Footy Tragic

Weekly Wrap: Round 3

Carlton vs Collingwood:

Carlton:

• Chris Judd was clearly the best for the Blues, although he did fade in the third quarter. Won plenty of hard ball, but he also looks to be much more dangerous in the forward line than he has been before – this new sub rule should at least help him kick a few more goals.
• Ed Curnow was impressive again – I didn’t notice him as much as his stats suggest, but it certainly seems apparent his great ball-winning skills from the VFL have followed him to the AFL. At this rate I can’t see McLean getting a game ahead of him anytime soon!
• Chris Yarran was impressive again and I think this is the sort of average score we should be expecting of him – somewhere in between his previous two weeks. Some of his kicks from the backline were superb, and he certainly works hard to find space.
• Andrew Carrazzo is starting to become a bit of a liability for dream teamers and Carlton – as the Blues unearth some real depth and push for a top-four finish, the likes of Carrazzo, with his ‘slap it on the boot’ mentality may find themselves playing a few games for the bullants.

Collingwood:

• Dane Swan was actually not brilliant through the majority of the game, on only 61-DT points at three quarter time! Fortunately he managed to junk it up in the last quarter, with 55-DT points! He hardly ran amok, but was just about the only player with any legs left.
• Heath Shaw was very good for the Pies, and probably their best player for the game. He ran well off half-back, and his tandem work with Johnson is working very well, and also prevents him from getting the sole attention from opposition teams. Thanks to his subbing last week, his price should drop this week too.
• Jarryd Blair was pretty exciting, kicking five goals (one of them COULD be attributed to the umps though…). He is playing a small forward role with time through the midfield (as is common these days). The only downside of his game from a DT perspective is that one would typically hope five goals could net you more than 88-DT points.
• Alan Didak began to show signs he was coming good after a poor pre-season, although he did spend most of the game up forward. We know his capabilities, and he should manage to move to the midfield in a few weeks. The ideal upgrade target after their round-7 bye if I ever saw one!

Western Bulldogs vs Gold Coast:

Western Bulldogs:

• Shaun Higgins’ class was a notch above for the Suns – and it has made me start to think that it will be the ‘smooth-mover’ type players who dominate against the Suns, rather than the tough in-and-under types. He racked up 34 disposals for the game, but his goal conversion was a letdown, only scoring 1.4.
• Matthew Boyd was another class act through the middle, winning the majority of clearances alongside Daniel Cross. Fortunately he has put his poor first-round effort behind him and will hopefully continue his great form after their bye next week.
• Robert Murphy continued on his running half-back role he has played for the past season or so, and he looked really good. Again, any scores against the Suns should be taken with a grain of salt, but so far this year he has been one of only a few consistent defenders.
• Brian Lake played his first game of the year, and played the majority of it as a loose man in defence – the perfect DT role. Fortunately (for those who don’t have him), his first score of the year was a low one, so he should be a very tantalising trade target in a few weeks!

Gold Coast:

• Gary Ablett broke the ton for the first time this year, and already he looks like his price shouldn’t drop dramatically next week. He is moving well and his teammates are going to him at every possible opportunity. The signs are already suggesting he should be a good pick once the Suns have finished with their byes in round 9.
• Dion Prestia was very good, playing across a half-forward flank and in the midfield. Won plenty of ball, but it was his number of marks that was most impressive (9). Looks to have secured his spot in the side after many were unsure heading into the start of the season. He now creates one more option/dilemma for who to select on the field moving forward.
• Campbell Brown’s score may look a bit appealing this week, but he is not even to be considered, firstly as he simply isn’t a DTer, but secondly as he should be facing several weeks on the sidelines for dropping Ward behind play.
• Zach Smith was a good story again in his second week, being the third ruckman in three weeks to beat Hudson. He did face later in the game, not touching the ball at all in the last quarter, but still, 67 points from a first year ruckman is brilliant!

Adelaide vs Fremantle:

Adelaide:

• Scott Thompson was insanely good – he was just about the only Crow to keep the team in the game, especially in the second half when they had a legitimate chance of stealing the win.  Won 40 touches and 9 tackles, covering stacks of ground – the only issue with Thompson in the past has been backing up good performances, so it will be good to watch him next week.
• Patrick Dangerfield, to me, did some things that proved his is going to be insanely good one day soon – or at least has the tools if he has the dedication. A couple of runs through the corridor were fantastic, as well as some of his decisions when coming out of defence. Played mainly through the midfield, which is a great sign after a starting the year in the forward line.
• Taylor Walker was another young Crow to impress – his last quarter was great and he threatened to win the game off his own boot, if only he had taken the right options – often he seemed to unsure whether to kick to a lead or attempt a 60-metre goal – this meant he would often kick between the two options, creating a turnover. He will learn and improve though.
• Andy Otten was a bit disappointing, playing the full game in the backline, providing very little run. After Phil Davis was injured, this forced a more defensive role from Otten, which was a worry, so hopefully he can come good next week.

Fremantle:

• Nat Fyfe – what a star! Jeez I like watching this kid! He played across a wing and on the forward flank and his marking and decision making skills are great. Won 27 disposals for the game, and there shouldn’t be much doubt that he will be able to continue this form through the year.
• David Mundy had another class game – he is a great user of the ball, so his teammates are always determined to get the ball in his hands. This year (following on from the second half of last year), he has also become a good ball-winner, meaning he now has the capability of racking up decent DT numbers – something he couldn’t do consistently in the past.
• Aaron Sandilands dominated the first half, with 74 DT points to half time. Unfortunately a stray fingernail to the eye from Tambling caused his eye to swell and he was subbed off – when he walked from the dugout with the red singlet on, I could hear the collective sighs from thousands of dream teamers Australia-wide.
• Greg Broughton was another disappointment, and unfortunately not for the first time this year. He appears to be playing a much more defensive role in the backline as Freo rely on midfielders such as Mundy and Hill to run the ball from defence.

Hawthorn vs Richmond:

Hawthorn:

• Jordan Lewis was again stationed in the forward line and played very well – his forward pressure is very good, but he also works well as a link-man through the half-forward line. He finished with 32 touches and 9 marks, but personally I wouldn’t be expecting this sort of score from him every week.
• Lance Franklin finally had a good day in the office, although he was playing on a third-gamer. Buddy kicked five goals for the game and only game two frees away (one for the history books!). He did have a huge pre-season, so there really shouldn’t be anything stopping him going bang anytime soon!
• Liam Shiels deserves a mention after another great game (was he the ONLY mid-priced player Kristian didn’t get??). He again played through the guts and impresses me still with his ball-winning ability for a guy of his size. His price will rise this week, but it isn’t too late to jump on if you are keen!
• Cameron Bruce will have frustrated those who kept him when he started the game as a sub, not coming on until the third quarter. He managed just the nine disposals in a rather ineffective role – I would be trading him this week, as I don’t think he is 100% in the Hawks’ plans, nor does his form warrant many more chances.

Richmond:

• Daniel Jackson was the only Tigers player to pass the ton, in what was a very low-possession affair for Richmond. His 11 tackles certainly helped him rack up the number though. Despite a couple of good scores this year, I don’t think he is the best option floating around, as his sole role is certainly not as an attacking players.
• Nathan Foley finally played a good game this year and was one of Richmond’s best through the midfield. Hopefully not too many people dropped him this week! Even though his DT score may not reflect a good game, it must be remembered he was never a strong DT performer, but more of a Supercoacher (where he scored 108 points). If you still have him, I’d stick with him!
• Brett Deledio was a disappointment after his great game against the Saints last week, only racking up 17 disposals, going head to head with Burgoyne. He has always been an inconsistent performer, and despite this I think it is worth sticking with him – the Tigers should improve this year, and he should improve with them.
• Jack Riewoldt looked like finishing on zero DT points for the second week in a row, when he went nearly stat-less for the first half of the game. Fortunately he pulled his finger out (pun intended…) in the second half, but still a final score of 48 is not good enough. Whether it is a workrate issue, or just form, it needs to be corrected soon if the Tigers are going to have any chance this year.

West Coast vs Sydney:

West Coast:

• Dean Cox had his third massive game for the year, showing some vintage form, which even those who picked him weren’t expecting in 2011! He is running rampant through the middle and appears to be enjoying a bit of a rest in the forward line. He dominated Sydney’s rucks with 38 hitouts and 20 disposals for the game.
• Andrew Embley didn’t quite have his own wing this week, but he was another senior Eagle who turned back the clock. He had a huge third quarter, which really helped, but overall he has improved significantly from where he was last year – on many occasions through 2010 he looked bored and was horribly out of form – it is great to see him turn it around this year.
• Andrew Gaff owners must be starting to get sick of seeing him start the game in the sub guernsey, but fortunately every time he comes on he manages to impact the game. Had 12 possessions and a goal in only half a game, so it will be great to see what he can deliver when given a full four-quarters, which is surely only just around the corner!
• Daniel Kerr was incredibly quiet again as he returns from his injury – although the fact Kieren Jack played close attention to him suggests Sydney were concerned about him letting loose. It is great to see him come through two games unscathed now, but I really can’t imagine him being a good selection again until he is absolutely dominating.

Sydney:

• Adam Goodes was the star of this show, playing his high half-forward role again. The Eagles had no real run-with option for him, trying several different players unsuccessfully through the game. His three goals and dominance later in the game helped get the Swans across the line, and I can’t see why he won’t keep this strong form up, at least in the short-term.
• Jude Bolton played through the middle of the ground, with stints up forward, but what was remarkable about his game was his AFL-record setting 19 tackles! 19 tackles! 76 DT points! Amazingly, his stats read; 20 disposals, 19 tackles – you won’t see that every day!
• Andrejs Everitt continued to confuse the hell out of dream-teamers – is he a good pick, or isn’t he??? He started the game in defence, to the tune of 39 points, before being swung forward in the second half – it was his second half which was incredible tantalising, as he helped win the game for the Swans. If he can play here consistently, his price looks a bargain, but that is exactly the issue – in three weeks of the season he has played three different roles – so which one will be his role moving forward?
• Kieren Jack was another to play a good game – probably his best of the year so far. He played on Kerr and managed to play off him pretty well, especially in the first half. Jack was another Swan to rack up over 10 tackles (managed a measly 12) – I reckon he is coming good after a slow start to the year, so hang tight if you still have him!

Melbourne vs Brisbane:

Melbourne:

• Brent Moloney was one of the best for the Dees, if not the best. His in-and-under work was very impressive and his ball use wasn’t too bad, considering what he is capable of. Ended the game with 36 disposals and 6 tackles – impressive stuff.
• Liam Jurrah was great this game – his workrate is slowly improving as he now works up the ground for marks and kicks too, adding another bow to his game. Five goals from him was great, although this probably shouldn’t be expected from him every week.
• Jordan Gysberts was an interesting one – he won plenty of ball, but often he appeared to be running into trouble or making the wrong decision. He is still young, so I won’t hang him out to dry, but this is one case where the DT score certainly exaggerates the quality of game he had.
• Aaron Davey copped a mega-tag from Raines for the majority of the game, and ended up moving forward for a while to try and break it. Raines would continually block his run as a link-up option out of defence or at stoppages – it’s amazing that more frees weren’t given to Davey as plenty of what Raines did wasn’t legal.

Brisbane:

• Mitch Clark was the real standout for me – as those who read this article weekly will attest, I am one of Clark’s biggest critics as a forward, but I will really tip my hat to him and Vossy for his role in this game. Rather than playing close to goal as he has all season (and therefore be able to use his biggest asset – his mobility), he played a much higher role – essentially as a high half-forward, very similar to the role Goodes plays at Sydney. In return his game was great – plenty of marks and his opponents struggled to go with him. He was also a big part in many Brisbane scoring chains! If he can keep this role up he could be worth considering in the coming weeks!
• Jed Adcock was also brilliant – He was one of the players I watched the closest this game, due to the lack of quality DT defenders. And he didn’t disappoint me. He links up really well of half-back and works hard to find space and provide an option. His ball use is also good, so his teammates are happy to give it to him. I think that now, after two good games in a row he could be worth consideration.
• Tom Rockliff finally had the dominant DT game his pre-season suggested, racking up 29 possessions and 7 tackles. He isn’t the most skilled footballer, but he knows how to find the ball and typically goes to the right option. I still think that despite his age and price, he could be worth every cent.
• Jarred Polec impressed me in his first game, especially in the first half. His attack on the footy really set the standard for the Lions early and he was the leading disposal getter to quarter time. He is still pretty light-bodied though, so tired later in the contest, but I have little doubt that he will be playing again after the bye in round five.

Geelong vs Port Adelaide:

Geelong:

• Joel Selwood deserves first mention for his incredible first game back from injury. Despite his much-publicised concussion in round one, Selwood came out of the blocks against Port, racking up 34 disposals and 8 marks. Like the rest of the team, Selwood loves playing at the cattery and seemed to find it pretty easy against a weak Port side.
• Jimmy Bartel was another Cats midfielder to have a day out against the Power – his stats sheet read 27 disposals, 13 marks and 2 goals. And just a word of note to those with Bartel in their side – if you ever see ‘Cats vs Port at Skilled Stadium in the wet’ as an upcoming weekend fixture, your captain choice couldn’t be any easier!
• Paul Chapman started the game very slowly (and many people were surely excited about), but became as rampant as his fellow cats in the second quarter. He kicked a couple of nice goals and racked up 26 disposals in his typical HFF role.
• Corey Enright was one of only a few Cats not to come to the party, which was especially disappointing as he has been one of only a few consistent backmen to this point of the season. He played a very deep role in defence and had his hands too full with the dangerous Robbie Gray to be able to do much rebounding. Still, if a score of 62 is bad, you don’t have too much to complain about!

Port Adelaide:

• Chad Cornes was surprisingly the best for Port, on a day where very little seemed to go right for them. His presence up forward was very felt and he made an effort to throw his body around and go for the hard ball. Unfortunately he only managed 1.3 from his opportunities, but still certainly did enough to keep his much-deserved spot in the squad.
• Travis Boak was good through the midfield, but unfortunately had little support. He impresses me a lot, as a player still able to win his own ball and do the right things, even when his team is being thumped. He will be one of the first-selected DT players one day, when Port starts pushing their way back up the ladder.
• Jasper Pittard was a good sign for Port – when you get thrashed, you must still find positives and Pittard was one of them. Racking up 27 disposals off half-back, Pittard is beginning to show his talent at senior level and looks to be a real player of the future. Apparently has one of the best football brains going around, so should be a good club leader in the few years time.
• Daniel Motlop needs to go – I’m sorry, but with a young developing team around him, the last thing needed is a selfish player like himself. I was disappointed when I saw him selected in the final team, and his game far from justified his selection.

St.Kilda vs Essendon:

St.Kilda:

• Jason Gram was one Saint I was particularly keen on watching after his much criticised comments through the week and he was clearly the best Saint on the ground, despite a couple of bad decisions (but which Saints DIDN’T make bad decisions!?). He played mainly behind the ball though the midfield and managed to win quite a bit of ball. He is fit now after a poor 2010, so presents himself as pretty good value in the backline.
• Farren Ray was another to impress me – did some good things through the midfield and across the half-forward line. His hands would be top-3 in the competition for guys his size (right behind Bartel), so he is part of a lot of set plays coming out of defence and therefore manages to win a bit of ball that way. Could be a sneaky mid option, although I really don’t see him being consistent enough.
• Alistair Smith was one of the highlights for the Saints – it’s really nice to finally see some young blood coming into the club and it was great the amount of enthusiasm he brought to his game. His leads up the wing always had intent, rather than a sense of monotony and he continually looked inside for an option and took the game on. He faded late, but that wasn’t totally unexpected in his debut game.
• Ryan Gamble had another disappointing game before being subbed off. He had one great run down the wing which resulted in a goal, but later dropped an uncontested mark which led to an Essendon rebound and goal – unfortunately these were about the only two passages he had much involvement in. I really want to see him play alongside Kosi and Riewoldt, but I am beginning to doubt his worth in the Saints lineup – really needs  big game very soon.

Essendon:

• Jobe Watson, rather predictably, was best on ground for Essendon, dominating in the clearances and even sneaking forward for three goals. He always dominates against the Saints, and this time with no Lenny Hayes to compete with, he had a day out. Finished with 33 touches and 6 marks for the game.
• Steward Crameri had his first real big game for the year, punishing Gwilt every time he tried to run off him. Worked really well up the ground and found space really well – a great skill to have as a flanker. He finished with 20 touches for the game and broke the DT ton for the first time in his career!
• Dyson Heppell already looks like a 50 game player – he is already part of half of Essendon’s set plays from defence and consistently knows what to do with the footy and has incredible faith in himself to be able to do it. He is a real go-to man for the Bombers coming out of defence and he will rack up the disposals at least a few times this year!
• Nathan Lovett-Murray is a really interesting one – spent the start of last year in cracking form before finding himself in and out of the side. This year, he has already been a sub twice and is this week going to suffer the biggest price-drop of all players in dream team. So now is the time we start to watch him closely, he will likely bottom-out in price in a few weeks, so it will be interesting to see whether he can bounce back into some form. For all the bargain-hunters out there, lets hope so!

Well… Week three is nearly over, so it’s time to discuss your grievances of the weekend so far…

Did you cop a sub, did the trade you did backfire in your face, or did you choose the wrong players to be on the field whist your bench outscored your main team??

Please use the below space to let loose, say your bit and get all that anger off your chest – PLEASE refrain from bad language and anything generally considered ‘offensive,’ as your post will be deleted.

Enjoy!

SUBMIT MY TEAM

Hey there again folks. So as most of you are already aware, I decided to go with a mid-priced strategy this season, which has pretty much blown up in my face in the first two rounds with a very mediocre early ranking.

The season isn’t over yet though, and I gain confidence from the fact I was in a much similar position last year, and stormed home to finish 168^th overall. In fact, I don’t remember a time where I have started a season well.

Having said that, I will make a couple of changes this week, downgrading two mid-priced players to two rookies who should explode in price, which will net me a heap of cash to upgrade and hopefully scoot up the rankings.

This is my team below, and I’ll also explain the reasons for some of my selections and choice of structure.

BACKS:

Brendon Goddard, Brett Deledio, Bryce Gibbs, Jack Grimes, Andrejs Everitt, Nick Lower, Danny Stanley, Robbie Tarrant, Nick Duigan, Andy Otten.

CENTRES:

Dane Swan, Rhys Palmer, Josh Kennedy, Steven Salopek, Nathan Foley, Callan Ward, Daniel Harris, David Swallow, Rohan Bewick.

RUCKS:

Aaron Sandilands, Dean Cox, David Hale, Zachary Smith.

FORWARDS:

Lance Franklin, Alan Didak, Brad Green, Nick Riewoldt, Chris Knights, Drew Petrie, Andrew Krakouer, Cameron Richardson, Jack Darling, Brandon Matera.

Alright, so there it is. So far it’s fair to say only Callan Ward has worked, which is a little embarrassing, since all the guys I picked in my team this year I watched like a hawk.

As far as trades go, I never like to trade early, but I think I’ll have to. I really want Dyson Heppell and one of Tom Liberatore or Ed Curnow in my team and I think Everitt and Kennedy will be the two guys to make way.

I’ve watched Kennedy closely in the two games he’s played and he seems to be struggling with the extra attention he’s getting.

*NOTE TO SELF* ‘be extra wary of huge pre-seasons as opposition clubs take notice!’

This might sound silly, but Rhys Palmer is the guy I trust the most, in terms of scoring anyway. If he wasn’t a sub in both games he’d be averaging 100 right now.

I think I also gut unlucky with Salopek, but I knew what I was in for when I selected him, so no surprise there.

Nathan Foley will be fine I feel, so I’ll be keeping him, and he could be a possible bench player for the rest of the season.

Callan Ward’s been excellent so far, but I get scared he’ll get his head knocked off soon with the way he goes in for the ball.

David Hale was a temporary selection in case you were wondering. I was worried Smith wouldn’t be available for a few weeks, so I went extra careful and selected Hale for the dual position link with Petrie. Since Smith looked excellent, I’ll get a price rise or two out of Hale and ship him to Joel Tippett or Matt Lobbe.

One thing I am proud of, and that’s the fact I pretty much got my bench spot on. I anticipated depth will be massive this season, so hopefully this will pay off soon, as well as making me a heap of cash.

Also, with all the cash that should be generated, I should hopefully have a complete team pretty quickly which should nullify my poor start.

I actually have no regrets with this team though. It’s something I’ve wanted to try for a few years now, and I finally bit the bullet. Two rounds in and it doesn’t look good, but I’m confident I’ll be able to trade myself into a good position again this season.

First of all, I’d like to apologise to anyone who followed me into picking Brendon Goddard last week. His crab like performance against Richmond bucked the trend of tearing the Tigers a new one. If he had one more ball slip through his hands or bounce off his chest in that last quarter, in the great words of Terry Wallace I was going to SPEW UP!

As a result of last week’s indiscretion the Captain Review Panel (chaired by me) has suspended Goddard for three weeks of captain consideration. The incident was assessed as high impact, low (groin) contact and reckless conduct. His previous bad record (the only other time I’ve made him DT captain was for an uninjured 46 against NM in 2009) means he cannot receive any discounts. He accepted the sanction, by the way.

I haven’t taken it out completely on his teammates, but I just don’t see Montagna or Riewoldt being a good choice this week. After his bad start this season you couldn’t back Montagna in, especially since he was also meant to chop against Richmond, while Riewoldt doesn’t have stand out numbers against Essendon. In fact, St.Kilda in general struggle against Essendon, which is why they’re not getting a mention this week.

Anyway…

Dane Swan – Every time he got a touch on the weekend I swear I could hear him saying “stick that up your arse, Dan.” There’s no doubt Swan is the king and you could do a lot worse than locking him in for the year. His 162 DT and 152 SC performance last week was Swanny at his brutal best. At one stage in the first quarter it seemed conceivable that he could outscore his namesake (the Sydney Swans). This week he plays Carlton and there’s nothing to suggest he won’t do bad things to them.

Last three vs. Carlton: 128.3 DT and 133.7 SC

Last three at MCG: 146.7 DT and 140.7 SC

Scott Pendlebury – There’s this other bloke in the black and white who is going along just beautifully at the moment too. Many scribes have predicted a meteoric rise for Pendlebury this year and he’s started the year on that track with truly elite scoring. If it wasn’t for the byes this year I’m sure Pendles would be a lot more popular in both competitions – with Swan so popular a lot of fantasy coaches will have feared what a Collingwood bye would do to their team. With his game moving to the next level and the fact he dominated Carlton in their two meetings last year, he’s a hot choice this week.

Last three vs. Carlton: 112 DT and 128.3 SC

Last three at MCG: 134.3 DT and 128.7 SC

Matthew Boyd – We all saw what Carlton did to Gold Coast last week. It’s fair to expect a similar sort of pasting by the Bulldogs and you’d imagine their captain and fantasy gun Matthew Boyd will be right amongst it. For those of you unfortunate enough not to have Swan, then surely you’d have Boyd and that being the case, he’s the best non-Swan alternative this week, coming off an impressive 120 DT and 129 SC against a similarly unimpressive Brisbane last week.

Last three vs. Gold Coast: Never played them (I’ll have to state this a fair bit this year, as I’ll pretty much always pick a gun or two from whoever is playing against GC).

Last three at Docklands: 105.7 DT and 95.3 SC

Gary Ablett Jr. – Not to be confused with Gary Ablett Snr. GAJ looked rusty last week and while I’m sure he’s not in too many teams at this stage, he’s always worth a mention, even if it’s not specifically to recommend him, but to open up discussion. With a limited pre-season, a new team and a lot less support around him it’ll take a little while for GAJ to be a viable captain option. It should be noted, however, that he always played fantastic against the Bulldogs, so keep an eye out to see if he can start to work his way into our heads and our hearts once again (it’s understood this process may take longer for Cats fans).

Last three vs. Bulldogs: 123.7 DT and 141.7 SC

Last three at Docklands: 113.7 DT and 119.3 SC

Brett Deledio – Maybe it’s a bit premature to have a cheeky look at Lids, but he’s a bit of a smoky this week, as far as I’m concerned. His numbers against Hawthorn stack up pretty well and he looked fantastic against St.Kilda last week, especially for SC. A bit like Ablett, perhaps it’s a bit early to pull the trigger, but his form should be monitored and he does have an historically favourable match up.

Last three vs. Hawthorn: 125.7 DT and 144.3 SC

Last three at MCG: 82.7 DT and 106.3 SC

Lance Franklin – Let’s talk favourable match up! Richmond don’t exactly have an all-star backline when they’re full strength, but when they’re without their top three key backs, well they’re kind of amusing. I mean, not to be too harsh on them, because take the top three key backs out of any side and they’d be battling big time, but with no McGuane, Rance and Moore out that leaves Franklin to be stood by one (or all) of Thursfield, Astbury, Dylan Grimes or David Gourdis. Every now and then Buddy gets a match-up that makes him a legitimate captain choice (his inconsistency usually rules him out) and most of the time those are against Essendon, but here is a good opportunity to roll the dice on him.

Last three vs. Richmond: 115.7 DT and 115 SC

Last three at MCG: 100 DT and 121.7 SC

Paul Chapman – I seriously doubt too many have Chappy…maybe he’ll be a popular trade in target this week after his first game of the season last week. Port Adelaide look like they’ll leak a lot of points this year and with the game being down at Skilled Stadium this one could get pretty ugly and I can’t see anyone at the Power having the ability to match it with him in both the midfield and up forward. The sub rule, in respect to midfielders resting forward, could benefit Chappy more than most players. He is now the undisputed best bald player at Geelong, which I’m sure he’ll be keen to back up with a strong performance.

Last three vs. Port: 122.7 vs. DT and 132.3 SC

Last three at Kardinia Park: 117.7 DT and 110.3 SC

MTHE DEATH OF THE MID-PRICE STRATEGY

As some of you might be aware, I’ve employed a ‘mid-price’ strategy into my Dream Team this year. I won’t really go into depth about it here, as I’ll talk about my team more on Thursday, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the days of picking ‘mid-priced’ players in Dream Team are unfortunately over.

Of course there are some exceptions like Chris Knights, but on the whole, you’re giving up a whole lot of points early on for really not much future reward.

I think it’s a real shame as it deflates the ‘fun’ element in Dream Team and makes teams look way too similar across the board. The only way to alleviate this problem is to decrease the starting salary cap, but we know that will never happen as Virtual Sports will want to keep the game as easy as possible.

I must say, this is the first time I’ve used this strategy to such an extent, and unless you absolutely nail your picks, you’re a fair way behind the pack already, to which I’ve found out very quickly.

One advantage though is having the ability to downgrade before price changes. For example, this week I’ll be trading down two of my under-performing mid-price players (basically all of them), to two rookie priced players who should sky rocket in price this week. In the process, I obtain a truck-load of cash to use on my future upgrades, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

What really sets apart the guns and rookie’s strategy to the mid-price players though is how young players can come in to the game now and score big points from the get-go. With the game adapting to becoming a big possession-fest, it’s really not hard for rookies to step in and average a solid 70 points quite easily. I also think with the new sub-rule, it will make it easier for players to find space late in games and rack up big possession stats in the second half of matches.

We can already see it with the likes of Dyson Heppell and Tom Liberatore who have stepped into their respective sides and have become vital contributors so far. The issue with taking these cheaper players is of course their decreased job security but I also doubted their scoring potential, which swayed me from the gun and rookies approach. I will definitely not be making that mistake again.

The only thing stopping you from taking a rookie anymore should be their job security. Of course scoring capacity will come into it, but all you need is a 50 average from that player to make you some decent coin. If they’re guaranteed a game, pick them. I under-valued the importance of a good rookie this year, and now I’m bleeding because of it.

As I mentioned earlier though, there are obvious exceptions and players that I chose that will work to my advantage. The whole point of the mid-price strategy, in my opinion, and in the way I designed my team, was for those players (Josh Kennedy, Andrejs Everitt, Nathan Foley, Callan Ward, Chris Knights, Steven Salopek and Rhys Palmer) to average more than what I paid for them, and provide consistent, semi-high scoring for a six to seven week period while my rookies peaked in price.

Obviously this plan fails when these players are averaging less than the rookies you didn’t take and you paid an extra $200,000 for them, which could’ve been used to upgrade to a premium player.

If it works though, you look like a genius, and have bragging rights for eternity but if it doesn’t you’re well behind the eight ball. Fortunately for those who have been burned by the players above, it’s not too late, and this year we have an extra two rounds to make up the ground that was lost. The major advantage of the mid-price strategy is there is room to move and fix your mistakes, more so than guns and rookies.

Hang in there folks, we’re only two rounds into a marathon of a season. Trade well and you’ll reap the rewards, however I don’t think I’ll be using such a drastic approach for my Dream Team anytime soon, but I think it was well worth the try.

Also I’d love to read your thoughts on Dream Team strategy. It’s a great topic of discussion, mostly in the pre-season, but now we’re entering the stage where all your planning will be coming to fruition, so I’d love to read what you will be doing in the coming weeks!