So you’ve decided to start up a keeper league! But not sure where you should rank players, especially early on? Good news, MJ & Kane have ranked the top 50 players into eight different selection tiers! This article accompanies the podcasts to help give you a quick reference guide when wither creating your new keeper ranks. Or if in an existing keeper, to target some potential trade candidates.
Welcome to Tier Seven!
Christian Salem
| KANE | Christian Salem’s appearance on this list might surprise a few but it’s certainly warranted. To have a defender reliably producing high 80s averages at the age of 26 is hard to find. He’s now a key cog in the Melbourne defence from not only a transition from back 50 to forward 50 perspective but also his ability to defend on small forwards. While Salem might have a lower floor than someone like Tom Stewart he has the ceiling to offset the lows and I believe hasn’t had his career-best year. |
| MJ | It’s not a flashy pick, and for some, ranking him inside the top 40 odd picks might be high, but the numbers and his positional security indicate he’s worth it. Since 2017 he’s averaged 85, 79, 89, 88 and this year coming off the back of a personal best 93. This year he had 9 tons and an additional 5 scores 80+. In addition to his relative consistency is he holds some ceiling with scores of 141, 126 & 119. In the past four seasons, he’s missed five games and has no chance of losing DEF position. At 26 years old he got another 5+ seasons of being a reliable backman for your keeper side. |
Tom Stewart
| KANE | Tom Stewart has been the dream mature age recruit. In his debut season in 2017 he played 21 games and the following four seasons have yielded three All-Australian honours. As good as his football is, it’s fantasy prospects that have him on this list. In the past three years Stewart has been one of the best defenders with averages of 95, 96 and 97 points. He doesn’t boast the ceiling of others but his consistency is remarkable and he rarely dips below 80 points. At 28 years of age you can bank on elite scoring for the next three seasons. |
| MJ | Mr Consistent. It’s plain and simple. Over the past three seasons, he’s averaged 95, 96 (BCV) & 97. In 2021 he scored 11 tons and just one score below 79. Ceiling scores can win you draft matchups, but equally, low basement scores can bury you. Tom Stewart is 10 point deviation on either side of a 90 most weeks. At 28 years old, this is arguably the only major ‘risk’ with Stewart, but I can’t see a world where unless injuries strike he doesn’t continue on his scoring trend for a few more seasons to come. |
Jordan Ridley
| KANE | Jordan Ridley has been phenomenal since he established himself in the Bombers best side in 2020. Not only did Ridley deliver an adjusted average of 89, he won the Crichton Medal as the Bombers best and fairest winner. 2021 started with a bang! In the first four games he was averaging 108 points before concussion ended his day in Round 5 on just 15 points. After he served his concussion protocol missing Round 6, Ridley could only manage 77 points across the final 16 games. As disappointing as that average was I think the lack of lockdown defenders the Bombers had was the reason for Ridley not scoring as well. With Jake Kelly joining the club I think this will allow Ridley to return to his fruitful intercepting role. A year-in year-out defender who can average 80+ at the age of 23 is extremely hard to find. While 2021 was a regression I think it will be viewed as merely a hiccup in the career of Ridley. |
| MJ | Positional security in keeper league sides is huge, especially in the back and forward lines. If you can secure a long term prospect that won’t lose these positions it can help your list profile drastically. Jordan Ridley might not ever end up being a top tier defender, but what he will be is a reliable long term option. Since his breakout in 2020 where he averaged a BCV 89, he followed it up this year with an 80. Note this did include an injury impacted score of 15. Over the season he had 4 tons and an additional 6 scores of 80+. At 22 years old, if he can lift his scoring floor a little more he looks like he’s a safe 85 back for the next 8+ seasons. The other factor to consider is the impending arrival of Jake Kelly. Jake’s a more than handy lockdown defender capable of playing or either small or tall types. The inclusion could further free up Ridley to play purely as an attacking interceptor. |
Jack Crisp
| KANE | Durability. Availability. Here-if-you-need-ability. Simply Jack Crisp doesn’t miss games, in fact, he’s played 163 in a row. As good as reliability is in keepers though it’s nothing if you can’t score and in Crisp’s seven seasons with Collingwood, he’s averaged 84+ in all of them. While Crisp’s back status may be under threat going into next season there’s every chance he regains through the year. Even if he remains a pure midfielder we saw Crisp deliver 100+ scores, which is still extremely valuable. |
| MJ | So much of his ranking does depend on whether he retains back status in 2022. Regardless, with the Pies bringing in a new coach we always need to show some level of caution. That being said, Jack Crisp delivers on all the key metrics we want. Arguably his best asset is that he’s had seven consecutive seasons where he hasn’t missed a game of AFL. In that time he’s averaged 84 or higher including a personal best 101.7 last year. If he stays playing as a midfielder, I expect he stays as a safe 100 averaging centre. Conversely, if he returns to the backline he’ll still score enough to be a D1 or D2. Honestly, you can’t lose. |
Patrick Dangerfield
| KANE | While not the dominant force he was in a keeper five years ago when he averaged 117.9 (2016) and 120.5 (2017), Patrick Dangerfield’s durability and fantasy output is nothing short of remarkable. Across nine home and away seasons Dangerfield played 187 of a possible 193 games and averaged 106 points. Let that wash over you for a moment. I’ve been preaching future performance in keepers so I do have to put those numbers largely to the side. The important thing going forward is clearly his forward status. Dangerfield will retain forward status for the remainder of his career and only injury will stop him being one of the games best forwards for the next three years. If you pick Dangerfield you need to be thinking premiership from the jump so don’t be afraid to grab some elder statesmen who are still scoring well. |
| MJ | The former Brownlow Medalist is one of only two players ranked inside our top 50 that are aged 30+. Why? Because in new keepers it’s important to pay a draft position with what they are/will be, not what they have been. That said, Danger still will provide strong value for owners as he should retain MID/FWD DPP. Last seasons average of 86 is his lowest tally since 2011. Equally important, his 13 games is the smallest since his debut season of 2008. That said he still managed four tons including a monster 149. Write him off at your peril, as he is still at 31 has the potential of 2-3 more years as a top tier forward. |