Footy Tragic

Hey guys and girls, welcome to the first Weekend Wrap-Up! In these articles, I intend to talk about the weekend’s matches and what the results, injuries and scores may mean to your Dream Team. I’m not going to do match reviews – you can check out the AFL website for that. I’m just going to give you the cold, hard, Dream Team facts! Also, I will include a list of 3 players from each game; Don’t believe the hype – a player whose kick-to-kick skills flattered their real game – don’t expect this every week, because they will surely let you down! Believe the hype – a cheapie who looks the goods. The hype is yet to come – a superstar who has had one bad week – don’t get off the horse yet!

Thursday:

Richmond vs Carlton:

For those who have been pumped by Carlton’s pre-season form, and jumped on many of their maturing young players, such as Gibbs, Murphy or Robinson, this was a fantastic night for you, as Carlton steamrolled the Tiges! When all but two players score 50 points or more, and 7 players hit the ton, you know you’re having a good night! The highlights to take from this match were the form of several young-guns debuting for the Blues – Robinson obviously being the star (so much so that the soon apparent news of Liam Anthony’s injury was met with jubilation as we realised that Robinson’s score of 90 would be subbed in from the bench!)  – he attacked the ball ferociously and used it well, also laying many 4 pointers (tackles!). He definitely looks like a keeper, and based on that game, it would be hard for Ratten to think otherwise too! Others to impress were Garlett and Jacobs. Both popular bench choices – but I wouldn’t be playing them on the ground unless necessary.

It is important to note that the massive Dream Team scores accumulated by Carlton are unfortunately not to be relied upon in future weeks. Yes, they will score highly at times, but Richmond put them under little pressure. Most clubs would have scored heavily.

On the flip-side, Richmond did not live up to an ounce of the promise they showed in the pre-season. They had only one player score over 100… and he’s 34 years old! The likes of Deledio, Nathan Brown and Bowden – all very popular ’08 stars, were all very unimpressive, failing to put their mark on the game. And of course, tragedy struck twice in the final quarter – first as Ben Cousins went down with a 3 – 4 week hamstring injury (But seriously, who was silly enough to put him in their team anyway!?) and then the fall of Andrew Raines – officially the most popular Dream Team player of 2009. Richmond says he could be out for up to a month… But maybe longer! This is what scares me – this time of year, I don’t mind throwing such a cheap player on my bench and making do. Especially with his direct replacement, Rance, sitting on my bench… but if it’s going to be longer, I suddenly become a little more scared.

Personally, what I have decided to do, is leave him there until a similar priced player can come into a team and impress me – I am thinking Grimes, as Melbourne seem to think he is only a week or two away – and then side-trade for this player UNLESS Raines can make it back before then! In the meantime, as I said, I will play Rance or Suban – my two emergencies. What does everyone else think they will do with him? Did anyone fall into the Cousins trap?

Don’t believe the hype: Simon Wiggins – He played a good game, but you can’t expect this every week from a defensive forward. He was payed no respect and with one-way traffic the whole night, who wouldn’t have scored that!?

Believe the hype: Mitch Robinson – he will try his guts out for you each and every week!

The hype is yet to come: Brett Deledio – he took a while to fire up last year, unfortunately it could be the same in ’09.

Friday:

Geelong vs Hawthorn

A MUCH better game this one, and it proved two things: Hawthorn and Geelong! Get on them and their players! Both teams should go close in 2009, and you would be silly not to load your teams full of them!

Also, do not be scared by a couple of ‘average’ scores from a few of the elite players, such as Selwood and Hodge (I have already read on some boards, people talking about who they should trade them for!) – remember the team they were playing, and remember why you picked them in the first place – BECAUSE THEY ARE STARS!! You WILL regret trading them after one average week! I Still regret a trade 2 years ago, when I had Chad Cornes in my team and he opened with 2 scores in the 70′s. Not too bad, but I didn’t like it, so I moved him on. For the rest of the season he killed it, and I bought him back later in the year for an inflated price! YOU WILL REGRET IT!

Don’t believe the hype: Tom Lonergan – whilst his score this week was no good, so the hype isn’t major, he is one very inconsistent player!

Believe the hype: Gary Ablett Jnr – You’d want him to be at that price, but this fella ain’t gonna let his price drop!

The hype is yet to come: Joel Selwood – The kid was pulverised early in the match and struggled to get back into it. Stay on – the only way is up!

Saturday:

Collingwood vs Adelaide

This was another game like Thursday, where we got to see a few young players – all from Adelaide. I am talking about Walker, Dangerfield and Otten. The one who excites me the most out of these three is Otten – he is definitely worth targeting, and with a good fitness base, should stay in the team and be relatively consistent. Unlike the Thursday game, I think that this match really reflected what we should be expecting from most players for the rest of the season (i.e. It wasn’t downhill skiing). We probably can’t expect much more from Walker – he is this year’s Tippett (and so is Tippett unfortunately). Another message to take from this game is that it looks like Pendlebury may step up again this year, and that Cloke cannot perform on good opposition!

Don’t believe the hype: Travis Cloke – see above!

Believe the hype: Dane Swan – plays half the game from the bench and scores 115… legend!

The hype is yet to come: Brent Reilly – now that he’s injury free, watch for his scores to steadily increase.

Brisbane vs West Coast

This match was surprisingly close, but it certainly shows that there is life left in the Eagles, and more importantly, huge scoring potential from Brisbane, with only 3 players scoring below 60! The disappointing part of this match was the poor scores from DT favourites: Daniel Kerr, and Drummond. In support of Drummond, he was tagged out of the first half, and really pushed through the second, being a pivotal player in the revival. Kerr however, still seems a bit underdone, but will hopefully push his scores higher as his match fitness rises. Also worth noting is the form of young lion, Daniel Rich – he was silky smooth, and already being talked up by Vossy – if you don’t have him, get on him!

Don’t believe the hype: Chad Fletcher – Was a late inclusion, and is clearly not a first choice player – he will only frustrate you with his inability to get frequent games and hit a target.

Believe the hype: Brad Dalziell – It seems impossible for this kid to score under 100! And won’t get tagged when in the presence of Power, Black and Johnstone.

The hype is yet to come: Josh Drummond – I hope! We saw in the pre-season what he is capable of – they want it in his hands – surely he won’t be tagged every week!

St.Kilda vs Sydney:

The match was not too different to what everyone expected – a reasonably low-scoring affair, with the Saints coming out on top. They showed that they are a high tackling team, thrashing Sydney in the count.

In regards to Dream Team scores in St Kilda’s back half, it is worth reminding that the Saints are currently short their Full Back in Hudghton and CHB in Maguire. This meant extra responsibility in the back line for players such as Sam Fisher. He will begin to score more highly as these players come back over the next few weeks, as he is released into less defensive roles, and into the midfield as promised.

Don’t believe the hype: Lewis Roberts-Thompson – He was playing kick-to-kick all night, which won’t be the case in future as Sydney play teams who are not as much into flooding as St. Kilda.

Believe the hype: Brendon Goddard – I really wanted to say Kosi, but am way too scared to jinx him! Goddard played a brilliant game, and is the Saint’s number 1 go-to man off half back and in the middle.

The hype is yet to come: Nick Riewoldt – he tends to get off to a slow start most years, and much credit to Bolton as he absolutely towelled him. However, Roo at his best is unstoppable! Do not trade him, as you will be looking for cash later in the year to buy him back!

Sunday:

North Melbourne vs Melbourne

The match that no one seemed to care much about showed me one thing – I SHOULD’VE BLOODY TAKEN H MAC!! Whilst we should remember that he competed against a first gamer in Jake Spencer, it at least proves he’s over the injuries that kept him out of last year. It is also worth commenting on a few cheap players from Melbourne who played good games – Petterd is the strongest candidate for Dream Team coaches, as his price is very similar to that of one very recently injured Andrew Raines – he played well at Half Forward, and should be quite consistent if he can keep his injuries at bay.

Don’t believe the hype: Michael Firrito – I nearly got excited when I found out he was moving to the midfield, but with a score of 50, this is a train I’m glad I didn’t get on!

Believe the hype: Daniel Wells – I have never been a fan, but when he averaged 120 points in the pre-season, I took notice. Everyone said that is was because of no tag, so I looked away. This week he was tagged to the score of 94 – not too bad at all.

The hype is yet to come: Drew Petrie – he was reasonable on the weekend, but this year he will be great! It is even better that he will be playing Ruck/CHF!

Port Adelaide vs Essendon

Port have stamped themselves as another fantasy powerhouse (no pun intended) with only 3 players scoring below 50. They play exciting, free flowing football, and that’s something that should make us all very happy! Unfortunately DT favourites such as the Cornes boys and Krakouer didn’t join in as much as hoped, but we know what Chad and Kane can do, and just watching Krak go about his business, you know he should have a good season! Essendon also scored higher than I was expecting, with Skipworth having people singing from the stands as he racked up 124 DT points. We also saw that Lucas is starting to gain some form (if he can kick straight), and that Essendon’s other forwards really need to start stepping up consistently.

Don’t believe the hype: Daniel Motlop – Mr. Inconsistent – he will drive you INSANE!

Believe the hype: Daniel Pearce – he had a great pre-season, and it showed today – he looked all class!

The hype is yet to come: Nathan Krakouer – his disposal was class, but he just needs to get more of it. Remember how low his price is, so don’t worry – you won’t lose anything, he will only go up!

Fremantle vs Western Bulldogs

This was a surprisingly good match, and reasonably tight up until the last quarter. The dogs looked nothing like their pre-season selves, and moved the ball very quickly and very accurately. The only thing to note as far as fantasy points are concerned, is the Dog’s love of the two-pointer handball! No one kicks the thing! Having said this, they do kick stacks of goals, so it’s not all bad!

Griffen looked great in the first half, and all of you coaches with Higgins will be delighted, as he played the full game in the midfield! Also looking good were gia and gilbee! For Freo, the two debutants weren’t amazing – Suban looked pretty classy, especially when he drilled a long bomb goal from outside the 50. Hill looks WAY too small, and surprisingly didn’t look too quick (I know he is, but he failed to chase down players on several occasions). I wouldn’t be trusting him in your best 22! May I also note that I didn’t like Pavlich in his new role up the ground – he looked strangely out of his depth early. I don’t know how regular this role will be, or how he will take to it in the future, but be wary… he doesn’t look like he will score close to what we expect from him!

Don’t believe the hype: Brett Peake – he may have played one good game here, but he is a total Dream Team failure – this type of game is rare, so DO NOT trade him into your team, unless you want to waste another trade in getting rid of him 3 weeks later!

Believe the hype: Shaun Higgins – those of you who don’t have him – Shame on you! Did you just believe the mis-informed rumours before lockout? Or have you just been hiding under a rock??

The Hype is yet to come: Adam Cooney – he was well underdone coming into this game, and was understandably played sparingly! He won the Brownlow – he’ll be back in no time.

Expert: Dan
Team: Hank Scorpio EDT
Round 1 Score: 1861
Remaining Salary Cap: $8,900

Expert: Toby
Team: Fiora’s Hardnuts
Round 1 Score: 1930
Remaining Salary Cap: $12,300

Expert: Ben
Team: The Redbacks
Round 1 Score: 1986
Remaining Salary Cap: $9,800

Note: Remember to check out last evening’s webcast.

I had a hard time deciding whom I’d write about for my first article on this site. I think a lot of the genuine premiums come down to personal preference – everyone has their favourites that they won’t go without. There’s plenty of talk about rookies and cash cows at this time of year, so I thought I’d go for an often neglected category by profiling a guy on the edge of premium status, but not quite there yet.

This is a very important class of player to really nail. Any guy that you start with who ends up being a premium at any less than premium price obviously puts you at a huge advantage.

Why not go for my biggest man crush and write about Joel Selwood? A price point of $404K might not be everyone’s cup of tea (well, maybe he’s priced as a lower end premium, but let’s say he can go elite). For an extra $30-$40K you’re getting a genuine premium like Kane Cornes or Scott Thompson, for $30-$40K less you can get someone with arguably as much improvement as what you’d be looking for from Selwood (10 points per game).

Personally I have confidence that Selwood will continue his meteoric rise into 2009 and become one of the Dream Team’s genuine premium mids. I’ll go through the reasons why I think he can rise again and how this works with Geelong already having the top three scoring mids from last year!

Selwood puts points in a lot of different categories. He’s a very even DT’er, except that he’s deficient in goal scoring. The fact that he’s so young and already putting up such good numbers in pretty much all stat categories says to me that he only needs marginal improvements in each category to get those extra PPG that you’ll need from him. With his well-rounded game, I’m pretty confident that he will.

For the first half of last year he was quite inconsistent as a DT’er. His scoring worm looks almost like a perfect zigzag from Round 1-13, but he really hit his stride from Round 14 onwards. Given his relative lack of experience, I’m not at all discouraged by his yo-yo like scores in the early rounds. His second half of the year showed a transition into a mature player (only a month after his 20^th birthday, mind you) where he averaged 103.4 and had only one sub 90 score (a 72 against DT killers Sydney).

Obviously there will be a lingering question mark as to whether or not there are enough points in the Geelong midfield to sustain another 100+ DT average. In the time he averaged 103.4 Geelong’s midfield was pretty much close to full strength, so he has scored these points in a loaded midfield. Ablett missed three games from Round 16-18, but in that time Selwood scored 94, 95 and 115, which is pretty consistent to the rest of his purple patch. I will admit though, that Ablett’s scoring was down during Selwood’s run of form, (94.5 for GAJ from Round 14-22). Furthermore, there’s been a bit of chatter this pre season about Bartel and Corey playing a bit more across the half back line in 2009. So even if you are concerned about a team able to have four 100+ mids, I’d consider the likelihood that Geelong are going to be keen to continue giving Selwood more responsibility.

With plenty of class and a penchant for racking up some junk time stats – something we all love – I see no reason why he can’t maintain the average that he put up at the end of last year in that same star studded midfield. If you’ve got any doubt, check out his NAB Cup Grand Final (for the record, I was all over him like a rash before that game!)

View Firecracker’s Team

Dear Firecracker.

Thank you for submitting your team. On first glance, you have done a good job selecting your squad of 30 players. However, selecting Simon Hogan as your 9th forward shows the lack of quality forward options in this price bracket. My concern with Hogan is that because of the strength of Geelong’s midfield, he will be lucky to play more than 5 senior games in 2009.

The question I am asked most by footy tragics is: “Who should I select as my forward options below the $90,000 mark”? While I agree with your 8th forward selection (Mitch Brown), you should consider the following players for forward selection 9:

• Taylor Walker – Adelaide – The boy from Broken Hill has been very impressive in his 2nd pre-season at the Crows. After being selected as a NSW scholarship holder in the 2007 National Draft, Walker’s development has been rapid. After booting 56 goals in the SANFL in 2008, Walker has averaged 54 points per game in the 2009 pre-season matches.



• Mitch Thorp – Hawthorn – If Thorp played for any other team apart from the Hawks, he would have already played 20 AFL games by now, rather than 1. With Buddy Franklin & Jarryd Roughead holding down the key forward posts, Thorp has been switched to defence to cover the injury to Trent Croad. Thorp was picked up at selection 6 in the 2006 National Draft. He is a star of the future who will make his mark in 2009. While Thorp has averaged just 34 points per game in the 2009 pre-season matches, I expect him to be a big improver this season.

• Hayden Ballantyne – Fremantle – The small forward from Peel Thunder has not played any pre-season matches due to having wrist surgery late 2008. The 21 year old was selected by the Dockers with pick 21 in the 2008 National Draft. Ballantyne simply demanded his place on an AFL list after booting 75 goals in the WAFL & winning the Sandover Medal in 2008. While Ballantyne is unlikely to play until Round 4 or 5 due to his wrist injury, expect him to have an immediate impact when he is selected.