Tag: Charlie Constable

Breakevens | Round Three

Buy low, sell high! It’s the age-old motto to succeed in Fantasy football of all formats. Every week we share with you the players with the lowest breakevens across AFLFantasy, SuperCoach & DreamTeam. Here are the players that offer the best breakevens heading into a new round.

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PlayerPositionPriceAverageBreakeven
H. SheezelFWD$198,300114-116
K. ChandlerFWD$123,90082-94
C. McKenna DEFDEF$167,50085.5-76
R. GinbeyDEF/MID$171,30080.5-64
N. LongMID/FWD$117,30062.5-59
J. BuckleyDEF$205,00087.5-59
C. ConstableDEF/MID$123,90061.5-53
W. SetterfieldMID$348,200123-49
A. CaminitiFWD$102,40053.5-49
D. WilmotDEF$123,90059.5-49
D. RampeDEF$330,100116-45
W. AshcroftMID$202,80080-45
C. MackenzieMID$180,30072.5-43
M. PhillipouMID/FWD$166,80067.5-40
J. MenzieFWD$154,20063-39
A. DaveyMID/FWD$117,30051.5-37
M. BergmanDEF$123,90053.5-37
O. HollandsMID$162,30063.5-35
J. BruceFWD$161,20062-33
M. MichalanneyDEF$135,30055-33
B. CoxDEF$445,400142.5-32
M. OwensFWD$249,90086.5-31
O. BakerMID$123,90049-28
T. ColeDEF$182,30065-27
B. DanielsFWD$191,30067-26
C. CombenFWD$123,90047.5-25
L. StockerDEF$216,40074-25
J. RacheleFWD$287,10093-23
J. ZiebellFWD$356,400112.5-23
L. CowanDEF$117,30044.5-23
B. HillFWD$221,70074-22
L. HenryMID/FWD$202,30068.5-22
L. PedlarFWD$173,40059.5-21
B. UwlandDEF/MID$123,90045.5-21
J. WorpelMID$309,30098-21
L. RyanFWD$295,70093.5-19
B. BrownFWD$339,100104.5-17
O. AllenFWD$210,20066-13
F. GreeneFWD$123,90041-12
A. TomlinsonDEF$273,20082-9
F. CallaghanMID$244,00073-8
J. LeverDEF$375,700109.5-6
J. GoaterDEF/MID$192,70056-3
J. McVeeDEF/MID$123,90036.5-3
PlayerPositionPriceAverageBreakevem
H. SheezelFWD$466,000122.5-40
K. ChandlerFWD$328,00084-21
A. Caminiti FWD$248,00054-11
L. PedlarFWD$290,00062.5-4
W. AshcroftMID$369,00074.5-3
R. GinbeyDEF/MID$384,00081.5-3
D. Wilmot DEF$257,00053.5-3
C. Constable DEF/MID$422,000842
S. RyanRUC/FWD$225,000573
A. Davey MID/FWD$269,00052.53
M. Bergman DEF$246,000474
O. Hollands MID$327,00060.55
F. Greene FWD$229,00040.56
J. Menzie FWD$355,000687
J. Bytel MID$340,000837
J. Buckley DEF$365,00066.59
B. Uwland DEF/MID$257,00047.510
Z. Cordy DEF$324,00053.511
N. Long MID/FWD$226,0003614
A. Bonar DEF$287,0005815
D. Joyce DEF$255,0004816
L. Henry MID/FWD$389,00066.516
J. McVee DEF/MID$234,00037.517
C. Mackenzie MID$347,00059.518
L. Stocker DEF$512,00089.518
M. Michalanney DEF$304,0004918
B. Brown FWD$525,00093.518
B. Daniels FWD$370,00062.518
J. Hunt DEF$410,0006520
C. Chesser DEF/MID$214,00029.520
PlayerPositionPriceAverageBreakeven
H. SheezelFWD$289,400123-146
C. ConstableDEF/MID$191,80084-102
K. ChandlerFWD$191,80084-102
R. GinbeyDEF/MID$253,40082-76
L. StockerDEF$333,60090-64
L. PedlarFWD$191,80063-59
J. BruceFWD$229,50068-57
A. CaminitiFWD$158,40054-54
O. BakerMID$191,80059-52
W. AshcroftMID$295,40075-47
C. McKenna DEFDEF$235,30064-46
J. MenzieFWD$266,90068-44
A. DaveyMID/FWD$181,40053-43
D. WilmotDEF$191,80054-41
J. BuckleyDEF$272,00067-40
O. HollandsMID$241,40061-39
W. SetterfieldMID$625,600126-37
B. BrownFWD$452,80094-31
J. ZiebellFWD$550,900109-29
B. DanielsFWD$279,50063-29
B. UwlandDEF/MID$191,80048-29
C. MackenzieMID$265,40060-28
M. BergmanDEF$191,80047-28
J. RacheleFWD$472,80095-27
M. MichalanneyDEF$205,40049-27
M. OwensFWD$431,90084-19
B. CoxDEF$593,500111-17
J. WorpelMID$474,50089-15
F. GreeneFWD$191,80041-15
L. CowanDEF$181,40038-13
C. CombenFWD$254,20050-12
L. RyanFWD$335,40067-11
M. PhillipouMID/FWD$247,40048-11
N. LongMID/FWD$181,40036-10
F. CallaghanMID$392,20072-9
J. McVeeDEF/MID$191,80038-9
J. LeverDEF$464,00084-8
L. RyanDEF$774,900136-5
T. ColeDEF$306,50055-5
O. AllenFWD$314,30056-4
W. DayDEF$551,10095-1
Z. CordyDEF$308,70054-1
10 Players Unlucky to Miss the 50 Most Relevant in 2023

Every season after I conclude the 50 Most Relevant, we love to look back at some of the unlucky players to miss the countdown. Here are 10 Players Who Missed The 50 Most Relevant

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Scott Lycett

A dislocated shoulder ruined the season of Scott Lycett, but the one positive of it now is he’s received a discount on his starting price. What happens in the ruck division and how people structure up in 2023 is one of the most interesting for coaches structurally.

Tim English and Darcy Cameron have had multiple little niggles in the preseason. At the same time, there is understandable concern about how previous premiums Brodie Grundy, Max Gawn and Sean Darcy will all function with new ruck teammates. For many in the fantasy community, it’s why Lycett has skyrocketed into consideration. He has multiple seasons averaging over 80 in AFLFantasty/DreamTeam and has been a safe 90+ average in SuperCoach in his previous three seasons at the pear.

There does appear to be some competition for spots, alongside some interruptions to his preseason. Still, a fully fit and fully engaged Scott should be beating out all other ruck avenues at Port Adelaide. If we can get those two things, then getting some value at R2 with him could be a viable play.

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Jack Bowes

Geelong was adamant in the offseason that Jack Bowes wasn’t the steak knives in the deal to secure pick seven. Multiple recruiting and coaching staff members have gone out of their way to ensure that. But does Jack have a home inside the Cats best 22? And if he does, where does he get opportunities on the field? As a junior, his class was seen through the midfield, but more recently, his former side used him across halfback. Nevertheless, the versatility of Bowes should see him right in the mix for round one. Geelong has often preached that mantra; after all, it’s worked with them winning the most recent premiership.

Just because he moved clubs isn’t enough reason to be in or miss the fifty most relevant. One of the most important factors in our starting squad structures is where and how many strong cash cows we have. After some early days concerns, we’ll have a bounty of cheaper options in the backline. However, as a suitable defensive option at his price point, he could still pop up higher into relevance should some of them fail to take their chances during the practice game and AAMI community series.

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Josh Kelly

You knew it was coming, didn’t you? I couldn’t get through the preseason without speaking about one of my favourite players of all time. Josh Kelly has all the skills, smarts, and pedigree to be a premium across the formats.

In 2021 from round seven until the season ended in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam, he averaged 111 and scored twelve tons with just three over 120, but they included a 152 and a 141. From these final 15 games, he just had one score below 96. Similarly, in SuperCoach, from round seven onwards, he scored 12 tons, six of them over 120 and averaged 113. It included a run of ten consecutive hundreds from rounds 7-17. Those scores are reflective of his scoring shown back in 2017 & 2019.

However, there’s only so long you can refer to seasons of four or six seasons ago before you need to reconsider that someone is unable to get back to this scoring territory again. Throw in the uncertainty of the GWS midfield mix and style under new coach Adam Kingsley, and it becomes a fascinating preseason watch.

If he gets back into a primary role as a centre-bounce midfielder, then the days of 110+ won’t just be a memory, but they’ll be a reality even in a more ‘Richmond’ game style. Kelly can and does score fantasy points in every column imaginable except hitouts.

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Darcy Wilmot

When Darcy Wilmot made his debut during the 2022 AFL finals series, fantasy coaches across the country opened up their little black book and put his name in. The Brisbane speedster looked right at home at the elite level with scores of 51, 62 & 52 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 52, 61 & 73 for SuperCoach. It’s not monster scoring, but it’s more than enough for a basement-level defender cash cow.

The arrival of Conor McKenna has added some more complexity and has thrown his spot inside the best 22 into some uncertainty. But if Darcy is named round one, many coaches will happily select him.

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Isaac Cumming

I’ve long been a fan of Isaac Cumming. To me, he’s the perfect modern-day defender. He’s got the perfect combination of skills, speed, aerial ability and defensive smarts. Over the past two seasons, he’s averaged north of 90 across the formats and has shown a strong scoring ceiling.

The only consideration worth flagging is that Isaac has the majority of the kick-in responsibilities. Last year he had 129 kick in’s and played 90% of the time. The next best was Harry Himmelberg with 56. If he has to split this or loses this role, his scoring will nose-dive drastically.

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Darcy Parish

Darcy Parish broke out for us in 2021. From the final 17 games of the season, he scored eleven tons, seven of them over 120 and two over the monster mark of 150. While for SuperCoach, it’s thirteen tons, eight over 120, four over 150, including a personal best 190.

In 2022 before his calf injury midway through the season, he scored at a similar rate to what we saw over 2/3 of the year prior. Between rounds 1-11, he averaged 108.4 in AFLFantasty/DreamTeam, including eight tons and two over 130. While in SuperCoach, he was going at 118.3, which consisted of nine tons, five over 120 and nothing below 97.

The scoring power isn’t the question; I believe there’s a larger, more pertinent question. Is that how the Essendon midfield manifests in 2023 under new coach Brad Scott? What’s the structure? They might not be the strongest options, but they have plenty of options. Alongside Parish, Zach Merrett, Dylan Shiel & Jye Caldwell have been on regular rotations. Throw in the next generation of options like Ben Hobbs, Archie Perkins and the yet-to-debut Elijah Tsatas, who should all see increased opportunities. And lastly, guys like Andrew McGrath, Nick Martin, Jake Stringer, and Andrew McGrath have all historically had moments and matches in the midfield.

Alongside the structure is the style questions. Thankfully as the pre-season continues, clarity will eventuate. For me, he’s right in the mix in some formats if the role and style of the game align at Essendon.

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Matt Rowell

Only a few players have been as hyped up in fantasy footy circles as the level that we’ve seen around Matt Rowell. Sadly injuries have played a significant part in stunting his ability to play up to this expectation. Thankfully this offseason two, things have happened for Matt. Firstly, and probably most importantly, he’s been able to have his first full uninterrupted preseason at the AFL level. Second, the club have focussed on building his outside game.

If the Gold Coast Suns are going to break the finals drought finally, it will need to come off the back of these talented youngsters delivering on their high-end talent. This could be very exciting if Matt combines his inside game with a developed outside game. Only a few midprice picks come off, but with Matt, we know he can do it at the elite level. If I start to see some of that outside game translating into some serious fantasy numbers, then he’s genuinely got to be a consideration for those looking for a player in this price range.

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Ryan Clarke

Ryan Clarke isn’t on this list because of his fantasy output. He’s here because of what he does to others. In the back third of the season, the Swans started using Ryan as a tagger, specifically on the opposition team’s best-rebounding defender. He was devastating by the impact he had on our premiums.

For example, in round fifteen, he held Jack Sinclair to a 72 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 79 in SuperCoach. That’s approximately 30 points shy of his average. Two weeks later, he shut down Bailey Dale. He only managed a 57 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam & 76 for SuperCoach. He stalled the rebound of Brodie Smith in round 19 to under 70 across the formats, and in round 20, he spent half the game tagging Isaac Cumming and then flipped to Harry Himmelberg. Again, both fell well behind their regular averages. While in round 22, he keeps Nick Daicos to scores of 65 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam & 62 in SuperCoach.

In summary, he’s a premium killer. If the Swans look to deploy a similar tactic in 2023, keep an eye on the matchups of your premium defenders. The Swans first six rounds are against Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond & Geelong.

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Will Day

Will Day broke onto the fantasy scene in 2020 with multiple scores over 80 across the formats. He followed it up in round one of 2021, scoring a 103 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam & 122 in SuperCoach. However, since then, the only thing that has been a constant is his body letting him down with injuries.

Touch wood; he’s turned a corner this preseason and seems to be getting some continuity with his body. Further upside could be that he’s been training through the midfield and has been one of the clubs standouts.

One of the bigger pain points for teams structurally is what they do between D3-D5. Day could be the perfect stepping stone option that ensures you the right balance of premiums and cash cows on the field. If we don’t get the volume of cows we need, especially in the backline, he might pop as not just a possibility to a probability.

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Charlie Constable

This is a late preseason mover, but Charlie Constable needs to be on your preseason radar for several reasons. Firstly, he’s got himself as strong and fit as he’s been across his limited AFL career. He was getting deployed as a half-back late last season in the VFL. That role has continued this preseason. Defensive coach Tate Kaesler said recently, “his composure with the ball and the way he can slice opposition teams apart is something I value, but what he’s been working on big time is his defensive craft. We’ve exposed him to being that third tall so that he can play in different layers in that defensive part of the game.”

With primary ball movers Will Powell and Lachie Weller coming back from some injuries, there’s an opportunity in the Suns defensive group for Charlie. In DreamTeam & SuperCoach, he’s priced as a cash cow, while he’s marginally above that range in AFLFantasy. However, if he has the role of a distributor in the practice matches and the AAMI community series, he must be seriously considered.

 

Klopp’s SuperCoach Cash Cow Watchlist

With SuperCoach open, it’s time to start getting serious and looking at the cash cows that we can have in our starting squad. So check out Klopp’s cash cows that should be on your preseason watchlist.

If you love this article from Klopp you can follow him on Twitter here.

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Dylan Stephens | MIDFIELD (SYDNEY)
$167,800

Starved of consistent opportunity, but with Jordan Dawson moving to the Crows, there’s a vacant spot on the wing & Stephens could be the one to benefit. Won the club’s first 2km time preseason trial averaged 104 SuperCoach points in 8 VFL games in 2021.

Charlie Dean | DEFENDER (COLLINGWOOD)
$102,400

A mature-age intercept defender who won the VFL’s best young player. The ready-made Dean averaged EIGHT intercepts & 85 SuperCoach points for Williamstown & made it all the way through to Collingwood in the rookie draft, meaning a basement price tag in 2022.

Garrett McDonagh |DEFENDER (ESSENDON)
$117,300

Another mature-age draftee to keep an eye on. Dodoro post-draft stating the defender “could possibly play very early” A terrific runner who is a great ball user, averaged 21 disposals, five intercepts, five rebound-50s & 84 SuperCoachpoints in the VFL 2021.

Sam Skinner | DEF/FWD (PORT ADELAIDE)
$123,900

A switch to defence saw him dominate the back-half of the SANFL season for South Adelaide. Averaged 19 disposals, 11 intercepts – 7 of them marks – & 113 SuperCoach points between Rounds 16 & 21. Another who is ready to step in, if Port needs.

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Jason Horne-Francis | MIDFIELD (NORTH MELBOURNE)
$207,300

He played the mid-fwd role at senior level for the past 18 months & averaged 16 disposals, 9 contested possessions and 88 SuperCoach points, while also booting 15 goals, in 20 matches last season. Keep an eye out for in-season MID/FWD addition.

Nick Daicos | MIDFIELD (COLLINGWOOD)
$193,800

Daicos is another who looks worthy of the rookie price tag. Averaged 36 disposals, 2 goals & 159 SuperCoacah points in 5 NAB League games in 2021 & despite his ability to win a lot of the ball, he should still score well early in his career with fewer touches.

Greg Clark | MIDFIELD (WEST COAST)
$117,300

In a phenomenal WAFL season, Clark averaged 27 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 7 tackles & a huge 128 SuperCoach points in 18 non-injury-affected matches. Capped off the year with a 181-point outing to win the medal as best afield in the WAFL Grand Final.

Josh Ward | MIDFIELD (HAWTHORN)
$180,300

Finished the NAB League season with scores of 136, 124, 174 & 140. In a game that displays his many avenues of scoring, Ward tallied 34 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 8 clearances, 8 tackles, 5 intercepts & 5 score involvements in the final game of 2021.

Matthew Roberts | MIDFIELD (SYDNEY)
$117,300

Would have to be the first rookie picked in most SuperCoach sides if we’re picking on numbers alone. In his 10 U18 matches in the past 2 years, Roberts posted scores of 240, 188, 175, 139, 208, 146, 120, 125, 160 & 104. Very appealing price tag too.

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Finlay Macrae | MIDFIELD (COLLINGWOOD)
$206,800

It was a tough first season for Macrae but he showed in spurts his elite ball-winning ability, displayed by his 20-disposal outing in just 61% TOG vs Hawks in Rnd 21. A consistent mid role for Macrae could bring a serious SuperCoach spike, quickly.

Jackson Mead | MIDFIELD (PORT ADELAIDE)
$123,900

Finished 2021 strongly at the state league level, tallying 27 disposals & 6 clearances through the midfield in Rnd 15 & SuperCoach scores of 107 and 93 in the final 2 rounds. Averaged 106 points for his state during his draft year as an onballer. One to watch.

Charlie Constable | MIDFIELD (GOLD COAST)
$213,400

Still only 22. Given a lifeline by the Suns & will help fill the Greenwood void. Averaged 113 in Geelong’s reserves side during his debut season & finished his time at the Cats with scores of 175, 132 & 146 before the VFL season was called off in 2021.

Braydon Preuss | RUCK (GWS GIANTS)
$204,700

Heavily discounted for 2022. Injured all of 2021 but the cheap R2 strategy could be back on. In the 3 games he played without Gawn at the Dees, Preuss posted scores of 84, 85 & 140. In his 2 at North without Goldy, he scored 111 & an injury-affected 39.

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Ultimate Footy | Free Agency Pick Ups | Round Two

Hi team, Jordox here!

One of my favourite parts of fantasy footy is nabbing a free agent off the waiver wire before anyone else does and watching him turn into a gun scorer for my draft sides. Each week I’ll bring you some names to consider for your Ultimate Footy side that will hopefully give you the edge you need. To be eligible, a player needs to be available as a free agent in at least 30% of Ultimate Footy leagues.

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Defenders

Changkuoth Jiath
% owned – 56%
2021 average – 76.5

Jiath showed signs in pre-season that he could become fantasy relevant scoring an impressive 83 in the AAMI Series win over North Melbourne. After an impressive 25 touch, 8 mark display on the weekend, he now appears to have locked in a spot in the Hawks’ back 6.

He plays a great fantasy game providing run off half back but he also reads the play very well averaging 3 intercept marks a game so far. He looked very confident against a top side in Richmond, taking the game on and even giving Dustin Martin the old Dusty fend off!

Daniel Howe
% owned – 67%
2021 average – 81.5

Also available as a midfielder, Howe is another Hawk that found plenty of it on the weekend and will see his ownership rise. Running up and down the wings, he took 11 marks and showed signs of becoming more than just a bit part player. Wingard’s imminent return could hurt his scoring potential but for now, his DPP status makes him very appealing.

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Midfielders

Willem Drew
% owned – 54%
2021 average – 73

Humble numbers so far with scores of 80 and 66 but what interests me most about Drew is his role. Almost the forgotten man of that brilliant 2018 draft haul that Port snagged, Drew missed all of 2020 and looks hell bent on making up for lost time, laying 11 tackles in round 1! He leads the way for centre bounces at Port attending 45 of 61 (74%) with Lycett the next best with 41.

He needs to get his hands on the pill a bit more, but this kid is keeping Tom Rockcliff out of the side. That says something.

Charlie Constable
% owned – 48%
2021 average – 49

Chris Scott’s reluctance to give Constable a long stint in the side has been a source of frustration for the fantasy world ever since the young Cat debuted in 2019 and averaged 88 in his first 4 games. Constable has gotten a small look in so far this year due to the injuries and suspensions at Geelong.

His average looks terrible due to scoring 25 as the medical sub in round 1 but worth noting he scored that 25 in just 13% game time and then followed it up with a 73 off just 55% game time against Brisbane. If he gets close to a full game this weekend, he should score very well.

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Ruck:

Nothing to see here, try again next week!

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Forward:

Tom Atkins
% owned – 53%
2021 average – 69.5

Playing in a new role across half back, Atkins turned heads in the AAMI Series with an impressive 28 disposal effort against Essendon, well above his career best of 23 disposals in a game in 2019. Those that were optimistic may have been turned off by his paltry score of 51 in round 1 in the loss to the Crows but that was a strange game and many Cats were well below their best.

He backed it up with a solid 88 against Brisbane and what excites me most about his scoring potential is how hard he is at the man having averaged 5 tackles a game so far this year and 4 a game across his young career. The flipside of that is that he has given away 9 free kicks (-27 points) in 2 games and been awarded none!

Minairo Frederick
% owned – 28%
2021 average – 76

Largely unknown before this season due to only averaging 31 in his debut season last year, Frederick became a more familiar name after scoring a ton in the AAMI Series thanks to 9 marks and 2 goals. Unfortunately, he then strained a calf causing him to miss round 1 and potentially losing his place in the 22.

But his solid pre-season was rewarded as he came back in round 2 and looked great playing high half forward and scoring 76 from just 13 touches. Walter is likely to return this week and could impact Frederick’s scoring, but I think the kid is exciting and will thrive with more experience around him.


AFLFantasy Preseason Watchlist | Geelong Cats

Lewy & Checkers from Lane Kicking are back with their take on the Geelong Cats. Take a look to see who is on their AFLFantasy watchlist.

BREAKOUT: Charlie Constable – $563,000 (MID)

There is a little bit of James Worpel about this, Constable playing just the 7 games in his debut season at an average of 83, Worpel played the 9 for an average of 68 back in 2018. Constable will be looked at to hopefully fill the midfield role left behind by Tim Kelly. The 191cm midfielder finished his 2019 season with a massive 41 disposals, 14 clearances and 2 goals in the VFL and we only hope he can bring that form into 2020. We reckon his price point is just slightly awkward to start him in your midfield, but big risks can bring big rewards.

TRACK: Sam Menegola – $710,000 (MID)

Starts the year almost as a premium mid so it will take a lot of heart to pick from the start in classic, but Checkers reckons there is something special about this one. We aren’t sure if anyone else has ever matched this stat (maybe Michael Barlow) but in his first 50 games of AFL, Menegola posted a fantasy average of 99.

Struck down by injury last year, Chris Scott will be hoping he can have a big preseason and fill one of the vacant spots in the new-look cats midfield. Will be a big one to track in draft leagues, where he might slip down draft lists and you could grab a bargain a few rounds in due to only averaging 77 in 2019. We honestly wouldn’t rule out a 100+ average if he starts the season fit.

ROOKIE: Cooper Stephens – $240,000 (MID)

Young Cooper spent most of his draft year recovering from a broken leg and didn’t play a whole lot of footy, but it might have also helped Geelong snag a draft bargain similar to Joel Selwood back in 2006 who had doubters after finishing his draft year with a knee injury. There is a lot to like about this young cat, for someone who missed a large chunk of football, he is one of the most athletically prepared blokes to come out of the draft and is in contentions already for a Round 1 debut.

Rocking one of the tidiest rigs in the senior group in only his first year, Stephens is a hard at it inside midfielder, with pace and endurance (finished top in the Draft Combine Beep Test) and could very much be given the chance to fill the void left by Tim Kelly in 2020. In the three games he managed before the leg break, he averaged 19 touches and 4 tackles a game, and after a year in the sidelines he could come out of the blocks hungry.

While most fantasy coaches will be hot on Rowell and Anderson for their 200k+ rookies, Stephens could quite possibly slide under the radar of a few and be an almost unique rookie selection

UNDERDOG: Jack Steven – $653,000 (MID/FWD)

We were a little dubious on the early interest in Jack Steven, but as pre-season gets into swing we are starting to warm to him. He will start the season as the 10th most expensive forward, priced at an average of 88, and while he might be a 30 year old mid who only managed 7 games in 2019, he does come with a decorated fantasy resume including previous season averages of 112 and 104.

He could very much be a little bit of the unknown and cruise through the final few years of his AFL career and we watch his fantasy numbers dwindle, but an optimistic fantasy coach would see some strong upside if everything falls into place.

In probably the worst fitness of his career, coming off no pre-season he still managed to bang out a 105, 93 and 90 in his 7 games last year. From all reports he has slotted straight into the Geelong structure and program and is putting in the work on the track early in the pre-season. The Geelong program that has gained a strong reputation in previous years, especially in recycling the careers Gary Rohan, Luke Dahlhaus and Sam Menegola.

There is also the strong possibility of some midfield spots up for grabs, with the departure of Tim Kelly, the ageing Joel Selwood likely to move to half back, and the early injury concerns surrounding Mitch Duncan. If Geelong choose to use youngsters Cooper Stephens and Charlie Constable in the midfield, they might want to pair it with the experience of a 4x Best and Fairest winner in Steven.

It’s very hard to call it this early in the pre-season but we do see Stuv as such an unknown, he could really go anywhere from a 40 avg playing as a deep forward, all the way to a 100 averaging midfield bull. We will be watching his preseason with interest as he is the sort of player who could make or break a few draft leagues.

JLT Players Of Interest: Essendon Vs Geelong

The Cats and Bombers kicked off the second week of JLT matches under lights at a chilly GMHBA Stadium. For fantasy coaches, this was our last chance to get a look at some very relevant players, and we learnt plenty from the match.

Gary Ablett

Just under 70% game time for the goat, but did some nice things with his limited time on the ball. At times he looked a little lost in the role inside forward 50, but to be fair Gazza was blowing out any preseason cobwebs with the match. Sadly with him playing the majority of game time forward, he’s not a viable starter in your team.

Gyran Miers

I love what he brings to the Cats line up with the potent combination of defensive pressure and XFactor. The departure of Lincoln McCarthy has opened up a small forward role, and right now Miers is doing everything directly to grab it. Keep an eye on this cash cow, he doesn’t have a huge ceiling, but I think he has robust job security.

Patrick Dangerfield

Sigh! Do we really need to do this, he honestly has to be in your side. Five clearances, ten inside ’50s, eight score involvements and 30 disposals all of 3/4 of footy. Just do it… Pick him!

Charlie Constable

Played just 50% game time but look super impressive and played liked he belonged inside the Geelong midfield unit. Five clearances, nine of his 17 possessions were contested, barring something drastic I think we’ve got a big basement priced cash cow capable of playing on the field.

Tim Kelly

Five clearances, five inside ’50s, 28 disposals and the dilemma for fantasy coaches is no to ponder whether or not Tim Kelly is a genuine top 6 averaging forward in 2019. If he maintains the midfield minutes from tonight across the season, then he must be in the conversation.

Jordan Clark

Last week he came onto Fantasy coaches radar with a strong debut performance for the club. He backed it up again tonight with five rebounds 50’s and making good decisions in traffic and space vast beyond his experience. The Cats have a ripper, and even when Zac Tuohy comes back into the side from injury, I can see him maintaining his time in the team.

Joel Selwood

Wound back the clock with a vintage performance. Selwood started on the wing lined up against Dyson Heppell but quickly inserted himself into the centre bounces. 38 disposals, 7 tackles and a huge 11 marks for the Geelong captain reminded fantasy coaches than when he’s given the time and space he can score as well as anyone.

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Zach Merrett

Didn’t play any of the first quarter and ended up playing just 59% of the match. In that time he managed 23 possessions, six clearances and three inside ’50s. I think if you were looking for reasons not to start him you probably found them. Even though he won plenty of the ball his lack of tackle pressure and marks in a very open game could send alarm bells ringing. Equally, if you were already bullish about him, this game would’ve given reason to be optimistic that he’s ready to explode in 2019.

Dyson Heppell

Has been a fantasy scorer historically (all be it pre supplement scandal), but the arrival of Dylan Shiel should allow him to fly even further under the radar. Got plenty of uncontested ball and wouldn’t be the worst unique starting squad option if you want someone with no ownership.

Joe Daniher

Still working his way back to full fitness, took some nice contested grabs but most encouragingly he spent some time as a relief ruckman. Whether that was due to help get some more time into his body or is a genuine role the Whoosha wants to let him grow into we’ll have to wait until the round one side is named. At this stage it’s SuperCoach only he should still be tempting you, but given his preseason I can understand you looking elsewhere.

Devon Smith

Like many Bombers he’s still making his way back to full fitness. I saw nothing this week that would give me the confidence to start him in any format of the game. Make him an upgrade target, based on his preseason you cannot start him.

Jordan Ridley

Has come on in leaps and this preseason and is indeed building a case to be locked into the Dons best 22. Nine of his 17 possessions were contested, five rebound 50’s and a goal to top it all off. As a cash cow, he’s a little pricey as a defender, but he’s certainly showed over the JLT Series that he could score well.

Andrew McGrath

This kid is a future star of the competition. I love the role he has within the side as a wingman and will have some fantasy relevance for many years to come. He’s worthy a sneaky AFLFantasy starting squad spot 😉

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