Nick Daicos – I spent the opening month of 2023 without Daicos and it was horrible. Never again. I don’t care about the early bye or the early Finn tag, he’s in from the start this time.
Lachie Whitfield – Always a frustrating figure due to trading into him at the worst times. His average jumps up to 97 without the sub affected round 1 score, and is value for a guy who hasn’t averaged under 90 since 2016.
Jordan Ridley – Jake Kelly’s arrival a couple years ago was supposed to give Ridley a fantasy bump but it didn’t really eventuate. I’m more optimistic with the arrival of Ben Mckay this time and I think there’s a 90+ season in Ridley coming at some stage.
Keidean Coleman – The grand final was a sign of things to come and Daniel Rich has retired. Should be a popular pick.
Zac Williams – Remember this guy? Bargain if fit.
Nick Coffield – 2nd club and 2nd chance to make a fist of his AFL career. Great value if he gets a gig.
Daniel Curtin – Plays round 1 and will score better than Michallaney did this year.
Josh Gibcus – Rookie priced and will play every game in 2024. Won’t score a lot, but cash gen will be decent enough, especially with the rules around opening round.
Errol Gulden – Another player I hated not owning for the first part of 2023. Keen to start him this time.
Tim Taranto – He’s either under-priced if you look at his first half of 2023 or over-priced if you look at his second half. It really depends how you see it, but I think in his 2nd year as a Tiger, he’ll go huge again.
Andrew Brayshaw – Super consistent and even though slightly down on his 2022 numbers, I except him to go big in 2024.
Zak Butters – Looked unbelievable at times in his breakout season and is poised to improve again.
Neil Erasmus – Speculative pick but his 2023 average of 52 doesn’t really tell the story of his heavily sub-affected fantasy season. If he can secure a spot in the 22 and shrug the vest, he has 30 points upside.
Colby McKercher – Will be very popular.
Ryley Sanders – Another popular cash cow at this stage.
Jeremy Sharp – Will be a very profitable starting cow if named round 1.
Jhye Clark – Loved what I saw from him in his one quarter of footy this year. Cats will look to give him plenty of opportunity. Shaun Mannagh – Mature aged recruits always catch my eye this time of the year.
Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy – It took me several years and a significant price decrease to finally go set and forget with these two. Everyone knows why Grundy is value but Gawn went at an average of 113 once given sole ruck duties this year.
Nicholas ‘Loophole‘ Madden – A popular captain option last season and he can sit at my R3 for now.
Jackson Macrae – The Smith injury sealed it for me. Hard to see him hurting us at that price.
Taylor Adams – Lots of ifs for Adams but he can be in the top handful of forward scorers and is a bargain based on this.
Zac Fisher – It’s sounding like this half back role at North could be happening. Previous players in that role include Aaron Hall, Jack Ziebell and Harry Sheezel…
Jack Billings – When he plays, he scores. A fresh start at the Dees could be just what he needs.
Harley Reid – Doesn’t have to score huge, his job security is enough of a reason to pick him.
Orazio Fantasia – Pretty hard to ignore at his price, but the likelihood of him playing round 1 isn’t great.
Billy Dowling, Brayden George – Just placeholders for the time being but both will be considered at points next year.
In warm conditions, the Crows finished off their pre-season in style with a commanding win over the Eagles. With the scoreboard blown out early, the sting was gone out from the game but there was still plenty of fantasy take aways.
Played the predicted role of bouncing between half back and on ball and looked great doing it. He was seen everywhere and brought a physical game laying 5 tackles. Role and job security look strong, an easy cash cow to pick.
Elliot Yeo
Basically, swapped with Ginbey between half back and on ball and looked solid without setting the world on fire. Kicked a raking long range goal late in the game showing the strength is back in his legs. He didn’t have huge time on ground numbers, likely indicating the Eagles want him fresh and ready for round 1. Lock and load.
Liam Duggan
Played a very fantasy friendly game in the backline where there was lots of pill to be had. Took 12 marks and continued on from his high scoring finish to season 2022. Could be a nice point of difference if you’re confident the role is secure. There’s a heap of players tipped to spend time in the rebounding role, Yeo, Ginbey, Shuey, Hurn, Witherden. The ball will be down there a lot this season again for West Coast but that’s a lot of mouths to feed.
Dom Sheed
Similarly to Yeo, if you were considering him pre-match, then he did his job. He had a heap of centre bounce attendances and tried hard in a losing cause. The role is good and he’ll remain a popular mid-pricer.
Andrew Gaff
Nope. I thought he’d be an interesting watch considering how cheap he is and the Eagles need for some experienced heads. But he played on a wing and was rarely sighted.
Shannon Hurn
He just keeps on keeping on doesn’t he! Another huge game stat-wise as the Eagles backline was under assault for most of the game. 25 touches, 11 marks and 6 tackles. The guy’s a freak. Only pick him in Drafts though.
Campbell Chesser
Low time on ground but looked a likely type when he got his chance. He should be named for round 1 but will be a wait and see.
Alex Witherden
Was not used at all in the first half which was a surprise considering how strong a pre-season he has had. He racked up his 8 touches pretty quickly, joining in the backline’s attempts to control the footy. Hard to know where he fits in still.
Performed like the Laird we saw explode last year and is likely to replicate it this year. 32 touches, 10 tackles and 2 goals. He’s worth the money.
Sam Berry
Was a constant figure in the centre bounce setup for the Crows and played a terrific game, even adding a couple of goals from midfield. Still remains to be seen if he can add enough to his average this year to justify picking in classic formats, but he’s a great get in drafts.
Ben Keays
Forward status looks very likely because even though Keays was used at times in the middle, he did most of his work forward of centre, including a handy 4 goals! It’s a stacked forward line in fantasy this year and Keays may complicate things later by adding to the options.
I put these guys together because they played similar roles, rotating between a small forward role and running through the midfield. Rachele looked the better of the two on the night, and whilst there’s no interest just yet in a fantasy sense, Crows fan would be licking their lips.
Luke Pedlar
Excellent performance that has all but guaranteed a round 1 gig. He looked tough around the ball and found himself in some good spots. He won’t be a high fantasy scorer but will serve us well as an F7 or F8
Jordan Dawson
The newly appointed Adelaide skipper cruised around intercepting the ball and distributing with class. Set for another great season.
Matt Crouch
Similar to Witherden, was surprisingly not used until the last quarter despite having a strong pre-season. Collected 9 touches in just 15% game time which proves what we already knew, Crouch is a magnet when he plays. The unanswered question remains, though, does he play round 1?
Reilly O’Brien
Did what he was expected to do against such an inexperienced West Coast ruck division, but he looked great doing it. He did plenty around the ground, collecting 17 disposals and resting forward at times. Not a crazy pick at R2 this year but there are those worried about his place in the team. I don’t think that’s an issue at this stage, particularly early in the season.
Darcy Fogarty
The breakout continues as Fogarty picked up right where he left off last season in a dominant performance. Kicked 3 goals in the first quarter to effectively end the contest and finished with 4. Not a terrible late pick in drafts.
This was a fascinating contest to round out the pre-season games. Gold Coast essentially dominated the game but were nearly undone by terrible conversion in front of goal. Geelong, being the experienced side it is, took advantage of the missed Suns opportunities and found themselves in front early in the second half. The young Suns found their kicking boots in time though and stormed home to a 23-point win.
Touk Miller
In some formats, he is a million dollar man, so it was important for those potentially parting with such a large sum of their salary cap, that he delivered. Long story short, he delivered. 32 touches, 9 tackles and 2 goals were his main stats and watching him run from contest to contest with his incredible work rate was enough for me to say he’s set for another uber-uber premium season!
Matt Rowell
It was interesting to see what prospective coaches needed to see from the young Sun gun in this match to convince them that he will start in their squads. Some just needed him to get through the game unscathed and others wanted to see more of the fantasy game we saw when he burst onto the scene in 2020. He did all of that and more, and actually looked like a different player without the excessive strapping on his shoulders and what appears to be a nice haircut. Rowell was hard at the ball and in the thick of the action at the coalface, extracting the ball and giving off to the outside runners. He finished with 27 disposals (18 contested) and 7 tackles and scored a fantasy ton across the formats without even taking a mark! The marks will come as he gets more games under his belt and starts to find position on the outside as well. Marks or no marks, he is priced deliciously and will be extremely popular after this match.
Noah Anderson
There has been a lot of chatter about Caleb Serong being an obvious 3rd year breakout candidate but not enough has been spoken about Noah Anderson. He was absolutely everywhere in this match but slowed in the last quarter, finishing with 25 touches (19 kicks) and would’ve scored much higher had he not given away 5 free kicks. Will be a unique pick, but I’d back him in for the big year.
Lachie Weller
Available as a forward this year, and playing a new role off halfback, Weller looms as a nice differential to the more commonly picked players. If you are basing his selection on this game, however, you might want to look elsewhere. The role is there but it didn’t look like they were trying too hard to get the ball in his hands coming out of the defensive 50. He did take 4 out of the 6 kick ins (playing on 3 times) but Geelong’s accuracy in front of goal really limited his scoring. He still had 18 touches for the game but only took 2 marks. Still a great option for Drafts but that’s probably it at this stage.
Jarrod Witts
Did enough if you are wanting to start him at R2 (especially now with the Preuss news) from only 54% game time. He only collected 7 disposals and 1 mark for the game but was the dominant big man on the ground recording the most hit outs in the game with 29 and impacted the contest plenty. Will have his work cut out for him in round 1 up against Naitanui which is worth considering before locking him in as R2.
Will Powell
Powell has steadily improved his output every season and now in his 5th season, can be considered fantasy relevant. Unlike Weller, he was involved in most defensive rebounds for Gold Coast and was busy up the ground too. He finished with 20 touches, 7 marks and 5 tackles, and can be pushed up your Draft rankings comfortably.
Brayden Fiorini
Fiorini is an interesting player. Historically has been an absolute magnet when he plays but doesn’t use it well enough to hold down a spot in one of the league’s cellar dweller sides. He was the opposite in this match as his game was more about quality over quantity which will hold him in good stead for round 1 selection. Playing more of a half forward role in the first half he was largely unsighted but set free in the second half saw him collect 16 touches in the second half. He finished the night with 23 disposals and 5 tackles but to me looked much more dangerous with ball in hand than we’ve been accustomed to. I don’t think he should be dismissed as a unique starter in Classic comps this year despite his price tag.
Jack Lukosius
The forward role is real and consequently; his fantasy game is dead. He kicked 3 goals and looked excellent for the Suns but he should no longer be considered in the fantasy world. At least not this year anyway.
Patrick Dangerfield
This wasn’t the game potential Dangerfield owners wanted to see as he recorded just the 17 disposals and spent lots of time forward. He kicked 2 goals but didn’t read the ball or the play well in the forward role especially early in the game when supply was at a minimum. So, the question remains, is this going to be how Geelong play Dangerfield this year or is it just a case of Gary Rohan not playing and it being a pre-season match? We’ll find out in round 1 I suspect but either way, you can expect to see Dangerfield gain forward status again this season but until then, it’s hard to make a case for him in Classic.
Cam Guthrie
Whizzed around collecting touches at will as he has done the last couple of years and shows no signs of dropping his output this year. Had 32 touches, kicked a goal, and even took some kick outs! A fairly safe pick if you want to stand out from the crowd but you’re more likely to pick him in your Draft side.
Zach Guthrie
It’s the younger Guthrie I was more interested in tracking in this game and thankfully I didn’t have to look too hard to notice him. With the Geelong defence under siege for most of the first quarter, Guthrie saw a heap of footy and collected 9 possessions for the term. He looks a different player to the baby-faced youngster who played a career high 13 games last year as he has put on some size and is now putting himself in good spots to find the ball. It’s worth noting Tom Stewart and Jack Henry weren’t playing and will likely steal points off Guthrie when they return. Still, the younger Guthrie looked good for his 25 touches and it’s also worth noting, his brother Cam didn’t start putting out decent fantasy scores until he had reached 40 career games, which is the figure Zach will be approaching early this year. A Draft sleeper that will surprise a few this year.
Sam De Koning
The kids down at the Cattery are so interesting because they likely have the talent but haven’t seen much in the way of senior footy due to Geelong always being a top 4 side. De Koning was excellent in this match showing poise and composure I did not expect from the 204cm backman finishing with 19 disposals and 5 marks. Like Guthrie, his scoring opportunities received a bump in the absence of Stewart and Henry, but I think we saw enough to suggest this cash cow will be playing round 1.
Max Holmes
Holmes is another highly touted youngster that should see more opportunities this year after playing 9 games last year, including the finals series. He didn’t look out of place in this match collecting 23 touches but unfortunately is priced in no man’s land and won’t be considered for any fantasy squads this year. Will be a player to watch for the future.
Tom Atkins
The back pocket hard nut had an excellent game seemingly opposed to Rankine but running off him and doing as he pleased. He will have similar games like this but then also very low scoring games when made more accountable. 25 touches and 6 tackles but he is no more than a handy Draft guy.
Joel Selwood
Wow! Selwood saw what Callum Mills did in just 41% game time and said, “hold my beer, er, um, Gatorade”. In just 37% game time, Selwood turned back the clock scoring 83 DT/AF points and 93 SC points! Does this mean he’s a must have under-priced premo? Certainly not, but it’s just a reminder there’s still some legs left in this old Cat. Look to snap him up late in Drafts.
Tyson Stengle
Had to give a quick mention to the flighty forward arriving at his third club. After 4 goals in the practice match last week, all eyes were on Stengle for a potential F5/F6 spot in our squads. Unfortunately, he was a victim of his role and the lack of supply for the Geelong forwards and was very quiet early. He warmed into the game to finish with 10 touches and a goal, but I think some very low scores can be expected this year which will look ugly on our fields.
Jeremy Cameron
The word out of Geelong is Cameron is as fit as he’s been in years (isn’t everyone?) but I’d believe it on this game’s form. In a tough match for Cats forwards, Cameron presented high up the field and helped connect the ball to the deeper forwards. Finished with 3 goals and 16 touches and will improve his output drastically from last year.
For the second time in a week, the Dockers and Eagles went head-to-head in a practice match but this one was a much closer representation of how the sides will line up in round 1 and thankfully was a much closer contest to watch. The undermanned Eagles did well to stay in the contest all night with the Dockers’ poor goal conversion keeping it a contest. In the end, Fremantle held on for a nice win and both sides will take plenty of positives in the lead up to round 1.
Andrew Brayshaw
Looked every bit the player we think he is going to be this year racking up 30 touches, 5 tackles and a goal whilst attending the majority of centre bounces. The tags will come this year, but Brayshaw is such a hard runner that it may not matter. His hard running rewarded him with a Joe the Goose goal in the goal square unmanned. There’s not much more to add here, if you liked Brayshaw before this game then nothing should have changed for you.
Luke Ryan
Has very much gone under the radar this pre-season as I haven’t heard his name mentioned at all. Fremantle dominated the uncontested mark stat as they frequently opted to chip the ball around in their back half. Ryan was a beneficiary of this style taking 13 marks for the game (all uncontested) and finishing the game as one of the highest scorers across the formats. If Fremantle maintain this game style throughout the season, Ryan could be a nice option although his price will put most off.
Sean Darcy
Tipped to give the top 2 ruck mantle a nudge this year, Darcy had a strange game that was hard to interpret. His Supercoach score was double his DT/AF score which indicates he had a big impact on the game without really touching the footy much. He played 80% of the game but could only manage 2 kicks for the game, 1 of which was an incredible banana goal from the pocket that I don’t think any other ruckman in the game would’ve pulled off or even attempted for that matter. The role was fine as he did the bulk of the rucking but he didn’t take a mark for the whole game as he and Naitanui seemed to nullify each other out from the stat sheet. His cause wasn’t helped when Rory Lobb cannoned into him in a marking contest in the second quarter. All in all, a strange game from Darcy who I’m sure is still set for a big year but I don’t see him overtaking Gawn or Grundy just yet.
There has been a lot of breakout buzz this pre-season around Serong and rightfully so as he picked up where he left off late last season with a strong fantasy game. He collected 25 touches mostly on the outside attending 60% centre bounces and used the ball well. The concern with Serong increasing his scores this season is that his time on ground numbers need to increase for him to become a fully-fledged premium. He averaged 74% time on ground last season and was at 71% in this game. He did spend some time on the bench having his head strapped with the visual reminding me of a young Joel Selwood. Serong will be an excellent fantasy player for years to come, I’m just not sure if this is the year he completely breaks out.
Will Brodie
With Fyfe set to come back into the side, Brodie needed to put his best foot forward and finish off what has been a strong pre-season at his new club. In only 67% time on ground, he laid a match high 8 tackles to go with his 23 touches and looks like fitting in well to the Freo midfield attending 52% centre bounces. My main concern with picking Brodie to start the year is that he teased us last year with a solid pre-season and started the year in the Gold Coast midfield, but he looked completely lost and eventually lost his spot. The good thing about this year is he at a new club and is priced low enough that you can take the risk this year. If he’s named round 1, I’m on board.
Jordan Clark
Looks good in purple and you can just about be certain he will gain defender status early in the season. Looked assured with his 24 touches and should develop into the player we had hoped last season at the Cats.
Hayden Young
Maybe not relevant in the fantasy world just yet but I really like this kid. He’s tough and hard and reminds me of a young Rory Laird. Had 17 touches and would’ve scored much better had he not registered zero stats in the 2nd quarter.
Liam Henry
The wing role appears to be there for him, but the scoring isn’t. Just doesn’t get his hand on it enough.
Michael Walters
The midfield role is gone but Walters showed that at his best, he can still score well as a forward. Was brilliant in this game especially in the last quarter when he picked up 10 touches and kicked 2 goals. Worth a look in Drafts.
Matt Taberner
Was BOG at halftime showing a huge presence that Fremantle fans have been wanting to see for years. Was statless in the 3rd term before finishing strong in the last quarter. Not a terrible Draft option.
Heath Chapman
Played a very fantasy friendly game and made the most of Fremantle’s chip kick game style taking 8 uncontested marks. Is cheap enough but I wouldn’t be jumping on based on this one game. Worth watching in the early stages of the season.
Tim Kelly
With so many of West Coast’s midfield facing time on the sidelines, Kelly needs to lift, and he looks primed for a big season. Dominated the game and was one of the highest fantasy scorers on the ground across the formats. At full flight, Kelly is a joy to watch and is the X-factor that the Eagles need in the middle of the ground. He finished the night with 32 touches and a goal oozing class all over the field. Is cheap after an injury affected and poor 2021 by his standards and offers value, particularly in Super Coach.
Alex Witherden
Witherden had an interesting night playing in his usual fantasy friendly role. He looked to be the designated kicker out of the back half taking 6/13 kick ins (and playing on every time) but he did turn it over a few times which has been a knock on his game in the past. He finished the game with 27 touches, with 21 of those being kicks but the best part of his game, was the fact that he did this alongside Hurn. I think he can be the player we need him to be this year and is worth a look. Could come under some scrutiny for a big bump on Brayshaw at the opening bounce of the second half that sparked memories of Mark Yeates on Dermott Brereton in the ’89 grand final!
Andrew Gaff
Disrespected in the fantasy world this pre-season as there has been almost zero talk about him as an under-priced premo. He averaged under 100 for the first time in DT/AF since 2016 and 2017 for SC and is well under priced for his potential output. The problem is, it looks like last year might not be an outlier, but more the start of a downward trend. With so many Eagles mids missing, Gaff had to play much more inside than usual which is not his preferred position. He tried hard all night and West Coast looked much better when Gaff was involved. He finished with 21 touches including 15 in the second half and also kicked a goal.
Nic Naitanui
Very quiet night playing his usual low time on ground (58%). Was dragged deep to the defensive goal square often by Darcy which seemed a deliberate ploy to keep NicNat out of the action. It worked as he only managed 11 disposals and, like Darcy, zero marks.
Connor West
Maybe it’s the hair but there’s a real Matt Priddis 2.0 feel about this kid. I really enjoyed watching him crack in all night and with the current midfielder shortage at the Eagles, he’s a monty for round 1. 16 mostly contested touches from 69% game time but zero marks shows he needs to work on his outside game for him to be fantasy relevant.
Brady Hough
I’ll put my hand up and admit I knew next to nothing about this guy before this game but in a year where cheap rookies are scarce, he has put his hand up for round 1 with a decent performance playing predominantly in the back half taking 8 marks.
Hugh Dixon
The former Docker just joined the club this week and is now very likely to play round 1! He didn’t bother the stat sheet too much but certainly didn’t look out of place at the level. Did some nice things and finished with 9 disposals and 3 marks. Should be F8 in most sides.
Sam Petrevski-Seton
Didn’t get much game time but didn’t do much to warrant more game time. Not interested in him at this stage.
Bailey Williams
Looks like being Naitanui’s back up which is appealing considering NicNat’s a low time on ground guy, but Williams struggled to have any impact with just the 1 kick and only 5 hit outs for the match.
It’s Grand Final week! Hopefully you are in the big dance, on the verge of the ultimate glory. To celebrate, this week’s article is a bumper Grand Final special edition! I’ve picked one player from each game this round that could potentially give you the boost you need to snag the flag. As usual, the player needs to be in less than 70% of teams but something different for this week is the addition of the 3 game average. Good luck, and thanks for a great 2021!
Miles Bergman – Port Adelaide – Def/Fwd % owned – 66% 2021 average – 64.5 3 game average – 83.3
It has been an excellent debut season for Bergman, playing in all but 3 games for a top 4 contending side, and receiving a Rising Star nomination for his efforts in the Showdown a fortnight ago. He has scored over 80 four times for the year with two of them coming in the last two games. He has a tough opponent in the Bulldogs, but similar players such as Blake Hardwick and Daniel Howe had field days against them last week scoring 110 and 139 respectively.
Tim O’Brien – Hawthorn – Fwd % owned – 14% 2021 average – 57.2 3 game average – 82
One of the biggest things we look for in the fantasy world is a clear role change, and that’s what O’Brien has seen the last couple of weeks. Not worth a fantasy look in his usual role as a key forward, O’Brien has spent the last two games down back and has enjoyed a solid scoring spike as a result. He has taken 20 marks in the last two weeks and should continue that against the Tigers this week.
Sydney vs Gold Coast Marvel Stadium
Darcy MacPherson – Gold Coast – Fwd % owned – 63% 2021 average – 66 3 game average – 72
MacPherson hasn’t set the world on fire since returning to the senior side a few weeks ago but he is someone who is capable of scoring well, particularly if the Suns can make a game of it. The Swans can be quite restrictive but similar players in Jaidyn Stephenson and Tarryn Thomas both scored 78 last week for North Melbourne. It’d be a speculative pick (aren’t they all though?), but MacPherson is due for a good one, and could possibly be playing to keep his spot on the Gold Coast list.
Daniel McStay – Brisbane – Fwd % owned – 57% 2021 average – 64.2 3 game average – 97
Since Eric Hipwood went down with an awful knee injury, McStay has had to step up for the Lions and he has done just that. In the five games since, McStay has kicked 12 goals and averaged a touch under 85 fantasy points including 3 games above 90. The West Coast defenders can be miserly at times but with the way Brisbane have been playing, expect another solid score for McStay to finish the year.
Zach Guthrie – Geelong – Mid/Def % owned – 58% 2021 average – 60.6 3 game average – 88.3
Guthrie appears to have found his spot at the Cats after years of being in and out of the side. A few weeks ago, he scored a career best 128 fantasy points and was looking good on the weekend sitting on 42 at half time before slowing in the second half as Geelong hit their straps. Melbourne should challenge Geelong this week which will allow for Guthrie to get plenty of looks.
Zac Fisher – Carlton – Fwd % owned – 32% 2021 average – 57.8 3 game average – 60.7
Fisher has looked a chance to break out a few times in recent years, but it just hasn’t happened for him. His score of 80 on the weekend was his best score since round 14 last year (a 65 in shortened quarters) and it came on the back of more midfield time. Fisher attended 14 centre bounce attendances on the weekend which was up from just 2 the week before. Patrick Cripps was missing last week and is expected to return which could see Fisher removed from the inside which is a concern. However, a similarly flighty player in Liam Baker scored a nice ton against the Giants last week and that was with zero centre bounce attendances. Carlton have a fair bit of pride to play for this week and I’d expect Fisher to play a big role.
Hayden Young – Fremantle – Def % owned – 70% 2021 average – 65.7 3 game average – 83.7
Young has been back in the senior side for 4 weeks now after missing several months through injury and has looked very comfortable in the Dockers back six, winning a Rising Star nomination along the way. The former number 7 draft pick looks a real player of the future with his fantasy output already looking good. He has scored over 70 in 5 of his 11 career games (excluding one game when he was injured early). Young has taken 21 marks over the last two weeks and will be good again this week.
Mason Redman – Essendon – Def % owned – 61% 2021 average – 65.9 3 game average – 55.7
Redman has been hot and cold this year, hitting 90+ on 4 occasions but also scoring under 50 5 times. At his best, he is a points machine off half back taking kick ins and racking up marks. But at his worst, he simply doesn’t get near the footy. It’s very hard to predict what he will score from week to week but after a career high 30 touches last week and a favourable match up this week against Collingwood, I’m backing him in for a big finish.
Cameron Zurhaar – North Melbourne – Fwd % owned – 66% 2021 average – 63.3 3 game average – 60
A couple of game ending injuries have impacted Zurhaar’s average this season not telling the full story of what has been a breakout season. He is averaging 83 in his last 6 non injured games kicking 16 goals in those games. Last week a player who plays a similar role, Bayley Fritsch, had a field day against the inexperienced Adelaide defence, kicking a bag of 7 goals with relative ease and I suspect this week will be a similar story in the battle of the cellar dwellers.
It’s the penultimate round of the fantasy season, Prelim Final week! It’s do or die, and the gems you’re looking for off the waiver wire only have to perform well for you this week (and then if you’re lucky enough to advance, again next week in the big one). This week’s list includes a Cat who may be ready to step out from his older brother’s shadow, a young Hawk who has had a significant role change, plus an often injured and forgotten Saint who was a fantasy jet back in the day.
This is Guthrie’s 5th year on the list but only the first season he has reached 10 games with his previous best being 9 games in his debut year 2017. With older brother, Cam, becoming one of Geelong’s most important midfielders in recent years, the younger Guthrie has struggled to hold down a regular spot in the 22. As an outsider looking in, it’d be fair to suggest a delisting was on the cards especially with the Cats contending seemingly every year. But after 9 weeks out of the senior squad, Guthrie was a late inclusion the week before last against North Melbourne and safe to say, he took the opportunity with both hands. 28 touches and 13 marks later, Guthrie had put in a career best performance scoring 128, forming a defensive wall with Tom Stewart and repelling attack after attack. He backed it up last weekend with a solid 75 in the surprise loss to GWS and with the injury to Zach Tuohy, we are unlikely to see Guthrie in the VFL again anytime soon.
Dan Hannebery – St.Kilda % owned – 35% 2021 average – Yet to play
You couldn’t could you? You absolutely could, but should you? Probably not, but he deserves a mention! It’s been a torrid time for the former Swan since he arrived at St.Kilda in the 2018 trade period. He has only managed 13 games for his new club due to ongoing soft tissue injuries. A calf injury sustained in January this year has plagued his 2021 campaign and has meant he hasn’t been seen at senior level all year. He has now gotten through a couple of VFL matches unscathed and is a chance to be named this week for the big clash with St.Kilda. In the 5 games he managed in 2019, he averaged a respectable 98.6 but in his 6 home and away games last year, averaged just 71.6. If you’re in the market for bench cover, you could do worse than grabbing Hannebery for your midfield bench this week, and if he looks decent, hopefully he can get a gig for you in a grand final next week.
Nash debuted for the Hawks late in the 2018 season and in just his second game, scored an impressive 99, before playing in Hawthorn’s finals series in just his 4th and 5th career games. As much as he impressed the Hawthorn coaching team, fantasy coaches would not have looked at him twice since. After the 99 score in his second game, Nash wouldn’t come close to replicating that sort of score for years. In fact, he didn’t score above 63 for his next 23 career games, until just recently thanks to a noticeable role change. Perhaps it was the Sam Mitchell effect because once it was announced that Alistair Clarkson wouldn’t be coaching next year, Nash was brought into the senior side and thrust into an inside midfield role, away from his previous role in the forward line. The fantasy impact was immediate as Nash collected a career high 23 touches in the upset win over Brisbane and then backed it up with another 20 in the win over Collingwood last weekend. The role looks solid, and he is averaging 93.5 in the last two games thanks to averages of 21.5 disposals and 7 tackles. Get him in!
Whether your finals series started last week or this week, it’s more important than ever to find players who can put in a strong three-week cameo in your side to give you the ultimate fantasy success. This week’s list looks at a couple of Power players that love the Showdown, plus a forgotten Sun that may have one last chance to shine in 2021.
2021 so far has summed up Bonner’s career to date, plenty of promise but form issues and injury have robbed him of the opportunity to get continuity into his game. A serious hamstring injury sustained in round 1 saw Bonner miss a chunk footy early in the season and he has since been in and out of the side unable to run himself into form.
The last few weeks have looked better, however, as he has put together 3 senior games in a row for just the second time since early 2020. At his best, Bonner offers the Power pace and dash off half back and up on the wing. He’s averaging 81 in his last 3 games, and plays in the Showdown this week, a fixture he has a two-game average of 98 in.
Like many others, MacPherson’s career stalled somewhat in the chaotic season that was 2020. After a 3rd place finish in the Gold Coast best and fairest in 2019, MacPherson played a lot more as a forward last season to allow room for the likes of new recruits Hugh Greenwood and Brandon Ellis, and of course the AFL-ready draftees in Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson.
This bump in the midfield hierarchy negatively affected MacPherson’s fantasy output, and despite a strong pre-season and playing the first 5 games this year, he has found himself as a fringe player, playing plenty of VFL and chipping in recently as the medical sub for the senior team. Last week was his first full game at AFL level since round 5 and even though he didn’t perform too well, he had plenty of mates on the weekend as the Suns were obliterated by the Demons and he should get another chance this week.
At his best, and in the right role, MacPherson has a solid fantasy game. He averaged 84.5 in the opening month of this season and in his career best season 2019, averaged 87.3 which included 12 scores over 90.
Robbie Gray – Port Adelaide % owned – 65% 2021 average – 71.3
How fitting that the Showdown specialist could potentially make an early return from injury this week to take on the Crows. Gray hurt his knee in round 14 in what was his 250th game and required surgery that initially threated the rest of his home and away campaign. The injury stalled what had been a decent fantasy season for the wily veteran putting up plenty of 70+ scores in what is his 15th season in the AFL. In fact, leading into the injury game, Gray had a 3-game average of 90.
He still needs to get through training but at the time of writing, Gray is a good chance to return to fixture where he holds the record for most best on ground performances having won the Showdown medal 5 times. His return would be a real boost for Port Adelaide’s top 4 hopes and a possible game breaker in your fantasy finals match up.
We’re getting to the pointy end of the season and that means the talent pool is drying up, so we must continue to get creative in how we look for surprise packets in the waiver wires. This week’s list looks at a versatile young Giant and a Tiger champion in the twilight of his glittered career. Also, on the list is a Docker with the unenvied record of being named the medical sub more times than any other player.
A player with just 3 senior career games next to his name is an odd choice for this article but some opportunities lay ahead that could result in a better fantasy output. The ruckmen stocks at the Giants continue to drop with young gun Matthew Flynn recently joining Brayden Preuss on the sidelines long term. That leaves the aging wonder that is Shane Mumford and young Briggs as ruck options.
Mumford has been remarkable this season considering his age but it has been well documented that he cannot play more than 2 or 3 games in a row which has seen Flynn get games as well as Briggs. In his 3 games this season, Briggs has shown he can put together reasonable scores playing as a ruck/forward, sharing with Flynn. His best score was a 62 thanks to an impressive 6 tackles against Carlton followed by a 60 the week after against Hawthorn.
With Mumford carrying a sore back, and needing weeks off at times, Briggs is the last man standing and could see himself playing as the sole ruck in some games. That should be enough to add an extra 20 points to his scoring.
A Brownlow medallist and three time premiership captain, Cotchin has been a giant of the game but has not been much of a fantasy option for years now with 2017 being the last time he averaged over 90 in a season. Even though his disposals average has declined in recent years, Cotchin can still score thanks to his tackling, averaging just under 4 a game this year. Richmond have been hit hard by injuries to senior players this season and in recent times, the midfield, in particular, has been hit hard. This could explain a slight spike in Cotchin’s centre bounce attendances in the last few weeks. With Martin out for the season, and question marks around the fitness of Prestia and Edwards, Cotchin will be leading the midfield charge hoping to teach the young Tiger cubs around him. In wins this season, Cotchin has averaged 85 with that number dropping to 64 in losses so with Richmond’s season hanging by a thread, he’ll be doing everything he can to keep the season alive.
In his 7th season in the AFL, Blakely has endured what one can only imagine has been an incredibly frustrating season in 2021. He been named as the medical substitute 8 times this year (the most of any player in the league), getting onto the ground 6 times. On top of that, he has played just two games as part of the starting 22 with a very poor output.
It’s a big fall from grace for a guy who averaged 90+ across the 2017-18 seasons but also does make sense when you consider he has been out of favour at the Dockers since coach Justin Longmuir took over at the start of 2020. He was nearly traded last year but decided to stay and fight for his spot.
So why pick him? There should be an opportunity for Blakely in the final rounds of the season as captain Nat Fyfe is now out for the season and Michael Walters is at long odds to return from his hamstring injury before the end of the season. This could open a spot for Blakely as the 25-year-old is now one of their most experienced midfielders and the likes of young guns Brayshaw and Cerra will develop quicker with experience around them. It’s a long shot, but if Blakely gets a go at it, he has a history of scoring well with a high ceiling. In the earlier mentioned seasons when he averaged over 90, he scored 130+ on four occasions.
This week’s list looks at a couple of hard nuts from the Crows, plus a son of a gun Swan whose recent role change could make him a late season breakout candidate.
Jake Kelly – Adelaide % owned – 63% 2021 average – 66.4
In his 6 years at AFL level, Kelly’s best fantasy average has been 67, making him an unlikely selection for a fantasy squad. Despite that, Kelly has actually had a decent year thanks in part to Adelaide’s desire to possess the footy in the back half and, of course, the ball being down that end of the ground often.
Kelly’s best scoring asset is his marking, averaging 5 a game this year and taking an equal career high 12 a couple of weeks ago against Essendon. Also in his favour, is his kick to handball ratio as he has opted to kick the ball over twice as many times as he has handballed.
It’s certainly not an exciting pick, but Kelly is averaging 99 from his last two games, and has only scored under 60 four times this year (if you exclude round 1 when he was knocked out in an infamous clash with Patrick Dangerfield).
Nick Blakey – Sydney % owned – 63% 2021 average – 56.5
Some astute fantasy coaches would have had Blakey on their watchlist for season 2021 as the highly touted young Swan had a taste of the midfield in 2020 and was a 3rd year breakout candidate. With the likes of Gulden, Warner and Campbell emerging and starring for Sydney in the early rounds, Blakey struggled to impact as a midfielder and eventually lost his place in the side.
After various stints in the VFL and as the medical sub, Blakey was brought back into the senior 22 a few weeks ago and given a new role, playing off half back. The role change had an instant impact as Blakey recorded season high numbers for disposals and marks (19 and 6) and the Swans had a massive win over the Eagles.
Blakey continued in the same role the next week in another impressive victory over the Bulldogs, recording similar numbers and then again on the weekend in the come from behind win over the Giants. Sydney are 3 from 3 with Blakey in this role and he is averaging 74 in that time, making him an appealing option for the run home.
Harry Schoenberg – Adelaide % owned – 69% 2021 average – 65.2
Since debuting in round 10 last season, Schoenberg has played every game available for the Crows which shows he has taken to the big time well, albeit, playing for a bottom side. Playing forward of the ball with stints in the midfield, his fantasy scores have been reasonable for a second year player averaging 17 disposals but not good enough to be in our sides.
The last two weeks have made me take notice, however, as the future star has added tagging to his skill set. Two weeks ago, Essendon’s Darcy Parish was doing as he pleased against the Crows collecting the footy 16 times in the first half. Schoenberg was moved onto Parish for the second half and completely shut him down restricting him to just 3 touches in the second half whilst collecting 8 himself.
This role didn’t necessarily mean more midfield time for Schoenberg but was a likely confidence booster as he went on to post his career best score the next week against West Coast scoring 113 thanks to 24 touches and 6 tackles. He is averaging 98 in his last two games and looks set for a big finish to the year.
This week’s list looks at a forgotten Adelaide veteran and a much maligned young Blue for your forward lines plus a couple of Saints, including a disappointing midfielder that has plenty of upside for the run home.
Jimmy Webster – St.Kilda % owned – 26% 2021 average – 61.4
Webster has been around for a while now and has at times looked like becoming a fantasy relevant defender but in recent times, injuries have halted his momentum. After a career best season in 2018 where he averaged 79, he sustained a back injury in 2019 that saw him miss half of that year and the entire 2020 season. He returned in round 1 this year and after being in and out of the side earlier in the year, has now played the last 9 games for an average of 66. His last two games in particular have been solid averaging 86 and with Nick Coffield on the sidelines for a few more weeks, the role looks good for Webster to continue his recent scoring.
Brad Hill % owned – 71% (squeezed him in despite being over 70%) 2021 average – 69.3
It has been a challenging second season at St.Kilda for Hill who, much like the club itself, has performed well below expectations. When in full flight, Hill is great to watch and can accumulate possessions quickly and effectively. He does, unfortunately, go missing for long patches in games too often and is vulnerable to a lock down tag. Delisted by many a fantasy coach, he has looked much better since the abysmal 6 possession game against North Melbourne in round 11. He racked up 30 touches on the weekend in the win against Collingwood and in the last 4 games, is averaging 80 thanks to 24 touches a game making him worth a look as a depth player for your midfield for the run home.
Tom Lynch – Adelaide % owned – 36% 2021 average – 59
Lynch has not been seen at AFL level since the infamous medical sub fiasco against Hawthorn in round 6 when he was named as the sub despite clearly carrying an injury himself. The toe injury that hampered his early season form and made him an odd choice as the sub that day was then operated on and saw Lynch miss the next 9 games.
Known as the link man due to his ability over many years to link the Crows midfield to it’s forward line, Lynch returned in the SANFL on the weekend kicking 3 goals and looking fit. The Crows are crying out for another experienced head up forward at the moment to help out Taylor Walker (who may miss this week with a neck injury) and Lynch is likely to return. At his very best, Lynch is a solid 90 guy and could be a late season masterstroke for your squad.
Paddy Dow % owned – 35% 2021 average – 47.6
Paddy Dow or Paddy Wow (cringe); that has been the question many have wondered since Carlton drafted him with pick 3 in the 2017 draft. His journey has been covered ad nauseum and he has been unfairly criticised so let’s just focus on recent times. Last week against the Crows, Dow played on ball and probably for the first time, didn’t look out of his depth collecting 20 disposals for the first time this season.
He backed it up on the weekend with another 22 disposals against Fremantle and whilst his fantasy scores of 77 and 67 aren’t huge, it does appear that Dow has found his place in the side. Carlton simply must persevere with Dow in this position because he really does look like a star of the future. With DPP status as a midfielder also, Dow is one to look at it particularly for keeper leagues.
