24
Brett Burton.
Forward for the Adelaide Crows.
If Rick James didn't already have a song about a different subject matter, Super Freak would have been the perfect description for Brett Burton. The height of a midfielder, the jump of a pogo stick, a constant mismatch on whoever plays against him, Burton is not an average footballer.
Adelaide recruit the best players from all over Australia but they don't neglect their own backyard, Burton was a local who the Crows snapped up with pick 16 of the 1998 AFL draft.
Burton has played all around the forward line and also in the midfield. He kicked 51 goals in 2002, he also took 121 marks that season too. In 2004 he was close to 400 total disposals for the year. He is a very versatile player.
It has become evident in recent years that Burton's knees are not made of springs, he has ligaments and cartilage like everyone else, so maybe he stays close to goals now. That will rob fans of some of his high marks on the wing, but it should extend his career and help the Crows solve their problem of scoring enough goals.
Brett Burton information:
185cm, 84kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 23
Collingwood v Fremantle
Collingwood
FB: Lockyer, Prestigiacomo, Holland
HB: H.Shaw, O'Brien, R.Shaw
C: Pendlebury, Toovey, Thomas
HF: Maxwell, Cloke, Didak
FF: Swan, Rocca, Johnson
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Burns
bench: Davis, Medhurst, Richards, Goldsack
emergency: Dick, Wakelin, Iles
AFL Fantasy Watch:
If there is plenty of money to spend then H Shaw or Lockyer would be a great signing for a fantasy back line spot.
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, Grover, Johnson
HB: Dodd, McPharlin, M.Carr
C: Black, Hasleby, McManus
HF: Bell, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Peake, Tarrant, Campbell
Foll: Sandilands, Headland, J.Carr
bench: Mundy, Crowley, Cook, Thornton
emergency: Warnock, Webster, Duffield
In: J.Carr
Out: Collard
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The conditions could suit J Carr, he is good value in fantasy leagues at the moment. Peake is another fantasy midfielder to consider signing.
Melbourne v Adelaide
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Petterd
HB: Frawley, Bizzell, Bell
C: Johnstone, McDonald, Davey
HF: Green, Robertson, Bruce
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, Bate
Foll: White, Godfrey, Jones
bench: P.Johnson, McLean, Wheatley, Brown
emergency: C.Johnson. Holland, Dunn
In: Sylvia, Bate, Wheatley
Out: Miller, Holland, Dunn
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Sylvia has been kicking goals and if he continues to do that and gets some more possessions his fantasy price could go up.
Adelaide
FB: Bassett, Rutten, Mattner
HB: Torney, Stevens, McLeod
C: van Berlo, Shirley, Doughty
HF: Knights, Bock, Goodwin
FF: Welsh, Perrie, Ricciuto
Foll: Hudson, Thompson, Edwards
bench: Griffin, Reilly, Johncock, Porplyzia
emergency: McGregor, Jericho, Massie
In: Ricciuto
Out: Jericho
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Ricciuto finally plays, a bit of a risk to play him in fantasy this round. Griffin looked hurt last week, so starting him in fantasy might not be the right thing to do.
West Coast v Kangaroos
West Coast
FB: Waters, Glass, B.Jones
HB: Chick, Hunter, Selwood
C: Jones, Fletcher, Braun
HF: Staker, Brown, Morton
FF: Wirrpanda, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Judd, Stenglein
bench: Hurn, LeCras, Priddis, Rosa
emergency: Armstrong, Butler, McKinley
In: Chick, Brown
Out: Hansen, Armstrong
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Brown should be a solid fantasy player for the next month or two with Hansen out injured. Brown is still a cheap fantasy player.
Kangaroos
FB: Pratt, Petrie, Firrito
HB: McMahon, Watt, Gibson
C: Rawlings, Swallow, Sinclair
HF: Thomas, Jones, Grima
FF: Harvey, Edwards, Grant
Foll: McIntosh, Smith, Simpson
bench: Harris, Archer, Brown, Campbell
emergency: Hale, Sansbury, Green
In: Watt
Out: Hale
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Thomas is getting better, which could mean fantasy coaches have to decide if they want to start him now or maybe trade him in to free up some money to spend.
Richmond v Brisbane
Richmond
FB: Newman, Thursfield, J.Bowden
HB: Raines, Polak, King
C: Deledio, Tuck, Howat
HF: Polo, Richardson, Tambling
FF: Pettifer, Schulz, Jackson
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench: White, Tivendale, Kingsley, Edwards
emergency: Riewoldt, Krakouer, Hyde
In: Schulz, White, Polo
Out: Riewoldt, Krakouer, Meyer
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Polo can be a very effective fantasy player, he should keep his spot in the team now. Pattison has another game without Simmonds there, his run of very good fantasy games should continue.
Brisbane
FB: Johnson, Merrett, Brennan
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Copeland
C: Selwood, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Sherman, Brown, Notting
FF: Rischitelli, Patfull, McGrath
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: Hadley, Hooper, Schmidt, Begley
emergency: Harding, Macdonald, Wood
In: Johnson, Hooper, Brennan, Begley, Schmidt
Out: McGrath, Mills, Fixter, Roe, McDonald
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Plenty of moves again from the Lions, Roe is out once more but it doesn't seem like he will be a late inclusion this round as he isn't named as an emergency. Roe out of the team could help Brennan, who is back, Brennan's best games were early in the season when Roe wasn't playing.
Sydney v Essendon
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Dempster
HB: Kennelly, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Malceski
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Davis, Hall, Buchanan
Foll: Jolly, Goodes, Fosdike
bench: Schneider, McVeigh, Everitt, Bevan
emergency: Schmidt, Grundy, Thornton
In: Davis, Kennelly
Out: Crouch, Grundy
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Kennelly is back, he was great against the Power and should have another big game.
Essendon
FB: Fletcher, Ryder, Michael
HB: McVeigh, Bolton, Stanton
C: Peverill, Watson, Slattery
HF: Welsh, Lucas, Davey
FF: M.Johnson, Lloyd, Hird
Foll: Hille, McPhee, Winderlich
bench: Monfries, Laycock, Houli, J.Johnson
emergency: Camporeale, Johns, Nash
In: Bolton, Welsh, Laycock
Out: Camporeale, Cole, Dyson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hille and Ryder are both among the elite fantasy ruckmen of the AFL. They are still worth signing even with Laycock in the team too.
Port Adelaide v Hawthorn
Port Adelaide
FB: Pettigrew, Wakelin, Surjan
HB: Symes, Thurstans, Lonie
C: Cassisi, S.Burgoyne, K.Cornes
HF: Pearce, White, Salopek
FF: Ebert, Tredrea, Rodan
Foll: Lade, C.Cornes, P.Burgoyne
bench from: Bentley, Carlile, Deluca, Boak, Gray, Westhoff, Krakouer
In: Boak, Carlile, Gray, Symes, Westhoff
Out: Motlop, Thomas
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Symes is usually a great fantasy player, he should again be a good player this week but a permanent spot in the Port lineup might not be guaranteed. At least one of the four inclusions will play, and whoever it is will be a very cheap fantasy player.
Hawthorn
FB: Birchall, Gilham, Guerra
HB: Ladson, Croad, Brown
C: Lewis, Mitchell, Smith
HF: McGlynn, Franklin, Crawford
FF: Bateman, Boyle, Taylor
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Hodge
bench: Murphy, Roughead, Young, Osborne, Dixon, Ellis, Jacobs
In: Ellis, Dixon, Murphy
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Murphy was a very good fantasy player earlier in the season, but he isn't assured of a spot in this round's team. Gilham was good last week and doesn't cost too much.
Carlton v Western Bulldogs
Carlton
FB: Walker, O'hAilpin, Houlihan
HB: Scotland, Thornton, Gibbs
C: Simpson, Bentick, Murphy
HF: Lappin, Whitnall, Fisher
FF: Blackwell, Fevola, Waite
Foll: Ackland, Koutoufides, Carrazzo
bench from: Saddington, Anderson, Kennedy, Hartlett, Bannister, Jackson, Wiggins
In: Bannister, Jackson, Wiggins
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Waite had a big game last week, he might do it again as the Bulldogs don't have a lot of tall defenders and Carlton will often play 4 taller players forward. Koutoufides was worth his price last week, he should be solid again this week.
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Wight, Hargrave
C: Eagleton, S.West, Akermanis
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Cooney
FF: Robbins, Darcy, Higgins
Foll: Street, Cross, Boyd
bench from: Addison, Griffen, Hahn, Harbrow, Minson, Skipper, Power
In: McMahon, Griffen, Harbrow, Minson, Skipper
Out: Faulkner, Ray
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Bulldogs were slowed down by the Swans last week, it is time to go back to their players as they should be back running against the Blues. Among the inclusions, McMahon is the best fantasy player and doesn't cost as much as he should in fantasy games.
St Kilda v Geelong
St Kilda
FB: Blake, Hudghton, L.Fisher
HB: Attard, S.Fisher, Baker
C: Gilbert, Ball, Gram
HF: Montagna, Riewoldt, Fiora
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Koschitzke
Foll: Rix, Hayes, Dal Santo
bench from: Armitage, Birss, R.Clarke, X.Clarke, Gwilt, Thompson, Voss
In: Gram, Hudghton, Montagna, R.Clarke, X.Clarke, Thompson
Out: M.Clarke, Harvey, McQualter
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Montagna this week is a bit like Richardson's situation last week, so it is a risk to have Montagna in a fantasy team but he might play and play well. Gram has gone down a bit in value and is a good buy. Another Saint to consider is Gilbert, a very cheap player among fantasy defenders.
Geelong
FB: Mackie, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Rooke, Egan, Milburn
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Kelly
HF: Chapman, N.Ablett, S.Johnson
FF: G.Ablett, Mooney, Varcoe
Foll: Ottens, Corey, Ling
bench from: Blake, Tenace, Hunt, Stokes, Selwood, Harley, Hawkins
In: Harley, Hawkins, Chapman
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Chapman is back in the team, he would be a good player to sign. Compared to his expected stats, Chapman's price might be a bit low. But there is a risk as it is his first game back from injury.
This would have been useful to know before the 2007 AFL season commenced, but according to Monash University in a recent story they know who will win in 2007. It’s Adelaide, so everyone else should just go home and prepare for the draft.
From The Monash University site: Issue 19 | May 2007
You will have to go halfway down the page to the article, Statistician tips AFL premiers.
Maybe Adelaide fans should not celebrate right now, the same statistician, computer and data was also used a year earlier. The winner last year was also supposed to be Adelaide. Have a look at this story from The Age newspaper prior to last season. Go to the bottom of the page for the 2006 prediction.
From The Age: Hope springs eternal as fans eye new season
Melbourne knew they were not going to have it easy as they faced the Crows, their battle for their first win of the season could be even more difficult as Mark Ricciuto is expected to play for Adelaide. With big Griffin unlikely to play, it could be Ken McGregor who plays this week as the backup to Hudson.
From the Adelaide site: Ricciuto likely to face Demons
AFL Fantasy Impact:
McGregor had some useful games last season for fantasy points. These points mainly came from marks and goals when he played as a forward. If he does play as a backup ruckman it is very unlikely that he gets enough points to justify his current fantasy price.
As it is Ricciuto, he could amaze everyone at the MCG with 5 goals and those who have him on their fantasy teams, which is currently around 1% of the fantasy coaches, would be very happy. A better fantasy strategy would be to wait 3 or 4 games, Ricciuto’s fantasy price will come down a bit as he is gradually brought back to AFL.
Round 9 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 9
Handballs: 6
Marks: 5
Tackles: 0
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 7
Handballs: 11
Marks: 7
Tackles: 2
Goals: 0
If the AFL had a "19th Man Award", for a player who starts the game on the bench and then enters the action and has a big game, then Joel Selwood would be in the running for that as well as the Rising Star Award. Geelong once again hit the lead early and when Selwood was brought on they didn't slow down. Gibbs was in the play a lot more against the Crows, his Football IQ and foot skills were again on display.
Except for Gary Ablett, and maybe Jimmy Bartel and Paul Chapman when he is healthy, there is no Geelong player who is noticeably better than Joel Selwood. Kelly goes off and Selwood goes on, nothing is affected in their game-plan, and the defensive intensity might even go up. During the Power game they even replaced G Ablett with J Selwood, it was during the second half when the game was over but it also showed the confidence they have in Selwood.
Ryan Houlihan was given the unenviable task of slowing down Andrew McLeod, that took away one of the problems for the Carlton back line and allowed Gibbs a bigger role. Gibbs was a good performer under pressure in the back half, several of his plays resulted in Carlton getting out of trouble and going forward.
Gibbs should have a lot of fun this week, the game against the Bulldogs will be about quick thinking, skilful use of the ball and running to the right spot on the ground. Gibbs' decision making is very good and as he is unlikely to be outmatched physically he should get a lot of opportunities to star in this game. Selwood might get to play against another first round pick in the midfield, David Armitage. Geelong's opponent will be a fired-up Saints team who have not only lost several games but also their long-time home. Selwood might also have to deal with some physical pressure in the middle with Hayes, Voss and Baker.
B Gibbs 3 - J Selwood 6
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
Port Adelaide drafted Geelong Falcons youngster Travis Boak, which left Joel Selwood still available when Geelong’s first pick came up. Some in Geelong think they have come out ahead of the Power in the draft, and they are right.
From The Geelong Advertiser: Geelong takes the early lead in draft duel
There is still plenty of time for Boak to justify the Power’s choice, but the gap is very wide at the moment between Boak and J Selwood. Port Adelaide have a couple of open spots due to an injury and a suspension to their players from last round so maybe Boak gets his AFL career started on the weekend.
Governments will gladly hand over hundreds of millions of dollars to millionaires who have a two year old soccer club but they won’t work with a great and historic AFL team who want to upgrade their home of over four decades. The Saints say they will be leaving their home, and Casey Fields is the logical move for them.
From Fox Sports: Saints march out of Moorabbin
One thing this might also concern is their recent agreement to rename Moorabbin as Linen House Oval. So the Saints might lose financially on that deal too if that is also affected.
Saints’ fans won’t have an easy time going to training now, TEAC Oval or Casey Fields are a bit out of the way. One possible location that wasn’t mentioned in the story was Waverley, the Saints have shared that venue with the Hawks before, there might not be room for both teams now.
23
Andrew McLeod.
Defender for the Adelaide Crows.
The Crows need to thank many people who led them to wins in 1997 and 1998, their unorthodox coach, their huge and talented ruckman, and also Andrew McLeod who was at his best when it counted. Blight and Rehn departed the team a long time ago while McLeod is still there and is playing at close to the same level as he did a decade ago.
The Crows nearly missed out on McLeod as he was almost a Fremantle Docker, Adelaide acquired McLeod and Matthew Collins from Fremantle in exchange for Chris Groom in 1994. Adelaide got McLeod right into the team in 1995 and for the first two years of his career he was an exciting player but the best was yet to come.
In 1997 he doubled his total stats from the previous year and the finals series made him a star. McLeod was very important in wins against the Bulldogs and Saints, McLeod had 31 possessions and plenty of them were sent to Darren Jarman in a performance that dominated the 1997 AFL Grand Final. He was just as good the next year, again the Crows stopped the Bulldogs in the penultimate game with McLeod kicking 7 goals. He followed that with 30 possessions against the Kangaroos in the 1998 AFL Grand Final.
McLeod is still an elite player, averaging close to 500 disposals every season. There was some talk about making him a forward again this year but his best spot is as an attacking defender who can clear his defensive 50, go for a big run and send the ball into the forward 50 for Adelaide. Adelaide's best era was a decade ago, but with some luck with injuries and the continued great play of their veterans it is possible that McLeod gets to play in another AFL Grand Final.
Andrew McLeod information:
181cm, 80kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 22
Well he was supposed to pick one, on the AFL site Dean Cox has a new column but he didn’t want to offend Kerr so he said they were both great.
From the AFL site: So who is better – Judd or Kerr?
At the risk of being labelled a fence sitter, I reckon they’re both champion players. I’m just glad they play for the West Coast Eagles.
This isn’t a difficult question to answer, Judd is better. A harder question to answer could be deciding between Chris Judd and Dean Cox.
On the AFL site it says that this is the first story from Dean Cox, so hopefully there are many more to come.
Luke Hodge of the Hawthorn Hawks.
The Hawks needed to have something special happen for them to defeat the Eagles. As Franklin and Roughead were held to one goal an unexpected source for goals was something that Hawthorn required and Luke Hodge turned the game with his three goals.
Hodge didn't just trade in his usual number of possessions for an increase in goals, he still got the ball as he always does. He didn't take a quarter off as he made an impact in every term and finished with 23 possessions. Nearly all of them hit their target.
While there have been times when Luke Hodge, and Luke Ball, didn't measure up to the third pick in their draft, on the weekend it was a case of Eagles' fans looking at Judd and saying "I wish he was as good as Luke Hodge". Judd was very good on the weekend but Hodge was great, so Luke Hodge is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Luke Hodge's profile at the Hawthorn site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Brent Harvey.
The Magpies will be without Chris Egan, who could miss 12 weeks, and that opens up a spot for a rookie player. Ireland’s Marty Clarke could get his chance at AFL level soon.
From The Age: Pies may promote gifted Irish teen
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Collingwood youngsters like Brad Dick and Shannon Cox have increased their fantasy values with a few AFL games. Toovey has more than doubled his price as he has remained in the Collingwood team since making his debut. Clarke could also reward fantasy teams if Collingwood do elevate him and then eventually give him some AFL games. Clarke has the lowest price of any player, as he is on a rookie list, so he could quickly double or triple in price.
Another loss for Port Adelaide and some injuries could open up a spot for Symes to get back into the team. There are other players in the SANFL who are also close to getting a game for the Power and Crows.
From The Advertiser: Port, Crows - pick me!
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Massie was very good for fantasy teams last season, as he started at a very low price and played a lot. So even if the Crows do bring him in his fantasy worth this time is not as good, as the playing time isn’t there and his price is high due to his numbers last year. If Mattner was going to be suspended then Massie might have been a player that would take his spot, it seems that Mattner will only have a reprimand and will be available to play.
Symes is also too expensive right now to play in AFL fantasy, so when the Power do bring him back he will need to get 20 kicks a game to justify his price. If he has a month of games his fantasy price might go down a bit and he will then be a player to sign.
Thomson is a very affordable fantasy player and if a spot opens up at Port Adelaide for him he could have a very good second half of the season for fantasy teams.
Gray won’t do anything unless Ebert is out of the Port Adelaide side. As Gray was a draft pick his fantasy price is down the bottom, so if he does play his value will steadily increase. But unless some injuries hit the Power forward line it doesn’t look like Gray will get a lot of playing time.
The Crows don’t have a lot of players who can take contested marks in the forward line. Burton can, when healthy, and Bock is another good player but his form as been up and down. The Crows could be without Griffin for a week or two, and they won’t be able to use Tippett who is out for the year, so they could give Gill a run soon. If Gill does play then he is another bargain buy for fantasy coaches to consider.
1: West Coast Eagles 7-2 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
The Eagles do not have to worry about their two losses, they won't be playing in Geelong or Tasmania again this season. What they do have to worry about is their forward line, Lynch has been getting the ball but too far up the ground and Hansen will miss quite a few games with a hand injury. Mitch Brown might be someone they use now in a bigger role.
2: Adelaide Crows 6-3 (3)
Mattner may be in trouble while Griffin is injured, so they do have some concerns. Johncock will be much better next week after returning from injury against Carlton and Ricciuto could once again be a possible inclusion.
3: Port Adelaide Power 6-3 (2)
Geelong had a win over the Eagles and then a couple of weeks later they defeated the Power, now Port Adelaide will have to face Hawthorn who are also coming off a win against the Eagles.
4: Sydney Swans 5-4 (4)
They were in trouble a few weeks ago, now all their problems have been solved and they are again a big contender. Important games against the Bombers, Hawks and Magpies will test them over the next three weeks.
5: Geelong Cats 6-3 (6)
They could be for real, although they have had runs like this in other seasons and then fallen over soon after. They can't afford a loss to the Saints next round, a much bigger test will be when they return to Adelaide after that to face the Crows.
6: Western Bulldogs 5-4 (5)
If the Bulldogs had Murphy, Griffen and McMahon they would have been much more competitive on the weekend, luckily for the Bulldogs they should all return for this round. They are still a but short at both ends so maybe they address that, someone like Williams would have been a player to use on Goodes.
7: Collingwood Magpies 6-3 (9)
Wins in Adelaide and Brisbane, and they were close in Perth against the Eagles, so the Magpies could be a legitimate finals team. On current form they should defeat the Dockers at the MCG, that is a big test for both teams.
8: Fremantle Dockers 4-5 (8)
Tens of thousands of people will attend the MCG just to boo Chris Tarrant, if he can kick 4 goals it will silence the crowd, get the Dockers the win and get their season back on track. The unexpected return of Peake brought a much better balance to their midfield, they will also have J Carr back next round too.
9: Hawthorn Hawks 6-3 (11)
A great win but there won't be any finals games played in Tasmania. A few extra wins down there could help them get into the finals so that is good news, later in the season the Hawks play the Kangaroos and Power in Tasmania. They have the Power in Adelaide next round, that will show if Port Adelaide's loss against Geelong was an anomaly and whether the Hawks' win over the Eagles was a fluke. With the great play of Luke it probably wasn't a fluke, but the Hawks need to prove themselves against the Power.
10: Brisbane Lions 4-5 (7)
Their early season run is over, but there are still a few options for Coach Matthews to go with to get them going again. He successfully stopped the double-teaming of Brown with the inclusion of Clark. Leuenberger is reportedly only a few weeks away too, and he might also be tried up forward.
11: Essendon Bombers 5-4 (10)
They certainly got out of jail, and they will need to player better as they go to the SCG this round. It is very possible that the Bombers now put together three consecutive losses, games against the Swans, Eagles and Power will have a big impact on whether Sheedy gets a new contract.
12: Kangaroos 6-3 (12)
A different team but the same type of escape at the same place. Like the Bombers, the Kangaroos will also face an interstate opponent, West Coast at Subiaco. After the Eagles it is the Saints, Crows and Bulldogs.
13: St Kilda Saints 4-5 (13)
A line has already been drawn through the teams below them here, and the Saints are also in a lot of trouble. They now have games against the Cats, Kangaroos and Eagles. They won't have Harvey so the youngsters have to step up, Gilbert is someone who is doing that and Armitage has plenty of potential.
14: Carlton Blues 2-7 (14)
First it was Coach Pagan throwing his full back of the present into the ruck, now he is experimenting with his centre half forward of the future. If he really wanted to have S O'hAilpin and Mr Kennedy in the ruck he should have done it in preseason, although it really isn't a good idea for several reasons. One big reason is the 201cm Hampson, they picked him in the top 20 so they might as well play him. Carlton have the Bulldogs, Power and Hawks in the coming rounds so with the finals out of the picture they will have plenty of time to give to youngsters like Hampson, Benjamin and Grigg. Carlton need to focus on the future but they are not doing that, it's time to forget about Lappin and they might want to rethink their contract extension for Stevens, and they will at least want a big discount from his current huge deal.
15: Melbourne Demons 0-9 (15)
They nearly had it. The Demons made a huge run to hit the lead but they needed the siren to sound a couple of minutes earlier than it did. Robertson and McLean were very good and will be in top form next week. Bizzell was good and had lots of the ball, but he is a player who doesn't produce wins and at his age it doesn't make sense for him to be played.
16: Richmond Tigers 0-9 (16)
They nearly had it. Richardson did very well to play in that game, and he won't be putting his hands anywhere near someone's back again. Things will improve soon, as Simmonds will return and when he is combined with Pattison, who is greatly improved, it will give the Tigers a competitive ruck duo. Their next three games are also winnable, they host the Lions although it is under the roof, then it is a visit to the inconsistent Dockers before the vital Kruezer Cup clash against the Demons at the MCG in round 12. They gave Kingsley his one game for the year, if they are going to send Gaspar away then there is no logic in giving Kingsley any more games.
Sydney are playing like they did in 2005 and 2006, and a big part of this revival is the play of Goodes. He was good last week in a stopping type of role and he was great in this game as he was too big and too quick for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs also had no answer to Jolly and Everitt, they dominated in the ruck and also kicked goals.
Swans 100 - Bulldogs 57
Fantasy Player News
Sydney
Schneider: 3 goals and 24 possessions, a big game with Nick Davis out.
Malceski: The Swans, and fantasy teams, have another star midfielder. He had 17 kicks, 7 marks and a goal.
O'Loughlin: He was playing better in Sydney than on the road, and Canberra also suits him as he kicked 4 goals.
Goodes: 26 possessions and 10 marks, Goodes has turned his season around.
Fosdike: 21 kicks, 9 marks and 3 tackles.
Western Bulldogs
Johnson: He always gets stats, he had 2 goals, 9 marks and 18 disposals.
Robbins: Fantasy teams wouldn't have played him, he was a late addition to the lineup and kicked 3 goals.
Eagleton: 15 kicks and received 2 free kicks.
Cross: A bit under his usual numbers, with 18 possessions and 5 tackles, he should have a big game next week.
West: Was contained but still put in the effort, his 7 tackles provided some fantasy points along with his 12 handballs.
Melbourne has been here before, around three times in the past month they have had a game slip from their grasp. This one was hard to swallow for Melbourne fans as Swallow kicked the winner in the final minutes.
Kangaroos 79 - Demons 78
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Thomas: 9 kicks and 7 tackles, 4 scoring shots but only 1 goal.
Grant: 5 goals from his 12 kicks.
Swallow: A big part of the team now, he not only kicked the winner but also had 21 disposals and 6 tackles.
Harris: 9 kicks, 9 handballs and 9 tackles.
McIntosh: Had extra fantasy points as he received 4 free kicks but did not give any away.
Melbourne
Bruce: Another amazing game, 35 disposals and 2 goals.
Neitz: He's a bit cheaper now in fantasy leagues, he had 4 goals and 10 marks.
Robertson: Only 5 kicks but he did have 3 goals.
Brown: A fantasy points specialist, he had 28 possessions.
McLean: He was great with 22 possessions and 9 tackles.
Geelong keep rolling along, but it is only May. Geelong had the game won in the first half. It was S Burgoyne who was getting the attention from other teams in previous games, the Cats instead put the pressure on P Burgoyne and slowed him down which was a good tactic.
Cats 116 - Power 60
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Tenace: Not the best Kane on the ground, but Tenace is cheap in fantasy leagues and he had 27 disposals.
Rooke: Kicked 3 goals, also added 7 marks and 15 disposals.
Stokes: 19 possessions, 8 tackles and a goal.
Corey: Worth his fantasy price, he had 29 disposals.
Mooney: Kicked 2 goals and had 7 marks.
Port Adelaide
Rodan: May have had increased playing time, plenty of fantasy points from 2 goals and 24 disposals.
White: 12 kicks and 11 marks.
K Cornes: 36 possessions and 6 tackles, a big fantasy points game.
Pearce: 23 possessions and 5 marks, a good game.
Salopek: Is back to his best after his injury, a midfielder to sign after 23 disposals and 8 marks.
22
Brent Moloney.
Midfielder for the Melbourne Demons.
Teams have to make tough choices, Geelong really wanted a big forward but they had to find another high draft pick to send to Richmond for Ottens. Melbourne were offering their pick but Geelong had to trade Brent Moloney. The Cats did decide to trade one of their toughest players to the Demons, the winner of this trade is still hard to pick but every team got something they needed.
For a long time the Demons were considered by other teams to lack in the physical department. They have drafted players like McLean and Jones to address this and the arrival of Brent Moloney also improved the team in that area.
Moloney played his first game in 2003 and was traded to Melbourne after the 2004 season. His arrival at the Melbourne Football Club was announced with a big game of 24 possessions in his first game for the Demons. He had his career-high for kicks in that game when he had 20 kicks.
One stat that does stand out as a positive is free kicks, Moloney over his career has given away nearly twice as many free kicks as he has received. This stat should start to turn around as umpires now understand that he is attacking the ball and even though that attack is fierce it is within the rules.
Injury halted his progress in 2006 and in 2007 he has again missed some games. Melbourne acquired him for long-term results and these injury setbacks are only minor. He should be crushing opponents and kicking the ball as hard as he can for a long time to come.
Brent Moloney information:
182cm, 88kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 21
Carlton kept it close for most of the game, but the Crows were too strong. Multiple goals from Jericho, Porplyzia and Reilly provided an unexpected boost to their score. Griffin was injured early, so another Adelaide ruckman could be added to the injured list.
Crows 105 - Blues 86
Fantasy Player News
Adelaide
Reilly: 20 possessions and 2 goals.
Jericho: A bargain in fantasy AFL, he had 9 marks and kicked 3 goals.
Welsh: Still kicking goals, he had 4 goals ad 7 marks.
Hudson: Griffin hurt his ankle, that and the availability of Maric could change Hudson's stats and playing time. Hudson had 12 possessions.
Johncock: His first game back and was a bit rusty, he had 13 possessions, he will play better next week.
Carlton
Koutoufides: 22 possessions and 2 goals, a big game but he won't do it all the time.
Waite: Often inconsistent, especially as a forward, but he kicked 4 goals in this game.
Walker: 21 possessions provided plenty of fantasy points, he did lose some with 4 free kicks against.
Gibbs: His kicks usually hit their target, he had 15 possessions.
Bentick: They do sit him on the bench too much, but he still gets fantasy points. He had 9 kicks and 11 tackles.
Hawthorn had another win at their island fortress. They had the wind and an early lead but the Eagles soon caught them and it was anyone's game at half time. Goals from Hodge setup the win. The big news is the Judd - Brown incident, but if Ben Holland didn't get in trouble a few weeks ago then Judd should not miss any games.
Hawks 99 - Eagles 64
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Hodge: 23 possessions and 3 goals.
Gilham: Jacobs played, but Gilham played in the back half in a similar way to Jacobs, Gilham had 15 marks and 14 kicks.
Boyle: 3 goals, he is having a big year for a player who started at a very low fantasy price.
Birchall: 25 possessions and 12 marks.
Sewell: He still gets the ball even when assigned a big defensive task, he had 22 possessions and 5 tackles.
West Coast
Staker: He is having a big year, Staker had 22 possessions, 6 marks and 2 free kicks for in this game.
Priddis: It would have been cheaper to sign him at the start of the year, he had a big game with 31 possessions.
Fletcher: With Kerr out he increased his output, 36 possessions and 7 marks.
Lynch: Was solid for fantasy points despite playing up the field a lot, he had 16 kicks.
Cox: Cox and Seaby were both good, Cox had 16 possessions.
The Lions only got a couple of goals from Brown, Mitchell Clark did help with 5 goals but it was not enough as Collingwood had 11 players contribute goals.
Magpies 120 - Lions 87
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Pendlebury: It would have been good to sign him before round 1, he is a fantasy star now. He had 20 disposals.
Burns: 22 possessions, 5 tackles and 3 free kicks received.
Fraser: One of the better fantasy ruckmen, as he kicks goals and gets the ball. He had 2 goals and 12 kicks.
Cloke: 2 goals, 9 marks and 13 kicks.
O'Bree: 18 kicks and 4 marks.
Brisbane
Clark: He isn't cheap in fantasy games, but if he has another big game next week he will be a good signing.
Selwood: He had 16 possessions, it looks like he will be a good performer for fantasy points this season.
Lappin: Still a bargain, he had 27 disposals and 5 tackles.
Brown: Plenty of fantasy points despite only 2 goals, he had 16 possessions and 7 marks.
Black: Another huge game, 37 possessions.
The Tigers lost this game and they are not sure how that happened. An umpiring decision, a lot more scoring shots by Essendon, the bad luck that occurs when Kingsley is played, a lot of things provided an exciting conclusion that will be talked about all week.
Bombers 92 – Tigers 84
Fantasy Player News
Essendon
Stanton: 26 disposals and 3 free kicks received, a very consistent fantasy star.
Hille: Very good for hitouts and also kicked 2 goals.
Watson: 21 possessions and 3 tackles.
Ryder: Another big game, 12 possessions and 3 free kicks received.
Davey: Was injured but should play next week, he had 11 possessions and kicked a goal.
Richmond
Deledio: 25 possessions and 9 marks.
Howat: 17 disposals and used the ball very well. Doesn't cost much in fantasy leagues.
Jackson: Had a good game for fantasy points as he kicked 3 goals.
Pattison: Those who signed him after his big game last week got a good performance here, he had 19 disposals.
King: He always gets in the right spot to find the ball, he had 17 possessions.
The Saints thought they had an advantage as they brought in their midfielder who wears number 7 and was returning early from a collarbone injury, the Dockers had that covered as they also brought in their midfielder who wears number 7 and had also recovered from his collarbone injury. Both Hayes and Peake were good contributors for their teams. It was the Dockers who had a lot more contributors with Bell and Hasleby owning the midfield and Pavlich and Tarrant combining to kick as many goals as St Kilda did. Johnson was reported, it is a tricky one so he might be in trouble. Harvey was injured, he could be out for a month.
Dockers 101 - Saints 55
Fantasy Player News
Fremantle
Pavlich: 14 kicks, 8 marks and 3 goals.
Tarrant: Could have kicked a couple more goals, but still finished with 3 goals and 7 marks.
Bell: 32 possessions, 3 goals, 6 tackles and 4 free kicks received.
Peake: Didn't play a lot, his price might go down which might make him a bargain now.
Collard: Not a big first ever game, but he did kick a goal and has plenty of potential.
St Kilda
Gilbert: It seems that he is the real deal, he has skills and doesn't cost much in fantasy leagues.
Baker: A player to look at with all the injuries there, he will boost his fantasy points with tackles, he had 8 here.
Gwilt: A solid game, his fantasy price will continue to rise.
Hayes: Made a few mistakes but was still good with 21 possessions, a fantasy midfielder to buy now.
Armitage: He only played half the game, so he will improve on his 7 possessions.
21
Jason Akermanis.
Midfielder for the Western Bulldogs.
It only takes a five minute burst for Akermanis to turn a game. The Lions won plenty of games thanks to Akermanis and now the Bulldogs benefit.
Akermanis started his AFL career with the Bears in 1995, he had an immediate impact with 19 possessions in his first game.
He was very good in his early years of AFL and he stepped up his game starting in 1999. For the next six or so seasons he would record around 300 kicks, 100 marks and he scored plenty of goals. In season 2002 Akermanis scored 49 goals and in 2004 he kicked 44 goals.
It was the finals games during Brisbane's big run when Akermanis played at his best. 5 goals and 18 kicks against Collingwood in 2003 was his best effort.
The football world was surprised last year when Akermanis announced that he wanted to play for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs didn't spend a lot to acquire him, just a late second rounder. Akermanis didn't do a lot in his first couple of games for the Bulldogs, except hurt himself against the Crows, but he has returned with his familiar run now and is kicking a few goals and setting up plenty of others for the Bulldogs.
Jason Akermanis information:
177cm, 80kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 20
Cain Ackland only played around half the game last round, but his SuperCoach stats were better than many other more expensive ruckmen, an odd result but helpful for this team. He gets one more week as trades were used in other spots. Roe was sent out, it was very surprising that he was dropped by Brisbane and even though he might still get a game this round this means that his spot isn’t assured, and Gilbee will take his spot in the back which is an upgrade on Roe. Two Cornes are better than one, so Kane joins Chad on the team now.
B David Mundy
B Jesse Smith
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Lindsay Gilbee
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell
C Ricky Petterd
C Chris Judd (captain)
C Paul Hasleby
C Kane Cornes
C Jordan Lewis
R Cain Ackland
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Reiwoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Alwyn Davey
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Joel Selwood
C Bryce Gibbs (emergency)
R Jonathan Griffin (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
Pratt, who was traded last week because he missed too much game time due to running into people, was good last round but again spent time on the bench after a physical contest. He was replaced by Jesse Smith so that trade was successful. This week another defender was moved, with Roe traded for Gilbee.
Hasleby missed last week, Gibbs was the emergency who took his spot. The midfield should have a big round this time. Kane Cornes is now in the team, Marc Murphy was sent out. Hasleby will play this round and should do a lot with J Carr out this week. Judd will take on the Hawks, he will get his stats as he always does, and Mitchell and Lewis should be good too.
For SuperCoach fantasy points last round, Ackland was better than Dean Cox, Jeff White, Darren Jolly, Brendan Lade, Robert Campbell, Jamie Charman, Aaron Sandilands, Brad Ottens and Cameron Mooney. That was not expected to happen. Ackland is again going to share the ruck spot with Setanta O'hAilpin, but as long as Ackland kicks a goal and gets some hitouts he should do enough at his fantasy price. This fantasy team has the choice of either of the Crows' ruckmen. Griffin is playing as well as Hudson is, and if Griffin continues to kick goals he could be brought in as the starter. Hopefully Hudson dominates in the ruck to start the quarters, as he is in the fantasy team this round, and then when Ackland comes on for Carlton he does well too.
Chad Cornes had his one down game for the season. Corey Jones was the best forward on the team last round. Lance Franklin again had trouble kicking goals, but at least he was getting kicks and his accuracy should return this week.
Fremantle v St Kilda
The Tip: Fremantle by 44 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Heath Black
Chance For An Upset: Fremantle have won the games that might have been coach-killers, against Melbourne and Hawthorn, so they should get the win here. The Saints have many players out, and might play a few who aren't at 100%, so an upset is unlikely.
Fremantle
They win if....they add some quicker players to the forward line to complement their marking forwards.
The Good News: This game is in Fremantle, the home ground advantage is something the Dockers need at the moment.
The Bad News: Time might be up for McManus, he was slow, frustrated and ineffective last week.
St Kilda
They win if....they kick the ball long, this isn't a new idea but it works if a team has Gehrig and Riewoldt.
The Good News: Baker is back to cause mayhem, Hayes probably is back too.
The Bad News: It’s 2007 and they still rely on Harvey too much.
Carlton v Adelaide
The Tip: Adelaide by 50 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ben Rutten
Chance For An Upset: It has been a while since Carlton won, but at least it is a home game so they do have a better chance than if this was played in Adelaide.
Carlton
They win if....Koutoufides can turn the clock back.
The Good News: Mr Kennedy is back in the team, now they just have to kick the ball to him.
The Bad News: Betts is out for a month.
Adelaide
They win if....their veteran midfield is too good for the Carlton youngsters.
The Good News: Johncock is back, and their back line becomes even more dangerous now.
The Bad News: Everyone was excited as news leaked out that Ricciuto would play, that will have to wait until next week.
Hawthorn v West Coast
The Tip: Hawthorn by 1 point
Best-On-Ground Guess: Grant Birchall
Chance For An Upset: The Eagles are always favourites. They are without Kerr, the game is in Tasmania, the Hawks could get the win.
Hawthorn
They win if....Lance Franklin has his kicking boots on this week.
The Good News: Their onballers might be better than who the Eagles have this round.
The Bad News: They did not play too well for three quarters last week.
West Coast
They win if....Fletcher can fill Kerr's spot in the midfield.
The Good News: They don't need Kerr or Cousins, as long as Chris Judd and Dean Cox are there they can win.
The Bad News: They don't have a defender who can stop Franklin.
Brisbane v Collingwood
The Tip: Brisbane by 21 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Luke Power
Chance For An Upset: It is expected to be a close game, and Collingwood can win it. They were competitive in Perth, and won in Adelaide, so a trip to Brisbane does not worry them.
Brisbane
They win if....someone helps Brown and provides another option up forward, that might be Clark's role.
The Good News: Their lethal coach will have got the attention of his players as he dropped 5 of their teammates.
The Bad News: The AFL saw an effective way of stopping Brown last round, other teams will try to copy Essendon's defensive tactics.
Collingwood
They win if....O'Bree has a big game against Power and Black, all three of them were Lions' draft picks in 1997.
The Good News: Rocca is going to kick accurately.
The Bad News: Buckley has been training but isn't back yet.
Richmond v Essendon
The Tip: Essendon by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: David Hille
Chance For An Upset: Essendon are the big favourites, but this could be a close game. A little wind, a lot of Deledio, and it might be tougher for the Bombers than it was last week under the roof.
Richmond
They win if....Riewoldt flies high, he doesn't want to compete with Michael in a physical contest so he needs to outrun and outjump him instead.
The Good News: Richardson says he can play.
The Bad News: If Richardson can't play, it's Kent Kingsley time at the MCG.
Essendon
They win if....Hille doesn't allow Pattison the space to play in that he had last week.
The Good News: Lucas and Lloyd are there, that is a winning combination.
The Bad News: Camporeale remains in the team, last week on the wing Camporeale was 10m from a Lion and Davey might have been 25m, it was Davey who put in the effort and made the tackle.
Western Bulldogs v Sydney
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 10 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Luke Darcy
Chance For An Upset: The game is a bit closer to Sydney, and Sydney are a bit ahead of the Bulldogs among people's predictions too. But the Bulldogs already have a win over the Swans there so they can do it again.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....Darcy and McDougall can mark the ball against the athletic, but short, Swans' back line.
The Good News: Akermanis is in September form.
The Bad News: Griffen and McMahon will be missed, they provide a lot of the run from the back half.
Sydney
They win if....Everitt and Jolly continue their great season, Everitt really stepped up last round.
The Good News: Kennelly didn't just return early from his injury, he returned in B-O-G form.
The Bad News: Sydney have looked a bit slow during some of their games, so this is a big test.
Melbourne v Kangaroos
The Tip: Kangaroos by 11 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jess Sinclair
Chance For An Upset: Forgetting last week, Melbourne have been close in several of their games. They have a big forward to trouble the Kangaroos, White can get the better of McIntosh, Robertson is back, the Demons are a chance.
Melbourne
They win if....their back line is tall enough. They did bring back Holland and are to debut Frawley, so they might have the marking ability to compete with Brown, Petrie, Edwards and Jones.
The Good News: Robertson was very good during his early season games, if he returns at that level it could get them the win.
The Bad News: Teams are said to struggle after playing in Perth the week before, not the best news for a team with 0 wins and 8 losses who are up against a team on a big win streak.
Kangaroos
They win if....Harvey, Grant and Simpson keep on keeping on, it is the veterans who are setting up the wins.
The Good News: Archer should be available to play.
The Bad News: Firrito has been unable to stop some of the stronger full forwards, Neitz might be too much for him.
Port Adelaide v Geelong
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Chad Cornes
Chance For An Upset: The Cats are the underdog, despite their big wins over the last three rounds. It will all depend on which Cats' team plays, the Kardina Park version of the one that struggles on the road.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Tredrea and S Burgoyne have a good game.
The Good News: Chad Cornes was contained last week, it won't happen two weeks in a row.
The Bad News: They lost to Geelong last year, and during the NAB Cup this year too.
Geelong
They win if....Mooney kicks plenty of goals, they didn't need him last week but if he doesn't do a lot in this game it will be a Geelong loss.
The Good News: They keep winning.
The Bad News: This game is not at Geelong.
The Dockers are missing something this season, maybe it is the big target that Longmuir provides in the forward line and maybe it is a player at the feet of the talls who can dash in for the crumb and kick a goal.
Farmer won’t be available for a while, Browne is out, Medhurst wasn’t too good anyway but he is gone now, Clayton Collard could be the player that brings a needed element to the forward line for Fremantle.
From The Age: Collard called up for Dockers debut
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Collard is inexpensive for fantasy teams, he has also been playing very well in the WAFL, but more importantly he brings something different to the Dockers’ lineup. A fantasy steal is often someone who just fills a need for their AFL team, as long as they keep their spot in the team it will help the fantasy teams too. Melbourne needed a lot of help in their back line, Petterd and maybe Frawley should keep their place in the team. The Kangaroos, like Fremantle, are a bit slow and they need to play Thomas and Campbell. Collard should maintain his place in the Dockers team, at least until Peake and Schammer or Farmer return. But Collard also has the talent to win a spot in their best 22, so fantasy coaches will want to watch his progress.
Fremantle v St Kilda
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, McPharlin, Grover
HB: Dodd, Johnson, Mundy
C: Black, Hasleby, McManus
HF: Headland, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Collard, Tarrant, Warnock
Foll: Sandilands, M.Carr, Bell
bench: Campbell, Crowley, Cook, Webster
emergency: Thornton, Peake, Walker
In: Collard, Hasleby, Cook
Out: J.Carr, Duffield, Walker
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Collard comes with a cheap fantasy price, and he gives the Dockers some run, so he might become a good fantasy player. Hasleby in and J Carr out, that should be good for Hasleby's numbers. Pavlich is due for a big game, it could happen here.
St Kilda
FB: Gwilt, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
HB: Attard, Blake, Gram
C: Gilbert, Ball, Fiora
HF: Harvey, Riewoldt, Milne
FF: Voss, Gehrig, Koschitzke
Foll: M.Clarke, Hayes, Dal Santo
bench: Rix, Armitage, Birss, McQualter
emergency: Howard, Sweeney, Watts
In: Baker, M.Clarke, Hayes, McQualter
Out: Montagna, Brooks, Howard, Sweeney
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Armitage keeps his spot, the other first-game players from last round are out. Hayes is named, it is a return ahead of schedule so there has to be a chance that he doesn't play.
Carlton v Adelaide
Carlton
FB: Walker, Thornton, Saddington
HB: Scotland, Waite, Houlihan
C: Gibbs, Blackwell, Murphy
HF: Simpson, Kennedy, Fisher
FF: Whitnall, Fevola, Lappin
Foll: O'hAilpin, Koutoufides, Carrazzo
bench: Ackland, Anderson, Bentick, Hartlett
emergency: Bannister, Bower, Young
In: Anderson, Kennedy, Hartlett
Out: Betts, Russell, Young
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Three smalls are out, only Betts is out with an injury, and that could mean more minutes for Blackwell. Per minute, Blackwell is as good as any Carlton midfielder for stats. He is also at an affordable price in fantasy games.
Adelaide
FB: Bassett, Rutten, Mattner
HB: Torney, Stevens, McLeod
C: van Berlo, Goodwin, Doughty
HF: Knights, Bock, Reilly
FF: Welsh, Perrie, Jericho
Foll: Hudson, Thompson, Edwards
bench: Griffin, Shirley, Johncock, Porplyzia
emergency: McGregor, Vince, Massie
In: Johncock, Reilly, Porplyzia
Out: Douglas, Burton, Vince
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Jericho is inexpensive and had plenty of the ball in his previous games. Johncock would be a good addition to fantasy teams.
Hawthorn v West Coast
Hawthorn
FB: Birchall, Gilham, Brown
HB: Ladson, Croad, Birchall
C: Lewis, Mitchell, Bateman
HF: Young, Franklin, Crawford
FF: Roughead, Boyle, Dixon
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Hodge
bench: Taylor, McGlynn, Smith, Osborne
emergency: Dawson, Ellis, Jacobs
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Expect a big game from Birchall, he always plays well in his home state. Roughead was one of the better players on the MCG last Saturday night, he should keep kicking goals.
West Coast
FB: Waters, Glass, B.Jones
HB: Chick, Hunter, Selwood
C: Jones, Fletcher, Braun
HF: Staker, Hansen, Armstrong
FF: Wirrpanda, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Judd, Stenglein
bench: Hurn, Morton, Priddis, Rosa
emergency: LeCras, Brown, McKinley
In: Armstrong
Out: Kerr
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Fletcher has a bigger role with Kerr out. Cox could be ready to have a big game.
Brisbane v Collingwood
Brisbane
FB: Mills, Merrett, Johnson
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Copeland
C: Selwood, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Sherman, Brown, Notting
FF: Rischitelli, Patfull, McGrath
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: Hadley, Clark, McDonald, Fixter
emergency: Roe, Brennan, Begley
In: Clark, Mills, Johnson, Sherman, Fixter
Out: Allan, Begley, Roe, Brennan, Harding
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Half their back line was dropped, including fantasy star Roe and the unpredictable Brennan. Roe, Brennan and Begley are named as emergencies for Brisbane so check the news tomorrow to see if one of them might play. But unless you have a good defender on the fantasy bench it might be safer to just trade them.
Collingwood
FB: Lockyer, Prestigiacomo, Holland
HB: H.Shaw, O'Brien, R.Shaw
C: Pendlebury, Toovey, Thomas
HF: Maxwell, Cloke, Didak
FF: Swan, Rocca, Johnson
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Burns
bench: Davis, Medhurst, Bryan, Goldsack
emergency: Davies, Richards, Iles
In: Medhurst
Out: Dick
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Brad Dick might not get back into the team so maybe selling him now is the right move for fantasy teams.
Richmond v Essendon
Richmond
FB: King, Thursfield, J.Bowden
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: Deledio, Tuck, Edwards
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Johnson
FF: Krakouer, Riewoldt, Meyer
Foll: Pattison, Polo, Foley
bench: Tambling, Tivendale, Howat, Jackson
emergency: Kingsley, White, Hyde
In: Riewoldt
Out: Schulz
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Richardson is going to play, you have to go back to when people said "Daniel LaRusso is going to fight" for the last time an injured guy kept going like that. If you have Richardson in your fantasy team, obviously you will have an emergency among your forwards on the bench too.
Essendon
FB: M Johnson, Michael, Slattery
HB: Winderlich, Ryder, Fletcher
C: McVeigh, Watson, Stanton
HF: Hird, Lucas, Houli
FF: Davey, Lloyd, Monfries
Foll: Hille, McPhee, Peverill
bench: Camporeale, Cole, Dyson, J Johnson
emergency: Bolton, Bradley, Hislop
AFL Fantasy Watch:
No changes from the team that easily beat Brisbane. Lloyd and Lucas should have a big game against Richmond. Stanton is a great fantasy player, Watson has been getting a lot of the ball but for fantasy teams they do have the worry that he sometimes gets dropped.
Western Bulldogs v Sydney
Western Bulldogs
FB: Power, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Wight, Hargrave
C: Eagleton, S.West, Akermanis
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Cooney
FF: McDougall, Darcy, Higgins
Foll: Street, Cross, Boyd
bench from: Ray, Addison, Harbrow, Minson, Robbins, Faulkner, Hahn
In: Faulkner, McDougall, Minson, Power, Robbins
Out: Griffen, McMahon
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Power and McDougall are definite inclusions. Power has plenty of skills and if he could cement a spot he would be a player to sign, his fantasy price is a bit low. McDougall also has a low price, but he isn't the type of player that gets as much of the ball with the Bulldogs. He was good in Canberra for the preseason game against Sydney.
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Crouch
HB: Kennelly, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Malceski
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Davis, Hall, Buchanan
Foll: Jolly, Goodes, Fosdike
bench from: Schneider, McVeigh, Everitt, Bevan, Schmidt Grundy, Dempster
In: Schmidt, Grundy, Crouch
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Swans played much better last week and this improvement should continue. It might be time to give Goodes another go on fantasy teams. Kennelly is another Swan to think about signing, he didn't show any signs of injury last week and was as good as he ever has been.
Melbourne v Kangaroos
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Petterd
HB: Frawley, Holland, Bell
C: Johnstone, McDonald, Davey
HF: Green, Robertson, Bruce
FF: Yze, Neitz, Bate
Foll: White, Godfrey, Jones
bench from: P.Johnson, Dunn, Bizzell, Miller, McLean, Brown, C.Johnson
In: Frawley, McLean, Holland, Bizzell, C.Johnson, Robertson
Out: Ferguson, Sylvia, Whelan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Frawley is in, he should help fantasy teams this season as the Demons have no reason to not play their youth. Robertson is an interesting fantasy player at the moment, looking at the stats from his other games this year he is very affordable at the moment, but another good game could see a nice price increase.
Kangaroos
FB: Pratt, Firrito, McMahon
HB: Smith, Watt, Sinclair
C: Rawlings, Swallow, Simpson
HF: Harris, Edwards, Jones
FF: Thomas, Brown, Petrie
Foll: McIntosh, Grant, Harvey
bench from: Grima, Green, Lower, Hale, Archer, Gibson, Campbell
In: Archer, Hale, Lower
AFL Fantasy Watch:
This could be the last game that some of these players star in for a while, their schedule gets a lot tougher after this. Avoid some of the fringe players, but the stars like Harvey and Harris will get stats no matter who they play.
Port Adelaide v Geelong
Port Adelaide
FB: Pettigrew, Wakelin, Surjan
HB: Cassisi, Thurstans, Lonie
C: Salopek, S.Burgoyne, K.Cornes
HF: P.Burgoyne, White, Motlop
FF: Ebert, Tredrea, Lade
Foll: Brogan, C.Cornes, Pearce
bench from: Bentley, Thomas, Boak, Krakouer, Deluca, Rodan, Symes
In: Boak, Krakouer, Deluca, Surjan
Out: Mahoney
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Some of the Power players had a tough game last round at Sydney, but that could make them a better buy now if their prices have slipped a bit. C Cornes and S Burgoyne should have plenty of stats this round.
Geelong
FB: Mackie, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Hunt, Egan, Milburn
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Kelly
HF: Selwood, N.Ablett, S.Johnson
FF: G.Ablett, Mooney, Varcoe
Foll: Ottens, Corey, Ling
bench from: Blake, Tenace, Rooke, Stokes, Prismall, Harley, Hawkins
In: Harley, Prismall, Hawkins, Mackie
Out: D.Johnson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Don't expect the big stats from Geelong that they had the past 3 weeks. So it might be time to trade some of the players. Hawkins is only named as a possible inclusion, so don't start him this week.
The Western Bulldogs have ruled out Ryan Griffen and Jordan McMahon for this round, and Luke Darcy, Brad Johnson and Cameron Wight are also questionable.
From The Age: Bulldogs lose Griffen
From The Herald Sun: Injury woes strike Dogs
From the Bulldogs site: Match preview, round nine
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Griffen’s injury probably means he misses more than 1 week, so it might be best to trade him. Maybe N Lappin is someone to bring in, or if another Bulldog is wanted then Higgins is someone to consider. McMahon might be a player that is worth keeping, but that will be affected by who the fantasy defenders on the bench are and also by the amount of trades that are left for the season. McMahon has a good price tag and he can be traded for another very good fantasy defender, if that is required.
Check the teams when they are named tonight, to see what is happening with Johnson, Darcy and Wight. Assuming they are named, having an emergency forward and ruckman to cover for Johnson and Darcy might be the best move. Not many people would be playing Cameron Wight in fantasy teams, so if he is just on a fantasy bench then he can stay there.
Richmond have wasted a third of the season as they left Jack Riewoldt in the Coburg team and he dominated the VFL. He will play his first game against Essendon. It would have been much better for him, and the Tigers, if he was played with Richardson in the forward line but instead his job will be to temporarily replace him.
Carlton need to play all their youth too, and Adam Hartlett is someone who will provide height for them. Carlton say they drafted him due to his results as a forward, but he has been a defender in preseason and VFL games. Against the Crows, who have a variety of tall forwards, Hartlett probably goes to the back line.
From the Richmond site: Riewoldt ready for the challenge
From the Carlton site: Hartlett to make his AFL debut
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Quite a few people already have J Riewoldt sitting on their fantasy bench. They should at least get a solid price increase over the next 3 weeks, assuming that Riewoldt plays and Richardson doesn’t. Maybe Riewoldt kicks some goals and is considered for a starting spot in fantasy teams, but for his first game it will be a better idea to keep him benched as going up against Fletcher and Michael won’t help his stats.
Hartlett might keep his spot in the Carlton side as they need him in the back line if they continue to play other players who were defenders in different spots. The big Setanta is often in the ruck while Waite started in the forward line again last week. Hartlett is a long kick of the ball and a solid mark so he has the ability to bring in fantasy points.
Both players are inexpensive in fantasy leagues, Riewoldt is a forward and Hartlett is a defender. If they have a couple of good games to start their career then fantasy coaches will want to consider signing them.
20
Dean Cox.
Ruckman for the West Coast Eagles.
Somewhere out there someone is not doing his job right, if anyone has a football in their hands and is over two metres tall then there should be a scouting report on them. Every team in the AFL missed on foreseeing his talent. Dean Cox lasted until pick 28 of a rookie draft, unbelievable.
Dean Cox made his debut for the Eagles in 2001. His first role was as the backup to Michael Gardiner and it didn't take long for Cox to win the number 1 spot, or Gardiner to lose it.
Cox can do everything on the AFL field and his career-highs for stats in a game back that up. 21 kicks for a ruckman in a single game is very impressive. He has kicked 4 goals in a game and had a best ever game for handballs of 13. Hitouts are an important stat for a ruckman, his best ever performance was 47 hitouts in a game.
The Eagles would not have played in the 2005 and 2006 AFL Grand Finals if they didn't have Dean Cox. His 29 hitouts weren't enough in the 2005 Grand Final, he upped his total in the 2006 game to 34 hitouts which was a big reason why they won. Dean Cox will be among the top 3 AFL ruckmen for many years to come and will probably play in many more Grand Finals.
Dean Cox information:
204cm, 102kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 19
Round 8 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 5
Handballs: 9
Marks: 4
Tackles: 4
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 6
Handballs: 8
Marks: 7
Tackles: 3
Goals: 0
Geelong and J Selwood keep on winning, and Gibbs and Carlton keep losing. Selwood was very good as he operated in the centre and kept Geelong moving to goal. Gibbs had less fun, again positioned deep in the back line, the Kangaroos scored plenty of goals but he was not to blame.
On paper, Geelong were supposed to have tough encounters against the WA teams the past two weeks, it didn't happen. As they did the week before, Geelong got an early lead against the Dockers and when Selwood entered the game he just kept things going. Working in the centre square area, he was an important link as Geelong dominated the middle.
There was some good news for Gibbs, he got to spend some of the game on a player with similar experience, Lindsay Thomas. Thomas did kick some goals but with the Carlton back line in disarray it wasn't due to Gibbs' efforts. There was one goal that Thomas kicked that was definitely not Gibbs' fault, the ball came towards Thomas and he fell forward like a bulldozer had hit him. The umpire said Gibbs gave away the free kick, the video replay suggested that Thomas should have been on the springboard.
Things get more difficult for Selwood and the Cats as they leave the happy venue of Kardina Park and go to South Australia to face the Power. Selwood, and most other Geelong midfielders, don't have great speed and the Power midfield will be hard to stop. Geelong will want to get first use of the ball, and players like Selwood will be important at the stoppages. Carlton also face a team from South Australia, as they host the Crows. It should be a chance for Gibbs to finally play closer to the middle, the Crows won't have a forward for him to play on. Bock, Perrie, Burton and Welsh all require a bigger player then Gibbs. Gibbs might get his Rising Star nomination here, a 20 possession game on the wing is possible.
B Gibbs 3 - J Selwood 5
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
Fremantle don't have to ask for directions to the AFL Tribunal, or at least to the place they have for the video link, and Josh Carr would be especially familiar with the process. He is out for a week. Luckily for the Dockers, half of their opponent's team is also unavailable this week. The Dockers play the Saints on Friday.
From the Fremantle site: Carr to miss one week
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Josh Carr isn't on too many AFL fantasy teams, most people were probably worried about the free kicks he gives away. Carr has been a solid player for fantasy points this season and that also means there is a bigger role for another Docker this week. Fremantle is a two Carr team, so Matthew could be a player who does more this week. Hasleby, who missed the game at Geelong, is supposed to play and he should have a big game. Walker and Hayden are playing well and the Dockers may also look for a young player to go in the middle, someone like Ibbotson might play this week. Unless fantasy coaches want to trade in their J Carr, it probably is best to just have him on the fantasy bench this week and to play him when he returns.
Brent Harvey of the Kangaroos.
The Kangaroos had a very bad start to the season and have now turned it all around and their win streak is currently at 5 games. During the first three games the Kangaroos had great performances from Brent Harvey, and although many of his teammates have now hit good form it is still Harvey playing the best. For round 8, not only was he the best Kangaroo but also the best of any player for the round as he led the Kangaroos to a win over Carlton.
Brent Harvey provided as many goals on Saturday night as the Saints did as an entire team, the Saints were playing at the same time as Harvey battled the Blues. St Kilda kicked 6 goals on the MCG, Brent Harvey kicked 3 goals himself and also assisted in 3 goals for his teammates at Carrara. Harvey didn't waste his opportunities as he didn't kick any behinds, although figuratively speaking he did kick the behind of whichever Carlton player was assigned to him.
Brent Harvey's career has been about hardness at the ball, hard running and precise disposals. Every one of those facets of his game was on display on the Gold Coast. He had 5 clearances as he and Harris worked hard at the stoppages. Harvey also found space when his team had the ball, and he often turned defending into attacking as he took the ball from half back and ran through the centre to either kick a goal or pass to a forward. Harvey had 32 possessions, a very small percentage of them missed their target.
It is difficult to be the best Harvey in the AFL, as Robert isn't slowing down, but Brent Harvey is not just the best Harvey but is also the AFL Player Of The Week.
Brent Harvey's profile at the Kangaroos site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Chris Knights.
St Kilda midfielder Leigh Montagna is out for around a month due to a broken jaw. The Saints are without several important players and have some difficult games over the next six weeks including the upcoming trip to Fremantle, as well as games against Geelong, the Kangaroos and West Coast.
News from the Saints: Saints' player stocks running low
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Those who invested in Armitage when they put together their fantasy team might finally get some rewards. His games and playing time should go up significantly, and so should his stats and fantasy value. The remaining healthy veteran midfielders for St Kilda should also have a bit more of the ball. Among fantasy centres, Peter Burgoyne might be a player to replace Montagna with. Adelaide's Thompson and Port Adelaide's Salopek are some of the other centre options that are around Montagna's fantasy price.
The Eagles will be without Kerr for two weeks as he has accepted the penalty that was offered. It was a similar collision to the ones that resulted in much longer suspensions to Stokes and Michael Johnson, so Kerr probably made the right choice and didn’t contest the charge which would have meant missing an extra week.
From the AFL site: Kerr suspended for two weeks
AFL Fantasy Impact:
The best time to have traded Kerr would have been after round 5, after a big start to the year he then had two very bad weeks. Things did pick up against the Demons though. Two weeks isn’t that long, if you have N Lappin or someone like that on your bench. But for most teams a trade will be the best move. Fletcher or Priddis might play a bigger role over the next two rounds for the Eagles. Stanton, of Essendon, might be a good player to acquire for Kerr. D Harris, Hodge, Cooney or one of the Harvey stars are just some of the other options.
19
David Hille.
Ruckman for the Essendon Bombers.
The Essendon teams of the very long Sheedy Era have always relied on star ruckmen. Simon Madden is the best of all, and the closest the Bombers have to Madden today is David Hille.
The top pick of the 1999 AFL draft went on a star ruckman, Josh Fraser, and Essendon also picked up a star ruckman, but at pick 40. Other teams were using earlier picks on Paul Koulouriotis, Caydn Beetham and Damian Cupido while the Bombers used later picks in the 1999 draft to add a ruckman for the future and for the present. John Barnes was also selected by the Bombers, at pick 59.
Hille started his AFL career in 2001, from 2003 until today he has been a star ruckman and a very important part of the Bombers' side. Hille brings a very versatile game to the ruck spot, he is big enough to battle the largest ruckmen but is also mobile and can find space and create an option for his teammates to kick to. He is also a solid mark above his head and when he goes forward he is often rewarded with a goal.
Hille's career-high statistics for a game are 4 goals, 11 marks and 32 hitouts. He has kicked 4 goals on two occasions. He kicked 25 goals in season 2003 and 20 goals the following year.
There has been plenty of talk that a Hille for Austinn Jones trade nearly happened in the past. Essendon fans will be happy that never happened. An Essendon team without Hille would have seen Sheedy depart while a Saints team with Hille might have made the Saints a Grand Final side.
David Hille information:
201cm, 108kg
Official Essendon Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 18
1: West Coast Eagles 7-1 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
Cousins wants back in, first of all he wants into the club facilities and he might get permission to do that today, and maybe his first game is not too far off. Kerr's report could hurt the team as they prepare to travel to Tasmania, where they will face one of WA's best footballers, Lance Franklin.
2: Port Adelaide Power 6-2 (2)
The Power will again be playing in one of the round's biggest matches, as they host the Cats. Coach Williams wondered why most people tipped the Swans, he found out why, but a home game against Geelong should have people predicting a Power win.
3: Adelaide Crows 5-3 (3)
With games against Carlton and Melbourne in the next two weeks the Crows could get into the top 2 of the standings. So maybe the Crows will then be 7 and 3, and also have Johncock and Ricciuto back too.
4: Sydney Swans 4-4 (4)
They had to win this, and it was not a difficult game back on the SCG, which was a surprise. The inclusion of Kennelly was very important.
5: Western Bulldogs 5-3 (5)
With wins over Geelong and Collingwood, maybe the Bulldogs are "Victoria's best team". But they don't get any real trophies for that accomplishment. Akermanis again came through when they needed him.
6: Geelong Cats 5-3 (8)
They have proven that they can beat anyone at Kardinia Park, but now they have to take that form and do it on the road. Ling has been stopping whoever he is assigned to, and S Burgoyne or K Cornes will be a big test next round. The Cats do have a win already over the Power this season, the overtime NAB Cup game from Darwin.
7: Brisbane Lions 4-4 (7)
Brisbane have lost a couple of games in a row that they would have thought were winnable. Collingwood and Richmond are their next two games, another two winnable games, and they will want to win both of them as four much more difficult games follow those.
8: Fremantle Dockers 3-5 (6)
If they win their next two games, at home to the Saints and away to the Magpies, they will get back on track. They need to find some run, as Peake and Schammer are a few weeks away, and maybe they will go with a couple of quick youngsters who are playing in the WAFL. Their forward structure is something that needs to be altered, maybe Longmuir was more important than he is given credit for and the Dockers are missing the height and marking that he used to provide.
9: Collingwood Magpies 5-3 (9)
Malthouse versus Matthews once again, this game will have a big impact on whether the Lions or Magpies play in finals. Collingwood nearly beat the Bulldogs, and now they are faced with another team that can dominate with their veteran onballers.
10: Essendon Bombers 4-4 (10)
They temporarily halted their slide, but it was against an interstate side and the game was played under their roof. The Bombers have already lost 3 times on the MCG this season, and they weren't against the elite teams as they went down to the Blues, Magpies and Hawks. So even though they take on Richmond, there won't be the expectation of an easy game. Coming up after the Richmond game, it's Sydney away, West Coast at home and Port Adelaide away.
11: Hawthorn Hawks 5-3 (12)
They get another win, and also have a couple of veterans and 3 or 4 younger players who could be brought into the team. Hawthorn fans will want to see Thorp in the team soon, and Ellis also needs to be brought in. The Hawks will want to go over the tapes from the St Kilda game, which won’t be enjoyable viewing, and make sure they don’t repeat what they did in the first half.
12: Kangaroos 5-3 (13)
They probably win against Melbourne, but then it gets tough again. Games against the Eagles, Crows and Bulldogs in the coming month will really show if the Kangaroos can play with the better teams this year.
13: St Kilda Saints 4-4 (11)
Maybe the Saints are becoming a "delicate genius" team that only performs under a roof, their game against Hawthorn was very bad. Injuries are not an excuse for how they played. The back line, even without Hudghton, Maguire and Gram, was very good. The real problem was getting the ball into the forward line. It doesn't get easier as they face the Dockers in Fremantle, and as the Saints don't have a great ruckman it will be difficult to compete with Sandilands and possibly his shorter sidekick, Warnock.
14: Carlton Blues 2-6 (14)
The Blues, like Melbourne and Richmond, need to start looking to next year. Games against the two SA teams as well as the Bulldogs will make it a tough three rounds coming up. The coach hasn't run out of ideas, but what he is trying is not very effective, Matthew Lappin on Corey Jones nearly lost the game for him in the first 10 minutes. It is time to play the youngsters, and if they can promote Jacobs it could give the team some height and bulk that it needs. Jacobs or A O'hAilpin, Hampson and Hartlett could get a game soon. Mr Kennedy also needs to be put back into the team, you don't spend the third overall pick on someone for the VFL side.
15: Melbourne Demons 0-8 (15)
They got the away trip against the Eagles out of the way, so things will start to pick up now. They can beat the Kangaroos, Magpies or Tigers, who are some of their opponents over the next month. Robertson should be back, and a big game from him, as well as a good performance from Neitz, and the Demons should have an addition to the win column. The back line does need a lot more help, they need size and strength, and they need to stop sending Bruce down there as he is needed in the middle.
16: Richmond Tigers 0-8 (16)
The good news is that Richardson may only miss a couple of games, it was initially thought that he would miss 8 weeks. That Richardson will be available for the round 12 Kreuzer Cup clash with Melbourne does have a down side though, in terms of Richmond's future. But their first win might come next week, when they play the inconsistent Bombers. If Pattison has another good game, the young midfielders can again get plenty of the ball and if Hughes and Riewoldt are in the forward line the Tigers could kick a winning score.
The Swans started very well and had the game under control at half time. Sydney had 9 more hitouts than Port Adelaide did, as the ruck battle was always going to be important this had a big say in which team won. All over the ground, Goodes and C Cornes were often opposed to each other, and neither star had a big game.
Swans 118 - Power 87
Fantasy Player News
Sydney
Kennelly: Is back in seemingly perfect health, he ran all day and had 25 possessions and 8 marks.
O'Loughlin: He certainly plays better at the SCG, he kicked 4 goals.
Ablett: He kicked a couple of Ablett-worthy goals, also had 18 kicks.
C Bolton: Was a bit hurt, still produced 21 possessions and 12 marks.
McVeigh: Both McVeighs are helping fantasy teams, Jarrad kicked a couple of goals.
Port Adelaide
Ebert: The small ground may have suited him, he kicked 4 goals.
K Cornes: A lot of Crows were contained, Kane had his usual 23 possessions.
Salopek: 9 possessions, and a bonus 2 goals, as he returns from injury.
Motlop: 9 kicks and 2 goals.
Lonie: 12 kicks and 6 marks.
Collingwood looked like it had done enough to get the win, but he Bulldogs ran past them in the second half. The Bulldogs again won with a small forward structure, Higgins kicked 4, Cooney kicked 4 and Akermanis produced again with a couple of goals.
Western Bulldogs 135 - Magpies 102
Fantasy Player News
Western Bulldogs
Cross: 20 handballs, Cross always produces for fantasy points.
Higgins: Might be a player to sign, he kicked 4 goals.
Cooney: Can get fantasy points with possessions and goals, he had 13 kicks, 6 handballs and 4 goals.
Akermanis: Second good game in a row, with 17 possessions and 2 goals.
Street: For total hitouts, as long as Minson isn't there too, Street is great, he had 29 hitouts here.
Collingwood
Rocca: Kicked 3 goals from his 12 kicks, also had 8 marks.
Pendlebury: 21 possessions, only in his second year but is an elite fantasy player now.
O'Bree: 13 kicks and 11 handballs.
Davis: A good player for fantasy stats as he usually kicks the ball, he had 17 kicks and 1 handball, also had 2 goals.
Cloke: 7 marks and 2 goals.
The Eagles won, the real contest might have been Q versus the Demons. Lynch had 12 scoring shots and Melbourne had 15. Kerr was reported early in the game.
Eagles 137 - Demons 60
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
Morton: 3 goals, don't rush and sign him as the Eagles have plenty of players competing for his spot.
Lynch: 13 marks, 5 goals and 7 behinds.
Hansen: 18 possessions, 9 marks and a goal.
Staker: An important part of the team this season, he had 9 marks but only kicked 1 goal and 5 behinds.
Stenglein: 21 possessions and a goal.
Melbourne
McDonald: 25 possessions, 8 marks and 7 tackles.
Carroll: Full backs are often not the best player to sign, but the ball is down his end a lot, he had 12 marks.
Sylvia: 3 goals, but only 5 kicks.
Johnstone: 23 kicks and 2 goals.
White: One of the better fantasy ruckmen, even against Cox and Seaby he found some fantasy points with 4 free kicks for, a goal and 15 possessions.
Geelong once again had a big win at Kardinia Park. Their midfield controlled the game while their back line kept Pavlich quiet.
Cats 94 - Dockers 69
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Kelly: An inconsistent player, he is having a good run of games and finished with 33 possessions.
Ling: Often a stopping role is bad for fantasy points, but Ling has been good recently and had 28 disposals here.
Bartel: He is now the most expensive player, he had 28 possessions, 10 tackles and 3 frees for.
Tenace: A big improvement with 28 possessions, if he does it again then he is a player to sign.
Rooke: The Jared version might have been better for fantasy points, this new Max had 3 kicks and 9 handballs.
Fremantle
Johnson: 18 kicks and 9 marks, he is going to be a good player for his current fantasy price.
Hayden: 25 possessions and 5 marks.
Solomon: 12 possessions and also 13 tackles, is having a surprising fantasy season with his new team.
Bell: 22 possessions and 3 goals.
Crowley: Not an expensive fantasy player, he had 19 possessions 7 marks and 8 tackles.
Mal Michael came away with a big win. Michael was one of several defenders who made sure that Brown didn't get a lot of goals, but Brisbane were not able to effectively use the free players this tactic created.
Bombers 127 - Lions 63
Fantasy Player News
Essendon
Fletcher: Always looks to kick the ball, he did that 20 times which brought in plenty of fantasy points.
Stanton: Worth his big price, he had 21 possessions, 8 marks and a goal.
Watson: Not one of the first picked for Essendon, but he does help fantasy teams, he had 29 disposals.
McVeigh: A big mover in fantasy value, it could increase a bit more after 21 possessions and 10 marks.
M Johnson: He wasn't bringing in a lot of fantasy points but had 23 possessions and 7 marks here.
Brisbane
Selwood: A big surprise for his first game of the season, he is very affordable right now, he had 35 disposals.
Lappin: 24 possessions and 8 marks.
Hadley: Still a huge fantasy bargain, he had 29 possessions and will keep going up in value.
Brown: Even when he has to battle several defenders he can still get fantasy points, he had 9 marks and 19 disposals.
Drummond: He isn't cheap to sign, but after 21 possessions and a goal he is worth his current price.
This was not a game you would want in your DVD collection, unless you were one of three Saints who played their first game last night against the Hawks. Both teams struggled in the first half, but Hawthorn got the win as they had a much better second half.
Hawks 72 - Saints 44
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Mitchell: Another big game, 35 possessions and 9 marks.
Crawford: 28 possessions and 9 marks, is consistent with large fantasy points.
Bateman: He's been in and out of the team due to injuries but was back running again, he had 13 kicks.
Guerra: 21 kicks and 13 marks.
Smith: Didn't have a big game, 11 possessions.
St Kilda
L Fisher: Had his usual numbers, and also Gram's who missed the game, 32 possessions and 18 marks.
S Fisher: 21 possessions and 12 marks.
Harvey: He keeps going, 25 disposals.
Gwilt: A very underrated fantasy defender, 19 possessions and 8 marks.
Armitage: 9 possessions and 4 tackles in his first ever game, he should remain in their team.
This game had a lot more scoring, some of the Kangaroos' goals came from free kicks as the Blues were often undersized in the back line. Waite started forward, O'hAilpin was again in the ruck, this left Lappin and Houlihan exposed against the stronger forwards. Corey Jones had 3 or 4 opponents in the first quarter, while Lindsay Thomas has now adjusted his sights and is kicking them between the big posts, Brown and Petrie provided the big targets while Edwards again marked strongly.
Kangaroos 147- Blues 130
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Harvey: Once again a huge fantasy points game, 32 possessions and 3 goals.
Thomas: 14 kicks and 3 goals, a big game for a cheap fantasy player.
Grant: Only 10 kicks, but for fantasy points it was a good game as half of those went through for goals.
Simpson: 19 possessions and 8 tackles.
Brown: Still kicking goals, he kicked 3 in this game.
Carlton
Blackwell: 20 possessions and 3 frees for, he has good potential to be a big fantasy AFL player.
Walker: 20 possessions and 3 tackles.
Bentick: He enjoys tackling, and his 11 tackles helped his fantasy points.
Whitnall: He had 14 kicks, 4 free kicks for and kicked 3 goals, now is an option for fantasy teams again.
Koutoufides: A bit rusty, and gave away 3 free kicks, but he ended up with 21 possessions.
18
Matthew Lloyd.
Forward for the Essendon Bombers.
He has been a terror to groundsmen and full backs ever since he started in the AFL. He has kicked a lot of goals and thrown many blades of grass in the air.
The Bombers have always been stretching, exploiting and sometimes breaking the rules to get an advantage. When the Dockers were brought into the AFL there was a rule that if a team lost a player to them then that team could choose a young prospect. The Bombers enticed the Dockers by trading them some players and having the Dockers take the uncontracted Todd Ridley. The Bombers then used their compensation pick to take the young Lloyd. None of these moves would have happened if Matthew Lloyd's father had played a few more seasons with Carlton, as the father/son rule would then have delivered Lloyd into a forward line with Kernahan.
Joining the AFL at such a young age, it took Lloyd three seasons to become a contributing player to the Bombers' forward line. From 1995 until season 2000, Lloyd increased his goals tally every year. He kicked 109 goals in 2000, and then 105 goals in 2001.
Lloyd's highest total for goals in a single game is 13, and his best ever result for marks also occurred in the same game when he recorded 14.
Matthew Lloyd information:
192cm, 91kg
Official Essendon Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 17
Mathew Westfield will be back on the lists of AFL scouts after he snapped a goal post during the Tasmania versus Coburg VFL game. Westfield crashed his 86kg frame into the post, which snapped at ground level. Coburg defender Luke McGuane also glanced the post, and as he continued over the goal line the post hit his shoulder on its way down. McGuane did feel it, but may not be injured, according to reports.
The post was replaced after a few minutes and the game continued. Watch the news for video highlights of the post incident, or the game can be seen in full when it is replayed on ABC2.
The Eagles haven’t missed their former captain with young players like Priddis helping out in the midfield. But according to this story it might not be too long until the centre square unit is again Cox, Judd, Kerr and Cousins.
From The West Australian: I’m ready to play
AFL Fantasy Impact:
If Cousins does return to the team, when he plays it will probably have a drastic effect on some of the fantasy stats of the players there now. So it might be best to be thankful for the price rise from Priddis, and other younger Eagles players, and to trade them in for another fantasy midfielder. Despite not playing yet, several thousand fantasy coaches already have Cousins in their teams, not surprisingly you don’t see those teams among the leaders in AFL fantasy games. When Cousins does return, whenever that is, he will still have a very high price tag for fantasy leagues so it would be a huge risk to sign him when the Eagles name him.
There was only 9 points between the teams, Richmond kept it close as they kicked accurately. Richardson is out for a couple of months, the Tigers will definitely be looking to 2008 now. For some better news for Richmond fans, they will want to watch the VFL game from Tasmania as Jack Riewoldt will be playing his last VFL game, and will probably kick 10 goals before making his AFL debut next round.
Crows 99 - Tigers 90
Fantasy Player News
Adelaide
Bock: Went up the ground to add to his possessions, he also had a couple of goals.
Welsh: 5 goals, another big game.
Jericho: Another solid game, his fantasy price could soon increase.
Griffin: Looked like McKernan, when he was good last century, in the first half with a couple of goals.
Torney: 16 possessions and 6 marks.
Richmond
J Bowden: 19 kicks, 10 marks, J Bowden was in last year's fantasy stats form.
A Pattison: 21 possessions, a ruckman who looks like helping fantasy teams, and he can also play as a forward for the Tigers, which is important for when Simmonds returns.
King: Some of his kicks have way too much elevation but he does have a skill for being in the right place for a crumb, he had 20 possessions, and also kicked a long goal.
Howat: Howat, and Edwards, have the Daffy/Campbell haircuts going so they look right in the yellow and black. Howat should continue to be a regular in the team after 14 kicks, 7 marks and 2 goals.
Krakouer: A late inclusion, he had a cut to his head and also provided the injury to Richo. But for fantasy stats he had a very good game, he had 11 kicks and received 3 free kicks.
Adding Judd last week was a decision that made sense, gambling on Cain Ackland seemed like a good idea until the start of the Collingwood - Carlton game when Ackland joined Murphy on the bench as Pagan tried to turn his full back into Stynes. The fantasy team should be better this week as a couple of relatives of famous stars will be starting, Ross Smith's son Jesse W and possibly George Peppard's unlikely relative Ricky.
B David Mundy
B Jesse Smith
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Jason Roe
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell
C Ricky Petterd
C Chris Judd (captain)
C Paul Hasleby
C Marc Murphy
C Jordan Lewis
R Cain Ackland
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Reiwoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Alwyn Davey
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Joel Selwood
C Bryce Gibbs (emergency)
R Jonathan Griffin (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
Pratt was very good last season, this year he has been running into people too much, a collision early in the game last week was not good for fantasy points. Jesse Smith will take Pratt's spot now. That was the only trade this week. The back line could become a settled unit now. Roe, Birchall and Mundy all have great foot skills and have a lot of the ball in the back half as their teammates look for them to send the ball into attack. McPhee and Polak are also very good for contested marks, while Raines is a small defender who can accumulate a lot of possessions.
Ricky Petterd might be playing for Melbourne, he is in the named side of 22 but you never know as he is coming back from an injury , but that is under control here as he is a starter and Bryce Gibbs is an emergency for the centre spot. It might be time to sell Gibbs, but maybe Carlton unleash him and he plays on a wing soon. Chris Judd becomes the captain for the fantasy team this round, he might keep that role for an extended time. Last week it would have been great if Mitchell was captain, he had a huge game, and even though they were often competing against each other, Hasleby also played well for stats. Murphy once again started on the bench for Carlton, but after entering the contest he nearly had a game's worth of fantasy points in the part of the first quarter that he played.
The best fantasy ruckman on this team was sitting on the bench last week, Griffin. Both he and Hudson should be solid for fantasy points against the Tigers. Ackland gets one more go, very likely his last. Cloke is hurt, McLaren is hurt, and the Blues have yet to elevate big Jacobs or the younger brother of Setanta who is Aisake O'hAilpin, and even dropped Mr Kennedy for this round, so there has to be a big chance that Ackland plays a lot this time. If the fantasy team performs this week, and there are no injuries that require a trade, a star ruckman will probably be added next week.
The forward line is loaded with G Ablett, C Cornes, Hall and now N Riewoldt. Lance Franklin has also been one of the great signings for the fantasy season, and even when his kicking for goal is off he can bring in a solid number of fantasy points. Corey Jones has lost a bit in value, he was lively around goals last round and could return a 5-goal game soon. AFL fantasy coaches might be thinking about trading in Alwyn Davey, he's tripled his value so it might be a good move.
Fantasy teams that have two players like Campbell, S Cox, A Davey or T Hawkins on their fantasy bench might be thinking about trading in one of them to free up some money to use. If your fantasy team has plenty of trades left then this might be a good tactic. Shannon Cox is back in the mix for Collingwood, so that is good news for his fantasy owners, and also for this fantasy team. J Selwood and B Gibbs provide a young but talented centre pairing on the bench here. That combo is a bit better than the bench defenders, Ellis and Riggio. Ellis is close for the Hawks, he should be back in the team soon as Joel Smith is not a long-term answer for them. Ellis will need to get back in the Hawthorn team soon as it doesn't look like Riggio will be back for the Kangaroos, unless injuries hit several players there.
Adelaide v Richmond
The Tip: Adelaide by 44 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Andrew McLeod
Chance For An Upset: No Riewoldt, no Richmond.
Adelaide
They win if....their veteran midfielders dominate the Tigers' younger players.
They lose if...the Jericho-holics in the crowd run onto the ground and the game is forfeited.
The Good News: No new injuries and no changes made, some stars like Johncock are also close to a return.
The Bad News: The forward line is very inconsistent.
Richmond
They win if....the Tigers have studied the game tapes from the Crows versus Essendon and Collingwood.
They lose if...Richardson plays the game in the ruck, just let him run around and have Pattison or Polak go for hitouts.
The Good News: Kingsley isn't playing.
The Bad News: Riewoldt isn't playing.
Essendon v Brisbane
The Tip: Brisbane by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jonathan Brown
Chance For An Upset: A coin-flip game, very even.
Essendon
They win if....Lloyd returns and kicks a winning score, and he has done that before.
They lose if...McPhee is used as a tall defender, he needs space to work in.
The Good News: Ryder has really exploded with the move to the back line.
The Bad News: Camporeale is in the team, Dyson must be wondering why he isn't playing.
Brisbane
They win if....the Lions ruckmen stay with Hille and don't allow him to run free.
They lose if...they kick too often to Michael's opponent.
The Good News: They finally get to talk with Mal Michael.
The Bad News: Their young defenders have a big game against the veterans Lucas and Lloyd.
Geelong v Fremantle
The Tip: Fremantle by 11 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Matthew Pavlich
Chance For An Upset: Fremantle are big outsiders, but Geelong are very inconsistent so anything can happen.
Geelong
They win if....Bartel continues to run around without an opponent.
They lose if...Mooney is stopped.
The Good News: Ling is performing at a high level as he shuts down the midfield stars of the AFL.
The Bad News: Hawkins is out.
Fremantle
They win if....they again find a third forward option, it was Campbell last week.
They lose if...Sandilands can't keep up with the double-team of Blake and Ottens in the ruck.
The Good News: Schammer's recovery is ahead of schedule, he could be back in under a month.
The Bad News: They have gone from preseason favourites to win everything to now struggling to get into the finals.
Hawthorn v St Kilda
The Tip: Hawthorn by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Luke Hodge
Chance For An Upset: The Saints are the favourites, but they like the roof and there isn't one to play under at the MCG.
Hawthorn
They win if....Crawford runs harder than Harvey.
They lose if...the Hawthorn forwards don't work hard to stop players like Gram and the Fishers running away with the ball.
The Good News: Mitchell has been very good this season, but last week he was great.
The Bad News: Joel Smith is playing, this does not agree with their youth policy that they have. Xavier Ellis or Moss would have been a better choice.
St Kilda
They win if....Gehrig kicks a lot of goals.
They lose if...they can't figure out who is the right player to combat Lance Franklin.
The Good News: Gwilt has improved a lot, he can slow down a key forward and also get plenty of the ball himself.
The Bad News: Another injury, this time a long-term one to Goddard.
Kangaroos v Carlton
The Tip: Kangaroos by 7 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Corey Jones
Chance For An Upset: Carlton are in a bit of a slump, but they did defeat the Kangaroos in Queensland during the NAB Cup.
Kangaroos
They win if....Edwards, Petrie and Brown continue to mark the ball, or at least bring it to ground for Harvey and Grant.
They lose if...McIntosh's influence on the game and playing time is changed with Moran there as his backup.
The Good News: They keep on winning.
The Bad News: Wells misses a month, Hale has been dropped.
Carlton
They win if....Betts and Fisher help Fevola and kick a bunch of goals.
They lose if...Koutoufides doesn't spend more time on the ground, and in the middle.
The Good News: Fevola always makes the games entertaining, but he won't need to ignite a rumble this time.
The Bad News: They have dropped Mr Kennedy, they need to play the former number 3 overall pick as he is the future.
Sydney v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Sydney by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ryan O'Keefe
Chance For An Upset: Despite only 1 loss this year the Power are the underdog here, they have won in Fremantle and on the MCG this season and they are capable of defeating Sydney at the SCG.
Sydney
They win if....Jolly and Everitt win in the ruck, a tough task.
They lose if...the players weren't listening this week when Hall was talking.
The Good News: Kennelly is playing, maybe.
The Bad News: O'Loughlin is not a star now, maybe they need to only use him in bursts from the bench.
Port Adelaide
They win if....they continue playing how they have been.
They lose if...Tredrea and White are stopped by Barry and C Bolton.
The Good News: They are on top of the ladder.
The Bad News: It will be a big change from last week, going from a home game against Richmond to a game at the SCG with the Swans needing a win.
Western Bulldogs v Collingwood
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 23 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Daniel Giansiracusa
Chance For An Upset: The Bulldogs are only slight favourites, the Magpies have shown they can win a big game like they did on Anzac Day.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....Cooney and Griffen help by kicking a few goals.
They lose if...Fraser is too good for Street and Darcy.
The Good News: Akermanis was good last round, he should again lift for a big game in a packed stadium.
The Bad News: They are still a short team, and Collingwood can play three tall forwards.
Collingwood
They win if....they really can match the Bulldogs for pace, and foot skills.
They lose if...Rocca and Cloke can't dominate the air.
The Good News: Malthouse says the players that were dropped last week are welcomed back now, Davis will play this week.
The Bad News: The Magpies are trying to play the Bulldogs at their game, dropping Wakelin and bringing in fast players, it won't be easy to beat the Bulldogs that way.
West Coast v Melbourne
The Tip: West Coast by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Chris Judd
Chance For An Upset: None.
West Coast
They win if....the game goes ahead as scheduled.
They lose if...Judd announces before the game that he wants to play with Melbourne next season.
The Good News: Dean Cox is back playing, they are close to unbeatable when he is at his best.
The Bad News: Embley will miss another month.
Melbourne
They win if....Melbourne go there to physically intimidate the Eagles, they will need big games from McLean, Sylvia and Jones.
They lose if...Neitz doesn't kick 9 or more goals.
The Good News: It could be a look at a future Demon, if Judd wants out of the chaos in the West then Melbourne is where he wants to go, and with possibly having the first pick in the preseason draft it could be easy to do.
The Bad News: After a few close losses it could be time for a huge loss, and a visit to play the Eagles could result in a 100 point loss.
Every team wants Nick Riewoldt, but Brisbane can offer him many things that the Saints and other clubs cannot. Riewoldt would go to the Lions and become their number 2 forward, teaming with Jonathan Brown would have to be something that interests him, and a premiership might be closer for Riewoldt there as the Lions are younger and the Saints will be losing players to retirement like Gehrig, Thompson, Hamill and Harvey. Of course, Queensland is where Riewoldt is from and the Lions seem to be using that to entice Riewoldt.
From Brisbane newspaper The Courier-Mail: Lions target Saint
Brisbane intends to pitch its bright future and the potential non-football earnings a locally produced player of such profile would demand in a bid to get the hometown hero to play out his career in a Lions jumper.
It is believed Brisbane officials have been lobbying Riewoldt's father Joe, a long-time business associate of former Lions chairman Graeme Downie.
There have been plenty of announcements that the Saints and Riewoldt are talking about a contract extension. The Lions pursuing Riewoldt will undoubtedly lead to a higher figure being offered to Riewoldt by the Saints.
Story on the Saints site: Riewoldt contract talks to begin
With Voss off the books after this season there is certainly the cap-space to add Riewoldt. It has also been reported in the past that Riewoldt wanted to go to Brisbane. If Riewoldt doesn’t sign a new contract with St Kilda he could force a trade to Brisbane. The Saints might be forced to trade, or Riewoldt could leave for nothing and join his cousin at Richmond.
The Saints could get the Lions’ first round pick, Troy Selwood, Matt Tyler and Cameron Wood for Riewoldt. Maybe Michael Rischitelli could also be an option. So if a trade has to be made the Saints can get something for Riewoldt.
Maybe Riewoldt signs an extension with St Kilda soon, but until then there will continue to be plenty of talk among AFL clubs about their chances of getting him. All of this is good news for Riewoldt, as the longer he waits, the more dollars will be added to his contract.
17
Chris Tarrant.
Forward for the Fremantle Dockers.
There was a lot of excitement about the top 10 of the 1997 draft, which included C Cornes and Power, and the player who provided the most highlights was Chris Tarrant who was pick 8. So in that draft the Magpies drafted a future Docker, while Fremantle would use pick 26 on Brodie Holland who would eventually become a Magpie.
The first couple of years of Tarrant's AFL career were not very successful, as the Magpies were in a rebuilding mode. Tarrant's play picked up in season 2000 and Collingwood's fortunes also turned around. Tarrant would play in the AFL Grand Finals against Brisbane in 2002 and 2003. It was in 2003 that Tarrant produced his best numbers with over 50 goals, 200 marks and 300 kicks.
After the 2006 season it was time for Tarrant to move, and there were plenty of teams that wanted him. The Dockers won the race for Tarrant, sending players and picks to Collingwood and Richmond, who were also part of the complicated deal. The Magpies got a player for now, Medhurst, and a star for later, Reid, so they did very well with the trade. Tarrant got his wish to play on Subiaco, and now teams with Pavlich in a versatile attack.
Chris Tarrant information:
192cm, 95kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 16
Adelaide v Richmond
Adelaide
FB: Doughty, Bassett, Mattner
HB: Torney, Rutten, McLeod
C: van Berlo, Shirley, Thompson
HF: Jericho, Bock, Vince
FF: Knights, Welsh, Perrie
Foll: Hudson, Goodwin, Edwards
bench: Griffin, Burton, Douglas, Stevens
emergency: McGregor, Pfeiffer, Massie
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Plenty of good fantasy players among their defenders and midfielders. Goodwin and Edwards are in top form at the moment, Knights and McLeod are also great for fantasy points.
Richmond
FB: Newman, J.Bowden, King
HB: Raines, Polak, Jackson
C: Polo, Johnson, Howat
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Hyde
FF: Tambling, Schulz, Deledio
Foll: Pattison, Tuck, Foley
bench: Tivendale, Meyer, Thursfield, Edwards
emergency: Riewoldt, Krakouer, White
In: Jackson, White, Meyer, Thursfield, Edwards
Out: Krakouer, White, Oakley-Nicholls, Hughes, McGuane
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Tigers know that the Richmond fans deserve to be present when J Riewoldt debuts, so he isn't playing this week. Another player that Richmond fans have been talking about is going to play, they won't be asking "when will Thursfield play" now, fantasy coaches should watch his progress and in a Gasparless back line he might have some fantasy value.
Essendon v Brisbane
Essendon
FB: Johnson, Michael, McVeigh
HB: Winderlich, Ryder, Fletcher
C: McPhee, Peverill, Cole
HF: Hird, Lucas, Houli
FF: Davey, Lloyd, J.Johnson
Foll: Hille, Watson, Stanton
bench: Camporeale, Lovett, Monfries, Slattery
emergency: Bolton, Bradley, Dyson
In: Camporeale, Lloyd, Slattery
Out: Laycock, Johns, Welsh
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Lloyd seems ready to go, sign him up now. Camporeale is another addition to their team, but fantasy teams should not sign him.
Brisbane
FB: Begley, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Brennan, Copeland
C: Selwood, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Harding, Brown, Notting
FF: Rischitelli, Patfull, McGrath
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: Hadley, Allan, McDonald, Drummond
emergency: Fixter, Sherman, Schmidt
In: Drummond, Selwood, Allan
Out: Johnson, Fixter, Sherman
AFL Fantasy Watch:
T Selwood is a player to watch, he is a bit cheaper than he was in fantasy last season so depending on his role he might be a player to sign. Fantasy teams looking to add a star defender can consider Adcock or Roe from Brisbane.
Geelong v Fremantle
Geelong
FB: Mackie, Scarlett, Enright
HB: D.Johnson, Egan, Milburn
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Kelly
HF: Selwood, N.Ablett, S.Johnson
FF: G.Ablett, Mooney, Varcoe
Foll: Ottens, Corey, Ling
bench: Blake, Tenace, Rooke, Stokes
emergency: Prismall, Hunt, Playfair
In: Rooke
Out: Hawkins
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Time to rest Hawkins on the fantasy bench. That's not Jared Rooke, it's Max Rooke, same player but a different name. He doesn't cost too much but it is hard to see him having a big game with similar players like D Johnson, Mackie and Milburn out there too.
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, Grover, Johnson
HB: Dodd, McPharlin, Carr
C: Black, Hasleby, Mundy
HF: Headland, Pavlich, Crowley
FF: Bell, Tarrant, Solomon
Foll: Sandilands, McManus, J.Carr
bench: Walker, Duffield, Campbell, Webster
emergency: Cook, Gilmore, Warnock
In: Solomon
Out: Gilmore
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Solomon did enough to justify his fantasy price before, and gets extra points due to his tackling.
Hawthorn v St Kilda
Hawthorn
FB: Birchall, Gilham, Brown
HB: Hodge, Croad, Guerra
C: Smith, Mitchell, Ladson
HF: Young, Franklin, Bateman
FF: Boyle, Dixon, Lewis
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Crawford
bench: Taylor, McGlynn, Roughead, Osborne
emergency: Dawson, Moss, Murphy
In: Roughead, Smith
Out: Murphy, Moss
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Murphy was very good for fantasy stats, so it’s bad for fantasy coaches that he is out. Smith might not be too useful, he wasn't kicking too well in the VFL and the Hawks have a lot of younger players who can play in his role.
St Kilda
FB: Gwilt, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
HB: Attard, Blake, Gram
C: Jones, Ball, Montagna
HF: Harvey, Riewoldt, Fiora
FF: Voss, Gehrig, Koschitzke
Foll: Rix, X.Clarke, Dal Santo
bench: Birss, M.Clarke, Gilbert, Milne
emergency: Armitage, Hudghton, Sweeney
In: M.Clarke
Out: Goddard
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Koschitzke might not play as much in the ruck with M Clarke back. He will still get enough points with time up forward as well as in the ruck. Goddard leaves plenty of possessions for other players to have now, the Fishers might be even better for stats.
Kangaroos v Carlton
Kangaroos
FB: Pratt, Gibson, Sinclair
HB: Firrito, Watt, Archer
C: Rawlings, Simpson, Smith
HF: Campbell, Brown, Thomas
FF: Harvey, Edwards, Petrie
Foll: McIntosh, Grant, Harris
bench: Jones, Swallow, Grima, Moran
emergency: Green, Lower, McMahon
In: Thomas, Moran
Out: Wells, Hale
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Thomas should play a big role with Wells out, so fantasy teams with Thomas on their bench might want to start him for some of the games over the next month. Moran is more of a ruckman than a forward, so the Kangaroos’ forwards like Edwards and Brown should still bring in fantasy points but McIntosh might see a small decrease in his numbers.
Carlton
FB: Houlihan, Whitnall, Saddington
HB: Thornton, Waite, Walker
C: Lappin, Murphy, Simpson
HF: Gibbs, S.O'hAilpin, Koutoufides
FF: Fisher, Fevola, Betts
Foll: Ackland, Carrazzo, Scotland
bench: Bentick, Blackwell, Russell, Young
emergency: Anderson, Bannister, Hartlett
In: Blackwell, Thornton
Out: Bower, Kennedy
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Kennedy has not been able to find the ball with the Blues usually going to Fevola, one player who can get fantasy points in the Carlton forward line is Fisher and he might have a big game. Young remains in the team, his very low fantasy price is about to go up.
Sydney v Port Adelaide
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Malceski
HB: Bevan, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Buchanan
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Davis, Hall, Dempster
Foll: Jolly, Goodes, Fosdike
bench from: Crouch, Kennelly, Schneider, McVeigh, Jack, Grundy, Everitt
In: Dempster, Grundy, Kennelly
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Dempster is back in the team, he was a good player for their AFL Canberra team last week but may not do a lot in the stats. It might depend on where he is played, if he does go forward it might help his stats. Kennelly returns too, although he is on the bench as a possible inclusion.
Port Adelaide
FB: Thurstans, Wakelin, Surjan
HB: Cassisi, C.Cornes, Pettigrew
C: Salopek, S.Burgoyne, Lonie
HF: Pearce, White, Rodan
FF: Ebert, Tredrea, Motlop
Foll: Lade, K.Cornes, S.Burgoyne
bench from: Krakouer, Bentley, Mahoney, Boak, Thomas, Brogan, Symes
In: Boak, Salopek, Symes
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Salopek was very good before his injury, his price is still a bit under what he provides for fantasy points. As Salopek is in the team that means one of the players on the bench will miss, so better not sign Bentley, Krakouer or Thomas.
Western Bulldogs v Collingwood
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Wight, Hargrave
C: Eagleton, S.West, Griffen
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Boyd
FF: Hahn, Darcy, Akermanis
Foll: Street, Cross, Cooney
bench from: Ray, Higgins, Minson, Power, Addison, Robbins, Harbrow
In: Minson, Power, Robbins
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hahn and Akermanis were good players last week for stats, they might get added to fantasy teams if they have another solid game.
Collingwood
FB: Lockyer, Prestigiacomo, Holland
HB: H.Shaw, O'Brien, R.Shaw
C: Pendlebury, Toovey, Thomas
HF: Maxwell, Cloke, Didak
FF: Swan, Rocca, Johnson
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Burns
bench from: Davis, Iles, Davies, Dick, Bryan, Goldsack, Medhurst
In: Davies, Goldsack, Davis, Medhurst
Out: Wakelin
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Davis did have a great game against the Crows, he should have a big role as they need his pace against the Bulldogs.
West Coast v Melbourne
West Coast
FB: Wirrpanda, Glass, B.Jones
HB: Stenglein, Hunter, Selwood
C: Rosa, Priddis, Braun
HF: Hurn, Hansen, Chick
FF: Waters, Lynch, R.Jones
Foll: Seaby, Judd, Kerr
bench from: LeCras, Fletcher, Morton, Cox, Brown, Armstrong, Staker
In: Cox, Fletcher, Morton
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Dean Cox is back in the team, have an emergency ready among the ruckmen just in case. There was a report that Embley would be out of the team for another month, so check the West Coast news about that.
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Yze
HB: Brown, Ferguson, Bell
C: Bate, McDonald, Davey
HF: Green, Miller, Bruce
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, Dunn
Foll: White, Godfrey, Johnstone
bench from: P.Johnson, Jones, Holland, Warnock, Whelan, McLean, Petterd
In: Whelan, Petterd, McLean, Ferguson
Out: Moloney
AFL Fantasy Watch:
McLean will be one of the best fantasy midfielders, for points average, but it may not be this week. He costs too much to sign right now, with coming back from his long absence and also due to being named on the possible bench. A team is lucky to have Petterd in fantasy AFL, after this round he could rapidly go up in price.
Hudson and Griffin have been more than adequate for the Crows but they will have competition for their spots with Maric ready to play and Meesen only a few weeks away.
From The Advertiser: Griffin emerges from pack
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Griffin becomes a much better fantasy option when he is also played as a forward by the Crows. With a few extra marks, and sometimes a goal, his AFL fantasy points are occasionally as good or better than Hudson’s. Over the coming weeks it might be time to sell Griffin if Maric takes his ruck spot, unless they decide to play Griffin as a permanent forward. Injuries to other forwards there could help the Crows decide that Griffin needs to play close to goals. A lot of fantasy coaches have Hudson or Griffin on their team so they will have to watch what the Crows do with their ruck position. Maric probably isn’t worth signing for fantasy teams unless Hudson is out too, and although injuries could open up a spot for Meesen it is probably next year for him and AFL fantasy teams.
Round 7 goes to Bryce Gibbs.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 2
Handballs: 10
Marks: 3
Tackles: 3
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 6
Handballs: 6
Marks: 6
Tackles: 5
Goals: 0
Gibbs had a nice view of an old-fashioned Collingwood versus Carlton brouhaha and Joel Selwood was part of a win over the top team as well as his now infamous, but apologetic, brother.
Gibbs was again a bit out of the action, for where the football was, as it seems that Coach Pagan is reluctant to give him too much responsibility right now. When Gibbs did have the ball he hit his target, although most of his disposals were by hand. Considering the skills of some of the other Blues, they really need to use Gibbs more.
J Selwood would not have seen a lot of A Selwood as the Eagle was busy trying to keep up with Gary Ablett. Joel came off the bench and did his best work in the centre square, linking with his teammates and continuing the supply to the forwards. J Selwood got the win but also had some concussion problems.
Gibbs is off to Queensland now, it won't be a holiday as the in-form Kangaroos are the opponent. If Gibbs is again played back, he might have to work hard as he could be on Grant and Harvey when they switch to the forward line. Possibly Gibbs could play forward, but in a defensive role on Jesse Smith. That would be a good contest between two young stars, and Gibbs wouldn't be fighting out of his weight, and age, division. The Cats have a task as difficult as last week's with the Dockers their round 8 opponent. The Dockers have a lot of tenacious smalls and Selwood would be needed to combat the Carrs, Hasleby, Bell and Black.
B Gibbs 3 - J Selwood 4
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
16
Jonathan Brown.
Forward for the Brisbane Lions.
You can go back a couple of generations to the old Colac & District League to hear about a big guy called Brown providing a rigorous physical contest. Jonathan Brown is the latest and greatest, and possibly the strongest, of the Browns from the West of Victoria. Thanks to Fitzroy, it is Brisbane which now gets the benefits and the trophies because they have Jonathan Brown.
The merger with Fitzroy was a success for Brisbane because they traded in the furry, little Bear for a big, fearsome Lion. The merger also provided Jonathan Brown through the father/son rule. A guaranteed top 5 pick in the 1999 AFL draft, and possibly would have gone at pick 1, the cost for Brisbane was pick 30.
Season 2000 was spent getting used to the AFL game, the next three years were all about winning, so he had a big start to his career. Brown and Lynch provided the quality Brisbane midfield with two big targets to kick to.
It is a new Brisbane team as players like Voss, Hart, Akermanis and Lynch are gone now. If Brisbane are going to make a noise in September again it will be with Brown carrying the team on his back. Season 2006 showed that he could do it. Injury cut the season off at 10 games, but he was in Brownlow medal winning form then, and still finished the season with a career-high 13 votes. In half the games last year Brown was in double-figures for marks, including again getting a career-high for a game with 17 marks.
Brown is kicking more goals now, and getting reported a lot less, while his previous seasons have all been great his actual best could still be in the future, that is something that the league's full backs don't need to hear.
Jonathan Brown information:
195cm, 102kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 15
Chris Knights of the Adelaide Crows.
The Crows were not going along too well, and a big clash against the Lions in Brisbane was always going to be difficult. The Lions started the game with a couple of quick goals but there was still fight in the Crows. In the first quarter, Chris Knights helped steady the Crows, and in the second quarter they hit the lead as Knights led his team with 11 possessions for the quarter. The Crows won as Knights totalled 29 possessions for the game.
In the tradition of Bickley, Knights played a smart game around half back and when the Crows' defenders needed to get the ball out of danger Knights was often in space to receive it. Knights also provided plenty of run through the middle, and as the Crows started scoring goals he was more attacking. But it wasn't just run that he provided, there was toughness too. In the continued absence of Mark Ricciuto, other players have to put their bodies on the line for the Crows and Knights responded once again with 9 contested possessions and 6 tackles for the game.
It was a game of effective use of the football, smart decisions and even a goal as Knights helped the Crows defeat the Lions. A player who could end up winning more prestigious awards than this one, Knights is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Chris Knights' profile at the Adelaide site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Lance Franklin.
$3300 (The Randy “Macho Man” Savage main eventers)
Dane Swan, Heath Scotland and Brendan Fevola
$2400 (The Hillbilly Jim midcarders)
Alan Didak, Anthony Rocca and Brodie Holland
$1500 (The Alex Wright undercarders)
Dale Thomas, Harry O'Brien, Scott Burns, Josh Fraser, Chris Bryan, Andrew Walker, Eddie Betts, Kade Simpson, Brad Fisher and Cain Ackland
Not a surprise to see Fevola and Scotland ranked as the most productive wrestlers, and they get the bigger fine, if they accept the charge. Swan maintains his high ranking among the Magpies.
Collingwood have the next best three, with Big Rocca the least aggressive but he can be the most damaging. Maybe Rocca should give some money to Josh Fraser too, due to a friendly fire incident.
There seems to be a Survivor Series matchup among the first time offenders. The Magpies might have a big size advantage with Fraser and Bryan in their team.
From the Herald Sun: Fans love it tough
From the AFL site: Sixteen face melee charges
FB D Wirrpanda, D Fletcher, H Shaw
HB A McLeod, C Cornes, J Bartel
C J Lewis, K Cornes, S West
HF C Bruce, S Lucas, D Kerr
FF L Franklin, B Johnson, G Ablett
Foll H McIntosh, C Judd, S Black
bench L Power, T Lockyer, C Brown, R Harvey
emergency D Jolly, B Stanton, D Wells
Around a third of the season has gone by, and here are some players who could come into consideration for the end of season All-Australian team.
Plenty of players will have been missed, leave a comment with suggestions.
Wells deserves his spot but he will have to have a big second half to the season as he will miss 4 to 6 rounds. S Burgoyne was great for the first four games, P Burgoyne has starred in the past three Power games, both of them could be All-Australian at the end of the season. McIntosh, Jolly, Lade, Fraser and White have been some of the better ruckmen. After round 14 there should be another preview.
In the 2002 AFL draft, the order was Goddard and then Wells. On the weekend these players were again linked, but with knee injuries. Goddard is out for the rest of this season, Wells did not injure his knee as severely and is expected to be back in a month or so.
News from the Saints about Goddard: Saints injury update
From The Age: Goddard hobbled by knee injury
The Age injury report said:
Daniel Wells (Kangaroos) knee
Second-degree sprain of medial ligament of knee. Will miss four weeks.
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Wells for Johnstone, Hasleby or Daniel Harris is a trade that could replace him with a similar fantasy centre. These players have been averaging fantasy points that are close to Wells' output, and they are also close to him in price. The Kangaroos will have to bring in some speed to their midfield with Wells out, Campbell should also see more playing time.
Goddard for Sinclair, Hunter or S Fisher might work. Again these players are in the same fantasy position, as well as having similar prices and fantasy points averages. At St Kilda, the Fishers, Gram and Gwilt have stepped up their stats with Hudghton and Maguire out. Gwilt is a bargain buy in fantasy leagues. Birss might keep his spot in the team now, even when Baker returns, and the Saints could also consider McQualter and Armitage.
Here are some players who are cheap to sign for fantasy teams. Some of them can start right now, others could be added to free up some money and may become good players later in the season.
J Gwilt - Is really playing well, a cheap buy and worth starting.
J Frawley - Melbourne are 0 and 7, he was their first round pick, he should have plenty of games this season.
J Riewoldt - He might have kicked nearly as many goals in the VFL as Richmond have the past couple of weeks.
J Smith - Another big game for the Kangaroos and fantasy coaches will want to sign him quickly before his price explodes.
A Edwards - Still cheap, and it seems Hale won't be taking his spot.
R Young - The cheapest player to buy, and he isn't the worst player Carlton have in their team.
J Brennan - Started well, then cooled off and his price dipped too, he will be there every game for Brisbane.
S Gilbert - Can fill a couple of spots for the Saints, and the injuries there will keep him playing.
C Hughes - He should be in the Richmond side for the rest of the year.
N Ablett - Price is going up but still is one of the cheaper forwards to consider.
A Bentick - The price is right, but he hasn't exploded for stats despite Stevens being out.
T Richards - He kicked plenty of goals in preseason, maybe the Swans move him forward now to help Hall.
L Jericho - Only played one game but he was good for stats.
R Hadley - He is healthy and inexpensive.
J Schulz - Another forward option for Richmond, and fantasy teams.
Clinton Jones - Not Corey or Chad, this is the Saints' C Jones. An inexpensive fantasy option.
T Varcoe - has kept his spot in the Geelong team.
C Bryan - A cheaper ruckman who can kick a couple of goals for extra fantasy points.
J King - Is getting a lot of the ball, his price will increase a bit more.
D Armitage - Must be close to his debut for the Saints.
C Collard - Could be an answer to the Dockers' lack of pace.
A Campbell - He kicked goals last game, might become their third forward option.
S Gumbleton - They must play the 2nd overall pick soon.
B Reid - One of the young players that they are waiting to debut.
M Thorp - The Hawks could play him in the coming weeks.
1: West Coast Eagles 6-1 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
One loss, when Dean Cox wasn't playing, is not important. One concern is that some teams have figured out ways to stop Kerr and another thing to look at is that the gloved one is not kicking as many goals as the Eagles need from him too. They host the Melbourne football club next weekend, so don't expect two losses in a row.
2: Port Adelaide Power 6-1 (2)
If they get a win at the SCG, it might show that the Swans are too old and too injured and it could also prove that the rebuilding is complete for the Power and it was a big success. With Brogan back in the team it makes Lade even more powerful, as he can also go forward and kick a bunch of goals.
3: Adelaide Crows 4-3 (4)
A bit of a rollercoaster season for the Crows, they should continue rising up as they will play the Tigers. Obviously the win against the Lions was big, but of greater importance was that they kicked a much higher score than in previous weeks.
4: Sydney Swans 3-4 (3)
Roos might have a tough call coming up, his former teammate O'Loughlin is not playing well. The Swans will need a big game next round from Jolly and Everitt as they clash with Lade and Brogan.
5: Western Bulldogs 4-3 (5)
They will fill the stadium against Collingwood next week in a game that might decide who is the top Victorian team right now. Hahn helped the Bulldogs with Murphy out.
6: Fremantle Dockers 3-4 (6)
They have had 1 solid win, and 2 lucky wins, their game against the Cats might show if they deserve to be considered a contender this season.
7: Brisbane Lions 4-3 (7)
Again the Lions had problems in front of goal, with Patfull and McGrath combining to kick 1 goal and 6 behinds.
8: Geelong Cats 4-3 (9)
They have defeated the three worst teams and now they have also beaten the top team in the AFL, West Coast. The reward for defeating a talented WA team at Kardinia Park is another tough contest against the other talented WA team, with once again the home ground advantage at Geelong.
9: Collingwood Magpies 5-2 (12)
They play the Bulldogs, Lions and Dockers in the next 3 weeks, a difficult schedule as the Lions game is in Brisbane. Holland, who played his first game of the year on the weekend against Carlton, will be there as they take on the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs won't be happy to see him, and maybe the Magpies would rather not play against their September destroyer, Jason Akermanis.
10: Essendon Bombers 3-4 (8)
The Lions, Tigers and Swans are their upcoming opponents. Lloyd should be back and he might be enough for them to start a good win streak.
11: St Kilda Saints 4-3 (10)
If Goddard is out for the season, the Saints will struggle to replace him. He can send the ball from the back half right up to Riewoldt and Gehrig, his long kicking will be missed.
12: Hawthorn Hawks 4-3 (11)
The trip to Fremantle was much better than the earlier visit to Brisbane. They had the Dockers on the proverbial ropes in the first half but didn't finish them off.
13: Kangaroos 4-3 (13)
All is not Wells with the Kangaroos, they are not the fastest team in the AFL and will need to add some pace with Daniel Wells out for a month.
14: Carlton Blues 2-5 (14)
They already have one win over the Kangaroos in Queensland, during the NAB Cup, and they have to repeat that this weekend. The ruck setup underwent a grand experiment against the Magpies, they will have to come up with a better plan as they face McIntosh.
15: Melbourne Demons 0-7 (15)
They are one of the best ever teams to start a season at 0 and 7. Their opponent next round is also coming off a loss, that team is the West Coast Eagles and the venue is Subiaco so win number 1 might be at least a couple of weeks away.
16: Richmond Tigers 0-7 (16)
It's simple, they have lost ever game that Jack Riewoldt hasn't played. The same could, but won't be, said about Kent Kingsley. One of those should get a game next round as the Tigers return to Adelaide. If it isn't Riewoldt then the Richmond banner should read, "Wallace Doesn't Know Jack".
Gary Ablett dominated, Nathan Ablett somersaulted and the Cats ran over the previously unbeaten Eagles. Geelong was too big in the forward line with Mooney, Ottens, N Ablett and Johnson scoring multiple goals. Stokes, G Ablett and Varcoe provided the pace to complement the big guys. Ling was very effective against Kerr, and one of the reasons that the Eagles lost was that Kerr had no influence on the game.
Cats 109 - Eagles 70
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Scarlett: 17 kicks and 3 free kicks for, one of the better full backs for stats.
Mooney: 20 possessions, 10 marks and 4 goals. Geelong's most consistent fantasy forward/ruckman.
Bartel: One of the best fantasy players, similar to Scotland as he gets a lot of the ball around half back.
Ottens: 20 possessions, splitting time up forward and in the ruck.
N Ablett: 3 goals and 13 possessions.
West Coast
Hansen: 14 marks and 3 goals, scoring more goals this season and is a better fantasy forward because of it.
Priddis: 25 possessions and a goal as he continues to be a fantasy steal for those who signed him early.
Rosa: 20 kicks and 13 marks, but he did give away 4 free kicks.
Wirrpanda: 31 possessions and 9 marks, he can play at either end and get a lot of fantasy points.
Waters: 20 kicks and 13 marks.
Melbourne hit the lead again, with only minutes to go, but that first win eluded them once more. The Bulldogs needed some vintage Akermanis to get over the line as he had a big last quarter.
Bulldogs 112 - Demons 106
Fantasy Player News
Western Bulldogs
Hahn: Right now, as a fantasy midfielder, he might be too expensive. He kicked 2 goals in this game.
Johnson: 21 possessions and 4 goals, back among the best for fantasy points.
Akermanis: 13 kicks, 7 marks. Akermanis will be helping fantasy teams soon.
Street: The Bulldogs' ruck setup is not set yet, big Street had 22 hitouts and 10 possessions.
Cooney: 8 tackles added some fantasy points to his 18 possessions and a goal.
Melbourne
Bate: 19 possessions, Bate should continue to help fantasy teams.
Sylvia: 20 possessions, 10 marks and 9 goals.
White: 22 possessions, once again is one of the top fantasy ruckmen.
Green: No injury problems, he had 2 goals and 19 possessions.
Holland: May not have a regular spot with Melbourne's season gone, but when he plays he gets the ball, he had 17 disposals.
During the first quarter Coach Connolly might have been thinking about the number of boxes he would require to clean out his office, as the Dockers quickly fell behind to a determined Hawthorn. Something changed in the second quarter and the Dockers got back into the game. If it wasn't for the 4 goals from Campbell, an unexpected contribution, the Dockers would not have won.
Dockers 96 - Hawks 80
Fantasy Player News
Fremantle
Campbell: Kicked 4 goals, a cheaper fantasy forward to keep a watch on.
Tarrant: Had 18 kicks, 10 marks and 2 goals.
Crowley: 23 possessions and 12 marks, playing better than expected for stats.
Black: 32 possessions, 11 kicks and 6 tackles.
Sandilands: Great for hitouts, especially for the total hitouts stat, he had 30 of those.
Hawthorn
Murphy: An unexpected player to think about signing for fantasy teams, he had 12 kicks, 8 marks and a goal.
Moss: 10 possessions and 6 marks in his first AFL game, unlikely to be a regular as the Hawks have several other young stars in the VFL at the moment.
Mitchell: 31 possessions, 9 marks and 5 tackles.
Boyle: Boiling hot, one of the bargain buys of the fantasy year, he kicked 3 goals.
Hodge: 27 possessions and 9 marks.
15
Luke Hodge.
Midfielder for the Hawthorn Hawks.
Luke Hodge is a barometer for how successful and how talented the Hawks are. In the past they have used him at centre half back, which meant they were a very depleted team. Often he is played on a defensive flank, that is when the Hawks think they are the underdog and the ball will need to be won in the back half a lot. Hodge's best spot, and the place where he provides the most drive for the team, is right in the middle and when he is in there teaming with Mitchell they are one of the best centre square clearance specialist combos.
He was the top pick in the 2001 AFL draft. 2001 was when Hawthorn started building for the future, that draft also provided Mitchell, Brown and Ladson. Hodge made his debut in 2002 and was a very good player for his first three years in the league.
2005 was the season when Hodge joined the elite of the AFL. He had 10 games that year of 30 or more possessions, usually his possessions are kicks which makes him even more effective. He recorded his career-high for kicks in a game that year with 25.
Hodge recently signed a contract extension with the Hawthorn football club. That was a good move as compared to when he first joined the club he is now part of a team on the rise. It isn't just Hodge, Mitchell and an elderly Crawford in the middle now as Lewis, Sewell, Bateman, Ladson, McGlynn and others are solid AFL players. The back line won't need Hodge as much with Birchall, Ellis, Gilham and Guerra making an impact. Hodge also has some young targets in the forward line to kick to, and his goal assists totals will increase as Franklin becomes one of the top forwards in the AFL.
Luke Hodge information:
184cm, 92kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 14
Aisake O'hAilpin started in the ruck for the Northern Bullants and Setanta O'hailpin was also a starting ruckman on Saturday, as Carlton went with him in the middle against Fraser. The big Setanta brought energy and enthusiasm but is more suited to full back. Collingwood didn't have ruck dominance but they were ahead in the scoring shots, their inaccuracy allowed Carlton to lead in the first half. In the second half Rocca caught fire, when he is kicking goals from 60m the Magpies win.
Magpies 119 - Blues 95
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Swan: 20 kicks, a big fantasy game and Swan is a player to sign for fantasy teams.
Cloke: Might be a good fantasy forward this season, he had 11 marks and after a few warm-up kicks, for 4 behinds, he did kick 3 goals.
O'Bree: 9 tackles and 19 possessions, can be inconsistent for fantasy stats but was great here.
Pendlebury: Is now a star for fantasy points, another big game with 24 possessions and 5 tackles.
Holland: Started slowly, he finished the game with 14 possessions.
Carlton
Carrazzo: A big game for fantasy points, 34 possessions.
Bentick: 20 possessions and 5 tackles, he adds needed strength to the midfield.
Murphy: 22 possessions, he started on the bench again but had a big impact in the first quarter.
O'hAilpin: A different role, most of his time was in the ruck. 13 possessions and 11 total hitouts.
Koutoufides: Might be on the bring-him-back-slowly program, often on the bench and only had 6 possessions.
The Power didn't double the Tigers' score, but as expected they had double the hitouts. Lade, with 12 hitouts, let Brogan feast on the Tigers in the centre while he went forward and kicked 3 goals. Rodan kicked a couple of goals against his former team.
Power 115 - Tigers 75
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
White: Putting together some big fantasy games, he had 13 marks and 21 possessions. He kicked 2 goals, 4 behinds.
Pearce: 19 possessions and 2 goals, teams are trying to stop S Burgoyne but that lets others like Pearce go free.
Rodan: 13 possessions, 3 tackles and 2 goals.
K Cornes: Nothing wrong after getting super-crunched last week, 27 possessions and 9 marks.
Cassisi: 23 possessions, 5 tackles and 4 free kicks received.
Richmond
Polo: Fantasy star last year, time to sign again as his hair is now fixed and he had 23 possessions.
King: May not keep his spot in the team long-term, but is getting the ball now and he had 21 possessions.
Deledio: He might have been played in nearly every position, big game with 22 possessions, 17 marks and 2 goals.
Tivendale: In danger of getting Gasparized there, hard to kick him out after 20 kicks and 9 marks.
Howat: 24 possessions, 8 marks and 5 tackles as he tries to win a regular place in the team.
The Crows weren't supposed to win and they again started slowly, halfway through the first quarter they started to kick goals and continued this for the rest of the match as they got to 100 points. It was a balanced scoring attack that produced their best offensive output since they played the Bulldogs, with Welsh and Thompson each scoring 3 goals. The Crows might have R & R next week, they host Richmond and could have Ricciuto back.
Crows 100 - Lions 69
Fantasy Player News
Adelaide
Knights: Another big game, 29 possessions, one of the biggest surprises among the top fantasy midfielders this season.
Thompson: Goals and possessions are great for fantasy numbers, he added 22 possessions to his 3 goals.
Jericho: A chance to stay in the team after 8 marks and 15 possessions.
Edwards: Celebrated his milestone game with a goal, 10 marks and 33 disposals.
Welsh: 3 goals, 8 marks and 9 kicks.
Brisbane
Adcock: An elite fantasy defender, 30 possessions and also received 5 free kicks.
Notting: 17 kicks, 7 marks and 2 goals.
Lappin: Price will go up now but is still at the bargain level to sign, he had 18 possessions.
Brennan: Can be frustrating for fantasy coaches, and his AFL coach, but was good here with 15 kicks and 7 marks.
Black: Got the ball as usual, 22 possessions, fantasy points were boosted by 10 tackles.
The Swans are missing more than Kennelly, compared to 2005 and 2006 they seem much slower and their foot skills are not as good. For the second week in a row the Swans struggled under the roof, next round they do play a home game but it is against the Power. In this game the Saints were accurate in front of goal, tackled hard and marked strongly. The Saints might have lost another defender as Goddard could have a serious knee injury.
Saints 97 - Swans 71
Fantasy Player News
St Kilda
S Fisher: Not a bad return to action, 19 kicks and 14 marks.
Gwilt: Taking on the big forwards now, and also gets the ball, he had 17 possessions and 9 marks.
Koschitzke: Played a lot in the ruck, sometimes stationed at half back, it was good for his stats and he had 18 disposals.
Gehrig: Kicked 4 goals and had 7 marks, was in the usual Gehrig mood but didn't lose fantasy points by giving away free kicks.
Birss: Into the team with Baker out, Birss had 14 possessions and received 4 free kicks.
Sydney
Barry: Hurt his arm late in the game, he still had 19 possessions.
Davis: Playing better, 17 possessions and 2 goals.
O'Keefe: One of Sydney's best for fantasy points, he kicked 2 goals and also had 22 possessions and 8 marks.
Goodes: Not near his best and has hurt fantasy teams who signed him early, he had 17 possessions and kicked a goal.
Hall: 3 goals and 9 marks. Umpires awarded 3 free kicks against him, but a couple of them were unwarranted.
The Kangaroos won again, the Bombers lost another, their form reversals from the first 3 rounds are a mystery. The Bombers had Hille back, and Lucas kicked 5 goals, Lloyd must be the missing piece. Lloyd is expected to play next week. The Kangaroos' resurgence could be in part due to Leigh Brown, he has an impact every game in the forward line. Wells will miss a month or more with a knee injury.
Kangaroos 117 - Bombers 95
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Smith: He was supposed to be great but he was always hurt. He's not hurt now, he had 27 possessions.
Rawlings: Often played in a tagging role, he got a lot of the ball this game with 26 handballs.
Brown: 4 goals.
McIntosh: Still produced with Hale added to the team. McIntosh had 17 possessions and a goal.
Archer: A solid game with 14 disposals and 6 marks.
Essendon
Lucas: The little slump is over, he kicked 5 goals and had plenty of contested marks.
Hille: Was very good, he found a lot of spcae and had 19 possessions.
Ryder: 10 marks and 6 tackles, he can now be started in fantasy teams as he concistenly gets big numbers.
Watson: Doesn't need a lot of playing time to get a lot of the ball, he had 32 possessions.
Hird: 26 possessions. Might have a sore hamstring.
14
Luke Ball.
Midfielder for the St Kilda Saints.
Like Archer and Ricciuto, Ball isn't really playing unless there is plenty of contact. He has been getting the worse of the collisions in some of the recent games. But there isn't anything wrong with wearing a helmet at the Saints, Nathan Burke proved
that. Ball has put his helmet back in his locker but there will probably be a time when he needs it again.
Ball was the second Luke to go in the 2001 draft, after Hodge. He played his first AFL game in 2003. From 2004 he has been a top midfielder in the league.
Ball has some impressive game-highs, including a remarkable 15 tackles in a game. He also had 26 kicks in one game and reached 10 marks in another.
If Ball has a completely healthy season then a Brownlow is possible. While his votes totals have yet to reach double figures, the umpires do appreciate how he plays. Over his career he receives around twice as many free kicks as he gives away.
Luke Ball information:
183cm, 84kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 13
Cain Ackland has been added to the SuperCoach fantasy team, so the team is in trouble. Dean Cox and Ricky Petterd have injuries so a couple of trades had to be used.
B David Mundy
B Daniel Pratt
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Jason Roe
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell
C Bryce Gibbs
C Chris Judd
C Paul Hasleby
C Marc Murphy
C Jordan Lewis
R Cain Ackland
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Reiwoldt
F Barry Hall (captain)
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Alwyn Davey
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Joel Selwood (emergency)
C Ricky Petterd
R Jonathan Griffin (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
All of the defenders had useful games but nobody was a big star last week. With the way things are going at Richmond, their fantasy defenders should be useful. Raines and Polak are playing well now, and other players like Newman, J Bowden and McGuane can also help fantasy teams.
Ricky Petterd started last week and that was a solid move. Unfortunately he won't be playing this week, so he was put on the bench. Lindsay Thomas started the year with a bit of a price increase, so he helped the team a tad, and he was traded for Judd. Lewis started the season as a cheaper option to Mitchell for the fantasy midfield, Lewis has gone up in price while Mitchell has decreased a bit and now Lewis is more highly rated. There was some talk that Fremantle were not happy with Hasleby, and as he is on the extended bench for them there is a concern, J Selwood is an emergency here to cover that. The Carlton youngsters, Gibbs and Murphy, might have been traded away for N Lappin or P Burgoyne but injuries forced other trades to be made.
Hudson is in the team but Griffin is waiting on the bench as an emergency, so if Hudson misses against the Lions then that is covered. In the past, big Rehn was on a lot of fantasy teams and if he got injured the AFL fantasy team went down too. Dean Cox is a similar star ruckman and he was traded this round as he won’t be playing when the Eagles visit Geelong. Cain Ackland starts in his place, with C Cloke out of action for Carlton maybe this move works. For this round the backup ruckmen for Carlton are Whitnall and Kennedy, they didn't bring in McLaren, so Ackland should increase his stats and playing time.
The forward line was very impressive last round, with C Cornes, G Ablett and Franklin. Hall had a funny game against the Kangaroos, but like the rest of his team he did a lot in the second half so he had a good game for fantasy points. At the other end of the ground to Hall was Corey Jones, he had one of his best games of the year but there were again a couple of times when he fumbled away fantasy points.
The emergencies on the team have all increased in price so that is something good. Campbell and J Selwood have had big increases and backup ruckman Griffin has gone up a smaller amount. Shannon Cox is also on the bench, he might be back playing for the Magpies next week or he could be in the VFL for an extended stay.
Kangaroos v Essendon
The Tip: Kangaroos by 11 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Drew Petrie
Chance For An Upset: Kangaroos are slight favourites to win this very close contest. With Bolton out, Essendon's chances must surely improve.
Kangaroos
They win if....Brown and Edwards can score goals against their much more experienced opponents, Fletcher and Michael.
They lose if...they don't have the right player on Lucas, and in the past three rounds the right opponent for him has been a smaller but quicker player, which was Gram, O'Brien and C Brown.
The Good News: They already have 3 consecutive wins, and a couple of easier games after this one.
The Bad News: Simpson may not play.
Essendon
They win if....Hille and Laycock can stop McIntosh's All-Australian form.
They lose if...Hird doesn't kick goals.
The Good News: They need the big man mountain, Hille. He is back for this game.
The Bad News: Lucas has gone cold, Lloyd isn't there, their offensive power is diminished.
Collingwood v Carlton
The Tip: Collingwood by 28 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Heath Shaw
Chance For An Upset: Both these teams defeated Essendon when the Bombers were supposed to win, this is another big game that teams will lift for. Another 8 goals by Fevola and there is another upset.
Collingwood
They win if....Fraser, and Bryan, have a big game against Ackland and whoever else Carlton have in the ruck.
They lose if...they don't stop Murphy, teams have targeted the second year player and have stopped his influence in recent games.
The Good News: Holland will take time off from his many public appearances to play a game of football now that his suspension is over.
The Bad News: No Clement, Carlton can play a tall forward setup and Clement would have been important in stopping that.
Carlton
They win if....They have accountable forwards like Betts or Carrazzo who contain the run of the Shaws, Lockyer and Pendlebury.
They lose if...Fevola has fits at the umpire or arguments with the crowd.
The Good News: Koutoufides returns for his first game of the season.
The Bad News: The battle of the Clokes won't be happening this round.
Port Adelaide v Richmond
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 55 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: P Burgoyne
Chance For An Upset: Richmond should get closer than they did last round, but not much closer.
Port Adelaide
They win if....the game proceeds as scheduled. The Power have 5 wins, the Tigers 6 losses, unless 10 players are injured in the first quarter the Power will have it easy.
They lose if...they act like they will win for just turning up, but they won't as there is a lot of competition for spots there so the players know they have to perform.
The Good News: Rodan could kick as many goals as the other team.
The Bad News: Kane Cornes isn't feeling the best after being Picketted last round.
Richmond
They win if....Riewoldt plays and kicks 10, although maybe they would need Jack and Nick to be competitive here.
They lose if...their onballers think their ruckman will win the hitouts.
The Good News: Howat is back in the team, although they need more than that. Riewoldt might be a late inclusion.
The Bad News: The round 6 game against Geelong, very bad.
Brisbane v Adelaide
The Tip: Adelaide by 13 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Tyson Edwards
Chance For An Upset: Brisbane are on a roll so Adelaide is the upset choice.
Brisbane
They win if....Brown keeps getting help with McGrath, Johnson and Patfull also kicking goals.
They lose if...they bomb it long and don't respect the Crows' very good back line.
The Good News: No changes are needed.
The Bad News: Brown has not been kicking the ball well in Queensland.
Adelaide
They win if....McLeod, Mattner and Bassett provide a constant quality supply of the ball to their forwards.
They lose if...they don't have a forward kick 4 or 5 goals.
The Good News: Burton and Hudson are named in the team, so they might play.
The Bad News: The last couple of weeks their strategy, of slowing the game down, has not worked.
St Kilda v Sydney
The Tip: Sydney by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brett Kirk
Chance For An Upset: The Saints are very slight favourites, so this is a difficult game to predict.
St Kilda
They win if....they can implement the tactics that the Kangaroos used for the first three quarters last week under the roof.
They lose if...Koschitzke has to be played deep in the back line on Everitt.
The Good News: Their back line is bolstered by the return of S Fisher.
The Bad News: Hudghton was close to playing, an extra tall defender would have been important.
Sydney
They win if....Goodes gets going and plays at his best.
They lose if...Hall has another slow start to the game.
The Good News: They have some more run with Buchanan and Bevan included after overcoming their injuries.
The Bad News: They have lost something from the past couple of years, teams are not as worried about them now.
Geelong v West Coast
The Tip: West Coast by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Darren Glass
Chance For An Upset: Geelong kicked the 8th highest score ever last week so they can win, especially with home ground advantage.
Geelong
They win if....they stop Judd, Wojcinski might be the player to do it.
They lose if...there big forwards don't mark the ball and the Eagles players run from the back with it.
The Good News: They had a good win last round.
The Bad News: Chapman is one of their fiercest players, without him they are in trouble.
West Coast
They win if....Seaby has another big game as the starting ruckman.
They lose if...Q doesn't have a big game.
The Good News: They keep on winning.
The Bad News: They can win without him, but they would be much happier if Dean Cox was in the team this week.
Western Bulldogs v Melbourne
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jason Akermanis
Chance For An Upset: Melbourne are getting close, and their team is getting stronger, but under the roof they are not as good as playing at the MCG.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....they contain Neitz.
They lose if...Cooney and Griffin don't do more to help West and Cross.
The Good News: Hahn is back.
The Bad News: Murphy is out.
Melbourne
They win if....Jeff White is the best player out there.
They lose if...they are slow.
The Good News: Green is back with White and Brown.
The Bad News: Petterd has been one of their best in the past two games, now he is the latest addition to their extensive injured list.
Fremantle v Hawthorn
The Tip: Fremantle by 24 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Michael Johnson
Chance For An Upset: Hawthorn are playing well, the Dockers are playing poorly, so the Hawks can do it.
Fremantle
They win if....Sandilands, and maybe Warnock, control the stoppages.
They lose if...Pavlich is contained.
The Good News: Warnock, who played his first game last week, has some ability and should have a long career.
The Bad News: They have underachieved and are now under a lot of pressure.
Hawthorn
They win if....Brown has another big game.
They lose if...Sewell doesn't do his magic and shut down another midfield star.
The Good News: They know they are a chance every week, if Lance Franklin stars.
The Bad News: It has not been a good season for Vandenberg, he is injured again.
Kangaroos v Essendon
Kangaroos
FB: Pratt, Firrito, Sinclair
HB: Smith, Petrie, Gibson
C: Watt, Simpson, Archer
HF: Wells, Brown, Jones
FF: Harvey, Edwards, Grant
Foll: McIntosh, Harris, Grima
bench: Swallow, Campbell, McConnell, Rawlings
emergency: Green, Hale, McMahon
In: McConnell
Out: Adams
AFL Fantasy Watch:
McConnell is a good player, he brings some size to the midfield and can get a bit of the ball. His price is affordable, and if he keeps his spot over the coming weeks he might become a solid fantasy player this season. McIntosh plays again without Moran, or Hale, in the team and his big fantasy season should continue.
Essendon
FB: McPhee, Michael, Johns
HB: Winderlich, Ryder, Cole
C: McVeigh, Peverill, Houli
HF: Lovett, Lucas, Welsh
FF: Hird, Fletcher, Davey
Foll: Hille, J.Johnson, Stanton
bench: M.Johnson, Laycock, Monfries, Watson
emergency: Bolton, Bradley, Dyson
In: Houli, Cole, Hille
Out: Bolton, Dyson, Heffernan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Laycock is still in the team but Hille should be considered for fantasy teams now that he is healthy and back in the lineup. Jason Johnson was very good last week, he isn't expensive to sign.
Collingwood v Carlton
Collingwood
FB: Lockyer, Prestigiacomo, Iles
HB: H.Shaw, Wakelin, R.Shaw
C: Pendlebury, Toovey, Thomas
HF: Maxwell, Cloke, Didak
FF: Swan, Rocca, Johnson
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Dick
bench: Burns, Holland, O'Brien, Bryan
emergency: Goldsack, Medhurst, Nicholls
In: Wakelin, Didak, Iles, Holland
Out: Clement, Davis, Cox, Egan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Time to put Didak back into fantasy teams. The decision to sign Brodie Holland would be more difficult, better to wait a week with that. Chris Bryan kicked a bunch of goals last week, with a few ruckmen getting hurt this week he might be a player to replace them with.
Carlton
FB: Carrazzo, S.O'hAilpin, Thornton
HB: Scotland, Waite, Walker
C: Gibbs, Koutoufides, Simpson
HF: Betts, Whitnall, Fisher
FF: Kennedy, Fevola, Lappin
Foll: Ackland, Houlihan, Murphy
bench: Bentick, Bower, Russell, Young
emergency: Anderson, Blackwell, Saddington
In: Bower, Fisher, Koutoufides
Out: Anderson, Blackwell, Cloke
AFL Fantasy Watch:
It might be time to sign Ackland for fantasy teams, something that would not have been mentioned many times before but with Cloke out and no replacement brought in it might work. The Carlton midfield is young and small, so they will need to play Koutoufides in there a lot which would really be good for his fantasy points.
Port Adelaide v Richmond
Port Adelaide
FB: Thurstans, Wakelin, Pettigrew
HB: Surjan, C.Cornes, Thomas
C: Cassisi, S.Burgoyne, Lonie
HF: P.Burgoyne, White, Rodan
FF: Ebert, Tredrea, Lade
Foll: Brogan, K.Cornes, Pearce
bench: Krakouer, Motlop, Bentley, Mahoney
emergency: Westhoff, Boak, Symes
In: Brogan
Out: Chaplin
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Power this season are a very deep team, among their emergencies are a top 10 draft pick and also a huge fantasy player last season, Symes. Brogan's inclusion will ease the load on Lade, and also could decrease Lade's points a bit. K Cornes still has a sore head, he is a star on many fantasy teams and they should make sure they have an emergency midfielder in case they do decide to rest him, but he has said that he will be playing.
Richmond
FB: Newman, McGuane, J.Bowden
HB: Raines, Polak, Oakley-Nicholls
C: Tivendale, Deledio, Tuck
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, King
FF: Krakouer, Schulz, Hughes
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench: White, Hyde, Howat, Polo
In: Krakouer, Tivendale, Howat, Polo, Pattison
Out: Tambling, Simmonds, Meyer, Jackson, Moore
emergency: Edwards, Meyer, Riewoldt
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Richardson might have plenty of time in the ruck, so he should be good for fantasy points even if he doesn't kick a goal. Richmond will look to Hughes for goals, and fantasy teams still have time to sign him up.
Brisbane v Adelaide
Brisbane
FB: Johnson, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Brennan, Copeland
C: Sherman, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Harding, Brown, Notting
FF: Rischitelli, Patfull, McGrath
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: Hadley, Begley, McDonald, Fixter
emergency: Drummond, Selwood, Allan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
No changes to the team, so last game's numbers are a good start when predicting stats for this game. Hadley would be a good signing for someone looking for a player whose value will go up.
Adelaide
FB: Torney, Mattner, Bassett
HB: van Berlo, Rutten, McLeod
C: Doughty, Edwards, Knights
HF: Burton, Bock, Vince
FF: Douglas, Perrie, Stevens
Foll: Hudson, Goodwin, Thompson
bench: Griffin, Shirley, Welsh, Jericho
emergency: McGregor, Pfeiffer, Campbell
In: Jericho
Out: Hinge
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There is plenty of concern about Hudson playing, so have an emergency ruckman ready in the fantasy team.
St Kilda v Sydney
St Kilda
FB: Gwilt, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
HB: Attard, Koschitzke, Gram
C: Goddard, Ball, Montagna
HF: Harvey, Riewoldt, Fiora
FF: Voss, Gehrig, Jones
Foll: Rix, Blake, Dal Santo
bench: Birss, X.Clarke, Gilbert, Milne
emergency: Armitage, McQualter, Sweeney
In: S.Fisher, Birss
Out: Baker, M.Clarke
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There could be a lot more Koschitzke in the ruck this round and that could give a boost to his fantasy points. S Fisher showed earlier in the season that he can play on the big forwards and still get a lot of fantasy points, so sign him if you need to add a defender.
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Malceski
HB: Crouch, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Buchanan
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Schneider, Hall, Everitt
Foll: Jolly, Goodes, Fosdike
bench: Bevan, Davis, McVeigh, Jack
emergency: Laidlaw, Schmidt, Thornton
In: Buchanan, Bevan
Out: Moore, Schmidt
AFL Fantasy Watch:
A couple of Grand Final players are brought back in. Buchanan might be a good signing and will get plenty of the ball. Bevan won't play a lot of minutes with Crouch, McVeigh and Jack all similar players.
Geelong v West Coast
Geelong
FB: Mackie, Scarlett, Enright
HB: D.Johnson, Egan, Milburn
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Kelly
HF: Hawkins, N.Ablett, S.Johnson
FF: G.Ablett, Mooney, Varcoe
Foll: Ottens, Corey, Ling
bench from: Blake, Tenace, Selwood, Prismall, Playfair, Byrnes, Stokes
In: Prismall, Playfair, Byrnes, Stokes
Out: Chapman
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Chapman has been at the top of his game for the past few rounds but his injury means a trade is needed. Don't get carried away by the stats from last week when signing many of the Cats, they will have a much tougher time this round.
West Coast
FB: Wirrpanda, Glass, Staker
HB: Waters, Hunter, Selwood
C: Hurn, Priddis, Braun
HF: Stenglein, Hansen, Chick
FF: Armstrong, Lynch, R.Jones
Foll: Seaby, Judd, Kerr
bench from: Rosa, B.Jones, LeCras, Fletcher, Morton, MacKenzie, Brown
In: Fletcher, Morton, Mackenzie, Brown
Out: Cox
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Seaby again becomes a better fantasy player with Dean Cox out of the team.
Western Bulldogs v Melbourne
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Wight, Hargrave
C: Eagleton, S.West, Griffen
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Boyd
FF: Hahn, Darcy, Akermanis
Foll: Street, Cross, Cooney
bench: Ray, Higgins, Minson, Power, Addison, Faulkner, Harbrow
In: Faulkner, Harbrow, Hahn, Street
Out: Murphy
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Murphy for Hahn is the big change for the Bulldogs. Murphy will have to be traded from fantasy teams. Hahn isn't cheap, so there is the usual risk with playing someone in fantasy for their first game back.
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Yze
HB: Brown, Rivers, Bell
C: Bate, McDonald, Davey
HF: Green, Miller, Bruce
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, Moloney
Foll: White, Godfrey, Johnstone
bench from: P.Johnson, Jones, Dunn, Holland, Warnock, Frawley, Pickett
In: Holland, Frawley, Green, Ward
Out: Petterd
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Better hold up on signing Petterd for now. Frawley, who was their first round pick, is another young player who should help the Demons and fantasy teams.
Fremantle v Hawthorn
Fremantle
FB: Grover, McPharlin, Dodd
HB: Mundy, Johnson, Hayden
C: Black, Crowley, Webster
HF: Headland, Pavlich, McManus
FF: Bell, Tarrant, Campbell
Foll: Sandilands, M.Carr, J.Carr
bench from: Walker, Parker, Cook, Gilmore, Hasleby, Warnock, Duffield
In: Campbell, Walker, Gilmore, Duffield
Out: Solomon
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Solomon started the season with a lot of stats, in the past week or two he has slowed down and now with his suspension it might be time to trade him in. It is only 1 week, so if there is a good defender on the fantasy bench then Solomon could be placed there for this round.
Hawthorn
FB: Guerra, Gilham, Brown
HB: Hodge, Croad, Birchall
C: Young, Mitchell, Ladson
HF: Crawford, Boyle, Bateman
FF: Franklin, Dixon, Osborne
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Lewis
bench from: Taylor, Murphy, Ellis, Moss, McGlynn, Roughead, Thurgood
In: Ellis, Moss, Bateman, Thurgood
Out: Vandenberg
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Those who invested in Vandenberg last week won't be happy, he is out again. People who signed Franklin last week, or had him as their fantasy captain, would have been very pleased. He won't be getting 9 goals this week but is still value and could be signed for fantasy teams.
The Crows need to kick goals, and their options are limited with so many injuries to their list. One player they might go to is Luke Jericho. The last time he played for the Crows might have been in the 2006 preseason, he had some good games then.
The Crows have 15 players on their injured list, although that does not include ruckman Ben Hudson who may also miss the Crows game in Brisbane.
From The Advertiser: Jericho beating at door to Crows
From the Crows site: Hudson doubtful with corked thigh
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Luke Jericho is a player to watch for fantasy teams as he can kick goals as well as get a few possessions too. He is a super cheap fantasy forward so if he plays his value will go up.
Hudson, if he does miss, would probably be put on a fantasy bench for the upcoming round as it is a minor injury. If Griffin is on your fantasy bench then that is the logical swap to make. Hudson has been a solid fantasy ruckman but if you want to upgrade the spot then now is the time to do it, Hudson’s fantasy value is much higher than it was at the start of the season.
13
Dale Thomas.
Forward for the Collingwood Magpies.
If Gary Ablett Jr had a twin it would be Dale Thomas. Watching number 29 for Gippsland during the 2005 TAC Cup would have got a lot of teams thinking about drafting Thomas, Collingwood didn't take any chances and grabbed him much earlier than expected at pick 2. Ryder, Kennedy and Birchall were all available but Thomas was the right pick.
Thomas isn't just an athlete, he has the indescribable football sense that very few others have. He often gets into the right spot and knows where the football is going, he can evade several opponents and make them look they are going in slow motion and whatever the angle is he is a good chance to kick the goal.
There have been plenty of highlights so far in his AFL career, which is only 1.25 seasons old. Huge marks, incredible goals, the succession of bounces as he sprints through the middle. The spiky-haired Pokemon can do it all.
Despite being only 184cm, Thomas already has a couple of games of 10 marks. Often they are of the team-lifting variety, and the bigger the occasion is the higher he flies. Thomas was great in 2006 but has improved and in 2007 he has set new career-highs for kicks, handballs, disposals and tackles in a game.
He will never be the best footballer to come from Drouin, as the guy who wore number 5 before Varcoe did at Geelong has that title, but Thomas could be right up there.
Dale Thomas information:
184cm, 80kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 12
Ruckman Cameron Cloke dislocated his shoulder at training and will probably miss the big game against Collingwood. More information about how long he will be out is expected to be released by Carlton in the coming days. While playing against his brother won't happen this round, another interesting clash would have been C Cloke versus C Bryan. While they were not officially traded for each other, their delistings opened up a spot for each other at their new clubs, and they had both won the backup ruck spots by covering a lot of ground and also kicking goals.
From the Carlton site: Cloke cleared of bone damage
AFL Fantasy Impact:
The team selection at Carlton will change the fantasy worth of several players. If Ackland goes from sharing the ruck duties to playing there for most of the game it will really help his stats. The Blues also used Mr Kennedy in that spot last week, he did not look comfortable there but he could increase his marks with more playing time and a licence to roam around the field. In the VFL Carlton have McLaren and Hampson waiting to fill Cloke's spot, McLaren can do a lot of the things that Cloke has done for Carlton while Hampson is a much taller and athletic prospect who is yet to play AFL. If C Cloke was starting for a fantasy team he probably needs to be traded, but if he has been stored on the fantasy bench while his value has gone up then that leaves a few options. If Cloke is expected back soon he could be left on the bench, if a fantasy coach has plenty of trades stored up then they could trade Cloke for a cheaper ruckman, like Hampson, and then use that money to trade one of their starting ruckmen for one of the most expensive fantasy ruckmen. But wait until more news about his injury is known before deciding.
Round 6 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 6
Handballs: 3
Marks: 5
Tackles: 1
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 11
Handballs: 7
Marks: 3
Tackles: 6
Goals: 1
Joel Selwood will never play in a bigger win, for points scored and winning margin. He was one of the many Geelong players who kicked a goal against the Tigers. Gibbs' Blues had another loss, this time to the Saints. Gibbs was quiet but so were quite a few on his team.
Once again Gibbs played most of the game for Carlton, in the back line and the midfield. Most of his possessions hit their target. He found more space than the week before and accumulated some marks.
Everything went Geelong's way in round 6 but that didn't mean Selwood took any plays off. He led his team in tackles, and this is something that he might do often. He was also clearing the ball from stoppages, on more than one occasion it was his handball that sent Geelong on the way to another goal. Selwood was also one of the 15 Geelong players who kicked a goal.
Gibbs is back on the MCG for what could be Carlton's biggest game of the year, a clash against Collingwood. He will have some help with Koutoufides back playing. Gibbs should have a bigger role this week, as his skills would be wasted deep in the back line playing on someone like Medhurst. Joel Selwood plays the Eagles, which also means his first game against a family member, the ink critic Adam. In an interview, Joel once said that he could take either of his brothers in a physical bout, he might get his chance this week.
B Gibbs 2 - J Selwood 4
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
Koutoufides, from Carlton, has missed every game this season with a finger injury. His surgery and recovery has been a success and he will play against Collingwood, which is ahead of the predicted schedule for his return. Carlton have a very young and small midfield so Koutoufides will be a big help.
AFL Fantasy Impact:
He was used off the bench in the preseason games, but that was when Carlton were at full strength. Koutoufides has been training so he is fit, and maybe he plays a lot more than is anticipated. A bit of a gamble, but Jason Johnson had a big fantasy points return in his first game of the year and maybe Kouta does something similar. Koutoufides was around 15 possessions per game during preseason, he should get at least that many against Collingwood.
There are expected to be 3 outs due to injury for the Tigers, with Simmonds, Tambling and Schulz likely to miss the Power game. At least 3 more players are expected to be dropped, although a lot more deserve a VFL jumper this week.
Outs Guesses:
T Simmonds, R Tambling, J Schulz, D Meyer, C Hyde, J King
Ins Guesses:
A Pattison, C Howat, J Reiwoldt, D Polo, D Connors, G Tivendale
Even when Simmonds was in the team the Tigers needed more height, Pattison will provide that. Howat gets a lot of the ball and will help in the midfield. Jack Reiwoldt played in the VFL last year, he doesn't need any more time there and will give them a target up forward. Polo, if his hair has improved, should be included and played in the back line. Connors should get a chance and they might as well do it now. Tivendale or Krakouer could be back in the team this week, maybe Tivendale gets the game this week and Krakouer is saved for their next trip to Adelaide.
If you want to post your guesses for the Richmond changes then just a leave a comment below. You can even say it is Kent Kingsley time, he has to get a game at some point during the year.
Lance Franklin of the Hawthorn Hawks.
The Bombers knew they had to stop Lance Franklin. With Williams out of the Hawthorn team, Sheedy was aware that Franklin was the only real chance the Hawks had for kicking a winning score and causing an upset. Early in the game, the Essendon players made sure that Franklin wasn't going anywhere when four of them tackled him to the ground. They probably should have kept this many defenders on him for the entire game.
The second quarter was the Lance Franklin quarter. Despite having Ryder and Fletcher available, as well as Mal Michael, the Bombers played the shorter McPhee on Franklin. 4 goals were kicked by big Lance against McPhee in that quarter, there was also one goal of Franklin's that he scored when temporarily being covered by Fletcher.
In the second half McPhee was free to roam up the field and Dustin Fletcher was assigned the task of containing Franklin. Usually Fletcher towers over his opponents, but in this game Franklin made Fletcher look small, as well as slow.
9 goals was enough to get Hawthorn the win and to make Lance Franklin the AFL Player Of The Week.
Lance Franklin's profile at the Hawthorn site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Adam Simpson.
12
Nick Riewoldt.
Forward for the St Kilda Saints.
The Brisbane Lions could have won every AFL Grand Final this decade if Nick Riewoldt's house was just a bit closer to Brisbane. They missed on adding him through a Queensland zone concession pick, although they were able to add Jamie Charman with it. Brown and Riewoldt in the same forward line, the rest of the AFL can be thankful that didn't happen.
With Riewoldt available to all teams in the draft of 2000, the Saints were able to cash-in on a terrible year and draft him number 1 overall. Koschitzke came along too, he was the second pick.
He debuted in 2001, and ever since 2002 Riewoldt has dominated the AFL. His best year was 2004, with an amazing 256 marks and 67 goals. He also collected 17 Brownlow votes.
On two occasions Riewoldt has kicked 9 goals in a game. He is regularly into double figures for marks and his best ever game was 18 marks against the Crows. He doesn't take a large number of uncontested marks to pad his stats like many other players, often when Riewoldt is marking the ball there are a couple of tall defenders contesting against him.
The Brown-Riewoldt combo nearly happened before, and if Riewoldt doesn't extend his contract with the Saints soon then the Lions have another chance at the end of season 2007.
Nick Riewoldt information:
193cm, 92kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 11
Robert Murphy was injured in the game at Subiaco and could miss a few weeks. A hamstring injury is the problem and the Bulldogs will have more information about that soon.
From The Age:
Bulldogs hold out hope on Murphy
The injury report
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Murphy was just getting into good form and was producing for fantasy teams. If he is out for 3 weeks he will have to be traded. Akermanis might be an option if you want to put another Bulldog in the fantasy team, and maybe McDougall gets back. Akermanis hasn't really exploded with possessions and goals yet but it could happen soon. Andrew McDougall can provide the tall marking target they need, the Bulldogs didn't give him much of a go earlier in the season but they might need him now with Murphy joining Grant on the sidelines. Darcy, who is a fantasy ruckman, should kick more goals with Murphy out. Brad Johnson might have to play closer to goal, he gets fantasy points wherever he plays but if he gets back to what he did in round 1 it will be great.
Collingwood are making sure a problem doesn't develop and have suspended three players for breaking team rules. Chris Egan, Leon Davis and Shannon Cox will be in the VFL this week.
From the Collingwood site: Collingwood media statement
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Egan was barely in the Collingwood team, so he would not have been in many fantasy teams. Leon Davis had a good game against the Crows and might have been someone people were thinking of buying, now it is time to sell him. Shannon Cox was getting comfortable in the lineup, now he will have to fight to get back in. If he was starting for a fantasy team he should at least be benched, or he could be sold and he has increased his value a bit. Medhurst, Didak and Holland could be added to the Magpies for next round. Medhurst did have some good games but is a risky pick. Didak, if he is healthy, will bring in fantasy points. Holland has spent his AFL suspension going to modelling shoots and court cases, it would be a big risk to put him into a fantasy team. If Didak isn't fit, or Holland needs some time in the VFL, then maybe Ben Reid gets a game and he could be a fantasy steal if he does play.
The great Chuck Norris has an extensive history of great films, and with a bit of imagination they can describe the AFL teams.
Collingwood - Good Guys Wear Black
Black, and a bit of white too.
Hawthorn - A Force of One
Lance Franklin.
Sydney - An Eye for an Eye
The Swans have this attitude.
Port Adelaide - Silent Rage
Didn't make a lot of noise during preseason, with trades or other changes, but entered the season well prepared and with a new determination.
Richmond - Forced Vengeance
They came to the conclusion that they need to rebuild a bit late, and are now forced to Gasparize some of their older players.
Essendon - Lone Wolf McQuade
The Bombers have lone wolves McPhee and McVeigh. They also had McAlister.
Melbourne - Missing in Action
That describes half their team this season.
Kangaroos - Missing in Action 2
Thompson and Harding are missing for this year.
West Coast - Code of Silence
They're not talking.
Adelaide - Firewalker
Everyone has forgotten about this, but at the time is was not a Smart thing to do.
Carlton - Missing in Action 3
Stevens, Koutoufides and others have been hurt.
Brisbane - Hero and the Terror
Their big hero, Jonathan Brown, takes the team on his back every week. To make sure the other players are going to give their all, there is the terror they would face from Lethal.
Fremantle - Sidekicks
In their early years, this would have described their tactics. Now it is the teammates of Pavlich.
Western Bulldogs - Top Dog
It's Brad Johnson.
Geelong - Sons Of Thunder
Without the Abletts, Scarlett, Blake and Hawkins the Cats would be in more trouble than they already are.
St Kilda - The President's Man
The president there has made some strange choices.
1: West Coast Eagles 6-0 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
They are not kicking big scores, but they kick more than their opponents so that is all that matters. The trip to Geelong was difficult last season, until the last quarter when they had the big comeback, so the Eagles have another big week coming up. The Eagles may once again not have to make any changes to their team.
2: Port Adelaide Power 5-1 (5)
There are three teams down the bottom who are beginning to lose touch, and up the top there are two teams who have separated themselves from the rest. The Power have been the big surprise this season and they should get to 6 and 1 with a game against Richmond next round. There will be plenty of Tigers wishing they were in David Rodan’s shoes.
3: Sydney Swans 3-3 (2)
They nearly won despite not playing well for the first three quarters. The Kangaroos didn't have a huge forward line, except for Petrie, and now the Swans are going to have to go back under the roof and play against Riewoldt, Gehrig and Koschitzke.
4: Adelaide Crows 3-3 (3)
The Crows have to play a more attacking game and put a bigger score on the board. They still have lots of injuries, and even when they bring in a new injury-free player, like Hinge, he can't escape a trip to the injury list.
5: Western Bulldogs 3-3 (6)
They need to find a couple of tall forward targets, and with Murphy out for a few weeks they can't just have Darcy in the forward line as the only tall option.
6: Fremantle Dockers 2-4 (4)
If they lose at home to Hawthorn then they are in big trouble. Tarrant and Pavlich are playing well so it is a mystery why the Dockers are losing. The midfield and back line are performing too, but starting McPharlin forward was a move that didn’t make sense.
7: Brisbane Lions 4-2 (8)
If they can beat the Crows then they will have convinced people that they are for real. Their young back line of Roe, Merrett and Brennan is getting the job done every week. It also helps to have Lappin back with Power and Black.
8: Essendon Bombers 3-3 (7)
The Bombers will keep losing if they keep playing Bolton, they are 0 and 2 with him in the team so far. Hille's injury is another reason why the Bombers have hit a mini-slump.
9: Geelong Cats 3-3 (10)
The coach, at his post-game press conference, was a surly fellow despite annihilating a team. The Eagles visit Kardinia Park next week and that could put him in another bad mood. The Cats have had 3 huge wins, but they have been against the bottom teams in the AFL who have a combined 2 and 16 record.
10: St Kilda Saints 3-3 (9)
They managed to get past Carlton without their big defenders available, they face a bigger test with Hall and Everitt next round. Gwilt and Blake are going to need some help.
11: Hawthorn Hawks 4-2 (11)
They are starting to defeat better credentialed teams, and can really make a statement with upcoming matches against Fremantle and St Kilda.
12: Collingwood Magpies 4-2 (12)
If they win their next two games, against the Blues and Bulldogs, then they will be on their way to the finals again. Bryan versus C Cloke will be something to watch next week.
13: Kangaroos 3-3 (13)
The Kangaroos, who back in the day helped start the Friday games, are going to be back on a Friday night, they play the Bombers. This game could define their season, and with Carlton and Melbourne to follow they could only be in the middle of a big streak.
14: Carlton Blues 2-4 (14)
Before the season began, games against Collingwood and the Kangaroos would have been seen as very winnable. Those two teams have hit form and will be tough for Carlton in the coming weeks. If Carlton are 2 and 6 then they will have to shake things up. The addition of Koutoufides might get them going again soon.
15: Melbourne Demons 0-6 (16)
Neitz is back and they were nearly back in the winning column of the standings. The Demons have done the right thing by giving their 2nd and 3rd round picks from the 2007 AFL Draft some senior action, and when Frawley is ready they will put him in too. The Demons have games coming up against the two teams down the bottom of the alphabet, Western Bulldogs and West Coast, who are also up the top of the standings. It is time for rebuilding, with looking ahead to the drafts as well as their round 12 game.
16: Richmond Tigers 0-6 (15)
Laidley gave the title of worst coach in the AFL to Thompson a week ago, and now Terry Wallace has snatched it from the Cats' coach. The Gaspar situation was handled worse than the Kellaway one, and would have hurt the team more as it was during the season. If they didn't want Gaspar to play this season they should have decided that in October. The Tigers can spend two weeks in Adelaide, as they play the Power and Crows there for the next two rounds. Hughes is playing well, Oakley-Nicholls deserves to play, Riewoldt will be in the team now, maybe there is some good news.
The game was close for 3 quarters before the Lions finished off the Dockers with a big last quarter and continued their unbeaten run in Queensland against the Dockers.
Lions 120 - Dockers 75
Fantasy Player News
Brisbane
Lappin: Back playing and back in the fantasy points, had 16 kicks and 10 marks.
Hadley: No injury problems, had 18 possessions and 6 marks.
McGrath: Kicked 5 goals.
Power: Power had 31 possessions, S Black had one more, but Power also added 2 goals.
Fremantle
Johnson: 21 possessions and 9 marks, worth his price for a quality fantasy defender.
Tarrant: 15 kicks, 12 marks and 3 goals.
Webster: Good potential, especially with Farmer out, he had 14 possessions.
Black: 27 possessions, but gave away 5 frees.
The Demons nearly got there, and that performance was without many of their stars and with Neitz playing his first game after returning from injury. Motlop kicked a game-winner this time to get the Power the 4 points. The Demons were successful in slowing down S Burgoyne, but P Burgoyne did a little extra for the Power.
Power 76 - Demons 71
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
Thomas: 19 possessions adn 7 marks.
Pearce: He's back, kicked 3 goals and had 16 disposals.
K Cornes: Watch the injury news about Kane, he had 25 possessions before getting crunched.
P Burgoyne: had 22 possessions, 13 more than his brother.
Melbourne
Neitz: Kicked 2 goals, will be better in the coming weeks.
Brown: A fantasy points accumulator, 26 possessions and 10 marks.
White: A big game with 24 possessions and 8 marks, back in the elite fantasy ruckmen category.
Bate: Sometimes underrated, he had 24 possessions, 10 marks and 2 goals here.
Richmond's season is unofficially over, and maybe Gaspar was thankful that he wasn't out there against Geelong. Geelong only kicked 1 more behind than Richmond, the difference in the goals was 26. Geelong had the 8th highest score ever in this game, but there wasn't too much incentive to get the record as the Cats already have that from a past demolition of the Bears.
Cats 222 - Tigers 65
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
G Ablett: Just his usual game, 32 possessions and 3 goals.
Hawkins: 8 marks and 4 goals, a tough choice on playing him against the West Coast next round.
Ottens: Back in action, had a goal and 4 free kicks for, but might be too expensive to sign.
S Johnson: 15 kicks and 8 marks, don't expect a good game from him against the Eagles.
Richmond
Hughes: Looks like a fantasy bargain at the forward spot, he had 8 marks and 3 goals.
Tuck: 21 possessions, also received some free kicks and had a couple of goals.
Foley: 28 possessions, plenty of fantasy points even with giving away 3 free kicks.
Oakley-Nicholls: The youth movement is on, and Oakley-Nicholls will help fantasy teams. He led Richmond in marks here with 9.
The Bombers went into the game without Lloyd but in the early parts of the game it looked like they didn't need him. In the 2nd quarter Lance Franklin turned the game around with 5 goals.
Hawks 131 - Bombers 96
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Franklin: 9 goals, a huge fantasy game. His price has steadily increased but it might be worth signing him now.
Crawford: 27 possessions and 6 tackles.
Dixon: Kicked 3 goals, is a better fantasy option with Williams out.
Sewell: Having a big year, 7 tackles and 25 possessions here.
Essendon
J Johnson: Those who played him on fantasy teams in his first game got a lot of points, he had 30 possessions.
Michael: Kicked a goal, he had solid fantasy points with 8 marks and 16 possessions.
Welsh: 2 goals, 6 tackles, 11 marks and 14 kicks brought in the fantasy points.
Watson: A late inclusion, he again got a lot of the ball.
Another game with the Eagles getting twice as many free kicks as their opponent, something Kane Johnson will be able to talk quietly with Brad Johnson about. The Bulldogs didn't have a tall forward to trouble the Eagles and that is something the Bulldogs need to find.
Eagles 77 - Bulldogs 62
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
Priddis: 3 goals and 26 possessions added up to a big fantasy points total.
Judd: 21 kicks, 6 tackles.
Lynch: 13 marks, only kicked 2 goals 4 but still had a big game for fantasy points.
Staker: Another solid fantasy game, could have been even better but he missed a couple of kicks at goal.
Western Bulldogs
Giansiracusa: 3 goals were a bonus for fantasy points, also had 14 kicks.
Harris: Much bigger numbers than expected, 12 marks for the game.
Cross: His usual 24 handballs, and 6tackles brought in added fantasy points.
Boyd: 22 possessions, he did receive 3 free kicks but also gave 3 away.
That is three in a row for the Kangaroos. It got close in the final quarter but the Kangaroos held on. The Kangaroos got goals from their smalls with Grant and Campbell among their main scorers.
Kangaroos 111 - Swans 95
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Grant: 4 goals against his former team, also had 18 kicks and 10 marks.
Edwards: 11 marks as he got to many aerial contests.
Campbell: 3 goals, a great fantasy return for a player who was on the rookie list.
Smith: 16 possessions and could be a big help to fantasy teams if he stays healthy.
Sydney
Schneider: 21 possessions and a goal, someone to think about signing.
Crouch: 15 possessions, not likely to have big numbers this year.
O'Loughlin: Kicked 2 goals and had 15 possessions, is improving his fantasy points form earlier games.
Jack: Some potential, he had 11 second half possessions.
The Magpies arrived without Didak and departed with a win over the Crows. The Crows' tactics of slowing the game down might have been figured out over the past couple of weeks and they might need to adjust things, they need to kick more goals. Chris Bryan with 3 goals helped Collingwood win as they had 30 scoring shots to 17.
Magpies 86 - Crows 62
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Bryan: A more mobile and skilled option than Richards, Bryan can get fantasy points for the ruck spot and he kicked 3 goals here.
Toovey: Again in the fantasy points with 15 possessions, 4 tackles and 3 free kicks for.
Lockyer: A very good game with 29 possessions, extra fantasy points came from 2 goals.
Davis: Played all over the ground, didn't waste possessions for fantasy points as 21 of his 22 possessions were kicks.
Adelaide
Knights: Has become one of their more consistent, and injury-free, players and has been great for fantasy points this season.
Perrie: Bock and Stevens had their run and now Perrie is the better Adelaide forward.
Goodwin: Back to his fantasy points best with 28 possessions.
Thompson: 17 kicks, 10 handballs and a goal.
The Tigers of 1983 started the season with a big losing streak, not something that is expected from a team that contested the previous season's VFL Grand Final. The Tigers slipped from 2nd to 10th. The current Tigers, who have started this season with a similar losing streak, have not been close to the form of the early 1980s teams, if they did play each other the result could be a huge win for the Tigers of old, who would be more strong and more bold.
1983 FB G Landy, A Martello, E Dunne
2007 FF R Tambling, J Schulz, C Hughes
1983 HB G Strachan, J Jess, M Keane
2007 HF D Jackson, M Richardson, D Meyer
1983 C S Williams, D Weightman, B Tempany
2007 C K Johnson, B Deledio, J King
1983 HF P Welsh, B Taylor, M Rioli
2007 HB J Bowden, G Polak, A Raines
1983 FF K Bartlett, M Roach, I Sartori
2007 FB C Newman, L McGuane, K Moore
1983 Foll M Lee, R Wiley, B Rowlings
2007 Foll T Simmonds, J Oakley-Nicholls, N Foley
1983 bench D Palm, P Egan, T Gepp, M Wall
2007 bench S Tuck, K Pettifer, M White, C Hyde
1983 emergency M Malthouse, G Ablett, R Murrie
2007 emergency S Edwards, C Howat, J Riewoldt
Richardson would certainly cause the VFL defenders from 24 years ago a lot of problems but Michael Roach would be as good or better. With Bartlett and Rioli in the forward line too, the old Tigers would kick a big winning score.
Simmonds would be battling a bigger ruckman, which is something he is used to doing, but the 2007 Tigers couldn't compete with the stronger midfield that the Tigers had in the early 1980s.
1983 was a season of turmoil for the Tigers, much like season 2007 is again. But at that time the Tigers were coming off a time of success, compared to now when they have struggled for a few years.
11
Joel Bowden.
Defender for the Richmond Tigers.
Joel Bowden has played in nearly every position during his time at Richmond. After joining the club as a father/son recruit, Bowden was put into the forward line and was a dangerous player.
For the first half of his career, Bowden was often played around half forward. He kicked a few goals, went into the middle to get it too and was also one of the better players to pass the ball to Richardson. 2001 was his best season for goals, with 26 which included a career-high game of 5. That year, Bowden had totals of nearly 150 marks and 600 disposals.
In recent years Bowden has gone to the back line. He is still accumulating the possessions at an incredible rate, and he once had 42 possessions in a single game. This year, despite being a bit short for the spot, Joel Bowden has been sent to full back on a few occasions as Richmond experiment with their setup.
Joel Bowden information:
188cm, 91kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 10
It was a battle of the full forwards, both Gehrig and Fevola had their outbursts of frustration and anger but they also found time to kick 6 goals each. The Saints were fitter in the 4th quarter and ran away with the win.
Saints 125 - Blues 82
St Kilda
Gehrig: Feast or famine, in rounds 1 and 6 he was great but did little in the other games. Kicked 6 goals here, also hit the post too.
Ball: No helmet, could have been useful as he received 4 free kicks. Is now back to being an elite fantasy player.
Gilbert: Don't forget old Gil, he surprised with a couple of goals.
Voss: Didn't repeat his return of last week, a solid 16 possessions but no goals this time.
Koschitzke: Spent time in the ruck, which helped his fantasy points.
Carlton
Whitnall: Could get brought back into fantasy teams now, he had 20 possessions, 8 marks and 3 goals.
Fevola: 6 goals, despite spending a little bit of time in the middle.
Young: 13 useful possessions, someone to sign for the fantasy bench if you are trying to free up some money.
Waite: At centre half back and brought in the fantasy points.
Blackwell: He didn't play a lot but he was in the action when he was out there and had a lot of the ball.
Everything was going according to plan, for the fantasy team and the round 5 tipping, until Geelong played the Kangaroos. Corey Jones went down with an injury, and as they often do there was an insult added to the injury, it looked like he kicked a goal when he got hurt but it was only awarded a behind. A little later in the game, Daniel Pratt was hurt too. The two Kangaroos are expected to play this week, but Power midfielder Salopek is out with an injury this round, and is now out of the fantasy side.
B David Mundy
B Daniel Pratt
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Jason Roe
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell
C Bryce Gibbs
C Ricky Petterd
C Paul Hasleby
C Marc Murphy
C Jordan Lewis
R Dean Cox
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt
F Barry Hall (captain)
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Alwyn Davey
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Joel Selwood (emergency)
C Lindsay Thomas
R Jonathan Griffin (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
The concern about Raines and Polak is now gone, they are playing like they should. Mundy, Roe, Birchall and Pratt, until he was hurt, were good last week too. McPhee was brought in for Koschitzke last week, that worked with Koschitzke lost in the flood against the Power and McPhee should continue to get a lot of fantasy points.
Salopek was injured so the dice was rolled when he was traded, not something for everyone to try but Ricky Petterd has been rushed into the starting lineup. If Petterd returns 75% of the stats he had in his first game he will be great value for money. Lewis, Mitchell and Hasleby continue to accumulate points. Murphy and Gibbs are not playing badly but one of them could be upgraded next week for an expensive star midfielder. It seems that Pagan is using the bench to stop Murphy being tagged, so that is a concern if that continues. If Gibbs is again put deep in the back line he won't improve his fantasy numbers any more.
Hudson was great last week as he faced the biggest ruckman in the AFL. Seaby started the season so well, as have the rest of his team, so Cox isn't getting a huge amount of minutes but he still gets plenty of fantasy points.
Nick Riewoldt was in the team before the season started, was nearly brought in a few weeks ago and has finally been added. Last week might have been his worst fantasy game ever, so he should bounce back with a huge game this round. Putting Davey into the starting lineup last week worked well, Hall brought in plenty of points as captain and will keep that responsibility again and C Cornes has been one of the best fantasy players of all. Before the season started, Lance Franklin was a bit of a risk for fantasy teams, but his great talent has been transferred to fantasy games. Corey Jones might be on his last week with the team, he might turn it around this round.
With X Ellis out for Hawthorn it removes a good emergency defender to have. Joel Selwood becomes an emergency midfielder, and it might not be long before he becomes a starter, he was nearly promoted for this round. Griffin is a solid player for the Crows, and if Hudson or Cox miss he will help the fantasy team. Campbell and Cox have both increased in value while sitting on the bench, they are close to cementing a regular spot with their AFL teams which means they will be useful assets during the fantasy season.
A big shock, Darren Gaspar has announced his immediate retirement from AFL. He was named in the Richmond side to play the Cats but is not expected to play.
Gaspar, a former number 1 overall draft pick, spent his AFL career with Sydney and Richmond. One of the best defenders in the AFL, he will not only be remembered for battling many star forwards but also for his awkward kicking and big hair.
From the AFL site: Tigers defender calls it quits
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Gaspar was a solid fantasy player, and was getting a lot more of the ball than expected. Those who have him in their teams will want to move him out right now. If they want another Tiger, then Polak has been a very good fantasy player this season and McGuane is someone who will have a bigger role with Gaspar gone.
St Kilda v Carlton
The Tip: St Kilda by 27 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Nick Riewoldt
Chance For An Upset: The Blues have the forward line to trouble the Saints, it will depend on how much of the ball they are supplied with for the Blues to win.
St Kilda
They win if....Ball and Dal Santo play at Harvey's level from last week.
They lose if...they don't get Gehrig and Riewoldt the ball.
The Good News: It won't rain on them this week.
The Bad News: They have already lost a lot of their back line, they are now without a couple of veteran midfielders, Hayes and Thompson.
Carlton
They win if....Josh Kennedy can expose the lack of height of the Saints' defenders.
They lose if...they start Murphy on the bench at the beginning of quarters.
The Good News: They kicked plenty of goals last week.
The Bad News: Pagan was outcoached in the second half last round.
Essendon v Hawthorn
The Tip: Hawthorn by 20 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Luke Hodge
Chance For An Upset: Hawthorn is the underdog, but with Hille out it evens things up a bit.
Essendon
They win if....Ryder is played on Franklin.
They lose if...Bolton actually plays.
The Good News: They have had a good break since they played Collingwood.
The Bad News: Hille won't be playing.
Hawthorn
They win if....Campbell is physical in the ruck.
They lose if...Boyle doesn't kick some goals.
The Good News: They needed Croad back to play on Lucas or Lloyd, they would have been very short if he couldn’t play.
The Bad News: Not enough players kicked goals with Williams out last week.
West Coast v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Scott West
Chance For An Upset: Picking the Bulldogs is the upset selection.
West Coast
They win if....Cox dominates against Minson.
They lose if...Lynch doesn't lead his team in goals.
The Good News: A very settled lineup and they again don't have to make any changes.
The Bad News: They had trouble with the Bulldogs in the regular season last year, and in the preseason just a few months ago.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....Cross, West and Akermanis trouble the Eagles' onballers.
They lose if...the Eagles play their other ruckman as a forward and the Bulldogs are too short for that tactic.
The Good News: Darcy was good in the preseason practice match at Subiaco, he is getting close to his best form now.
The Bad News: Minson will have to be smart and disciplined to defeat Cox, that will be a big test as he has been giving away a few free kicks.
Kangaroos v Sydney
The Tip: Sydney by 45 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Adam Goodes
Chance For An Upset: The Kangaroos are going for their third win in a row, so they are a chance.
Kangaroos
They win if....they find someone who can play on Goodes and slow him down.
They lose if...Daniel Wells doesn't continue running.
The Good News: They weren't supposed to win the past games but they did.
The Bad News: Firrito is too small, Petrie is too slow, Watt isn't strong enough, Hall could hurt them.
Sydney
They win if....Jolly and Everitt get on top of McIntosh in the ruck.
They lose if...they lose any more of their important defenders.
The Good News: The tribunal allowed Goodes to play.
The Bad News: The loss of Kennelly will slow them down.
Adelaide v Collingwood
The Tip: Adelaide by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ben Hudson
Chance For An Upset: The Magpies can win interstate, but the Crows are playing too good right now to be upset. Someone like Didak or Thomas, who was cleared of his Paddy whack last round, will have to have a huge game for Collingwood to win.
Adelaide
They win if....they cut off the supply to Rocca.
They lose if...Porplyzia and Reilly were not replaced adequately.
The Good News: Welsh is back and they need to kick some more goals.
The Bad News: The injury list keeps getting new additions, with a couple of midfielders being added this round.
Collingwood
They win if....Cloke kicks goals.
They lose if...the Shaws don't combine for over 60 possessions.
The Good News: Bryan is providing some help for Fraser.
The Bad News: Still no Buckley, he was big the last time they played in Adelaide.
Brisbane v Fremantle
The Tip: Fremantle by 21 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Luke McPharlin
Chance For An Upset: A coin-flip for the result, a close game is expected.
Brisbane
They win if....Charman and McDonald can battle the big Fremantle ruckmen.
They lose if...they can't find the right player to contain Pavlich.
The Good News: Lappin is back.
The Bad News: They won't play as well as they did last week, or score as efficiently.
Fremantle
They win if....their defenders shut down the Lions' secondary forwards like McGrath and Patfull.
They lose if...they are distracted by some of the recent off-field events.
The Good News: They are going to have around 416cm of ruckmen, with Sandilands and Warnock.
The Bad News: The Dockers don't win in Queensland.
Melbourne v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 40 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Kane Cornes
Chance For An Upset: They are getting some players back, so Melbourne's first win is getting closer.
Melbourne
They win if....Neitz kicks 10.
They lose if...they don't get huge games from some of their young players.
The Good News: They were competitive against the Swans for much of the game last round.
The Bad News: The Demons are playing one of the best teams in the AFL.
Port Adelaide:
They win if....2 Cornes and 2 Burgoynes play.
They lose if...Tredrea doesn't kick a goal.
The Good News: Only one loss so far.
The Bad News: Salopek and Wilson are injured.
Richmond v Geelong
The Tip: Richmond by 36 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Troy Simmonds
Chance For An Upset: The Cats often lose games they are supposed to win, like last week.
Richmond
They win if....Simmonds outruns his opponent.
They lose if...they kick inaccurately for goal.
The Good News: They were within a goal of the Eagles in the 4th quarter last week.
The Bad News: After this game the Tigers have two trips to Adelaide coming up.
Geelong
They win if....Hawkins plays, and plays well.
They lose if...their midfield performs like it did last week.
The Good News: The Cats have already had a few Rising Star nominations.
The Bad News: Steve Johnson has been rushed into the team, he is not the answer to their problems.
10
Peter Everitt.
Ruckman/forward for the Sydney Swans.
More of a skilled footballer who is tall than a typical big ruckman, Everitt has been entertaining AFL crowds since 1993. A fan favourite, sometimes a cause of frustration for his coaches, Everitt has played with three teams and had countless hairstyles.
Everitt had a decade with the Saints, playing in the ruck and up forward. When Everitt started his career with the Saints his teammates included Frawley, Winmar, Devonport, McAdam, Morris and Arceri. When Everitt left the Saints some of his teammates then were Riewoldt, Dal Santo, Milne and Voss.
1998 was his best year with St Kilda. 45 goals, over 400 hitouts and over 400 possessions. It was his finest year with the Saints for Brownlow votes too, although he only received 9 that year.
It might not have been the right move by Hawthorn, acquiring Everitt when they did, but they got plenty of value from him. Starting in 2003, Everitt had four productive and eventful seasons with the Hawks. In 2004 he recorded over 600 hitouts for the year, in 2003 he had his best ever game with 43 hitouts versus Adelaide.
After season 2006 the time was right for Hawthorn and Everitt to work a trade to another club, the Hawks were rebuilding and needed youth while Everitt would be a great acquisition for a contender. Sydney was the perfect fit, they won when they had Ball and Jolly in the ruck and needed to find another veteran ruckman. Everitt is yet to play in a Grand Final, but before he retires it is very likely that he might have been there on the MCG in the big one with the Swans.
Peter Everitt information:
203cm, 103kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 9
St Kilda v Carlton
St Kilda
FB: Gilbert, Goddard, L.Fisher
HB: Attard, Koschitzke, Gram
C: Blake, Ball, Montagna
HF: Harvey, Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Voss, Gehrig, Milne
Foll: M.Clarke, Baker, Dal Santo
bench: Fiora, Gwilt, Jones, Rix
emergency: Armitage, Birss, McQualter
In: Gwilt, Jones, Rix
Out: Hayes, Thompson, McQualter
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Voss was great last week, a player to look at for fantasy teams. There will be a lot of possessions available for other midfielders with Hayes and Thompson out so some Saints players will now increase their fantasy points. The conditions, with the roof, will suit the tall forwards a lot better than playing in the rain last week. Armitage has to be getting closer to a game, this could be the first time he has been named as an emergency.
Carlton
FB: Gibbs, S.O'hAilpin, Thornton,
HB: Scotland, Waite, Houlihan
C: Lappin, Young, Simpson
HF: Carrazzo, Whitnall, Murphy
FF: Kennedy, Fevola, Betts
Foll: Ackland, Bentick, Walker
bench: Anderson, Blackwell, Cloke, Russell
emergency: Bower, Hartlett, Saddington
In: Blackwell, Young
Out: Jackson, Wiggins
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Blackwell was a good player last year, and if he stays in the team now he might be a good addition for fantasy teams. Young is a cheap fantasy player, if he is getting enough of the ball to make him a regular player then he will help fantasy teams with a big value increase. Cloke's fantasy numbers were boosted by kicking a few goals last week, don't expect that to happen again.
Essendon v Hawthorn
Essendon
FB: McVeigh, Michael, Heffernan
HB: McPhee, Fletcher, Hird
C: Dyson, Peverill, Monfries
HF: Lovett, Lucas, Davey
FF: M.Johnson, Lloyd, Laycock
Foll: Ryder, Winderlich, Stanton
bench: Welsh, Bolton, Johns, J.Johnson
emergency: Houli, Watson, Lonergan
In: J.Johnson, Welsh, Winderlich
Out: Bradley, Slattery, Watson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Winderlich is back, he had great stats before he missed due to injury. Jason Johnson isn't expensive, but maybe wait a week or two to see how they use him. Watson was a solid fantasy player, despite not playing a lot of minutes, he might have to be traded off fantasy teams.
Hawthorn
FB: Guerra, Gilham, Brown
HB: Ladson, Croad, Birchall
C: Sewell, Mitchell, Lewis
HF: McGlynn, Boyle, Bateman
FF: Franklin, Roughead, Dixon
Foll: Campbell, Hodge, Crawford
bench: Vandenberg, Taylor, Murphy, Osborne
emergency: Ellis, Moss, Young
In: Croad, Vandenberg
Out: Thurgood, Ellis
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Croad was good for stats earlier this year, and both he and Gilham can help fantasy teams. Vandenberg isn't a very good fantasy points player, better not to sign him.
West Coast v Western Bulldogs
West Coast
FB: Wirrpanda, Glass, Hurn
HB: Waters, Hunter, Selwood
C: Embley, Priddis, Braun
HF: Stenglein, Hansen, Chick
FF: Armstrong, Lynch, R.Jones
Foll: Cox, Judd, Kerr
bench: Rosa, Seaby, Staker, B.Jones
emergency: Graham, LeCras, Fletcher
AFL Fantasy Watch:
They are still using the same players so expect the same stats as they have had the past few weeks. Hansen wasn't a good fantasy player last season, he is kicking more goals now.
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Wight, Hargrave
C: Eagleton, S.West, Power
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Boyd
FF: Murphy, Darcy, Akermanis
Foll: Minson, Cross, Cooney
bench: Ray, Higgins, Griffen, Addison
emergency: Faulkner, Williams, Harbrow
In: Addison
Out: Robbins
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There are a lot of good players for fantasy points on the Bulldogs. Murphy is playing well, Harris started the season late but has been getting a lot of stats, Power missed some time with injury but he is back and Cross was great last game after missing with an injury.
Kangaroos v Sydney
Kangaroos
FB: Gibson, Firrito, Watt
HB: Pratt, Archer, Smith
C: Swallow, Rawlings, Simpson
HF: Adams, Edwards, Wells
FF: Harvey, Petrie, Brown
Foll: McIntosh, Grant, Harris
bench: Jones, Grima, Campbell, Sinclair
emergency: Green, Trotter, McMahon
In: Smith
Out: Green
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Smith will be a player to watch, he has a low fantasy price. Elevated rookies Adams and Campbell are still in the team too. Once again McIntosh is there without a ruckman on the bench, so he should again bring in plenty of fantasy points. Pratt and Jones were hurt last week, they are named in the team for this game.
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Malceski
HB: Crouch, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, McVeigh
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Schneider, Hall, Everitt
Foll: Jolly, Goodes, Fosdike
bench: Buchanan, Davis, Schmidt, Jack
emergency: Vogels, Moore, Phillips
In: Buchanan, Jack
Out: Kennelly, Moore
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Mathews will play in Kennelly's spot and could increase his stats. Goodes has been down in form, and was very lucky to not be suspended, maybe he has a big game against the Kangaroos.
Adelaide v Collingwood
Adelaide
FB: Torney, Rutten, Bassett
HB: van Berlo, Stevens, McLeod
C: Doughty, Goodwin, Mattner
HF: Knights, Bock, Edwards
FF: Perrie, Welsh, Vince
Foll: Hudson, Shirley, Thompson
bench: Griffin, Burton, Douglas, Hinge
emergency: McGregor, Pfeiffer, Jericho
In: Welsh, Hinge
Out: Porplyzia, Reilly
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hinge is listed as a midfielder for fantasy games, he has the ability to play anywhere for the Crows and might be used around half forward. Hudson was very good for fantasy points last game, he is still cheap enough to sign in fantasy games.
Collingwood:
FB: Lockyer, Prestigiacomo, Cox
HB: H.Shaw, Clement, R.Shaw
C: Pendlebury, Toovey, Thomas
HF: Maxwell, Cloke, Didak
FF: Swan, Rocca, Johnson
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Dick
bench: Burns, Davis, O'Brien, Bryan
emergency: Wakelin, Egan, Iles
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The young players like Thomas, Pendlebury, Toovey and Cox will provide good value for fantasy teams. The half back line, of the Shaws and Clement, are bringing in plenty of points. Cloke was great last game, he might not be able to do it consistently.
Brisbane v Fremantle
Brisbane
FB: Johnson, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Brennan, Copeland
C: Sherman, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Harding, Brown, Notting
FF: Rischitelli, Patfull, McGrath
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench from: Hadley, Begley, McDonald, Allan, Fixter, Schmidt, Drummond
In: Schmidt, Drummond, Lappin
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Lappin is back, and a good idea if he is being played in a fantasy team would be to have an emergency midfielder, just in case.
Fremantle
FB: Parker, Grover, Dodd
HB: Black, McPharlin, Hayden
C: Johnson, Bell, Mundy
HF: Headland, Pavlich, Hasleby
FF: Warnock, Tarrant, Solomon
Foll: Sandilands, Crowley, J.Carr
bench from: M.Carr, Walker, Webster, Campbell, Cook, Gilmore, McManus
In: Parker, Warnock, Campbell
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There will be some outs with Warnock and Parker named in the 18. So don't rush and sign some of the bench players. Interesting to see Johnson and Mundy named on the wings, one of them might spend some time in the midfield as the Dockers have a full strength back line.
Melbourne v Port Adelaide
Melbourne
FB: Bruce, Carroll, Yze
HB: Brown, Rivers, Bell
C: Sylvia, McDonald, Davey
HF: Petterd, Miller, Pickett
FF: Dunn, Neitz, Moloney
Foll: White, Godfrey, Johnstone
bench from: P.Johnson, Jones, Bate, C.Johnson, Buckley, Holland, Warnock
In: Neitz, Jones, Holland, Warnock, Buckley
Out: Garland, Jamar
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Petterd had a big debut and could be added to a lot of fantasy teams. Neitz should have a solid game so someone like Miller, Dunn or P Johnson might not have a big role now. White could have more points with Jamar out of the team.
Port Adelaide:
FB: Chaplin, Wakelin, Pettigrew
HB: Surjan, C.Cornes, Thomas
C: Cassisi, K.Cornes, Lonie
HF: Mahoney, Tredrea, P.Burgoyne
FF: Ebert, White, Bentley
Foll: Lade, S.Burgoyne, Rodan
bench from: Deluca, Krakouer, Motlop, Pearce, Thurstans, Symes, Westhoff
In: Deluca, Motlop, Pearce, Thomas, Westhoff
Out: Salopek, Wilson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Power lose a couple of good fantasy players to injury and fantasy coaches will have to replace them too. Pearce is back for the Power, and an option for fantasy teams.
Richmond v Geelong
Richmond
FB: Newman, McGuane, Gaspar
HB: Raines, Polak, J.Bowden
C: Johnson, Deledio, King
HF: Jackson, Hughes, Meyer
FF: Tambling, Schulz, Richardson
Foll: Simmonds, Oakley-Nicholls, Foley
bench from: Tuck, Pettifer, White, Edwards, Hyde, Howat, Moore
In: White, Howat, Moore, Meyer
Out: Tivendale
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Oakley-Nicholls could have a big impact on fantasy leagues this season, if he puts together another solid game he might be someone to sign. Hughes was good last week, he might kick a few goals against Geelong.
Geelong
FB: Mackie, Scarlett, Enright
HB: D.Johnson, Egan, Milburn
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Kelly
HF: Chapman, N.Ablett, S.Johnson
FF: G.Ablett, Mooney, Varcoe
Foll: Ottens, Corey, Ling
bench from: Blake, Tenace, Selwood, Prismall, Hawkins, King, Stokes
In: Ottens, Tenace, S.Johnson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
A difficult game for fantasy coaches, with Ottens and S Johnson in the team it means that Blake, King or Hawkins will be dropped.
Nigel Lappin could play for Brisbane against the Dockers this weekend. He hasn’t played since injuring his leg in round 1. First round pick Matthew Leuenberger is getting close to making his debut for Brisbane. The Lions played Charman and McDonald last round, after dropping Wood, so it won’t be easy for Brisbane to find a spot to play the 4th overall pick in the recent AFL draft.
From The Courier-Mail: Lappin returns, Begley kicks on
From the Brisbane site: Round 6 Injury List
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Lappin started the fantasy season with a cheap price, and cost a similar amount to other bargains like Knights, Winderlich, Fixter and Priddis. The round 1 injury was a setback to Lappin, and AFL fantasy coaches who signed him, but he is still great value. If the Lions name him for this round he might be an option for fantasy teams looking to free up some money, it is possible that Lappin will have the same amount of fantasy points as a much more expensive midfielder. Trading for Lappin could provide the funds to upgrade at another position. For those wanting to take a safe option, and not risk playing Lappin in his first game back, he should still be a player to consider next week.
It is unlikely that Leuenberger provides a large amount of fantasy points when he does play, as the Lions are loaded at his spot. He can kick goals and is a mobile ruckman, so if injury or bad form hit some of their other talls he is a player to watch.
The Swans are missing Kennelly, Dempster and Roberts-Thomson and have elevated Kieran Jack who can play a defensive role. He doesn’t have the height of the other players but Jack showed in preseason that he can shut down an opponent.
From the Swans site: Kieren Jack elevated to senior list
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Jack is the cheapest midfielder in fantasy leagues, along with other rookie players, so all he has to do is play a few games and his price will have a good increase. If he does play, it is unlikely that he will be a big performer for fantasy points as a tagging role is his probable spot. His inclusion could free another Swan to play a more attacking role, like Crouch or Fosdike.
Round 5 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 5
Handballs: 8
Marks: 0
Tackles: 1
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 12
Handballs: 13
Marks: 6
Tackles: 9
Goals: 0
Neither player had a win last round, as Carlton fell to the Lions and the Cats lost at Kardinia Park to the Kangaroos. Gibbs was solid while J Selwood was awarded with the round's Rising Star nomination. Expect Gibbs to receive his Rising Star nomination in the coming weeks against the Saints, Magpies or Kangaroos.
Gibbs had a solid game until the last quarter, he was left in an isolated spot at full back against Johnson and the Lions' veteran kicked a couple of goals after marking on the lead. Coach Pagan would have learned from this and will be quicker to get someone like Thornton or Joe Anderson to go to full back so Gibbs isn't wasted deep in the back line. Gibbs’ use of the ball was again as good or better than most of the other Carlton players.
The Cats had Chapman, a bunch of players who looked like they were new to the game of AFL and also a guy wearing number 14 who was playing like a 10-year AFL veteran. J Selwood and Chapman were Geelong's best players. An indictment on his more experienced teammates, Selwood took on the tough Kangaroos and led his team in clearances. When Selwood was temporarily beaten in the contest he wouldn't let the Kangaroos get away easily and he totalled 9 tackles for the game. Joel Selwood was also disciplined and didn't give away any free kicks and due to his attack on the ball he did receive 3 free kicks in the game.
Both clubs should list Gibbs and J Selwood as "must be picked every week". Carlton won't be dropping Gibbs for Jordan Bannister or David Teague and Geelong would have gotten a reality check as they saw that Selwood is in a class above nearly all the players they have. If Gibbs continues in a deep defensive role, that means his likely opponent next round is Milne or maybe Voss. If Gibbs is in the middle he might be playing against Fiora or even Harvey, and he might get to compete against another top 10 pick if Armitage is brought in to debut for the Saints. Selwood and the Cats have a must-win game against the Tigers, Selwood could be playing on Johnson, Foley or Deledio.
B Gibbs 2 - J Selwood 3
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
From the AFL site: Joel Selwood wins Rising Star nomination
9
David Neitz.
Forward for the Melbourne Demons.
One of the big power forwards of the AFL over the past 14 years. Unlike other big forwards like Carey, Kernahan, A Lynch, Q Lynch, Brown and Hall he is yet to win a Grand Final. He was close in 2000, when Melbourne went down to the Bombers.
Neitz first played in 1993, kicking 6 goals in his 6th AFL game. In 1994 the Demons had a strong forward setup with Schwarz, Lyon, Charles and Pike but in 1995 a spot opened up for Neitz in the forward line and he has been there ever since. His best ever season for goals was 2002 when he kicked 82, he has kicked 9 goals in a single game on two occasions.
His career-high for marks in a game was set a long time ago, against Fitzroy he had 16 marks. In season 2000 he recorded his most ever disposals in a game with 31, comprised of 25 kicks and 6 handballs.
Neitz has not been a favourite of the umpires, giving away nearly twice as many free kicks than he recieves. At the Brownlow, like many forwards, he is never in contention. In season 2000 he was awarded 6 votes, 2 votes in every game that year when he had 10 or more marks in a game.
The record book at the Melbourne Football Club mentions Neitz many times, and there is still time for him to accomplish more, but the AFL Premiership might elude him.
David Neitz information:
191cm, 100kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 8
Adam Simpson of the Kangaroos.
The Kangaroos were supposed to be on the way to Queensland, Adam Simpson might have been expected to retire sometime soon and head there too. None of that is going to happen now, the Kangaroos and the AFL had a nice exchange of ideas and Arden Street is still their home and Simpson showed against Geelong that he has plenty left.
19 possessions in a game would have been a usual return for Simpson, but against Geelong he had 19 possessions in the second half, that number would have been impressive but he actually slowed down when compared to the first half as he had 22 possessions.
Nearly every possession was effective, a change from some of his recent games. He also won the ball himself a lot, destroying whoever Geelong had opposed to him. The Cats admitted "we didn't know who was on him", no Geelong players are putting up their hand to let people know they were responsible for Simpson.
25 kicks, 16 handballs, 5 marks, 3 tackles, a goal and also a win streak for the Kangaroos and Adam Simpson is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Adam Simpson's profile at the Kangaroos' site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Chad Cornes.
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