The Team:

The rule of thumb for dream team tends to be that you try and pick as many of your high priced players from winning sides as possible. And again this year, it seems to be the case. However, just as important to your side as the premiums is the rookie priced players - these are the players that are going to provide you with the cash to further upgrade all of your injured or underperforming premiums and mid-priced improvers. And the only places to find good quality rookies, likely to be given every opportunity at senior level is in the bottom few sides. This year, unless if we are greatly surprised, Richmond will again be one of those teams - their players will often be inconsistent and the side may lose occasionally by 100 points, but the plan for the coaches will always stay the same - play the kids! This kind of theory is perfect for dream teamers looking to chock full our benches with underpriced kids - and Richmond have a few gems! And the best part is, if you cannot find a player who fits the bill for your bench, it is always worth looking at rookies from these bottom teams as their younger players are likely to be given much more of a chance than those belonging to St.Kilda or Geelong.

Who’s Hot?:

Brett Deledio ($422,200): Really pushed himself over the pre-season after last season coming to the much publicised realisation that he was simply coasting and nowhere near the quality of player he could be. Should be set for a big year!

Dustin Martin ($149,500): The first year player has flown through his first AFL pre-season. Often told by coaches to stop over-doing things, such is his willingness to succeed - looks to have a work rate of the great Robert Harvey and if he is even half the player, he will be a super dream teamer!

Jack Riewoldt ($327,400): Had another solid pre-season and at his age, we should be able to expect some consistency from Riewoldt. Now with Polak in the forward line, he will no longer get the opposition’s key defender making it more likely that he will fire! 

Who’s Not?:

Trent Cotchin: Whilst he is currently competing in the NAB cup games, his lead up to the season was far from complete; he spent most of his time on a modified program so as to not re-injure himself. So far he is looking good, but skepticism reigns!

Ben Cousins: Had both hand and shoulder surgery in the off-season, meaning his aging body is surely ready to start slowing down this year.

Nathan Foley: In doubt for round one with repeated issues with his ankles. He has had off-season surgery but is still not 100% - I wouldn’t recommend him for this reason.

The Bargain:

Trent Cotchin ($296,200): Only half a paragraph ago I was criticizing Cotchin for coming into this season underdone, however, he is not so much underdone due to injuries, but rather a fear of injuries. Now as strange as that sounds, there was reason behind this madness - For Cotchin’s first two seasons at the Tigers, he suffered from several long-time injuries such as an Achilles issue and a hip complain, together ruining half of his debut season and most of his second year. Now with this much injury history in such a short space of time, any DT coach would need to be presented with a very persuasive case to so much as consider placing him in their team. Firstly I should say, I’m not here to convince you to get Cotchin or not get him, but rather to present you with the facts and let you make your minds up for yourselves. When selecting a player for your team, it is always worth looking at players priced in the same price-bracket whom you could be otherwise choosing - and if we look at Cotchin’s neighbors, we see two very popular DT names - Armitage and Masten - both players promising a meteoric rise in 2010 and whom many DT coaches are locking into their teams. So why would you choose an injury prone player from a team likely to finish with the wooden spoon over two players with little injury history and just about as much upside? Well… As a junior, Cotchin was an elite inside and outside midfielder - he not only won nearly 50% of his disposals from a contest, but delivered the ball with precision into the forward line (he averaged 8 inside 50s a game!). He averaged 28 disposals through the 2007 TAC Cup and was one of the best players throughout, subsequently causing Richmond to take him with their second pick in the draft. Whilst junior stats don’t always tell the complete story, Cotchin played some fantastic football in his debut season, averaging 17 disposals (great for a first year player). From there he has shown glimpses of his immense talent, again averaging 17 disposals in his injury interrupted 2009 season, using his boot as many times as his hand to deliver the ball - a great stat from a DT perspective. Whilst none of these numbers are really going to blow you away, Cotchin’s pure class and promise he has shown in his limited games has many coaches still considering him despite his bleak injury history. Honestly, I believe he has more upside (i.e. scoring potential) than Masten and Armitage, however, he must be fit to reach his peak. So far this pre-season, his monitored program is proving dividends with him looking ready to line up in round one for the first time in his short career. Also worth noting is that he scored 62 points against the Cats on the weekend, however played very limited game time and from all reports played with class and poise which suggested that 2010 may finally be his year. 

The Kid:

Dustin Martin ($149,500): I think there would be little chance that Martin is not in every single Dream Team in 2010 - those that do not have him round one will waste a trade getting him in for round two. Rarely do Dream Teamers get such a treat as we have gotten in Martin - he is a highly skilled, ball winning, solid bodied first round draft pick! At 186cm and 88kg, he has a body ready to step straight into the seniors and dominate. And is isn’t puppy fat he is carrying - look at any photo of the kid and he is ripped enough to think he’s been at this caper for years! Through his TAC Cup, Martin averaged 25 disposals, 3 tackles and nearly one goal - he is a speedy centreman, capable of both winning his own ball (average contested possessions: 38%) and also delivering it perfectly to his forwards. As for his pre-season, it has been flawless - he has been one of the most impressive and professional Tigers on the track in the pre-season and there is no chance he will be on the sidelines for round one. He is a certain starter for the Tigers in round one and should be at worst your 6^th midfielder - He is the most essential first year player since Marc Murphy! 

The Premium:

Brett Deledio ($422,200): After a breakout year in 2008, Deledio’s first half to 2009 was less than spectacular. But when caretaker coach Jade Rawlings threatened to drop him to the VFL midway through the year, it seemed to be the spark his year needed. Now, he labels that moment as a turning point in his career - when he realised the hard yards needed to be a consistent AFL midfielder. Hopefully this year we can see more of the same as Deledio at his best can easily be classified as elite. So far this pre-season his game has looked good, averaging 90 points across the two NAB games he has played. Deledio in 2009 was the highest disposal winning Tiger, as well as the one to play the most minutes for the year - quite an achievement for a midfielder! Both these stats bode well for him as DTer as it suggests both his teammates and coach want him on the field and with the ball in his hand. And whilst he wasn’t great at breaking some of the harder tags, he did prove by the end of the year that he was capable of escaping a taggers clutch through hard work, dispelling many fears of him being taken out of matches due to being the Tigers key midfielder. Now due to not being eligible as a forward his appeal does go down, but at a bit over $400k he does present the option of a consistent ball-winner who has the capacity to score some very large numbers. Whilst he may not be the first choice player in his price bracket, my gut feel is he could at least maintain his 2009 average of 96 points. 

The Smokey:

Daniel Connors ($156,000): If there was ever a list made of some of the biggest DT teases, Connors would certainly be up there. Since being drafted at pick 58 in the 2006 draft, Connors has played a total of just 10 games - poor for an uninjured player in a side such as Richmond’s, crying out for talent. Typically through his career, he has been played on a half-forward flank, never scoring particularly high DT scores, despite coming to the club in 2006 quite highly rated. In 2009, Connors presents himself as a great smokey pick due to his new role as a sweeper off the half-back line. As Raines showed in 2009, this role in Richmond is not particularly lucrative, but at a starting price as low as Connors’, there is plenty of room for improvement. So far in the NAB cup we have seen him play twice, and both times in this new role, suggesting it will be permanent, rather than an experiment - in week one he scored an impressive 98 points followed by a reasonable 64 against the Cats. The only drawback to Connors this year is that despite regularly being labeled as a forward/midfielder in previous seasons, Virtual Sports have named him purely as a midfielder. I believe he has the potential to make plenty of money for your side and score well in the meantime, however structurally he may prove an inconvenience in your side. But have a play with your team structure, and if you can fit him in, he could prove an inspired choice as he should gain in value by over $150,000.