nathan Djerrkura, Justin Sherman

In: Josh Hill, Sam Reid, Barry Hall, Christian Howard, Nathan Djerrkura, Mitchell Wallis

Out: Lindsay Gilbee, Brennan Stack, Jarrad Grant

New: Christian Howard (Sacred Heart College/Glenelg (SA))

Hawthorn

B: Paul Puopolo, Josh Gibson, Thomas Murphy

HB: Grant Birchall, Ryan Schoenmakers, Brent Guerra

C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Shane Savage

HF: Chance Bateman, Lance Franklin, Shaun Burgoyne

F: Cyril Rioli, Jarryd Roughead, Michael Osborne

Foll: Max Bailey, Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell

I/C: Rick Ladson, Clinton Young, Brendan Whitecross, Jordan Lisle, Liam Shiels, Luke Breust, Matt Suckling

In: Rick Ladson, Clinton Young, Jordan Lisle

New: Jordan Lisle (Blackburn/Carey Grammar/Oakleigh Chargers)

 

Hey all! We’re back to look at the bubble boys for this week! There’s quite a few so I’ll get stuck straight into it.

 

Thomas Lynch – Gold Coast (FWD)

DT: $120,500. Scores: 95, 92 = 93.5 avg.

SC: $138,600. Scores: 95, 82 = 88.5 avg.

Lynch has been exceptional in his first two games of AFL, exceeding my expectations of him entering his first full season. He’s been playing the centre-half forward position to a tee so far, taking a heap of marks and running back to kick a couple of goals a game as well. McKenna’s used him well so far in the fact that he’s eased him through the season. He’ll probably be less prone to burning out now and could very well play out the season.

Summary: If you’re desperate to get a rookie forward in this week, and you don’t want to pick Tendai Mzungu for one reason or another, then Lynch is most definitely your best option. He has a guaranteed place in the Suns best 22 already.

Ben Jacobs – Port Adelaide (BAC-MID)

DT: $100,500. Scores: 53, 91 = 72 avg.

SC: $113, 600. Scores: 38, 75 = 56.5 avg.

Jacobs had a VERY shaky start in his debut game to say the least! I’ve watched both the games he’s played and he seemed to settle in and play the way I expected him to in the second half of his game against Fremantle. Before that, he was constantly turning the ball over, something very unusual for Jacobs as he’s a better than average kick and generally a good decision maker. The one positive about his two games is the fact he’s not afraid to go out and win his own ball, and win lots of it too. He’ll get better as the year goes on, mainly playing along the half-back flank and his job security shouldn’t be an issue at all, unless he gets back to his debut game form.

Summary: For me, he’s a must buy. I got him into my team before he even played an AFL game. He’ll prove ultra-handy on the run home with his dual position link. If you don’t take him, the only reason would be that you don’t rate him and that you’re banking on him to get dropped.

Steven May – Gold Coast (FWD)

DT: $97,600. Scores: 49, 54 = 51.5 avg.

SC: $110,200. Scores: 58, 60 = 59 avg.

I really like May as Gold Coast’s third or fourth tall coming out of defence. He has a nice penetrating long kick and is physically ready to go one on one with some bigger opponents. His Dream Team game will get better with age, but I think he’s more of a Super Coach specialist. I rate his job security in the Gold Coast side as well as he’s just a solid player that will do the job for you week in, week out.

Summary: May will not be your worst option in both forms of fantasy footy. I’m strongly considering him for my Super Coach this week.

 

Sam Day – Gold Coast (FWD)

DT: $152,500. Scores: 26, 44 = 35 avg.

SC: $178,600. Scores: 43, 41 = 42 avg.

Day’s shown glimpses of his brilliant potential but I still get the feeling he’s not quite ready for AFL yet, unlike his teammate Thomas Lynch. He’s been playing most centre-half forward/full-forward, working well in tandem with Lynch. Day likes to stay at home a bit more though, which will affect his fantasy scoring now and in the future. I’m uncertain about his job security once Josh Fraser is back into the team so that will be one thing to consider before you even think about bringing him in.

Summary: For his lofty price, Day won’t be worth it. As Dan said last week in regards to Nathan Gordon, it is a polite no from me.

Luke Breust – Hawthorn (FWD)

DT: $92,500. Scores: 70, 30 = 50 avg.

SC: $103,600. Scores: 63, 47 = 55 avg.

After a years of floundering in the VFL Breust finally got his opportunity to play in the senior side. I really like him as a player, having watched him have some ripper games in the lower grade and it was great to finally see him debut. He’s been the starting sub in both games so far which would probably indicate he’s not quite best 22 material just yet. I think he’ll slowly be filtered out of the side, and it might even be this week. Having said that, he’s definitely made the most of his limited opportunities.

Summary: Personally, I wouldn’t select him, as he’s playing for his spot in the team every week.

 

Other bubble boys to quickly brush over include James Sellar, Joseph Daye, and Luke Parker.

Sellar’s played quite well, surprisingly, taking up centre-half back with the injury to Phil Davis. He comes with an inflated price, and won’t score enough to justify that though.

 

Joseph Daye from the Suns is listed as a defender. He’s a prime sub candidate, every week, and isn’t at all guaranteed to hold his spot in the team each and every game. I’d stay well away.

 

Finally, one of my favourites from the draft is Luke Parker. He’s been the sub in his only two games and once Kieran Jack comes back, I struggle to see a spot in the Swans side for him consistently.

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Well, it’s time for another look at what’s going on at state league level around the country for another week.

Adelaide

Well, the ongoing saga of Taylor Walker playing in the SANFL is proving to be good news for Norwood, as he kicked another five goals and had a (very) game high of 14 marks and nine inside 50’s. He even laid a tackle! In all seriousness, reports on his defensive effort were much more positive this week, so hopefully Craig sees the light and plays a kid that is far too talented for anything except AFL. Not only should he be playing Taylor Walker, but the Crows forward set up should be playing to Walker’s strengths. He celebrated with a beer at the Power game the next day. He also got reported on match day and it sparked a melee, but got off at the SANFL tribunal.

 

Andy Otten made a welcome return from injury picking up 15 touches and five marks for South Adelaide. He’ll probably need a week or two more you’d suspect, but for those who have held onto him, he’s on the park.

 

Brodie Martin led Sturt with 27 touches and was named third best for them, while Brad Symes also had the most disposals for the Central District with 28 and was named their fifth best. Highly rated youngster Daniel Talia made a return from injury for South Adelaide reserves playing in defence. Aidan Riley was a traveling emergency for the Crows, so didn’t play, but is still close to a debut.

 

Brisbane

The Lions reserves went down to the NT Thunder. Andrew Raines could be in line for a quick recall to the seniors after an impressive game across half back and was named fifth best. Tom Collier and James Hawskley were named BOG and second best respectively, mostly stationed across half back with Collier moved to shut down the Thunder’s dominant full forward, who had kicked five first half goals.

 

Mitch Golby could be close to a debut as he shut down former Saints rookie listed player Ross Tungatulum, who is having a great year for the Thunder (second in the league in goal kicking). Golby held the dangerous Tiwi Islander to just one goal. Golby’s game comes on the back of a 30 touch effort last week.

 

Aaron Cornelius was great up forward, kicking six goals, including four in the second half. Jared Polec kicked two long range goals, but apart from that didn’t do a whole heap, while Broc McCauley missed this weekend due to injury – no idea what the nature of the injury is or for how long he is out. Claye Beams was this week ruled out for the season with a stress fracture in his foot.

 

Carlton

KROOOOOOZE! The big news for Blues fans was the return of Matthew Kreuzer on the weekend. He played half the game and kicked a couple of goals. Carlton’s football manager Steven Icke has already played down the temptation to bring him straight in and it sounds like the big man is still a few weeks away, but this is a positive step in his return from a ruptured ACL.

 

Lachie Henderson was impressive with 16 touches, seven marks and two goals to be named Bullants BOG. Ryan Houlihan, in his second game on return from injury got through fine, picking up 25 touches in three quarters. He’ll be much better for the run and could start pushing for selection soon.

 

If Brock McLean still looks as slow as he did the other night, the Blues could do a lot worse than upgrading Jaryd Cachia off their rookie list. He is one tough customer and plays with no fear. The Bullants in house stats had him down for 25 touches (mostly inside) and 12 tackles! Those sort of tackle numbers aren’t exactly unheard of for Cachia. Wayde Twomey was named second best with 26 touches and has been named in the Ants bests three weeks in a row.

 

Collingwood

Alex Fasolo was very impressive once again and he will surely get games this year. Traditionally we say it’s harder for inexperienced players to get games and then keep their spot in good teams, but Malthouse hasn’t shown an aversion to playing kids that deserve it. I look to guys like Blair, Sidebottom, Beams, Reid, N.Brown and Macaffer all winning flags before their 50^th game (well, the GF replay was Brown’s 50^th, but close enough). If Fasolo gets games it’ll be up to him to keep his spot and if he can keep his spot I reckon he’ll score well too. He has composure in traffic and that touch of class that puts him above VFL level in my view.

 

Lachlan Keeffe has been pushing for selection, but after playing most of his footy in the Collingwood system as a key defender they’re giving him a crack in the ruck. Height isn’t a problem at 204cm, but Keeffe gets a little bit lost up the ground. He’s shown he’s quite good at reading the play coming towards him and zoning off in defence, but this appears to be a new part of his football education. Keep in mind, this is a bloke who hadn’t played a competitive game of footy until late 2007, so he’s obviously a quick learner.

 

Brad Dick faded in and out of the game. He kicked three goals, but went missing for long stages. He’s still active in trying to create forward pressure, but another hitout or two in the reserves could be good for him to build some confidence. Malthouse has indicated he’s treating the season in three stages with their byes being the split points – so right now they’re in their second phase and I suspect as they move into the third phase there’ll be a bit more rotation of the sub vest and spots in the team at Collingwood. Of the uninjured players I see Fasolo, Keeffe and Dick as the three most likely from their VFL side to get some games. Maybe Luke Rounds too, who has been used as a small defender for a couple of weeks now – as the story goes he was very close to a debut last year, but got an untimely injury, which opened the door for Blair to debut…talk about sliding doors!

 

Essendon

Essendon’s depth at reserves level is being tested at the moment. With a few injuries there’s not heaps to report on their VFL affiliate Bendigo. Brent Prismall continues to be a good state league player. With a few Bombers expected back after their bye it’s going to be hard for him to get back into the team, but he’s good back up for them – it’s a bit of a pity, because he’s a good DT’er…

 

Ricky Dyson was much lauded for his foot skills and was named in the bests for Bendigo. The reports on first year player Luke Davis were good and he was named in the bests for his job in defence. He was on Port Melbourne’s Patrick Rose, who kicked six goals himself, but nothing bad was said about his game, so it sounds like it was a great contest. Booming kick, has the young lad.

 

The athletic Josh Jenkins is continuing his development. In a way, it’s a pity the Bombers don’t need to give games to a developing young ruck, but he’s putting together a good year and could be one to keep in the memory bank for future years.

 

Darcy Daniher made his long awaited return from injury playing the first half of the game, while Anthony Long is set to return next week.

 

Fremantle

Like Essendon, Freo’s long injury list is having a flow on effect to their reserves stocks. Byron Schammer picked up plenty of ball for Claremont, finishing with 26 touches, 10 marks and six tackles. Jayden Pitt was named in the bests for Perth, picking up 19 touches.

 

But the question many will be pondering is, who will replace Sandilands in the ruck? I’ve written about Jon Griffin’s good form lately and he was a travelling emergency for the Dockers this week, so he is obviously very close. On the weekend, however, Zac Clarke picked up 26 touches, 21 hitouts and nine marks, as well as two goals. He was named BOG for East Perth and is still sporting a pretty sweet afro. It seems pretty line ball as to who will get the gong…I wonder if Freo play both of them, but that seems a waste with Bradley and Johnson great pinch hitting options.

 

Michael Barlow is nearing a return to competitive football and is likely to resume in the WAFL Reserves either this weekend or the next.

 

Geelong

Geelong reserves had a bye.

 

Gold Coast

Gold Coast reserves had a bye.

 

Hawthorn

A lot of the best Box Hill players are playing for Hawthorn now – Puopolo, Schoenmakers, Breust and Bailey (plus I.Smith general soreness). Probably most significant is that Clinton Young had a good game and was named third best with his booming left boot being a feature.

 

Will Sierakowski is putting together a nice season and was named in the bests, along with Kyle Cheney and Riley Milne.

Interestingly Jordan Lisle started in defence and I have to wonder if this was a direction from Hawthorn due to their lack of key position defenders. Maybe he was just covering the hole left by Schoenmakers, but former Bulldog Jarrad Boumann has been playing defence all year and started forward. If another KPD went down for Hawthorn they quite literally have no one else but Lisle to play.

 

Derrick Wanganeen was very exciting once again as a small forward kicking three goals including two in the last term.

 

Melbourne

Casey Scorpions had a bye.

 

North Melbourne

The exciting news for many fantasy teams is that Cam Richardson had a dominant performance for North Ballarat. He was named third best with 34 possessions. With the Roos going down to Brisbane you’d imagine there will be a couple of changes on the cards, so the timing is good.

 

Also for North Ballarat Brayden Norris had 26, while Cam Delaney had a solid game in the backline. I’m really impressed with North’s KPD stocks – Thompson, Grima, Tarrant, Delaney x 2, plus Pederson can go back.

 

For Werribee the big performer was Cam Pederson, who kicked a lazy eight goals. There’s a lot of pressure on Lachie Hansen’s spot in the Roos team. Pederson hasn’t managed two consecutive games for the Roos, but as a forward he would have a bit less competition for spots (see KPD list above). On those KPD’s Robbie Tarrant also had a very good game.

 

Ben McKinley chipped in with a handy four goals. One guy I’m interested in is Matthew Scott. He just seems to play well every week and he’s exactly the sort of player that seems to thrive when finally given a shot in AFL. Rookie selection, not blessed with pace or agility, but just knows how to play footy. His story mirrors the likes of Matthew Boyd or Brett Kirk – a super hard worker with elite endurance and the perception around the time of drafting that he didn’t have the right “tools” for AFL.

 

Majak Daw continues to excite. Rarely a game goes by where he doesn’t provide highlights and he seems to be stringing together more consistent performances. Levi Greenwood has now played three VFL games this season and after a slow first half he worked his way into the game.

 

Port Adelaide

It looks like Port’s reserves spread out through the SANFL were mostly as uninspiring as their AFL bigger brothers on the weekend. Mitch Banner was the leading ball winner for the Port Magpies with 24, along with six marks.

 

Cam Hitchcock was handy for Glenelg with 23 touches and 2.1, while Marlon Motlop had a good game with 18 touches and a goal. He’ll be a chance to get a run this week.

 

Chad Cornes was kept out of action for Glenelg as an emergency standby for the Power. The footage of his workout at half time in the change rooms was fascinating. It’s certainly not through lack of effort that he isn’t getting a game – looks like he’s still busting his ring to get a game.

 

For those who have Jarrad Irons don’t hold your breath waiting for his third game and a price rise. He injured his shoulder in the first 10 minutes for WWT Reserves. The fact that he has played SANFL Reserves the last few weeks is probably indication enough though…

 

Richmond

So Richmond’s affiliate side Coburg went down to Frankston. It was Frankston’s first win for a couple of years…so not a great look.

 

Tom Hislop was named in the bests for the third game in a row – which is exactly how many games he’s played this season, so he’s doing well. He’s on the rookie list though, so would still require promotion to get a game (Kelvin Moore was placed on LTI last week), but his form is good.

 

Jeromey Webberley is in a similar rich vein of form, being named in the bests four games out of five this year. Given that he has been emergency for Richmond a couple of times it looks like he’s very close and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come in this week.

 

With Dylan Grimes going down they might be looking for another KPD this week, but David’s Gourdis and Astbury didn’t set the world on fire on the weekend. Angus Graham was reportedly awful.

 

St.Kilda

Sandringham Zebras had a bye.

 

Sydney

Swans Reserves had a bye…I’m flying through some of these reports!

 

West Coast

You look at some teams I’ve written on where the AFL and their players in reserve are both struggling. West Coast are the complete opposite. The Eagles are flying and they have plenty of consistently good performers at WAFL level.

 

Ashton Hams picked up 29 touches, six marks, ten tackles and a goal for South Freo, while teammate Andrew Gaff had 28 disposals himself. To have a #4 pick playing so well at state league and pretty much only getting the sub vest at AFL level is a testament to how well the Eagles are travelling.

 

Tom Swift was great in traffic with 29 possessions, with a number of long sweeping handballs out of traffic that showed he’s a cut above state league level (similar to what I saw with Dayne Beams last week for Collingwood reserves). His kicking wasn’t too bad either, which has been the knock on him at AFL level. Gerrick Weedon was interestingly used at both ends of the ground and provided some good rebound from defence when he moved there.

 

Jacob Brennan (son of dual Eagles premiership player Michael Brennan) put in a great game for East Freo with 23 touches and 11 marks across half back in his best performance of the year.

 

Western Bulldogs

Well, not too many sides that lose by 123 points go in unchanged the next week, so there’s a bit of interest in Williamstown’s game. Josh Hill was good across half back and was named in the bests in his first game in the VFL this year.

 

For the second week in a row Ayce Cordy was named in the best players. It’s good to see him stringing some games together and even better to see him playing well. Fellow father/son recruit Mitch Wallis also made it to the bests list for the second consecutive week, so that’s good news for those fantasy coaches that picked him up recently.

 

Barry Hall and Brian Lake both played, which must have been pretty intimidating bookends for Collingwood reserves to face! Hall finished the day with four goals. James Mulligan has been popping up in the bests as a key position defender. That’s three times this season and he’s been named emergency for the Bulldogs once.

 
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KRISTIAN’S KAPTAINS

G’day all! What a weekend it was in Dream Team! I hope Montagna owners took my advice and made him captain, or did you have the guts to make Goddard or Riewoldt skipper? Personally, I went with Swan, even though I knew he wasn’t 100% fit, which turned out to be a major mistake.

This week there a quite a few tempting options that I’d like to touch on, so away we go……

 

MARC MURPHY & BRYCE GIBBS

I chose these two Blue on-ballers purely for the fact they’re playing Melbourne this week. Melbourne leaked some major midfield points to Montagna and Goddard last week, so I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be the same story for the two #1 draft picks. Judd looks like he’s ready to go for the game as well, so hopefully all the negative attention goes to him. I’d also ignore their past few games against the Demons. Murphy’s only played them six times in his career, so I had to go all the way to his rookie seasons for some scores, and Bryce has only played against them the four times. Murphy averages 97.8 DT and 97.6 SC in his last five games against Melbourne, while Gibbs averages 83.4 DT and 90 SC.

 

BRENDON GODDARD

He’s back, and it was only a matter of time! He had an excellent game on the weekend as was back to his brilliant best, both in football terms and in the fantasy aspect. He comes up against Fremantle on the weekend on the wide expanses of Patterson’s Stadium which he should enjoy. I think a good match up for him from a Fremantle perspective would be Nick Lower, but BJ should be too good for him. I think he’s an excellent choice for SC this weekend and his history against the Dockers will back me up on that.

 

Last 5 games vs Fremantle:

DT: 120, 130, 104, 98, 106

SC: 142, 133, 113, 104, 152

 

LEIGH MONTAGNA

He was my big ‘gut-feel’ for the week and boy did he deliver. If you made him captain, you’re a genius, and a very well done. Personally, I don’t think he’ll have the free reigns like he did against the Demons, but he’s as safe options as you’re going to get. Like Goddard, the big ground will suit him, but he is prone to being well held in a hard tag. It will be interesting to see who Mark Harvey sends Matt De Boer to, but if I were him, I’d be giving him the job on Montagna. History suggests Joey also struggles against the Dockers, so you may want to keep that in mind.

 

Last 5 games vs Fremantle:

DT: 65, 95, 119, 92, 75

SC: 70, 81, 125, 86, 97

 

NICK RIEWOLDT

Joining Goddard in his best game of the season so far was the Saints superstar skipper. Again, I’m not sure how much we can take out of their performance against the Demons but it’s a start no matter how you look at it. You’d think McPharlin, who has been in great form will man Riewoldt initially, but I’m not sure if he has the tank to run with him all day. Riewoldt’s record against the Dockers is quite brilliant, so if you’re a big believer in that stuff, he might be your man!

 

Last 5 games vs Fremantle:

DT: 114, 126, 152, 107, 107

SC: 146, 166, 169, 113, 126

 

DANE SWAN & SCOTT PENDLEBURY

Last year, one of these two against the Eagles would’ve been a lock for your captain. This year it’s a whole different kettle of fish. You’re going to look at Swan’s last 5 (especially 4) games against West Coast and be amazed, and for most, that will be enough to select him as captain this week. I did suggest on the Facebook page last Thursday that a Collingwood player was in doubt. It was in fact Dane Swan, and even before he got a bad corky during the second quarter, he was really struggling before that. We’ve seen that Mick Malthouse will be rotating the green vest around this year, so don’t be surprised to see one of his elite midfielders get a rest one of these days. I’m not suggesting it will happen, but if there ever was a time for him to do it, it’d be this week, even though it’s a pretty big game. Pendlebury’s in great form too, but I’m wary of West Coast. They have a few very good, underrated run-with players that are very selfless, and rarely give up cheap disposals. All I’m saying is, don’t consider these two as a ‘lock and load’ this week, as I think there are a lot more ‘safer’ options, and possibly higher scoring options out there. Having said that, their record against the Eagles says otherwise…..

 

Dane Swan last 5 games against West Coast:

DT: 161, 158, 133, 158, 99

SC: 163, 149, 146, 118, 97

 

Scott Pendlebury last 5 games against West Coast:

DT: 124, 139, 103, 109, 84

SC: 139, 108, 130, 99, 76

 

OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER………

The direction I’ll most likely be going is towards the Geelong vs Gold Coast game. How much safer can you get than Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel, Steve Johnson, Paul Chapman, or even Corey Enright? Unless Chris Scott plays games and uses one or two of them with the sub rule, they should all be guaranteed 100+ games in both DT and SC as the match will most likely be a smashing of epic proportions.

 

Scott Thompson’s doing exactly what I predicted he would do in the pre-season and more. He comes up against Brisbane at AAMI Stadium, so should be on for a monster score, but he has a fairly disgraceful record against the Lions averaging 75.4 DT and 75.2 SC in his last five encounters with them.

 

Buddy Franklin’s in ripping form and should annihilate the Dogs this week if Josh Kennedy was able to kick 10 against them. His record isn’t brilliant against them, averaging 83.8 DT and 76 SC in his last five games against the Bulldogs, but you get the feeling a Buddy dominance is inevitable. Who can stop him? Matthew Boyd also features in this game, and was one of the few solid players against the Eagles. He’ll stand up and score fantasy points, regardless of the scoreboard, and his record against the Hawks is handy, averaging 117 DT and 119.6 SC over the last five games. Safe, solid bet is the Bulldogs captain.

 


 
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