Footy Tragic

ADELAIDE

Jarryd Lyons – 125
Tom Lynch – 103
Brad Symes – 103
Richard Tambling – 101

Over half of the Crows in SANFL Seniors on the weekend played in a fantastic clash between Sturt and Glenelg. Richard Tambling would’ve dearly loved to have ended up 106 DT points, as he had a shot after the siren to make the game a draw, but unfortunately missed.  He had a very good game though, with 26 touches, seven tackles and eight clearances. Sam Kerridge was named BOG for Sturt with 26 touches and six clearances (76 DT points).

On the other side, Jarryd Lyons was the top ball winner for Glenelg with 32 touches and eight marks, with Tom Lynch not far behind on 27 possessions and 11 marks. Both were named in the Tigers best players.
In other action, Brad Symes was named BOG for Central District in their comfortable win over South Adelaide, posting 26 disposals and nine marks.

BRISBANE

No NEAFL stats available.

Brisbane’s reserves relinquished top spot on the ladder of the Northern Conference of the NEAFL with a five goal loss in the final round to Sydney. It was an undermanned Lions side with fewer avenues to goal than usual. Patrick Karnezis was the primary target of forward entries and ended with four goals.

Chenee Stiller was good through the midfield with a team high 32 touches and was named BOG. Recently dropped Stephen Wrigley was solid on his return to the reserves in defence and was named amongst the best players, as was first year ruckman Billy Longer. In these last two weeks as we anxiously hold our breath hoping Sam Docherty doesn’t get a debut to keep his price sweet for next season, he had 20 touches.

CARLTON

David Ellard – 144
Rhys O’Keeffe – 120
Jordan Russell – 90

David Ellard was his usual self around the clearances, racking up 29 possessions, eight tackles and three goals to be named BOG, however his kicking wasn’t exactly clean and from his 22 kicks he had his share of turnovers.

Buoyed by his AFL appearance, and seemingly not deterred by his demotion back to the VFL, Rhys O’Keeffe was named fifth best with 25 touches, five marks and a team high nine tackles.

Jordan Russell and Kane Lucas had 21 touches each, but unfortunately young defender Matthew Watson injured his hand early in the game, with scans set to reveal the extent of the damage.

COLLINGWOOD

Josh Thomas – 121
Andrew Krakouer – 99
Simon Buckley – 94
Ben Johnson – 84
Brent Macaffer – 71

Young inside midfielder Josh Thomas was very good around the stoppages and showed very good attack on the contest. He burnt the ball a bit, but ended up with an impressive 27 touches, nine tackles and one sausage roll to be named second best. BOG was first year defender Corey Gault, who had 15 touches, five marks and six tackles in the back half for 78 DT points.

Andrew Krakouer had a much improved outing with 27 touches and six tackles. While his skills were good some of the time he was still a little bit rusty with a few kicks missing the mark. Also on the comeback trail, Ben Johnson had 29 touches largely from the wing and across half back, while Brent Macaffer had 15 touches and six tackles.

ESSENDON

Nick O’Brien – 105
David Hille – 101
Mark Baguley – 88

After missing most of the season with a foot (I swear one of these days I’m going to not notice that I typed ‘footy’ because that’s what my brain naturally does) injury, Nick O’Brien, in his sixth game for Bendigo was BOG with 32 touches and six marks. He’s a workmanlike midfielder with a pretty massive rig for a 19 year old.

Old David Hille was showing he’s still got a little bit up his sleeve with 15 touches and 46 hitouts against the undersized Wayde Skipper. After getting a taste for AFL action, Mark Baguley came back to VFL and had 18 touches (all kicks) and five marks – get back Bags, you may be called upon in this last fortnight.

Tayte Pears could be in line for a recall after getting named third best for 23 possessions and five marks in defence. Elliott Kavanagh has 16 touches and nine tackles, but scrubbed a fair few kicks.

FREMANTLE

Alex Silvagni – 118
Zac Clarke – 112
Haiden Schloithe – 106
Sam Menegola – 103
Nick Lower – 91

There were plenty of really strong performances for the Dockers in the WAFL on the weekend. Where to start? They’ve had some good performances from a couple of rookie listed players lately, with Haiden Schloithe and Sam Menegola both doing well on the weekend.

Schloithe was named BOG for South Freo on Friday night with 27 touches and seven marks. Menegola has had a good month averaging 89.5 in his last four games for East Freo. He was named amongst their best players on Sunday in their huge win over West Perth, picking up 30 touches, six marks and kicking a goal.

Of the more experienced group, Alex Silvagni was one of the better players for Claremont with 24 touches and 15 marks playing a little bit further up the ground and providing a bit of rebound.

Versatile tall Zac Clarke was named BOG for East Perth with 22 touches, six marks and 30 hitouts. The dependable Nick Lower had a crack for a Perth side that got thumped by 25 goals (not exaggerating) with 22 disposals and five tackles. Antoni Grover headbutted a bloke and got a reprimand. Old school.

GEELONG

Dawson Simpson – 113
George Burbury – 109
George Horlin-Smith – 103
Simon Hogan – 95
Travis Varcoe – 79

It was a sight for sore eyes down at Kardinia Park on Saturday, with Travis Varcoe playing his first match of 2012. He could be a very handy addition to their finals mix if he can build on this first up performance of 23 touches and four marks, to be named fifth best.

Dawson Simpson returned after a month off with a knee complaint and didn’t skip a beat, picking up 13 touches, eight tackles and 39 hitouts. He’s had a year interrupted by injury, missing ten games in total, but in his six VFL games he’s averaged 101.5 and only scored below a ton once (a 79 in his first game of the year). He’s been dominant in the lower level, so it’s just a matter of whether or not he can convert that to the AFL.

Both George’s Burbury and Horlin-Smith have been in top form lately. Horlin-Smith was named BOG with 24 touches, six marks and 1.1. He’s doing his chances of being part of September action no harm if he keeps this up. Burbury worked hard for his 19 touches and 12 tackles, as well as slotting 2.1. Nathan Vardy continues his comeback from injury. In his second game for the season he kicked two goals from nine possessions, as well as having 11 hitouts.

GOLD COAST

No NEAFL stats available.

There’s not a lot of men left standing at Gold Coast, with only seven players lining up for the reserves on the weekend, including Trent McKenzie, who had a club imposed suspension that kept him out of the AFL.

Jacob Gillbee was the stand out with six goals in a clear BOG performance that could see him get a call up this week. An emergency last week, first year player Henry Schade was named in the bests for his effort in defence, while ruckman Tom Nicholls was the only other Suns listed player named in the bests.

GWS

No NEAFL stats available.

Like Gold Coast, the youngsters (and oldsters) and GWS are feeling the effects of a long season and had nine listed players available for their last game of the season, as they missed finals in the NEAFL.

Gerald Ugle was most impressive with four goals and was named second best behind defender Josh Bruce. Jack Hombsch, Nathan Wilson and Mark Whiley were also named amongst the best players. Rhys Palmer wasn’t, but he did kick a goal.

For reference, Adam Treloar and Tom Bugg were both rested.

HAWTHORN

Box Hill had a bye in the VFL.

MELBOURNE

Matthew Bate – 108
Brent Moloney – 107
Josh Tynan – 89

I guess we’d expect to see Brent Moloney pulling big numbers at VFL level. He had 22 touches and ten tackles for Casey, but will it be enough to get him back into the team? Or have the Dees already moved on?

Another veteran in a similar position (auditioning for other clubs) Matthew Bate was the only Melbourne listed player named in the bests for Casey on the weekend, also with 22 touches and ten tackles. He also kicked a goal.

Youngster Josh Tynan hasn’t played much this year, but he wasn’t bad with 13 touches, seven marks and 2.2. Father/son prospect Jack Viney is more a name to keep an eye on for next year (though he is likely to be Pick 3 in the National Draft). He had 19 touches and five tackles for an AFL Dream Team score of 82.

NORTH MELBOURNE

Majak Daw – 108
Will Sierakowski – 91

For North Melbourne’s two aligned teams North Ballarat had a bye and Werribee suffered a shock loss to lowly Northern Blues. There were ten Roos listed players in action for Werribee. Majak Daw got a bit of a touch up in the ruck, but still managed to score well himself, posting 12 touches, nine tackles, 21 hitouts and 2.1.

Will Sierakowski was used a bit to combat the Blues ruck dominance as the third man up. He was named in the best players with 18 touches, six tackles and six hitouts. Rookie listed defender Brad Mangan held up reasonably well in a shutdown role, while Ben Warren kicked 2.2 from limited supply.

PORT ADELAIDE

Steven Salopek – 117
Simon Phillips – 60

As with last week, Port Adelaide’s extensive injury list mean these two were the only ones that played SANFL Seniors on the weekend. Steven Salopek had 32 touches and ten marks in his best game for the season. He was named BOG for Port Magpies, who went down to Woodville-West Torrens courtesy of a late goal.

Simon Phillips was named fourth best for Norwood, after being relegated to the reserves the previous week. He had 15 touches and kicked 2.1 in a rare loss for the Redlegs.

Jasper Pittard returned via the reserves for Sturt and faces a fitness test to come straight back into the seniors this week. They’re truly running on fumes, by my count with only 30 players available this week – but four of them (including Pittard, Travis Boak and Jarrad Redden) face a fitness test.

RICHMOND

Addam Maric – 110
Angus Graham – 108

Addam Maric was again the name that jumps off the page, numbers wise of the Richmond listed players at Coburg. He was named fourth best with 29 touches, four marks and four tackles. Unfortunately, along with all those fours, that’s the amount of behinds that he kicked as well.

Angus Graham had 17 touches, eight marks, 13 hitouts and 1.1 in the ruck and up forward. Jake Batchelor returned from a month off from a leg injury to record 14 touches and five mark, however he copped a knock just before half time and played deep forward with limited game time in the second half.

David Astbury put in a solid performance and could be in the mix to play his first game of the year for Richmond, with 14 touches and five marks in defence.

Kristian’s favourite big men Tom Derickx and Todd Elton combined for 11 touches and neither were injured.

ST.KILDA

Sam Dunnell – 106
Clint Jones – 99

In terrible conditions down at Williamstown, Sandringham suffered a heavy loss with not a lot of positives coming from it. Sam Dunnell was good, returning to the Zebras after a stint in the VFL. He picked up 24 touches and ten marks to be one of the better players from Sandy.

Clint Jones worked hard and truth be told, I’m sure he loved the dirty conditions, as he laid 13 tackles, along with his 14 disposals and one goal. Jason Blake performed well in the back line and could be a chance to return this week.

SYDNEY

No NEAFL stats available.

Sydney had a good win against Brisbane in the final round of the NEAFL, which has seen them finish second in the Eastern Conference. Andrejs Everitt was named BOG with two goals for the Swans, while the ever consistent Jarred Moore was named second best.

Trent Dennis-Lane led the way up forward with five goals, with Matt Spangher and Tommy Walsh each kicking three.

WEST COAST

Andrew Strijk – 132
Tom Swift – 117
Brad Dick – 92
Sam Butler – 85
Josh Kennedy – 67

The big news coming out of the west is that Josh Kennedy made his comeback from ankle surgery that had kept him out since Round 5 of the AFL season. He played 80 minutes for East Freo in their huge win over West Perth and ended with 10 possessions, six marks and 2.1.

The other story coming out of the same game was the six goal haul by Shark teammate Brad Dick. The former Pie, now on the Eagles rookie list returned from his second knee reconstruction (suffered midway through last season while on Collingwood’s list) by playing four games in the WAFL Reserves and has now played six games for East Freo’s Seniors. His six goal tally increases speculation that he could be a smokey for their finals charge this season if he is upgraded.

Andrew Strijk was BOG for a West Perth side that got smashed mercilessly by Kennedy and Dick’s East Freo. Strijk had 25 touches (all kicks), 12 marks and kicked 2.1.

Tom Swift was dominant for Claremont with 27 touches and eight marks. If West Perth think they copped a flogging, they didn’t experience anything like what Claremont did to Leon Davis’ Perth. Claremont won by 149 points and Perth didn’t score a goal until the third quarter. Sam Butler returned from a calf injury for Perth and was kept busy in that back line with 21 touches.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Andrew Hooper – 90
Tom Campbell – 85

It was a commanding win for Williamstown against Sandringham in terrible conditions on a chopped up Burbank Oval. Good luck to the cricketers getting the ground in that state! Due to the boggy nature of the ground it was a pretty scrappy affair and numbers weren’t too high – apart from tackles, I guess.

Tom Campbell hopefully stays in the selection frame with 11 touches and 42 hitouts on a day where there were a lot of stoppages (his opposing ruck Michael Sikora had 45 hitouts himself). Campbell was named sixth best.

Jarrad Grant and Justin Sherman were the other two Bulldog listed players to be named in the bests with 18 and 19 disposals respectively, while Andrew Hooper kicked two goals along with 14 touches, five marks and six tackles.

 

 

BUDDY HELL

It was a weekend of fantasy frustration, this time coming from the Hawthorn camp.

On Thursday night we would’ve all been delighted to hear the news that Buddy Franklin was playing against the Gold Coast and that Sam Mitchell had been named also, even though it would’ve made sense for Hawthorn not to play him since he’s played every game so far this season.

Well, as it turned out, neither of them ending up playing.

Sam Mitchell pulled out on Saturday with ‘soreness’ and Buddy was said to be ‘sick’ 90 minutes before the game.

I believe the Buddy situation. I know the conspiracy theorists don’t, and that’s fine, but I genuinely think he was going to play.

But, the Sam Mitchell one makes me angry. He was never going to play. Luckily I had planned for this to happen, and I hope everyone else was ready too, but it still doesn’t make up for the fact that Hawthorn just messed with everyone’s minds on Thursday night.

Nick Maxwell knew he wasn’t going to play, because he put Sam Mitchell on the bench in his Dream Team.

What was the point of naming him, Hawthorn?

They were playing the Gold Coast. Mind games wouldn’t have affected the result of that match.

This is one of many instances this season.

I’m not just talking as a selfish fantasy footy player, but just a general fan of the game.

A lot of people, kids especially, go to a game to see their favourite players, and a lot of them travel a long way. I know I’d cry if Trent Cotchin was a late withdrawal (not really).

A lot of the time, it’s genuine, I’m willing to cop that, but when it’s a case of just naming that player without any intention of playing him, I just don’t think that’s right or in the spirit of the game from a fan’s perspective.

Anyway, enough rambling.

Looking back on my article last week, I sincerely apologise if you brought in Matt Wright or Chris Judd.

The other guys did well though, especially the Carlton trio of Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs and Kade Simpson.

Marc Murphy, obviously, was the pick of the lot. Heath Hocking went to Chris Judd, so Murphy basically didn’t have an opponent all game. I reckon it was the best game of his career, with 37 disposals, 2 goals, 163 DT and 187 SC in a clear best on ground performance. With Gold Coast and St Kilda to come, Marc Murphy looks like the ultimate point of difference. I know Dan brought him in a few weeks ago, so well done.

On to some other individual performances;

Just quietly Brock McLean is in career best form. I’ve always liked him, and just like Shane Tuck at Richmond (who’s now the ninth best Dream Teamer in season 2012), there is always room for a genuine ball getter that sticks to his role. Ever since the bye, McLean has averaged 106 DT and 109 SC. They’re elite fantasy numbers.

I wasn’t joking when I said a couple of months ago that I’m going to seriously consider Toby Greene for my Dream Team next season. Statistically he’s the best 18 year old AFL player ever, and to go with his 38 disposals, 2 goals, 146 DT and 165 SC performance on the weekend is a season average of 27.4 disposals, 94.4 DT and 94 SC. He’s averaging more disposals in the AFL than he did at the National Champs last season. The only question mark is GWS’s tendency to rest players, and I think they’ll still continue to do that next season, but I have no doubt he’ll top the ton in averages next season. He’s just a freak.

The usual suspects were good on the weekend, in Dayne Beams and Gary Ablett, but other than that there wasn’t a whole lot to celebrate.

Aaron Sandilands was very good in his return, and subsequently his price dropped massively due to his poor score in round 11 due to injury. If you want another point of difference, and you have a trade up your sleeve, bring in the big guy. He’s cheap, and should be the #1 ruck over the next two weeks to give you that edge. His round 23 match up against Jake Spencer is enough encouragement for me.

Good luck for your preliminary finals this weekend, unless you’re playing me!

 

 

Good morning all.

Twas as interesting week of Footy with late withdrawals Mitchell & Franklin costing many fantasy coaches a preliminary finals birth. Who were your Winners & Wieners from the weekend and where are you currently ranked?

 

 

 

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The Footy Tragic Show (Full Episode):

 
Winners & Wieners
Captain Options
Team Selection News
Fantasy Finals Checklist
New Generation Premiums (The Forwards)

 

 

 

GEELONG CATS V ST KILDA

ES – Fri Aug 17, 7:50pm

Geelong Cats

B: Matthew Scarlett, Tom Lonergan, Josh Hunt

HB: Andrew Mackie, Harry Taylor, Corey Enright

C: Mitch Duncan, Steve Johnson, Joel Corey

HF: Paul Chapman, James Podsiadly, Steven Motlop

F: Mathew Stokes, Tom Hawkins, Jimmy Bartel

Foll: Trent West, Joel Selwood, James Kelly

I/C: Jonathan Simpkin, Taylor Hunt, Josh Walker, Jordan Murdoch

Emg: David Wojcinski, Jackson Sheringham, Cameron Guthrie

 

In: Paul Chapman, Joel Corey, Josh Hunt, James Kelly, Trent West

Out: David Wojcinski, Jackson Sheringham, Allen Christensen (Groin), Cameron Guthrie, Orren Stephenson (Hand)

 

St Kilda

B: Jarryn Geary, James Gwilt, Tom Simpkin

HB: Sean Dempster, Sam Fisher, Sam Gilbert

C: Jason Gram, Lenny Hayes, Brendon Goddard

HF: Ahmed Saad, Beau Wilkes, Nick Dal Santo

F: Stephen Milne, Justin Koschitzke, Leigh Montagna

Foll: Ben McEvoy, David Armitage, Jack Steven

I/C: Jason Blake, Adam Schneider, Farren Ray, Jamie Cripps

Emg: Rhys Stanley, Arryn Siposs, Jack Newnes

 

In: Jason Blake, Adam Schneider, Farren Ray

Out: Nick Riewoldt (Knee), Tom Ledger, Sam Dunell

 

 

ESSENDON V CARLTON

MCG – Sat Aug 18, 1:45pm

Essendon

B: Jake Carlisle, Kyle Hardingham, Dyson Heppell

HB: Alex Browne, Cale Hooker, Dustin Fletcher

C: Courtenay Dempsey, Brent Stanton, David Zaharakis

HF: Leroy Jetta, Stewart Crameri, Angus Monfries

F: Michael Hurley, Patrick Ryder, Alwyn Davey

Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Jobe Watson, Heath Hocking

I/C: Sam Lonergan, Jake Melksham, Michael Hibberd, Brendan Lee

Emg: Nathan Lovett-Murray, Travis Colyer, Mark Baguley

 

In: Patrick Ryder, Brent Stanton, Cale Hooker, David Zaharakis

Out: Nathan Lovett-Murray, Scott Gumbleton (Soreness), Travis Colyer, Mark Baguley

 

Carlton

B: Nick Duigan, Simon White, Zach Tuohy

HB: Bryce Gibbs, Andrew McInnes, Christopher Yarran

C: Heath Scotland, Chris Judd, Kade Simpson

HF: Andrew Walker, Jarrad Waite, Marc Murphy

F: Eddie Betts, Levi Casboult, Jeffrey Garlett

Foll: Matthew Kreuzer, Mitch Robinson, Andrew Carrazzo

I/C: Dennis Armfield, Brock McLean, Edward Curnow, Tom Bell

Emg: Bret Thornton, David Ellard, Rhys O’Keeffe

 

In: Chris Judd, Nick Duigan

Out: Rhys O’Keeffe, Matthew Watson

 

 

GWS GIANTS V MELBOURNE

MO – Sat Aug 18, 2:10pm

GWS Giants

B: Adam Kennedy, Phil Davis, Matthew Buntine

HB: Curtly Hampton, Chad Cornes, Sam Darley

C: Tom Scully, Luke Power, WIlliam Hoskin-Elliott

HF: Tim Golds, Nick Haynes, Shaun Edwards

F: Devon Smith, Israel Folau, Taylor Adams

Foll: Jonathan Giles, Anthony Miles, Toby Greene

I/C: Steve Clifton, Andrew Phillips, James McDonald, Dom Tyson

Emg: Jack Hombsch, Nathan Wilson, Rhys Palmer

 

In: Nick Haynes, Toby Greene, Taylor Adams, James McDonald, Dom Tyson

Out: Tomas Bugg, Jeremy Cameron (Hip), Jack Hombsch, Adam Treloar, Adam Tomlinson (Kidney)

Milestones: Luke Power – 300 games

 

Melbourne

B: Joel Macdonald, James Sellar, Tom McDonald

HB: Jack Watts, James Frawley, Colin Garland

C: Jack Trengove, Jordie McKenzie, Jack Grimes

HF: Neville Jetta, Brad Green, Rohan Bail

F: Jeremy Howe, Jared Rivers, Sam Blease

Foll: Jake Spencer, Colin Sylvia, Nathan Jones

I/C: Lynden Dunn, James Strauss, Luke Tapscott, Thomas Couch

Emg: Jordan Gysberts, Jack Fitzpatrick, James Magner

 

In: James Frawley, Jack Watts, Thomas Couch

Out: Matthew Bate, Brent Moloney, James Magner

 

 

FREMANTLE V RICHMOND

PS – Sat Aug 18, 2:40pm

Fremantle

B: Adam McPhee, Luke McPharlin, Zac Dawson

HB: Clancee Pearce, Michael Johnson, David Mundy

C: Michael Barlow, Ryan Crowley, Tendai Mzungu

HF: Michael Walters, Kepler Bradley, Stephen Hill

F: Hayden Ballantyne, Matthew Pavlich, Christopher Mayne

Foll: Jonathon Griffin, Nathan Fyfe, Matthew de Boer

I/C: Paul Duffield, Garrick Ibbotson, Lee Spurr, Nicholas Suban

Emg: Aaron Sandilands, Dylan Roberton, Thomas Sheridan

 

In: Luke McPharlin, Nathan Fyfe

Out: Dylan Roberton, Lachie Neale (Quad)

 

Richmond

B: Steven Morris, Alex Rance, Jayden Post

HB: Brandon Ellis, Chris Newman, Bachar Houli

C: Shaun Grigg, Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio

HF: Jake King, Shane Edwards, Daniel Jackson

F: Luke McGuane, Jack Riewoldt, Robin Nahas

Foll: Ivan Maric, Dustin Martin, Shane Tuck

I/C: Matthew White, Ben Griffiths, Bradley Helbig, Brett O’Hanlon

Emg: Matt Dea, Jake Batchelor, Tom Derickx

 

In: Brett O’Hanlon

Out: Reece Conca (Foot)

 

 

BRISBANE LIONS V ADELAIDE

G – Sat Aug 18, 7:40pm

Brisbane Lions

B: Ryan Harwood, Daniel Merrett, Joel Patfull

HB: Pearce Hanley, Matt Maguire, Jed Adcock

C: Rohan Bewick, Daniel Rich, James Polkinghorne

HF: Jack Redden, Jonathan Brown, Dayne Zorko

F: Tom Rockliff, Jordan Lisle, Joshua Green

Foll: Ben Hudson, Simon Black, Andrew Raines

I/C: Claye Beams, Ryan Lester, Elliot Yeo, Jack Crisp

Emg: Josh Drummond, Sam Docherty, Stephen Wrigley

 

In: Matt Maguire, Jack Crisp

Out: Todd Banfield, Stephen Wrigley

 

Adelaide

B: Sam Shaw, Ben Rutten, Michael Doughty

HB: Graham Johncock, Daniel Talia, Brent Reilly

C: David Mackay, Scott Thompson, Nathan van Berlo

HF: Richard Douglas, Taylor Walker, Jared Petrenko

F: Matthew Wright, Kurt Tippett, Ian Callinan

Foll: Sam Jacobs, Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane

I/C: Chris Knights, Bernie Vince, Luke Brown, Josh Jenkins

Emg: Aidan Riley, Richard Tambling, Lewis Johnston

 

In: Chris Knights, Kurt Tippett, Luke Brown

Out: Aidan Riley, Brodie Smith (Calf), Lewis Johnston

 

 

COLLINGWOOD V NORTH MELBOURNE

ES – Sat Aug 18, 7:40pm

Collingwood

B: Chris Tarrant, Heritier O’Brien, Nathan Brown

HB: Nick Maxwell, Ben Reid, Alan Toovey

C: Sharrod Wellingham, Alex Fasolo, Jarryd Blair

HF: Scott Pendlebury, Chris Dawes, Heath Shaw

F: Dale Thomas, Travis Cloke, Steele Sidebottom

Foll: Darren Jolly, Ben Sinclair, Dayne Beams

I/C: Alan Didak, Martin Clarke, Paul Seedsman, Jamie Elliott

Emg: Ben Johnson, Tom Young, Caolan Mooney

 

North Melbourne

B: Scott McMahon, Luke Delaney, Michael Firrito

HB: Shaun Atley, Scott Thompson, Samuel Wright

C: Ryan Bastinac, Ben Cunnington, Sam Gibson

HF: Liam Anthony, Robert Tarrant, Lindsay Thomas

F: Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Lachlan Hansen

Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell

I/C: Matt Campbell, Cruize Garlett, Jamie Macmillan, Kieran Harper

Emg: Aaron Edwards, Aaron Mullett, Levi Greenwood

 

In: Lindsay Thomas, Jack Ziebell, Luke Delaney

Out: Daniel Wells (Calf), Leigh Adams (Shoulder), Nathan Grima (Hamstring)

 

 

PORT ADELAIDE V WEST COAST EAGLES

AS – Sun Aug 19, 12:40pm

Port Adelaide

B: Nathan Blee, Alipate Carlile, Paul Stewart

HB: Thomas Jonas, Jackson Trengove, Danyle Pearce

C: Kane Cornes, Bradley Ebert, Matthew Broadbent

HF: Matt Thomas, Justin Westhoff, Andrew Moore

F: Brett Ebert, Jay Schulz, Daniel Stewart

Foll: Matthew Lobbe, Travis Boak, Domenic Cassisi

I/C: David Rodan, Jarrad Redden, Tom Logan, Aaron Young, Chad Wingard, Darren Pfeiffer, John McCarthy

 

In: Alipate Carlile, Daniel Stewart, Aaron Young, Thomas Jonas, Chad Wingard

Out: Troy Chaplin (Knee), Hamish Hartlett (Suspension)

 

West Coast Eagles

B: Beau Waters, Darren Glass, Eric Mackenzie

HB: Shannon Hurn, Will Schofield, Adam Selwood

C: Chris Masten, Matthew Priddis, Andrew Gaff

HF: Josh Hill, Jack Darling, Patrick McGinnity

F: Luke Shuey, Quinten Lynch, Dean Cox

Foll: Nic Naitanui, Scott Selwood, Daniel Kerr

I/C: Andrew Embley, Mitch Brown, Bradd Dalziell, Andrew Strijk, Ashton Hams, Jacob Brennan, Lewis Stevenson

 

In: Mitch Brown, Bradd Dalziell, Andrew Strijk, Lewis Stevenson

Out: Thomas Swift

 

 

WESTERN BULLDOGS V SYDNEY SWANS

ES – Sun Aug 19, 3:15pm

Western Bulldogs

B: Lukas Markovic, Jordan Roughead, Fletcher Roberts

HB: Easton Wood, Brian Lake, Robert Murphy

C: Ryan Griffen, Matthew Boyd, Liam Picken

HF: Dylan Addison, Tory Dickson, Daniel Giansiracusa

F: Jason Johannisen, Ayce Cordy, Shaun Higgins

Foll: William Minson, Clay Smith, Mitchell Wallis

I/C: Adam Cooney, Liam Jones, Nathan Djerrkura, Zephaniah Skinner, Michael Talia, Lin Jong, Tom Campbell

 

In: Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen, Shaun Higgins, Easton Wood, Ayce Cordy, Liam Jones, Lukas Markovic

Out: Ryan Hargrave (Suspension), Jarrad Grant, Andrew Hooper, Justin Sherman

 

Sydney Swans

B: Rhyce Shaw, Heath Grundy, Alex Johnson

HB: Nicholas Smith, Ted Richards, Martin Mattner

C: Nick Malceski, Jarrad McVeigh, Lewis Jetta

HF: Daniel Hannebery, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Ryan O’Keefe

F: Craig Bird, Sam Reid, Adam Goodes

Foll: Shane Mumford, Josh P. Kennedy, Kieren Jack

I/C: Brett Meredith, Mike Pyke, Ben McGlynn, Luke Parker, Matt Spangher, Mitch Morton, Tony Armstrong

 

In: Brett Meredith, Sam Reid, Matt Spangher, Mitch Morton

Out: Trent Dennis-Lane

New: Mitch Morton (Richmond)

 

 

HAWTHORN V GOLD COAST SUNS

MCG – Sun Aug 19, 4:40pm

Hawthorn

B: Brent Guerra, Ryan Schoenmakers, Shaun Burgoyne

HB: Grant Birchall, Luke Hodge, Benjamin Stratton

C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Xavier Ellis

HF: Isaac Smith, Lance Franklin, Jack Gunston

F: Luke Breust, Jarryd Roughead, Paul Puopolo

Foll: David Hale, Brad Sewell, Liam Shiels

I/C: Max Bailey, Stephen Gilham, Clinton Young, Brendan Whitecross, Shane Savage, Matt Suckling, Taylor Duryea

 

In: Lance Franklin, Jarryd Roughead, Liam Shiels, Shane Savage, Taylor Duryea

Out: Cyril Rioli (Shoulder), Josh Gibson (Ankle)

New: Taylor Duryea (Murray Bushrangers)

 

Gold Coast Suns

B: Taylor Hine, Steven May, Jeremy Taylor

HB: Daniel Stanley, Matthew Warnock, Jarrod Harbrow

C: Kyal Horsley, Gary Ablett, Matt Shaw

HF: Andrew McQualter, Tom Lynch, Brandon Matera

F: Alik Magin, Jared Brennan, Campbell Brown

Foll: Charlie Dixon, Josh Caddy, Harley Bennell

I/C: Maverick Weller, Piers Flanagan, Josh Toy, Tom Nicholls, Michael Coad, Tom Hickey, Henry Schade

 

In: Alik Magin, Piers Flanagan, Josh Toy, Tom Nicholls, Michael Coad, Tom Hickey, Henry Schade, Andrew McQualter

Out: Trent McKenzie (Club Suspension), Liam Patrick (Hamstring), David Swallow (Knee), Jackson Allen (Groin), Aaron Hall (Ankle)

New: Piers Flanagan (Geelong Falcons, VIC), Henry Schade ()

 

 

 

Captains Round 21:

 

Well it’s been a while since captains articles on Footy Tragic. To be honest, we see them as largely pointless most weeks – yes you can debate the worth of player X versus player Y, but at the end of the day, there are few coaches prepared to take too big a risk with their captains. However, now that the finals have arrived, there could be a real argument for trying to be a bit different.

I am now really speaking to the coaches who see themselves as underdogs in their leagues this week – you are the ones needing to get a bit creative to make up for other areas on the field. Whilst your opponent is likely to stick the ‘C’ on Ablett and think no more of it, this is a great opportunity to make up some valuable ground. So without further ado, here are the players I believe to be the best ‘unique’ (and perhaps a couple of non-unique too) captain choices this week:

Brendon Goddard:

Opponent: Geelong

Last 5 DT: 97.2

Last 5 SC: 103.8

Verdict: Up against the Cats is a big ask for BJ, but his recent form could warrant selection as Captain. He has been playing with much more intent since his 200^th game a few weeks ago and looks capable of pumping out some decent scores. There are also very few players on the Saints list who want to play finals more than BJ. My only worry is if Riewoldt doesn’t play – last week he was played as a permanent forward when Nick went off injured and he wasn’t fantastic. If Nick doesn’t play this week, I daresay we may see him in a similar position.

 

Marc Murphy:

Opponent: Essendon

Last 5 DT: 108

Last 5 SC: 114.2

Verdict: Murph has a great history against Essendon, averaging over 100 points in both competitions in his past five games. His consistency this year has been remarkable, so setting him as captain is far from a bad idea. Essendon are using Hibberd and Hocking as taggers at the moment, but both got badly beaten on the weekend by the Roos. There’s no doubting Murphy will attract opposition attention, but it’s hardly fazed him all year, so I doubt it will start to this week.

 

Jobe Watson:

Opponent: Carlton

Last 5 DT: 90.8

Last 5 SC: 112.6

Verdict: Jobe’s history against the Blues is only OK, but I do really like him for this must-win encounter. His scoring this year has been phenomenal and he had another massive game against the Roos this week. He will likely go head-to-head with Curnow and will surely smash him inside the packs, which is why taggers can rarely do much to stop him.

 

Matthew Pavlich:

Opponent: Richmond

Last 5 DT: 97.6

Last 5 SC: 104.4

Verdict: Pav loves to beat up on the Tigers, and forgetting his misdemenour last week, his recent form has been great. Since round 10, Pav has kicked a whopping 46 goals at an average of 4.6 per game – this includes 6 goals against Richmond in round 11. In another game where finals chances are on the line, surely he can muster up the strength for a big ton! Based on recent form and scoring, he’s surely one of the best picks for captain.

 

Dayne Beams:

Opponent: North Melbourne

Last 3 DT: 79 (hasn’t played them this year)

Last 3 SC: 72

Verdict: It does look like Beams has an average history against North, but it’s worth noting that he has not played them once in 2012 – a year in which he has taken his scoring to a whole new level. The beauty of Beams has been that he is often not the first player tagged, and even when he is, it has hardly waned his scoring at all (he was tagged last week and against the Saints and got massive scores in both games). Judging by his recent form, Beams is a great captain option for those coaches wanting to go a little left-field.

 

Andrew Swallow:

Opponent: Collingwood

Last 5 DT: 71

Last 5 SC: 77

Verdict: Swallow’s history against the Pies is actually one of his worst, but I still believe he is a reasonable option. The Pies don’t tag their opponents, so he will have the ability to go head-to-head with someone like Beams or Sidebottom, which may work out very well for him. He has received many plaudits this past month for his form as captain whilst the Roos have been building a really strong finals campaign. You could do much worse than nominate the North skipper as your own captain this finals series.

 

Patrick Dangerfield:

Opponent: Brisbane

Last 5 DT: 50.4 (hasn’t played them this year)

Last 5 SC: 60.2

Verdict: Danger is another player with an awful history against his opponent, but this five game average dates back to his debut year and includes no games in his breakout 2012 season. His past couple of months have been insanely good, especially this past fortnight. This week he comes up against the Lions who conceded four midfielder tons on the weekend to Richmond, including 152/175 to Cotchin. Surely Dangerfield is in similar form to Cotch and just as capable of putting together a similar score. He’s my pick of the bunch this week.

 

Dean Cox:

Opponent: Port Adelaide

Last 5 DT: 91.8

Last 5 SC: 103.4

Verdict: Cox vs Port Adelaide is nearly all the information you need. We have seen some massive ruck scores conceded by Port in the recent weeks and I doubt this week will be any different. Cox is in great form too, playing a dominant game on the weekend against Geelong, kicking 3 goals up forward, whilst also laying down 45 hitouts in the ruck. Surely he has it in him for another big game this week against the Power.

 

Adam Goodes:

Opponent: Western Bulldogs

Last 5 DT: 119.2

Last 5 SC: 132.6

Verdict: Goodes has been pretty average since returning from injury about a month ago, but his history against the Dogs is ridiculous – it’s easily one of his best averages against a side. The Dogs are struggling to field a full side at the moment, with plenty of injuries and their apparent ‘youth policy,’ meaning Goodes should be able to inflict plenty of damage, whether it be in the midfield or up forward, on this pretty inexperienced team. I’d be pretty hesitant making him captain due to recent form, although those stats don’t lie!

 

Sam Mitchell:

Opponent: Gold Coast

Last 2 DT: 111

Last 2 SC: 118.5

Verdict: The Gold Coast have been conceding some pretty big scores lately, so plenty of Hawks will be good captain choices this week. Mitchell stands out as we know he is consistent, regardless of the opponent, so should be able to blitz the young Suns without much issue. He is a beast in the clearances and it’s safe to say we can put him down for about 10 right now. Should be a good safe option this week.

 

Gary Ablett:

Opponent: Hawthorn

Last 5 DT: 128.4

Last 5 SC: 137

Verdict: Well I’ve come this far to give you options besides Ablett, but when you do look at the great man’s history against the Hawks, you can understand why so many coaches just follow the pack. The numbers speak for themselves – he typically dominates the Hawks and they have no real player capable of going with him. Chances are, he will dominate again this week, unless if he has another quiet one like he did last week – although, when does Gary ever have two bad games in a row?

My Top 5 Dream Team:

1. Patrick Dangerfield
2. Gary Ablett
3. Dean Cox
4. Dayne Beams
5. Sam Mitchell

My Top 5 SuperCoach

1. Patrick Dangerfield
2. Dean Cox
3. Gary Ablett
4. Marc Murphy
5. Matthew Pavlich

 

Well we’ve entered the elimination stage of finals and it’s time to get desperate, but smart.

For people like myself without any trades left, you can block your ears, but there’d be a fair majority of people with still one or two trades up their sleeves.

It’s time to use those trades. There is no point saving trades for injuries as there may not be a ‘next week’ to use them if you go down.

For those who know me well, or even slightly, I like to get creative.

I’m going to think tactically here. Which clubs have the best draws in the remaining three games?

Adelaide is the clear standout. They play Brisbane at the Gabba, Melbourne at the MCG and then finish off with Gold Coast at home.

I also like Carlton’s draw with Essendon at the MCG, Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium and St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.

Richmond have a pretty good run too; Fremantle at Paterson’s, but then Essendon at the MCG and Port Adelaide at the MCG.

We obviously know Dane Swan is going to miss this week as well through suspension. If you have him, but your opponent doesn’t, it’s probably time to bite the bullet. If you have him, but you are straight through to the preliminary finals, well then you are laughing.

The benefit of trading Dane Swan right now is his price. You could do a sideways trade which will net you at least 100K and then in process make another upgrade somewhere else.

The question is; who do you trade Dane Swan to?

You can look at it two ways. You can play it safe and trade in someone who your opponent already has and back the unique players you have to get the job done or you can decide to confront this thing head on and go for broke. I like to keep things exciting, so I’m advocating the latter.

Looking at the midfielders, and keeping in mind club’s runs home, this is my list of options:

 

- Scott Thompson

- Patrick Dangerfield

- Marc Murphy

- Bryce Gibbs

- Kade Simpson

- Chris Judd

- Trent Cotchin

- Shane Tuck

- Brett Deledio

- Shaun Grigg

 

I’m not saying if you choose any one of the players that you can’t go wrong, there are some very speculative players in there, but they have the best run home and all should score well.

The two players I like the most from that list are Marc Murphy and Trent Cotchin. Both are relatively unique, but they’re both powerhouse scorers, so you can back them in to give you a positive point of difference.

Murphy’s had five weeks back from his shoulder injury, and he really hasn’t missed a beat even though his scores a little lower than what we usually expect from him. With Chris Judd back this week, Murphy will be given the support he needs and he could really fire with a favourable draw and the fact the Blues are still well in the hunt for September action.

Even though the Tigers won’t play in the finals, Trent Cotchin is the ultimate professional. He’s got a Brownlow to win now, so expect him to continue to finish off the season in style. He’s averaged 118 DT and 124 SC in his last seven matches. Ryan Crowley looms as a threat this week, but last time they met, Crowley went to Deledio and shut him down. Cotchin’s proven he’s untaggable though, with his ability to go forward and kick multiple goals. He’s never out of the game.

Chris Judd is a great Super Coach option for the run home. Before his suspension, we saw him change his role to become more of an outside midfielder, and he excelled, averaging 137 SC in that time. With Murphy back, you’d think it’ll only benefit him, as Murphy generally gets the #1 tag these days.

Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield and Brett Deledio are the other obvious choices, but chances are they’d be in your opponents team, so you wouldn’t be picking them if you were looking for a point of difference, although with Adelaide’s draw, this is one instance where going different could really backfire, so something to ponder.

If Buddy Franklin doesn’t play this week, well then there’s another major decision you’ll have to make. He plays the Gold Coast in what should be a monster score for him but then has to go to the SCG to face the Swans and then play West Coast at the MCG. It’s not the best draw in the world, although the Gold Coast game could make up for it.

Depending who you listen to, some say he’ll play, others say he’s still 50/50. The last thing you want is for him to be named only to be a late withdrawal or be given the red vest late in the third quarter.

So here are your options in case Buddy doesn’t pull up;

Of course, you have the stock standard bunch of Dayne Beams, Steele Sidebottom, Steve Johnson and Patrick Dangerfield. Boring.

Here’s the three I LOVE;

Matthew Pavlich, Ryan O’Keefe and Matthew Wright.

I advocated Matthew Wright on the show two weeks ago, and although he didn’t deliver straight away, he made up for it last week with a PB performance of 37 disposals and 2 goals. What I love about Wright is he’s one of those players that can fill up all areas of the stat sheet, so if he’s not having a great game disposal wise, he’s probably kicking goals or laying tackles unlike Colin Sylvia who’s normally just doing nothing. With the Adelaide draw, and his move to the midfield made permanent, he’s sure to finish off the year very well, and best of all, no one has him. Long live the unique!

Matthew Pavlich and Ryan O’Keefe are just warriors, and not much else needs to be said about them. They perform week in-week out and due to age, and slow starts to the season, they aren’t all that popular, but boy are they making up for it now. What you see is what you get with these two. There’s no fluffing around, it’s all business and they’ll deliver the scores. You can’t go wrong with these two champions.

So there you go, if you’re looking to add a bit of spice to your finals match up. My spice comes in the Colin Sylvia form unfortunately but that’s a story for another day.

Good luck for your match ups this week guys, unless you’re playing me!

 

 

 

Dayle Garlett
WA Swan Districts
181cm, 75kg
Outside MID/FWD

If recruiters were picking on football talent alone, I have absolutely no doubt that Dayle Garlett would have his name called out in the first half a dozen of this year’s National Draft. On field, a combination of speed, silky skills and confidence make for a tantalising prospect. He’s the kid that will put bums on seats, capable of doing the absolute ridiculous. Unfortunately, an off field indiscretion saw Garlett dropped from the AIS academy earlier this year. Whether or not that hurts his draft stocks remain to be seen. Rumours of poor application have circled Garlett since, but going on what I’ve seen, and what I think he could bring to the table, I think it’ll take a brave man to pass him up.

Garlett strikes me as the type of kid just waiting for the big time. He knows he’s far more talented than most, and at junior level I think that’s something that could be holding him back. There are periods in a game where he’s everywhere, basically toying with the opposition. But then there are patches throughout a game where he goes barely cited. I think this is more mental than anything to do with his endurance levels, so it’ll be interesting to see his beep test result at the draft combine.

He’s a flashy type of player, most effective with the ball forward of centre where he can make his touches most damaging.  He likes to run and carry, and is generally creative and effective with his disposal. Around the goal he shows real flair, but sometimes tries to do more than he should. He probably can get away with this while playing juniors, but it’s an area I think he will have to iron out at AFL level.

He shows decent ability in the air, but I fancy he’s more dangerous as a forward with the ball at ground level, rather than providing a marking target. He’s a front and square rover of the ball, hitting the drop zone at full speed, and very quick to get the ball to boot.  Instinctively, I think he could be an excellent small forward at senior level, this being a role I think he’ll be used in early on at AFL level, perhaps rotating on a wing.

While I’ve given him a huge wrap so far, there’s no doubt his defensive game could improve. Garlett has a real tendency to run forward of the contest, and if the ball is turned over can get hurt going the other way. This is an area a lot of junior stars can struggle with, basically because it’s normally the opposition worrying about them, rather than the other way around. He’s shown willingness to chase and make a tackle, but I’d like to see some more attention put into his opponent.

Ideally he’d have some more body size, weighing only 75kg. So it’s hard to see him competing in the middle for a few years’ time.  He’s predominately an outside player though regardless, and I rate his chances of playing early highly.

The team that drafts him will love watching him go about it. He’ll make opposition players look silly trying to tackle him, and he’ll kick some ripper goals. Perhaps the biggest X factor in the draft.

Early on I suggest he’ll be used as an impact player, perhaps an early candidate for the sub. But if he really impresses during the preseason, and looks like playing regular season football, I think he’ll feature in many fantasy teams.  A lot will depend on how he’s received at draft camp.  I’m a fan!

 

WAFL colts: 6 games @ 109.3 DT average
WAFL League: 7 games @ 77.4 DT average
NAB AFL under 18 champs: 5 games @79.2 DT average