Footy Tragic

The Team:

Fremantle are still a very young team, but as was proven two years ago by Hawthorn, that can no longer be used as an excuse for sitting idle at the bottom of the ladder. Fremantle needs to improve this year - not only for the team itself and their fans, but also for Mark Harvey - one more season at the bottom of the ladder will have many people asking some harsh questions. However, I think he has done well with what he has been given -  he has given up on recycling players and gotten rid of all the veterans, now totally focusing on the youth and therefore the future. As a DT coach, it is hard not to love Mark Harvey - so far he has given us Palmer, Suban, Hill and everyone’s favorite, Broughton! Whilst there are few elite players on Fremantle’s list, it is always worth stocking up on a couple of their cheaply priced rookies – players such as Morabito, Barlow and Fyfe look like getting a chance this year, so keep your eyes peeled – you are far better off punting on a Freo rookie than one from the Saints or Geelong. Also, if they play better in 2010 as expected, the value of the players will rise accordingly as they have more possession of the ball.

Who’s Hot?:

Matthew Pavlich ($404,900): Has trimmed down from last year, helping his fitness base. He will move more forward of centre this year, a big positive as far as DT is concerned – Pav was always a better player as a marking forward than as a midfielder.

Ryan Crowley ($242,400): After missing a lot of 2009, he seems determined to make 2010 his after great form on the track. Gary Ablett, look out!

Stephen Hill ($255,100): Has put on 5kgs yet hasn’t lost any of his zip. He played undersized for 22 games in 2009, so no reason he can’t do the same this year. Freo are expecting big things!

Garrick Ibbotson ($313,800): Training really well – looks bulked up and very fit. Only worry is that there have been talks of him becoming a tagger – no good for fantasy purposes.

Luke McPharlin ($276,800): Claims it is his best pre-season yet, however he will be played exclusively in defense, so this won’t help us too much in DT land.

Paul Duffield ($392,700): Really pushed himself on the track after his breakout season in 2009. I’m expecting big things from the boy with the flowing blonde locks!

Who’s Not?:

Rhys Palmer: Is nearly fully recovered from a knee reconstruction he received early in 2010. He has used the time off the track to build up his strength and is looking like a man now. However, he still looks like he may miss round one as part of his rehab – worth keeping an eye on though.

Steven Dodd: Shoulder and wrist surgery have cruelled most of his pre-season and he may miss some rounds of football.

The Bargain:

Chris Mayne ($220,800): Every club has their mercurial talent – the player who will be the next big thing – but also the player that only full fledged members of that particular club seem to have any idea about! For Fremantle, that player is Chris Mayne. So much is the hype that in only his second year at the club, his round 18 senior comeback secured the headline story of one Western Australia newspaper, entitled “The Mayne Event.” Mayne is a medium sized forward with the ability for the freakish – he spent the last five weeks of the season playing close to goal and was Fremantle’s leading target inside 50 for those rounds. He has worked hard this off-season and looks to grow his game in 2010 alongside his developing team. He has put on weight and increased his fitness, suggesting to me that in 2010 he won’t be used solely in attack, but also up the field. I, like Fremantle supporters, believe that Mayne is a talent, and one that has the potential to have a breakout season this year. He is priced beautifully for the small risk involved (and has received a nice discount due to only playing five games last year), and I am very tempted myself. I believe that he has the potential to average 70 – 75 points a week, making his low starting price well worth the investment. Keep an eye on his NAB cup, as I have a sneaking suspicion that he is going to turn a lot of heads this year.

The Kid:

Anthony Morabito ($145,500): Morabito was Fremantle’s first pick in the 2009 draft and fourth overall. He is already very strongly built for his age (191cm and 97kg), meaning he will be fine to step straight into the senior side in round one (aided by the fact that Freo love to play the kids). He is a strong user of the ball and also has the ability to win his own, but the problem with his game is that he is far from a ball magnet. Whilst he has more than a few possessions a game, he averaged only 14 disposals across his 10 WAFL games in 2009, a stat that suggests he is more built for supercoach than Dream Team. I believe he still has some worth at the price he is – we know he will play, and would be happy with the 60 – 70 points he may get per game. The thing to consider though is that there are some better first round picks in the same price range as Morabito – consider him for your bench, but I wouldn’t be expecting him on your field too many times this year.

The Premium:

Aaron Sandilands ($419,800): The premium ruck seems to be a dying breed, but fortunately, in the year that Dean Cox fell apart, Sandilands was able to step up and easily take his place as the best DT ruckman. Whilst Sandi is an awkward player to watch on the field with his giant arms and strange gait, he is also a brilliant footballer. He dominates hitouts against every ruckman in the competition, often scoring 30 – 40 points from hitouts alone! Coupled with that, his work at the stoppages is great, getting the most clearances for a ruckman in 2009 and averaging 17 disposals. He was also able to add another string to his bow in 2009 with the ability to kick goals – something drastically underrated for a ruckman in today’s game – Sandi was able to nab himself 13 goals, 8 behinds for the year, and I believe that this will increase further this year as Zac Clarke becomes stronger and more able to support the big guy in the ruck, allowing him to move closer to goal more often. If you are looking for a premium ruck in 2010, I am close to 100% confident that Sandi is your man – he is still young by Ruckman standards (27yo) and showed last year he is still getting better and still getting used to using his size to his advantage.

The Smokey:

Adam McPhee ($340,800): McPhee walked out on Essendon at the end of 2009 for a few reasons – one was to return to the club where he played his first game of AFL. Another reason was for the three-year contract Essendon weren’t prepared to offer. And thirdly, to quote, “For [his] own ego,” to play midfield, as promised to him by Mark Harvey. From the moment I heard this snippet of news, I was licking my lips with excitement – whilst McPhee isn’t necessarily the most exciting player to don some AFL boots in the past while, he is a big-bodied player, capable of winning his own ball and taking a contested mark – two traits which translate very nicely into Dream Team – especially when played through the midfield! As McPhee is moving to a young team in Fremantle, I expect he will be given much more responsibility, i.e. a greater leadership role in the midfield, similar to that played by Pavlich through 2010 – Freo need hard-bodied players around the stoppages to prevent the likes of Hill, Suban and Palmer from being beaten around, and that is where McPhee will step in. He will be great lining up on the square and at winning his own ball, I also imagine he will be a great tackler and be moved forward occasionally to kick some goals. Get the gist of what I’m saying? We have never seen him play midfield before, but if he can translate his regular game into that of a midfielder, I believe his game statistics will take quite the rising. Watch him in the NAB cup – if he chops, get on board!