Tag: Mark O'Connor

UltimateFooty | Round 6 Positional Changes

After rounds 3, 6, 9 & 12 the drafting format of Ultimate Footy awards additional player positions to players that have had a role change in season. As always players are required to have played a minimum of 3 games to be eligible and to be playing the new position as their primary role in the side.

12 players have gained an additional position. Five players have gained back status, 4 gaining centre, 0 new rucks and 3 have picked up forward status. Let’s look at who they are and the relevance to your draft sides and leagues.

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Dyson Heppell | ADD BACK

Dyson Heppell missed getting DPP post round three because he missed the qualification of playing three games. Since then, the Essendon skipper has solidified this defensive role. His addition should be a huge boost for his owners, especially if they are running shallow in the backline and deep in the centre. Arguably this is one of the biggest DPP gains we get.

Miles Bergman | ADD BACK

The young forward has been redeveloped as a defender in the offseason and has shown he can get it done in defence at the elite level in his handful of games. He probably has more value to his owners as a forward, but the flexibility is helpful.

George Hewett | ADD BACK

An injury affected 10 last week doesn’t make his average (47) very pretty. But even before that, this midfielder turned defender has only had one good score all year. That was an 83 all the way back in round 1. If he can regain some midfield time, he might be worth a stash in deeper leagues. But not someone worth using a waiver selection one.

Shaun Burgoyne | ADD BACK

The 786 year old is still getting it done for the Hawks, but he seems to be well past his used by date for UF coaches. A top score of 59 and a seasonal average of 47 means that he shouldn’t be considered even with this new position.

Bailey Dale | ADD BACK

Bailey Dale has forged a role for himself as part of the Bulldogs defensive seven. He’s started to take some of the kick in duties from Caleb Daniel and is showing plenty of XFactor and class. It looks like Bevo has turned another mid/fwd into a centrepiece of the backline.

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Liam Duggan | ADD CENTRE

With Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo missing plenty of games, the Eagles have given others greater midfield opportunities. Liam Duggan is one of a few Eagles that have taken the opportunity and as a result he picks up a new position.

Mark O’Connor | ADD CENTRE

The Cats have continued to use Mark O’Connor in a defensive midfield role over the past month. Despite picking up an injury last week, he did enough to earn centre status.

Zac Williams | ADD CENTRE

Nothing special, but the new blue Zac Williams is now a D/C. Like all ‘centre’ adds, it’s rarely going to benefit your on field scoring, rather just allow for greater squad versatility.

Chad Warner | ADD CENTRE

Chad Warner has already proven to be one of the best value for money picks of the season. He’s found himself at home as part of the Swans midfield group and was a walk up DPP addition for UF.

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Marc Murphy | ADD FORWARD

By name, this probably feels like a big inclusion, but on current points scoring, it’s not as exciting as one may hope. In his last 5, he’s averaging 72, and for the season, his top score is last weeks 84. All this to say, with many draft sides looking weak in the forward line, it’s nice to get a unrosterable centre now able to get back on the park. He’s still available in 28% of leagues.

Devon Smith | ADD FORWARD

His average of 73 as a centre is almost someone not worth rostering in most leagues, so he needs this new DPP to stay relevant. He now moves inside the top 50 forwards available in the game and can hopefully recapture some value for his owners.

His current role (heavy forward hence the DPP gain) isn’t seeing him score with ease. From 6 games, he’s had 4 scores under 69 and just the one ton. Helpful for his owners, but unless he can get back into the midfield, it might not be season defining.

Lachlan McNiel | ADD FORWARD

He’s averaging 39… Don’t got there! Just don’t! He’s in 8% of leagues, and that’s 8% too many!

Almost There

Jack Billings and Lachie Hunter were close to gaining additional positions, with them right in contention for forward status. At the same time, Brandon Ellis isn’t far off being back eligible. All three, amongst others, are in the mix for the round 9 additions.

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UltimateFooty | Possible DPP Changes Round 6

After rounds 3, 6, 9, 12 & 15 the drafting format of Ultimate Footy awards additional player positions to players that have had a role change in season. At the conclusion of the round we’ll confirm with you exclusively which players WILL gain a new position, but before then here are some players we believe would be in consideration for obtaining a new positional status.

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Jack Sinclair | ADD BACK

Jack Sinclair getting back status is possibly less exciting than what it looked like in the preseason after scoring 112 in the AAMI Community Series. But with the saints trying to squeeze everyone into that midfield Sinclair has been one of the players moved to the backline.

Dyson Heppell | ADD BACK

Dyson Heppell missed getting DPP post round three because he missed the qualification of playing three games. Since then, the Essendon skipper has solidified this defensive role. His likely addition should be a huge boost for his owners, especially if they are running shallow in the backline and deep in the centre. Arguably this will be one of the biggest DPP gains we get.

Bailey Dale | ADD BACK

I was surprised UltimateFooty didn’t award this after round 3, so hopefully, they amend it in this batch of DPP additions. Bailey Dale has forged a role for himself as part of the Bulldogs defensive seven. He’s started to take some of the kick in duties from Caleb Daniel and is showing plenty of XFactor and class. It looks like Bevo has turned another mid/fwd into a centrepiece of the backline.

Miles Bergman | ADD Back

The young forward has been redeveloped as a defender in the offseason and has shown he can get it done in defence at the elite level in his handful of games. Lock it in!

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Chad Warner | ADD CENTRE

Chad Warner has already proven to be one of the best moneymakers of the season. He’s found himself at home as part of the Swans midfield group and should be a walk up DPP addition for UF.

Jack Crisp | ADD Centre

‘Crispy’ has always pushed up the ground even when starting across half back. But in 2021, Nathan Buckley seems quite content to play him at centre bounce more regularly. The possible DPP will open squad versatility and create further options for his owners. It still looks like a top 6-8 defensive premium in 2021.

Mark O’Connor | ADD CENTRE

The Cats have continued to use Mark O’Connor in a defensive midfield role over the past month. Despite picking up an injury last week, he still did enough in my eyes to award him centre status.

Jaidyn Stephenson | ADD CENTRE

He’s playing heavy midfield minutes for the Kangaroos, add centre status. Pretty simple really! Next!

Jack Lukosious | ADD CENTRE

The Suns love his use of the ball by foot and have looked to transform him again into a damaging wingman. When he gets on the end of it, his sublime foot skills are often exploited to help set up deep inside forward 50 attacks from Gold Coast. He’s picking up centre status will add squad flexibility and not gain you more points on the field.

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Sean Darcy | ADD FORWARD

He’s been excellent over the past few weeks, both in his role through the ruck and also in providing a viable tall target option up forward. Normally a ruckman gaining forward status only provides coaches with some squad flexibility, but with forwards struggling to score in 2021, this could be the exception.

Lachie Hunter | ADD FORWARD

The addition of Adam Treloar was always going to have a cascading impact on the Bulldogs midfield that was already stacked for options. It seems that Lachie Hunter is one of those who’s taken the biggest hit, with the wingman now spending a majority of his time playing a forward bound role. If he gains DPP it could be a huge win! Especially with the injury impact of Josh Dunkley missing the vast majority of the season.

Josh Daicos | ADD FORWARD

Josh Daicos was one of the more hyped breakout candidates for 2021. Despite the club moving on both Adam Treloar and Tom Phillips, who were staples of the Magpie midfield previously, Daicos can barely get a CBA. Instead, Bucks has been content to play him as a small forward. As a result, his scoring has decreased to the point where last week he scored a season high 75. Unless his role changes and he plays midfield, he’s set to stay as an irrelevant option in classic. Draft coaches will be hoping to get the DPP so they can atleast something out of what’s been a disastrous selection result so far.

NB: He spent alot of time in the midfield this week, and that might just be enough for UF to hesitate awarding it for another few weeks to see if the midfield role has rebounded.

Josh Kelly | ADD FORWARD

He has barely attended a CBA in the past four weeks and seems to have inherited the role Lachie Whitfield made famous as a high half-forward pushing up the ground. It’d be some solace for coaches that drafted him if he does get it. With an ADP of 23, it’ll be a small consolidation as easily one of the biggest premium busts of the drafting season so far.

Jack Billings | ADD FORWARD

He’ll always be in the conversation for regaining his forward status, given how damaging he is inside forward 50. With the saints trying to squeeze Brad Crouch into that midfield unit, the Saints have used Billings more forward than across the wings. The question for us will be, has he spent enough time forward to his UF’s percentage quota. For me, I’m leaning towards it being a yes, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they opted against it. While he is playing more forward, it’s not an exclusive move.

Devon Smith | ADD FORWARD

See above… He’s a chance! And his owners will be praying he does get it. His average of 73 as a centre is almost someone not worth rostering in most leagues, so he needs it to stay relevant.

Nat Fyfe | ADD FORWARD

Any small chances he had to pick up forward status got smashed last weekend, with the Dockers skipper attending 95% of centre bounces last weekend against North Melbourne. It’s doubtful he gets it, but if he does, then go out and purchase yourself a lottery ticket because that’s a huge dose of luck if he does.

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UltimateFooty | Free Agency Pick Ups | Round Four

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.

Still nothing of interest in the ruck line and slim pickings in the midfield but plenty of options elsewhere including a defender turned midfielder at Geelong who is an early nominee for tagger of the year!

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Defenders


Mark O’Connor – Geelong
% owned – 24%
2021 average – 76.7

The speedy Irishman has been a solid defender for the Cats for the last few years without ever really showing much in the way of fantasy scoring. In fact, before this season he had only ever collected 20 touches or more in a game twice. But in round 2, Chris Scott tasked him with tagging the reigning Brownlow medallist, Lachie Neale and he did a stellar job.

This week, he tagged another Brownlow medallist in Tom Mitchell and again won the battle clearly, recording a career high 26 touches and 8 tackles whilst attending more centre bounces than any other player on the ground with 20 out of 23. He is averaging 91.5 in this new role and is likely to gain DPP status as he has now attended 86% of centre bounces in rounds 2 and 3 after attending zero in round 1.


Jackson Nelson – West Coast
% owned – 59%
2021 average – 74.7

Nelson has been around for a while now and has slowly increased his fantasy average and flirted with UF relevancy, but this year looks to have solidified his spot in the back 6 at the Eagles. He scored a nice 91 in the AAMI Series clash against Fremantle and on the weekend just gone, joined in the kick-mark feast against Port Adelaide.

He took 10 marks on the way to 25 touches (21 kicks!) and his first fantasy ton, not including the adjusted 115 in round 18 last year. West Coast like the ball in his hands as he has taken the 2nd most kick-ins this year behind Hurn, playing on 100% of the time.

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Midfield

Oliver Florent – Sydney
% owned – 69%
2021 average – 78.7

The Swans first pick from the 2016 draft has been building steadily for the last few years learning from the likes of Parker and Kennedy and alongside a host of young Sydney stars, is now getting ample midfield opportunities. Still playing predominantly as a transitional half forward/winger, the exciting Florent has now attended 30% of centre bounces this season.

He had a career high 29 touches and a nice fantasy ton on the weekend against the reigning premiers and is only going to get better from here.

Paul Seedsman – Adelaide
% owned – 59%
2021 average – 80.3

There wasn’t a heap to choose from in the midfield this week so this one is a bit of a hit and hope but Seedsman is quietly putting together a decent season on the wing for the Crows averaging 6 marks a game. The veteran has never really reached his fantasy potential due to injuries and form issues across his career, but he is exciting to watch in full flight and would sit comfortably as your last midfielder.

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Ruck:

Nothing to see here again, try again next week!

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Forward:

Jack Silvagni – Carlton
% owned – 18%
2021 average – 59

Now in his 6th season, this son of a gun is starting to look a more commanding figure, not unlike his old man. He looked excellent in the AAMI Series match against the Saints scoring 90 thanks to 3 goals and 4 tackles and looked to be backing it up in round 1 against the Tigers sitting on 40 before injury ended his night just before half time.

Thankfully he only missed the one game and returned on the weekend with an equal career high 18 touches, scoring 78 and contributing strongly to Carlton’s first win of the season.

Peter Wright – Essendon
% owned – 51%
2021 average – 60

Crisis creates opportunity as they say and with injuries to young gun Draper and veteran Phillips, the Bombers’ ruck stocks were in crisis last week, leading to an opportunity for a role change for Two Metre Peter. Brought across from the Suns in the off season to play as a key forward and pinch hit in the ruck, Wright played permanent ruck on the weekend and looked solid.

He had the most centre bounce attendances on the ground winning 19 hit outs on the way to scoring 76 (albeit against weak opposition in McKernan and Carisle). The Bombers made a mess of the Saints so even though Phillips is now off the injury list and young Nick Bryan is edging closer to a debut, Wright looks to be the number 1 ruck at Bomberland for the time being.