The Cats are still winning but this was not an easy game. The Swans got back into the game in the second half before the Cats kicked a couple of goals to seal the win. Bartel was injured but the reports from the Cats so it is not serious.
Cats 87 - Swans 69
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Mooney: He kicked 4 goals, Mooney has been very good for fantasy AFL teams this season.
Selwood: Another game when he could have started for fantasy teams, 19 possessions and 7 marks.
Mackie: 22 disposals, 8 marks, 6 tackles and 5 free kicks received.
Enright: He improved his numbers with 24 possessions, 9 marks and 4 tackles.
G Ablett: 18 kicks, 5 handballs and 2 goals.
Sydney
Malceski: He was running again, he had 18 kicks and 8 handballs.
Laidlaw: 9 possessions and 3 marks in his first game.
Kirk: 33 possessions, 7 marks and 8 tackles.
Goodes: Back to his best with 19 kicks and 12 handballs.
J Bolton: Bonus fantasy points with 7 tackles and 3 frees for, also had 21 disposals.
The best player running around Subiaco with a blue uniform was called Kreuzer. Carlton couldn't stop the Dockers who got goals from nearly everyone, even Shane Parker. It looked like Clive Waterhouse also scored a goal, but that was just Scott Thornton.
Fremantle 173 - Carlton 96
Fantasy Player News
Fremantle
Warnock: He is good, but just like Laycock last night who starred with Hille out, Warnock played a lot this time with Sandilands out, Warnock had 16 disposals and 16 total hitouts.
Farmer: 4 goals and 14 kicks, a big game but it won't be as easy for the Dockers and Farmer next week.
M Carr: Better than his brother and a lot of other players, he had 26 possessions and 12 marks.
Parker: Brought back for stability in the back line, not stats, he had a very good 17 possessions.
Murphy: The only Docker not in double-figures for disposals, but he did kick a goal.
Carlton
Waite: Terrible for most of the game, but he kicked 5 goals late in the game which helped his fantasy owners a lot.
Young: Back in the team, he kicked 2 goals and had 12 possessions.
Hartlett: He showed some signs when moved forward, he had a goals as well as 9 kicks and 6 marks.
Bentick: Always gets tackles and he had 7 here, instead of giving away frees he recieved 4 of them too, also add 19 possessions for fantasy points too.
Koutoufides: Still getting it done, he had 12 kicks, 14 handballs and received 2 free kicks.
The Lions came back to tie the game late, but there was just a bit too much Motlop driving the Power who held on for the win.
Power 112 - Lions 105
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
C Cornes: The usual return of 32 possessions and 12 marks, he had a great fantasy points output early in the game when he had around 3 handballs in quick succession in the back line.
Westhoff: Continues to score his 3 goals per game,
Motlop: He won't do it every game, Motlop had 6 goals as well as 13 kicks and 13 marks.
Lonie: He returned and played well, 12 kicks and 12 handballs and also added a goal.
P Burgoyne: The better Burgoyne, which means he is very good, he had 23 kicks and 8 handballs.
Brisbane
Brown: 4 goals and 11 marks, he should have plenty more games with those numbers.
Power: A welcome return for them, 20 kicks and 14 handballs.
Drummond: One of the best fantasy defenders, 19 kicks and 2 big goals.
Dzufer: 10 possessions and 3 marks in his first game, the Lions might give him a few more matches.
Proud: No need to rush out on Monday and sign him, he only had 1 kick, but there were good signs that he is ready for AFL as he went in hard for the ball and the player.
The Saints keep marching while the Tigers missed out on consecutive wins. Gehrig was due for a big game and he delivered. Hudghton is injured again. Nathan Brown seems to be fully fit.
Saints 117 - Tigers 100
Fantasy Player News
St Kilda
Gehrig: 5 goals, 14 kicks and 12 marks, he certainly returned with a big fantasy points game.
Montagna: 21 kicks, 14 handballs and 5 marks.
Fiora: Started the season well and then went quiet, he had better numbers again with 20 disposals and 7 marks.
Riewoldt: 4 goals, 22 possessions and 8 marks, a big forward who rarely has bad fantasy points games.
Gram: Went on his runs and also kicked a couple of goals, other stats were 20 disposals and 8 marks.
Richmond
Brown: Might be a good idea to sign him, his price is just about to go up, he is kicking goals and he isn't hurt.
Newman: A very good player this year, he had 20 possessions and 11 marks.
Pettifer: 10 kicks, 9 marks and 4 goals.
Simmonds: Not ready to play at his best, he had 3 kicks, so wait another week at least before signing him.
Howat: 20 possessions, 8 marks and 2 tackles.
39
Heath Shaw.
Defender for the Collingwood Magpies.
A generation ago the Magpies relied on Shaws in the middle of the ground and now the Magpies' back line is where a new group of Shaws operate. A father/son selection, Heath Shaw officially joined the Magpies as pick 48 in the 2003 AFL draft.
Shaw first played for Collingwood in 2005. The next season he exploded with a huge amount of statistics as he joined Collingwood's half back line.
He hit double figures for possessions in every game he played in 2006. His career-high for kicks and total disposals in a game was set against Port Adelaide when he had 27 kicks and 33 total disposals.
A future All-Australian, Heath Shaw has a big tradition to continue but he has shown he is up to the challenge.
Heath Shaw information:
182cm, 82kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 38
The battle of the Davey brothers was a draw, and the result of the match was close too with the Bombers getting the win in the final seconds. Essendon's big forwards kicked a lot of goals, Lucas is usually kicking goals from outside 50 but it was his short kick at the end of the game that won it as the ball came to the back of the pack where Lucas was in the right spot at the right time.
Bombers 125 - Demons 123
Fantasy Player News
Essendon
Laycock: He kicked 2 goals and had 28 total hitouts, he can get fantasy points when given the chance but his minutes will be reduced next game with Hille back.
Lucas: 16 kicks, 9 marks and 5 goals so he is back to his numbers from the early rounds.
Lovett: First game in a while, he was solid with 2 goals and 7 kicks.
Lloyd: 4 goals and 10 marks, expect plenty of goals in the remaining rounds.
Davey: 8 tackles and 2 goals kept up his reputation as one of the fantasy bargains of the season.
Melbourne
Newton: Not a bad first game, he provided a big target up forward. A player to watch next week after he had a goal and 9 kicks.
Robertson: He is having a great year for AFL fantasy points, he had 12 kicks, 6 marks and 3 goals.
McDonald: 15 kicks, 11 handballs and 5 tackles.
Brown: He gets fantasy points when he does play, with 21 disposals here, but a rebuilding Melbourne team may not have a spot for him now.
Davey: 17 possessions and 2 goals, he hasn't been getting a lot of fantasy points but he might finish the year off well.
It has certainly been a fun week for fantasy coaches as a lot of the popular players are out with injuries. This team has Judd and Hall and emergencies will play in their spots. It could have been worse, and for the AFL Insider Dream Team it was. Salopek was recently added and is now injured while the forward line had Rocca, Hall and Koschitzke.
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 Scott West
C Chris Judd
C Paul Hasleby (captain)
C Kane Cornes
C Jordan Lewis
R Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Daniel Dzufer
C Ricky Petterd (emergency)
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox (emergency)
F Matthew Campbell
The back line continues to provide plenty of fantasy points. Polak, McPhee and Gilbee are great players. Smith and Birchall were bargains this season and Smith's ankle isn't causing problems and Birchall continues to improve during his second season of AFL. Mundy and Raines can produce but they do have a few bad weeks too.
Hasleby will get a run as captain this week. The rest of the midfielders are playing well too. Judd will rest this week with Ricky "George" Petterd moving up to the fantasy A-Team from the fantasy bench.
A lot of players are falling over with injuries but Hudson keeps on going along. He has a tough game against Dean Cox and the Eagles. White has a much easier matchup this round as Hille is not playing for Essendon.
Roos says Hall is a chance to play next week, and as he then has a run with a lot of easier games for the Swans if he does play he should kick a few goals. An emergency will take his spot this week. All of the other forwards are in good health and providing a lot of fantasy points.
The best news for the fantasy team is that Dzufer is playing a game this week. It is always a bonus when the players from AFL rookie lists are promoted, they don't need to do a lot to go up in price.
Essendon v Melbourne
The Tip: Essendon by 7 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dustin Fletcher
Chance For An Upset: Daniher's time with Melbourne is coming to an end, they didn't do it for the coach last week so it is unlikely they turn it around for this game. It could happen with Neitz back in the side. With Hille out they are a chance.
Essendon
They win if....Laycock and Ryder successfully combine to replace Hille's usual influence on the game.
The Good News: Stanton is the engine that runs the team, he is back in the middle for this game.
The Bad News: They were bad for three quarters last round.
Melbourne
They win if....Neitz plays and the Demons don't allow Michael and Fletcher to double-team him.
The Good News: "Wayne" Newton gets his chance, they really can't call him "Juice" because they used that name before for another Melbourne Newton.
The Bad News: Frawley is out, unless there is an injury that wasn't reported this makes little sense.
Geelong v Sydney
The Tip: Geelong by 23 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Paul Chapman
Chance For An Upset: If Roos can find a way to win this game it will be the biggest win of his career, in terms of how bad the odds are against a win.
Geelong
They win if....they are alert to the various forward structures that Sydney will employ with Hall out, the Swans could go very small up forward to try to expose Harley and Egan for pace.
The Good News: A win streak and another game at home.
The Bad News: Tenace probably feels unlucky as he was dropped.
Sydney
They win if....Everitt and Jolly win the majority of the hitouts and also drift forward to kick goals.
The Good News: Davis returns, he can kick goals against Geelong.
The Bad News: Not only is Hall out of this game, but the Swans are concerned he might miss more games.
Fremantle v Carlton
The Tip: Fremantle by 100 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Matthew Pavlich
Chance For An Upset: Both teams are in turmoil, with problems on and off the field. The Dockers have the home ground advantage so that might be enough to get the win as Carlton are missing several stars.
Fremantle
They win if....Pavlich has another big game against a team that struggles to contain him.
The Good News: Farmer is back after several suspensions, one from the AFL and then the team-imposed one.
The Bad News: They ruined their season with what they did in the Northern Territory last round.
Carlton
They win if....Carlton's combo of a short ruckman and an inexperienced ruckman can do anything against the two giants that the Dockers play.
The Good News: Betts is back, so even if they lose the fans will be entertained.
The Bad News: Whitnall and Walker will be missed.
Brisbane v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 11 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Kane Cornes
Chance For An Upset: Both teams have hit a slump this season, but the Power got out of it while the Lions are still searching for answers. The Power are favourites but the Lions have a chance at home.
Brisbane
They win if....Brown finally has a huge game.
The Good News: The Lions are getting an early start on the future, with Proud now in the team and Dzufer is debuted in this game.
The Bad News: Copeland and Roe were big parts of their early season success, they have both been dropped.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Their young forwards continue to play at a high level.
The Good News: Tredrea played well last round.
The Bad News: Salopek is a more important player than some realize.
St Kilda v Richmond
The Tip: St Kilda by 9 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Nick Riewoldt
Chance For An Upset: The Saints have one more Riewoldt playing than the Tigers and that might get them the win. The Tigers are not expected to win but that didn't stop them last round. Brown was a welcome addition for them last week and Simmonds could have a big game this round.
St Kilda
They win if....Gehrig owns the goal-square like Koschitzke did last week.
The Good News: They had a huge win last week.
The Bad News: Koschitzke and injuries are nothing new.
Richmond
They win if....Simmonds has recovered and is able to run all game.
The Good News: They won last week.
The Bad News: They are still in last spot.
Adelaide v West Coast
The Tip: Adelaide by 17 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Mark Ricciuto
Chance For An Upset: Adelaide is the favourite, so the Eagles are not in their usual position. But the Eagles are still a big chance even without Judd as the Crows are not anywhere near full strength either.
Adelaide
They win if....they are alert to Hunter sneaking up to the forward line.
The Good News: Maric's return could give them more options, and might allow Griffin to become a full forward.
The Bad News: They still have a lot of injuries.
West Coast
They win if....Dean Cox has a huge game.
The Good News: Embley is available this round.
The Bad News: They did not expect to lose last week.
Kangaroos v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 40 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brad Johnson
Chance For An Upset: Teams are supposed to lift for milestone games, and that might have happened last weekend in Perth, so the Kangaroos will be in this game and if Wells provides the speed to counter the Bulldogs in the middle he might be the difference. The Kangaroos will need a big game from Harris and Grant, the Bulldogs will also expect big things from Harris and Grant.
Kangaroos
They win if....they don't allow the Bulldogs to run.
The Good News: A big event in the Kangaroos' history with Archer playing game 300.
The Bad News: It was not a game they expected to lose when the Crows ran over them on the Gold Coast.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....Street can keep up with McIntosh.
The Good News: Chris Grant returns to add another tall at either end of the ground.
The Bad News: Murphy is injured once more.
Collingwood v Hawthorn
The Tip: Hawthorn by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Sam Mitchell
Chance For An Upset: The Magpies might have won last round but a bunch of problems hit them this week. Josh Fraser is the key to the game, if he can stop Campbell and also kick a few goals it could get Collingwood the win.
Collingwood
They win if....Cloke really steps up with Rocca out.
The Good News: Reid may be young but in the VFL he has shown that he is ready.
The Bad News: There have to be more than a few sponsors, officials and supporters who are worried about what is going on off the field.
Hawthorn
They win if....they play like they did last round.
The Good News: Franklin is added to a team that won by 100 points the previous round.
The Bad News: Someone has to miss from last round, a tough choice for the Hawks as they didn't have any bad players last time they played.
Biggest star: Lindsay Gilbee
Biggest early season bargain: Brian Harris
Biggest disappointment: Sam Power
Due for a big second half: Jason Akermanis
Cheap player to invest in now: Andrejs Everitt
Someone to possibly sell: Jarrod Harbrow
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Eagles
38
Dale Morris.
Defender for the Western Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs didn't add a lot of defensive prospects with high selections from the drafts over the recent years. They did manage to find Harris and Hargrave late in AFL drafts while Dale Morris lasted until the rookie draft in 2005. Morris was pick 19. There was a lot of talent in that draft, with Danyle Pearce and Clinton Young taken just before Morris and Harry O'Brien and Jonathan Griffin drafted right after Morris.
While Morris doesn't have real key position height he sometimes has to play on the big forwards of the AFL. But he can run off them which is a big part of the Bulldogs' game-plan. The addition of Tom Williams to the defensive structure should allow Morris to play on the medium-sized forwards of the AFL.
Morris' game is improving every year and this season he is kicking the ball a lot more than he did in his first two years. When he started he would look to handball to someone like McMahon or Gilbee but he now has more kicks than handballs. Morris recently had his best game of his short career for kicks with 14, he has registered 13 handballs in a game on several occasions.
The big-name veterans at the Bulldogs get all the publicity but it is the overachievers at the other end of the ground who will be just as important in September.
Dale Morris information:
190cm, 86kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 37
Biggest star: Chris Judd
Biggest early season bargain: Matthew Priddis
Biggest disappointment: Daniel Chick
Due for a big second half: Mark Nicoski
Cheap player to invest in now: Eric MacKenzie
Someone to possibly sell: Matthew Rosa
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Swans
Essendon v Melbourne
Essendon
FB: Nash, Michael, McVeigh
HB: Welsh, Fletcher, McPhee
C: Bolton, Watson, Camporeale
HF: Hird, Lucas, Slattery
FF: J.Johnson, Lloyd, Davey
Foll: Ryder, Peverill, Winderlich
bench: Stanton, Lovett, Laycock, M.Johnson
emergency: Bradley, Monfries, Dyson
In: Stanton, Lovett, Camporeale
Out: Hille, Heffernan, Monfries
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Stanton was playing at a high level before his injury and he should return with plenty of stats. Hille misses this week and Ryder has a chance to have even better numbers than his usual solid fantasy points, Laycock should also see more playing time but it isn't worth signing him with Hille out only 1 week.
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Wheatley
HB: Godfrey, Bizzell, Bell
C: Bruce, McDonald, Johnstone
HF: Green, Robertson, Davey
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, Bate
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench: P.Johnson, Petterd, Newton, Brown
emergency: Miller, C.Johnson, Buckley
In: Neitz, Johnstone, Brown, Newton
Out: Yze, Holland, Pickett, Frawley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
A strange move for the coachless, rebuilding Demons to drop Frawley. He should be back in the team soon. Yze and Holland are listed as injured players, but their season for helping fantasy teams is probably over. Newton would have been a good signing if Neitz was still out.
Geelong v Sydney
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Harley, Egan, Mackie
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Corey
HF: Chapman, Mooney, Varcoe
FF: S.Johnson, N.Ablett, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, G.Ablett, Ling
bench: Blake, Kelly, Selwood, Rooke
emergency: J.Hunt, Tenace, Johnson
In: Rooke
Out: Tenace
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Rooke returns to the Geelong side while Tenace is the unlucky one to miss. J Selwood had a huge game last week but probably won’t have similar numbers this time. This might not be the week to invest in Ottens as he has a tough challenge with Sydney’s big ruckmen.
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Dempster
HB: Bevan, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Malceski
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Davis, Goodes, Buchanan
Foll: Jolly, McVeigh, Fosdike
bench: Schmidt, Everitt, Laidlaw, Moore
emergency: Schneider, Thornton, Vogels
In: Davis, Laidlaw, Moore
Out: Hall, Grundy, Schneider
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hall could be out for just a week or much longer. He has not been anywhere near his fantasy points from last season so if you have plenty of trades still to use a replacement forward should be traded for. If the Swans surprise everyone with their selection at full forward it could produce some bonus fantasy points for someone, Richards might be a chance. Laidlaw is an inexpensive fantasy midfielder to watch.
Fremantle v Carlton
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, McPharlin, Parker
HB: Johnson, Grover, Thornton
C: Black, Headland, Dodd
HF: Hasleby, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Farmer, Murphy, Warnock
Foll: Sandilands, J.Carr, Bell
bench: Schammer, McManus, M.Carr, Mundy
emergency: Walker, Gilmore, Duffield
In: Farmer, Parker, McPharlin, Schammer, Murphy
Out: Peake, Cook, Walker, Crowley, Tarrant
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Plenty of changes for the struggling Dockers, only Peake who is injured is a forced change. Fantasy teams will have to remove Peake too and Schammer would be a good replacement. Farmer had a restful first half of the season, so he should hit the ground with plenty of energy and might kick enough goals to be worth his fantasy price. Murphy is another player to consider, but Tarrant will be back in the forward line there next week.
Carlton
FB: Houlihan, Thornton, Saddington
HB: Scotland, Waite, Bannister
C: Russell, Bentick, Gibbs
HF: Koutoufides, Fisher, Murphy
FF: Wiggins, Fevola, Lappin
Foll: Ackland, Simpson, Carrazzo
bench: Betts, O'hAilpin, Hartlett, Young
emergency: Bower, Blackwell, Kennedy
In: Betts, Hartlett, Young
Out: Walker, Whitnall, Blackwell
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Whitnall will need to be traded away as the Blues say he could miss a lot more than one week, Walker isn't supposed to be out as long but there is also some concern for how many games he will miss too.
Brisbane v Port Adelaide
Brisbane
FB: MacDonald, Merrett, Brennan
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Begley
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Sherman, Brown, Selwood
FF: Rischitelli, Patfull, McGrath
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: Wood, Hadley, Dzufer, Proud
emergency: Copeland, Roe, Hooper
In: Dzufer, Power
Out: Copeland, Roe
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There is a big-priced fantasy midfielder added to the Lions' lineup and also the cheapest, a rookie-listed player. Power will be good for plenty of fantasy points and Dzufer should play a few games this season and have a fantasy price increase. Proud might be a better option than Dzufer for fantasy teams, although it might be better to judge them after this round, and Proud will still be inexpensive next week too.
Port Adelaide
FB: Thurstans, Wakelin, Wilson
HB: Pettigrew, C.Cornes, Surjan
C: Cassisi, S.Burgoyne, Rodan
HF: Pearce, Tredrea, Gray
FF: Westhoff, Lade, Ebert
Foll: Brogan, K.Cornes, P.Burgoyne
bench: Bentley, Boak, Lonie, Motlop
emergency: White, Thompson, Carlile
In: Bentley, Lonie, Motlop
Out: Salopek, Symes, White
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Salopek's fantasy AFL season is probably over so he will need to be traded. White was an unexpected omission but for teams that signed Westhoff it is a good sign. The signs for Symes are not looking good, the biggest of fantasy steals last season but he isn't doing anything this year.
St Kilda v Richmond
St Kilda
FB: Blake, Hudghton, Baker
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
C: Fiora, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Harvey Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Milne, Fraser, Voss
Foll: Rix, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Attard, R.Clarke, Gilbert, Thompson
emergency: Birss, Watts, Ferguson
In: Gehrig
Out: Koschitzke
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Gehrig is due for a big game and with Koschitke out it could happen soon. The Saints aren't saying how bad Koschitzke's injury is, so the best move might be to sell him now after his big price rise. R Clarke is another Saint who is oft-injured but he was good last week.
Richmond
FB: King, J.Bowden, Thursfield
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: Hyde, Tuck, White
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Deledio
FF: Tivendale, Brown, Tambling
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench: Simmonds, Howat, Edwards, Jackson
emergency: Riewoldt, Moore, Hughes
In: Simmonds, Edwards
Out: Krakouer, Hughes
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Pattison's fantasy worth takes a hit with Simmonds back in the team. Edwards is a player to watch and he should get plenty of games during the second half of the season.
Adelaide v West Coast
Adelaide
FB: Bassett, Rutten, Johncock
HB: Torney, Stevens, McLeod
C: Mattner, Shirley, van Berlo
HF: Edwards, Bock, Knights
FF: McGregor, Ricciuto, Welsh
Foll: Hudson, Doughty, Thompson
bench from: Griffin, Massie, Maric, Jericho, Douglas, Reilly, Porplyzia
In: Douglas, Maric, Reilly
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Perrie isn't ready while Bock and McGregor are also said to be injured, so better avoid signing those players this round. Maric could push Griffin out of the backup ruck role, but it might not be all bad for Griffin if he plays forward if their other forwards do miss.
West Coast
FB: Hurn, Glass, B.Jones
HB: Waters, Hunter, Selwood
C: Rosa, Embley, Braun
HF: Chick, C.Jones, Nicoski
FF: LeCras, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Kerr, Priddis
bench from: R.Jones, Graham, Armstrong, Brown, Fletcher, McKinley, Wirrpanda
In: C.Jones, Armstrong, Brown, Embley, Fletcher, McKinley
Out: Stenglein, Staker, Morton
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Morton improved his fantasy price a bit but it looks like he may not play a lot more this season as other Eagles return to the lineup. Fantasy coaches waiting for Judd have a dilemma, and it will depend on who is on the fantasy bench and how many trades the team has left as to whether Judd is traded.
Kangaroos v Western Bulldogs
Kangaroos
FB: Pratt, Petrie, Lower
HB: Smith, Firrito, Rawlings
C: Archer, Harris, Sinclair
HF: Wells, Edwards, Grant
FF: Jones, Brown, Swallow
Foll: McIntosh, Simpson, Harvey
bench from: Thomas, Green, Hale, Sansbury, Watt, McMahon, Whyman
In: Wells, Green, McMahon, Whyman
Out: Campbell
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Wells is back and should be a certain started after missing last round even though he was named then. Archer may have a big milestone but he may not be the best for fantasy points, and that is something that he has also said this season.
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Williams, Hargrave
C: Harbrow, West, Akermanis
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Hahn
FF: Grant, Darcy, Higgins
Foll: Street, Cooney, Boyd
bench from: Addison, Lynch, Ray, Everitt, Power, Minson, Robbins
In: Everitt, Grant, Minson, Power, Robbins
Out: Eagleton, Murphy
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Grant may not be worth signing for fantasy teams, at his current price, although the absence of Murphy and Eagleton means he might kick a few goals. Williams keeps his spot in the side, he could have a big game against the young Collingwood forwards.
Collingwood v Hawthorn
Collingwood
FB: Swan, Wakelin, Maxwell
HB: H.Shaw, O'Brien, Goldsack
C: Pendlebury, Licuria, Lockyer
HF: Johnson, Cloke, Didak
FF: Thomas, Reid, Fraser
Foll: Richards, O'Bree, Burns
bench from: Davis, Clarke, Cox, Stanley, Iles, Holland, Medhurst
In: Reid, Iles, Medhurst, O'Brien
Out: Rocca
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Reid takes Rocca's spot and he has the potential to kick a few goals and get plenty of marks. Stanley might lose his spot for O’Brien to return, that will be known tomorrow. Clarke would be very unlucky if he was omitted, if he has another big game then he should be signed before his price rises before the round 14 lockout.
Hawthorn
FB: Brown, Gilham, Guerra
HB: Ladson, Croad, Sewell
C: Birchall, Mitchell, Smith
HF: Lewis, Franklin, McGlynn
FF: Bateman, Roughead, Boyle
Foll: Campbell, Hodge, Crawford
bench from: Young, Osborne, Taylor, Ellis, Jacobs, Thorp, Muston
In: Franklin, Muston, Thorp
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Franklin is back, that is good news as fantasy teams deal with so many outs this round.
Biggest star: Nick Malceski
Biggest early season bargain: Peter Everitt
Biggest disappointment: Adam Goodes
Due for a big second half: Amon Buchanan
Cheap player to invest in now: Jesse White
Someone to possibly sell: Tim Schmidt
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Saints
The reason why the football hits Hall's hands but he can't mark it has been revealed, he has a groin problem. In a round when many players are being rested, suspended and operated on, Hall is just the latest of many outs. The Swans have a trip to Geelong to look forward to, and without Hall they could be in big trouble. Expect Richards, Vogels or Grundy to be given the task at full forward, but don't expect the ball to get up their end a lot at Kardinia Park.
From the Sydney site: Hall to miss Geelong game
“I just want to put an end to the continued speculation regarding Hally and, after speaking with our medical team, it has been decided to give him (Hall) the week off,” Roos said.
“Hopefully with the weeks rest we will see him back next week for the Fremantle game.
AFL Fantasy Impact:
At least fantasy coaches have some early warning about Hall, as this round could require a lot of planning. One idea, if someone like Davey or Gray is on the fantasy bench, is to follow Sydney’s idea and also give Barry Hall a rest for the round. With the extra break followed by SCG games against Fremantle and Carlton, Hall could still be effective for fantasy points this season. The Swans then go to Perth to play the Eagles but follow that with games against the Tigers, Demons, Saints and Lions. A fantasy team with plenty of trades still to use and without a good player on the bench might want to trade away Hall and that move makes sense too. He has dropped a lot in price so it isn't easy to find a great replacement for him. Bock, who had a big game last round and is even cheaper than Hall, might have been an option but he is also hurt and in doubt for this round, as is McGregor. Croad, Damon White, Tredrea or Ebert could be options at a similar price
Biggest star: Nick Dal Santo
Biggest early season bargain: Justin Koschitzke
Biggest disappointment: Brendon Goddard
Due for a big second half: Raphael Clarke
Cheap player to invest in now: Robert Eddy
Someone to possibly sell: James Gwilt
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Tigers
Biggest star: Joel Bowden
Biggest early season bargain: Jake King
Biggest disappointment: Patrick Bowden
Due for a big second half: Troy Simmonds
Cheap player to invest in now: Jack Riewoldt
Someone to possibly sell: Adam Pattison
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Power
There is a lot of big news in football at the moment, and everything else is bigger than this. The Dockers will be represented on a cooking show by Byron Schammer. Fans of the purple people might want to set their VCRs for Friday afternoon.
From the Fremantle site: Schammer the chef
From Yahoo7: Success spurs Schammer
AFL Fantasy Impact:
While Schammer may be able to skilfully use a whisk or wooden spoon, it is his form on the football field this month that is more important. He has been getting close to 30 possessions a game as he makes his comeback through the WAFL. If Schammer is back at his best, then his fantasy price might be a bit low compared to his potential AFL stats so he could be worth signing. Peake is out of the side again so Schammer should play a big role for the Dockers.
Not a big surprise with Daniher announcing he won't be at Melbourne when his contract runs out, as it was very unlikely that he would have been offered a new contract anyway. Daniher was there long enough to have two 5-year plans, his best result was taking Melbourne to the 2000 AFL Grand Final.
The Demons can start planning for 2008 now, which could mean Gasparizing an old player or two, talking discreetly to agents of players in the last year of their contracts to make sure they are available for the preseason draft, aiming at pick 1 in the draft and of course finding a new coach.
From the Melbourne site: Melbourne coach Daniher resigns
Here are some of the contenders, and some who have no chance, at being the next Melbourne coach. Leave a comment with any other possibilities and if there is any likelihood that they might be considered for the Melbourne coaching position then they will be added to this list.
Chris Connolly. 3:1
Garry Lyon. 5:1
Brett Ratten. 10:1
Todd Viney. 15:1
Michael Voss. 20:1
Grant Thomas. 33:1
Robbie Flower. 50:1
Garry Hocking. 60:1
Mark Williams (Sandringham). 75:1
John Longmire. 80:1
Ron Barassi. 100:1
Jim Stynes. 150:1
Leigh Tudor. 200:1
Rod Grinter. 500:1
David Schwarz. 1,000:1
Allen Jakovich. 1,000,000:1
Biggest star: Kane Cornes
Biggest early season bargain: David Rodan
Biggest disappointment: Nathan Lonie
Due for a big second half: Danyle Pearce
Cheap player to invest in now: Alipate Carlile
Someone to possibly sell: Nathan Krakouer
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Demons
Biggest star: Cameron Bruce
Biggest early season bargain: Paul Wheatley
Biggest disappointment: Byron Pickett
Due for a big second half: Brock McLean
Cheap player to invest in now: Michael Newton
Someone to possibly sell: Ricky Petterd
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Kangaroos
Round 12 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 7
Handballs: 3
Marks: 5
Tackles: 3
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 18
Handballs: 9
Marks: 5
Tackles: 8
Goals: 0
Something different as Bryce and Joel had the week off, a look at how things might have been different if the top 7 of the AFL draft was changed.
1
Carlton
B Gibbs: They took him at 1.
J Selwood: With Stevens out for the year, Selwood would have had a huge role in the middle.
2
Essendon
B Gibbs: They are finding games for Camporeale, Gibbs would have been used a lot.
J Selwood: With Watson, Stanton, Peverill and others in the middle, Selwood might have been in Hislop's situation.
3
Kangaroos
B Gibbs: They need some skills among their outside midfielders, Gibbs would have been a vital link from Harris and Simpson down to the Kangaroos' forward line.
J Selwood: Might have been used like Geelong use him, starting on the bench and then into the middle.
4
Brisbane
B Gibbs: Would have been a star on a wing and half forward flank, feeding Brown the ball.
J Selwood: Definitely would have played a huge role, and also been teamed with a brother.
5
Port Adelaide
B Gibbs: Would have stayed at home, and the Power have been very good this season for first-year players.
J Selwood: They need another worker in the middle to feed the ball out to their speedsters, Selwood would have been a great fit.
6
Hawthorn
B Gibbs: Hawthorn are loaded with young talent, and are yet to play the player they took at 6, Gibbs would have found a role on a wing instead of Young or around half forward in McGlynn’s role.
J Selwood: The opportunities would not have been great there with Mitchell in the middle, Selwood would have played some games but not had a big role.
7
Geelong
B Gibbs: He might have been used in a forward role, especially in the early rounds of the season.
J Selwood: That is where Selwood landed, Geelong should be very thankful he lasted to their pick.
Gibbs and Carlton are now off to Fremantle. Gibbs should have plenty of the ball as Carlton will be without several players who usually get close to 20 possessions a game. Selwood has the tough Sydney onballers this round to contend with, and instead of having Abletts to kick to he might have one as an opponent.
B Gibbs 5 - J Selwood 7
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
When a classic game from the VFL years is shown on television these days there are plenty of things that are different. The long kicking, the one-on-one contests, the black and white broadcast, and plenty of paper flying out of the crowd.
Some of these suggestions to re-enact and celebrate 150 years of Australian football have a good chance of occurring, while others are a one in a million shot. Now even though no players, officials or supporters were probably ever hurt by a streamer or torn up paper, a round next season when the game goes back a few decades and lets the paper fly is not going to get the go-ahead.
Looking back at the old days, the streamers might have even helped the full forwards. The full forward marked on the lead, he then had time to prepare himself as the old guy with the water bottle collected up the paper around him. The forward then took a few steps and kicked the goal, and the crowd threw more paper around to celebrate.
It was certainly a great sight back in the day when huge scores were being kicked and the fans celebrated with their streamers and ripped up phone books. One round to commemorate the fans of the past can't hurt, and it could also be an opportunity to have another AFL-licensed product.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Thursday Night Football
Biggest star: Brent Harvey
Biggest early season bargain: Jesse Smith
Biggest disappointment: David Hale
Due for a big second half: Daniel Harris
Cheap player to invest in now: Matt Riggio
Someone to possibly sell: Lindsay Thomas
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Hawks
37
Adam Goodes.
Midfielder for the Sydney Swans.
It says "midfielder" there as his position, but if he was listed as a forward, defender or ruckmen it would still be true. Goodes is the most versatile and complete player in the AFL. Plenty of medals and awards have gone Goodes’ way, but there was a time when nobody was interested in him. Teams didn't just pass on him once in the 1997 AFL draft, they repeatedly dismissed the notion of selecting him.
Goodes did have some injury problems in 1997 but that should not have stopped him being a first round pick as he showed he could play when he was out on the field. The AFL talent scouts might have missed some of those games but there was no excuse for missing Goodes on the MCG on Grand Final day that year. Goodes was amazing that day, and it seemed that he would have a great career as a centre half forward in the AFL. He lasted until the Swans choice at number 43 in the draft.
After Goodes debuted for the Swans in 1999 there were times when it did look like the forward line was where he belonged. He kicked 40 goals in season 2000, he kicked his best result in a single game of 5 goals then too.
With his endurance and skills the Swans thought they could get more from him in the middle, and they did when he went in the ruck in 2003. The umpires agreed as they handed him the first of his Brownlow medals that year.
While Goodes flourished around the ground it was taking a toll on him physically, so the responsibility for hitouts was assigned to some bigger more traditional ruckmen, Ball and Jolly, and Goodes was given a licence to skill wherever he wanted to. The ultimate mismatch, too quick for a taller player and too tall for a quicker player. Goodes' hitouts were at a career-low last season, but his total possessions and tackles were career-highs.
When Goodes is at the top of his game the Swans can't be stopped, and he should have several more seasons among the elite of the AFL players.
Adam Goodes information:
194cm, 98kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 36
Biggest star: Luke Hodge
Biggest early season bargain: Brad Sewell
Biggest disappointment: Robert Campbell
Due for a big second half: Chance Bateman
Cheap player to invest in now: Mitch Thorp
Someone to possibly sell: Simon Taylor
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Cats
AFL coaches have to make plenty of adjustments this week as a lot of players won't be available for round 13. Some fantasy coaches will have a number of players unable to play, and with only two trades per round it might take some planning to fix a fantasy team that has Judd, Koschitzke, Rocca and Tarrant. There was talk that Hall might miss this round too, at the moment the Swans say he will play, although fantasy teams might want to replace him anyway.
From the West Coast site: Judd ruled out
From the St Kilda site: Koschitzke's hamstring setback
From the Carlton site: Walker set to miss Fremantle game
From the Collingwood site: Rocca out for two matches
AFL Fantasy Impact:
The Judd situation is tricky for fantasy coaches, the Eagles have already given him three weeks of rest so that isn't a minor problem that he has. If you think that Judd will miss round 14 as well, it might be time to look at another option for the fantasy midfield. The Eagles and fantasy coaches might have Embley to consider for this round.
Whitnall did have a few games when it looked like he would get back to last year's form. He has a knee problem that will keep him out for the Fremantle game, and possibly more. Better trade him as it seems that his knee problems are expected to hamper him when he returns. Carlton do a few weird things but they might make the right choices when they select their team for this round, so on Thursday when the teams are named there could be a fantasy prospect who gets a game, someone like Grigg or Young. Carlton have forgotten about Mr Kennedy, so he is an option for them. If S O'hAilpin goes to the back line once again, then a spot could open up for his brother or Jacobs in the ruck, Hampson is another option.
Koschitzke was one of the most popular players to have this season in fantasy teams, and he produced with fantasy points and a good price rise, and now a lot of people will be trading him in. Gehrig will replace him in the forward line for the Saints, and he may help fantasy teams too.
Walker won't play this round and there is a possibility that he will miss more time after that. Anderson is an option for them and Benjamin or Grigg could also be considered. It is a dilemma for fantasy coaches, Walker has been playing well so if he only misses one game then it might be best to keep him on the fantasy rosters but if news comes out that his injury is worse than first thought he might have to be traded.
Rocca will be out for a couple of games. The Magpies have plenty of options, they could play Fraser in his spot and use Richards in the ruck, Collingwood could recall Bryan to play as a big forward, Reid could get his first AFL game or maybe they keep what they have and hope Cloke, Didak, Thomas and Davis can kick enough goals.
Eagleton's suspension was finally made official, he is out two games. Higgins is ready to play a bigger role, Lynch might keep his spot in the team too.
Brett Peake has not had the best season and he is back on the injured list with another bad break. Farmer and Schammer should not be far away from playing for the Dockers, and they also have young players like Collard and Ibbotson to try again.
Yze is another player out, in some ways that helps Melbourne as they don't have to make the decision to send him to Sandringham so they can play a younger player in the AFL.
Tarrant will miss one week with a club-imposed suspension. If a fantasy team has Alwyn Davey, Westhoff, Gray or another useful forward on the bench then maybe Tarrant just gets benched for this round in fantasy AFL games.
There are a few thousand people out there with Michael Gardiner on their fantasy team. It seems that he could be out for the year. While the Saints didn't really risk a lot by adding Gardiner for this season, in fantasy games Gardiner wasn't cheap so it was a bad gamble by fantasy coaches to sign him.
Biggest star: James Bartel
Biggest early season bargain: David Wojcinski
Biggest disappointment: Corey Enright
Due for a big second half: Max Rooke
Cheap player to invest in now: Sam Hunt
Someone to possibly sell: Travis Varcoe
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Dockers
Matthew Richardson of the Richmond Tigers.
Richardson needs to get his marks in a game record back from Nathan Bassett, and he wasn't that far away when he led the Tigers to their first win of the season. Richardson's 16 marks had a big influence on the result, as did many of his other contributions.
While Richardson produced a unique result on the scoreboard, the fact that he had the ball so often in Richmond's forward area was a key part to their win. As the Demons looked at different ways to contain him, which didn't work, it also opened up space for Pettifer, Brown, Tivendale and Hyde to make an impact up forward.
Richardson did kick 3 goals and 3 of his kicks went through for behinds, he went close with 3 other kicks which hit the goal post. 3 goals, 6 behinds wasn't the epitome of accuracy but it was entertaining.
As usual, Richardson and the umpire's whistle had a big impact on the game. It wasn't all bad for Richardson this time, he did give away 5 free kicks but also received 4 of his own.
The Tigers are not doing too well this season, and they needed a big effort from their star forward to produce their first win of season 2007. Richardson had 21 kicks and 16 marks and Richmond got the win, and Richardson is a deserving AFL Player Of The Week.
Matthew Richardson's profile at the Richmond site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Gary Ablett.
Biggest star: Matthew Pavlich
Biggest early season bargain: Roger Hayden
Biggest disappointment: Matthew Carr
Due for a big second half: Byron Schammer
Cheap player to invest in now: Clayton Collard
Someone to possibly sell: Dean Solomon
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Bombers
Biggest star: Dustin Fletcher
Biggest early season bargain: Paddy Ryder
Biggest disappointment: Angus Monfries
Due for a big second half: Matthew Lloyd
Cheap player to invest in now: Tom Hislop
Someone to possibly sell: Alwyn Davey
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Magpies
The Crows have been tested for ruck depth this season, Ben Hudson and Jonathan Griffin have remained healthy and kept the Crows competitive for hitouts and now more help could be on the way with Ivan Maric dominating in the SANFL.
From The Advertiser: Maric star of show
AFL Fantasy Impact:
There might be room for Hudson, Maric and Griffin in the side if Adelaide use Griffin as a forward. That could happen if Bock isn’t available this week. The Eagles were troubled by the Saints’ bigger forwards last round so the Crows might put Griffin in the goal square. Maric is unlikely to have any real fantasy value unless he is the number 1 ruckmen at the Crows, and that won’t happen unless Hudson goes down with another injury. While Maric isn’t expensive in fantasy leagues, it is unlikely that he would have enough stats to be worth investing in at his current price. James Sellar was not able to compete in the ruck with Maric in their SANFL contest, but he did kick a couple of goals, so maybe Sellar plays a few games for the Crows in the second half of the year in the forward line.
Biggest star: Tarkyn Lockyer
Biggest early season bargain: Scott Pendlebury
Biggest disappointment: Simon Prestigiacomo
Due for a big second half: Josh Fraser
Cheap player to invest in now: Martin Clarke
Someone to possibly sell: Alan Toovey
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Blues
Biggest star: Andrew Carrazzo
Biggest early season bargain: Brad Fisher
Biggest disappointment: Kade Simpson
Due for a big second half: Adam Bentick
Cheap player to invest in now: Shaun Grigg
Someone to possibly sell: Bryce Gibbs
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Lions
1: West Coast Eagles 8-4 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
Next round should be one of the hardest to predict for the whole season, and the Eagles going to Adelaide to play the Crows is going to be a huge game. The Crows have had the extra week, the Eagles are coming off a loss and Judd has injury problems.
2: Geelong Cats 9-3 (2)
They have successfully defeated all challengers over the past two months, and are favourites to defeat another Grand Finalist from last season. The Cats will probably be on top of these rankings next week.
3: Adelaide Crows 7-5 (4)
Their tall forwards showed they can kick a winning score last round, and if they keep that going then the Crows will be hard to stop. In recent years, the Eagles have defeated Adelaide in big games so their round 13 contest will be of great importance.
4: Sydney Swans 6-6 (3)
They could turn it all around next week at Geelong, or they could get hammered and be in a lot of trouble. Hall may be injured, the Swans are not sure, and they might not play him. Roos is probably a bit worried that his team will be like Tom Petty, free falling, if they can't change their forward setup to kick more goals.
5: Hawthorn Hawks 8-4 (5)
One problem they have, who to move out as they include Franklin for this round. Hawthorn must also be thinking that Thorp has to get a game, and although he is kicking goals at the moment he could be included to help their back line. Fans wanting to attend the Magpies - Hawks game should probably start lining up now.
6: Collingwood Magpies 8-4 (6)
They won without a lot of their defenders against the Swans and could be missing their big forward when they play Hawthorn. They are obviously not worried about playing new players in big games, so if Rocca does miss then Ben Reid might be an option up forward.
7: Western Bulldogs 7-5 (7)
The Bulldogs have some momentum going again, and they will want to continue that with a win over the Kangaroos. Only a few percentage points separate those two teams and it will be a big setback to the team that loses.
8: Port Adelaide Power 7-5 (8)
Their percentage isn't great so they definitely need a win at Brisbane to stay in the finals race. The play of Westhoff and Gray continues to impress many, and they have added another element to their forward line.
9: Essendon Bombers 7-5 (9)
Hille is out next week so that is a problem. It is a real danger game against Melbourne, as White is playing well, and the Bombers can't afford to lose to the bottom teams if they are to make the finals.
10: Kangaroos 7-5 (11)
They have the big game at the big venue, but they could have a big problem if they don't defeat the Bulldogs. The Kangaroos are currently just outside the top 8.
11: Fremantle Dockers 5-7 (10)
If they lose next week, send in your applications as they will be looking for a new coach. According to the Dockers, whatever Farmer did deserved a suspension six times that of Tarrant's. Farmer should be back this round while Tarrant gets to rest again this week. Peake is hurt once more, and the Dockers don’t have a lot of quick options to replace his run.
12: St Kilda Saints 5-7 (15)
Their forward line worked with the colossal Koschitzke in the goal square, but they will also have the gigantic Gehrig returning soon, so they might have to work out something new. Their big turnaround in form against the Eagles won't mean a lot if they lose the game against the Tigers.
13: Melbourne Demons 2-10 (12)
Brad Green might want to forget about finals this year, but that doesn't mean the Demons can't win a lot of games and spoil the chances of other teams. It won't be as hard for Melbourne to get over Essendon as there is no Hille to climb. Not that the Demons didn't know this, but without Neitz their forward line really struggles, he might return this week.
14: Carlton Blues 4-8 (13)
They lost by 100 points last round, their captain is out with a knee problem, the exciting Walker will miss due to a shoulder injury, they travel to the other side of the continent, but they will have a belief that they can defeat the Dockers.
15: Brisbane Lions 4-7-1 (14)
The Lions and Power have had similar seasons, although Port Adelaide kept their early season streak going longer and Port have also figured out a way to get the best from their power forward. If the Lions lose this round, at home against the Power, then it will be time to play the youth and prepare for next season. They might already be doing that, with Proud playing his first game last round.
16: Richmond Tigers 1-10-1 (16)
They had a win, they still need to scout every player at the Under 18 Championships but at least they know they have something to build on now. Brown's return was of great importance to them, but small forwards don't win premierships. So the Tigers will also be bolstered with the return of Simmonds, and as Riewoldt is now dominating the VFL at both ends of the ground they should probably think about giving him a game next week too.
Biggest star: Josh Drummond
Biggest early season bargain: Nigel Lappin
Biggest disappointment: Justin Sherman
Due for a big second half: Jonathan Brown
Cheap player to invest in now: Albert Proud
Someone to possibly sell: Richard Hadley
AFL Fantasy Mid-Season News: Crows
The Saints produced the upset of the season as they held on to defeat the Eagles in Perth. They didn't start the game very well, but Koschitzke steadied them and his goal after the first quarter siren put them only one point behind. Koschitzke had a lot more help in the second quarter as the Saints set up a huge lead. The Eagles fought back in the second half but couldn’t produce one of their comeback wins which they did so regularly last season. Harvey won in his 350th game, and his 30 possessions were very important.
Saints 99 - Eagles 76
Fantasy Player News
St Kilda
Harvey: 15 kicks, 15 handballs and 4 marks. He has plenty to offer fantasy teams.
Koschitzke: Was injured later in the game, probably nothing serious, he had 4 goals and 10 marks.
Dal Santo: 26 possessions and also had bonus fantasy points with 2 goals, 5 tackles and 4 frees received.
R Clarke: 15 possessions, 6 marks and 5 tackles, he is the better Clarke now for the Saints and is affordable in fantasy leagues.
Ball: 9 kicks, 11 handballs, 4 marks and 7 tackles.
West Coast
Nicoski: Solid in his first game back with 17 disposals and 8 marks.
Kerr: Had a big second half, Kerr had 27 possessions for the game with Judd out.
Waters: Back with a lot of stats, 19 possessions and 10 marks but lost points with 4 free kicks against.
Graham: Eagles don't have a spot for him right now, he did kick a goal when sent forward.
Lynch: 18 possessions and 11 marks as he spent time away from goal.
Biggest star: Andrew McLeod
Biggest early season bargain: Chris Knights
Biggest disappointment: Brett Burton
Due for a big second half: Nathan Bock
Cheap player to invest in now: Nick Gill
Someone to possibly sell: Jonathon Griffin
It isn't exactly midseason, as the teams have now played 12 of their 22 games, but over the next week there will be a quick look at the AFL clubs and who performed well for fantasy points so far and a couple of guesses for players who might turn things around in the second half of the season. There will also be a tip for a player who might have reached their maximum, in terms of fantasy price and stats, and it might be better to sell high and purchase a another player instead of keeping them.
It is only the fantasy points and prices that are used for the players listed in the different categories, a player's worth to their real AFL team can often be very different to their fantasy points results. Using the above example of Burton, he is still a great player for the Crows but for fantasy teams his points and price are currently close to half his production from last season.
36
Simon Goodwin.
Midfielder for the Adelaide Crows.
Nearly half his games, 4 out of 10, in his first season of AFL were finals. Goodwin debuted for the Crows in 1997, he played in all their finals matches including the big win over the Saints in the AFL Grand Final. Like teammate Shane Ellen, Goodwin joined the Crows through the 1996 preseason draft, Goodwin was pick 18.
Goodwin played more than twice as many games in his second year, and again finished it off with another Grand Final win. He established himself as an important player for the Crows, someone who could take the pressure off their big stars like Ricciuto and McLeod. Goodwin is now a leader in the middle for the Crows.
The big part of Goodwin's game is his kicking, he kicks a lot and he kicks it long and direct. During the first half of his career, Goodwin had an approximate kick to handball ratio of two to one. In recent years his handball numbers have gone up, but his kicks still outnumber his handballs. His best game for kicks was 25, his highest total for handballs in a single game was 20. He hasn't kicked a lot of goals in his career but did kick 4 in a game once.
Goodwin is now a veteran of the Crows, if the Crows continue to get contributions from young players like Knights and van Berlo then Goodwin should have several more opportunities to finish off his career with winning in September like he did at the start of his career.
Simon Goodwin information:
184cm, 87kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 35
The Swans couldn't match the energy levels of the Magpies and they were not able to expose the Magpies' lack of height and experience in the back line. Collingwood fans have a dilemma, as they try to figure out if Dale Thomas or Scott Pendlebury is the better player, and that is not a bad problem to have. Thomas did his work much closer to goal, and provided the Magpies with an early lead that the Swans couldn’t catch. Pendlebury was unstoppable all over the ground, he contributed in every stat category except for frees against and behinds, his tackles led his team.
Magpies 76 – Swans 57
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Thomas: 4 goals, 9 kicks and 5 tackles is a big fantasy game for a small forward.
Pendlebury: His price is a lot higher than it was in round 1, he is worth it with 17 disposals, 7 tackles and a goal.
Clarke: 20 disposals, not bad for someone in his first game, he has the lowest price in fantasy leagues.
Cloke: 19 possessions and 6 marks, but only one of his five scoring shots went through for a goal.
Stanley: Might struggle to keep his spot, he had 8 possessions, so fantasy coaches might want to look elsewhere.
Sydney
Goodes: Getting better, he had 23 possessions and 6 marks.
Kirk: 24 possessions, 6 marks and 10 tackles.
Schmidt: 17 possessions and 5 tackles, he has some potential and might cement a regular spot there.
J Bolton: 16 possessions, 3 tackles and 3 free kicks received, always useful for fantasy points.
Hall: 2 goals, 4 marks and 11 possessions, it might be time to look at alternatives in the fantasy forward line.
The future stars of the AFL have been unleashed in the opening games of the Under 18 Championships. Tasmania had a win over Queensland and the NSW/ACT side was too good for the Northern Territory.
Tasmania's Tom Collier would be a player that AFL scouts are looking at, he has been one of the better players for the Tasmania VFL side this season.
Essendon might have been very interested in the Northern Territory's Cyril Rioli, he seems to have been on Sheedy's list of future Bombers for several years.
Game results from the AFL site: NAB AFL Under 18 Championships results
There are no more winless teams in the AFL after the Tigers demolished Melbourne. Brown showed that his injury problems were over as he got Richmond going in the first quarter. Richardson provided the entertainment, with big marks and goals along with plenty of free kicks against and around 3 posters. Neitz didn't play, but even if he was there the ball would not have got down to him very often, especially in the first half.
Tigers 124 - Demons 75
Fantasy Player News
Richmond
Richardson: He is a bargain in fantasy games, and even though he did lose a few points with 5 frees against he had plenty of positives with 3 goals, 16 marks, 4 frees received and 21 kicks.
Brown: Will come into consideration for fantasy teams after 11 kicks, 7 marks and 3 goals but just wait to hear if the leg is still good.
King: He is still getting it done with 21 possessions, 6 tackles and 5 frees for.
Tivendale: His place in the team isn't guaranteed, even after 18 kicks, 11 marks and 3 goals.
Pettifer: 15 kicks, 8 marks, 3 tackles, 2 frees for and 3 goals.
Melbourne
Holland: He probably keeps his spot next week after going forward for 3 goals, 10 kicks and 5 marks.
White: A big game with 19 possessions, 9 marks, 27 total hitouts and 4 free kicks received.
Wheatley: 12 kicks, 8 handballs and 10 marks.
Bate: Many Demons were down in stats, he wasn't with 20 disposals, 7 marks and 4 tackles.
Frawley: Played a lot more in the second half, with their season over he should see more playing time, and his fantasy price is very low. He had 10 possessions and 3 marks.
35
Chad Cornes.
Defender for the Port Adelaide Power.
AFL drafts can sometimes produce an unexpected highlight, with a funny-looking prospect wearing a suit two sizes too big or a family member or friend wailing in the background as someone has just been drafted to the other side of the country. Then there was the reaction of Graham Cornes after Port Adelaide drafted Chad, the word "hate" seemed to be used a lot when the elder Cornes was asked of his opinion about his son's new AFL team.
The Power used pick 9 in the 1997 AFL draft to select Chad Cornes. The Power were lucky to get him, as Cornes turned out to be one of the best players from the draft. There was a lot of talent, and Mark Bolton, in the top 10 of that draft with Tarrant going one spot ahead of Cornes and Power, Johnstone, Croad and Ottens also going up the top of the draft.
Chad Cornes started his AFL career with a game against Adelaide in 1999, it would be the season after that when he established himself in the Power side. Cornes was used all over the ground by the Power, as he could play nearly every position. A marking forward, a big midfielder, a running defender, he can do it all.
In 2004, the year Port Adelaide won it all, Cornes spent a lot more of the time in the back line. It was a great position for him as he had the height and mobility to play all on nearly all forwards while he could use his foot skills to send the ball efficiently into attack.
Season 2004 provided Cornes' best year for possessions, marks and Brownlow votes. He only kicked 4 goals that year, but set many up with his running from half back.
The most kicks Cornes has had in a game is 25, while his best game for marks was 14. The goals are not as plentiful now as they were in his early years, when he had four consecutive years of at least 20 goals, and that was when he set his game-high for goals when he kicked 5.
Cornes is just hitting his peak as a player, and as he teams with his brother and also the Burgoyne brothers the Power should be able to successfully rebuild into a contender. He also must be getting close to the Brownlow again, and with the ability to dominate in the back line or the middle it would not be a surprise if he won that in the near future.
Chad Cornes information:
192cm, 96kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 34
No changes since last week as the teams have been locked for the two weeks of the split round. Scott West was more than a useful addition, although as Joel Selwood was one of the players sold to acquire him it didn't look too good as Selwood had his best game of the season. But it is usually better to have a veteran star than to depend too much on a first year player. The strategy of making a player who is playing against Carlton a fantasy captain sort of worked, as Mitchell had a big game but if only Hodge was still on the team it would have been a much better result.
B David Mundy
B Jesse Smith
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Lindsay Gilbee
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell (captain)
C Scott West
C Chris Judd
C Paul Hasleby
C Kane Cornes
C Jordan Lewis
R Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Daniel Dzufer
C Ricky Petterd (emergency)
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
There are plenty of fantasy points possible tonight with Polak and Raines still to play. McPhee was one of the best players in the last quarter against Port Adelaide and that late game spurt provided a large amount of fantasy points.
West played well, and even kicked a goal, last week. The trade was West and Dzufer in with Gibbs and J Selwood out, Dzufer didn't play against the Cats but if the Lions keep losing games they will probably play him. Judd probably gets the captaincy next week, although Hasleby does play against the Blues in what could be another high-scoring game.
Hudson continued his solid play while White plays tonight. With Simmonds not ready to return for the Tigers, White should get the better of Pattison and have plenty of stats.
If Hall and Riewoldt each kick 10 goals this weekend, this team will be great for round 12. Both players should have big games due to other players not being available. Hall should kick goals against Collingwood who are missing half their back line and Riewoldt could be used even more than usual as the Saints don't have Gehrig this week.
Xavier Ellis played another game last week, he doesn't do anything wrong for Hawthorn but they don't give him enough time to do a lot of things right. More good news for players on the fantasy bench with Shannon Cox back into the Collingwood team, he was going along very well until his indiscretion in Adelaide. Campbell played last week instead of Franklin, it wasn't one of Campbell's better games as the Crows had that game under control.
Richmond's star forward Matthew Richardson will be competing against another generation of Frawley defender as the Tigers play against Melbourne and their first round pick, James Frawley.
Not only did the first three years of Richardson's career coincide with the final seasons of Danny Frawley's career, but Richardson's first AFL game was on the MCG against the Saints and D Frawley.
Richardson and the elder Frawley competed five times, with Richardson having a couple of big games against the Saints in those days with games of 7 and 6 goals.
It was a very different Richmond side back then, when Richardson first started he was the third option up forward with Hogg and B Gale in the side. Danny Frawley was the veteran of the Saints' back line, with some help from a young Jamie Shanahan.
The uncle couldn't contain Richardson back in the day, and while it is unlikely that James Frawley will play on Richardson he too would not be able to stop him now. Danny didn't have the pace, while James in his first year doesn't have the strength.
Richmond won a high-scoring match when Richardson first played a Frawley, the game this time might also have plenty of goals but the new Frawley is expected to be on the winning side.
The Dockers have finally released the details of Tarrant's punishment, a week and a fine. While they do say it is a three week suspension, two of the weeks are of the suspended variety. The Dockers are not hurting themselves as they do expect to defeat Carlton, a team that Pavlich has very good numbers against.
This better be the end of the Tarrant ‘s Territory trousers tribulations, as the only other pants cartoon quote to use was "Oh, I had the most wonderful dream. I had a hat and a tie with no pants on."
From the AFL site: Tarrant suspended and fined
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Even though it is only one week, it might be time for fantasy coaches to get away from Tarrant now. Not just due to the one week off, but Farmer may impact on his stats as well. But he is only out a week, so a team can save their trades and just move him to the bench if they have someone available to replace him. Murphy should be someone that the Dockers use with Tarrant unavailable, he was a good player last year which means his fantasy price isn't low.
The Tigers won't have Kingsley in the forward line tonight but they should have Nathan Brown. After a detour early in the season he is back on track to play his first game of the season. It is expected that Brown will have plenty of time on the bench during the game as the Tigers gradually ease him back.
From the Richmond site: Brown factor will lift Tigers: Royal
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Probably better to see how he does in two games instead of signing him for AFL fantasy teams on Monday. His price is at a level that if he does kick a few goals he might be a solid signing. His best fantasy stats return would come if he does move into the midfield at times, which was something Richmond always talked about, but that is unlikely to occur for several matches as Brown's endurance will not be up to that standard for a while. Brown's return could also negatively affect the stats of other Richmond small forwards, and it might make it difficult for someone like Krakouer to get back into the team.
It has not taken long for Martin Clarke to go from Gaelic football to the AFL. He gets a big stage to play his first game on with Collingwood playing Sydney on Saturday night.
From the Collingwood site: Clarke to debut in Sydney
From The Age: Magpies to test luck of the Irish
From the Herald Sun: Irish 'freak' to make debut for Pies
News about the Irish AFL players: Australian Rules Football League of Ireland
AFL Fantasy Impact:
As Clarke was on the rookie list for Collingwood he has the lowest price of any player in AFL fantasy games. So he only has to play three games and get a few kicks and his price will double. For fantasy coaches who want to use a couple of trades to add a more expensive, and better, player to their team, trading a bench player for Clarke can free up a lot of money. Fantasy coaches can watch Clarke's first game to see if it is likely that he keeps his spot in Collingwood's team, as the Magpies do have quite a few players to bring back when they recover from their injuries.
Richmond v Melbourne
The Tip: Melbourne by 44 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brock McLean
Chance For An Upset: The teams have gotten a bit closer since last week, as Melbourne have been dealing with new injuries while the Tigers have been getting players back.
Richmond
They win if....Brown does contribute on the scoreboard.
The Good News: The Tigers are now in the easier part of their schedule.
The Bad News: While some may say it is good to see a Richmond player hit a target for once, it probably isn't a good idea for Pattison to be throwing a football at Richardson's face.
Melbourne
They win if....Holland can continue to stop the big forwards of the AFL.
The Good News: Two wins in a row.
The Bad News: The Demons might want to stop trying to forge links with the Melbourne soccer club of the A-League, unless they want to wear helmets and body armour to work with the riotous soccer fans there lobbing explosives at their heads.
Sydney v Collingwood
The Tip: Sydney by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ryan O'Keefe
Chance For An Upset: Collingwood travel very well, and they have the forwards to win even if they are missing a lot of their back line.
Sydney
They win if....Hall starts to kick goals.
The Good News: Their win - loss record at the moment is very similar to their record at round 12 in their previous couple of seasons.
The Bad News: The Swans do have a few injury problems too, Kennelly is out and Roberts-Thomson isn't ready to go yet.
Collingwood
They win if....Josh Fraser has a huge performance against Sydney's two big ruckmen.
The Good News: Martin Clarke didn't take long to go from a rookie new to the sport to playing in his first AFL game.
The Bad News: They are without half their back line.
West Coast v St Kilda
The Tip: West Coast by 62 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Chance For An Upset: No chance.
West Coast
They win if....Burke, who was great last week, and Winmar don't make a surprise comeback to AFL, the Eagles really should not have any problems with the injury-depleted Saints.
The Good News: Nicoski could play his first game of the season.
The Bad News: Fremantle stole a lot of the headlines out West last week, the Eagles probably don’t mind that they didn’t get the back page.
St Kilda
They win if....Harvey not only plays his 350th game, but he plays the best ever game of his career.
The Good News: They play Richmond next week.
The Bad News: Gehrig is hurt, players are out of contract, lots of turmoil off the field, it isn't looking good.
Last week's games:
The Tip: Hawthorn
When the news that Franklin would miss was announced it seemed that Carlton should have been the favourite, the Hawks showed they are more than a one man team.
The Tip: Adelaide
They didn't just score a lot of goals, they had big games from their tall forwards and Bock and Welsh kicked most of the goals which is something that has not been happening.
The Tip: Fremantle
The bottom seems to have fallen out of Fremantle's season and they couldn't beat the Bulldogs when they played at a neutral venue.
The Tip: Geelong
Not the most difficult game to select a winner for, although it did get a bit close in the third quarter.
The Tip: Port Adelaide
When Tredrea goaled early in the first quarter it looked like the Power would prevail, they were great for three quarters.
There may not be AFL football in Victoria on Sunday but there will be plenty of football history on show as past players will be present at Sandown Racecourse. Just a short distance from VFL Park, or what is left of it, the former stars of football will be signing memorabilia at a collector's carnival.
These are the players scheduled to attend:
Stan Alves (Melbourne & Kangaroos), Frank Adams (Melbourne), Bill Barrett (Richmond & St Kilda), Brian Beers (Collingwood), John Burns (Kangaroos), Dick Clay (Richmond), David Cloke (Richmond and Collingwood), Jack Collins (Footscray), Brian Dixon (Melbourne), Ken Fraser (Essendon), Graham Cooper (Hawthorn), Graeme Johnson (Essendon), Clyde Laidlaw (Melbourne), Geoff Leek (Essendon), Thorold Merrett (Collingwood), Alan Morrow (St Kilda), Kevin Neale (St Kilda), Ian Owen (Richmond), Ian Paton (Hawthorn), Neil Roberts (St Kilda), Ken Sheldon (Carlton), Michael Tuck (Hawthorn), Des Tuddenham (Collingwood), Colin Youren (Hawthorn) and Garry Young (Hawthorn).
Visit their site for more information: The Premiership Players’ Club
Richmond v Melbourne
Richmond
FB: King, Thursfield, J.Bowden
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: Polo, Tuck, Tambling
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Hyde
FF: Brown, Hughes, Deledio
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench: White, Howat, Edwards, Jackson
emergency: Tivendale, Krakouer, Riewoldt
In: Brown
Out: Kingsley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
All of the fantasy teams are already set for these games, but there is plenty of news and things to watch. Brown returns but few fantasy coaches will be playing him this round, and he is unlikely to be added to many teams next week as he won't be playing a large amount of minutes. Kingsley is out, he is on a few AFL fantasy teams and might have to be sold next week, but the good news is that he might have had a small price increase. Riewoldt is only an emergency again, plenty of teams have him on their fantasy bench and they should get a return on their investment soon.
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Holland
HB: Wheatley, Bizzell, Bell
C: Bruce, McDonald, Godfrey
HF: Green, Robertson, Davey
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, Bate
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench: P.Johnson, Petterd, Frawley, Pickett
emergency: Newton, Brown, Yze
In: Pickett
Out: Johnstone
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Neitz could miss this game, and Newton is an interesting name among the emergencies. Pickett's days as a player for fantasy teams are probably over, but he still could surprise.
Sydney v Collingwood
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Dempster
HB: Schneider, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Malceski
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Davis, Hall, Buchanan
Foll: Everitt, Goodes, Fosdike
bench: Schmidt, McVeigh, Jolly, Bevan
emergency: Grundy, Laidlaw, Thornton
In: Ablett
Out: Kennelly
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Kennelly's injury happened a couple of weeks a go so fantasy coaches were able to trade him away. Hall has been in a big slump and this game is his chance to turn it around. Goodes hasn’t been getting his usual stats from previous years, he could also have a big second half of the year which could be started off by a big game here.
Collingwood
FB: Lockyer, Wakelin, Maxwell
HB: H.Shaw, Cox, Stanley
C: Pendlebury, Licuria, Johnson
HF: Holland, Cloke, Didak
FF: Swan, Rocca, Fraser
Foll: Richards, O'Bree, Burns
bench: Thomas, Goldsack, Davis, Clarke
emergency: Medhurst, Iles, Cook
In: Licuria, Richards, Cox, Clarke
Out: O'Brien, Bryan, Medhurst, Toovey
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Plenty of changes for fantasy coaches to think about, and next week Clarke could be added to many teams. He is at the rookies' very low price. Richards doesn't have any fantasy value, Cox should go up in price a bit more now while Licuria might be a bit too expensive to buy. Stanley is a player to watch, if he has a big game here he can still be bought at a low price next week before his price rises after that.
West Coast v St Kilda
West Coast
FB: Wirrpanda, Glass, B.Jones
HB: Waters, Hunter, Selwood
C: Rosa, Priddis, Braun
HF: Stenglein, Staker, Morton
FF: Chick, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Judd, Kerr
bench from: Hurn, R.Jones, C.Jones, Graham, LeCras, Nicoski, Armstrong
In: C.Jones, Graham, Waters, Nicoski, Armstrong
Out: Fletcher, Brown
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Fantasy coaches might be able to watch Nicoski play a game before signing him next week, he doesn't cost a lot compared to similar players. With the addition of Waters and Nicoski it has to lead to a drop in possessions for some other Eagles' backmen. Armstrong did have several big games for fantasy points earlier in the year, so he is a player to watch, Armstrong could kick a few goals in this game.
St Kilda
FB: Blake, Hudghton, Attard
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
C: Fiora, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Harvey Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Milne, Koschitzke, Voss
Foll: Rix, Dal Santo, Ball
bench from: Baker, R.Clarke, Ferguson, Gilbert, Thompson, Birss, Watts
In: X.Clarke, Ferguson, L.Fisher, Harvey, Watts
Out: Gehrig, Howard, Gwilt
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Gehrig's absence was expected, but Gwilt's was a surprise. Fantasy coaches got plenty of fantasy points and a solid price rise from Gwilt, if he doesn't return next week he will have to be traded but with the price increase an adequate replacement will be easy to find. Harvey is in, but that doesn't mean he will play. Watts deserves a game after several impressive matches in the VFL, his fantasy price is very low so if he starts kicking goals he will jump in price.
The Melbourne-based AFL clubs could have a big offseason battle amongst themselves to land Brisbane's Jamie Charman. Richmond have already been talked about, and they would be a chance to grab him in the preseason draft, and other teams will be interested in trading for him if he does intend to leave the Lions.
From The Courier-Mail: Charman considers move
Sources close to the club say there is growing evidence Charman would be open to a move.
One possible scenario is that Brisbane will offer Charman as a trade to St Kilda for forward Nick Riewoldt.
Riewoldt has yet to agree to terms with the Saints and there remains a lot of talk that Brisbane is having a crack at luring him home for next year.
Carlton
Their ruck spot is a mess, so maybe Charman is a solution. Setanta O'hAilpin could become the league's best full back, so the ruck should not be a priority for him. Carlton could look to Essendon, it seemed that every year in Fletcher's early career Sheedy would talk about changing him into a ruckman, they kept him at full back and it worked and O'hAilpin might be in a similar situation. McLaren, a former Lion, isn't the answer and Ackland and Cloke are also undersized. Hampson might have been played in the VFL reserves a couple of times this season, which might mean he isn't as close to AFL as expected, and he also seems to play a lot more as a forward there than in the ruck. Charman would have to be a player that Carlton look at.
Collingwood
Fraser can be a great forward, and a tandem of him and Charman would make Collingwood a much better team. Fraser does have Richards and Bryan as his support now, and while Richards is solid for hitouts and Bryan can kick goals, Charman would be a more complete player. The Magpies would probably be planning to use at least one of their upcoming draft picks on a ruck prospect, and it would make a lot of sense to trade a pick or two to acquire a ruckman like Charman as he still has plenty of years left and, unlike a young ruck prospect, Charman will help them on the field right away.
Essendon
The Bombers always like to load up on height, but they may not have room for Charman. Negotiations with Brisbane may not be easy too. Hille has Laycock as his backup, Ryder looks to have found his perfect spot in the back line but he will have some minutes in the ruck and there is also Gumbleton as another option in the future. Laycock has been useful as a tall forward and Gumbleton is more of a key position player so Sheedy might look at Charman if the price is right. Maybe something involving Bradley for Charman would work for Brisbane and Essendon, if the Bombers do pursue Charman.
Geelong
They are probably a rare team that is going to be a seller, when it comes to ruckmen in the offseason. King might join Charman as one of the big players up for grabs in the offseason. The Cats had a ruckman join Brisbane a long time ago, and maybe it happens again if the Lions want a veteran to replace Charman.
Hawthorn
They are building with youth, and as they have had success with Campbell and Taylor, and also have Bailey to come back, Charman may not fit here. Renouf is also a ruck prospect for Hawthorn, although if Renouf wanted to return to Queensland then maybe the teams would start talking about a trade.
Kangaroos
No room for Charman here, as they have McIntosh, Hale, Moran and Goldstein. While Petrie can play at both ends of the ground, he is also an extra ruckman for them as well. Hale's career with the Kangaroos has been a bit of a rollercoaster, so if he sees a move to the Lions as something that will benefit him then maybe a Charman for Hale move works, or the Kangaroos could be part of a three-team trade that makes Hale a Lion, with Charman joining another Melbourne-based club and the Kangaroos receiving other players or picks.
Melbourne
If the Demons decide to make a push to win next year, then Charman makes a lot of sense. He would provide help for not only White but also Neitz. While Paul Johnson has been useful in that role this year, there should be room for him and Charman. The Lions might ask for Petterd, and even though it is often best to take a big instead of a small, Petterd might be too good a prospect for Melbourne to send him back to Queensland so soon. The Demons have a few key position players who have not cemented a regular spot, maybe Miller or Dunn could see a chance for success helping Jonathan Brown in the Lions' forward line.
Richmond
The Tigers have already mentioned Charman, and their ruck depth has been a trouble spot this season. A healthy combo of Simmonds and Pattison in the second half of the season could show that Charman isn't really needed. If Richmond do finish last they get the top pick in the preseason draft, and they will be dealing from a position of strength in negotiations with Brisbane. If Charman wants to move to Richmond, he can go in the preseason draft and Brisbane would receive nothing.
St Kilda
While the article does mention Riewoldt, the Saints also have Gilbert to offer. Charman would be a good fit with the Saints. Clarke is very old, Gardiner seems to be injured very often while Brooks and Rix are more of a backup type of player. Koschitzke and Charman could rotate through the ruck and the third tall forward spot.
Western Bulldogs
The Bulldogs always need more height, but the ruck spot could be in good hands with Street and Minson there. It might depend on the price for Charman, as something involving Sam Power might be acceptable to the Bulldogs. Akermanis' input might also be valued by the Bulldogs, and he didn't steer them wrong when they added Pask to their rookie list.
Barry Hall must be a good chance to turn around his season as the Swans host the Magpies. Collingwood are unlikely to have Prestigiacomo or Clement, and O’Brien is out too, so Hall versus Shane Wakelin is the expected matchup.
From the Sydney site: Hall determined to snap slump
"I'm certainly keen enough and looking forward to the weekend, looking forward to the second half of the season, so actions will speak louder than words."
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Hall is currently ranked at 131 in SuperCoach and 158 in the Dream team fantasy AFL game. That is a big drop from his top 10 spot in SuperCoach last season and top 50 in the 2006 Dream Team. Fantasy coaches have to decide if he is a bargain or if Hall won’t recover from his slump. 4 goals and 10 marks might be the expectations for this game, and if he is well under those numbers it could mean his days as a fantasy superstar are gone. He really should get close to them, with Collingwood undermanned in the back line, so next week could be the time to sign Hall again.
34
Jeff White.
Ruckman for the Melbourne Demons.
When the Dockers entered the AFL they used the first pick in the 1994 AFL Draft to take Jeff White. It was a long way for White to go, and as the Dockers also played Burton and Bandy in the ruck it did not seem that White would be there long-term.
In Jeff White's last game for the Dockers he played against the Demons, and when round 1 of the 1998 AFL season commenced White was taking the field for Melbourne as they faced Fremantle. White spent three years with Fremantle before he made the move back to Victoria, the Dockers received a couple of picks in the 1997 draft for White.
White benefited from the move to Melbourne as most of his stats doubled, when compared to his time with Fremantle. His hitouts in his first year with Melbourne were more than three times better than his best season with the Dockers.
Despite being one of the shorter ruckmen in the AFL, White is rarely at a disadvantage due to his phenomenal leaping ability. He uses this to great affect for hitouts and marks. His best numbers for a single game over his career are 15 marks and 47 hitouts.
There is still plenty of bounce left in White's legs, and he will continue to be a very important player for Melbourne. They were close last season, and while 2007 is probably gone the Demons could rebound in 2008. White is surrounded by a group of young, strong and talented onballers and when they are at full strength and White is directing the ball to them they will be a formidable group.
Jeff White information:
195cm, 97kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 33
Round 12 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 7
Handballs: 3
Marks: 5
Tackles: 3
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 18
Handballs: 9
Marks: 5
Tackles: 8
Goals: 0
Gibbs is one player that Carlton pick every week, he deserves his spot in the team due to his play and not where he was drafted. Joel Selwood was only included in Geelong's side for round 12 because Max, the artist formerly known as Jared, Rooke was suspended. Selwood should have done more than enough to keep his spot in the Geelong team.
Carlton may have lost by 100 points but Gibbs was one of their best, the reason for that was his opponent was one of the few Hawks who was kept quiet. It was Gibbs against McGlynn for a lot of the game, McGlynn did get a shot at goal but that was from a free that was given away by another Blue.
Joel Selwood seemed to enjoy the conditions at Kardinia Park on the weekend, it was wet, windy and slippery and made for someone who would go in hard. His skills got him a mention among Geelong's best VFL players for the previous round and his attack at the ball against the Lions saw him named as Geelong's second best this week. It is not bad to come second to Gary Ablett.
Gibbs and Selwood get a week to rest now. They will both be involved in huge games for round 13, that affect different ends of the ladder. Carlton go to Fremantle, the loser of that game might as well raise the white flag for the season. Geelong host Sydney, the winner of that game will be a favourite to play in the 2007 AFL Grand Final. At Subiaco, there is a chance that Gibbs will be assigned to Jeff Farmer, although after their 100 point loss there might be a change in thinking at Carlton and Gibbs could finally be freed to run around the middle where he belongs. Selwood and the Cats are going to learn what it takes to win as they battle Kirk, Fosdike, L Ablett, Crouch, J Bolton and the rest of the hard-working Swans midfield.
B Gibbs 5 - J Selwood 7
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
All the Kangaroos players will wear a special jumper as Glenn Archer plays his 300th AFL game, which will be against the Bulldogs in round 13. It should be an exciting and close game as both the Kangaroos and Bulldogs are playing well. Archer might even have the chance to play on Chris Grant, which would mean a combined total of over 600 games.
From The Age: Archer 300 gets a jumper
When he was healthy this year, Salopek was an important part of Port Adelaide's success. They did miss his contribution when he was hurt earlier in the year and the Power have another challenge as Salopek is going to miss two months. He has an ankle fracture.
From the Port Adelaide site: Salopek gets bad news
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Salopek will need to be traded off fantasy teams, and there are options among the other Port midfielders as well as other AFL stars. P Burgoyne and Cassisi are a couple of Power players to consider. Pearce hasn't been at his best but he might take on a bigger role now. Deledio could be at a similar price to Salopek, depending on his stats on Friday, and he would be a good replacement. Daniel Harris, Des Headland, Kade Simpson, Ben Johnson and Shane Crawford are much cheaper now than they were at the start of the season and they might provide some value.
The first of several suggestions to celebrate 150 years of Australian football in 2008. Not a new idea, to actually bring back the State Of Origin games, but here is a way to get everyone involved. Every state and territory, and just as importantly to allow every supporter of the sport a chance to select the teams.
One of the problems with State Of Origin teams in the past was that it seemed those in control had their favourites and every year there were players who deserved to play but they were always on the outer. A simple solution, and while a few guys in suits might disagree, it gives the sport back to the people who are most important. Fans from all over Australia, and all over the world, would just go to afl.com.au and select their preferred 18 players for all the state teams. The votes are counted and 18 players for each side get their state jumper. For team balance and strategies, the coach of each state would then select an extra six players for the interchange bench.
The coaching setup for each team could be structured around a coach from the AFL or a coach from the state league as well as a "State Legend", a retired coach or former player from every state.
To have the voting occur the players would have to be assigned to specific states first. They should just stay with the states that they played with, or were eligible to play with, for the Under 18 Titles. Most of the players came from that setup, so that is their "origin". There will have to be exceptions, and one of them is the international players. They should just be assigned to the state where their AFL team is located.
Where and when the games are played is going to create a lot of controversy from now until the decision is made. There is after, during and before the 2008 AFL season. For a lot of people, the football goes on holiday after the AFL Grand Final and that is also when players are going to Mexico or Columbia to holiday so after the season won't work. During the season would also have problems, as it could interrupt the momentum of teams and an injury occurring then would be a lot worse for teams. While preseason isn't perfect, it might be the best choice. The State Of Origin carnival weekend could take place a week or two before the regular season started.
The location, or locations, is something that people will fight over. Due to when it could be played, and because football needs to give back to many places that are taken for granted, Tasmania could be the ideal spot.
Who plays who is something that everyone will have a different opinion on, so here is something to consider:
Game 1: NSW/ACT versus Qld/NT. Played in Hobart on Friday.
Game 2: WA versus Tas. Played in Launceston on Saturday.
Game 3: Vic versus SA. Played in Hobart on Sunday.
The winner of game 3 is the champion. Game 2 could be considered a match to choose a number 1 contender, who would take on the champion at the next State Of Origin carnival, if that were to ever occur. So at the next event, the winner of game 3 in 2008 would take on the winner of game 2. The loser of game 3 in 2008 would play the winner of game 1 at the next event, while the loser of game 2 in 2008 would be relegated to the opening match at the next carnival to play the loser of the game 1 from 2008.
It seems that State Of Origin, in some form, will be an important part in commemorating 150 years of football being played. The AFL might release their plan soon, and it could be a midseason game or games.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Streamers, paper, phone books and newspapers round.
Gary Ablett of the Geelong Cats.
It was not supposed to be a game of skilful use of the football when Geelong and Brisbane played in the rain and wind. Goals were difficult to score, the football was hard to control, every player struggled a bit in the conditions except for one, Gary Ablett.
He had 35 disposals for the game, including 24 in the second half when Brisbane tried to make it close. He led his team in most stats, including clearances and contested possessions. His 8 tackles also showed that his game was about workrate when the other team had the ball too.
The highlights of the game were also provided by G Ablett. While the umpires and players did not want to bounce the ball, the slippery surface didn't preclude Ablett from bouncing the football as he ran along. While Ablett provided the ingredients for the win, he also put the icing on top with his goal late in the game. Poise, balance and "Ablettness" were all evident as he swooped in for the ball and snapped a long goal.
In dirty conditions he used the ball cleanly, when the game started to get close he finished it off, Gary Ablett was always in the right place at the right time as the ball followed him all over the ground as Geelong maintained their winning run so he is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Gary Ablett's profile at the Geelong site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Brett Kirk.
The Dockers are going from bad to worse, and their Chris Tarrant experiment might have blown up. If the Dockers do find that Tarrant did what he is said to have done then a suspension similar to Farmer's is a possible punishment. While their top executive says the coach's spot is not totally safe, if it was the executive who organised a party to celebrate the Dockers' woeful season then there should be more than one change at Fremantle.
There might be something ironic with some parts of this incident. The “Candidate for Solomon” was involved, but it had nothing to do with Dean from the Dockers. Eagleton is going to get two weeks from the tribunal, and even though the AFL didn’t charge Tarrant for his altercation with Eagleton it is likely that he will sit out longer than the little Bulldog. Players on the field are role models to many, but one must wonder if Tarrant wasn’t using the behaviour of the fellow who ran across the oval in the last quarter as a role model of his own. No matter what happens, there will be plenty of people at Collingwood looking at their list who are happy to see Reid and Medhurst on it.
From the AFL site: Connolly faces a testing time
From 9msn: Tarrant in Darwin pub probe
From the Northern Territory News: Freo player accused of punching NT footy coach
AFL Fantasy Impact:
In the event that Tarrant goes, both Fremantle and fantasy teams could replace him with Jeff Farmer. The Dockers also have Murphy and Campbell to play. Byron Schammer, a midfielder, is also a player for fantasy coaches to watch. For fantasy coaches who want to trade Tarrant for a similar player, it is just a coincidence that Fevola plays the same spot and is also at close to the exact price. Depending on what Hall does against Collingwood, he might be a bargain buy. Matthew Richardson is at a good price while Adelaide's Bock and Welsh kicked a bunch of goals against the Kangaroos. For a fantasy team looking to find extra money to spend, the Power's new stars have put together three amazing games and they are at a low price which is going to increase, there is the tall option in Westhoff and the shorter Gray who kicked 4 goals against Essendon.
33
Brett Ebert.
Forward for the Port Adelaide Power.
Brett Ebert was a father/son selection for Port Adelaide in the 2002 AFL draft. The Power used pick 42 to select Ebert. They also selected Salopek with their first rounder so it was a solid draft for Port Adelaide.
Ebert played his first AFL game in 2004, it was a big year for Port Adelaide but Ebert wasn't there in the finals. In 2005 Ebert became a permanent part of their forward structure and in 2006 he had his best season with 24 goals and 111 marks.
While goals are obviously a very important stat, and he does get plenty of those too, Ebert's marking ability is what makes him stand out at his height. In some ways he is similar to Brad Johnson, as Ebert can mark the ball on a quick lead while he also has a leap and strong hands to take a contested mark against taller opponents. Ebert's best result for marks in a single game is 10.
While Brett Ebert may not ever be the best footballer in his family, he is one of the most underrated forwards in the AFL. In the near future, 50 goals in a season is an achievable target. If the game becomes more open in a few years, and with the Power using Ebert at full forward with Tredrea retired, there might be a season when Brett Ebert gets close to 100 goals.
Brett Ebert information:
179cm, 86kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 32
It seems like it was just over a decade ago when the AFL were celebrating a century, and it was. Next year is being planned as a celebration of the sesquicentennial of the invention of Australian football.
In the coming weeks an assortment of suggestions will be posted, to honour the traditions of the past and to entertain the fans of the present.
Thursday night football in July and August might be appropriate. An interesting and fan interactive State Of Origin idea, allowing one round for supporters to bring in old phone books, the usual "throwback uniforms" round, preseason games played at Windy Hill, Moorabbin and other suburban grounds.
There will be a lot of ideas that have no chance of happening, and some that really do make sense, and you can also post your own thoughts too. But don’t suggest a big tent on the MCG for a celebratory dinner, as that is unfortunately one of the things that might be happening, again.
1: West Coast Eagles 8-3 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
They didn't play but that didn't stop them from getting all the attention. Sampi is injured, there was also their Ben Cousins announcement. The Eagles host the Saints next week.
2: Geelong Cats 9-3 (3)
Just a small rearrangement this week among the rankings, as the results this round so far have reflected where the teams were ranked, but Geelong deserve to move up a spot even if Sydney win next week. While Bartel may be leading the Brownlow voting at the moment, it might be G Ablett and C Ling who are responsible for their winning streak. Nobody can contain Gary Ablett, and Geelong have been able to shut down a star midfield player every game due to Ling.
3: Sydney Swans 6-5 (2)
They had a party this week, and get back to business with a game against Collingwood coming up. Kennelly won't play but the Swans will still be favourites as Collingwood will be missing many more of their stars.
4: Adelaide Crows 7-5 (4)
If Bock and Welsh keep kicking goals then the Crows will play deep into September. Those two forwards have been inconsistent and Bock also has a minor injury worry.
5: Hawthorn Hawks 8-4 (5)
If their best player was available on Friday, would Hawthorn have won by a greater margin, the answer to that might be no. Winning by 100 points without Lance Franklin must give them a lot of confidence, and with an extra week of rest it should mean that he is back for their next game.
6: Collingwood Magpies 7-4 (6)
Collingwood play Sydney and Hawthorn and those two games will be very important for getting a finals spot. O'Brien is out but maybe Clement can return to play against the Swans.
7: Western Bulldogs 7-5 (7)
The Bulldogs made a big statement as they won again with run and veteran play. The Bulldogs won't win a physical clash where height and bulk dominate but they can win by playing smart, this was evident in a Brad Johnson to Scott West play during the game against the Dockers. Johnson took the mark and was on the edge of his range for goal, he took a big run-up and went to kick the ball long, but just held back at the last moment and sent a short pass to West who was a bit closer to goal. Those two players, along with September star Akermanis, are the players the Bulldogs can't afford to be without. They do have another player joining Cross and Griffen on the injured list, Murphy will miss a couple of games.
8: Port Adelaide Power 7-5 (8)
Last week everyone was ruling out the Power for this season and were ready to retire Tredrea, although his coach wasn't, and now everyone will be back picking Port Adelaide to win and agreeing that Tredrea deserves his contract extension. Tredrea led by example but he also had a lot of help, from unlikely sources. Westhoff and Gray continue to kick goals, and they combined for six goals against the Bombers. Ebert also provided help on the scoreboard. The work of Chad Cornes on Hird was impressive and entertaining, as he and Hird ran around the centre circle before the bounce on several occasions but Hird couldn't shake him.
9: Essendon Bombers 7-5 (9)
If they just watch the video of the last quarter of their game against Port Adelaide then they will be happy. The Bombers now have an extra week to prepare for Melbourne, and it could be a Demons team they meet that have a three-game win streak. A record of 7 and 5 isn't that impressive at the moment, and if Sydney win next week then nearly half the league will be sitting on 7 wins. The Bombers did have a big out before the Power game, while some may think the loss of Camporeale was the reason the Bombers didn't win it might be more accurate to say that Stanton's absence from the midfield was something Essendon found difficult to replace.
10: Fremantle Dockers 5-7 (10)
The Dockers are just like Red Rooster's Fish & Chips, not as good as you think they should be. If they lose next week the season, and the coach, is gone. They host the Blues. The Dockers will have a lot of time to prepare for their match with Carlton, as next week they are in a similar situation to that guy who ran across the field in Darwin, they have nothing on. Fremantle are missing speed and a smaller option in the forward line, Farmer might be the answer. Farmer has been kicking plenty of goals in the WAFL, as has Murphy.
11: Kangaroos 7-5 (11)
Things are going to start getting difficult again for the Kangaroos. Their loss to Adelaide did drop them from the top 8, only by percentage, and their round 13 opponent is the Bulldogs. They do have Archer’s 300th game to celebrate.
12: Melbourne Demons 2-9 (12)
The only news the Demons made this week was their strange idea of going to China, as Japan has a lot more talent when it comes to playing AFL. The Demons have the extra week to refresh their veterans and they should have a win against the Tigers on Friday.
13: Carlton Blues 4-8 (13)
Maybe they had spent all the time preparing for how they would stop Franklin, and when he wasn't there they didn't have any ideas. They will have two weeks to think about why they lost by 100 points.
14: Brisbane Lions 4-7-1 (14)
The first month of the year was great, the rest of their season has been closer to preseason expectations. The addition of Proud was a good move and Leuenberger must not be too far away.
15: St Kilda Saints 4-7 (15)
They celebrated Robert Harvey's career but nobody knew as their former coach kept taking shots at everyone in the AFL, including the captains of Fremantle and Carlton. The Saints get a chance to make news for their accomplishments on the field and if they can leave Perth with a win over the Eagles it will be front-page stuff.
16: Richmond Tigers 0-10-1 (16)
Kent Kingsley outlasted the cast of The Catch-Up TV show, and he has probably been more entertaining and watched by a greater audience too. Riewoldt was one of the best for Coburg so again there is the choice for the Tigers, they can go for that first win of the year with the experience of Kingsley or they can put Riewoldt into the team instead and get an early start on preparing for 2011.
Coach Craig says he is going to use Mark Ricciuto in a midfield role this season, as that is where his skills are best and possibly the physical toll won’t be as bad.
From The Advertiser: Craig refines best role for Roo
AFL Fantasy Impact:
When fantasy games reopen for business next week, Ricciuto’s price will have gone down a bit. A week or two after that his playing time will have increased and he might become a fantasy bargain. It is always a good move to have a fantasy forward who plays in the midfield for their AFL team. A healthy Ricciuto, playing as a forward or midfielder for the Crows would be a good fantasy player. In the second half of the season there will be times when Ricciuto is able to dominate again.
It was wet and windy, and when the Lions went in at halftime with zero goals on the board they were actually still in the game. Brisbane did outscore Geelong in the third term before the Cats finished them off in the last quarter. While most players fared poorly in the conditions, it was no surprise that Gary Ablett with his skills was able to dominate. Both Selwoods spent a lot of time crashing in for the ball or the player, and they combined for 19 tackles, the younger Selwood might have been the better of the two.
Cats 85 - Lions 35
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Selwood: 27 possessions and 8 tackles, he is unlikely to be dropped to the VFL again, fantasy coaches may even think about starting him.
Varcoe: Puts in a lot of effort on the forward line, he got some reward in the stats with 17 possessions, 3 tackles and a goal.
G Ablett: 35 possessions, 8 tackles and a goal. He might be the best AFL fantasy forward to have.
Ottens: 12 possessions, 7 tackles and 33 total hitouts, also received 5 free kicks.
Bartel: 21 disposals might be a bit under his average, he got extra fantasy points with 12 tackles and a goal.
Brisbane
Proud: He should keep his spot in the team, he had 8 disposals and 4 tackles, his playing time should go up and fantasy coaches can wait to see what he does next round before signing him at his bargain price.
Drummond: 22 kicks, he started the season late but is quickly becoming one of the fantasy stars.
Brennan: An inconsistent player, but very talented and his fantasy price might go back up soon, he had 12 kicks and 5 tackles.
Rischitelli: 10 kicks, 9 handballs and 11 tackles.
Selwood: He started off his season with a huge game for fantasy points a few weeks ago, this game was not bad for fantasy points with 11 kicks and 11 tackles.
When Port Adelaide hosted Hawthorn a few weeks ago they only played one quarter, the first, and in this game Port Adelaide kept going after an impressive start to the game and did enough in the first three quarters to record a needed win. Essendon owned the last quarter here but it was too late, the Power didn't kick a goal but the Bombers needed to kick more than the six goals they did to catch them. Tredrea started off the game with a long goal, and that gave him and the Power the momentum. Westhoff had another good game for the Power, and even compared to his opponent Patrick Ryder he looked tall and thin. But it was Robert Gray, who was also playing his third game who was the star, and he kicked 4 goals.
Power 126 - Bombers 95
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
Tredrea: 4 goals, he might be going to have a big second half of the season.
Gray: 4 goals from his 9 kicks, another impressive game, he also had 2 handballs and 4 marks.
Cassisi: 32 possessions, 11 marks, 4 tackles and 2 free kicks received.
Boak: Not a big debut, he had 9 possessions.
Ebert: Another small forward for Port who kicked 4 goals, Ebert did have similar numbers to Gray with 9 kicks and 2 handballs.
Essendon
Winderlich: 16 kicks, 8 handballs and 10 marks.
Davey: Like Winderlich, Davey was one of the fantasy bargains of the year, Davey never stopped running with 14 disposals and 8 tackles.
J Johnson: The better Johnson, he had 28 disposals.
Watson: 27 possessions, Watson always gets a lot of the ball.
Peverill: He will usually have a lot of disposals, and he did with 24, but he also kicked 2 goals.
The Eagles are expecting to have Cousins on the field in around a month or so. The chairman of the Eagles says that the return of Cousins is very close.
If Ben Cousins is a month away, he will return for a very big game. Around that time, the Eagles have games at Subiaco against Sydney and Fremantle, the game against the Dockers is a home game for West Coast.
From The Age newspaper: Cousins on track for July comeback
Dalton Gooding:
"We had a very good meeting last week, so at this stage unless anything unforeseen happens, we can't see why he can't return to playing and training probably some time towards the end of July."
In the first half, it was the new Crows on display with a greater emphasis on creating scoring opportunities. They went a bit more defensive in the third quarter before things opened up again in the fourth. Welsh and Bock combined for 9 goals. Both teams went into the game missing a star, Goodwin was out for the Crows and Wells wasn't ready to return from his injury.
Crows 100 - Kangaroos 54
Fantasy Player News
Adelaide
Massie: An unexpected performance in his first game of the season with 21 disposals and 8 marks.
Bock: 11 kicks, 9 marks and 4 goals. Bock is back.
Welsh: A big fantasy points game with 15 kicks, 9 marks, 3 frees for and 5 goals.
Johncock: He is now at his best, and a player to sign, he had 25 possessions.
Thompson: 30 possessions, he might now be Adelaide's top midfielder for consistent fantasy points.
Kangaroos
McIntosh: Back to his earlier numbers, he had 21 possessions and 7 marks.
Simpson: 30 possessions and 6 tackles.
Harvey: Some of his kicks didn't hit their target, but he had 16 of them as well as 17 handballs.
Swallow: 9 tackles helped his fantasy points total along with 19 possessions.
Sansbury: He was a late change as Wells didn't play, Sansbury had 12 disposals.
The Bulldogs ran over the Dockers in the second half of their game from Darwin. While Pavlich did kick 3 goals, he was double and triple-teamed and often when the ball was sent in his direction it went right to a Bulldog, usually Harris. The Dockers had their chances but kicked 10 more behinds than the Bulldogs. Robert Murphy was injured again, and even with the extra week to recover he may miss a game, while Luke McPharlin didn't play for the Dockers.
Bulldogs 141 - Dockers 115
Fantasy Player News
Western Bulldogs
Johnson: Goals and possessions, so a huge fantasy points total. He had 5 goals, 23 possessions and 10 big marks.
Harris: 13 kicks and 10 marks.
Lynch: Was very active in his first game with 10 possessions, 8 marks and 2 tackles.
McMahon: Put back into his usual spot around half back, he had 17 kicks and 12 marks.
Hahn: 3 goals, including a huge shot from way outside 50m.
Fremantle
Bell: His hot streak for stats continues, 34 possessions and 9 marks.
J Carr: 18 kicks, 9 handballs and 5 marks.
Solomon: He received 4 free kicks and didn't give any away, more bonus points were supplied by 2 goals.
Black: 23 possessions, 7 marks and a goal.
Hayden: He should become a great fantasy player controlling the ball around half back, he had 17 disposals and 7 marks.
32
Cameron Bruce.
Midfielder for the Melbourne Demons.
Cameron Bruce is a very underrated performer. Teams weren't too excited by his potential in the 1999 AFL draft, as they went for players like Scott Homewood, Clayton Lasscock and Steven Brosnan with Bruce still available. The Demons had already selected five players in the draft before they took Bruce with pick 64.
The Melbourne Football Club quickly found a role for Bruce, as a forward. They then found another task for him to try, the defensive midfielder. A couple of injuries to tall defenders and Bruce would become a versatile backman. His best spot is in the midfield, with a licence to kick goals, and as Melbourne now have players to fill the other roles it should allow them to keep Bruce where the action is.
His game-high stats over his career show how he can flourish in whatever role he is assigned. He can be counted on to kick goals, his best ever performance was 7 goals. If he has to stop someone, he doesn't let his opponent have an easy possession and his 9 tackles in a game is his best result for that stat. Other game-highs over his career include games of 21 kicks, 20 handballs and 11 marks.
With the number 32 on his back, the football often in his hands and his Dwight Schultz-inspired hairstyle Cameron Bruce is never overlooked now. He should be on the next All-Australian team, and as they want to put players in the positions where they actually play it will be good for Bruce as he is eligible for nearly every spot. While he may not be the quickest player or tall enough to be a key position player, his combination of football smarts and skills makes him an elite player in the AFL.
Cameron Bruce information:
190cm, 85kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 31
Jonathan Brown grew up in a traditional Cats’ area of Victoria so he would have a good knowledge of their teams over the years. This year’s Geelong team came close to having the biggest ever win in AFL history, which was set by the Cats against the Bears, but Brown says that Geelong’s current side are reminiscent of the Lions when they were at the top for three consecutive years.
From The Geelong Advertiser: Cats as good as Lions of 2001-04, Jonathan Brown says
"Geelong is the best team in the comp at the moment,'' Brown declared.
"I reckon it's pretty similar to how we played in our successful era. They look like a side playing with a lot of self-belief at the moment and deserve to be flag favourites. We've obviously been out of form the last five weeks so it's a pretty big game.''
Joel Selwood was confirmed last night as Geelong’s only addition for their round 12 team and that means he gets to compete against another of his brothers on Kardinia Park. The Cats defeated Adam and the Eagles earlier in the year and are huge favourites against Troy’s Lions.
From The Courier-Mail: Sibling rivalry hots up
"It is going to be a bit different, " (Troy Selwood) said. "With Adam we've battled for years, but Joel has always been the little brother that you look out for, and that's still the case.
"But he is a big boy now. He has filled out well and I'm rapt for him."
Lance Franklin did not play, nobody noticed. Roughead took over the role as the left-footed goal scorer, Hodge kicked a bunch and the Hawks had one of their biggest wins in the past decade. Different reports had different injuries regarding Franklin, it might have been a calf or back injury that occurred at training. With the extra week of rest he should be available for round 13. Xavier Ellis did take Franklin’s spot in the side, Ellis kicked a goal and had a solid game.
In the battle of the former Saints, Joel Smith did enough to keep the young stars of the Hawks, like Thorp and Kennedy, from getting his spot in the team with a big game of 26 disposals and 13 marks. But Matthew Lappin could only be described as an embarrassment, he provided not one but two of the lowlights of the match. Early in the game, Sewell handballed in his direction but Lappin fumbled the ball which allowed Sewell to recover and make it a contest, which Lappin was severely disgraced in. Lappin ended the game worse than he started, as his kick in the back line went straight to a Hawk who kicked a goal. The contest between a couple of former Power players wasn't as newsworthy, Guerra got some kicks and Ackland got a whack to the nose. A couple of former Bombers were also at opposite ends of the field, Jacobs had a good game and Bannister's recent good form disappeared into the fog.
Hawks 180 - Blues 80
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Hodge: 20 kicks, 7 tackles, 6 marks, 4 goals and 3 frees for. Plenty of fantasy points.
Sewell: A great game for Hawthorn, and for his fantasy teams too, 33 disposals, 11 marks and 7 tackles.
Campbell: His 2 goals at the end of the game provided an unexpected fantasy points bonus, he also had 33 total hitouts.
Boyle: He was off the Boyle last week, but bounced back with 8 marks and 3 goals.
Roughead: Fantasy coaches should remember that Franklin and Williams will return, so Roughead may not kick 5 goals again for a while.
Carlton
Carrazzo: Another great game, worth his high fantasy price with 30 possessions and 7 tackles.
Fisher: Another game when he unobtrusively gets marks and goals, he had 7 marks and 2 goals.
Simpson: Not having the big fantasy season that was expected, he got going in this game with 26 disposals and 9 marks.
Walker: He covered plenty of ground, and made his way forward for a couple of scoring shots. He had a goal and 16 disposals.
Fevola: Interesting stats, 3 kicks for 3 goals. He lost a few fantasy points by giving away 2 free kicks.
While many Carlton players were running around without the football or any sense of how to contain the Hawks, the Carlton administration were releasing details of a cash bonanza. With millions of dollars expected to flow into the club from this business venture, Carlton should have no excuses now for not be able to compete with the interstate clubs off the field.
The first step should be expanding their player scouting network, and maybe they can find a player like Dean Cox if they have more people scouting interstate, and with the success of the O’hAilpins it might mean more resources will be used to scout internationally as well.
Better training facilities, improved coaches, an upgrade of Princes Park, many things should start to happen if this deal is as lucrative as is suggested.
From the Yahoo7 site: Carlton to reap millions in hotel deal
If Cameron Bruce was position eligible as a forward he would have been on this team a long time ago. The plan this week was to see if players could be traded to add Bruce without removing a proven star. A rookie player being added, and trading away two first-year stars, would free up enough money.
Bruce is getting up in price, so a better value midfield star was searched for instead. Stanton might have been the pick but he has been a bit hurt, Kirk was great last week and was considered, Wells might have been an option but it is a bit of a risk, so with Cross out of action it means there are 20 extra handballs for their other midfielders and hopefully Scott West will add some of those to his normal big numbers. B Gibbs and J Selwood were turned into Scott West and Daniel Dzufer.
There were plenty of positives last week, as several players here led their AFL teams in fantasy points. Franklin and Mitchell were 1 and 2 at Hawthorn, Gilbee led the Bulldogs, K Cornes was the captain here last week and was the best Power player for fantasy points, Polak was the top Tiger and Corey Jones had the most fantasy points for the Kangaroos.
B David Mundy
B Jesse Smith
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Lindsay Gilbee
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell (captain)
C Scott West
C Chris Judd
C Paul Hasleby
C Kane Cornes
C Jordan Lewis
R Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Daniel Dzufer
C Ricky Petterd (emergency)
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
Mundy gave Newman a case of Mundy-itis and his positioning is also cause for concern among his fantasy owners. Launching attacks off half back as his teammates look for him due to his quality foot-skills is what he is best at, but now he is a forward option off the bench there. An unforeseen development, but he will stay in the team a bit longer. Two other defenders here spent a lot more time on Subiaco last week. Polak would mark the ball and give it to Raines, they did that a lot and the fantasy points kept adding up. McPhee had a case of the McFumbles last Friday night, it started with one of the first plays of the night as it looked like he took a courageous diving mark, but it wasn't paid and that led to a possible trip and a free kick against. In the second half there was a play when he just couldn't pick up the ball, but at least he was trying, and this round he should be back among the fantasy points leaders for defenders. Gilbee was a good buy a few weeks ago, and as he always should be he was great last week.
Kane Cornes was the captain last week, instead of Judd, and that move helped. This is a strategy that may not have statistics to back it up yet, but it might be useful to sometimes nominate a fantasy captain who is playing against Carlton. The Blues are scoring a lot, and letting their opponents score a lot, so a wide-open game should benefit the players involved. Sam Mitchell will test that idea this round as he is the captain. Scott West brings in another midfield star to the team.
White and Hudson should be a solid ruck duo for the rest of the season. Hudson was two contested marks away from a huge fantasy points game last week, he made a couple of rare trips to the goal-square and the ball was in his hands twice but he could not get it under control to claim the mark. A couple more marks, kicks and goals would have been useful, for this fantasy team and also his AFL team.
Hall wasn't as bad as Rocca, that is something good. Maybe this post could have poked fun at people who have both Hall and Rocca in their fantasy team, but it won't as those two big guys are in the AFL Insider DreamTeam forward line. It is an extra week to wait, but Hall should have a big game with Collingwood a bit thin in the back line. Two players who started off their games with a lot of fantasy points were Franklin and Jones, they each had multiple goals before the first quarter was over. With Franklin not expected to play this round, Matthew Campbell's stats will probably be used in his place. Campbell seems to play well on the Gold Coast, and he has played a few games when he would have been worth starting in fantasy teams, so Campbell might be a solid player for this round.
One part of Franklin's possible absence that could help this fantasy team is if Xavier Ellis gets another chance to cement a spot in Hawthorn's team. If Ellis does keep his spot then it would give this fantasy team a solid emergency option at all four positions. With Petterd starring for Melbourne, the emergency spot in the midfield is under control so a fantasy player at the cheapest, rookie-list price was brought in to save money. The choice was going to be Robert Eddy, but with Dzufer being elevated by Brisbane it made him a more logical choice.
Port Adelaide will play Travis Boak for his first AFL game as the Power host the Bombers. Shaun Burgoyne is also in the news, as he may have an injury. The Crows will be going to the Gold Coast without Goodwin, and Jericho could take his spot.
From the Port Adelaide site: Boak steps up for crunch game
From the Crows site: Goodwin withdraws from team
Various media services are reporting that Lance Franklin will not play tonight. There is still time to trade him if there isn’t a replacement available on the fantasy bench. As Franklin does have an extra week to recover after this game, it might be better to bench him for this week, or just make sure an emergency forward is selected.
The Lions have announced that Proud will play his first game. He should be very useful for fantasy teams. Roe is also back in the team.
From the Brisbane site: Proud to debut
Joel Selwood is the only inclusion for Geelong with Rooke out with a 1 week suspension. Selwood is likely to resume his role of starting on the bench and then playing in the middle of the ground. This also means that the second Joel Selwood versus brother Selwood encounter will happen, with Troy playing for the Lions.
From the Geelong site: Selwood in for Rooke
Carlton v Hawthorn
The Tip: Hawthorn by 19 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Lance Franklin
Chance For An Upset: This game should be close but Hawthorn is the favourite. Hawthorn’s midfield group is just a bit older and stronger than Carlton's so that could be the difference. Carlton do have the forward setup to kick a winning score and with a couple of wins in a row they are a good chance to upset Hawthorn.
Carlton
They win if....they don't worry too much about Lance Franklin, he will kick his goals but Carlton can win like Sydney did last week if they limit the chances to Hawthorn's other forwards.
The Good News: Carlton extended the contracts of their Texas Ranger and Mr Kennedy. Andrew Walker and Josh Kennedy were both drafted in the top 5 of their drafts by the Blues.
The Bad News: If Carlton win this game they lose the top spot in the 2007 AFL Draft. That probably is not something that anyone there cares about at the moment.
Hawthorn
They win if....Mitch Thorp plays, although they should get over the line if he isn't a late inclusion.
The Good News: They are third, due to a solid percentage, and finals are nearly guaranteed.
The Bad News: Croad won a game in the first quarter against Carlton last year, but he may not play.
Kangaroos v Adelaide
The Tip: Adelaide by 40 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Andrew McLeod
Chance For An Upset: A coin-flip game, with the Crows a very slight favourite. The Crows won in Queensland earlier in the season and can do it again. But Wells is back, the Kangaroos will have vocal support and Adelaide have some injury problems so the Kangaroos could get another win.
Adelaide
They win if....they have solved their forward problems, maybe McGregor is part of the solution.
The Good News: While many of their players have gone down with injuries, Ben Hudson is healthy this season and brings a lot of energy and plenty of hitouts.
The Bad News: They are only in the top 8 on percentage.
Kangaroos
They win if....Corey Jones continues his hot streak, he is a difficult player for teams to find the right player to stop him as he can play tall or small.
The Good News: Wells is back from his injury.
The Bad News: Teams might be paying more attention to McIntosh, Hale is again in the team to assist him.
Western Bulldogs v Fremantle
The Tip: Fremantle by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brett Peake
Chance For An Upset: People can't decide between these two sides, it is a neutral venue with two very even teams. Each team has a huge ruckman, an athletic back line and a powerful midfield. What the Bulldogs don't have is Pavlich, and that might get Fremantle the win.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....they can cover for the loss of Cross and Griffen.
The Good News: They are going with youth and being rewarded, Tom Williams showed he could played last week and now Malcolm Lynch gets his chance.
The Bad News: Luke Darcy is commentating games for Channel 10, it seems a bit odd that he is barely in the Bulldogs' side and they allow him to have this outside distraction.
Fremantle
They win if....Headland gives them a secondary option for goals like he did last week.
The Good News: No players were suspended this week, and Crowley is back in the side after a short break.
The Bad News: If they lose this game, they will lose touch with the teams at the bottom of the top 8.
Geelong v Brisbane
The Tip: Geelong by 23 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brad Ottens
Chance For An Upset: A Brisbane win would be very unexpected, but this is a chance for Geelong to lose one of the games that they should win. Barassi says he doesn't trust Geelong, so if Brown can get the ball this could be a huge upset.
Geelong
They win if....N Ablett fires, he has been quiet in recent games.
The Good News: They have defeated nearly all the contenders.
The Bad News: The contract extensions are about to be handed out, some of the players who have been inconsistent for a lot of their careers may take the foot off the accelerator after getting a new deal.
Brisbane
They win if....Charman plays as a forward and the Cats don't have enough height to stop him and Brown, and Patfull too.
The Good News: Jonathan Brown will have a lot of local support for this match.
The Bad News: A couple more losses and a season that started off so well will be all but over.
Port Adelaide v Essendon
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Danyle Pearce
Chance For An Upset: Essendon may be the slight favourites here, but home ground advantage and a big milestone game might help the Power get the win.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Tredrea contributes, while goals would be good he could be just as effective taking Michael on long leads and marking on the wing.
The Good News: Westhoff is tall, thin but tall. He has kicked a lot of goals in his first two matches.
The Bad News: Their four consecutive losses have seen them drop out of the top 8.
Essendon
They win if....Hille again has a big game against one of the best ruckmen in the AFL.
The Good News: They know how to win close games.
The Bad News: Camporeale has thrown down the gauntlet to Robert Walls, that can't be good.
The tipping competitions want the picks to these games, so here are some wild guesses.
Richmond v Melbourne
The Tip: Melbourne by 44 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brock McLean
Game notes: A month ago it looked like the Tigers would have been favourites for this match, but Melbourne got some players back and have won a couple of games since then. The Demons did go through a patch of close losses before breaking through for their first win, the Tigers have been very close to defeating several teams, like Essendon and Fremantle, so their time to win must be close too.
Sydney v Collingwood
The Tip: Sydney by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ryan O'Keefe
Game notes: The Magpies could be in trouble without O'Brien, Prestigiacomo and Clement. While the Swans will be without Kennelly, LRT could be available.
West Coast v St Kilda
The Tip: West Coast by 62 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Game notes: The Saints are not expected to have a chance, or to have Gehrig available. The Eagles might have Nicoski, Graham, Butler and even that guy who was suspended indefinitely for missing training.
There probably is no actual need to vote, while there are more choices here than in a Cuban election the result is known well before the voting closes. Archer’s greatest accomplishment in AFL is the 1996 Grand Final. Two thirds of voters have selected that, but if you want to choose another of the ten options then go to the Kangaroos site.
Fans decide Archer’s highlight
96' Premiership & Norm Smith (63%)
Archer's 250th (15%)
The Showdown Rd 6. 03' (7%)
99' Premiership (5%)
Archer Heroics Rd 1. 02' (5%)
Archer's Debut (3%)
All Australian Season 96' (2%)
98' Preseason Premiership (1%)
All Australian Season 02' (1%)
All Australian Season 98' (0%)
Glenn Archer’s profile at the Kangaroos’ Official Site
31
Brett Kirk.
Midfielder for the Sydney Swans.
The Swans have achieved success in recent years due to a dominating midfield of big ruckmen and hard-working onballers. While speed and athleticism get players noticed, the Swans win with toughness and determination. There is no player at the Swans tougher than Brett Kirk.
Kirk first played for Sydney in 1999. It was a Sydney team that was losing a lot of their veterans who played in the 1996 Grand Final and adding players who would develop into the foundation for their 2005 side.
Kirk gets plenty of possessions, and often has an approximate ratio of one kick for every handball. There is one statistic that is always associated with him and that is tackles. When Kirk eventually finishes his career it is likely that he will have over 1000 tackles. 13 tackles is his best ever effort in a single game, 142 tackles is his best for a single season but he is on target to break that this year.
Kirk does bring something different to the AFL, and not just a reason for Star Trek fans to be interested. While players at other clubs are getting in trouble and being sent to mediation, he is preparing himself for his next football game with meditation.
Brett Kirk averages around 25 disposals and 8 tackles in AFL Grand Finals. Impressive numbers, and if the Swans get to another Grand Final it will be Kirk who again leads them to the final frontier.
Brett Kirk information:
184cm, 80kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 30
Here are some forward options to look at with bargain prices. If you don’t have a spot to start Alwyn Davey, Matthew Campbell, Tom Hawkins or Aaron Edwards you can replace them on the bench with one of these much cheaper players. You then have extra money to spend on another position on your team.
Justin Westhoff: If you want to sign him then do it now, his price is just about to go up.
Robert Gray: Westhoff will only be useful if he keeps kicking goals, while Gray has a more varied game so he can also get fantasy points around the ground. Another player who will now have a price increase after this round of games.
Malcolm Lynch: The Bulldogs are playing him so fantasy coaches may want to sign him, they can wait a game or two to see how he goes as his fantasy price will stay low for a couple of games.
Fergus Watts: Might be a good signing, while he is young and the Saints need to play him he also has a few years of AFL experience so he should deliver if given a chance.
Jack Riewoldt: His team has yet to win and he has only played a couple of minutes, so he should have a much better second half of the season.
Nick Gill: The Crows' forward line is not firing so they could turn to Gill now that he has recovered from injury.
Ben Reid: The Magpies have shown they will play their youngest players, Reid was their highest draft choice so he might play soon.
Nathan J Brown: If he does play it might be in the back line, if Clement and O'Brien are still out of the lineup there might be plenty of minutes available for him.
Leroy Jetta: He was big news in the early games, he is still at a low price.
Ben Ross: It could take an injury or two to open a spot for Ross.
Djaran Whyman: He is another Kangaroos who is close to a game.
Justin Sweeney: With the Saints struggling they will be forced to play most of their list.
Adam Cockshell: If Westhoff keeps kicking goals then the Power won't need to play any of their other young talls.
Clayton Collard: He should get a few more games this year, but the Dockers will also be getting Farmer back soon so Collard may not have a big role.
Colin Garland: Melbourne gave him a look when their injuries were at their worst, he didn't keep his spot and might be more of a long-term project for them.
Michael Newton: The Demons have had "Juice" before, but they don't seem to be in a hurry to play this Newton.
Cheap AFL Fantasy Ruckmen
Carlton v Hawthorn
Carlton
FB: Gibbs, Thornton, Saddington
HB: Scotland, Waite, Walker
C: Simpson, Bentick, Houlihan
HF: Lappin, Whitnall, Murphy
FF: Blackwell, Fevola, Fisher
Foll: Ackland, Koutoufides, Carrazzo
bench: Bannister, O'hAilpin, Russell, Wiggins
emergency: Bower, Hartlett, Young
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Waite is expected to be given the job of slowing down Lance Franklin. That might also slow down Waite's fantasy points. Koutoufides has been very productive in his minutes off the bench. Carrazzo has joined Scotland as an elite fantasy player.
Hawthorn
FB: Brown, Gilham, Guerra
HB: Ladson, Croad, Birchall
C: Lewis, Sewell, Bateman
HF: Mitchell, Franklin, Crawford
FF: Jacobs, Roughead, Boyle
Foll: Campbell, McGlynn, Hodge
bench: Young, Osborne, Smith, Taylor
emergency: Ellis, Murphy, Thorp
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Croad and Boyle might miss. Murphy was very good for fantasy points earlier in the year, and he and Thorp will play if the other bigs miss. Thorp is someone to sign at a low price as he should be able to keep his spot for the rest of the year now that he has his chance.
Kangaroos v Adelaide
Adelaide
FB: Bassett, Rutten, Johncock
HB: Torney, McGregor, McLeod
C: Mattner, Shirley, Doughty
HF: Welsh, Bock, Thompson
FF: Porplyzia, Ricciuto, Stevens
Foll: Hudson, Goodwin, Edwards
bench: Griffin, van Berlo, Knights, Massie
emergency: Vince, Douglas, Jericho
In: Massie
Out: Jericho
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Massie costs too much, after a good fantasy stats season in 2006. His inclusion might mean more of a midfield role for Mattner, which should help his stats. Goodwin was hurt last week, and it might be a safe move not to sign him now in case he doesn't play.
Kangaroos
FB: Archer, Firrito, Pratt
HB: Smith, Petrie, Watt
C: Rawlings, Swallow, Wells
HF: Harvey, Hale, Grant
FF: Jones, Brown, Edwards
Foll: McIntosh, Simpson, Harris
bench: Lower, Sinclair, Campbell, Thomas
emergency: Sansbury, Green, Whyman
In: Wells
Out: Green
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Wells is back a bit ahead of schedule. McIntosh might have peaked for fantasy points, he is not going at the same pace he was earlier in the year.
Western Bulldogs v Fremantle
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Williams, Hargrave
C: Eagleton, West, Akermanis
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Hahn
FF: Murphy, Darcy, Higgins
Foll: Street, Cooney, Boyd
bench: Addison, Lynch, Harbrow, Ray
emergency: Everitt, Minson, Power
In: Lynch, McMahon
Out: Cross, Griffen
AFL Fantasy Watch:
McMahon was a player to sign before his poor performance against Carlton. With Griffen out for several matches it is safe to sign McMahon again. The Bulldogs probably will use Lynch in bursts off the bench, in the middle and possibly up forward. He could keep his spot in the team with a solid game, so it might be worth signing him. The injuries to key Bulldogs could also mean more minutes and a bigger role for Higgins.
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, Grover, Dodd
HB: Mundy, Johnson, Black
C: Peake, Bell, Walker
HF: Headland, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Thornton, Tarrant, McPharlin
Foll: Sandilands, Hasleby, J.Carr
bench: Crowley, M.Carr, McManus, Warnock
emergency: Cook, Drum, Ibbotson
In: Crowley
Out: Ibbotson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Like Collard earlier in the year, Ibbotson only got a brief appearance before going back to the WAFL. Sandilands is not totally fit, which means if he misses then Warnock gets a whole game to get stats.
Geelong v Brisbane
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Harley, Egan, Mackie
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Corey
HF: Chapman, Mooney, Varcoe
FF: S.Johnson, N.Ablett, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, G.Ablett, Ling
bench from: Blake, Tenace, Kelly, Selwood, J.Hunt, Prismall, Gardiner
In: Selwood, J.Hunt, Prismall, Gardiner
Out: Rooke
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Rooke is only out for 1 game. All four of the possible inclusions starred in the VFL last week, so check the news on Friday to see which player makes it into the team.
Brisbane
FB: MacDonald, Merrett, Brennan
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Copeland
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Sherman, Brown, Selwood
FF: Rischitelli, Patfull, Wood
Foll: Charman, Black, Hadley
bench from: McGrath, Hooper, Begley, Roe, Tyler, Dzufer, Proud
In: Wood, McGrath, Roe, Tyler, Dzufer, Proud
Out: Clark, Schmidt, Allan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Once again the Lions make a lot of changes. With Clark out it seems that Charman might spend more time as a forward, as Wood has been included. McGrath, if healthy, must be one of the other inclusions. That leaves Roe, who used to be great for fantasy points, or one of the first-game players. Proud and Dzufer might help fantasy teams more than Tyler. Proud probably plays a lot of the games to finish the season and he might help fantasy teams a lot.
Port Adelaide v Essendon
Port Adelaide
FB: Thurstans, Wakelin, Wilson
HB: Symes, C.Cornes, Surjan
C: Cassisi, S.Burgoyne, Salopek
HF: Pearce, Tredrea, P.Burgoyne
FF: Westhoff, White, Ebert
Foll: Lade, K.Cornes, D.Rodan
bench from: Gray, Bentley, Boak, Brogan, Lower, Pettigrew, Thomson
In: Bentley, Boak, Lower, Thomson
Out: Krakouer
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Westhoff is a definite starter, and there is only a day to sign him before his price rises. Gray is only a possible starter at this time, but if he is named to play tomorrow night he is another inexpensive player to think about. Boak might finally play, as Krakouer won't be there. Salopek is playing well and can help a fantasy team in the middle. C Cornes should bounce back after being contained for much of the game last round.
Essendon
FB: Hird, Michael, Bolton
HB: McVeigh, Ryder, Fletcher
C: Slattery, Stanton, McPhee
HF: Welsh, Lucas, Peverill
FF: J.Johnson, Lloyd, Davey
Foll: Hille, Watson, Winderlich
bench from: Monfries, Laycock, Camporeale, Johns, J.Johnson, Heffernan, Nash
In: Johns, Heffernan, Nash
AFL Fantasy Watch:
After defeating the Eagles last round, the Bombers might have an unchanged side this week. Lucas seems to be back in form, and he usually puts together a streak of good games so he might be a forward to add this week.
Round 12 games for next week.
Fantasy coaches have to be careful signing players from these teams, as fantasy games are locked in tomorrow for all of the round 12 matches. These are the sides that were named for last week's matches, there are some changes that will have to be made by teams but they won't be announced until next week.
Richmond
FB: King, Thursfield, Bowden
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: White, Tuck, Howat
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Edwards
FF: Tambling, Deledio, Jackson
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench: Kingsley, Hughes, Polo, Hyde
emergency: Tivendale, McGuane, Schulz
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Tigers played well last week so they might not make many changes.
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Bruce
HB: Wheatley, Bizzell, Bell
C: Johnstone, McDonald, Davey
HF: Green, Robertson, Godfrey
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, Bate
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench: P. Johnson, Petterd, Frawley, Holland
emergency: Brown, Yze, Buckley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Holland was a special inclusion as the "Rocca stopper", he might keep his spot to play on Richardson. Bate had a big game against the Magpies and he has value in fantasy leagues. Robertson is also a chance to kick a lot of goals again, this should be a wide open game with plenty of scoring and the Tigers may not have a great matchup for him, although Raines was able to keep Tarrant quiet last week.
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Dempster
HB: Kennelly, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Schmidt, Kirk, Malceski
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Davis, Hall, Buchanan
Foll: Everitt, Goodes, Fosdike
bench: Schneider, McVeigh, Jolly, Bevan
emergency: Ablett, Grundy, Thornton
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Kennelly is one player here who will miss. Ablett was replaced by Schmidt before the game last week and both players might be in the team next week. Jolly has a sore knee at the moment, the extra week of rest should help but if deciding between the two Sydney ruckmen it is best to take Everitt.
Collingwood
FB: Lockyer, Wakelin, Holland
HB: H.Shaw, O’Brien, Stanley
C: Pendlebury, Medhurst, Davis
HF: Maxwell, Cloke, Didak
FF: Swan, Rocca, Johnson
Followers: Fraser, O’Bree, Burns
bench: Thomas, Goldsack, Toovey, Bryan
emergency: Cox, Licuria, R.Shaw
AFL Fantasy Watch:
R Shaw missed last week, he might return but O'Brien will be unavailable.
West Coast
FB: Wirrpanda, Glass, B.Jones
HB: LeCras, Hunter, Selwood
C: Stenglein, Fletcher, Braun
HF: R.Jones, Staker, Morton
FF: Chick, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Judd, Kerr
bench: Hurn, Brown, Priddis, Rosa
emergency: Armstrong, MacKenzie, Waters
AFL Fantasy Watch:
They lost another game so some changes are expected. Waters was a late change last week, he might not be back for this game. The Eagles might bring in another tall defender as the Saints can play several talls up forward.
St Kilda
FB: Blake, Hudghton, Gwilt
HB: Attard, S.Fisher, Baker
C: Gilbert, Ball, Gram
HF: Montagna, Riewoldt, Fiora
FF: Milne, Gehrig, R.Clarke
Foll: Koschitzke, Hayes, Dal Santo
bench: Rix, Thompson, Voss, Howard
emergency: Watts, Jones, X.Clarke
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Gehrig was expected to miss this game because of his hand injury. There are some reports saying he might play. This would be a big game to play Gardiner in, not sure he is ready yet, and fantasy coaches should not be signing him.
Luke Hodge will play his 100th game when Hawthorn face Carlton. But unlike most players, no finals matches have been part of his first 100 games. Looking at Hawthorn’s ladder position at the halfway point, that could change this year. If Hodge goes forward during the match on Friday he could be playing against Bret Thornton, those two players would have a combined total of around 202 games without playing in a final.
From the Hawthorn site: Round 12 Footy Flashbacks
When Luke Hodge plays his 100th game this Friday night he will become the first Hawthorn player since 1971 to reach 100 games without playing in a final.
According to the AFL’s profile of Hodge, he has only played 66 matches. Hopefully that information is wrong and outdated or this post won’t make a lot of sense.
Career Matches: 66
Hodge will have a banner to run through, but when Carlton acknowledge their 100-gamer he is unlikely to be breaking through the paper. Coach Pagan coaches his 100th game for Carlton.
From the Carlton site: Milestone won’t ruffle veteran coach
If your starting ruckmen are bringing in fantasy points, then extra money can be found to upgrade other positions by selling a bench ruckman, like J Griffin or P Johnson, and adding one of these low-priced fantasy ruck prospects.
Robert Warnock: He plays occasionally for the Dockers, and is only one Sandilands injury or suspension away from a lot of playing time, as Longmuir is out indefinitely.
Fabian Deluca: Even when the Power play him he doesn't have a lot of playing time, but Brogan is often out and if Lade missed as well it could open up minutes for him.
Jesse White: He could add some height to their forward line.
Brent Renouf: Hawthorn's two starting ruckman, Campbell and Taylor, have been playing every game but if they miss then Renouf is ready.
Shaun Hampson: A top 20 pick, they must play him soon.
Luke Van Rheenen: A cheap rookie-listed ruckman.
Angus Graham: The most money can be freed up by trading for a rookie player. Graham might get a chance if one of their injury-prone bigs has to go to the long-term injured list.
Cheap AFL Fantasy Onballers
He has been an exciting player in the VFL and Malcolm Lynch might get the chance to entertain the AFL crowd in Darwin this round. The Bulldogs need to make at least two changes, McMahon is expected to return and Lynch has also been named by the Bulldogs as a possibility.
From the Bulldogs site: Eade confident despite Dogs' midfield woes
Eade confirmed Jordan McMahon will come in for Griffen after spending a week in the VFL, but he was unsure whether he would go tall or small with Cross’ replacement and would make the decision to include either Andrejs Everitt or Malcolm Lynch on Saturday.
From The Age: Bulldogs look to debutant
AFL Fantasy Impact:
If Lynch, or A Everitt, can keep their spot in the team for the next month they could have a good price rise as they can both find the ball. But first they have to be named by the Bulldogs. As the Bulldogs did lose two midfield players, Lynch might be the better choice for them and also fantasy coaches. Lynch knows how to kick a goal and he covers plenty of the ground so his fantasy points could add up quickly.
If you are trying to find extra money for your fantasy team, sell one of your bench centre players who has increased in value for one of these much cheaper options. Some of the players below will cement a starting spot in their AFL teams soon, while others may need an injury to open up an unexpected spot.
David Armitage: The Saints are gone, nearly, and they will have to play their first round pick. While he has played three games, he didn't have a lot of playing time and is still cheap in fantasy leagues as his price only went up a smidgeon.
Tom Hislop: He might have been an emergency once this season, it was expected that he would have debuted by now. Stanton has been a bit hobbled, and Hislop could play his role if Stanton doesn't play. There are a couple of other players who might be dropped for Hislop too.
Daniel Connors: All the young players at Richmond who are fit enough to play should get a run this season.
Simon Buckley: He nearly played last week, so as the Demons still have a few players out injured Buckley might play soon.
Brad Howard: He has not done a lot in the games he has played, it could be due to the amount of playing time he gets and that would be expected to increase.
John Hinge: He already played a game, and like too many of the Crows he got hurt. He wasn't bad for fantasy points in that game, so there is some potential.
Kieran Jack: The Swans know he can fill a role for them, so he could play a bit more this year if injuries hit.
Chris Schmidt: They are naming him, but so far he only gets a few minutes of play until he returns to their bench.
Garry Moss: Hawthorn is probably too deep among their onballers for him to get a lot of games, but he might add to his game he played earlier in the year.
Daniel Nicholls: He played one game this season, might play more.
Martin Clarke: He has impressed a lot of people at Collingwood and they could give him a game soon.
Daniel O'Keefe: Their luck with injuries might have run out, so he might play later in the year,
Beau Muston: It might be next year that he helps fantasy teams, Hawthorn has a settled lineup at the moment.
Sharrod Wellingham: Could only be an injury or two away.
Robert Eddy: Another long-term injury at St Kilda and he could be elevated right from the rookie list to their starting 18.
Nathan Djerrkura: Right now Geelong are too healthy, and playing too well, for him to get a look. But things change and if a couple of smaller players go down then Djerrkura would be considered by the Cats.
Ryley Dunn: Might have been named as an emergency earlier in the year.
Josh P Kennedy: It's a surprise that he hasn't played for Hawthorn yet, so expect a few games in the second half of the year.
Ross Young: He was a good player for them, after they elevated him into their main squad, so they might give him another go.
Shaun Grigg: Missed time with an injury but could have a good second half to the year.
Cheap AFL Fantasy Defenders
Jerry and George once wondered who would be O'Brien, now the Magpies have to figure out who will take Harry O'Brien's place in the team for the next month. First-year players Stanley, Goldsack and Toovey auditioned for the role last week.
From the Collingwood site: O'Brien out for a month
AFL Fantasy Impact:
O'Brien is on a few fantasy teams and it might be a good idea to trade him. In some fantasy leagues, players at a similar price to O'Brien are Matthew Egan, Darren Glass, Henry Slattery and S O'hAilpin. Shane Wakelin is going to have a much bigger workload now, he is also at a similar price to O'Brien. Toovey is an option for fantasy teams but if Stanley keeps his spot he will be a better choice, due to his low fantasy price. The Magpies could also introduce another player for their first game. Nathan Brown, yes there is another one, might have been the ideal player to go against Robertson due to his size and pace. First round picks Brown and Ben Reid are fantasy forwards, while Martin Clarke is a fantasy centre and another option for Coach Malthouse to consider to replace O'Brien.
Round 11 goes to Bryce Gibbs.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 6
Handballs: 2
Marks: 2
Tackles: 3
Goals: 0
J Selwood (Mathew Stoke's Round 11 stats)
Kicks: 6
Handballs: 10
Marks: 6
Tackles: 2
Goals: 1
Selwood has taken a couple of weeks off, which has allowed Gibbs to get close at the halfway point in their unofficial competition to decide the best midfielder, and probably best overall player too, from the 2006 AFL draft. Joel Selwood was a star last week in the VFL and Gibbs continued his solid play in the Carlton back line in the AFL.
While Gibbs did not have a lot of the ball, he did save a couple of goals due to his positioning down back and he also showed that he isn't as susceptible to marking players as possibly thought. He did play a bit on Ebert and also was opposed to Gray for a time.
Stokes' game was observed with J Selwood only an emergency for Geelong's game at Adelaide. Stokes is quicker than Selwood but not usually as prolific, but he had a Selwood-like 10 handballs in this close game. As goals were hard to come by for both teams he made a solid contribution around the forward line for the Cats with his pace and hustle and he also helped on the scoreboard with a goal.
A spot has opened up in the Geelong side for their game against the Lions, Rooke must think that he is lucky to only be out for one round. Selwood will be competing with Josh Hunt and several other Cats who are trying to get back into their AFL side. Gibbs will be in action on Friday as Carlton play Hawthorn. Thankfully for him, as the Hawks don't have a lot of smaller players deep in their forward line it could allow Gibbs to play more in the middle. Unless Pagan thinks that Gibbs could play on Franklin, Roughead or Boyle, but that won't happen. Gibbs against someone like Young or McGlynn might be the way that Carlton go.
B Gibbs 5 - J Selwood 6
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
30
Matthew Scarlett.
Defender for the Geelong Cats.
Scarlett started off his career as "the guy with the floppy hair who plays against Essendon", although there may have also been a time when he went with the shaved look for a short time. His first game of his career was against the Bombers, it was the only game he played in 1998. The next year he played five games and the first of those was again versus Essendon at the MCG. He also played his 100th game against Essendon.
Like around a third of the players that Geelong have on the field, Scarlett was a father/son draft pick by the Cats. Officially he was pick 45 in the 1997 AFL draft.
For someone who is usually the full back, he can total up a useful number of disposals. Over his career, he has had several games over 20 or more kicks. His best ever game was 24 kicks. Very strong above his head, Scarlett also gets plenty of marks. His highest total in a single game is 15 marks.
Geelong are at their best when Scarlett is deep in their back line, as opposed to last season when Scarlett played full forward against Melbourne when Geelong were out of finals contention. The back line has often been a problem area for Geelong in Grand Finals, as their converted full forwards, future Docker and future NFL punter couldn't get the job done when it mattered. Geelong do have a lot of work to do to get to the AFL Grand Final, but with Scarlett ready to take on the big forwards of the AFL they won't have to worry about the back line this time.
Matthew Scarlett information:
192cm, 95kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 29
Fantasy coaches who want to improve their team will need to find extra money to upgrade a player or two. Selling a bench player for a very cheap option can often raise enough money to then trade in a starting player for a much better option. Players like J Selwood and L Thomas have at least doubled their opening price, selling them and replacing them on the bench with a player at a low price could mean there is enough money to turn someone like Solomon into Carrazzo in the fantasy back line.
Teams with injuries and down the bottom of the ladder will always provide more fantasy bargains. They have a lot more reasons to play their younger players than a contending team. Melbourne, Brisbane and Carlton might provide a fantasy defender who is currently at the lowest price and will have a very productive second half of the season.
The other positions will be looked at in the coming days. You can post about a very cheap player that was missed in the comments box below, or maybe you would be better off signing them yourself and not letting other fantasy coaches know.
If someone like Boyle or Toovey is on the fantasy bench and extra money is needed, then they could be traded for one of these low-priced fantasy defenders.
James Frawley: His team is out of finals contention, and he is already getting a game, so a good option for a fantasy defender at a low price.
Albert Proud: He is getting close to a game, as he was named as an emergency. The Lions started well but have fallen off and their season could be finished with a few more losses. Proud would be expected to play plenty of games during the second half of the season.
Tom Williams: He played one bad game for fantasy stats early in the season, and one great game recently, so his price is about to go up.
Will Thursfield: They are down the bottom and got rid of Gaspar so Thursfield will continue to play. His stats have not been very good though.
Joe Anderson: Carlton have moved a round a lot of the defensive structure, Anderson has played a few games and when he is healthy there should be a spot for him to play a few more.
Danny Stanley: He played his first game on the weekend, and he might play a few more.
Garrick Ibbotson: A defender in fantasy games, he spent time in the middle and also kicked a goal in his first game for Fremantle.
Simon Prestigiacomo: He is among the cheap players. For a fantasy team that wants to play it safe and have a fantasy emergency who is guaranteed to play for their AFL side then Prestigiacomo is a player to sign, when he is fit.
Matt Riggio: He played a couple of early games. The Kangaroos might need to go deeper into their list if more injuries hit and Riggio could get a recall.
Mitchell Thorp: He should make his debut soon. If he does play for Hawthorn then it might be a role up forward. Last season, Hawthorn provided a few more fantasy bargains than this year as they played more young players because they were out of finals contention in 2006.
Eric MacKenzie: Probably not the best team to look at for a fantasy bargain right now, although the Eagles could add another tall defender and MacKenzie is as much of a chance as Graham is to get the spot.
Adam Hartlett: They have moved some of the ri better defenders into new spots up the ground, leaving Thornton and Saddington as their tall defenders. Carlton have already given Hartlett a game and he could play a few more.
Matt Tyler: Brisbane provided some low-cost fantasy stars last season when their season was unofficially over, it could happen again this year.
Gavin Urquhart: The Kangaroos covered for the loss of Gibson but if they lose another defender then maybe Urquhart gets a run.
Andrejs Everitt: Tom Williams could have taken the spot that was available in their back line, so Everitt might not be the best Bulldog to invest in.
Matthew Ferguson: There are plenty of injuries at the Saints so he might get a game.
Clinton Benjamin: Carlton haven't gone with the full youth movement yet, but a couple more losses and players like Benjamin should get their chance.
Matthew Warnock: Melbourne have gone with some veteran defenders as they have won a couple of games, but when they lose again it could be time for younger options like Warnock.
Matthew Spencer: The Cats would need to lose a couple of tall players to injury before Spencer got a look.
Brett Kirk of the Sydney Swans.
In an era when coaches want to rotate everyone they have to the bench, even their superstars, it is good to see a great player spend every second on the ground. The Swans needed Kirk out there for the entire match as they battled an improved Hawthorn side.
The Swans were coming off a close loss at home, Everitt was going up against his former club and in the first couple of minutes the Swans lost one of their key players, Kennelly. It was always going to be tough for the Swans, and the loss of Kennelly and the play of Lance Franklin in the first quarter gave the Hawks all the momentum.
Kirk took charge in the middle of the ground, some of his 9 tackles for the game were very important as the Swans gradually gained control. Kirk was responsible for the umpire blowing his whistle 11 times to award free kicks, 5 times it was Kirk who gave them away but he came out slightly ahead as he received 6 free kicks.
Captain Kirk increased his disposal numbers every quarter, and when the game was there to be won at the end he was at his best. Among his 12 possessions in the final term was a lightning-quick handball that cleared the congestion around half forward, he only had a split second and a small window and like many of his disposals it was right on target.
Kirk had 12 kicks, 13 handballs and 9 tackles. Without his huge effort, the Swans would have gone into the midseason break with a losing record. He put his body on the line and came out on top against a very talented Hawthorn midfield, Bret Kirk is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Brett Kirk's profile at the Sydney site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Dean Cox.
Robertson got the Demons going early before Collingwood came storming back. The Magpies had the momentum going into the last quarter but it was Robertson again who put the game away. Robertson finished with 7 goals, down the other end it was not Rocca's day as he gave away 6 free kicks.
Demons 94 - Magpies 81
Fantasy Player News
Melbourne
Bate: 10 marks, 14 kicks and 2 goals. He is sort of a big who can also play small, which is useful for fantasy points.
Robertson: 14 kicks, 9 marks and 7 goals. It might be worth signing him, they play Richmond next round.
McLean: Time to spend the big bucks and add him, he had 20 kicks, 5 tackles and 3 frees for.
Wheatley: He kicks it when he gets it, and kicks it long which usually equals an effective kick. He had 18 kicks.
Frawley: 4 kicks and 8 handballs, he won't be starting for fantasy teams for a while. But a good choice for a very cheap fantasy defender for the bench.
Collingwood
H Shaw: He played, R Shaw didn't. 24 possessions, 5 tackles and 3 free kicks for. Time to sign him again.
Holland: Often he gives away free and doesn't have a lot of the ball, this time he had 25 disposals and received 3 frees.
Stanley: His first game was solid, for a fantasy points game. 10 possessions and 4 marks. He might not keep his spot for next round.
Cloke: 11 kicks, 7 marks and 3 goals.
Rocca: A rare occasion when it was better not to play someone in fantasy games, 1 kick and 6 free kicks given away.
This might be a way for Steven King to eventually get back into the side, if Ottens ends up swimming with the types of sharks that Roy Scheider has had to battle over the years. Ottens will be swimming in the Melbourne Aquarium with the big fish, and the Cats will auction off a spot for someone to join him in the huge tank.
From the Geelong site: Your night to ‘Let Us Entertain You’
The chance to join Ottens in the Melbourne Aquarium’s 2.2 million litre ‘Oceanarium’ is sure to be one of the most sought after items.
1: West Coast Eagles 8-3 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
When the finals start, they will probably play two games in Perth and one on the MCG. Their losses have not been at any of those venues. They won't need this long, but they have a couple of weeks to prepare for the Saints. The week after that will be a big game, away to the Crows.
2: Sydney Swans 6-5 (2)
They have a blockbuster against Collingwood in round 12. The Swans got goals from Barry last round, Leo Barry, and they need to find new ways to get the ball to their other Barry, Hall.
3: Geelong Cats 8-3 (4)
The Cats have been one of the best over the past month. It was a tough schedule but it doesn't get much easier now, their next two games are at Geelong against Jonathan Brown, who has plenty of support from the Western District, and then the Swans are their opponent after Brisbane. Definite danger games but Geelong will be favourites. They could be without Rooke after his incident in Adelaide. Stokes got four weeks for a similar hit, Rooke probably is only out for one.
4: Adelaide Crows 6-5 (3)
It's a simple problem to diagnose, they don't kick enough goals, but the solution may not be readily available. McGregor did kick 3 goals and they might need to add another big forward to stretch the back line of the Kangaroos in round 12.
5: Hawthorn Hawks 7-4 (6)
Franklin could kick double-figures for goals next round if Hawthorn and Carlton play positive football. But the Hawks will also have their hands full with Carlton's forward line.
6: Collingwood Magpies 7-4 (7)
They will have plenty of time to get ready for the Swans as they play in a couple of weeks. That extra time should allow some of their injured players to recover. The game against Melbourne showed they have to address a few things. O'Brien is likely to miss a few games. If the Magpies are going to contend, they will need the Rocca who played against the Dockers and not he one who struggled against the Demons.
7: Western Bulldogs 6-5 (8)
They need to find a couple of players to replace Cross and Griffen, those two will miss a month or two.
8: Port Adelaide Power 6-5 (5)
It seems that Port Adelaide are having a similar year to Brisbane, they started well but then quickly fell away. In two rounds those two teams will play each other. The Power play the Bombers in round 12. Tredrea needs to turn his season around, not something easily achievable against Fletcher, Michael, Ryder and the rest of the Bombers' back line.
9: Essendon Bombers 7-4 (9)
The Bombers already have one win in South Australia this season and they will try to make that two against the Power. This game should show if the Bombers are playing at their best and winning by only a kick, or if they can do a lot more. Lucas started to turn it on again against the Eagles, if he is back to his best from the start of the year then the Power will be in trouble.
10: Fremantle Dockers 5-6 (10)
They have an away game next round, but as it is in Darwin against the Bulldogs they will also have some support from the crowd.
11: Kangaroos 7-4 (11)
It's another game on the Gold Coast, this time against the Crows. McIntosh has been stopped in the past couple of games, they will want him to get back to his best.
12: Melbourne Demons 2-9 (15)
Their next three games are the Tigers, Bombers and Blues and they won't be worried about any of those teams. The "Killer Bees" are doing the damage for the Demons. It isn't B. Brian Blair and Jumping Jim Brunzell, the Demons are powered by Bruce, Bate, Bell, Brock and Brad. There might even be Byron playing soon too.
13: Carlton Blues 4-7 (14)
They figured out they couldn't stop anyone so they are now playing to their strengths, their tall forward options, and are trying to outscore teams. That has worked for the past two weeks.
14: Brisbane Lions 4-6-1 (13)
The Cats, Power and Eagles are coming up. The season could slip away with three losses. This could be a chance to debut Proud and Leuenberger soon.
15: St Kilda Saints 4-7 (12)
They travel West again, and it won't be a trip they look forward to as the Eagles are their opponents. It will be a possible look at the future of the Saints, with Harvey still out and Gehrig expected to miss a couple of games. Watts and Gilbert could join Reiwoldt in the forward line. Maybe Armitage will get another look, possibly at the expense of Milne who must frustrate his new coach as much as he frustrates the Saints’ supporters.
16: Richmond Tigers 0-10-1 (16)
Their round 12 match with Melbourne isn't going to be between two winless teams, the Demons are flying while the Tigers are still waiting for clearance to take-off. Their trade for Polak is a winner for them, and it could get even better if they play the other player who was part of that preseason move, Jack Riewoldt. Round 13 is a game against the Saints.
Geelong are the best team in the AFL, they are on the top of the ladder at the halfway point of the season. The Cats had just a bit more offensive talent to rely on as Mooney kicked a few important goals. The Crows had a few stars on the bench, Goodwin played only a few minutes while Johncock and Ricciuto were also hurt.
Cats 69 - Crows 62
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Mackie: 17 kicks, he is an improved player for fantasy stats.
Chapman: 20 possessions and 6 tackles is a very good game, but he needs to kick a goal or two to be great in fantasy games.
Harley: Has not been very good for stats, but that changed here with 8 marks and 15 possessions.
Corey: 10 kicks, 14 handballs and 9 tackles.
Ling: Another big game and again he kicked goals, he finished with 22 disposals, 8 tackles and 2 goals.
Adelaide
McGregor: Didn't do a lot as a defender, was switched to the forward line and kicked 3 goals.
van Berlo: 24 possessions, 12 marks and 2 goals.
Bassett: Often the recipient of a backwards kick, which helps fantasy points, he had 13 marks and 15 kicks.
Thompson: 21 kicks, 12 marks, 5 tackles and a goal.
Mattner: For free for and 6 tackles provided extra fantasy points, also had 20 disposals.
The Saints don't have any answers for the problems on and off the field. Corey Jones kicked the Kangaroos to an early lead and they maintained that margin of two or three goals for most of the match.
Kangaroos 80 - Saints 58
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Archer: 17 kicks, he might have doubled his usual fantasy points per game average.
Jones: 4 goals and 7 marks, he can be played as a defender or forward in fantasy leagues.
Lower: 16 possessions, he is among the lower priced players in fantasy games.
Hale: When he plays now it is only as a backup, he played just over half the game for a goal and 12 disposals.
Thomas: Might be time to trade him off the bench and take the money, he again missed the goals, he kicked 3 behinds.
St Kilda
S Fisher: He always gets plenty of fantasy points, 29 possessions and 7 marks.
Ball: Gets extra points compared to other midfielders due to his tackles, he had 7 tackles and 20 disposals.
Blake: An underrated player. he had a good fantasy game with 17 possessions and 5 tackles.
Hayes: 19 kicks, 9 handballs, 4 tackles and 6 marks.
Dal Santo: was slowed in a few recent games, back at his best here with 29 disposals.
The Tigers were in control for a lot of the game. Headland helped the Dockers grab the win with 5 goals. Polak had a big game for the Tigers. Kent Kingsley kicked another goal, just like last week it was less than a metre out.
Dockers 123 - Tigers 102
Fantasy Player News
Fremantle
Bell: 38 possessions, he is having a great season for fantasy points.
Ibbotson: Didn't have a lot of playing time, kicked a goal and had 7 possessions.
Headland: The Dockers need to find another player for goals, it was Headland here with 5 goals and only 1 behind.
Pavlich: Some fantasy forward players are down this season, but not Pavlich and he had 15 marks and 3 goals.
Johnson: He was all over Subiaco, collecting 26 possessions.
Richmond
Polak: He gave their fans plenty of chances to boo him as he had the ball 24 times.
King: He started at the lowest price of any player, his price is much higher now, he had 15 kicks.
Pettifer: If he is kicking goals then he can help fantasy teams, he had 3 goals and 16 kicks.
Raines: A big game as he was often on Tarrant and Raines still managed 16 kicks and 10 handballs.
Tuck: An important player for the Tigers, he received 3 free kicks and had 25 disposals.
The Saints are going through a rough patch and they might have hit another bump in the road as Fraser Gehrig could have a hand injury. While he was not listed as an injury on the match report, according to The Age he hurt his hand towards the end of the game against the Kangaroos.
From The Age: The injury report
Fraser Gehrig (St Kilda) hand
Injured his hand late in the game. If X-rays confirm a fracture of the metacarpal, then he may miss 2-3 weeks.
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Gehrig had a useful game for fantasy points against the Kangaroos and he probably wasn’t far off kicking another big bag of goals. But if he is hurt then fantasy teams may want to trade him away. The Saints may provide a replacement, Fergus Watts. Watts kicked 3 goals in the VFL.
29
Matthew Pavlich.
Forward for the Fremantle Dockers.
The only problem that Pavlich causes for the Dockers is that they only have one of him, he is their leading goal-scorer, an All-Australian full back or a dominating midfielder and can star in any position.
The Dockers were lucky that Pavlich was still there at pick 4 of the 1999 AFL draft. Fremantle have not always been successful with high draft picks, but Pavlich was always going to be a star.
Every season Pavlich improves, and his Brownlow votes agree with this as they have increased every year. In 2006 he received his most ever Brownlow votes, 15, as he also set career highs for goals and marks in a season.
Pavlich once had 18 marks in a single game. He also has kicked 9 goals in a game. With other game-highs over his career of 32 possessions, 8 hitouts and also 8 tackles, it shows what a versatile and skilful player he is.
While one player is never usually more important than a club, if Pavlich were to leave when his contract expired then the Dockers would take years to recover.
Matthew Pavlich information:
191cm, 100kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 28
The VFL game from Geelong yesterday started with Tom Hawkins versus Chris Grant. Two big names of the sport but they didn’t have a big impact on the result. Fans of the Bulldogs and Cats would have enjoyed seeing Grant in action, and they would have also been delighted to know that their future playing stocks will be very talented when Everitt, Lynch, Hill, Hawkins, Selwood, Djerrkura and Prismall cement spots in their AFL sides.
From The Age: Werribee blast stuns Geelong
AFL Fantasy Impact:
The Youngsters
Everitt: He played on marking targets and also on Hogan, one of Geelong’s fastest players. Everitt’s versatility should make him a good player for the Bulldogs and also for fantasy teams. That might be next year unless an injury or two opens a spot for him in the Bulldogs’ back line.
Lynch: He was very impressive last week and was solid in this game. He just needs to practice his kicking for goal, although if he gets a chance with the Bulldogs it will probably be as an outside midfielder. This won’t get fantasy points, but Lynch will be a future contender the Mark of the Year award, he can jump.
Hill: He ran around and pressured the Geelong players in the middle, his athleticism was on display and next year he could be ready for the AFL.
Selwood: He will have to go from the VFL to the AFL for a rest. He had plenty of the ball and received a lot of free kicks. He was often opposed to Robert Castello, a player who can run a long way. The future of Geelong was on display when Selwood received a free kick in the middle and hit Hawkins on the lead with an accurate pass. Fantasy coaches have a dilemma with Selwood, if he was playing every game in the AFL and getting a solid amount of playing time he would be worth starting, but as he is spending time in the VFL and the Cats don’t have any injuries to their midfielders it might be time to be happy with his fantasy price increase and trade him in.
Hawkins: He provided a few marks and his leads were quick but he didn’t have a big game. Some of that has to do with the supply to the forward line as well as Werribee controlling the game. He will be back in the AFL for a few more games but he won’t have a big year for fantasy points, unless injuries hit Geelong.
Prismall: After their AFL midfielders, and also Selwood and maybe Brynes too, comes Prismall so even though he was good for stats in some early games he is unlikely to help fantasy teams this season.
Djerrkura: Often played as a forward in the VFL, he might be a player who helps AFL fantasy teams next year.
The Oldsters
Grant: He will need at least another week. Grant was slowly brought back with plenty of rests on the bench. He is too expensive in fantasy leagues to take a risk with when he does play again for the Bulldogs.
Minson: Not as dominant as he was the previous week, Minson might be back with the Bulldogs if Darcy or Street are injured.
McMahon: There were times when he did not stand out, with his play, but injuries to the Bulldogs up in Brisbane should mean he gets back into the team. He was solid and made good decisions in the back half and kicked efficiently. Wearing his bright blue Bulldogs boots was not a good look considering Werribee’s colours. It might be worth signing him for fantasy teams next week, assuming he does replace Griffen.
Robbins: Nothing wrong with kicking 4 goals, but he is more of a backup player for the Bulldogs in case Johnson is out. Robbins is unlikely to help fantasy teams this season.
McDougall: He can mark the ball, so if the Bulldogs give him another go he might help fantasy teams with contested marks.
Gardiner: Someone who lives in the phantom zone between leagues, too good for the VFL and not able to secure a regular spot in his AFL team. He won’t be useful for AFL fantasy teams.
Byrnes: Byrnes was hot for a lot of the game, but he is behind Varcoe and Stokes on the Geelong depth chart for little, quick forwards. If injuries open up a spot with their AFL side, his fantasy price is very reasonable and he could help fantasy teams.
From the VFL site:
Werribee 107 – Geelong 92
Werribee
Goal Kickers: J. Podsiadly 4, M. Robbins 4, J. Barham 2, J. Furfaro, M. Rockefeller, J. Hill, A. McDougall, M. Lynch
Best Players: M. Pask, J. Barham, M. Robbins, M. Rockefeller, R. Castello, J. Podsiadly
Geelong
Goal Kickers: S. Byrnes 2, H. Playfair 2, C. Gardiner 2, J. Byrne 2, N. Djerrkura 2, B. Prismall, J. Davenport
Best Players: J. Selwood, B. Prismall, T. Callan, C. Gardiner, S. Byrnes, H. Playfair
The first quarter belonged to Lance Franklin, it was a surprise as the second quarter was dominated by Leo Barry, the umpire's might have had the biggest impact in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter it was Brett Kirk who provided a couple of inspirational plays to just get the Swans the win. One highlight was the clash early in the game between Crawford and Everitt, the ball had gone out of play and Crawford challenged Everitt in a contest of strength, surprisingly the little guy tumbled the big fellow over. Everitt didn't care as he received one of his free kicks for it. Kennelly may not be as hurt as was first thought, but he is expected to miss several matches, he was injured in the opening minutes.
Swans 75 - Hawks 66
Fantasy Player News
Sydney
Barry: 18 possessions and 11 marks, with a bonus 2 goals.
Fosdike: Produced a bit extra, 29 possessions and 22 of them were by foot.
Kirk: Captain Kirk was back at his best, 27 disposals and 9 tackles. An odd stat, he received 6 free kicks and gave away 5.
Everitt: 15 possessions and 8 marks. Extra fantasy points with 3 free kicks received and 23 total hitouts.
Davis: Didn't have a lot of the football but he kicked 3 goals.
Hawthorn
Franklin: 12 kicks, 6 of them went through for goals.
Hodge: Some talk that he was injured, he played and had 17 possessions and 12 tackles, gave away 3 frees.
Sewell: Another great game combining a stopping role with still getting the ball, he had 26 disposals.
Crawford: 13 kicks, 9 handballs and 7 tackles.
Gilham: Having a very productive year, he had 11 possessions and 8 marks here.
Once again Carlton came out firing against a team from South Australia, but unlike their game against the Crows they kept going until the last quarter. Carlton shared the goals around, just like they did last week against the Bulldogs. Two of the best for Port Adelaide were Westhoff and Gray who played their second AFL games.
Blues 141 - Power 102
Fantasy Player News
Carlton
Wiggins: A big game for stats, 22 possessions and 10 marks, with a couple of free kicks received too.
Walker: He runs and runs, 22 kicks and also had a goal.
Whitnall: 2 goals and 19 possessions.
Bentick: 19 possessions and 6 tackles, but once again gave away more free kicks than he received.
Fisher: A useful player who always gets some stats, he kicked 3 goals.
Port Adelaide
Symes: The fantasy points specialist, he was in last year's form with 23 possessions.
Salopek: 19 kicks and 11 marks, one of Port's best players now and a useful addition for fantasy teams.
Pearce: His kicking for goal isn't there right now, but he did have 28 possessions.
P Burgoyne: Both Burgoynes are getting back to their better numbers, Peter had 22 disposals and 8 marks. Shaun had 20 disposals.
Westhoff: Fantasy teams with plenty of spare trades and a player who is worth a bit on the bench can free up some money by trading their bench player for Westhoff, or Gray. The Hoff kicked 4 goals and his fantasy price will be going up soon.
Akermanis got to do his handstand. Griffen will miss at least a month while Cross could be out twice as long, check the injury news next week for more information. The Bulldogs dominated the ball, a big change from their game against the Swans a couple of rounds ago.
Bulldogs 95 - Lions 72
Fantasy Player News
Western Bulldogs
Akermanis: 2 goals, 14 possessions, a tackle and a free kick.
Harris: 23 kicks and 24 marks, he impersonated Jacobs from round 1 on the Gabba, although in a winning side.
Williams: Some exciting numbers, 15 kicks, 13 marks and 3 tackles. He's at the bargain price.
Cooney: He will have to do more with their injuries to Cross and Griffin, Cooney had 24 disposals and 2 goals.
Harbrow: 15 kicks, 10 marks and 5 tackles.
Brisbane
Drummond: He did it again, 30 possessions and 10 marks.
Charman: Good stats for a ruckman, with 21 possessions. Also had 18 total hitouts.
Lappin: 28 possessions, 7 tackles and a goal.
Brennan: Moved back forward, he kicked 3 goals.
Notting: Another big game, 3 goals and 23 possessions.
Nearly every round has some title bestowed on it, like Rivalry Round, and this week it could be “You Can’t Go Home Round” as former players will face their previous clubs but will not be welcomed. Polak hopes the Dockers’ fans boo him, Akermanis is guaranteed that reception and Everitt will have Jolly to help him as he battles the young ruckmen at Hawthorn.
Stories from The Australian:
No Lions' love lost for Aker
(Chris) Scott made it abundantly clear what Akermanis could expect. "I don't think anyone in Brisbane should be feeling sorry for Aker - I think he should get the hostile reception that he deserves".
Hawks coach sidesteps Spida web
Clarkson said Everitt playing was nothing more than a contest for the Hawks' young ruckmen Robert Campbell and Simon Taylor.
He made it clear Everitt playing against his old side did not carry any of the significance of Jason Akermanis' return against the Brisbane Lions.
"We have moved on," Clarkson said.
Polak earns stripes at Tigers
“It's the best I've started a year".
"There's some great food, great restaurants over here, so the majority of the nights we head out and have a feed down the street somewhere."
The Bombers' last three wins may not have boosted their percentage but they have turned their season around. Two points is the combined winning margin for Essendon for their games against last year's grand finalists. The Eagles nearly had the game wrapped up in the first quarter, with 10 scoring shots to 1. The Bombers steadied in the second quarter and then caught the Eagles in the second half. Hille might have just had an edge over Dean Cox in the ruck, and it was Hille's point that won the game.
Bombers 95 - Eagles 94
Fantasy Player News
Essendon
Lucas: Great in the early rounds, Lucas could be a player to sign after kicking 5 goals.
McVeigh: 10 tackles provided some extra fantasy points, he also had 13 kicks and 8 marks.
Winderlich: 17 kicks and 12 marks as Winderlich continues his big fantasy season.
Fletcher: He again roamed around the back half getting lots of kicks, 18 this game.
Peverill: He had 30 possessions and 10 marks.
West Coast
Priddis: He followed up his big game last week with 17 kicks and 12 handballs here.
Staker: Taking over Hansen's role, Staker kicked 3 goals.
Stenglein: Kerr had 3 kicks, Stenglein was a much better fantasy player with 18 kicks.
B Jones: 19 kicks and 11 marks.
Morton: Both Morton and Brown kicked a goal, Morton had 8 kicks and received 4 free kicks.
28
Jared Crouch.
Midfielder for the Sydney Swans.
If there is one thing that Crouch is known for it is his huge streak, from 1998 until the middle of last season Crouch was always out there for the Swans.
Going at pick 8 of the 1995 AFL draft, Crouch was around the club when they played in the 1996 AFL Grand Final but he didn't play until round 7 1998. Some of his teammates for that first game included current Swan O'Loughlin, Licuria who is now a Magpie, Saddington who is a Blue now and also Kelly, Dunkley, Lockett, Bayes, Nicks and even "Luffy".
It might have been the move of Licuria to Collingwood that enabled Crouch to have a bigger role. Crouch was then given the tough roles in the middle, to contain the onball stars of the other team. This is something that Crouch has excelled at, and his high tackles totals show it. He had seasons of 94, 86 and 72 tackles. His best tally in a single game is 8 tackles.
While he is given roles in the middle or in the back line that have stopping as a primary task, he can get the ball himself. His best game of his career for kicks occurred in 2000 when he had 17 against Richmond. He also has a career-high of 15 handballs in a game.
When the streak of consecutive games was broken it meant the Swans would have to play the 2006 finals without a key member of their 2005 win. The Swans came up short but if Crouch was there playing on Armstrong it might have changed the 2006 AFL Grand Final. Crouch also missed this season's round 1 clash against the Eagles, if these two teams do meet again in the 2007 finals then expect Crouch to play a big role.
Jared Crouch information:
174cm, 75kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 27
It can be fun adding up the fantasy points. A player can mark the ball, handball to a teammate and then get it back, run in and kick a goal. Plenty of points for a play like that. Then there is the other side with stats that hurt fantasy teams, like Hall had last week. When he started off with free kicks against, and a 50m penalty thrown in too, the points added up in the negative direction and at the end of the game he was barely in the positive for fantasy points. A couple of slight adjustments but no trades used this week.
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 Bryce Gibbs
C Chris Judd
C Paul Hasleby
C Kane Cornes (captain)
C Jordan Lewis
R Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Joel Selwood
C Ricky Petterd (emergency)
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
Mundy popped up in the forward line last week, kicking a couple of goals early in the first quarter. Unfortunately he didn't keep up that production for the rest of the game, as 10 or 12 goals would have made him the best fantasy player for the round. His two goals and solid possessions made him a good contributor.
Gibbs will get a start this week, with Petterd taking over as the emergency midfielder. Maybe the Blues and Power will have a wide open game, the choice for captain was Judd or one of the Cornes, and Kane gets the responsibility this time.
A couple of weeks ago this team's fantasy ruckmen went head to head, Hudson and Ackland during the Adelaide versus Carlton game, and that was repeated last round with both White and Hudson producing plenty of fantasy points. White had his usual possessions and marks while Hudson was great for effective hitouts and he had a few handballs too.
Hall has to do much better than he did last week. Brown should have a big game against the smaller Bulldogs and Franklin rediscovered his accuracy during the game last week.
Ellis got an unexpected game last round, it improved his fantasy price a tad. But he is out of the Hawthorn team again this round. Selwood is reportedly only an emergency for Geelong this week too. Shannon Cox is getting closer to getting back into the Collingwood team.
Go to the Collingwood football club internet site to learn some things about the Shaw boys. Their choice of weaponry in the past when they have disagreed, the enjoyment they got from watching Agro’s Cartoon Connection, how they think being called “the Bowdens” is not complimentary, there are a lot of things that people didn’t know.
From the Collingwood site: Best of brothers
Some highlights:
HEATH – One time I threw a tomahawk at Rhyce and didn’t miss by much.
RHYCE – I got tagged in my first game in the under-11s.
HEATH – I’d rather give the ball to Rhyce than one of the big blokes because they can’t kick.
RHYCE – We’re the fat boys of the club.
Essendon v West Coast
The Tip: West Coast by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Chance For An Upset: The Bombers do have the players to stop a lot of the Eagles' stars. Michael is a strong opponent to put on Lynch, and he will also have help from Fletcher, McPhee or Ryder. Peverill and Slattery may be given stopping jobs in the middle. Hille, and his backup Laycock, have the size to combat Cox and Seaby. There is a chance that jackets could be waved, if Stanton delivers and Lloyd breaks Glass.
Essendon
They win if....Hille leads all players for hitouts.
The Good News: They win under the roof.
The Bad News: Camporeale has been recalled, Carlton used to play him on Matera, but it has been a while since Peter played so it is hard to see which Eagle he will play on here. It is also difficult to figure out why Hislop or Dyson are not there instead of Camporeale.
West Coast
They win if....they have other avenues to goal if Lynch is denied. the Bombers have been able to contain J Brown and Hall so they have the tactics to stop Lynch.
The Good News: Priddis had nearly 40 possessions but the Eagles are so deep he may start in the bench.
The Bad News: They couldn't find a spot for Mackenzie, he would have had a good duel with Lucas.
Hawthorn v Sydney
The Tip: Sydney by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Barry Hall
Chance For An Upset: Sydney are the outsider here, but they might have the dominant ruckman who will get them the win. That's Jolly, not their other ruckman the former Hawk.
Hawthorn
They win if....they again find an unexpected player to kick multiple goals, last week it was McGlynn and the week before it was Hodge. It might be Lewis this game.
The Good News: The two players who missed last round, Croad and Ladson, should be playing in this game.
The Bad News: Dixon is injured, he usually provides a veteran presence in the forward line.
Sydney
They win if....Hall plays a lot better than last week, and gives away fewer free kicks.
The Good News: Everitt gets the chance to play against his former team, it could be entertaining.
The Bad News: If the season ended right now they would miss the finals.
Brisbane v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Scott West
Chance For An Upset: Brisbane are the slight underdog, but the game is at their home so they have as much of a chance as the Bulldogs do.
Brisbane
They win if....they find the right player for Johnson if he is at full forward, Merrett can't stay with him.
The Good News: They missed out on seeing Akermanis during the NAB Cup, as he was injured, they get their chance now.
The Bad News: The Lions have made plenty of changes over the past month, injuries and poor form have unsettled their team.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....they have a big player mark the ball in the forward line, this could be Darcy's last chance as Minson and McDougall combined for nearly 10 goals last week in the VFL.
The Good News: Murphy is back, if he and Hahn can play tall it might be enough for them to get the win.
The Bad News: If they lose this they will hit the halfway point of the season with more losses than wins.
Carlton v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 40 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brendon Lade
Chance For An Upset: This is a close call, with no real favourite. The Blues had the win last week, the Power are trying to recapture their early season form. The return of Brogan will mean Lade can also go forward, and he might be the difference with a few goals as he takes some of the pressure off Tredrea. Carlton may have two angry ruckmen, former Power player Ackland and former hurler O'hAilpin, while the Power only have one angry ruckman, former NBL basketballer Brogan, but that and home ground advantage may not be enough to get Carlton the win.
Carlton
They win if....Blackwell and Bentick get more playing time, they produce when on the field but need to be out there more.
The Good News: Saddington has been effective, he is getting spoils and helping out his teammates in a new-look defensive setup that is much shorter now as Waite has moved forward and O'hAilpin into the ruck.
The Bad News: It's another game with Mr Kennedy relegated to VFL duty, and he isn't even named as an emergency.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Wilson and Brogan add the required grunt to the team.
The Good News: The tribunal didn't hassle Westhoff as his charge was dismissed early, few players have kicked a goal and been reported in their first ever game.
The Bad News: Tredrea's lack of goals might be a concern.
Adelaide v Geelong
The Tip: Adelaide by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Tyson Edwards
Chance For An Upset: Geelong are expected to keep rolling, so even playing at home the Crows are not favourites. The Crows can usually bounce back after a loss and they should have a plan to stop the Cats.
Adelaide
They win if....they tag Bartel and don't let him run around doing whatever he wants.
The Good News: Ricciuto and Johncock will be better this game.
The Bad News: Reilly is another player they have on the injured list.
Geelong
They win if....Varcoe, Stokes and the Abletts make it difficult for McLeod, Johncock and Mattner to launch the Crows into attack.
The Good News: Chapman was very good last week after missing several games.
The Bad News: When Geelong last played the Crows there the score was not good, Crows 147 and Cats 55.
St Kilda v Kangaroos
The Tip: Kangaroos by 11 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jess Sinclair
Chance For An Upset: A trip to Perth and a bad injury have people thinking the Kangaroos will struggle here. That may not be the case. The Saints have more than a few troubles of their own to contend with.
St Kilda
They win if....Koschitzke gets the better of McIntosh.
The Good News: Watts was a bright spot for their VFL side last week, if he plays he might give them an extra tall who can kick goals.
The Bad News: The injuries, the former coach, the local council, the players coming out of contract, a losing streak, they could be a tad distracted at the moment.
Kangaroos
They win if....they have someone who can keep up with Riewoldt, Petrie might have to do it as he is mobile and has height, Firrito might have better endurance and is another option.
The Good News: Smith and Archer are both healthy, they are at different parts of their careers but are both important to the back line for the Kangaroos.
The Bad News: Gibson is very likely going to miss the rest of the year, he has been very good this year with his ability to play on a variety of forwards.
Fremantle v Richmond
The Tip: Fremantle by 39 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Peter Bell
Chance For An Upset: Richmond got as close as they could without getting their first win last round, Fremantle are only three and a half wins ahead of them so the Tigers might think they are a chance.
Fremantle
They win if....they use their height and experience advantage in the ruck.
The Good News: They are playing Richmond, and in couple more weeks they play Carlton, the Dockers need to get some wins and games against teams under them on the ladder are very helpful.
The Bad News: A lot of their players are not confident when kicking for goal.
Richmond
They win if....Polak shows Fremantle why they previously used the 4th overall pick to draft him.
The Good News: Richmond didn't lose last week.
The Bad News: Too often their players look backwards before looking up the field for a player to pass to.
Melbourne v Collingwood
The Tip: Melbourne by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: David Neitz
Chance For An Upset: Prestigiacomo could be a big loss for Collingwood, and maybe that will give Melbourne a chance, it will all depend on Neitz.
Melbourne
They win if....they push extra talls forward, a forward line with Neitz, Robertson, Paul Johnson and Bate might be too much for the Magpies who are without Prestigiacomo and Clement.
The Good News: They got their season started last week.
The Bad News: The Demons are still second last, while for wins the Magpies are tied for second.
Collingwood
They win if....Cloke can again produce for a big game on the MCG.
The Good News: Their kicking for goal last week was exceptional.
The Bad News: Teams can lift for special games, Collingwood have done it previously and they have to be thinking that Melbourne can do it this week.
Akermanis knows the place and the Bulldogs will also have several other players who will feel at home when they visit the Gabba to play the Lions. Big Tom Williams and little Jarrod Harbrow return to play an AFL game in their home state for the first time.
From The Courier-Mail: Young Bulldogs `right at home'
AFL Fantasy Impact:
If fantasy coaches want to consider these players for a bargain signing then Tom Williams might be the one to go for. Harbrow is among so many other Bulldogs, as he is a small forward, but Tom Williams might be able to establish a long-term spot with his combination of height and mobility. With Wight out of the team it probably means that Williams will play as a tall defender, at least for this game. He could also be used as a stopper on taller midfielders, and if he was in the middle it is likely that his stats would be useful for fantasy leagues. Fantasy coaches won't get a big fantasy value increase from Williams right away as his first game of the season will also be used to determine his price change, and that was a very low number for fantasy points.
It makes a lot of sense to look to Sydney for a quick fix for a football team. Teams like the Kangaroos and Carlton successfully loaded up with talent from them in previous decades. But they won't be able to get their head coach.
From The Australian: Sydney or bush, not Melbourne for Roos
Carlton won in 1987 and a big part of that game was a centre half back they lured from Sydney. When they won in 1995, they had a good game from a former Sydney centreman. They should be applauded for, possibly, going after the coach there now. Roos says he isn't interested in coaching another AFL team.
"I couldn't see myself coaching in Melbourne or anywhere else," Roos said.
"This is where I enjoy living. I enjoy working for this footy club. I love being up here. It is a great city and I would never coach anywhere else."
"I would coach the Maui Falcons if they get a team or the Lake Tahoe snowboarders or something like that," Roos said.
Essendon v West Coast
Essendon
FB: McVeigh, Michael, Bolton
HB: M.Johnson, Ryder, Fletcher
C: Peverill, Watson, McPhee
HF: Welsh, Lucas, Hird
FF: J.Johnson, Lloyd, Davey
Foll: Hille, Stanton, Winderlich
bench: Monfries, Laycock, Camporeale, Slattery
emergency: Johns, Cole, Nash
In: Camporeale, Peverill
Out: Houli, Nash
AFL Fantasy Watch:
This might not be the week to sign Fletcher, the Eagles often will send a player forward to stop an opposition defender running around without a player. It never is a week to sign Camporeale, but the other inclusion Peverill gets plenty of the ball.
West Coast
FB: Wirrpanda, Glass, B.Jones
HB: Waters, Hunter, Selwood
C: Stenglein, Fletcher, Braun
HF: R.Jones, Staker, Morton
FF: Chick, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Judd, Kerr
bench: Hurn, Brown, Priddis, Rosa
emergency: Armstrong, LeCras, McKenzie
In: Kerr
Out: LeCras
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Kerr is playing, and that must have an effect on other midfielders. Priddis won't be getting close to 40 possessions now. Morton has been kicking goals, he and Brown are among the inexpensive fantasy players, Brown is the cheaper of the two.
Hawthorn v Sydney
Hawthorn
FB: Gilham, Brown, Guerra
HB: Ladson, Croad, Birchall
C: Lewis, Mitchell, Bateman
HF: McGlynn, Franklin, Crawford
FF: Jacobs, Boyle, Roughead
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Hodge
bench: Young, Osborne, Smith, Taylor
emergency: Ellis, Murphy, Thurgood
In: Croad, Ladson
Out: Ellis, Dixon
AFL Fantasy Watch:
They lose some goals with Dixon out, maybe Roughead will be the player to score more. Franklin also kicked goals last week.
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: Everitt, Goodes, Fosdike
bench: Schneider, McVeigh, Jolly, Bevan
emergency: Schmidt, Grundy, Thornton
AFL Fantasy Watch:
It might not be the time to sign Everitt, as free kicks are a negative stat and anything could happen here. Goodes has not had his best year, but against Hawthorn he might have a big game.
Brisbane v Western Bulldogs
Brisbane
FB: Begley, Merrett, Brennan
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Copeland
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Sherman, Brown, Selwood
FF: Clark, Patfull, McGrath
Foll: Charman, Black, Hadley
bench: Rischitelli, Hooper, MacDonald, Allan
emergency: Schmidt, Proud, wood
In: McGrath, Allan, MacDonald
Out: Johnson, Schmidt, Harding
AFL Fantasy Watch:
MacDonald was useful last season but is not a star for fantasy points and his price at the moment is a bit high. Drummond was one of the best last round, he could have another big game this week. They didn't bring in another ruckman so Charman will be better for stats than if Wood was out there too.
Western Bulldogs
FB: Griffen, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Williams, Hargrave
C: Eagleton, West, Akermanis
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Cooney
FF: Murphy, Darcy, Higgins
Foll: Street, Cross, Boyd
bench: Addison, Hahn, Harbrow, Ray
emergency: Everitt, Minson, Wight
In: Harbrow, Murphy, Ray, Williams
Out: McMahon, Power, Robbins, Wight
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The McMahon dropping will hurt more than a few fantasy coaches, he shouldn't be out too long but any player who does have multiple goals kicked on him by M Lappin should face some action by their coach. Maybe McMahon could just go to the fantasy bench this round, to save trades, but that will depend on who the defenders on the bench are. Williams replaces Wright, so that should mean he gets plenty of time on the field. Everitt is an emergency, that is interesting and next week he might be a player for fantasy teams.
Carlton v Port Adelaide
Carlton
FB: Houlihan, Saddington, Thornton
HB: Scotland, Bannister, Walker
C: Simpson, Blackwell, Gibbs
HF: Lappin, Fisher, Wiggins
FF: Murphy, Fevola, Whitnall
Foll: Ackland, Waite, Carrazzo
bench: Bentick, Koutoufides, O'hAilpin, Russell
emergency: Bower, Jackson, Young
In: Russell
Out: Anderson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Kouta is helping fantasy teams, a bit of a surprise looking at how many minutes he plays but he can pack plenty of stats into his bursts from the bench. Russell doesn't get stats so don't sign him. Gibbs might be worth starting now.
Port Adelaide
FB: Pettigrew, Wakelin, Wilson
HB: Symes, Thurstans, Surjan
C: Cassisi, S.Burgoyne, Salopek
HF: Pearce, Tredrea, P.Burgoyne
FF: Lade, White, Ebert
Foll: Brogan, C.Cornes, K.Cornes
bench: Gray, Krakouer, Rodan, Westhoff
emergency: Boak, Deluca, Lonie
In: Brogan, Krakouer, Wilson
Out: Bentley, Deluca, Lonie
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Fantasy coaches will realize the significance of the bench the Power have named. All bargain players, at least to start the year, with three first-year players and also Rodan who had a very low price at the start due to his injury-riddled 2006. Teams have been targeting the Burgoynes, they both might break free for a big game here. Salopek took a shot last week, he got back up and should have a lot of possessions in this game.
Adelaide v Geelong
Adelaide
FB: Bassett, Rutten, Johncock
HB: Torney, Stevens, McLeod
C: Mattner, Shirley, Doughty
HF: Ricciuto, Bock, Thompson
FF: Porplyzia, McGregor, Welsh
Foll: Hudson, Goodwin, Edwards
bench from: Griffin, van Berlo, Knights, Vince, Douglas, Jericho, Massie
In: Douglas, Jericho, McGregor, Massie, Vince
Out: Perrie, Reilly
AFL Fantasy Watch:
McGregor is definitely in the team, that will make it easier to decide if you want to sign him instead of searching for the 22 final players tomorrow night before the deadline. It would have been better to sign Jericho, but not now with him on the extended bench.
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Rooke, Egan, Mackie
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Corey
HF: Chapman, Mooney, Varcoe
FF: S.Johnson, N.Ablett, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, G.Ablett, Ling
bench from: Blake, Tenace, Harley, Hunt, Selwood, Hawkins, Kelly
In: Hunt, Selwood, Hawkins
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Bartel is getting the most fantasy points, if you have a huge amount of spare cash then he makes sense to sign. Chapman was close to his best in his return last week, although he didn't kick a goal, he should be a very good player for the rest of the season.
St Kilda v Kangaroos
St Kilda
FB: Blake, Hudghton, Gwilt
HB: Attard, S.Fisher, Baker
C: Gilbert, Ball, Gram
HF: Montagna, Riewoldt, Fiora
FF: Milne, Gehrig, R.Clarke
Foll: Koschitzke, Hayes, Dal Santo
bench from: X.Clarke, Rix, Thompson, Voss, Watts, Jones, Howard
In: X.Clarke, Thompson, Voss, Watts, Jones, Howard
Out: Armitage, Birss, L.Fisher
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Their patience with Armitage didn't last long, a bit strange to use a first round pick on someone and then play them so little. He might help fantasy teams during the second half of the season. Watts is among the cheaper fantasy forwards, he played well in the VFL but there may not be a lot of playing time for him this game if he does play.
Kangaroos
FB: Archer, Firrito, Green
HB: Smith, Petrie, Brown
C: Pratt, Harris, Sinclair
HF: Thomas, Jones, Grant
FF: Harvey, Edwards, Simpson
Foll: McIntosh, Swallow, Rawlings
bench from: Lower, Watt, Campbell, Hale, Sansbury, Grima, Moran
In: Hale, Lower, Moran, Sansbury, Watt
Out: Gibson, McMahon
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Watt is the sensible choice for them to replace Gibson, Watt has not been bad for fantasy points but there are probably much better options for a fantasy defender. Watt could play on Watts.
Fremantle v Richmond
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, McPharlin, Thornton
HB: Black, Grover, Dodd
C: Peake, Hasleby, Mundy
HF: Headland, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Bell, Tarrant, Johnson
Foll: Sandilands, M Carr, J Carr
bench from: Campbell, Cook, Ibbotson, McManus, Walker, Warnock, Webster
In: Campbell, Ibbotson, Walker, Warnock
Out: Crowley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Ibbotson is a cheap player in fantasy leagues and he might be able to stay in the team with a big game here, if he does play.
Richmond
FB: King, Thursfield, Bowden
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: White, Tuck, Howat
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Edwards
FF: Tambling, Deledio, Jackson
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench from: Kingsley, Tivendale, Hughes, Polo, McGuane, Schulz, Hyde
In: Hughes, McGuane, Hyde
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Edwards is getting better every week, he doesn’t cost too much. Richardson is very affordable at the moment too.
Melbourne v Collingwood
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Bruce
HB: Wheatley, Bizzell, Bell
C: Johnstone, McDonald, Davey
HF: Green, Robertson, Godfrey
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, Bate
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench From: P. Johnson, Petterd, Frawley, Brown, Holland, Yze, Buckley
In: Yze, Holland, Buckley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Due to playing on the Monday, the final teams for this game will be named on Saturday, well past the fantasy league deadline. So there is some risk playing those named on the possible bench. White is at a good price. Neitz might also be a good signing, he is playing better and there is no Prestigiacomo to play against him here.
Collingwood
FB: Lockyer, Wakelin, Holland
HB: H.Shaw, O’Brien, R.Shaw
C: Pendlebury, Medhurst, Davis
HF: Maxwell, Cloke, Didak
FF: Swan, Rocca, Johnson
Followers: Fraser, O’Bree, Burns
bench From: Thomas, Goldsack, Toovey, Cox, Licuria, Stanley, Bryan
In: Wakelin, Licuria, Stanley, Cox, Bryan
Out: Prestigiacomo, Richards
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Rocca has rediscovered his accuracy in front of goal and might join a few more fantasy teams. Bryan probably replaces Richards in their lineup.
The Eagles will have several players returning from injury over the coming weeks and Mark Nicoski might only be a WAFL game or two away from a spot in the Eagles’ back line. Butler was supposed to be back by now but he had a setback and might need another month, and Jaymie Graham is ready to play too, so the Eagles will soon have all of their defenders to select from.
From The West Australian: Excited Nicoski steps out
AFL Fantasy Impact:
This season, fantasy AFL teams are getting great points from the West Coast fantasy defenders like Darren Glass, Brett Jones, Beau Waters, Adam Hunter and David Wirrpanda. While Wirrpanda and Hunter sometimes get their stats in the forward line, it is still a bit crowded for Nicoski to have a big role right away. Like many other players resuming from a long time out, Nicoski may not have a big impact right away for stats and fantasy coaches might want to just wait for a game or two. His fantasy price is affordable but he isn’t a bargain. Fantasy coaches considering signing one of the Eagles fantasy defenders should also take into consideration the effect that the returns of Nicoski and Butler will have on the Eagles’ players who are currently starring in fantasy leagues.
This is something that a team doesn’t want to be winning, the injury ladder. Not counting players who are resuming in other leagues, those with fitness tests or very minor ailments, these are the players who will be missing. Some lesser-known players are not listed among the injured as they were not expected to have a big season in 2007.
The list really does show that injuries do hurt a team, that is not a surprise as injuries do hurt. The one exception is Adelaide, there have been plenty of hits along the way but the team is not in trouble unlike other teams in the top 5 here.
Looking at the injuries, there are a few teams that are going to be much better in the second half of the season while other teams don’t have a chance with several long-term injuries. The Swans and Bulldogs should make a run in the second half of the season as they could be at full strength.
1 Adelaide (5th on AFL ladder)
Brett Burton
Ian Perrie
Brent Reilly
Matthew Bode
Rhett Biglands (season)
Trent Hentschel (season)
Kurt Tippett (season)
The Crows keep finding players to replace their injured ones, Burton is out again but they have Jericho to take his spot. In recent seasons the injuries have hit at Adelaide during the second half of the season, their timing could be better this time and a lot of their players will be ready for the finals.
2 Melbourne (15th on AFL ladder)
Clint Bartram
Mark Jamar
Brent Moloney
Ryan Ferguson
Jared Rivers
They had many other injuries in the earlier rounds too, like Neitz and McLean, but the players here who are still named ontheir injured list are very important and without them the Demons won’t be able to do what Brad Green wants, make the top 8. Injuries have opened up playing time for Petterd and Frawley so that will provide benefits for future years.
3 St Kilda (13th on AFL ladder)
Michael Gardiner
Robert Harvey
Matt Maguire
Aaron Hamill
Brendon Goddard (season)
There are plenty of problems at Moorabbin, or with Moorabbin too, and injuries have ruined their season. Surprisingly, Koschitzke has not been hurt, most other players have. While the injury list at St Kilda is getting smaller it will still contain some big names and the Saints are going to have a big undertaking to play in the finals.
4 Brisbane (11th on AFL ladder)
Chris Johnson
Chris Scott
Daniel Bradshaw (season)
The Lions stayed competitive early when they were without Lappin, Drummond, Hadley and Clark but they have fallen away over the past month. One reason is the loss of Bradshaw for the season, in recent weeks teams have been surrounding Jonathan Brown, Bradshaw would have punished teams who put extra defenders around him.
5 Richmond (16th on AFL ladder)
Troy Simmonds
Patrick Bowden
Mark Coughlan (season)
Things could be looking up for the Tigers, Simmonds is close to playing and won’t be listed here much longer. One reason the Tigers don’t have a win is that Simmonds has missed most of their games. A benefit from their injuries is that Howat and King are eligible to play in the AFL.
6 Hawthorn (3rd on AFL ladder)
Richie Vandenberg
Ben Dixon
Tim Clarke
Mark Williams
Some of these injuries might have helped the club in a small way, as it forced a change for the better. Teams that use a small forward as their primary option don’t win, an example is the Eagles with Phil Matera, so when Williams went out it allowed Boyle and Franklin to take over. When Williams returns he will still be important but as a complimentary player to their big forwards. Vandenberg isn’t better than Birchall, Guerra, McGlynn, Lewis, Young and many other Hawks so his injuries have delayed the decision on whether he is in their best side. It didn’t delay the controversy though.
7 West Coast (1st on AFL ladder)
Andrew Embley
Sam Butler
Ashley Hansen
Their injuries, and miscellaneous happenings, have just opened up playing time for some of their young stars. Priddis, Staker, Armstrong, Rosa, Brown and Hurn would be running around in the WAFL instead of contributing for the Eagles if injuries hadn’t given them their chance. They are without several significant players but their depth has it covered.
8 Carlton (14th on AFL ladder)
Joe Anderson
Eddie Betts
Cameron Cloke (season)
Nick Stevens (season)
Cloke was a solid player but nothing special. The loss of Stevens is attributed to Murphy being focussed on by other teams, but Murphy is a top pick so that should have been expected anyway. Betts is a player they miss, his chasing after opposition defenders is an undervalued ability.
9 Kangaroos (8th on AFL ladder)
Leigh Harding
Daniel Wells
Daniel McConnell
Josh Gibson
Nathan Thompson (season)
Wells isn’t far away, so the Kangaroos will again have his speed soon. While many thought Thompson being hurt was the end of the season, it may have actually ushered in a fresh era. They weren’t winning with him and now that a change has been forced on them the forward line is much better. Brown, Petrie, Edwards, Jones and a small, like Grant or Harvey rotating through a forward spot, is a very solid forward structure.
10 Fremantle (12th on AFL ladder)
Ryley Dunn
Andrew Browne
Justin Longmuir
Schammer and Peake are no longer listed here so that is good news for the Dockers. The bad news is Longmuir, if he was able to play it would give them three big forward targets. The Dockers would be on top of the Suspensions Ladder.
11 Collingwood (4th on AFL ladder)
Ryan Lonie
Nathan Buckley
Chris Egan
Sean Rusling
While they would like to have Buckley playing, his absence is showing Collingwood fans that the future is something to look forward to. Pendlebury is starring and will be a player to take Buckley’s midfield spot. Coach Malthouse has said that Buckley is a forward when he plays now.
12 Essendon (6th on AFL ladder)
Nathan Lovett-Murray
Scott Gumbleton
Andrew Lovett
Jay Neagle
The reverse would have happened last season, high up the injury ladder and down the bottom of the real one. Lovett-Murray might have been a big loss but Ryder has filled his spot. If the Bombers stay healthy for the second half of the year, they should play in the finals.
13 Port Adelaide (7th on AFL ladder)
Tom Logan
Troy Chaplin
Daniel Motlop
Brogan is close to playing so he wasn’t on the list here. The Power have hit a small slump but with most of their players available they should turn it around.
14 Geelong (2nd on AFL ladder)
David Johnson
Steven King
The Cats have benefited from having most players available every week, and some things might also have been easier there due to an injury. Blake is an improvement over King, but it was going to be difficult for the Cats to just drop him. As long as King is out with an injury the Cats don’t officially have to announce that he isn’t part of their best side.
15 Western Bulldogs (10th on AFL ladder)
All important players could be available.
Murphy is ready and Grant will be in the VFL too. They should have a big second half of the season with all their players to select from.
16 Sydney (9th on AFL ladder)
All important players could be available
When someone like Ablett, Kennelly or Dempster gets hurt they seem to return a lot earlier than expected. The Swans have been a healthy team the past couple of years and that has to be a reason why they have been so successful.
27
Jared Rivers.
Defender for the Melbourne Demons.
It is a lot easier to replace an onballer who is injured than finding another key position player to take the place of a star, the importance of Jared Rivers to the Demons' side is evident in how much they struggle when he isn't there. So far in his career, when Rivers has been healthy the Demons have been competing in the finals and when he has been injured the team has played poorly.
The Demons used pick 26 in the 2002 AFL Draft to acquire Rivers. Considering some of the players taken before him, Rivers was a steal for Melbourne and would have been worthy of going in the top 10.
Rivers had a brief introduction to AFL at the end of the 2003 season. In 2004 he had a huge year, at the end of the season he received the Rising Star award. Rivers played 22 games that season, his effort produced close to 50 tackles and over 100 marks for the year.
Over his short but productive career, Rivers' game-high stats include 11 marks in a game and 6 tackles in another. His highest total for disposals in a game is 24.
Rivers has a long career ahead of him and he will be one of the reasons why Melbourne will recover when they lose some of their veterans in the coming years. Champion teams always have a big defender that is the foundation for their back line and Rivers is the big and athletic centre half back that the Demons can build around. With Rivers, Petterd, Frawley and other young stars the Melbourne back line should soon be a strength for the Demons.
Jared Rivers information:
192cm, 92kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 26
Gibson was one of the best for the Kangaroos against the Eagles but after a freak accident they won't be able to play him now, he could miss the rest of the season.
From the Kangaroos site: Head injury ends Gibson's season
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Gibson was playing well but the Kangaroos have several options to replace him. Hansen was good for Tasmania last round and he is a logical choice. Plenty of fantasy teams would have added Hansen to their bench at the start of the season and he might finally reward them. Riggio and Whyman are other players the Kangaroos might choose. Gibson was helping fantasy teams and they will need to trade him now. Other Kangaroos like Petrie, Jones or Smith could be signed to replace him. Other AFL defenders to look at include James Gwilt, Nick Maxwell and Stephen Gilham.
Brett Burton will miss the next couple of games for the Crows after a minor surgery was performed on his knee. The Crows will certainly miss his contested marks and inspirational plays.
From the Adelaide site: Burton has minor surgery
AFL Fantasy Impact:
It has been a strange year for fantasy coaches who have invested in players from the Crows. While there was good news, like Chris Knights, there has also been a lot of injuries that have forced fantasy coaches to sell a lot of their Crows. Burton will have been sold by many teams and that is the right move, especially after this news. Injuries do also open up a spot for new fantasy stars, and Jericho could come back into their team. McGregor and Gill are other, taller forward options. Gill, at a much lower price than McGregor, would provide some value. Jericho was kicking goals before he made way for Ricciuto's return.
Round 10 goes to Bryce Gibbs.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 7
Handballs: 10
Marks: 5
Tackles: 2
Goals: 0
J Selwood (Travis Varcoe's Round 10 stats)
Kicks: 3
Handballs: 4
Marks: 3
Tackles: 1
Goals: 1
The Cats didn't think they needed Joel Selwood for their round 10 game against the Saints, and they were right. Selwood was replaced by Chapman, so it wasn't like they were putting Darren Forssman into the team ahead of him. Gibbs was part of a win again, after several losses in a row for Carlton, and he was among Carlton's many contributors as they defeated the Bulldogs. Gibbs was also rewarded for his efforts in the round 10 game with the Rising Star nomination.
Gibbs was opposed to Robbins for some of the game, which was a bit risky as Robbins can mark strongly on the lead and Gibbs was exposed earlier in the season when played in a similar way against the Lions. He stopped Robbins during the second quarter with a very strong tackle and he was also able to stay with him in the air on a couple of occasions. Earlier in the game there was a time when Gibbs was deep in the back line with West as his opponent, West got away from him but only kicked a point so he got away with a brief lapse on that occasion. He also played on Akermanis. Gibbs ended up in the middle of the ground a bit more in the second half, one good series of plays involved him sending it to half forward and then he followed up his kick and would receive the football back from Ackland which then allowed Gibbs to setup a Carlton scoring chance to Fisher.
With Selwood having a break, Varcoe's numbers were substituted. Varcoe wasn't the biggest for stats among Geelong's forwards but his pace around the forward line is something his teammates don't have. Varcoe's defensive pressure made it difficult for the Saints' defenders to successfully clear their defensive 50, and instead of being able to steady and pinpoint a teammate the Saints often had to hurry their kick to clear with Varcoe on their tail.
For the top overall pick, the Rising Star nomination is more of a relief than an accomplishment, Gibbs should be happy that it is out of the way. Another thing he should be happy about is his round 11 opponent, Port Adelaide, as he could find himself playing on another youngster like Gray or maybe Boak. Selwood, if he returns, would be going to Adelaide to play the Crows. While Geelong have answered all their challenges in the past month, this might be the biggest so far. Selwood could be someone they bring in to give them another option in the midfield. Stokes or Varcoe could make way for Selwood, the inconsistent Kelly is another option for Geelong, and maybe there is an injury or two that could open a spot for Selwood as well.
B Gibbs 4 - J Selwood 6
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
This message probably won’t be heeded by the fans of the Lions who will fill their stadium on Saturday night, but the Brisbane Lions’ chief executive officer is worried that Akermanis will unleash his best performance if he is fuelled by boos and abuse from the crowd.
From The Courier-Mail: Bowers wants respect for Aker
He said any attempt to incite Akermanis was likely to prompt the ex-Lion to produce a five-star performance.
“You've got to be respectful of that. We wouldn't be asking people to come out and boo him."
Coach Matthews isn’t getting involved in the pre-match build-up.
From The Courier-Mail: Ignore Aker hype
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Not that he doesn’t always try, but there should be something extra from Akermanis when he goes to Brisbane. Fantasy coaches might want to consider him, for this game and also for the rest of the season as he has been a solid player over the past month. His price might still be just a bit high but he has been getting into position to kick goals and if he did get a couple more last game he would have been worth his price. 20 possessions and 2 goals against the Lions would mean that fantasy coaches got a good return for signing Akermanis, those numbers are not beyond his capabilities.
Dean Cox of the West Coast Eagles.
When a team has such a great ruckman it doesn't matter if an onballer is suspended or on a surfing holiday. Against the Kangaroos, Dean Cox was a dominant player who went up against an in-form Hamish McIntosh and soundly defeated him. McIntosh actually played well, so that means Cox really must have had a huge game.
Cox had one less hitout than the entire Kangaroos' team. He was behind the success of the Eagles midfielders like Priddis and Braun. Cox was also back to his role as another Eagles running midfielder, finding space and going for a run on the wing.
Cox had an impact in nearly every single statistical category, except for behinds which is actually a good thing. Dean Cox did kick two goals. 27 possessions, 10 marks and 27 hitouts and Dean Cox is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Dean Cox's profile at the West Coast site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Luke Hodge.
The Dockers will be without defender Ryan Crowley as he has accepted a week out. It would have been an interesting tribunal case if they did contest it, sometimes it looked like the shoulder of Prestigiacomo was where the impact occurred, other camera angles make it look a bit higher.
From the AFL site: Fremantle's Crowley accepts one-match suspension
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Crowley has been consistent but not spectacular for fantasy stats. His one week off will mean a bit more time for the Dockers' other defenders next week. So Michael Johnson might be a good signing, for this week and for the rest of the year. Crowley wouldn't be on many fantasy teams, he could be benched for a week or this could be a good time to upgrade the position by trading him. Sam Gilbert could be a player to consider, and if your fantasy AFL team has some extra money to spend then Drummond is a player to consider after his big game on the weekend.
26
Nick Dal Santo.
Midfielder for the St Kilda Saints.
Sometimes footballers are destined to be at a certain team, like Shipp at the Dockers, and it makes sense that Nick Dal Santo plays for St Kilda. Roughly translated it could mean "Nick from the saint".
Dal Santo was the 13th overall draft selection in 2001, St Kilda were busy that day as they had already taken Ball at 2 and X Clarke at 5. Picks 21 and 37 of the 2001 AFL draft were also used by the Saints to select Maguire and Montagna.
Dal Santo would start playing AFL the following year and it only took him until his second game for him to get over 20 possessions in a match.
In 2005, Dal Santo was close to the Brownlow. He gets plenty of votes, and the umpires always give him twice as many frees as they rule against him, so if the Saints have another big year it could be Dal Santo who is awarded the big individual medal.
Dal Santo will usually get around 500 possessions every season, his game-high best was 34. He doesn't kick many goals but he did manage 5 in one game during his career. It is also a career that is closer to the beginning than the end so all the numbers he has set will probably be eclipsed in the coming seasons.
Nick Dal Santo information:
185cm, 83kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 25
1: West Coast Eagles 8-2 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
They made it through one game without Hansen up forward, they now have to visit Fletcher, Michael and Ryder and their forward line will have to be at its best. Someone who was at his best was Dean Cox, if he continues to play like that then the Eagles won't lose another game.
2: Sydney Swans 5-5 (4)
They didn't lose by much. Where they lost was of greater importance, as the SCG is usually a happy place for them, they won't be back on the SCG for another month. Apparently the umpires are disrespecting Hall, and the umpire's boss agreed, so that is something to watch next week.
3: Adelaide Crows 6-4 (2)
They need to have Burton out there with Ricciuto and that could happen next round. Perrie might miss a few weeks, and that might not be a bad thing.
4: Geelong Cats 7-3 (5)
Their run will end next week, if Adelaide get some players back. It's Geelong and it is inevitable that the bubble bursts. The key to their winning form is Bartel, he is allowed to do whatever he wants and is the driving force behind the Cats' streak. Wojcinski is also playing an important role. Geelong are paying attention to the other teams' great players, Ling again had success in containing a star as Dal Santo was stopped.
5: Port Adelaide Power 6-4 (3)
The Burgoynes got going again, the Cornes brothers were still great, so it is a mystery as to why they have fallen away. Salopek was the ultimate warrior for Port Adelaide as he returned to the field after a big collision, he is a very important player for them and when they were winning their early games he was playing well.
6: Hawthorn Hawks 7-3 (9)
It's another win and they will have plenty of confidence as they face Peter Everitt next weekend. The improvement of Campbell last season made the departure of Everitt inevitable and they should have a good contest on the MCG. The tough part for the Hawks is that the Swans also have Jolly who is one of the best ruckmen in the league at the moment, so Taylor will also have a big part to play if the Hawks are to continue dispatching interstate teams.
7: Collingwood Magpies 7-3 (7)
Heath Shaw and Prestigiacomo are a bit sore and they can't afford to have them miss, even though they might get Clement back. Their game against the Demons is a danger game now that Melbourne has finally figured out how to win.
8: Western Bulldogs 5-5 (6)
Murphy could be back, but they need to change their thinking and use him as a secondary marking option in their forward line. McDougall could help them next week, while Grant might help them soon too.
9: Essendon Bombers 6-4 (11)
Not the easiest schedule as they face the Grand Finalists from the past two years in consecutive weeks, they defeated the Swans and have the personnel to make it difficult for the Eagles, and just as importantly they have home ground advantage.
10: Fremantle Dockers 4-6 (8)
They have another "coach killer" game coming up, if they lose at home to Richmond then it might be Harvey who takes control for their next game, which is against the Bulldogs. Last season the Dockers only got going in the second half of the year, so maybe they use games against the Tigers, Bulldogs and Blues to get some momentum going.
11: Kangaroos 6-4 (12)
They were competitive for some of the game against the Eagles, and they can now get back to winning with a game against the Saints.
12: St Kilda Saints 4-6 (13)
L Fisher might be joining their injury list. They play the Kangaroos and then travel to face the Eagles, in three weeks when they face the Tigers it could be the Saints who are the underdogs for that match.
13: Brisbane Lions 4-5-1 (10)
Everyone will be watching Akermanis as he returns to Brisbane, but the Lions have a lot more things to think about. The back line was a strength earlier in the season but it is a problem now. Teams are also finding ways to contain Brown while Brisbane isn't able to use their free players that double-teaming Brown can create, they obviously miss Bradshaw although Clark has played well the past two weeks. Chris Johnson could miss with plantar fasciitis, Brisbane will also be hoping that Power returns.
14: Carlton Blues 3-7 (14)
A couple more wins and they are out of the running for a priority pick before the first round begins. They are not thinking about that. Blackwell, Bentick and Koutoufides only played half the game on the weekend, so when they were on the field they gave it everything they had. An interesting tactic and it worked against the Bulldogs, but if Bentick played most of the game he might get 20 tackles and if Blackwell also had a big increase in playing time he would get close to 30 possessions.
15: Melbourne Demons 1-9 (15)
They were playing well and losing, they fixed that against the Crows and continued to play well but got the win. The Magpies, Tigers, Bombers and Blues are their next opponents.
16: Richmond Tigers 0-9-1 (16)
Simmonds might return for their game in Fremantle. The Tigers should be happy to at least have some points on the board, two is better than nothing, and it was an inspiring comeback that they performed in the second half against Brisbane. Kingsley's goal was far from the greatest moment in AFL history, it might be time for him to go back to the VFL.
Port Adelaide had everything under control in the first quarter, it looked like they were going to be too big up forward and they were winning the midfield battle. Mitchell started winning the ball, Lance Franklin kicked some goals and the Power was switched off. Westhoff of the Power may have gotten an unlikely double, kicking a goal with his first ever kick and also being reported in his first AFL game.
Hawks 109 - Power 75
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Mitchell: That's another game over 30 possessions, he had 35 and also added 8 marks and 3 free kicks for.
McGlynn: A bonus for fantasy points with 3 goals, also had 16 kicks and 9 marks.
Franklin: He kicked 3 goals, also had 10 kicks and 8 marks.
Boyle: 5 goals, a big game and a big season so far for someone who started at such a low fantasy price.
Ellis: Croad and Ladson missed so he played, he had 9 possessions and 4 marks.
Port Adelaide
Pearce: Not at his best yet but getting there, he had 20 possessions.
Ebert: 9 marks and 12 kicks.
S Burgoyne: Out of a small slump with 21 disposals, 4 free kicks for and a goal.
Westhoff: 3 goals isn't a bad start to a career.
Gray: Was productive and elusive, his spin on the wing was a highlight, he had 13 possessions in his first game.
It was a shootout but it wasn't about speed, it was who had the most accurate forwards and Carlton kicked a couple more goals while the Bulldogs kicked a couple more points. The expected ruck dominance didn't eventuate, as Ackland and O'hAilpin held their own against the more experienced Street and Darcy. O'hAilpin possibly should just be played as a tall running midfielder, with another ruckman out there to contest hitouts, and his run and goal was one of the highlights of the match.
Blues 138 - Bulldogs 128
Fantasy Player News
Carlton
Carrazzo: Now in the fantasy elite, 37 possessions and 10 tackles.
Blackwell: 16 possessions and kicked a goal, he should keep his spot for the rest of the season.
Bannister: Usually he doesn't get many stats, but here he had 23 disposals and 9 marks.
Thornton: A solid fantasy player this year, he had 13 kicks and 10 marks.
Koutoufides: They monitor his game-time and he made the most of it with 23 possessions.
Western Bulldogs
Higgins: Might have a bigger role as changes will be made there, he had 13 disposals and 2 goals.
Johnson: It was the usual stars who got the stats again, Johnson had 17 kicks and 3 goals.
West: 14 kicks and 17 handballs.
Cooney: 24 possessions and 2 goals, he is putting up big numbers in a lot of games, although sometimes he can still go missing.
Giansiracusa: 20 possessions and had more fantasy points with a couple of goals too.
That's another win for Geelong, the Saints kept it close in the first half but Geelong piled on the goals in the second. Wojcinski was too fast, Ling stopped Dal Santo, G Ablett was too skilful and Chapman also provided his usual hardness as he returned after missing several weeks.
Cats 125 - Saints 65
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Chapman: Maybe he was worth his fantasy price with 23 possessions, but he had 0 goals and 3 behinds.
Egan: He doesn't usually get as many stats in his defensive role, he had 22 disposals.
Rooke: He kicked another goal and also had 15 possessions and 5 marks.
Scarlett: 18 kicks and 10 marks.
Bartel: Fantasy player of the year so far, another big game with 31 possessions, 12 marks and 4 free kicks.
St Kilda
Gram: 22 kicks as he was back running again.
Gilbert: Still underrated and underpriced, 11 kicks, 8 marks and 4 tackles.
Koschitzke: Was in the ruck and up forward, lots of stats with 21 possessions and 10 marks.
Montagna: He played and had 20 kicks.
R Clarke: Not a good first game of the year, 3 handballs and 4 free kicks against, so he will obviously improve.
Werribee dominated this weekend with a team that was strong and tall. Minson, McDougall, Everitt, Williams, Skipper and Pask all had big games against the Scorpions. Pask is a rookie listed player, but the other players could be a chance to play for the Western Bulldogs next week.
Coach Eade is ready to change his team and height is again where he must look. McDougall kicked 6 goals while Minson showed he can cause defenders problems as he kicked 3 goals.
The Bulldogs are going to have a big game against the Lions, it is a must-win for both teams as the Lions need a win to halt their slide while the Bulldogs have to beat teams like Brisbane if they want to get a top 4 spot. There is a lot more at stake than just the Akermanis versus Brisbane battle.
From The Age: Selection axe poised at Western Bulldogs
AFL Fantasy Impact:
The Bulldogs did allow Carlton to kick 21 goals so it wouldn't hurt to bolster the back line. Everitt or Williams could give the Bulldogs more height while both players are more than capable of running in the Bulldogs' style of play. Williams did play one game earlier in the year, he didn't excel in fantasy points in his first game. Everitt and Williams are both cheap fantasy players.
McDougall was good in the preseason games but he didn't do anything in the regular season and was dropped after a couple of games. He has the potential to be a solid forward and if they did keep him at full forward he would probably kick a few goals. His fantasy price is low so a couple of contested marks and a couple of goals and he would be worth his price.
There might be a few weeks before this happens but Chris Grant is another taller player that the Bulldogs will have soon. His fantasy price is too high to be a wise investment.
No, of course they are not honouring former Adelaide Crows player John Klug. The "KLUGER" painted on the AFL venues is a Toyota.
John Klug was a member of Adelaide's first AFL team, he played for them in 1991 and 1992. He kicked as many goals as Carey and Ablett did in 1991, 28.
The Kluger sign is always in view at the centre bounces, but with a player or two standing on it, it does advertise something different during the game. While KLUG often appears, there are times when another winter sport is being promoted, luge. When the K has a player standing on it, it becomes a German firearm or a professional wrestler.
A John Klug football card auction
The Toyota Kluger site
On Monday at around 5:30, and it will also be shown 2 hours earlier as well, The Fonz will be jumping the shark. Have a look at TV1 if you want to see that. At one point in time every Victorian AFL team was successful, but they performed their own shark jumping which now results in them languishing down the bottom of the standings.
Some of the teams brought failure onto themselves, others had it forced onto them. A lot of these events were not the fault of the clubs but they did unexpected damage to them. Some did alter the team's fortunes but not as drastically as they could have, some even provided a surprisingly positive outcome years later. Others were very humorous, at least to a few of the people involved.
In AFL, Jumping The Shark could equal a significant play in a game, misusing a draft pick, a bad hiring, a terrible trade or just some bad luck.
There are plenty of reasons why the Victorian teams have slipped from the top of the league, feel free to provide more moments by leaving a comment. The inventive, polite and interesting shark jumps will be added to the post there.
The Fonz did jump the shark and he was never able to return to the happy times he enjoyed in previous days. While Fonzie might not be able to get back to the top, there is still a chance for some of the Victorian teams to win again. They will need to make smart choices, work hard and hope that the interstate teams start to jump sharks of their own.
Carlton
The Biggest Shark Jump: Trading for Devonport.
They had just won everything and decided to trade their future, a first round pick, for Craig Devonport. Carlton's success for many years involved taking the Saints' good young players and sending their old guys to Moorabbin to retire. This trade switched the roles, so now the Saints are more successful while Carlton languishes on the bottom.
A Recent Shark Jump: Leaving their home.
Plenty of people ruined this for the Blues, obviously their administration but also the local council and the AFL and other clubs and the often mentioned residents. A stadium with a big underground carpark, lights and a better design would have helped Carlton and other clubs.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1995
Other sharkworthy mentions:
Nearly every draft pick they have made since 1995. The draft picks that were taken off them. Mick Martyn. Trading for Lappin, another mistake from St Kilda. The M & M light Blues. Hamill splitting. Signing Ackland, continuing the curse from the Saints. Taking the former president's name off his stand. The current leadership group, it's nearly half the team. Angwin. The Pagan-Mitchell cold war. The Fevolas, an unrivalled publicity machine. The guy who designed The Legends Stand.
Collingwood
The Biggest Shark Jump: Hiring Tony Shaw as coach.
The reason that the guy with the lethal reputation was brought in was because not only was he a very successful footballer and a very strong individual but also because he was from outside the Collingwood system. Giving Shaw the reins sent the team back to the bad days before Matthews arrived to coach.
A Recent Shark Jump: Abandoning Victoria Park.
They sell lots of coffee and have a nice gym at the former home of the NBL's North Melbourne Giants, but it isn't really Collingwood.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1990
Other sharkworthy mentions:
Brereton, he was a bit past it. Losing Nick Davis. Trading Mal Michael, only to face him in the Grand Finals. The Kinnear guy who didn't play, it might have been Mark. Brett Chalmers. Giving Mark Richardson so many second chances. Sending away Rocca, the older one. Rhyce Shaw falling over in the Grand Final and gifting the goal to Lynch. Not trading for Lockett. Getting rid of Rupert Betheras.
Essendon
The Biggest Shark Jump: No more thugs.
When Essendon would win there would be more than one player who was ready to do Sheedy's bidding, and sometimes that meant an unexpected and unprovoked physical clash that could turn a game and help Essendon win. There is no Merrett or Wallis now.
A Recent Shark Jump: Taking Carlton's rejects.
Camporeale had a reputation as a good player, which was started due to sitting on the bench for a winning Grand Final team. Murphy had a big reputation from a couple of early games with Richmond. Allan had a reputation, nobody knows why. Essendon were certainly scraping the bottom of Carlton's barrel, they could have done much better and drafted Trent Sporn after Carlton delisted him or they could have traded for that guy who looked like Rod Stewart, Jon McCormick might have been his name.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 2000
Other sharkworthy mentions: The ugly fat, red stripe uniform. Mark Bolton's invulnerability to delisting. Mark Fraser.
Geelong
The Biggest Shark Jump: Newman's white boots.
The Geelong team used to be made up of tough players like the Lord twins, but that changed when Newman put on his shiny white boots. The team concept was put to the side, and over the years the attention has now gone to players like Mark Jackson and Bill Brownless.
A Recent Shark Jump: "Bomber" Thompson
It is not going to be easy when a coach is referred to by another team's name. You wouldn't have Cat Stevens coaching Collingwood or Tiger Woods coaching the Blues.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1963
Other sharkworthy mentions: Colbert running out. Sending draft picks to the Eagles for their underperforming forwards. Off the field stuff, too many players to mention individually. Hocking becoming cat food for a day. Wade, who did a Colbert to the Kangaroos a generation earlier. The 1989 Grand Final that just needed to go for another minute. The Nick Davis goal a couple of years ago.
Hawthorn
The Biggest Shark Jump: Tuck off the team.
He had plenty of football left in him, it couldn't have been worse for Hawthorn if they had an old Michael Tuck instead of Simon Crawshay or that guy that Dermott might have introduced to his shoe, Tallis.
A Recent Shark Jump: Crawford and Vandenberg as captain.
One of them wants to be a Broadway star, the other might squeeze into their best 22, they are certainly not in the class of Tuck or Matthews.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1991
Other sharkworthy mentions: Not correctly evaluating Shane Tuck's talent. Moving out from the Hawthorn area. Taking Alex McDonald with the top pick. Some of their preseason jumpers.
Kangaroos
The Biggest Shark Jump: Wayne Carey.
A very strange story, at least they got a draft pick from it.
A Recent Shark Jump: Laidley as the coach, year after year.
He is not the most welcoming person in AFL, anger and hardness served him well as a player but it doesn't help the profile of his club that he coaches.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1999
Other sharkworthy mentions: Losing their identity, they should be called North Melbourne. Trading away McKernan, and trading for McKernan. Hay.
Melbourne
The Biggest Shark Jump: Barassi.
George Lucas might have used Barassi's move from Melbourne to Carlton as the basis of the Anakin Skywalker character who turned away from the Jedi to join forces with the electric, little Emperor. Thanks to the Ewoks, the Jedi did recover but there have not been any furry guys who have helped the Demons back to the top, with the possible exceptions of Nathan Carroll and Joe Gutnick.
A Recent Shark Jump: Voting to merge.
When a majority of members give up then good times are not on the horizon.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1964
Other sharkworthy mentions: Keeping Travis Johnstone around. Jim Stynes putting Buckenara closer to goal. The score in the 1988 Grand Final. The gambling problems. The little stickers that their members stick on their cars. Losing players to Fremantle. Greg Healy's brother. Steven Armstrong's 2006 AFL Grand Final and Martin Pike's many, many big games elsewhere. The Grinter incident. Todd Viney's headband.
Richmond
The Biggest Shark Jump: The stars say goodbye in 1982.
The Tigers lost some of their biggest names to Collingwood after the 1982 season. The Cloke of darkness fell on Richmond, it used to Raines finals at Richmond but now there is a drought.
A Recent Shark Jump: Kent Kingsley
Kent Kingsley might play as many, or even more, games this season for Richmond than Darren Gaspar will. An odd idea for a youth movement.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1980
Other sharkworthy mentions: Tambling instead of the great Lance. Most of their many coaches in the past two decades. Home games under the roof. Wayne Campbell's TV show, the one on Channel 7. Nathan Brown arriving. Saying goodbye to Rodan. Planning for season 2011.
St Kilda
The Biggest Shark Jump: Losing their big, angry full forwards to Sydney.
While they did get something useful in return, the Saints did lose a lot when Lockett left. A few years later the does was repeated when Hall followed.
A Recent Shark Jump: Getting kicked out of their home.
A very recent one, this will hurt the Saints but it will probably hurt the Moorabbin community more.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1966
Other sharkworthy mentions: Becoming a retirement home for former Carlton footballers. Timmy. Winmar going off, against the Carlton players and then his own teammates. Lockett throwing the crutches. The injury-prone Koschitzke, and Hamill, the Clarkes too. Dean Rice's knee. Jayson Daniel's kicking.
Western Bulldogs
The Biggest Shark Jump: Oakley tells Footscray to join, or possibly to be taken over, by Fitzroy.
The Fitzroy Bulldogs might now be playing at Waverley with Jonathan Brown, Marc Murphy and Brad Johnson in the forward line. Or they might not be playing at all. While the Bulldogs did survive, the proposed merger did not help them bring in sponsors and players in the years that followed.
A Recent Shark Jump: Wallace jumping.
It doesn't help with a club's stability when the coach announces that he is out of there, and then says that he should stick around and still coach. The grass wasn't greener for him, and the Bulldogs managed to survive once again.
Their Last AFL Premiership: 1954
Other sharkworthy mentions: "Stealing" Jade Rawlings with a sneaky trade to ensure he was there in the preseason draft. Playing small for the past decade, Croft was not a full back and Murphy is not a centre half forward. Chris Grant getting votes but no medal. Charging huge prices for tickets to their games at Princes Park, there was only 12,000 people there for a reason. Nathan Brown leaving. Losing Footscray from their name.
It’s The Fonz. (picture from wikipedia)
They finally have a win, and now that they have broken through they could get several more wins in the next month. The ferocity of Jones and McLean led the way. The Crows got close at the end, thanks to the play of Goodwin, Edwards and Bizzell, but Melbourne didn't let this one slip away.
Demons 89 - Crows 72
Fantasy Player News
Melbourne
Green: He had a few different roles in previous games, it was a more attacking task this time and he had a huge 28 kicks and 18 marks.
Bate: Bate always gets involved in the play, a big game with 16 disposals, 7 marks, 2 goals and 3 free kicks for.
Wheatley: Not very expensive, he is good for fantasy points because he usually kicks the ball long, he had 19 kicks and a goal.
Bruce: 29 possessions, 10 marks and 6 tackles.
Frawley: He should keep his spot in the team, nothing big yet for fantasy points with 7 possessions and 2 tackles.
Adelaide
Ricciuto: Started slowly but ended well, he kicked 2 goals and had 13 possessions.
Johncock: Solid after returning last week, he had 9 kicks and 10 handballs.
Edwards: 31 possessions, 6 marks and 8 tackles.
Porplyzia: A good player at an affordable price, he kicked 2 goals and had 17 disposals.
Knights: 25 possessions, he might have doubled his starting fantasy price and it could go up some more.
It was close, in the third quarter, then the Eagles destroyed the Kangaroos. Dean Cox was the star, and many of the Eagles' smalls had huge amounts of possessions as Cox delivered the ball to them at stoppages.
Eagles 121 - Kangaroos 55
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
Cox: 27 possessions and 27 hitouts, his best game of the season.
Priddis: 39 possessions, he also added 10 tackles for even more fantasy points.
Morton: He kicked a couple more goals.
Brown: Still at a very low price, he kicked a goal and had 6 marks.
Rosa: 26 possessions, 15 marks and a goal.
Kangaroos
Sinclair: 23 possessions, 5 marks and 6 tackles. He is at a good price for what he can do for fantasy points.
Gibson: He is having a good season for fantasy stats, he had 20 possessions here.
Smith: Still time to sign up a bargain, he had 19 possessions.
Swallow: 9 tackles added some fantasy points to his 15 possessions.
Rawlings: 20 disposals, a big effort considering the amount of ball the other team had.
Richmond should be happy, they have a couple of points now, which is better than being on the bottom with nothing after 10 games. The Lions also halted their mini-streak of losses too. Richmond staged a big comeback while the Lions defended with everything they had in the final minutes.
Lions 73 - Tigers 73
Fantasy Player News
Brisbane
Drummond: A good player, and not just because he has the same name as the Diff'rent Strokes character, he had 25 kicks and 13 marks.
Hooper: 9 disposals, 3 marks and 3 tackles as he made his return to the team.
Patfull: He can put together some useful numbers, he had 11 kicks, 8 marks and 3 goals.
Charman: His fantasy worth goes way up when he is the only ruckman, he had 15 possessions and actually received 3 free kicks.
Notting: 19 kicks and 13 marks.
Richmond
King: His fantasy price will keep going up, he had 20 possessions and 10 marks.
Jackson: Looks to have cemented his spot in the team, he had 11 kicks, 6 marks and a goal.
J Bowden: They went backwards a few times, he ended up with 25 disposals, 8 marks and 5 tackles.
Johnson: Some of his 16 kicks didn't hit their target, but he also had 10 marks and 7 tackles.
Richardson: His price is a bit low in fantasy games, he kicked 2 goals and also added 12 kicks and 7 marks.
Every point counts, the Swans helped along the Bombers' score at the end of the third quarter as they rushed a behind from a Lucas attempt after the siren, the game was decided by a point. There were plenty of other decisions by all involved that affected the game too, towards the end of the game there should have been a throw-in but that was missed and Essendon kicked a goal as play continued.
Bombers 74 - Swans 73
Fantasy Player News
Essendon
Winderlich: Starred in the early games, and did it again here with 15 kicks and 13 marks.
Fletcher: One of the best fantasy defenders, 23 kicks and 12 marks.
McVeigh: The best McVeigh there, Mark had 21 possessions, 5 tackles and 2 goals.
Ryder: Another good game, 10 kicks and 7 marks.
Bolton: Not his worst game, maybe his best, he kicked 2 goals.
Sydney
Buchanan: His fantasy price has gone down, but it will go back up after 30 possessions.
Kirk: Some people were trading him, he is back in form after 32 possessions and 6 tackles.
Richards: 21 possessions, 8 marks and 2 free kicks received.
Schneider: 15 kicks, 7 handballs and 7 marks.
Ablett: He is putting up some bigger numbers, he had 21 possessions and 2 tackles.
25
Josh Fraser.
Ruckman for the Collingwood Magpies.
Is he a ruckman or a forward, Collingwood have been trying to figure that out for a while, not that it matters because he excels in either spot. He starts in the ruck and will then make his way forward, often putting the opposition ruckman in a position they are not suited for as a backman. The trouble continues for teams who then switch a tall defender onto Fraser, a run on the ball and a few important hitouts won and Collingwood again get an advantage due to the versatility of Fraser.
It was not a difficult decision for Collingwood as they had the top pick in the 1999 AFL draft. The most logical draft strategy is to always take the best of the biggest, and that was Fraser.
Fraser played his first AFL game in round 1 2000. His best season for goals was 2002 when he kicked 37, his best season for hitouts was last season, with 341. In the 2002 AFL Grand Final Fraser kicked 3 goals, in the big game the next season he had 21 hitouts.
The game starts in the ruck so it is a very important position on the field, the Magpies have one of the best in Josh Fraser and he will keep them competitive for years to come.
Josh Fraser information:
202cm, 101kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 24
Port Adelaide want to kick more goals and they will have one more tall option as well as a short option, who also plays tall, when they face the Hawks. Big Justin Westhoff should provide another marking target around half forward while Robbie Gray could play close to goals in a similar way to Brett Ebert or he could also play on a wing.
There is also some Michael Wilson news, he could be in Port Adelaide’s side next week.
From The Advertiser: Power adds fresh spark
Also from The Advertiser: Excitement boost
AFL Fantasy Impact:
At the moment it is unlikely that Westhoff or Gray will play large minutes, and their stay at AFL level could be short with the Power having many other players pushing for a spot. But anything can happen, as Krakouer has shown, and Westhoff or Gray could stick and their low fantasy prices would go up a lot.
Accuracy when kicking for goal was always going to be the deciding factor in this game, Pavlich and Tarrant combined for 4 goals and 9 behinds while Rocca and Davis didn't waste their chances as they combined for 9 goals. Tarrant did provide plenty of opportunities to be booed as he got the ball 27 times.
Magpies 103 - Dockers 94
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Rocca: If he kicks like that again he will be signed by a lot more fantasy teams, he finished with 5 goals and 8 marks.
Davis: In previous games he was getting fantasy points with an increase in possessions, in this game he kicked 4 goals.
Holland: 21 possessions, 17 were kicks, a better game for fantasy points than his previous matches.
Goldsack: 12 possessions and 4 tackles, his fantasy price will increase but his spot in their team is not guaranteed.
H Shaw: Injured early, he only had 3 kicks, check the injury news during the week.
Fremantle
Tarrant: 27 disposals and 12 marks brought in a lot of fantasy points.
Hayden: An underrated fantasy AFL player, had 12 kicks and 3 tackles.
J Carr: Back in the team and finished with his usual numbers, he did have 10 first quarter disposals.
Pavlich: A bit inaccurate but for fantasy teams he was a superstar with 19 kicks, 13 marks and 4 goals.
Mundy: Had his usual disposals but boosted his fantasy points with a couple of goals.
When Jonathan Brown and Jeff White are at bargain prices, the best idea might be to sign them even though that uses up a couple of trades. Trades are getting down in number now but the talent on the team is at a high level.
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 Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Reiwoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis
B Matt Riggio
C Joel Selwood
C Bryce Gibbs (emergency)
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
Gilbee came onto the team last week. He took Roe's spot, although Roe did play last week as a late inclusion after being dropped by Brisbane, he didn't have a big game and was dropped again this week. The Bulldogs were not at their best but Gilbee still got plenty of points. It was just another manic Mundy, although the coach is probably the cause. Maybe they have too much depth among their defenders in Fremantle, as they move them around and rest them on the bench a bit more than other teams. The Essendon - Richmond match provided a big finish, and for this fantasy team it provided two big marking players who patrolled their half back areas. Down one end was Polak who continues to have a big year, McPhee had a better role too and cut off several passes to the Richmond forwards which added up into big fantasy points.
Ricky Petterd's exciting fantasy year had a detour as Coach Daniher sent him to the forward line. He should be back among the embattled Melbourne defenders again this week, and up in fantasy points. If Petterd does for some reason play as a forward then it might be time to get Gibbs into the lineup for next week, things could be turning around for Gibbs now and he might start getting a lot more fantasy points. Kane Cornes was brought onto the team last week and that was a good move. The Hawks had a big win, and Mitchell kicked an important early goal, but for fantasy points he had a down game. Mitchell should be back among the stats leaders this week.
For the past few weeks the choice has been to play Griffin or Hudson in the ruck, Hudson was always the pick and it was very important last week with Griffin hurting his ankle. The choice won't be made now as Griffin is gone, Ackland takes the emergency spot on the bench and Jeff White jumps into the team.
Jonathan Brown did start the season on this team, he is back but at a saving of over $230,000. Alwyn Davey left to make room for Brown. There are plenty of big stars among the forwards so they should be bringing in a huge amount of fantasy points.
A large number of trades have been used to get a good balance of stars at the right price, so the emergencies could play an important part if injuries hit. The midfield is in good shape as both Gibbs and J Selwood get regular games and some useful stats, Selwood will probably be in the VFL this week though but won't spend too long in the VFL. The ruck is always a concern with injuries, Ackland should be a useful player as a fantasy emergency as Carlton would be in trouble if they dropped him, he is their only experienced ruckman with Cloke and McLaren hurt. If Campbell keeps kicking goals then he should keep his spot in the Kangaroos' lineup, he will need to as Shannon Cox has not returned to the Collingwood team after his demotion. The back line emergency could also cause some problems, Ellis is close to getting back into the Hawthorn team and he probably should be in their best 22.
Collingwood v Fremantle
The Tip: Fremantle by 23 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Luke McPharlin
Chance For An Upset: Collingwood are the favourites here, the Dockers have a very good group of defenders and they will make it difficult for the Magpies to put up a big score. As the TV advertisements have pointed out, down the other end of the ground it will be Fremantle's accuracy in front of goal that might decide the game.
Collingwood
They win if....Prestigiacomo has a big game, whoever he plays on will try to run him around and take him out of his preferred spot at full back.
The Good News: It will be a fun night for the Magpies many fans, everyone will know when Tarrant has the ball in his hands.
The Bad News: While the talk is about Tarrant's kicking, both Cloke and Rocca are a bit inconsistent too.
Fremantle
They win if....they get some contributions from smaller forwards.
The Good News: Josh Carr has returned and it should be a game that suits him.
The Bad News: The Dockers are the most reported team in the AFL, this could be the type of game that adds a few more names to that list.
Melbourne v Adelaide
The Tip: Adelaide by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Martin Mattner
Chance For An Upset: Melbourne have to get there soon, and this could be the game. But Adelaide are not only on a roll but they added Johncock last week and Ricciuto for this round too.
Melbourne
They win if....Davey gets all his possessions in the forward line.
The Good News: The Demons have most of their star midfielders back in the team.
The Bad News: It doesn't seem that Rivers will be playing soon.
Adelaide
They win if....Thompson does well against his old team.
The Good News: Every week the talk was "Ricciuto might play", this week that comes true.
The Bad News: The Jericho-holics won't be out in force as Jericho was the unlucky one who lost his spot in the team.
West Coast v Kangaroos
The Tip: West Coast by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brent Staker
Chance For An Upset: Half the West Coast team might have a cold, and the Kangaroos are hot at the moment, so it could be a close game. If Hansen isn't there then the Eagles' winning percentage takes a big hit, this game will be a big test for that theory.
West Coast
They win if....Cox and Seaby win the battle against a very good Hamish McIntosh.
The Good News: A spot opens up for Mitch Brown, he was good earlier in the season.
The Bad News: Two months without Hansen in the forward line is a long time.
Kangaroos
They win if....they find the right defender to play on Lynch, he might be too big for Firrito. Watt was an inclusion this round.
The Good News: They currently have their longest win streak this century.
The Bad News: They can't find the right spot for big Hale, and pace is their big need so they might not look to bring in any more talls unless someone gets hurt.
Richmond v Brisbane
The Tip: Brisbane by 30 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Simon Black
Chance For An Upset: A lot of people say this is where Richmond gets their first win, and a big game from Pattison and some goals from the courageous Richardson and it could happen.
Richmond
They win if....Kingsley deserves his spot, he needs to kick goals.
The Good News: Like Melbourne, the Tigers have shown they can get into a winning position towards the end of the games.
The Bad News: No Riewoldt, they are 0 and 9 but don't feel that they need to "play all the youngsters" yet. Bring back Jack.
Brisbane
They win if....someone like Johnson kicks a few goals or it might be Hooper, who is now back in the team.
The Good News: The Lions knew they needed another big forward target, they put Clark back in and it was a great move.
The Bad News: Last Thursday they also made 5 changes, things are becoming a bit unsettled there.
Sydney v Essendon
The Tip: Sydney by 55 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ryan O'Keefe
Chance For An Upset: Camporeale is out, so that is a bonus for Essendon, but the addition of Bolton could nullify that move. Essendon will try their tactics on Hall that were used to stop Brown a few weeks ago, if they get that to work again then they will win.
Sydney
They win if....O'Loughlin continues his good form for Sydney home games.
The Good News: Kennelly and Davis are both in, so that adds a special player at both ends of the field.
The Bad News: They are not the tallest team in the back line, so if Lloyd and Lucas, and maybe Ryder too, get a lot of the ball it will be tough for the Swans. Maybe Richards will have a big game.
Essendon
They win if....they win the battle of the ruck, with Hille and Laycock going against the top tandem in the AFL at this time, Jolly and Everitt.
The Good News: Essendon might have the better McVeigh.
The Bad News: If they just barely got over the line against Richmond, the result against a Sydney team who is playing their best football of the year might not be good.
Port Adelaide v Hawthorn
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 20 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Shaun Burgoyne
Chance For An Upset: Hawthorn are playing better at the moment and they come off a win against the league's top team. A few more goals from Franklin and a competitive effort by their two ruckmen and anything could happen.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Lade dominates again, he has been a bit down in stats in recent games.
The Good News: Salopek missed a couple of games with an injury but he is back to his best now.
The Bad News: They were getting huge games from at least one Burgoyne, but last week they were both contained by Geelong, the Power can't let that happen again.
Hawthorn
They win if....they can figure out a way to stop the Cornes brothers.
The Good News: They beat West Coast, so they can beat anyone.
The Bad News: Their coach has not been concentrating on this game.
Carlton v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 99 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Adam Cooney
Chance For An Upset: The Bulldogs have been defeated by some of the better teams in the AFL, like Sydney and Adelaide, so it is unlikely that they drop a game against the Carlton side which isn't in the best form.
Carlton
They win if....they overload their forward line with height and supply them with a lot of the ball, they have the first part of this tactic achieved, the tough part will be getting Fevola, Whitnall, Fisher, Kennedy and others the ball.
The Good News: They are kicking goals, so even though they are losing at least they are doing it in style and with some excitement.
The Bad News: Their possible ins include Bannister and Wiggins, they are not really looking to play youth at the moment.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....they do everything the opposite of what they did last week.
The Good News: McMahon and Griffen are back and they were certainly missed against the Swans.
The Bad News: Their forward line is still too short, they do need to try something there, it's a pity they can't put Podsiadly into the team.
St Kilda v Geelong
The Tip: St Kilda by 29 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Nick Riewoldt
Chance For An Upset: The Saints winning would be a huge effort, but they have the tall forwards who can do it if they are on. Gehrig is due for a big game.
St Kilda
They win if....Gram has a big influence and finds plenty of space to run the ball through the middle and then deliver it to a big forward.
The Good News: Gilbert has really exploded in the past few games, he is a very skilful and versatile player.
The Bad News: No Robert Harvey.
Geelong
They win if....they keep playing the way they have been.
The Good News: Chapman is named, he makes them even better.
The Bad News: There isn't a lot of bad news, although contract talk could start to distract some people there soon.
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