Corey Jones of the Kangaroos.
The Kangaroos were not expected to easily defeat Hawthorn when they met in Tasmania. Just before the game the Hawks lost Franklin and Mitchell while the Kangaroos went into the game without Wells. These late changes robbed both teams of star players and also provided the opportunity for another player to shine. Corey Jones was up to the task.
Jones is a very versatile player, when the ball is sent forward he can fly for the mark or be at ground level for the crumb. During this game he was in the right place on many occasions. Reaching high for the mark or winning the ball at ground level, Jones was too good for Campbell Brown. When Jones did get his hands on the ball a goal was sure to follow.
Jones’ 7 goals was the difference between the two sides. Some of his goals were from long range, others were quick snaps after winning the ball in traffic. He roamed around collecting possessions too, getting 16 kicks as well as 3 handballs.
The Kangaroos are still in second spot and are probably assured of a finals spot now. Jones has been a very consistent performer during the season and was a match-winner on the weekend and Jones is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Corey Jones' profile at the Kangaroos site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Jonathan Brown.
The Magpies have three games coming up that they will expect to win and they will need to get the job done without young superstar Scott Pendlebury. A small fracture in his foot means Pendlebury will miss around three weeks.
From the Collingwood site: Magpies hope for Pendlebury's return
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Pendlebury probably should be traded, he has had a great season for fantasy teams so with a big price increase during the year an adequate replacement is easy to find. Stanton of Essendon would be a good player to sign. Harris of the Kangaroos and Stiller of the Lions provide some value too. A Collingwood player who may increase their production now is Lonie, he is also close to Pendlebury's fantasy price.
The Bulldogs would have been looking for some good news, as they need to get their injured stars back into the team, but it was all bad news when they found out that Ryan Griffen wouldn't be able to return from injury this season. Griffen is expected to be assigned to the Bulldogs long-term injury list.
From the Herald Sun: Griffen out for season
AFL Fantasy Impact:
The fantasy coaches who kept Griffen on their bench will want to trade him away now. With Cross still a few weeks away, other Bulldogs like Boyd and Eagleton will be solid players for fantasy teams.
Name: Brad Ebert
Height: 187
Weight: 86
State: South Australia
Club(s): Port Magpies/Henley
AFL Positions:
Ebert has the skills for several spots on the field and he might do the most damage in the middle. He has plenty of size, for an onballer, and when combined with his good foot-skills he will get a lot of the ball and use it well. He could also be used as a medium-sized forward or at half back.
Perfect Fit For:
Carlton don't have a lot of size in the middle, and if they get a priority pick to use as well as their first rounder then Ebert might be an option.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
First round pick by Port Adelaide. But the more wins that the Power get, the harder it might be to draft him. They might need to find something, a player or later pick, to add to their first rounder to move up in the draft to make sure they get him. The Crows could really annoy the Power by taking Ebert, and Brad Ebert has been there before as he trained with the Crows as part of the AIS system. Brad Ebert joining the Power could cause some problems, for the media, as his first name will need to be spelled out in full with him and cousin Brett in the same lineup.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He was awarded with a spot on the Under 18 All-Australian team and has already played at senior SANFL level so he should step right into a round 1 AFL team next year. He could have more value, in fantasy games, if he is position eligible as a forward as well as a midfielder. If he is a forward in fantasy leagues he might be the best option among the cheapest players, while if he is only a fantasy midfielder he will be one of four or five to choose from among the first-year players. At either position he will be on quite a few fantasy benches at the beginning of next season.
1: Geelong Cats 14-3 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
It's top versus bottom with Geelong hosting Richmond, they don't need it but it could be a big percentage booster.
2: West Coast Eagles 11-6 (2)
They will have a tough game on Sunday against Fremantle.
3: Port Adelaide Power 11-6 (5)
They can nearly lock up a top 4 spot, and eliminate the Crows from the finals, with a win next week.
4: Hawthorn Hawks 10-7 (3)
Without Mitchell and Franklin, Hawthorn are not very good. They should have them back for their next game.
5: Collingwood Magpies 10-7 (4)
Collingwood will be thinking their record will be 13 and 7 soon, as they now play teams down the very bottom of the ladder. Clement should return too, he is a player that would have been useful against the Lions.
6: Kangaroos 12-5 (6)
It is off to Queensland, but as the away team. The Kangaroos need to keep winning, they may be in second spot but they only have the 8th best percentage.
7: Sydney Swans 9-8 (7)
Hall doesn't look like he has any injury problems and he should not have any problems with the Melbourne back line too. The Swans had a big game from C Bolton which was important with Leo Barry out.
8: Western Bulldogs 9-8 (8)
They are in trouble and need to turn things around quickly. Luke Darcy must be first on the list to go, he is giving them nothing. Their season is on the line next week, and as the Bulldogs struggle with taller teams they could be in trouble against Riewoldt, Gehrig and Koschitzke.
9: St Kilda Saints 9-8 (10)
Three wins in a row and the Saints are now a real finals contender.
10: Essendon Bombers 9-8 (11)
They probably think they can win the next four matches. Hawthorn were terrible in their last game so Essendon will be confident of a win there. The game after that is against Fremantle, they will be in 2008 mode. The Blues and Tigers are the next two teams they play.
11: Brisbane Lions 8-8-1 (12)
They had around two months with only a draw, and that was against Richmond, and now they have a huge winning streak. They haven't lost with Leuenberger in the team, although that isn't why they are winning now. They are getting a lot of run through the middle and their forwards are kicking accurately for goal.
12: Adelaide Crows 8-9 (9)
Just too many injuries. Their remaining schedule also is a reason why their season really could be over. They play the Power, Cats, Bulldogs, Lions and Magpies.
13: Fremantle Dockers 7-10 (13)
They might have to rest some of their veterans, and even say goodbye to a few of the older ones. It might be tempting to play a couple of players in their last game on the weekend against the Eagles, if they are going to go out they may as well go out fighting.
14: Melbourne Demons 3-14 (14)
Expect another big loss as they travel for a home game against the Swans. At least their VFL side is successful.
15: Richmond Tigers 1-15-1 (15)
Richmond fans will want to watch the score from the other game on Saturday, as they still need to cheer on Carlton to get one more win, for the draft pick. It might also give them something else to do at Kardinia Park if the game becomes unwatchable. That may not happen, at least for a half or so, as Richmond provided some highlights against Sydney. Riewoldt's goal from the centre square was impressive and other young players like Edwards were good too.
16: Carlton Blues 4-13 (16)
They didn't win with their new coach. So the longest current losing streak in the AFL continues.
Thousands of people would have wanted to change their tips upon learning that Mitchell and Franklin were not playing. Without their midfield leader and star forward, Hawthorn couldn't get anything going as they spent the day handballing to each other. The Kangaroos had the right idea as they kicked long, they got the ball up forward as quick as they could and Corey Jones did the rest.
Kangaroos 108 - Hawks 71
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Jones: 7 goals, a big return from a medium forward, and extra fantasy points with 16 kicks, 6 marks and 3 frees for.
Harris: 27 possessions, 8 marks and 8 tackles, he should get stats like these more often than he does.
McIntosh: 26 possessions, 5 marks and 3 frees for as he gets back to All-Australian form.
Whyman: Interesting stats, 2 kicks for 2 goals, if only he had 10 kicks and the same ratio of kicks to goals.
Smith: 22 possessions, 5 marks, 2 tackles and 2 frees for.
Hawthorn
Vandenberg: Back in the team, probably doesn't do a lot for fantasy teams as he had 20 possessions but only 5 were kicks.
Birchall: Doesn't play bad games in Tasmania, he had 24 disposals and 7 marks.
Lewis: Some were displeased that Mitchell and Franklin weren't playing, he might have been one of them, although he also found time to get 34 possessions.
Murphy: He was productive for fantasy points earlier in the year, he only had 10 possessions here.
Young: Played well in the space there and finished with 13 kicks, 11 handballs and 6 marks.
Maybe they should explain again why the coach had to go, Essendon had a very important win and are back in the top 8.
Bombers 117 - Crows 105
Fantasy Player News
Essendon
Peverill: 35 possessions and 7 marks,
Stanton: 21 kicks, he is their midfield fantasy star.
McPhee: 19 kicks and 11 marks, also good for fantasy points.
Gumbleton: Fantasy coaches won't want to sign him this year, although he could be good next year, he only had 3 kicks here.
Lloyd: 5 goals and 3 frees for, back in the fantasy points and the Coleman race.
Adelaide
Burton: He had 4 goals and 9 marks, he is on the "sign now" list for fantasy games at the moment.
Thompson: 30 possessions but didn't find the goals like he usually does.
Bock: 24 possessions and 12 marks, this was supposed to be a big year for him and fantasy points and it could still happen.
Gill: 13 possession, 7 marks, 2 frees for and 4 tackles in his first game so he should keep his spot in the team.
Campbell: 8 disposals and 4 marks, the Crows have a lot of other small options so he won't have a big role.
Possibly Melbourne are getting ready for round 22, while the Power are getting ready for September's finals. Chad Cornes and Brett Ebert combined for more goals than the entire Melbourne side.
Power 163 - Demons 74
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
Cassisi: 30 possessions, 7 marks and 4 tackles as he consistently puts together some huge games.
Ebert: 17 kicks, 9 marks and 6 goals provided a large amount of fantasy points.
C Cornes: Might be the AFL fantasy player of the year, he had 6 goals and 11 marks in this game.
Carlile: He has been a good defender but quiet for stats, in this game he got the ball more with 17 possessions.
Surjan: Like a Surjan, fantasy coaches certainly do after 24 disposals and 7 marks.
Melbourne
Green: 28 possessions and 2 goals, one of the more dependable Melbourne players for fantasy points.
White: Always useful as a fantasy ruckman, he had 15 possessions and 6 marks.
Brown: 27 possessions and 8 marks, Brown is great for fantasy points as long as he keeps his spot in the team.
Newton: 2 goals but only 3 marks, he could be useful for fantasy teams in the remaining weeks.
Frawley: It doesn't look like he will star in fantasy this season, he had 6 kicks in this game.
The Dockers might be without big ruckman Aaron Sandilands for the rest of the year. Next week Fremantle will find out if they need to shut him down to prepare for 2008.
From the AFL site: Adding injury to insult
AFL Fantasy Impact:
A lot of fantasy teams have Sandilands so they might need to make a trade next week. Warnock would be an option, he is cheaper than Sandilands and should get plenty of playing time with Fremantle as he is their only other real ruckman. Simmonds might get going soon and he is at around half the price that he started the season at. The Bulldogs might change around their structure which could mean a new ruckman for fantasy teams to consider, Minson or Street must be in their side next week. A good option near Sandilands’ price is Port Adelaide’s Lade.
The result was closer for Carlton than it has been in recent months, and the top draft pick is still there for them, so they might be happy with the coaching change. Riewoldt and Gehrig combined for 10 goals, and with Koschitzke back next week their tall stars might talk them into the finals.
Saints 111 - Blues 101
Fantasy Player News
St Kilda
Baker: 27 possessions, 8 marks and a goal was a big game for fantasy points from Baker.
S Fisher: Had plenty of stats when he was a full back, but didn't have an opponent here and had 32 disposals and 17 marks.
Hayes: 11 kicks, 18 handballs and 6 marks.
Gehrig: Roof was open but it didn't matter, he kicked 6 goals.
Birss: Is solid for stats now, he had 16 possessions and 6 marks.
Carlton
Fevola: Fastest healing leg injury ever, he had 5 goals from 10 kicks.
Carrazzo: Their best fantasy player, he had 38 possessions and 8 marks.
Blackwell: A younger player who should have a bigger role now, he had 10 possessions here.
Jackson: In the action, with 23 disposals and 12 marks.
Saddington: Often free in Carlton's back line, he had 24 disposals and 11 marks.
Geelong took care of business once again. G Ablett was great and the Cats were still tough despite Chapman missing with injury.
Cats 140 - Dockers 72
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Stokes: 5 goals and 17 possessions, a huge game for fantasy points from Stokes.
G Ablett: Their best player again, he had 31 possessions.
N Ablett: First game in a while, he kicked a goal and had 9 possessions.
Ling: 23 possessions and a goal as he continues to get fantasy points while used in a stopping role by Geelong.
Corey: 20 kicks, 9 marks and 6 tackles.
Fremantle
McPharlin: 13 marks, 12 kicks and 12 handballs.
Gilmore: 20 possessions and 10 marks, his game is perfect for fantasy points.
Solomon: 22 possessions and 5 tackles, a surprisingly good fantasy season from him.
Duffield: 9 possessions, it doesn't look like he will be helping fantasy teams.
Drum: Their season is over so he should play more now, he had 11 possessions.
Richmond were very competitive in the first half. In the second half it was all Sydney. Hall was too big and strong and he had plenty of help from Davis and Schneider who were also among the goals.
Swans 138 - Tigers 72
Fantasy Player News
Sydney
Hall: 6 goals and 10 marks, fantasy coaches will hope he doesn't need a rest as Melbourne is up next for him.
Goodes: 20 possessions and 10 marks, those are the stats expected from him.
Kennelly: Returned to action but didn't have a big game, he had 15 possessions.
Buchanan: 9 kicks, 9 handballs and 4 tackles, a solid game but he can do better.
Brennan: Didn't play a lot in his first game for Sydney, he had 10 possessions.
Richmond
Connors: 13 possessions, he should keep his spot in the team.
Newman: 24 possessions and 5 marks, he has been one of Richmond's best for fantasy points.
Brown: 3 goals, 12 kicks and 5 marks.
Edwards: 15 possessions and a goal, he should finish the year with plenty of stats.
Simmonds: Still splitting minutes with Pattison, he had 14 possessions but isn't near his best yet.
The Lions continued their amazing run as Brennan and Brown could not be stopped by Collingwood. Pendlebury will miss around a month with an injury.
Lions 149 - Magpies 56
Fantasy Player News
Brisbane
Brennan: The "one-handed wonder" kicked 7 goals, he also had 10 marks.
Hooper: 3 goals and 23 possessions will get him noticed by fantasy coaches.
Adcock: He has a sore shoulder, he could play next week and fantasy coaches will hope he gets close to his 4 goals and 27 possessions he had here.
Charman: 2 goals, 7 kicks, 8 handballs, 6 marks, 19 total hitouts and 2 frees for, but 5 frees against.
Power: 17 kicks and 10 handballs, fantasy points boosted by 7 tackles and 2 frees for.
Collingwood
Clarke: Another good game for total possessions, he had 19.
Maxwell: 4 goals helped produce more fantasy points than expected.
H Shaw: 27 possessions and 13 marks, plenty of fantasy points.
O'Brien: He had a few goals kicked on him but he was good for fantasy teams, he had 15 disposals and received 4 free kicks.
Lonie: Not assured of a regular spot with Collingwood but he is good for fantasy points, he had 24 disposals.
Name: Tom Bellchambers
Height: 199
Weight: 91
State: Tasmania
Club(s): Northen Bombers
AFL Positions:
He is definitely a ruckman, nothing else, and that is a good thing. Teams try to convert centre half forwards and full backs to the ruck spot with little success so a real ruckman like Tom Bellchambers will be wanted by a lot of AFL teams. He seems to have a long reach and a good jump so Bellchambers gets his hand to the ball a lot.
Perfect Fit For:
The Saints have needed another ruck option for a long time. Bellchambers would replace Matthew Clarke, who could retire, and play a similar role.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Collingwood towards the end of the first round and Melbourne or Richmond in the second round could be where Bellchambers goes in the draft. Assuming that Richmond don't have the first overall pick, and take a ruckman, they might be the ones who draft Bellchambers.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
Probably won't provide a lot of fantasy points, as hitouts are not scored very highly in fantasy leagues. Bellchambers could be a ruckman who often plays a kick behind play, which could get a few marks and handballs for fantasy points. Very few ruckmen get the chance to play enough in their first year to help fantasy teams, so Bellchambers might not be on many fantasy teams in 2008.
West was out for the Western Bulldogs and West Coast took advantage of that as they dominated in the middle. Lynch, Staker and LeCras kicked plenty of goals while down at the other end the Bulldogs didn't really have a forward structure, first-game player Tiller kicked 2 goals but he didn’t have any help and the Bulldogs took very few marks.
Eagles 158 - Bulldogs 71
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
Staker: His second big game in a row, he had 9 marks and kicked 4 goals.
Judd: 20 possessions and 2 goals so he is still getting it done.
Schofield: He had 3 kicks and 3 tackles, fantasy coaches don't need to sign him this year.
Priddis: Only played around half the game, so stats a bit down again, he had 18 possessions.
Braun: 28 possessions as he had plenty of playing time.
Western Bulldogs
Johnson: A fantasy forward who can get stats without kicking goals, he had 26 disposals and 8 marks.
Tiller: 2 goals from his 3 kicks, unlikely to help fantasy teams as Grant and others should return.
Hill: Played half the game as he made his debut due to West missing, he had 10 possessions.
Everitt: 9 first quarter possessions, he finished with 17 for the game.
Boyd: Continues to do more with other Bulldogs out, he had 32 possessions, 8 marks and 7 tackles.
Scott West hardly missed a game in the last two decades, until he joined this fantasy team. The emergency for West's spot also went down with an injury last week so that made things difficult too. Bartel was brought in for West while Gilbee was replaced by Essendon's Fletcher in the back line.
B David Mundy
B Jesse Smith
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Dustin Fletcher
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell
C James Bartel
C Chris Judd
C Paul Hasleby
C Kane Cornes
C Jordan Lewis
R Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt (captain)
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis (emergency)
B Matt Riggio
C Daniel Dzufer
C Tom Hislop
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
Fletcher will team with McPhee in this team's, and also Essendon's, back line. Gilbee had to be traded because the emergency defender, Xavier Ellis, is also out. Mundy played better with his new coach and with Dodd out it should mean an increased role in the Dockers' back line.
It might have been better if Bartel was added to the team in round 3, but he is here now. Hasleby kicked some goals last week which was a good bonus. Kane Cornes was captain last week, he had a few less points than his brother who was the team's captain the previous week.
The ruckmen are surprisingly healthy, as is the emergency for that spot. Ackland also has a new coach so his stats could change now.
Riewoldt gets the captaincy, due to playing Carlton. Maybe they do put Waite on him which could slow his stats down a bit but they might need Waite on Gehrig, or even in Carlton's forward line. Although Waite didn't stop Brown last week, Brown was nearly selected as captain last week so a few points were missed there. Hall didn't help the team last week, or in many of the previous weeks, but now is the time for him to get a lot of fantasy points. Richmond and Melbourne should not put up a lot of resistance so Hall should be back kicking lots of goals.
It is a state of emergency for the emergency players as they get hit by injuries. Hislop and Ellis were solid players the last couple of weeks. Hislop is out for the rest of the year.
Western Bulldogs v West Coast
The Tip: West Coast by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Quinten Lynch
Chance For An Upset: The Eagles had a bad month on the field before defeating the Swans, not that it didn't get close at the end of the game. If Judd and Cousins do miss it could alter things a lot. The Bulldogs going very short in the ruck is a different strategy. Either Darcy plays his best game in the last five years or the Bulldogs get a big loss.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....Tiller is the big forward they have been looking for, he has spent a lot of time in the VFL reserves this year so the Eagles probably won't know a lot about him.
The Good News: Everitt and Williams look to have big futures, and are helping the short Bulldogs now too.
The Bad News: It seemed that the Bulldogs midfield would be built around Minson or Street, they have tried both this year but are now going in a different direction.
West Coast
They win if....Dean Cox wins more hitouts than the Bulldogs.
The Good News: Hansen is back and giving them that extra tall target that they need.
The Bad News: They are not going to get the crowd support that they got last week.
Carlton v St Kilda
The Tip: St Kilda by 60 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Robert Harvey
Chance For An Upset: The first game with a new coach, Carlton must be expecting a win. Koschitzke is out for the Saints so that is another thing that helps Carlton. Fevola was said to be injured but that was apparently a mistake and he will play. The bigger, stronger onballers for the Saints should be the deciding factor.
Carlton
They win if....Gibbs is in the middle and goes for over 30 possessions.
The Good News: They were losing all the time with Coach Pagan, they can't do any worse without him.
The Bad News: Pagan will get more money not to coach than many people will make in their lives.
St Kilda
They win if....Old Clarke uses his height and veteran smarts in the ruck.
The Good News: The back line is providing a lot of attack and run.
The Bad News: Koschitzke is out, suspended for one week.
Fremantle v Geelong
The Tip: Fremantle by 2 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Luke McPharlin
Chance For An Upset: The Dockers have won every game under Coach Harvey, and this one is a home game too. Maybe the loss of Chapman will see Geelong record a loss, something they haven't done in a long time.
Fremantle
They win if....Headland and Solomon kick goals.
The Good News: With a win last week they are still a chance, although a very small chance, of playing in the finals.
The Bad News: Jeff Farmer.
Geelong
They win if....Wojcinski and others can take advantage of the big spaces on Subiaco.
The Good News: Scarlett returns, he wasn't needed against the smaller Bulldogs but against Fremantle he will have to stop a big forward like Pavlich or Tarrant.
The Bad News: Chapman is out, it could be argued that he is Geelong's best player, or at least their toughest.
Collingwood v Brisbane
The Tip: Collingwood by 2 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dale Thomas
Chance For An Upset: The Lions have been unstoppable recently, their new forward structure is providing more scorers and more space for Brown. It could be a very close game.
Collingwood
They win if....Prestigiacomo gets some help against big Brown.
The Good News: It might be cold and windy, and the Magpies might benefit as they are more used to those conditions.
The Bad News: Buckley is still a long way away from playing.
Brisbane
They win if....players like Copeland and Brennan continue to provide options in the forward line.
The Good News: Hooper was kicking goals last week.
The Bad News: Collingwood were too good for them last time they met.
Sydney v Richmond
The Tip: Sydney by 120 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jude Bolton
Chance For An Upset: If Sydney don't win this their season might be over, so they just have to win.
Sydney
They win if....they are able to cover for the loss of Barry.
The Good News: Hall back at full forward and Kennelly returning to the back line will mean a much better Sydney performance.
The Bad News: They are playing after a trip to the West last week.
Richmond
They win if....Simmonds has a huge game.
The Good News: Jack Riewoldt is their most exciting player and he is finally being unleashed.
The Bad News: The people in power there are not trying to get Sheedy to coach them, he would improve everything and would bring a winning tradition as well as the idea that recruiting with height is the best way to go.
Hawthorn v Kangaroos
The Tip: Hawthorn by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Sam Mitchell
Chance For An Upset: Home island advantage should be enough for Hawthorn to get the win, although some of the Kangaroos would have played for Tasmania in the VFL.
Hawthorn
They win if....they find some extra pace and Bateman and Crawford might expose a problem that the Kangaroos have.
The Good News: Thorp could be playing, and it would be in front of his home crowd.
The Bad News: They can have trouble with tall forwards, like Riewoldt and Gehrig, so the Kangaroos could trouble them.
Kangaroos
They win if....Petrie is too big for Croad.
The Good News: They are in second spot, nobody predicted that.
The Bad News: Their next four games are very difficult.
Essendon v Adelaide
The Tip: Adelaide by 13 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brett Burton
Chance For An Upset: Essendon don't really get the advantage of a game with a new coach as Sheedy will stay until the end of the year.
Essendon
They win if....they use their tall forward line effectively and expose Adelaide's back line.
The Good News: Gumbleton will play his first game, he was the second overall pick in the recent AFL draft.
The Bad News: The removal of the coach was never going to be an easy task and they didn't do it in the best way.
Adelaide
They win if....their veteran midfielders control the game so Goodwin, Edwards, Thompson and McLeod will need to be at their best.
The Good News: Burton was very good last week and he gives them something extra in the forward line.
The Bad News: They are again without their important big defenders.
Port Adelaide v Melbourne
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 98 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Warren Tredrea
Chance For An Upset: Melbourne have made some odd team changes for this week so it looks like they will have little chance at the win. But as Mark Webber actually finished a race it showed that anything is possible, although he still didn't win.
Port Adelaide
They win if....they rule the hitouts when White goes to the bench for a rest, Jamar isn't close to Lade or Brogan as a ruckman.
The Good News: A win here and the finals are nearly locked up.
The Bad News: Everything is going along very well, although sometimes their crowd numbers don't reflect that, but they make plenty of noise anyway.
Melbourne
They win if....they double-team the Cornes family.
The Good News: Nathan Jones continues to play like Paul Chapman, which means he is nearly "Nathan Chapman" although that wouldn't work as that name has already been used in AFL.
The Bad News: They dropped Johnson and Johnson, they are both young players who should have been in the side to finish the year.
The Hawks can demolish teams when their big forwards are firing and they will need that to continue as Mark Williams won't be available until next year. His knee injury is not recovering as expected so Hawthorn have announced that Williams is out until 2008.
Story from The Age: Williams forced out for season
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Fantasy coaches won't have to worry about Williams taking playing time and goals from Franklin, Roughead and other Hawthorn forwards. Medium forward Dixon and small forward McGlynn can also help fantasy teams and their position in the team isn't under threat with Williams unavailable for Hawthorn.
Name: Dayne Zorko
Height: 176
Weight: 69
State: Queensland
Club(s): Broadbeach
AFL Positions:
At his size he will need to be a versatile player for teams to be interested in him. Zorko should be able to play as a small forward, a midfielder or a back pocket. He has some tricks around goal to use so a team might draft him with a forward spot his destination.
Perfect Fit For:
Obviously the Lions would make sense, and the Kangaroos could also be a good fit. They do need to add some more variety to their forward line with some additional quality smalls. Campbell and Thomas have been tried this season, with some success, and the Kangaroos need to add another couple of smaller players like Zorko to that group.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Queensland football provided a lot of quality picks last time but it will be a lot quieter in the upcoming draft. Maybe a couple of big guys and a couple of smalls. Zorko will still be around late in the draft, so a round 4 or 5 pick might get him. Maybe Melbourne will draft him, they had success last year with picking a Queensland player and if they use their early picks on taller prospects they might find good value in Zorko later in the draft.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
Probably not a player to sign before the 2008 AFL fantasy season. It could take a few injuries at his team for a spot to open for him and then he will be a player to watch. Zorko attacks the ball and reads the play well so he has the ability to get the ball, and with his skills around goal there is the potential for fantasy points if given enough playing time.
Western Bulldogs v West Coast
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Wight, Williams, Hargrave
C: Ray, West, Everitt
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Murphy
FF: Higgins, Skipper, Akermanis
Foll: Darcy, Cooney, Boyd
bench: Harbrow, Eagleton, Power, Tiller
emergency: Hill, McDougall, Robbins
In: Morris, Power, Skipper, Tiller
Out: Robbins, Street, Gilbee, Hahn
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Bulldogs are going small against the Eagles' ruckmen, an odd move but one that could help Darcy's fantasy points. Street is out and is replaced by Skipper. Skipper won't be a player that fantasy coaches want. Power and Morris could do some of the things that Gilbee was responsible for, as could Everitt, so someone will have an increase in fantasy points. Tiller is a surprise addition, as veterans Robbins and McDougall were not selected, Tiller is cheap for fantasy teams but he may not play a lot and is likely to be out next week when the Bulldogs get a player or two back.
West Coast
FB: Staker, Glass, Selwood
HB: Waters, Hunter, B.Jones
C: Embley, Priddis, Braun
HF: Chick, Hansen, Stenglein
FF: Cousins, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Judd, Kerr
bench: Hurn, Jones, LeCras, Schofield
emergency: Armstrong, C.Jones, Rosa
In: Schofield
Out: Rosa
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Rosa was actually good for fantasy points last week, when other players like Priddis saw a big drop in stats, but Rosa is out for this match. Fantasy coaches will want to trade him, as well as some other players who saw less playing time last week. Schofield will probably spend a lot of time on the bench for the Eagles in his first game. There has been some talk that Judd and Cousins could be rested from this game so they are at their best next week.
Carlton v St Kilda
Carlton
FB: Thornton, Saddington, Houlihan
HB: Wiggins, Waite, Scotland
C: Simpson, Carrazzo, Bannister
HF: Lappin, Fisher, Murphy
FF: Betts, Fevola, Ackland
Foll: O'hAilpin, Koutoufides, Gibbs
bench: Blackwell, Russell, Bower, Jackson
emergency: Bentick, Grigg, McLaren
In: Betts, Jackson, Saddington
Out: Bentick, Kennedy, Walker
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Ratten's first order of business was to demote Bentick, that was not expected. Fantasy coaches may want to keep Bentick as he is a player that should be in the Carlton side, and that could happen next week or it might happen on the weekend. Bentick is an emergency and if Fevola doesn't play he might take his spot.
St Kilda
FB: Blake, Maguire, Hudghton
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
C: Fiora, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Harvey, Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Gilbert
Foll: Clarke, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Attard, Birss, Baker, Rix
emergency: R.Clarke, Thompson, Ferguson
In: M.Clarke
Out: Koschitzke
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Koschitzke will need to be put on the fantasy bench for a week. His replacement in the St Kilda side, M Clarke, won't do a lot for fantasy points. The Blues allow a lot of goals so it might be a good week to sign Gehrig.
Fremantle v Geelong
Fremantle
FB: Black, McPharlin, Grover
HB: Mundy, Johnson, Thornton
C: M.Carr, Hasleby, Headland
HF: Farmer, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Hayden, Drum, Tarrant
Foll: Sandilands, J.Carr, Bell
bench: McManus, Crowley, Gilmore, Duffield
emergency: Warnock, Schammer, Cook
In: Sandilands, Farmer
Out: Dodd, Warnock
AFL Fantasy Watch:
With Sandilands replacing Warnock it should mean a good number of stats from the bigger player. Farmer is also named to play, he is the definition of a risky signing for fantasy teams.
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Harley, Egan, Mackie
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Corey
HF: Byrnes, Mooney, Selwood
FF: S.Johnson, N.Ablett, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, G.Ablett, Ling
bench: Blake, Kelly, J.Hunt, D.Johnson
emergency: King, Hawkins, Varcoe
In: Scarlett, N.Ablett
Out: Hawkins, Chapman
AFL Fantasy Watch:
N Ablett replaces Hawkins and should kick a few goals. The Cats will be without Chapman which will allow some other players to take on a bigger role. Scarlett did have a lot of fantasy points recently against Collingwood but he will probably be chasing around Pavlich and may not get a lot of stats.
Collingwood v Brisbane
Collingwood
FB: Johnson, Wakelin, O'Brien
HB: H.Shaw, Goldsack, Maxwell
C: Clarke, Burns, Licuria
HF: Thomas, Cloke, Davis
FF: Didak, Rocca, Lockyer
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Swan
bench: Richards, Lonie, Pendlebury, Prestigiacomo
emergency: Dick, Reid, Toovey
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Magpies have a very settled lineup, although Clement and R Shaw will be back soon. Cloke continues to accumulate marks and goals.
Brisbane
FB: Macdonald, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Patfull
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Copeland, Brown, Selwood
FF: Rischitelli, Leuenberger, Brennan
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: McGrath, Harding, Mills, Hooper
emergency: Moody, Hadley, Begley
In: Black
Out: Hamill
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Fantasy coaches should not expect Hooper and Brown to get near the stats they had last week. Brown will have Wakelin and Prestigiacomo against him so another 10 goals is unlikely.
Sydney v Richmond
Sydney
FB: Kennelly, C.Bolton, Grundy
HB: Bevan, Goodes, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Malceski
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, McVeigh
FF: Schneider, Hall, Davis
Foll: Jolly, J.Bolton, Fosdike
bench: Schmidt, Buchanan, Everitt, Brennan
emergency: Dempster, Laidlaw, Richards
In: Brennan, Buchanan, Hall, Kennelly
Out: Barry, Dempster, Richards, Vogels
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hall and Kennelly return after missing last week. Buchanan should have a good game while L Brennan is a very cheap player in fantasy leagues.
Richmond
FB: Thursfield, J.Bowden, McGuane
HB: Raines, Polak, King
C: Edwards, Tuck, Newman
HF: Pettifer, Hughes, Tambling
FF: Brown, Richardson, Riewoldt
Foll: Simmonds, Johnson, Foley
bench: Moore, Krakouer, Pattison, Connors
emergency: Jackson, Casserly, P.Bowden
In: Hughes, Krakouer, Tambling, Moore, Connors
Out: Schulz, Hyde, Tivendale, Jackson, Howat
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Jackson and Howat have the potential to help fantasy teams but they have been dropped. Connors is an active player and someone for fantasy coaches to watch and possibly sign next week. The Swans are down a defender or two, so Reiwoldt might be among the goals again.
Hawthorn v Kangaroos
Hawthorn
FB: Guerra, Croad, Brown
HB: Ladson, Gilham, Birchall
C: Smith, Mitchell, Lewis
HF: McGlynn, Franklin, Bateman
FF: Dixon, Roughead, Hodge
Foll: Taylor, Crawford, Sewell
bench from: Young, Tuck, Vandenberg, Thorp, Murphy, Jacobs, Campbell
In: Tuck, Vandenberg, Thorp, Murphy, Jacobs
Out: Ellis, Little
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Little did little so no surprise he goes out of the team, Ellis is injured. Vandenberg probably won't help fantasy teams.
Kangaroos
FB: Archer, Firrito, Watt
HB: Pratt, Smith, Sinclair
C: Rawlings, Harris, Grant
HF: Harvey, Hale, Wells
FF: Jones, Petrie, McMahon
Foll: McIntosh, Simpson, Swallow
bench from: Green, Brown, Lower, Sansbury, Edwards, Campbell, Whyman
In: Wells, Edwards, Campbell
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Petrie, Jones and McMahon all kicked goals last week. Hawthorn don't have a huge defender to go against Petrie so he is a chance to get plenty of fantasy points again.
Essendon v Adelaide
Essendon
FB: Welsh, Fletcher, Ryder
HB: Slattery, Michael, McPhee
C: Stanton, Peverill, Winderlich
HF: M.Johnson, Gumbleton, Ramanauskas
FF: Lucas, Lloyd, Dyson
Foll: Hille, Watson, McVeigh
bench from: Nash, Monfries, Laycock, Lovett-Murray, J.Johnson, Bradley, Heffernan
In: Gumbleton, Winderlich, Bradley, Heffernan, J.Johnson
Out: Hislop, Lovett
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Unlike the other teams that moved on a coach, Essendon will keep Sheedy around until the end of the year so they won't be rebuilding yet. Although they have added Gumbleton to play his first game, there hasn't been room for Johns in their forward line so Gumbleton may not get a lot of stats.
Adelaide
FB: Massie, Stevens, Johncock
HB: Torney, McGregor, McLeod
C: Mattner, Goodwin, van Berlo
HF: Reilly, Bock, Burton
FF: Knights, Welsh, Gill
Foll: Hudson, Edwards, Thompson
bench from: Doughty, Shirley, Maric, Perrie, Douglas, Jericho, Campbell
In: Gill, Jericho, Campbell
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Adelaide don't get any of their big defenders back and as they face Lloyd, Lucas and Gumbleton they will need to send some forwards down back. Stevens and McGregor, or maybe Bock, could get fewer stats in a defensive role. Gill is a big-leaping forward and he will be a player to watch. Burton was great last week and might be a good addition to fantasy teams.
Port Adelaide v Melbourne
Port Adelaide
FB: Pettigrew, Thurstans, Surjan
HB: Wilson, Chaplin, P.Burgoyne
C: Lonie, S.Burgoyne, K.Cornes
HF: Rodan, Tredrea, Pearce
FF: Ebert, Westhoff, Motlop
Foll: Lade, C.Cornes, Cassisi
bench from: Boak, Carlile, Brogan, Thomson, Gray, Krakouer, Lower
In: Thomson, Krakouer, Lower
AFL Fantasy Watch:
With Carroll out of the Melbourne side it could allow one of Port's tall forwards to kick a lot of goals. So fantasy teams that are thinking about playing Westhoff will probably get good stats from him.
Melbourne
FB: Holland, Ferguson, Frawley
HB: Bell, Miller, Bruce
C: Green, McDonald, Wheatley
HF: Godfrey, Robertson, Brown
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, Bate
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench from: Newton, Buckley, Moloney, Ward, Jamar, Garland, Dunn
In: Bruce, Bell, Holland, Ferguson, Jamar, Dunn, Garland
Out: Bizzell, Carroll, C.Johnson, P.Johnson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Bizzell is an old player and Melbourne would be expected to stop playing those types, but Holland is an inclusion so that is odd. Neither player should be in fantasy teams now.
A story in The Advertiser suggests that both Chad and Kane Cornes will make the 2007 All-Australian team. That should happen and the two Burgoynes could also join them which would be an impressive accomplishment. Early in the season it looked like Shaun would make the team while Peter did miss a few games but is always among the best for his side now.
Currently the four best players for kicks at Port Adelaide are the Cornes brothers and the Burgoyne brothers, although Shaun is tied for 4th spot for kicks at the Power with Nathan Lonie. Something that Shaun is producing is goals and he has 23 so far this season.
A lot might depend on where Port Adelaide finish on the ladder. Geelong will top the league and will provide a large number of All-Australian representatives. The Power, who play the Demons this round, are only one win away from second position. If they do finish that high then they would expect to see many of their players considered for the All-Australian team. Peter Burgoyne in the back line, Shaun as a forward, Kane Cornes in the middle and Chad wherever the selectors wanted him in the 2007 All-Australian side.
From The Advertiser: Chad, Kane target history
Kane leads with 438 at an average of 27 and Chad ranks fourth with 413 at an average of nearly 26.
Chad ranks No. 1 for effective kicks (286) and Kane leads the AFL in uncontested possessions (324).
AFL Fantasy Impact:
If you have a lot of money to spend then Chad, as a forward or back, or Kane in the midfield will help a fantasy team. Either Burgoyne is a solid signing too, Peter may be doing a bit more in his role around half back and would help fantasy teams with a few extra points than Shaun.
Round 16 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 11
Handballs: 6
Marks: 4
Tackles: 7
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 12
Handballs: 11
Marks: 7
Tackles: 6
Goals: 2
It must be "match point" in the battle between the two first round picks. Joel Selwood has a commanding lead, although Gibbs has actually played more games this year. That is due to Selwood playing a few games in the VFL.
When Coach Thompson goes asking for a new contract, if he doesn't have the premiership cup in his hand he might have some explaining to do for why he sent Selwood to the VFL during the season. Thompson did say recently that he thought Selwood was the best young player he has had, but he wasn't saying that when he dropped him. Gibbs is playing with plenty of players who would struggle to perform in the VFL, he didn't play poorly last round but he will need a big finish to the season to get close to Selwood in this contest. Gibbs has a new coach and should have a midfield position next game, Pagan used him as back pocket which was a strange spot to put the top pick in the draft.
Selwood performed his usual role in the middle last round against the Bulldogs, and also added some excitement with a couple of goals. Dodging defenders and kicking a long goal showed that he can do it all on the field.
Gibbs had 10 disposals in the last quarter against the Lions. Maybe he finishes the year by putting together some games when he totals 20 to 30 disposals. Gibbs' first year has been a failure up to this point, but it is due to how he has been used by the previous coach. Expect him to start playing like a top pick now as he teams with Murphy, Blackwell and Bentick in the middle.
Geelong travel to play the Dockers. The Dockers won last week so it could be a close game, Selwood will need to be at his best as Hasleby, Bell and J Carr can all get a lot of the ball. Carlton, with a new coach, take on the Saints. With Pagan out of the way, Gibbs won't have to worry about going to full back, and a run on the wing against someone like Fiora might eventuate.
B Gibbs 5 - J Selwood 11
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
An update on the Essendon coaching situation. The Bombers have announced that Sheedy won’t be back next year but he will coach the remaining games of 2007, and that could include some games in the finals if they get a winning streak going soon.
From the AFL: Essendon ends Sheedy reign
From The Age: Sheedy to step down at season's end
From the Herald Sun: I knew I was gone: Sheedy
The winning coach from 1999 was fired a few days ago and now the coach who was in charge of Victoria’s most recent winner, Essendon in 2000, seems to be on the way out.
There will be an update when the news becomes official, and as soon as it does you can expect Sheedy to get plenty of offers from other AFL teams. Melbourne need him, Fremantle would want him but Richmond might be the best spot for him.
News from the Herald Sun: Bombers axe Sheedy
Story from The Age: Essendon and Sheedy part ways
The big losers in all of this could be Adelaide. Their grip on a finals spot is precarious enough after losing to a team with a new coach last round, now they could be facing another team that has just fired their coach. There is no real logic to it but it does seem that teams do lift for their next game after a coach departs.
The headline at the moment on the AFL’s Essendon site is “Sheedy still in charge”, it was posted Monday night.
Sheedy still in charge
Despite speculation that the meeting would decide his future at the club, Sheedy said his contract wasn't discussed. He also said he expected to see out his contract, which runs to the end of the season.
"I wouldn’t have thought anything else other than that will happen. It's a pretty stable club," he said.
The Bulldogs are really missing Cross in the middle, Griffen is also out and now they must deal with Gilbee on the injured list too. Gilbee is probably out for three weeks, maybe he is back after two. Gilbee will miss games against the Eagles and Saints and their next game is against Melbourne so they may give him the extra week to recover.
The Western Bulldogs site
Lindsay Gilbee Calf strain 2-3 weeks
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Adcock, Lockyer and McPhee are some of the star fantasy defenders who could replace Gilbee in a fantasy team. A bit cheaper but also more of a risk, as they possibly return from injuries, Kennelly and Clement could also be looked at. Another strategy to consider is trading Gilbee for another Bulldog, A Everitt has been getting plenty of stats. That trade would free up a lot of money to spend elsewhere and Everitt could be the player who is used in Gilbee's spot for the next few weeks.
The Bulldogs also have a story about A Everitt on their site: Everitt gives the dread news
Name: Chris Masten
Height: 179
Weight: 78
State: Western Australia
Club(s): East Fremantle
AFL Positions:
The team that is lucky enough to grab Masten will want to put him right in the middle of the action. In 2008, Masten could be used like J Selwood was often used by Geelong this year, in a rotation off the bench into the centre.
Perfect Fit For:
Masten knows the right spot to be in at stoppages and he would get a lot of the ball if he was playing for Sydney next year. With Everitt and Jolly dominating the hitouts, Masten would be very productive in the middle. Masten's possible addition would provide a young player to take some of the load off their veteran onballers like Kirk, Fosdike and J Bolton.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Plenty of teams will use their first rounders on tall prospects so Masten may go somewhere in the second half of the first round, assuming the Fremantle Dockers don't grab him earlier. But the Dockers already have Hasleby and J Carr so they might address a different draft need. Collingwood could be the team that gets him, they drafted athletes a couple of years ago and key position players last time, in the 2007 AFL draft they might look for help in the centre. Masten would be a good player for Collingwood to draft as he is ready to play and would be someone to take over eventually from Burns and O'Bree. Chris Masten is "The Masterpiece" and a definite first round choice.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
Midfielders taken in the first round of the draft usually help fantasy teams. Masten would be a good choice for a cheap midfielder to start on the fantasy bench, a useful amount of stats and a solid price increase would be nearly guaranteed.
This was going to be part of the paper round idea, as games from last century often had a muddy goal square covered in streamers and other bits of paper. But football in the mud deserves its own mention as a possibility to recreate the football of the past as the AFL celebrates 150 years of Australian football in 2008.
It might be late July or early August and a few grounds are getting worn out. While they can rotate the goal posts and replace the grass, maybe they could go back a few decades for just one round next season and take fans back to what went on at places like Moorabbin or Footscray.
Sometimes there is too much "delicate genius" football being played under the roof, getting back to basics and into the mud would show who can really play. If there is one thing that football games in the mud really show, it is who is going hardest for the football. The guy covered in the most mud is often the best-on-ground, while the one who leaves the ground with a bright, clean uniform often is in the reserves the next week.
There is still plenty of mud in the VFL and local leagues but it would be fun if some of the AFL grounds were a bit muddy for a round next year. It won't happen officially, but maybe Kardinia Park or the MCG will provide some mud if the weather is right.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Coaches on the bench, fans on the ground.
Jonathan Brown of the Brisbane Lions.
It didn't matter who the opposition was on Sunday, Brown would have defeated any team as he was unstoppable. Most of his goals were kicked from around the 50m line, and they went sailing through between the big posts and landed a few rows back in the crowd.
He had 15 kicks that produced 10 goals, that is efficiency. He also was credited with helping his teammates kick another 5 goals, including one effort when he quickly went through his options and gave Adcock a precise look-away handball from which he took on the run and scored.
He was marking everything that was sent towards him, Waite made things tough for Barry Hall last week but he couldn't get a spoil in to stop Brown. Brown had 14 marks for the match.
Brown's bag of 10 has sent him to equal second in the race for the Coleman, only 2 behind the Bulldogs' Brad Johnson. Brown has also put Brisbane in a spot to challenge for the finals. It has been a season when Brown has been subjected to floods that would have scared Noah, but he has kept working and Brisbane have adjusted their forward setup to counter it, and everything worked against the Blues and Brown's 10 goals makes him the AFL Player Of The Week.
Jonathan Brown's profile at the Brisbane site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Peter Everitt.
Richmond's superstar of the future kicked his first goals in AFL last round and should finish the season with plenty more. Jack Riewoldt also took to the air and brought down a big mark. Riewoldt says that Richardson is "his hero" but that probably won't stop him using him as a ladder.
From the Richmond site: Jack shakes off the nerves
Jack Riewoldt’s profile.
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Fantasy coaches at the start of the season would have looked at Richmond's lack of talls at each end and thought Riewoldt would have played a lot of games. It didn't happen, even after Gaspar was moved along, but now it seems that Riewoldt will be in the team for the rest of the year. J Riewoldt's fantasy price has increased a bit but he is still very cheap and is worth signing.
He was the highest-paid coach they ever had, and maybe their worst-performing too. The Pagan era has ended at Carlton and a long rebuilding process will have to begin. For the next few weeks they won't be the Carlton Fevolas, as he is out injured while Andrew Walker is also going to miss at least one game.
From the Carlton site: Carlton sacks coach Denis Pagan
From the Carlton site: Fev to miss three
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Season 2008 has already started there, not that season 2007 ever really got going, and the Blues should now be playing their younger players. Fantasy coaches will want to look at players who actually have a future as that is who the Blues will want to play, so Blackwell, Kennedy, Gibbs, Bower and other young players should produce a lot more stats.
Carlton will want to go in a new direction when it comes to the ruck, maybe this means Ackland plays a lot more or they could look to the VFL. McLaren or Jacobs are the new coach's other options.
Grigg, Benjamin, Betts, Young and Austin are other players who could be in the Carlton side this week and could make an impact in fantasy leagues. Austin can play at either end of the ground, and if Fevola is out and Waite is used in the back line, then Austin might kick some goals. Benjamin is another player that the Blues might want to debut, he could get a few possessions as an outside midfielder.
There should be more news about Walker's injury later in the week, but if he is out for only a match then a spot on the fantasy bench might be the best idea. Fevola probably has to be traded, and Waite might be a good player to trade him for, or maybe Mr Kennedy gets a chance now in the goal square and he might kick a few goals. Tredrea is very close to Fevola's fantasy price, Burton is back to his bouncing best and at a bargain price, David Hale is contributing for the Kangaroos while Gehrig is just a bit more expensive than Fevola and he might kick a few goals this round.
1: Geelong Cats 13-3 (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
Half of their remaining games are at Kardinia Park so the Cats will finish on top. They also have a Brownlow battle between G Ablett and J Bartel to watch, Ablett might be the one in front at the moment.
2: West Coast Eagles 10-6 win-loss record (3)
If Hansen plays, they win. The statistics say that is true.
3: Hawthorn Hawks 10-6 (2)
It is back to their impregnable fortress in Tasmania. They will also want to go back to kicking the ball long to their big forwards.
4: Collingwood Magpies 10-6 (5)
Clement or R Shaw might be available next week and Rusling isn't too far away too. After their battle with Lethal's Lions, the Magpies play Carlton, Richmond and Melbourne. Their fans should start lining up for finals tickets now.
5: Port Adelaide Power 10-6 (7)
They play Melbourne at home, and that should be another win.
6: Kangaroos 10-5 (9)
They may not be the favourite in any of their next four matches, despite being high up on the ladder at the moment. They go to Tasmania, to play Hawthorn, and then it is off to Brisbane. The Eagles and Cats are up after that.
7: Sydney Swans 8-8 (8)
The next two games for the Swans could be designated as "easy games". Richmond at home and Melbourne away but that game is in Canberra. Sydney at their best, which means a healthy Hall and Kennelly, will do a lot of damage in the finals. As long as they get there.
8: Western Bulldogs 9-7 (6)
It's West Coast next round. Maybe they should think about McDougall, he was good in the VFL and the Bulldogs need to put a bigger team out there. Some toughness and anger might be needed too, Minson in the forward line as well would make the Bulldogs a stronger side. Gilbee could miss a few games too, so that is one player who will be out of the lineup, and several others could be dropped too.
9: Adelaide Crows 8-8 (4)
They still have a midfield, but their back line is in trouble and their forward line goes missing a lot. They have so many injuries and now is not the time to have them. Obviously they are in a big fight for the last spot in the finals and they need all the players they can get, and another reason why it is not a good idea to have lots of injuries at this time of year is that the Tour De France is on, which always causes a worldwide shortage of needles and medicines.
10: St Kilda Saints 8-8 (11)
They play Carlton next round so they might be in the top 8 next week, if other results help them out too. The Saints also need to increase their percentage, the Carlton game should help in that area.
11: Essendon Bombers 8-8 (10)
Their game against Adelaide could eliminate a team from the finals race. The Bombers at home, with a lot of height, might be favourites.
12: Brisbane Lions 7-8-1 (12)
They had a great percentage boost, but it doesn't mean anything due to their previous draw. After disappearing for a few months, the Lions are now one of the form teams of the AFL. Their next five games are against other teams who are fighting for a finals spot, while they play Geelong in round 22. The Lions have Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday, to get to September this year the Lions are going to have to defeat a team that they faced several times in September a few years ago.
13: Fremantle Dockers 7-9 (13)
They fired the coach and won the next game. If Harvey can win the next two games, against the Cats and Eagles at Subiaco, then the Dockers should sign him up to coach next year.
14: Melbourne Demons 3-12 (14)
They also fired the coach and won the next game, but were then slaughtered in the next couple. Their next games are the Power, Swans, Bulldogs and Magpies so it is going to get uglier for them.
15: Richmond Tigers 1-14-1 (16)
At least they got a glimpse of the future, Jack Riewoldt had a very good game. He plays positive football, flying for marks and entertaining the crowd. The Tigers have a top 2 pick waiting for them, but the difficult part will be figuring out who the second best prospect is.
16: Carlton Blues 4-12 (15)
If they were any weaker they would be at Matthew Newton's level. It looks like there is only one danger game between them and the first pick, that is round 22 against Melbourne. If Carlton fire their coach then they might win their next game, and lose the top draft choice, so maybe they want to keep him until the end of the season. They couldn't stop Brown and they now face N Riewoldt and Gehrig, those two should combine for at least 10 goals.
That's three in a Roe for Brisbane. Jason Roe actually did play a good game but the big news was Brown, he kicked 10 goals and it wasn't like the umpires were helping him as he had 0 free kicks. Brown was in the proverbial zone, and 60m was not out of his range on Sunday.
Lions 163 - Blues 46
Fantasy Player News
Brisbane
Brown: Should have been a fantasy captain, as players do get a lot of stats against Carlton, he was huge for fantasy points with 10 goals from 15 kicks, he also had 14 marks.
Hooper: The smallest guy on the ground nearly had as many goals as the other team, he had 4 goals from 11 kicks.
Lappin: There is good Lappin and bad Lappin, Brisbane have the good and he had 31 possessions.
Roe: Back among the fantasy points with 19 possessions, 4 tackles and 3 frees for.
Drummond: A slow day, maybe the ball didn't get down his end a lot, he has been a huge fantasy star but only had 12 disposals.
Carlton
Bentick: His playing time and stats have been inconsistent, but he did a lot here with 25 possessions.
Kennedy: 15 possessions and 7 marks, he could have a few big games to end the year.
Blackwell: Good potential for fantasy points, he should remain in the side after 23 possessions and 5 tackles.
Bower: Gets a bit lost defensively but he might get fantasy points if played up the ground, he had 7 kicks, 7 handballs and 7 marks.
Walker: 23 possessions and 7 marks, he will be a dependable player for fantasy stats to finish the season.
Richmond played very well, for the first quarter. Then the Port Adelaide machine overpowered them. The Tigers finally gave Riewoldt a chance, and he was one of their better players. The Power look like they will be back on the MCG in September, and with a couple of Cornes and a couple of Burgoynes they will be hard to stop.
Power 155 - Tigers 100
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
Ebert: 6 goals and 8 marks, he has been a useful fantasy forward all season.
K Cornes: Both Cornes went over 30 possessions, Kane with 36 had 3 more than Chad.
S Burgoyne: While P Burgoyne had 26 kicks around half back, S Burgoyne kicked 4 goals from his 14 kicks.
Motlop: He had 10 kicks, and 0 handballs, but half his kicks went through for goals.
Rodan: He was booed a bit, he had 17 disposals and received 4 frees so the many fantasy coaches that have him were applauding.
Richmond
Riewoldt: Their youth could provide some useful fantasy players in the remaining rounds, Riewoldt might help fantasy teams and he had 3 goals in this game.
Edwards: 18 possessions and 2 goals, he should end the season with a lot more big games.
Thursfield: 10 possessions and 3 free kicks received, solid numbers for an inexpensive fantasy defender.
Hyde: 17 possessions and 3 tackles.
J Bowden: 32 possessions, king if the fantasy defenders again.
The Kangaroos were on a mission, the Demons were not, and the game was never going to be close. With 28 possessions and 3 goals, Brent Harvey will have added more Brownlow votes to his expected high total.
Kangaroos 126 - Demons 62
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
McMahon: 3 goals, he seems to produce every game.
Whyman: 2 goals in his first game, but a lot of competition for his spot in the team.
Jones: 4 goals and 10 marks, a player who quietly accumulates a lot of fantasy points.
Petrie: 3 goals, also had 9 marks and 16 kicks, so those who invested in him a few weeks ago got another good game.
Sinclair: 18 kicks, 10 handballs, 12 marks and 6 tackles.
Melbourne
McDonald: The only Demon to get 20 or more possessions, he had 21 along with 5 tackles and 5 marks.
Newton: Fantasy coaches might want to have a look at Newton, he had 2 goals and 10 kicks.
Buckley: The best Buckley this season, at least for fantasy points, he had 15 possessions and a goal.
Frawley: Not getting fantasy points with some tough defensive tasks, he had 4 disposals and 4 tackles.
Jones: 11 tackles as he tried all game, also had 17 possessions and a goal.
Name: Tom Collier
Height: 192
Weight: 86
State: Tasmania
Club(s): Lauderdale
AFL Positions:
AFL teams are going to have very different ideas for where they want Collier to play. Several teams don't have a real full back and Collier could solve that problem. He reads the play very well at half back, so he could fill a role there. He can also run and a spot on the wing, where he can mark in space and also kick goals on the run, would also suit him.
Perfect Fit For:
Richmond don't have Gaspar now and some of their defenders are undersized and played out of position. Collier would help them a lot. It would also continue the Tasmanian tradition that Richmond have developed over the years, and with Riewoldt at one end and Collier at the other they would have some exciting and talented players to rebuild around. But Collier is unlikely to be Richmond's first round pick, as they wouldn’t want to use a top 3 pick on him, and he may not be around for their priority and second round picks.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Maybe somewhere around the second half of the first round. Hawthorn don't have any real draft need, so they might draft Collier and use him all over the ground. In the future, they could put him in the middle with Bailey, Hodge and Mr Kennedy Version 3.0 and have a huge size advantage over their opponents. But next season, it would be expected that Collier would be a tall defensive option. If Hawthorn want to grab another Tasmanian prospect, then Collier is the one they should go for.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
Like many other players, it will depend on where he is played. Although even at full back he would bring in a useful amount of fantasy points. An advantage that he might have over many other first-year players in 2008 is that he has been a regular for Tasmania in their VFL side, he already has the experience of playing against many AFL-listed forwards, so the step up to the AFL won't be that big for him so he should play many games next year.
The Bombers produced a big fightback in the second half but it wasn't enough as Collingwood won to solidify a spot in the top 4 while the Bombers are slipping out of finals contention. The big forwards on both teams performed, but Collingwood also had Davis helping along the score, he kicked 4 goals.
Magpies 122 - Bombers 93
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Cloke: 3 goals and 11 marks, he has become a very important fantasy forward.
Davis: 4 goals and 14 kicks, more fantasy points with Medhurst out of the lineup.
Pendlebury: 20 possessions and 2 goals, having a big year.
Fraser: 21 possessions and 8 marks, always consistent for fantasy numbers.
Clarke: 23 possessions and 8 marks, amazing numbers for a player from the rookie list.
Essendon
McVeigh: 21 possessions and 2 goals.
Fletcher: Back from suspension, he was a bit down in stats with only 14 kicks.
Lovett-Murray: 10 possessions, fantasy coaches are not getting a lot from him yet.
Lucas: 4 goals and 3 frees, only had 2 marks but it was still a good game for fantasy stats.
Hille: 18 possessions and 21 total hitouts, a good game for fantasy points.
The Dockers kicked accurately, worked hard and won with their new coach. Burton got Adelaide back into the game but the Dockers pulled away in the last quarter. Pavlich was the difference, Fremantle had him at full forward and Adelaide didn't. Although he will be on the top of their list he does want to change teams. The Crows fans at the game would not have enjoyed themselves, although it would have been better for them to be at the game instead of listening to the commentator without a voice on TV. It might have been Dr Claw, from Inspector Gadget, who commentated the game.
Dockers 126 - Crows 101
Fantasy Player News
Fremantle
Pavlich: 5 goals, 14 marks and 14 kicks, every AFL and fantasy team would want him.
Gilmore: 21 possessions, 10 marks but he only played half the game.
Hasleby: Has been a bit inconsistent, back to his best with 22 disposals, 11 marks and a bonus 3 goals.
Mundy: 22 possessions and 4 tackles as he was in the action a bit more.
Warnock: They got a lot more from Gilmore so Warnock didn't have a big game with Sandilands out.
Adelaide
Burton: 4 goals and a lot of leaping, a healthy Birdman is great for fantasy points.
Mattner: 18 possessions and he should keep his spot in the team.
Hudson: 33 total hitouts, also had 16 handballs.
McLeod: Some stats were a bit down but he added 2 goals.
Goodwin: 28 possessions and 6 tackles, their veteran players are still performing.
The Saints are marching towards the finals with another win, as they defeated a Hawthorn side that had a lot of trouble kicking long. When they did do that they got results, as Franklin had 10 scoring shots, but most of his goals came too late in the match. The Saints' Luke was on the ball, and in the forward line, Ball kicked 3 goals. The Nicks also earned their money as they had a big influence on the result.
Saints 95 - Hawks 78
Fantasy Player News
St Kilda
Ball: 19 kicks, 12 handballs, 11 marks, 3 goals, 4 free kicks for and 5 tackles.
S Fisher: 17 kicks and 13 marks, he should have a lot more big games for fantasy points to end the season.
Gilbert: He can play anywhere which is great for fantasy numbers, he had 12 marks and 16 kicks.
Riewoldt: 3 goals, 9 marks, 15 kicks and 2 frees for.
Dal Santo: 31 possessions, he increased his fantasy points production.
Hawthorn
Franklin: 5 goals and 5 behinds, along with 8 marks and 13 kicks it was a great game for fantasy points.
Birchall: The Hawks used him a lot coming out of the back line, he had 25 possessions.
Smith: 22 possessions and 9 marks, has become a useful player for fantasy teams.
McGlynn: Received 4 free kicks so that provided extra points, also had 10 kicks, 5 tackles and a goal.
Ellis: He had a solid game with 10 possessions and 4 tackles, but may have an injury.
Compared to most of their recent matches, there was a big winning margin in this game. The Swans were in the game at half time, despite Hall and Kennelly not playing, but the Eagles dominated in the third quarter before a late Swans' rally put a scare into the Eagles in the final minutes.
Eagles 112 - Swans 100
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
Priddis: It's all about selling when it comes to fantasy leagues and Eagles like Priddis, his playing time and stats took a big hit.
Seaby: Cox is starring and Hansen is back in the forward line, Seaby's good fantasy season is over now.
R Jones: 11 possessions here, another player to sell as he won't get as many stats now with the Eagles close to full strength.
Braun: He is pushed out of the middle now, and while his stats will be useful he could start dropping in fantasy value.
LeCras: Hansen, and a surprising Staker, are in the team now so there won't be a lot of playing time for him.
Sydney
Dempster: He has the talent and size, and he put it together here with 22 possessions, 11 marks and 4 tackles.
Goodes: 10 tackles, along with 13 possessions and 4 marks provided a solid amount of fantasy points.
Mathews: Kicked a couple of goals which pushed along his fantasy points, also had 15 possessions.
R O'Keefe: 4 goals, 5 tackles and 11 kicks as O'Keefe played very well.
Vogels: Didn't do a lot for fantasy teams as he replaced Hall but only kicked 1 behind.
The food chain might usually go mouse, cat, dog but last night the Cats were the hunters and the dogs didn't bark. Geelong continue their winning run and will be expecting it to continue to the end of September. The Cats' midfield was too big and strong with Bartel, Enright, Corey, G Ablett, Selwood and Chapman. Scarlett didn't play, but as the Bulldogs use a short forward line his absence was not even noticed. The Bulldogs had several players injured during the match, including Gilbee and Hahn.
Cats 138 - Bulldogs 63
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Bartel: Back to his usual high numbers, 38 possessions and 8 marks.
Enright: The last month he has been at the Bartel level too, he had 27 disposals, 5 marks and a goal.
D Johnson: He replaced Scarlett in the side, 13 possessions and 2 goals but his spot next week isn't assured.
Mooney: A big help to fantasy teams that have him in the ruck position, Mooney kicked another 4 goals.
Chapman: 22 kicks and 2 goals, Chapman had 10 possessions in the first quarter.
Western Bulldogs
Everitt: He has a lot of skills and that is translating into fantasy points, he had 2 goals and 17 possessions.
Williams: A tall running defender, a lot of fantasy points with 11 marks, 9 kicks and 9 handballs.
Johnson: Great as usual with 3 goals, 8 marks and 18 disposals.
Hargrave: Kicked a couple of goals which provided a boost to his fantasy numbers.
Cooney: He was stopped, and reported, his 12 possessions was a big drop from last week.
There have been plenty of robotic sportspeople, like Lendl and Sampras, but the robot that will be on the Gabba after the Lions play Carlton will be painting the club logo on the field. The Lions are inviting 3,000 fans to stay after the match for a photo shoot, when they will form the Lions' emblem.
From the Brisbane site: Sunday's Gabba 3,000
Not only will you get to pose with the players and see yourself on Lions publications and posters next year, but you’ll also receive a thank-you chocolate bar from our good friends at Cadbury after the shoot. The toughest task will be choosing between a Picnic, Crunchie, Flake or Cherry Ripe.
Approximate schedule:
Match concludes: 3:45pm - Go Lions!!!
Players depart field: 3:45-3:50pm
Public ‘kick-to-kick’ on Gabba: 3:50-4pm
Field cleared: 4-4:10pm
After the Siren set-up and lion shape painted: 4:10-5pm
Lion shape photo taken: 5-5:10pm
After the Siren autographs and photos commence: 5:15pm
Name: Matthew Kreuzer
Height: 199
Weight: 91
State: Victoria Metro
Club(s): Northern/Bundoora
AFL Positions:
Capable in the ruck or in the forward line. He probably spends more time in the ruck spot during his AFL career. Kreuzer has very good endurance so he won't need a lot of rest, but he will be more dangerous than many other ruckmen as he can go to a forward pocket instead of the bench.
Perfect Fit For:
He will be a great addition to any team and Carlton, who have neglected the ruck spot since Madden retired, need Kreuzer the most. It would instantly end their undersized McClokeland ruck idea of McLaren, Cloke and Ackland. Kreuzer would be able to develop along with their young group of onballers that includes Murphy, Gibbs, Blackwell, Bentick, Grigg and Walker.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
The top pick should always go on a big, and that should happen with Kreuzer going at pick 1. Josh Fraser and Jeff White both went at number 1 and have played in the AFL Grand Final, the team that drafts Kreuzer will also expect him to be a big part of a future Grand Final side.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
The most likely destination for him is Richmond, Carlton or Melbourne. He would be the number 1 ruckman at Carlton which would be great for fantasy points. At Melbourne or Richmond next year he would play a secondary role to their veterans up forward and in the ruck, at Melbourne he would be behind Neitz and White while Richmond have Richardson and Simmonds. Trades, injuries and possible retirements could change things around but it looks like his best spot for fantasy points would be Carlton. Kreuzer is going to be very popular in fantasy leagues next season as he will be a cheap ruckman for the fantasy bench who will be expected to play many games during the year. Kreuzer will get a lot of hitouts, kick a few goals and collect a useful amount of possessions and marks around the ground and that should equal a large number of fantasy points next year.
The fantasy team was great last week, probably because of the Cornes family. Chad was the captain which doubled his points. Kane had a big game too, although some of it was against Judd who was a bit down in stats, and Judd is also a member of this team. The big week for fantasy points occurred even though West didn't play, he is back 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 Scott West
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 (emergency)
B Matt Riggio
C Daniel Dzufer
C Tom Hislop (emergency)
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell
The coaching change will hopefully mean that Mundy is used as he should be, as a running half back with a lot of the football. Raines was great last week. Those two were candidates to be traded, but they get at least another week.
It was bad news last Thursday when West was not named in the Bulldogs' side, that changed to good news the next day when they named him as an emergency, but after all that he didn't play. West should be among the best this week. Chad Cornes will give the fantasy team captaincy to Kane Cornes for this week.
The ruck position should be a strength this week. Hudson won't have to worry about Sandilands as he is out injured and White was kicking goals last week and should have another big game.
Chad Cornes had a huge game against the Eagles and should have a lot of fantasy points again as they play Richmond. Brown only needed the first quarter last round to accumulate an enormous amount of fantasy points. Brown was also considered for the captaincy this week, as Carlton don't have the strongest defensive setup. Hall is still on the team, while he plays against the Eagles this round his games after that are against the Tigers and Demons.
Hislop played last week because West was out. Ellis wasn't needed as Mundy was a late inclusion for Fremantle. The other emergency is Ackland, he is playing this week for Carlton.
Geelong v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 11 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brad Johnson
Chance For An Upset: Geelong keep getting it done and they are the favourites again, but the Bulldogs defeated them at the start of the year and Ernie Sigley says that the Bulldogs "will shred the Cats" so maybe the Cats lose.
Geelong
They win if....they can find someone to stop Brad Johnson.
The Good News: Taking into account their percentage, the Cats are effectively three games ahead of the rest of the AFL.
The Bad News: The other Ablett isn't ready to return from injury.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....Street is able to dominate the hitouts against the tag-team of Ottens and Blake.
The Good News: West should be back in the middle after missing last week.
The Bad News: If they lose they could drop out of the 8.
Collingwood v Essendon
The Tip: Essendon by 24 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dustin Fletcher
Chance For An Upset: Collingwood upset Essendon earlier in the year, maybe Essendon get the upset win this time. They have Fletcher and McVeigh back, and Bolton and Bradley may not be playing in this game, although they are emergencies.
Collingwood
They win if....O'Brien can again have an outstanding game against Lucas.
The Good News: Prestigiacomo returns, and he will be important as the Bombers could play Laycock as a forward.
The Bad News: Medhurst and Bryan were dropped, while they have contributed in some games they have not been able to get a regular spot in the team after joining Collingwood in the offseason.
Essendon
They win if....defenders like Fletcher and McPhee get in the space in front of Rocca and Cloke.
The Good News: Two of their best players this season, Fletcher and McVeigh, return from their one week tribunal holiday.
The Bad News: The coaching changes are starting to happen and Essendon has a big decision to make very soon.
Adelaide v Fremantle
The Tip: Adelaide by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ben Hudson
Chance For An Upset: The Dockers do have the advantage that many teams win with a new coach, and the Crows are without Ricciuto and Rutten too, but the Crows at home should get it done.
Adelaide
They win if....they use McPharlin's opponent as a decoy and drag him away from the goal-square.
The Good News: Pavlich might play a lot more games in Adelaide.
The Bad News: The trend continues, lots of injuries and not many goals.
Fremantle
They win if....they play faster than they have been, the Dockers have looked slow this season.
The Good News: They still have most of the players that were within a game of last season's AFL Grand Final.
The Bad News: 13th position, nobody picked them to finish where they currently are.
St Kilda v Hawthorn
The Tip: St Kilda by 3 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Nick Riewoldt
Chance For An Upset: It's a game where St Kilda has dome ground advantage, so it could be close. Riewoldt and Gehrig at one end, Franklin and Roughead at the other, there should be plenty of goals this time.
St Kilda
They win if....Koschitzke can dominate in the ruck, Campbell and Taylor have been very effective this season but Koschitzke has the talent to get the better of them.
The Good News: Apart from Goddard, the Saints have all their defenders back now with Hudghton returning.
The Bad News: They can't afford to lose this game if they are to sneak into the finals.
Hawthorn
They win if....their Luke from the 2001 draft has a better game than the Saints' Luke.
The Good News: The Hawks keep rolling out the stars, Thorp played his first game last week and is in the side for this game.
The Bad News: Their tall defenders are going to have a big test in the perfect conditions.
West Coast v Sydney
The Tip: Sydney by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Leo Barry
Chance For An Upset: People are predicting a win by the Eagles, although they did that when they played the Saints and Lions too. Probably a game to expect the unexpected, and a more settled Swans team might get the win.
West Coast
They win if....Hansen plays, he is their good luck charm and he is named to play.
The Good News: Judd should be there, and a Judd at 50% is still better than most other players.
The Bad News: A loss here and a top 4 finish might slip away.
Sydney
They win if....Hall ignores the umpires and gets goals, not gives away frees.
The Good News: The Swans had a big win last round.
The Bad News: Everitt and Jolly will have much tougher opposition than they did last week.
Brisbane v Carlton
The Tip: Brisbane by 95 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jonathan Brown
Chance For An Upset: Brisbane are playing some of the best football in the AFL right now, Carlton are chasing the number 1 pick, the Lions should win and win big.
Brisbane
They win if....Merrett can keep up with Fevola, if he does play on the Carlton full forward.
The Good News: Brennan struggled as a forward when he entered the league, he is doing much better now after being given another chance up forward.
The Bad News: Their draw against Richmond might end up being the reason that they just miss out on the finals.
Carlton
They win if....they double-team Brown, or maybe even triple-team him.
The Good News: Waite continues his solid year, he was at full back last week and may get that job again.
The Bad News: They travel interstate for the second week in a row.
Richmond v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 12 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Shaun Burgoyne
Chance For An Upset: The Tigers might give the Power a scare, but they don't have the talent in the midfield that the Power have.
Richmond
They win if....Bowden plays forward, and feeds Richardson instead of just getting 20 kicks in the back line.
The Good News: It's Riewoldt, maybe, he is a possible inclusion at this time.
The Bad News: It's still a big wait until the draft, when Richmond's fortunes will turn around.
Port Adelaide
They win if....they are anywhere near as good as they were last week.
The Good News: Westhoff received the latest Rising Star nomination.
The Bad News: If they lose this game it will undo all the great work they have done in recent weeks.
Kangaroos v Melbourne
The Tip: Kangaroos by 15 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brent Harvey
Chance For An Upset: The Kangaroos are playing after a game last week in WA, although that won't matter as the Demons were also away for their home game last week. Whenever Neitz is there the Demons are a chance but they need a bit more than that as the Kangaroos are playing well.
Kangaroos
They win if....the Kangaroos park Petrie in the forward line again and he takes advantage of the smaller Melbourne defenders.
The Good News: Firrito has really established himself as a quality defender in the AFL.
The Bad News: The coach's contract seems to be a distraction.
Melbourne
They win if....Miller has a big game down back, and Dunn does the same up forward.
The Good News: Their coach has a 50% winning record.
The Bad News: They should probably give Pickett one more game, it would have made sense to play him in this one.
Here is another idea for next year's 150 years of football celebrations, the umpires go back to white. Not just for a single round, for the entire year, or longer.
Heritage Round had most umpires wearing their white uniforms, and they were not getting run into. So there goes one argument that they need to wear their other colours. Sometimes they wear the green shirts, the same colour as the grass, and they get run into. Even when they wear their Bruce Lee Game of Death shirts, the yellow with the black stripe, they get run into by players too.
Umpires wearing different colours have actually caused a few problems in the VFL, the Bullants in their bright red uniforms sometimes look a bit like the VFL umpires in their bright orange.
The umpires, especially the goal umpires, look a lot more appropriate in the white uniforms. The big hats and the long coats, that is what the goal umpires are historically associated with.
The AFL clubs have begun using white alternative uniforms to avoid jumper clashes, so there is a small problem there. But as the Melbourne Football Club showed when they played in a much lighter blue uniform for Heritage Round, there are other ways to make the teams look different on the field. The Demons looked better that game with older-style uniforms, next year the umpires and the game should benefit by going back to white uniforms.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Mud
Geelong v Western Bulldogs
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Mackie, Egan, Harley
C: Corey, Bartel, Wojcinski
HF: Chapman, Mooney, Selwood
FF: S.Johnson, Hawkins, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, Ling, G.Ablett
bench: Blake, Kelly, J.Hunt, Byrnes
emergency: D Johnson, King, Varcoe
In: Byrnes
Out: Varcoe
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Byrnes is in for Varcoe, a swap of a little speedster for another little speedster by the Cats. Fantasy coaches might think about cashing in Varcoe to get some extra spending money, if they have plenty of trades still to use. Hawkins is playing this week but N Ablett could take his spot next round. King is an emergency, it would be difficult for Geelong to have him, Ottens and Blake in the side together, even if King does replace one of the other ruckmen in the coming weeks he doesn't do a lot for fantasy teams.
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Williams, Hargrave
C: Higgins, West, Akermanis
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Hahn
FF: Eagleton, Darcy, Robbins
Foll: Street, Cooney, Boyd
bench: Everitt, Harbrow, Murphy, Ray
emergency: Addison, Skipper, Wight
In: West
Out: Addison
AFL Fantasy Watch:
They snuck West into the emergency list last round, that would have interested some fantasy coaches who still had him starting. He is back this round and should have plenty of the ball. Everitt has been a valuable addition to their side and he could help fantasy coaches looking for a cheap defender.
Collingwood v Essendon
Collingwood
FB: Johnson, Wakelin, O’Brien
HB: H.Shaw, Goldsack, Maxwell
C: Clarke, Burns, Licuria
HF: Thomas, Cloke, Davis
FF: Didak, Rocca, Lockyer
Foll: Fraser, O’Bree, Swan
bench: Richards, Lonie, Pendlebury, Prestigiacomo
emergency: Dick, Cox, Iles
In: Lonie, Richards, Prestigiacomo
Out:Medhurst, Iles, Bryan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Prestigiacomo's inclusion should put a stop to Wakelin's improved fantasy points. Bryan did very little last week so Richards takes his spot as Fraser's backup. This could mean that Fraser will go forward a bit more and might get a couple of goals. Medhurst might not be helping fantasy teams for the rest of the season, he has been dropped and Collingwood will be getting several other players back from injury over the next few weeks.
Essendon
FB: Nash, Michael, Slattery
HB: Fletcher, Welsh, McPhee
C: Ramanauskas, McVeigh, Peverill
HF: Hislop, Lloyd, M.Johnson
FF: Lucas, Lovett, Hille
Foll: Ryder, Watson, Stanton
bench: Dyson, Laycock, Monfries, Lovett-Murray
emergency: J.Johnson, Bolton, Bradley
In: Fletcher, McVeigh
Out: Camporeale, Johnson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Camporeale is out injured and fantasy teams that have him will want to trade him. Jason Johnson's omission might mean he won't be a big part of the team for the rest of the season, fantasy coaches might consider trading him. Fletcher and McVeigh return and will get their usual high amount of fantasy points. Hislop is a promising player, his fantasy value will increase after this round.
Adelaide v Fremantle
Adelaide
FB: Johncock, Stevens, Massie
HB: McLeod, Bock, Torney
C: van Berlo, Goodwin, Knights
HF: Burton, Perrie, Reilly
FF: Welsh, McGregor, Douglas
Foll: Hudson, Edwards, Thompson
bench: Doughty, Shirley, Maric, Mattner
emergency: Gill, Jericho, Campbell
In: Perrie, Mattner
Out: Rutten, Ricciuto
AFL Fantasy Watch:
It was a surprise when Mattner was dropped and he is back now, but fantasy coaches may want to wait a week to see if he keeps his spot. Rutten is out, joining Bassett on the sidelines, so the fantasy points of Stevens and Bock could take a hit if they have to play as tall defenders. Perrie is in and will be expected to kick goals.
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, McPharlin, Thornton
HB: Mundy, Grover, Dodd
C: M.Carr, J.Carr, Johnson
HF: Solomon, Pavlich, Crowley
FF: Drum, Tarrant, Black
Foll: Warnock, Headland, Bell
bench: Duffield, Gilmore, Hasleby, McManus
emergency: Cook, Haddrill, Schammer
In: Warnock, Duffield, Drum, Carr
Out: Sandilands, Murphy, Schammer, Walker
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Fantasy coaches will probably want to forget about Farmer for the rest of the year. Sandilands is out injured, which means that Warnock will get more stats. They have a new coach, probably Harvey although they haven't announced it yet, so a few players could be in different spots and might have changed fantasy points expectations.
St Kilda v Hawthorn
St Kilda
FB: Jason Blake, Matt Maguire, Max Hudghton
HB: Jason Gram, Sam Fisher, Leigh Fisher
C: Aaron Fiora, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna
HF: Robert Harvey, Nick Riewoldt, Xavier Clarke
FF: Stephen Milne, Fraser Gehrig, Sam Gilbert
Foll: Justin Koschitzke, Nick Dal Santo, Luke Ball
bench: Jayden Attard, Steven Baker, Shane Birss, Michael Rix
emergency: Matthew Clarke, Raphael Clarke, Matt Ferguson
In: Hudghton
Out: Thompson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
With Hudghton and Maguire both in the team it will mean Gram and the Fishers can play even more attacking roles, which should increase their impressive fantasy points numbers a bit.
Hawthorn
FB: Guerra, Gilham, Ladson
HB: Birchall, Croad, Brown
C: Hodge, Lewis, Smith
HF: Mitchell, Thorp, Crawford
FF: Dixon, Roughead, Franklin
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Bateman
bench: Ellis, McGlynn, Taylor, Young
emergency: Little, Renouf, Tuck
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hawthorn is on a roll and are keeping the same lineup. Thorp was good last week but as he is one of several talented forwards he won't have huge fantasy numbers, but if he is there next round his price will increase a bit then.
West Coast v Sydney
West Coast
FB: Staker, Glass, Selwood
HB: Waters, Hunter, B.Jones
C: Embley, Judd, Braun
HF: Chick, Hansen, Stenglein
FF: LeCras, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Cousins, Kerr
bench: Hurn, R.Jones, Priddis, Rosa
emergency: Armstrong, Fletcher, MacKenzie
In: Cousins, Hansen, Kerr, Staker, Stenglein
Out: Morton, Armstrong, C.Jones, MacKenzie, McKinley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Lots of changes, but Judd is still there. Fantasy coaches who got Priddis and other midfielders early in the season will have gotten a lot of fantasy points and a big price increase, but there is a big chance that with Kerr, Stenglein and Cousins back the numbers for Priddis, Rosa, Hurn and R Jones could go down.
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Dempster
HB: Bevan, Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Malceski
HF: O’Keefe, O’Loughlin, Goodes
FF: Schneider, Hall, Everitt
Foll: Jolly, Bolton, Fosdike
bench: Davis, Kennelly, McVeigh, Schmidt
emergency: Grundy, Phillips, Vogels
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hall is named, although the perennial emergency Vogels is also there if needed. Hall wasn't too bad for fantasy points, as he was helped along with a couple of late goals, but he needs to stop giving away free kicks which are a negative stat for fantasy leagues.
Brisbane v Carlton
Brisbane
FB: Joel Macdonald, Daniel Merrett, Jason Roe
HB: Jed Adcock, Josh Drummond, Joel Patfull
C: Tim Notting, Nigel Lappin, Cheynee Stiller
HF: Robert Copeland, Jonathan Brown, Troy Selwood
FF: Michael Rischitelli, Matthew Leuenberger, Jared Brennan
Foll: Jamie Charman, Simon Black, Luke Power
bench from: McGrath, Hamill, Mills, Hooper, Hadley, Harding, Clark
In: Clark, Hadley, Harding
AFL Fantasy Watch:
After a lot of different lineups, the Lions seem to have found the right one. Drummond is an elite fantasy defender while Copeland has surprised as a forward. Leuenberger will be a fantasy superstar in the future, but right now he is a minor contributor although his price will go up a bit. There might be an injury concern over Black, so this week might not be the time to sign him.
Carlton
FB: Bannister, Waite, Thornton
HB: Wiggins, Koutoufides, Scotland
C: Lappin, Houlihan , Simpson
HF: Carrazzo, Fisher, Murphy
FF: Gibbs, Fevola, Kennedy
Foll: Ackland, Walker, Bentick
bench from: Betts, Bower, Blackwell, S.O’hAilpin, Russell, Saddington
In: Ackland, Blackwell, Russell, Saddington
Out: Hartlett
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Ackland is back in the side, and he will probably share the ruck duties with Kennedy or O'hAilpin. None of those players will do a lot for fantasy teams.
Richmond v Port Adelaide
Richmond
FB: J.Bowden, Thursfield, King
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: Tivendale, Tuck, Edwards
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Hyde
FF: Brown, Schulz, Jackson
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench from: Simmonds, Hughes, McGuane, Graham, Riewoldt, Tambling, Howat
In: McGuane, Riewoldt, Hughes, Graham
Out: Hartigan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Only a small change by the Tigers, so check tomorrow to see their final selected side. If Graham plays, he won't help fantasy teams.
Port Adelaide
FB: Surjan, Carlile, Wilson
HB: P.Burgoyne, Thurstans, Cassisi
C: Lonie, S.Burgoyne, K.Cornes
HF: Rodan, Tredrea, Ebert
FF: Lade, Westhoff, Motlop
Foll: Brogan, C.Cornes, Pearce
bench from: Bentley, Boak, Chaplin, Gray, Krakouer, Pettigrew, Thomson
In: Chaplin, Gray, Krakouer
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Carlile has kept his spot in the team, he isn't getting a lot of stats in the back line. he might get a small price increase after this round. Westhoff continues to play well, he should again be among the goals here.
Kangaroos v Melbourne
Kangaroos
FB: Shannon Watt, Michael Firrito, Daniel Pratt
HB: Glenn Archer, Jesse Smith, Scott McMahon
C: Adam Simpson, Brady Rawlings, Kasey Green
HF: Brent Harvey, David Hale, Shannon Grant
FF: Corey Jones, Drew Petrie, Djaran Whyman
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Daniel Harris, Andrew Swallow
bench from: Sinclair, Thomas, Brown, Lower, Edwards, Sansbury, Adams
In: Edwards, Sansbury, Adams, Whyman
Out: Wells
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Whyman is the only change right now, replacing Wells. Wells can probably sit this round out on the bench as he may be back next week.
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Frawley
HB: Wheatley, Miller, Brown
C: Green, McDonald, Bizzell
HF: Godfrey, Robertson, Bate
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, P.Johnson
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench from: Moloney, C.Johnson, Dunn, Buckley, Newton, Holland, Garland
In: Neitz, Green, Moloney, Holland
Out: Davey
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Melbourne brought in some of their veteran players for this game. Neitz is definitely playing while Holland might also. Dunn and C Johnson have the ability to help fantasy teams, but check tomorrow night to see if they are named to play.
Connolly was Fremantle’s greatest ever coach, although the sample size for judging that is a bit small. He did take them to within a few goals of the 2006 AFL Grand Final but with a failure in 2007 he wasn’t going to be back next season.
Now the intrigue starts for who will coach for the remainder of the year, who will be appointed for next season and which players might be looking to leave.
From the Fremantle site: Chris Connolly Steps Down
AFL Fantasy Impact:
It will depend on who is the interim coach, as they could go for the finals or they could start getting ready for next season. Their game in Adelaide, if they lose, might set the direction for the rest of the year. It is likely that injured players who are going to be part of the team for next season will be rested soon. Young players like Ibbotson and Collard could see a lot more action. Older players, like McManus and Parker, may be given a final game and then moved along. Fantasy coaches might want to avoid their old players.
48
Kieren Jack.
Midfielder for the Sydney Swans.
He was famous, or maybe infamous, even before he played a game of AFL. He then showed in the preseason that he could play football, as he battled Akermanis as the Swans played the Bulldogs.
Jack was elevated from the rookie list and played two games this season, rounds 6 and 7. He had 2 tackles in each game, as he had a tagging role in the midfield.
Kieren Jack information:
177cm, 77kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 47
Name: Cyril Rioli
Height: 178
Weight: 74
State (Territory): Northern Territory
Club(s): St Mary's
AFL Positions:
He will probably start in a forward pocket, eventually he will be rotated through the midfield and forward spots. A smart coach will use him to create mismatches, if he has an onballer against him in the middle he could go forward where his skills around goal would give him a big advantage. There could also be times when Rioli is isolated as a small full forward.
Perfect Fit For:
The Lions are trying to find the right combination around Brown in the forward line and Rioli would be a good addition. Next season they will have Bradshaw back as a marking target, Brennan and Copeland could fill other roles farther away from goal and Rioli and maybe Hooper could provide the smaller options.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Somewhere from 5 to 20 in the draft, Richmond might use their priority pick to take him. While he is a first round talent, many teams will have other priorities in the draft and may pass on Rioli.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He is ready for the AFL right now, so whoever drafts him next year can play him in round 1. He has a complete game and should be able to get fantasy points with a combination of goals, tackles and possessions.
Round 15 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 2
Handballs: 2
Marks: 2
Tackles: 1
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 12
Handballs: 11
Marks: 7
Tackles: 6
Goals: 1
The crowd that Joel Selwood played in front of had 60,000 more fans than the one that Gibbs had. Selwood should expect a couple more games like that during September. Joel Selwood was a big part of Geelong's win over Collingwood at the MCG. Gibbs was a small part of another Carlton loss, he also had an ankle problem.
Selwood was ready to play at AFL finals level, with Geelong on the MCG against Collingwood, and he put his body on the line to stop the Magpies. He made sure that Medhurst was not going to get past him, it wasn't like Medhurst was Monkhorst but it was still impressive as Selwood tackled Medhurst who was running hard at him.
Selwood also showed he can do what is necessary for finals football, something that Geelong have not been good at, he might have had the clenched fist impact with an opponent. It was looked at by the match review people, as Selwood may have been punching at the ball although it might have been a metre away from the impact zone.
The battle within the battle on the MCG was for the Rising Star award. This was a chance for the judges to compare Joel Selwood and Scott Pendlebury, and Selwood would have come out slightly ahead. He should also be rewarded more as he is starring in his first year of AFL, unlike other Rising Star award favourites like Pendlebury and Ryder who had the advantage of being in the AFL last season.
Gibbs started in the forward line for Carlton, he was then moved back and spent a lot time on Adam Schneider. Unfortunately for Gibbs, there was one play that was highlighted where he flew past Kirk instead of crunching him in an aerial contest.
Selwood is not the quickest player around, although if he has the ball in his hands it doesn't matter. But the game against the Bulldogs will be about pace. The veteran Akermanis or first-year player Harbrow could be players that Selwood is matched up against. In what must be an odd piece of scheduling, Carlton have an early Sunday game in Brisbane right after their early Sunday game in Sydney last round. The Lions are playing very well right now so Gibbs, if his ankle allows him to play, will have another tough assignment.
B Gibbs 5 - J Selwood 10
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
One big name can be crossed off the shopping list for AFL teams as Nick Riewoldt won't be one of the uncontracted players available in the offseason. Riewoldt, and midfielder Nick Dal Santo, signed new contracts that will keep them with St Kilda until the end of season 2010.
Teams looking for an uncontracted star forward will now need to go after Pavlich. Judd is also a player in the last year of their contract.
From the St Kilda site: Saints re-sign talented pair
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Signing big contracts can have a detrimental influence on some players, they suddenly seem to get lazy after the money is guaranteed. That should not happen with Riewoldt and Dal Santo, and as the Saints are still in the race for a finals spot they could even increase their usual fantasy points over the next month. They also have a lot of games under the roof, so when other big fantasy forwards are out in the wind and rain, Riewoldt will be marking the ball in perfect conditions
Davey seemed to get his opponent with a good shot so he has accepted the two weeks that were offered. Melbourne probably don't want to win too many games, so Davey having a rest won't really matter.
From the Melbourne site: Davey accepts two-match ban
AFL Fantasy Impact:
The Demons are in 2008 mode right now so a young, and inexpensive for fantasy games, player should take his spot. Big Newton might be someone to look at and Garland, who was late inclusion last week, may also keep his spot in the team. If there is a solid emergency forward available, and trades are getting low, then Davey could spend a couple of games on the fantasy bench. Tredrea, Hall and Fevola are all below Davey’s price in fantasy leagues and Thomas, Tarrant, B Fisher and Akermanis are forward options close to Davey’s price.
Peter Everitt of the Sydney Swans.
The Swans knew they would get a lot of things when they traded for Everitt, there were the tattoos and the big statements in the media as well as a lot of marks, goals and hitouts. The Swans got everything they needed from Everitt against Carlton as he dominated all over the ground.
Everitt had 30 hitouts, Carlton as a team had 20. So Everitt did his job there. Everitt also kicked 4 goals, including a goal that resulted after he sprinted forward from the bounce in the centre. In what might have been the highlight of the match, Everitt won the hitout in the middle while a teammate kicked the ball long, another Swan picked up the ball and there was Everitt already inside 50 with the opposition ruckman behind him and Everitt received the football and kicked the goal on the run.
Everitt also totalled 9 marks for the match, including marking on the lead in the forward line and bringing down a mark in traffic in the goal square.
It was a great game from Everitt as all of his 14 possessions were effective, a lot of his hitouts went to his teammates and Sydney won by 10 goals. He will need to repeat his great form when the Swans visit West Coast this round. Everitt has been very good for Sydney this season after being acquired from Hawthorn, and he was at his best against Carlton and is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Peter Everitt's profile at the Sydney site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Nigel Lappin.
47
Simon Phillips.
Forward for the Sydney Swans.
Simon Phillips is a specialist forward pocket who was elevated from the rookie list last season by Sydney. He made his debut over in Perth when the Swans played the Eagles during the regular season. He played three more games in 2006, kicking a goal in his second game.
Phillips also played against the Eagles this season, in the opening round. He was active around the forward line with a goal and a behind.
He may have one of the biggest numbers in the AFL but Phillips is one of the smaller players around. He can provide a different look to the Sydney forward line, playing with Hall close to goals.
Simon Phillips information:
174cm, 69kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 46
1: Geelong Cats 12-3 (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
The only problem Geelong had was the striking train drivers, it will be interesting to see what happens if they pull that stunt again during September. The problem for Geelong this week is they face the team that was too fast and too good for them at the start of the season, the Western Bulldogs. For years, some Geelong fans thought that Kingsley was the biggest reason for why they didn't win, and judging by what is happening this season there must be some merit to that theory.
2: Hawthorn Hawks 10-5 (4)
Their forward line of three talls is very effective. It all starts with Lance "A Lot Of Talent" Franklin and then they can put around him a combination of Roughead, Boyle, Croad and now Thorp. They don't have any easy games now, although a couple will be played at "Fortress Tasmania". The Hawks play the Saints this week, and it could be a great game as two talented forward lines have a shootout, or it could be a repeat of their game from the MCG earlier in the year.
3: West Coast Eagles 9-6 win-loss record (2)
Obviously Graham Arnold must have gotten into the place and talked about strategy and teamwork. It's a rough month for the Eagles and it doesn't get any tougher than Sydney next week, if the Eagles lose to the Swans they could have a big fall in the standings.
4: Adelaide Crows 8-7 (3)
When they are kicking goals they look like the best team in the AFL, but there are too many games when they can't kick goals and there is no quick fix for that. If Rutten joins Bassett on the injured list, the Crows might need to move Bock back to the back line.
5: Collingwood Magpies 9-6 (5)
Collingwood will get a lot of their veterans back in the next few weeks. Clement will be very important when he returns, and they would probably like to have Prestigiacomo available in a couple of weeks when they play the Lions and Brown.
6: Western Bulldogs 9-6 (6)
They won, without West and Grant, so that was a big accomplishment. An even bigger one will be defeating the top of the ladder Cats. They used speed and the talent of Brad Johnson to get it done against Geelong earlier in the year.
7: Port Adelaide Power 9-6 (7)
They were not just good, they were really great against the Eagles. They have games against Richmond, Melbourne, Carlton and Fremantle still to come so the Power should be back in the finals. C Cornes for the Brownlow could be a real possibility.
8: Sydney Swans 8-7 (8)
If they were in the Grand Final right now they would probably be the favourites, next round in Perth should sort that out. The Eagles were undermanned at the start of the year too but still did enough to defeat the Swans so Sydney will not want a repeat of that.
9: Kangaroos 10-5 (9)
While they do have the score on the board when it comes to wins, their percentage is low and they do have five really tough games still to play. They not only need to win next week, against Melbourne, but they need to crush them to get some percentage. Their games after the Demons are the Hawks, Lions away, Eagles and Cats.
10: Essendon Bombers 8-7 (10)
It looks like they are finished, they have two trips to Perth still to come and also play the Crows and Hawks. Before those games they have the big match on the MCG against Collingwood, that should be a fierce encounter.
11: St Kilda Saints 7-8 (12)
They have 5 more roof games to come, and if they win them all there could be a finals spot for them, especially as their last game of the regular season is at the MCG against Richmond.
12: Brisbane Lions 6-8-1 (13)
While the finals are still mathematically possible, they have some tough teams on the schedule, like Geelong and Sydney. But on their current form anything could happen, and if Brown continues to kick goals a lot of teams will be scared of the Lions.
13: Fremantle Dockers 6-9 (11)
The season is gone, the coach is very close to being gone and Pavlich might move on too. It is a big fall from their position last year, and now the Dockers have to figure out if they overachieved last season or underachieved this year and make changes.
14: Melbourne Demons 3-12 (14)
It could not have been much worse on Saturday night for Melbourne. They played without Bruce, they showed up for their "home" game with white shorts, Brisbane were coming off their best win in four years, so it wasn't a surprise that the Lions defeated them. Maybe the only way it could have been worse was if Steve Bracks' son, Paris Bracks, was driving the team bus. Next round should be much better, with Bruce and maybe Neitz in the team.
15: Carlton Blues 4-11 (15)
The Blues are just like the toilets at Melbourne Central, they stink. Although that is a good thing for Carlton, and not just because they have fans. If they win a game they lose the top pick. A couple of months of losing, and then picks 1 and maybe 3, should turn things around at Carlton and help them build a winner for the future. One thing that has to happen is the removal of their draft pick killer coach. Gibbs in a back pocket, Mr Kennedy in the ruck, they seem to be a bit out of position. They should set the team to Kreuzer Control and play all their young players to end the year, Sam Jacobs playing in the ruck for Carlton next week might be a good idea.
16: Richmond Tigers 1-13-1 (16)
At least their VFL fans are having fun, they get to see Riewoldt every week. The Tigers might have last spot on the ladder nearly guaranteed but they don't have the top pick yet, it might be a bit odd but Richmond fans need to cheer for a Carlton win.
Sydney started the game like the Australian soccer team does, quickly down a couple of goals and their players seemed disinterested. The Swans then turned things around and played the rest of the game at the level they will need to be at when they go to play the Eagles.
Swans 162 - Blues 100
Fantasy Player News
Sydney
Everitt: 30 total hitouts, 4 goals, 9 marks and 11 kicks.
Schneider: A player to think about signing, he had 3 goals and 24 disposals.
Kirk: 2 goals and 26 possessions provided a lot of fantasy points.
Jolly: 10 kicks, 7 marks and a goal as Jolly as found fantasy points against Carlton's ruckmen.
Hall: 11 kicks, 6 marks and 4 goals, it wasn't a great game for fantasy points as he gave away 4 free kicks.
Carlton
Fisher: 8 marks and 3 goals as he keeps getting fantasy points.
Waite: Still got the ball, 19 possessions, despite playing a lot of the time at full back.
Bentick: 10 tackles helped along his fantasy points, he also had 12 disposals.
O'hAilpin: Again used as a ruckman/forward, he kicked a goal and also received 2 frees.
Fevola: 2 goals and 4 behinds, he is going to worry fantasy coaches who have him in their teams.
Richmond kept it close for a while, until Roughead, Franklin and Lewis took over. The Tigers might have expected to have an edge in the ruck but Campbell and Taylor were too big, and they were useful around the ground too against the more mobile Simmonds.
Hawks 129 - Tigers 76
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Thorp: He will be a fantasy AFL star one day, he kicked a goal and took 3 marks.
Franklin: 9 marks and 4 goals as he had another big game.
Roughead: He has improved a lot in recent weeks, he kicked 5 goals.
McGlynn: He can kick goals which provides more fantasy points, he had 2 goals here and 21 disposals.
Mitchell: 31 possessions, 8 marks and 4 tackles.
Richmond
Johnson: 28 possessions and a goal was a much bigger game than he usually has for fantasy points.
Raines: Raines was running again as he collected 28 possessions.
King: One of the fantasy bargains of the season, 4 free kicks provided extra points along with 19 disposals.
Bowden: Not really helping his AFL team win, but great for fantasy teams with 34 possessions and 15 marks.
Jackson: One of the better players for the Tigers this year, he had 20 possessions.
The season was on the line for the Dockers, and was actually in the hands of Thornton at the end of the game, but Fremantle could not get it done. The premiership veterans for the Kangaroos won the game with Harvey, Archer and Simpson doing what was needed.
Kangaroos 82 - Dockers 78
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Archer: The last three or so games he has been a big fantasy points player, he had 2 goals and 16 disposals.
Harris: An improvement on his usual numbers, 24 possessions, 5 marks and 5 tackles.
Watt: 15 accurate disposals as he found space on Subiaco.
Rawlings: A big game for fantasy points with 26 possessions.
Petrie: He didn't repeat his previous games, he had 0 goals and only 5 marks and 4 kicks.
Fremantle
Hayden: 21 possessions as he has become a very solid player running out of the back line.
Dodd: 28 possessions, 10 marks, 3 tackles and a goal.
Sandilands: 14 possessions, all were handballs, as well as 22 total hitouts.
McPharlin: Was very good in the air, with 7 marks, and also had 14 possessions.
Headland: 21 disposals and 2 goals, he is having a solid season for fantasy points.
It might have been a September preview on the MCG, although the teams in a couple of months will probably be a bit different, especially Collingwood's. The Magpies did have a big forward kick a bunch of goals, Cloke, while Geelong relied on a team effort as Mooney only had 1 goal and Hawkins only kicked a point.
Cats 80 - Magpies 64
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Selwood: 23 possessions, 7 marks, 6 tackles and a goal as he is now a very big part of their midfield.
Enright: While Bartel slows down a bit, Enright increases his production, he had 22 possessions.
Harley: Is now a reliable player for fantasy points, he had 17 possessions and 6 marks.
Chapman: 23 possessions, 6 marks, 4 tackles and a goal.
Scarlett: He went running and his 20 kicks were good for a lot of fantasy points.
Collingwood
Cloke: Kicked accurately for his 4 goals, also had 10 marks.
Wakelin: 18 possessions and 9 marks, getting fantasy points with Clement out.
Pendlebury: 20 possessions, 8 marks and 5 tackles.
Clarke: 18 possessions as he again gets a lot of fantasy points.
Lockyer: 23 kicks, and most of them hit their target, and he also had 11 marks.
Port Adelaide put on a show, as they demolished the Eagles. Rodan and Pearce were seeing how many players they could race past, Lonie and Tredrea were competing to kick the longest goal while Chad Cornes was showing everyone that a goal can be kicked from any angle on the wrong foot.
Power 153 - Eagles 62
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
Westhoff: 4 goals, also had 13 kicks and 3 tackles.
Rodan: 20 possessions and 3 tackles, the fantasy bargain of the year keeps getting it done.
C Cornes: 4 goals along with 31 possessions, another big game.
Boak: 21 possessions and 8 marks, his best game for fantasy points and his price will rise now.
Thomson: Fantasy points boosted by a couple of goals, he also had 12 handballs and 6 tackles.
West Coast
Morton: 16 possessions, 5 marks and 3 tackles, Morton might keep his spot for a few more games.
R Jones: 25 possessions as he increased his fantasy points output with several Eagles out.
Lynch: 3 goals, Lynch also joined in the contest to kick the longest goal.
MacKenzie: Good potential but struggled with Port playing so well, he had 12 possessions.
McKinley: Kicked a goal but unlikely to help fantasy teams as he won't play many games.
Jonathan Brown had all the space that he wanted in the forward line and he took advantage of it with plenty of marks and lots of goals. The only time someone got in his way on the lead was when Charman come in from the side, accidentally spoiling Brown. Bruce didn't play, he should be there next week.
Lions 126 - Demons 82
Fantasy Player News
Brisbane
Brown: Most of his stats were in the first quarter when he won the game, he finished with 6 goals and 13 marks.
Leuenberger: An exciting prospect, he kicked a goal and if he does increase his playing time he might be signed by fantasy teams.
Drummond: 20 kicks, as he usually does, and he is one of the best fantasy defenders in the AFL.
Brennan: 12 kicks, 2 goals and 4 free kicks received, he is again an interesting player for fantasy teams.
Copeland: Still in the forward line, he kicked 3 goals.
Melbourne
Brown: 29 disposals, he always helps fantasy teams.
Buckley: 7 possessions in his first game, no need to sign him for fantasy teams yet but is a player to watch.
Davey: Kicked 4 goals but may be in trouble on Monday.
Frawley: He played all the game, in a back line that was in trouble, and had 8 possessions and 5 marks.
C Johnson: 16 possessions and 8 marks, he has the potential for a lot of fantasy points and they should keep playing him as they look to rebuild.
West and Grant didn't play so both teams went in without many of their big stars. The Bulldogs had more players step up as Cooney, Williams, Ray and others took on more responsibility. Essendon were in the game but they couldn't keep going in the last quarter.
Bulldogs 131 - Bombers 98
Fantasy Player News
Western Bulldogs
Cooney: A huge game, especially in the second half, for fantasy points and he had 31 possessions and kicked 3 goals.
Everitt: A very good fit for how they play, he had 14 disposals, 5 marks and a goal.
Akermanis: 24 possessions, 5 marks and a goal.
Hahn: Played smaller than he often does, marks were down but possessions were up at 23.
Ray: 17 possessions and 10 marks as he stepped up his game with several stars out.
Essendon
Lucas: 4 goals from Lucas, he has been one of the better tall forwards in fantasy this season.
Watson: 27 possessions and 8 tackles as he continues to get a lot of the ball.
Lovett-Murray: Not the big game for fantasy points that was expected, 12 possessions, but should do better next week.
Hislop: Should keep his spot in the team, he had 10 disposals and 3 tackles.
Michael: There were times when he didn't have the right opponent, as the Bulldogs go small up forward, so Michael played down the other end and kicked a goal.
46
Jake King.
Midfielder for the Richmond Tigers.
It has not been a good season for the Tigers but injuries to some of their players have created opportunities for others. Cameron Howat impressed last season and when a spot opened up on their main list it was expected that he would contribute and he has. Another Tiger was elevated from the rookie list at that time, Jake King. He has also been impressive.
To say Jake King is a bit on the small side is correct, but he knows how to play the role perfectly. He positions himself in the right spot to crumb off the pack, he gets plenty of tackles and when there is space he runs as hard as he can.
King has been in double-figures for possessions in every game he has played so far. He had 20 possessions in Richmond's draw, and 21 possessions when they won. They are some promising performances from King, who was pick 24 in the recent AFL rookie draft, and Richmond will be expecting a lot more big games from him over his career.
Jake King information:
174cm, 74kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 45
The Saints are still alive in the race for the finals after a two-point win over the Crows. St Kilda had the tall forwards that Adelaide couldn't stop after Rutten left the field with a leg injury. Riewoldt had 18 marks and Gehrig kicked 4 goals and 4 behinds.
Saints 82 - Crows 80
Fantasy Player News
St Kilda
Gehrig: 4 goals and 8 marks, fantasy coaches should expect plenty more games with these numbers.
S Fisher: He can be more attacking with Maguire back, he had 30 disposals and 15 marks.
Birss: 20 possessions, 2 goals and 3 frees for, he could become a regular for the Saints and fantasy AFL teams.
Maguire: Made a few mistakes, and gave away 3 frees, but he was solid for fantasy points with 10 kicks and 7 marks.
Harvey: 33 possessions and 8 marks, just keeps getting fantasy points.
Adelaide
Doughty: 8 kicks, 17 handballs, 7 marks and 5 tackles from this underrated player.
Massie: Is getting some big tasks against tall forwards, he is also getting the ball and had it 17 times here.
Torney: Sort of being used like Bassett was, Torney had 8 kicks, 8 handballs, 7 marks and 6 tackles.
Maric: Has been very useful in his first couple of games, he kicked a goal and had 15 total hitouts.
McLeod: 22 kicks, 5 handballs, 9 marks and a goal.
The fantasy team is having a few problems with injuries, as are so many other teams. Scott West hasn't missed a game in a long time and that was a reason why he was added earlier in the season. As his backup in the midfield, Petterd, won't be available a trade had to be used. Petterd was traded for Hislop, which will free up some extra money to use in the coming weeks, and it also provides a player for West's spot in the middle 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 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 (captain)
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis (emergency)
B Matt Riggio
C Daniel Dzufer
C Tom Hislop (emergency)
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell
McPhee might have to take on a more defensive role with Fletcher out, or maybe Lovett-Murray will do that and McPhee will continue to roam around getting fantasy points. Polak is another player who is often without an opponent, which is great for fantasy points, but he may also have to be more accountable this week against a tall side. Mundy probably won't be out there this week for Fremantle, so the X-factor from Hawthorn will be used off the fantasy bench. Birchall is only in his second season of AFL, and he is already up near the elite for fantasy backmen.
Hasleby, like Mundy, was named on the possible bench for Fremantle but he will play. If Judd is able to play this week then the fantasy team is in good shape, but if he is a late withdrawal then it might be a poor week for this team.
The ruck position is working well. White continues to get a lot of possessions, for a ruckman, while Hudson plays consistently well every week. Hudson was one of the bargains of the year for fantasy teams, and considering how much he has played in the last couple of years it is a big achievement to play every game this season.
There are still a lot of big names in the forward line, and most of them produce every week. C Cornes will be the captain again. This has to be the week that Hall kicks a lot of goals.
The emergencies have taken a big hit this week. Ackland is stuck in the VFL, both fantasy forwards here were dropped by their AFL teams too, and Petterd is out for the year now so he was traded. Ellis is quietly becoming a regular for Hawthorn, and his availability as a fantasy emergency could be useful as the Dockers may not play Mundy.
St Kilda v Adelaide
The Tip: Adelaide by 55 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Tyson Edwards
Chance For An Upset: The Saints won against the Eagles in Perth so they can beat anyone, but they have also shown the ability to lose to anyone too. They do have home ground advantage and some big forwards who could trouble the Crows.
St Kilda
They win if....they can find a medium-sized forward option who can kick a few goals as the Crows concentrate on Gehrig and Koschitzke.
The Good News: Maguire should solidify their back line after returning last week.
The Bad News: Hamill spends a lot of time talking to medical staff and not playing football.
Adelaide
They win if....some of their more lumbering forwards can stop the Saints defenders running from the back line with the ball.
The Good News: They were not harmed by the loss of Bassett last round.
The Bad News: Port Adelaide are willing to throw everything they have to get Pavlich, the Crows are very interested but have indicated they won't overpay too much.
Geelong v Collingwood
The Tip: Collingwood by 3 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Anthony Rocca
Chance For An Upset: Geelong will be the favourite, unless Gary Ablett does miss with an illness. Collingwood have been winning the big games this season and they might do it again on the MCG.
Geelong
They win if....they have a big enough body to contain Rocca.
The Good News: The Cats have decided that they won't be handing out new contracts until the season is over, this should keep everyone playing, and coaching, at their best.
The Bad News: Max Rooke is off to Germany, while it has been reported that he is going there for help with his hamstring injury, there must also be the chance he is following David Hasselhoff and going there to launch a singing career. That would explain why he previously changed his name to Max.
Collingwood
They win if....Fraser pushes forward, and that could be why Bryan has also been included this week.
The Good News: Thomas provides excitement every week, and often kicks goals at the most important times.
The Bad News: Victoria Park is one dilapidated place, even though they have moved away it might be nice if they could spend some of their vast resources and fix it up a bit, there could be times when they need to train there in the future.
Port Adelaide v West Coast
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 2 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Chad Cornes
Chance For An Upset: The Eagles are considered to be the favourites, and they won last time when they went to Adelaide to play. They might have too many injuries, and the Power have the players to compete with Dean Cox.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Lade and Brogan play to their usual standard, they have been a bit down in form recently.
The Good News: Pearce is named, so that was a quick recovery from his surgery.
The Bad News: Wakelin was hurt in the SANFL, and will be unavailable for a couple of weeks.
West Coast
They win if....someone like Hurn or Armstrong kick more goals than expected.
The Good News: Priddis keeps accumulating the possessions, he has kept their midfield going despite a lot of suspensions and injuries.
The Bad News: They lost to Brisbane last week.
Essendon v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jason Akermanis
Chance For An Upset: It is one team without a lot of star players going up against another team missing a lot of their best players. The Bulldogs should win but if Essendon can keep it close then they could snatch it at the end of the game because they are experts at that.
Essendon
They win if....they effectively out-height the Bulldogs with Lloyd, Lucas, Laycock and Lovett-Murray up forward.
The Good News: Stanton is their engine in the middle that powers the side, he returns for this game.
The Bad News: Suspensions mean Fletcher and McVeigh will miss this contest, and both those players are close to being All-Australians this season.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....someone pretends they are West for this game, Boyd has taken on the role of Cross but West is a harder player to replace.
The Good News: Chris Grant is named, and he will be very important if he plays, they do have tall Wight listed as an emergency.
The Bad News: The Bulldogs are in a precarious situation, and they can't afford to lose this game because they could drop out of the top 8.
Melbourne v Brisbane
The Tip: Brisbane by 5 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Tim Notting
Chance For An Upset: The Lions won away in Perth, now they play away in Brisbane. They should have too much offensive firepower and the Demons are without Neitz at the other end too.
Melbourne
They win if....Jeff White is at his bouncing best for hitouts, and then runs away from Charman around the ground.
The Good News: Their only in is Bruce and he can win a match by himself.
The Bad News: They won last week in part because of a coach being in charge for his first game with a club, they don't have any good luck charm this game, especially as it is played in Brisbane.
Brisbane
They win if....their forward line has the spacing and variety that it did last week.
The Good News: Leuenberger looks to be a very good prospect.
The Bad News: They are probably out of the running for a finals spot and also for the top draft picks.
Sydney v Carlton
The Tip: Sydney by 85 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ryan O'Keefe
Chance For An Upset: Carlton are going to play a center half forward and a full back in the ruck against Jolly and Everitt, that won't help their chances.
Sydney
They win if....they use their experience and strength against the younger Carlton onballers.
The Good News: Hall is named to play, and LRT may be A-OK.
The Bad News: They have as many losses as they do wins, although their percentage is very good and might get some more help here.
Carlton
They win if....Fevola forgets about his restaurant, his boots and his media profile and actually kicks 10 goals.
The Good News: The first pick in the draft is very close.
The Bad News: They drafted a couple of ruckmen who are 200cm or more in height, yet they don't play them.
Hawthorn v Richmond
The Tip: Hawthorn by 29 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Sam Mitchell
Chance For An Upset: Deledio's injury makes this an even tougher game for the Tigers, but if they can get on top in the ruck and their players can feed Richardson the ball they could make it a close game.
Hawthorn
They win if....they assign a forward to stay close to Polak, they can’t let him run around cutting off passes to their forwards.
The Good News: Thorp might be playing, in some ways he is more promising than Franklin, which means he could be very good.
The Bad News: When they lose, they can sometimes lose in a big way, like last week.
Richmond
They win if....they have intelligent matchups in the back line, it isn't fair to ask Raines to play against the big forwards of the AFL.
The Good News: King is one of the bright parts of their season, it looked like he was too small to play a big part but he just keeps getting the ball.
The Bad News: Their coach says they are not losing on purpose, so that might indicate that winning is really far away if they are trying as hard as they can now.
Fremantle v Kangaroos
The Tip: Fremantle by 34 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Michael Johnson
Chance For An Upset: The Dockers win at home and lose away, so they might continue that here.
Fremantle
They win if....they play a smart game with their big forwards Pavlich, Tarrant and Murphy and exploit a mismatch by isolating the right player in the goal-square.
The Good News: There is a lot of WA talent available in the draft.
The Bad News: They are one loss away from the team imploding.
Kangaroos
They win if....McIntosh has a big game against a couple of big players, he couldn't do it against Cox on Subiaco earlier in the year.
The Good News: Petrie has been amazing the last couple of weeks.
The Bad News: It is a danger game, and if they want to do anything in September they need to defeat teams below them on the ladder.
45
Cameron Ling.
Midfielder for the Geelong Cats.
Ling was a star full forward prospect when teams made their selections for the 1999 AFL draft. But he was thought to be too slow and a little short for that spot in the AFL, so he slipped a bit in the draft until Geelong selected him at pick number 38.
The Cats did play Ling as a forward at the start of his career before deciding that the midfield might be the spot for him. While he didn't add any speed to their midfield he did provide a big body and he surprised more than a few people with how much of the football he could get. In his third AFL season he topped 400 disposals and ever since then he has been over 500 disposals every year.
Ling has also shown the ability to totally shut down a player in the middle. Geelong have a lot of players who can get the ball but they didn't have a real stopper in the middle until Ling took on the role. Geelong's current win streak has been possible due to Ling dominating players like Kerr, S Burgoyne, Dal Santo and other AFL stars.
Ling used to be known as a player with only a left foot, he has improved his right foot since the start of his career. In his first AFL game he had the chance to win it for Geelong but instead of kicking the winning goal with his right foot he was brought down in a tackle as he tried to wheel around onto his left.
The Cats might have thought that Ling was just going to be another player in the long line of forwards they tried in the days after Gary Ablett the original. They got a lot more as Ling is a very important player in one of the best midfields in the AFL.
Cameron Ling information:
189cm, 94kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 44
There was a preview of the AFL All-Australian Team posted here after a third of the season had gone by and here is another look with around two thirds of the season completed.
FB: H Shaw, D Glass, D Fletcher
HB: A McLeod, C Cornes, J Bartel
C: B Kirk, K Cornes, S Thompson
HF: B Harvey, S Lucas, P Bell
FF: B Johnson, M Pavlich, G Ablett
Foll: D Cox, C Judd, S Mitchell
bench: S West, T Lockyer, B Harris, J Fraser
emergency: P Chapman, H McIntosh, N Malceski
The ruck spot is hard to award at this moment, there are plenty of contenders and no player is really above the others. McIntosh has slowed down from what he was doing earlier in the year. White was also a player considered.
Mooney is a chance for a big forward spot as he is very important to the top side in the AFL. Lance Franklin has been slowed by injury and needs a couple more big games to get in the team. Defenders Drummond, Polak, Sam Fisher and Campbell Brown could all be in contention for a back line spot. Ryan O'Keefe and Craig Bolton are a couple of Swans who could make the team if Sydney finish with a strong run.
There are many more midfielders who could be in the running too. Kerr is missing a bit of time with suspensions but a good finish to the season should see him in the team. The Burgoynes of Port Adelaide are a chance too, Peter might be ahead of Shaun. Veterans Goodwin, Robert Harvey, Simon Black and Cameron Bruce are having very good seasons too. It is difficult for someone like Bruce, on a poorly-performing team, to get a spot in the team and that could also affect the chances of players like Carrazzo and Foley. Montagna and Dal Santo could also be overlooked if their team doesn't start winning. Essendon's McVeigh and West Coast's Priddis are a couple more players who were considered for this possible All-Australian Team.
Round 7: All-Australian Team Preview
St Kilda v Adelaide
St Kilda
FB: Blake, Maguire, Baker
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
C: Fiora, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Harvey Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Gilbert
Foll: Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Attard, Birss, Thompson, Rix
emergency: R.Clarke, Watts, Ferguson
In: Birss, Thompson
Out: R.Clarke, Voss
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Andrew Thompson is capable of getting a lot of possessions in the VFL but he probably won't get a lot in this game. Maguire probably won't be a big player for fantasy points, so his price might be a bit too high at the moment.
Adelaide
FB: Massie, Rutten, Johncock
HB: Torney, Stevens, McLeod
C: Goodwin, Shirley, van Berlo
HF: Welsh, Bock, Reilly
FF: Knights, McGregor, Ricciuto
Foll: Hudson, Edwards, Thompson
bench: Doughty, Burton, Maric, Douglas
emergency: Perrie, Jericho, Mattner
In: Douglas
Out: Porplyzia
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Douglas adds another midfield option while Porplyzia's injury opens up a spot in the forward line. Burton should be ready for a big game in the forward line. Maric keeps his spot in the team, he will probably maintain his place so Griffin may not be back soon.
Geelong v Collingwood
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Harley, Egan, Mackie
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Corey
HF: Chapman, Mooney, Varcoe
FF: S.Johnson, Hawkins, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, Ling, G.Ablett
bench: Blake, Kelly, Selwood, J.Hunt
emergency: Gardiner, D.Johnson, Byrnes
In: J.Hunt
Out: Tenace
AFL Fantasy Watch:
G Ablett was named while N Ablett will miss again. Gary might have an illness so the many fantasy teams that have him will want to make sure they have an emergency forward.
Collingwood
FB: Johnson, Wakelin, O'Brien
HB: H.Shaw, Goldsack, Maxwell
C: Clarke, Burns, Licuria
HF: Thomas, Cloke, Davis
FF: Didak, Rocca, Lockyer
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Swan
bench: Iles, Medhurst, Pendlebury, Bryan
emergency: Lonie, Reid, Cook
In: Rocca, Bryan
Out: Reid, Cox
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Collingwood must not think there is room for both Rocca and Reid, so Reid's fantasy league impact might happen next year. Fraser was in a good spot for fantasy points last week as he was Collingwood's only ruckman, they have added Bryan to help him for this game although Fraser will still be a very good player for stats.
Port Adelaide v West Coast
Port Adelaide
FB: Carlile, Thurstans, Wilson
HB: Surjan, C.Cornes, P.Burgoyne
C: Lonie, S.Burgoyne, Cassisi
HF: Pearce, Tredrea, Motlop
FF: Brogan, Westhoff, Ebert
Foll: Lade, K.Cornes, Rodan
bench: Bentley, Boak, Pettigrew, Thomson
emergency: Krakouer, Chaplin, Lower
In: Pearce
Out: Mahoney
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Pearce returns, although it is a bit risky to sign him now, better to wait until next week. Boak was a better player last week and is a player to watch.
West Coast
FB: MacKenzie, Glass, Selwood
HB: Waters, Hunter, B.Jones
C: Embley, Priddis, Braun
HF: Chick, C.Jones, R.Jones
FF: LeCras, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Judd, Hurn
bench: Graham, McKinley, Morton, Rosa
emergency: Houlihan, Spangher, Thomson
In: Armstrong, MacKenzie, McKinley, Morton
Out: Fletcher, Graham, Wirrpanda, Kerr
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Plenty of injuries there, with Judd named in the team. Kerr is only suspended for a week so he probably goes to fantasy benches for this round.
Essendon v Western Bulldogs
Essendon
FB: Nash, Hislop, Michael
HB: M.Johnson, Lovett-Murray, Ramanauskas
C: McPhee, Peverill, Camporeale
HF: Slattery, Laycock, Welsh
FF: Lovett, Lloyd, Lucas
Foll: Ryder, Stanton, Watson
bench: Dyson, Monfries, Hille, J.Johnson
emergency: Heffernan, Bradley, Bolton
In: Lovett-Murray, Camporeale, Lloyd, Stanton, Monfries
Out: Johns, Davey, Hird, Fletcher, McVeigh
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Lovett-Murray can bring in plenty of fantasy points, and with the Bombers without a few of their stars he could have a big game. Also expect Lloyd to be back among the goals and Stanton to accumulate a large amount of possessions in the middle.
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Gilbee, Williams, Hargrave
C: Higgins, Eagleton, Akermanis
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Hahn
FF: Grant, Darcy, Robbins
Foll: Street, Cooney, Boyd
bench: Harbrow, Murphy, Ray, Everitt
emergency: Minson, Addison, Wight
In: Eagleton
Out: West
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Without Cross and West in the middle there are a lot of possessions available, Boyd will get plenty and Higgins and Ray should also do more.
Melbourne v Brisbane
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Frawley
HB: Dunn, Bizzell, Brown
C: Bruce, McDonald, Wheatley
HF: Godfrey, Robertson, Davey
FF: Sylvia, Miller, Bate
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench: P.Johnson, C.Johnson, Newton, Buckley
emergency: Moloney, Holland, Garland
In: Bruce
Out: Petterd
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Bruce will help fantasy teams as he is back. Petterd is unlikely to play again this season, he was very impressive earlier in the year so he helped fantasy teams with a good price increase. Newton has been kicking a few goals.
Brisbane
FB: Copeland, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Brennan
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Macdonald, Brown, Selwood
FF: Rischitelli, Leuenberger, Patfull
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: McGrath, Hamill, Mills, Hooper
emergency: Wood, Harding, Hadley
In: McGrath
Out: Begley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Brisbane was making five or six changes every week but that changed after the win in Perth. Leuenberger isn't playing a lot of minutes so he won't be helping fantasy teams now. Brennan's move to the forward line was successful last round, and it also gave Roe a bigger role and more fantasy points in the back half too.
Sydney v Carlton
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Dempster
HB: Bevan, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Malceski
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, Goodes
FF: Schneider, Hall, Everitt
Foll: Jolly, J.Bolton, Fosdike
bench from: Schmidt, Davis, McVeigh, Roberts-Thomson, Kennelly, Laidlaw, Vogels
In: Laidlaw, Vogels, Roberts-Thomson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hall is keeping his spot, and not being rested, and Carlton is a team that he could tear apart. Roberts-Thomson doesn't do a lot for fantasy teams, but he could take on a defensive role and allow C Bolton to play in a more attacking position.
Carlton
FB: Gibbs, Thornton, Houlihan
HB: Walker, Hartlett, Scotland
C: Bower, Carrazzo, Lappin
HF: Wiggins, Koutoufides, Murphy
FF: Young, O'hAilpin, Fisher
Foll: Kennedy, Waite, Simpson
bench from: Bannister, Bentick, Blackwell, Grigg, Russell, Fevola, Betts
In: Bannister, Blackwell, Fevola
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Fevola is back, probably, as fantasy coaches will have to wait until Friday evening to make sure he is named in the side. Ackland is still out of the team so some people might want to sign O'hAilpin. Gibbs hurt an ankle against Melbourne, he is named to play.
Hawthorn v Richmond
Hawthorn
FB: Ladson, Gilham, Guerra
HB: Brown, Croad, Birchall
C: Smith, Mitchell, Young
HF: Dixon, Franklin, Crawford
FF: Hodge, Roughead, Bateman
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Lewis
bench from: Taylor, Ellis, Jacobs, Thorp, McGlynn, Thurgood, Tuck
In: Dixon, Thorp, Tuck
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Thorp is a player to watch, if he plays. He would probably play as the third tall forward.
Richmond
FB: King, Thursfield, J.Bowden
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: Tambling, Tuck, Tivendale
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Howat
FF: Edwards, Brown, Simmonds
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench from: Hyde, Hartigan, Riewoldt, Moore, McGuane, Schulz, Jackson
In: Moore, Hyde, Hartigan, McGuane, Schulz
Out: Deledio, White
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Deledio is out for an extended time and he will have to be traded. Simmonds is yet to find the form he had last season for fantasy points.
Fremantle v Kangaroos
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, McPharlin, Thornton
HB: Black, Grover, Dodd
C: Headland, J.Carr, McManus
HF: Murphy, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Farmer, Tarrant, Warnock
Foll: Sandilands, Johnson, Bell
bench from: M.Carr, Hasleby, Parker, Schammer, Gilmore, Walker, Mundy
In: Murphy, Gilmore, Walker
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Dockers often play much better at home, so it might be a good time to invest in one of their players. Hayden and Solomon are having better fantasy seasons than expected.
Kangaroos
FB: Pratt, Firrito, Sinclair
HB: Smith, Brown, Watt
C: Green, Harris, Grant
HF: Harvey, Jones, Wells
FF: McMahon, Petrie, Hale
Foll: McIntosh, Simpson, Rawlings
bench from: Archer, Thomas, Lower, Moran, Edwards, Whyman, Swallow
In: Thomas, Moran, Edwards, Whyman
Out: Campbell
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Petrie said he might be played as a defender this week, so there is a real chance he won't continue kicking huge numbers of goals.
Round 14 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 5
Handballs: 1
Marks: 4
Tackles: 3
Goals: 1
J Selwood
Kicks: 10
Handballs: 16
Marks: 6
Tackles: 8
Goals: 0
Selwood made a huge contribution for his team during an important win last round while Gibbs spent a lot of time riding a bike. That is probably indicative of their teams' seasons.
Selwood had a lot of the ball and he had it in the right spot on the ground. Only Bartel sent the football inside Geelong's forward line as much as Selwood. His tackling was also very important, and that is something that Geelong sides have not had during recent Septembers.
The Carlton - Melbourne game started with Gibbs assigned to Bate. It seemed to be an odd matchup, with the taller Bate always going to be hard for Gibbs to stop in the air and on the lead. Gibbs took a knock to the ankle and then left the field, when he did return he was in the forward line a bit, which must have been a pleasant change from his usual roles. Gibbs did kick a goal towards the end of the match. Carlton had few highlights but they would have been pressing record when Gibbs' big mark was shown.
Selwood, and Hawkins and Varcoe, might be overshadowed by the many young stars of Collingwood next round. Selwood may not be directly opposed to someone like Thomas, Clarke, Reid, Pendlebury, Goldsack or Cox as his opponent could be a veteran like Burns or O'Bree. But there could be an indirect battle going on between Joel Selwood and Pendlebury, the 2007 Rising Star Award. Carlton go to Sydney, if they put Gibbs on Ryan O'Keefe then the Carlton supporters should go on strike. They should let him go against Malceski or Schmidt.
B Gibbs 5 - J Selwood 9
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
44
David Wirrpanda.
Defender for the West Coast Eagles.
The Eagles used a loophole at the time to grab Wirrpanda as a compensation selection in 1996. They acquired him when he was very young and it took around six years for him to overcome a series of injury setbacks and to consistently put together seasons when he played most or all of the games.
Guy McKenna used to float around the Eagles' back line controlling the game and that is what Wirrpanda is often asked to do. He keeps the back group organized and is usually the player who initiates the attack from the back.
Wirrpanda has played three seasons when he was over 400 possessions. One of those was in 1999, the only time early in his career when he played all the games, while the other two seasons were 2005 and 2006, when Wirrpanda also played in the AFL Grand Final.
There were times when Wirrpanda was used as a forward, and if the Eagles get in trouble now they still look to send Wirrpanda forward to save the day. Wirrpanda's best result for goals in a game was 5. He also had a game of 34 possessions, in that game he set a career-high with 24 kicks.
Wirrpanda is one of the Eagles' most consistent and effective performers, and as he started his career very early it means that he might have a lot more years ahead of him than some people think.
David Wirrpanda information:
173cm, 84kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 43
People used to spend a day at the football, watching three games with the under 19s, reserves and seniors. It might be a good break from everyone turning up five minutes before the bounce if during 2008 there was a round that provided a complete day of entertainment for the supporters.
The AFL would need to work with the VFL, SANFL, WAFL and their reserves competitions and also the TAC Cup but it could be done. The Lions and Swans might need to play away games that round as their local competitions are not up to the level of the other states.
Fremantle could have a home game in WA, with the two curtain raisers on Subiaco being contested by the South Fremantle and East Fremantle sides. Port Adelaide could be the South Australian team with a home game for that round, and Port Adelaide of the SANFL could be involved in the two earlier games.
A Box Hill versus Tasmania VFL game could be played before a Hawthorn AFL game at Launceston. A game at Kardinia Park would make sense, Geelong have their own VFL team which does occasionally play before AFL games and the Geelong Falcons of the TAC Cup could play the first game of the day.
While there may be some extra costs associated with this idea, there could also be extra revenue from some areas. When fans turn up to the ground in the morning the food at the stadium doesn't seem that overpriced when lunchtime comes around. More people might want to attend these games too, as they get three games for the price of one. The nostalgia factor could also appeal to some fans who miss seeing the extra games. The venues could also be easier to get to, as the arrival of the supporters will be spread out over a greater time so there won't be as much of a crush getting into the car-park and also on public transport.
The ideal time for this special week would be in the final month of the season, draft prospects in the TAC Cup, WAFL or SANFL could get a bit more publicity. They could also have the added education of playing on the big stage.
Supporters used to enjoy a whole day at the football, maybe for one round next year when the 150th birthday of Australian football is celebrated they could do it again.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Umpires In White All Season
Nigel Lappin of the Brisbane Lions.
The Lions needed big games from their veterans if they were going to be any chance against the Eagles and that is what they got. There was no player out there that did as much as Nigel Lappin.
It seemed that Lappin was constantly running along the wing, taking the ball from half back to half forward, and kicking it precisely into Brisbane's new forward line. Brown, Copeland and Brennan kicked the goals and it was Nigel Lappin who set them up.
One thing that teams can't let happen in Perth is to go behind by a lot of goals early in the match. Nigel Lappin was at his best during the first quarter, his 11 possessions for the quarter was crucial to the Lions keeping it close. It was close at the start of the last quarter, although with Brisbane in front this time, and Nigel Lappin kept going with 9 possessions then.
Lappin finished with 33 possessions, 9 marks and 3 tackles. He was the driving force behind Brisbane's upset of the season and is also the AFL Player Of The Week.
Nigel Lappin's profile at the Brisbane site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Drew Petrie.
1: Geelong Cats 11-3 win-loss record (2 in last AFL Power Rankings)
It's their biggest game of the season as Geelong will play in front of a huge crowd at the MCG against Collingwood. It is the last time they will play there until the finals, their only other game there this season was an early game against Melbourne. In round 16 the Cats have a rematch against the Bulldogs, so the next two weeks will be huge for Geelong.
2: West Coast Eagles 9-5 (1)
The club's medical staff and the AFL tribunal could determine the type of team that West Coast have available for this round. The Power, Swans, Bulldogs and Dockers are their next games and they will be hoping that Judd and Kerr can play.
3: Adelaide Crows 8-6 (3)
They didn't have any problems with Bassett out of the lineup. One reason was that the Crows had the ball so much that it didn't get deep into their back line a lot. They have games against Gehrig and Riewoldt, Pavlich and Tarrant, Lloyd and Lucas and then Tredrea and the Power in the next month so other defenders will need to keep stepping up to help Rutten.
4: Hawthorn Hawks 9-5 (4)
They hit a bump in the road in Adelaide. They should get going again with games against Richmond and St Kilda but it won't be as easy as some might think.
5: Collingwood Magpies 9-5 (5)
They are in the Match-of-the-Round as they play Geelong in one of their many games on the MCG to finish off the year, except for round 22 which is a roof game. Rocca is back and it will be interesting to see if they play him and Reid together or if Reid goes back to the VFL now.
6: Western Bulldogs 8-6 (6)
Every game is under the roof now except for a round 20 trip to Adelaide. Scott West's fitness will be something to watch this week, although they did play well against the Power after he went off and their round 15 opponent Essendon also has plenty of players out too.
7: Port Adelaide Power 8-6 (7)
It will be a big game when the Eagles visit on Saturday. Tredrea is kicking goals again and if he can break Glass it will go a long way to the Power defeating the Eagles.
8: Sydney Swans 7-7 (8)
They should win next week, a home game at the SCG against Carlton, although Hall's availability is still unknown. They might rest him a few more times this season.
9: Kangaroos 9-5 (10)
Their percentage is a concern, and they also have six games to go that could be tough to win. Next week's game at Fremantle will have a big say in the Kangaroos getting into the top 4 at the end of the season, if they lose that it will be a fight to make the top 8. The play of Petrie is great news for the Kangaroos, and he will have a big challenge as McPharlin could be his opponent next round.
10: Essendon Bombers 8-6 (9)
Injuries and possible suspensions could hurt their season more than the loss in round 14. Lloyd will return but there are going to be a lot of outs too.
11: Fremantle Dockers 6-8 (11)
They are close to being done for the year, and their next four games are not of the easy variety. They host the Kangaroos and then it gets a lot worse with a game at Adelaide followed by the Cats and Eagles at Subiaco.
12: St Kilda Saints 6-8 (12)
They are still a chance to finish on 12 wins for the year, they have a lot of games under the roof and that suits Gehrig, Riewoldt and Koschitzke. Their biggest test might be this round against Adelaide, and if they can defeat the Crows the Saints could get on a roll.
13: Brisbane Lions 5-8-1 (14)
The Lions ended their winless streak in the best way they could, an away win against the Eagles. With games against Melbourne and Carlton coming up they could get a winning streak going.
14: Melbourne Demons 3-11 (13)
They defeated Carlton on the weekend but it must make them wonder why they lost to them twice last year. Those two teams finish the season with a big game too, the winner will probably lose in the long run then as the loser might win a much better spot in the draft.
15: Carlton Blues 4-10 (15)
Still on target for the top pick. A lot of their fans will see the top pick as something that will ensure plenty of wins in the future. Other supporters will want results now. One more win will see them miss out on the top pick. Fevola is back now, but that doesn't mean he will be there next season.
16: Richmond Tigers 1-12-1 (16)
Riewoldt got into the team so there was some good news. The Tigers can have some fun to finish the year as they can play the role of spoiler for other teams trying to get into the finals. Hawthorn could be in trouble next week, especially if Richardson has a big game. Supporters of the Tigers can cheer for wins now, as unlike other teams, it won't hurt their draft spot. Richmond will also want Carlton to win that extra game too, which should send Kreuzer to Richmond.
Sydney are a very good chance for playing in the finals while the Dockers have slipped again. The score was close for three quarters but a lot of that was the inaccurate kicking of the Swans.
Swans 89 - Dockers 61
Fantasy Player News
Sydney
Goodes: Getting back to some of his expected numbers, Goodes had 20 disposals and 4 tackles but only 1 mark.
Schneider: Back in their lineup and had 22 possessions, kicked 1 goal and 4 behinds.
O'Loughlin: 2 goals and 3 frees for as he had a better game for fantasy points than he usually does.
Fosdike: 16 kicks, 10 handballs, 4 marks and 1 free kick received.
Hall: 3 goals and 5 marks but also gave away some free kicks.
Fremantle
Solomon: A lot of tackles like he often does, also had 3 frees for and 13 kicks.
J Carr: His possessions were a bit down, only 13, extra fantasy points were added with 10 tackles.
Farmer: Not as good as last week, he did kick 2 goals but didn't play a large amount of minutes.
Sandilands: 39 total hitouts, he also had 12 possessions.
Schammer: A player that could finish the season with some big games, he had 9 possessions and 4 tackles but he played just under two thirds of the game.
Both teams had a lot more to gain from a loss than a win, and with Fevola suspended by his club and Bruce a late withdrawal for Melbourne the game was expected to be a close contest. Each side had a few times when they were in control and the Demons used a solid third quarter to get the win although Carlton did produce a late run in the last quarter. White had more than double the total hitouts than Carlton did.
Demons 124 - Blues 101
Fantasy Player News
Melbourne
Wheatley: Having a very big fantasy season, 19 of his 29 possessions here were kicks and he also had 2 goals.
Dunn: A late inclusion, Dunn had 18 possessions, 6 marks and 5 tackles and should keep his spot in the team now.
Robertson: 5 goals from only 6 kicks and 4 marks.
Newton: Another impressive game, his fantasy price is low and will increase soon after his 3 goals.
Frawley: Played nearly all the game, except when he was getting bandaged, he had 9 possessions.
Carlton
Kennedy: Carlton should produce a new fantasy star as they play their youth, Kennedy is a chance and he kicked 2 goals.
Bower: 11 possessions and 3 tackles, he might keep his spot in the team over the older Saddington.
Grigg: His first AFL game, his minutes were very low. 5 possessions but should get more games this season.
O'hAilpin: Played as a ruckman/forward and provided fantasy points with 2 goals and 8 marks.
Hartlett: Seems to struggle as a defender but then plays better when sent forward, he had 4 marks and 4 kicks.
Petrie did it again, although his goals were spread out during the game more than last week's big first quarter. Petrie kicked 6 goals and that was enough for the win as Richardson produced 4 goals at the other end.
Kangaroos 104 - Tigers 79
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
McMahon: 18 possessions and 2 goals from someone who isn't on many fantasy teams.
Harvey: The usual high amount of possessions, 19 kicks and 13 handballs, didn't kick a goal this time.
Petrie: 6 goals and 9 marks, two big games in a row is very impressive.
Jones: Now getting more possessions as well as goals, he had 20 possessions,3 goals, 5 marks and 3 frees for.
Sinclair: Very useful as he is often a fantasy defender, but with midfield stats like his 23 possessions here.
Richmond
Richardson: 12 marks, 18 kicks, 4 goals, 2 frees for, his fantasy points and value continue to increase.
King: Another huge game for someone who was once at the lowest AFL fantasy price, he had 9 kicks and 9 handballs.
Newman: 21 possessions and 6 marks, he has been one of Richmond's best for fantasy points this season.
Riewoldt: His second game was better than his first, he played a lot more and had 5 marks and 5 kicks.
Brown: He need to kick goals to help fantasy teams, he was stopped here with only 1 behind from his 8 kicks.
43
Anthony Koutoufides.
Midfielder for the Carlton Blues.
Anthony Koutoufides has been at Carlton a long time, when he arrived it wasn't through the draft system as they still had zones in Melbourne to allocate players. He has seen, and been part of, the best at Carlton and now he is their only link to when times were good.
For the first couple of years, as Carlton experimented with Koutoufides, they often placed him in the back line. He was athletic and was close to the height for a key position. His skills were just coming along at that time so it was a position where he could use his athleticism to be competitive.
During the second half of the 1994 season, Koutoufides was used in more of a midfield role. In the following year, Carlton's last AFL Premiership, Koutoufides officially arrived as a midfielder of unrivalled size and ability. He also had the ball in one hand, a signature move that he has left on the game of football.
While his favourite position is in the middle, and it is also his best spot, it is very likely that he has been played in every position on the ground. When an opposition ruckman was too mobile for old Madden, it was Koutoufides who often had to play against players like McKernan. If Silvagni was injured, getting beaten or playing as a forward there were also times when Koutoufides went to full back against someone like Gehrig or Richardson. He has been played as a key forward too, although a shot at goal on the run seemed to be a better chance for a goal than a set shot for him.
He has had a lot of highlights over his career. 1996 might have been his best for stats and impact on the league, he had over 300 kicks and nearly 150 marks that season. Fans and umpires also thought his 2000 season was exceptional too.
His best ever games for individual stats are all huge totals. 39 possessions in one game, 6 goals in another, other career-highs include 7 hitouts in a game and also 13 tackles. He also recorded a memorable 18 marks in a game against the Eagles in 1996.
Koutoufides is going to end his career in a very different way to how it started. He was once the athletic final piece to a great Carlton team that included Kernahan and Williams. Now he is a veteran used off the bench on a team of draft busts, overpaid recycled players and very little talent. But Koutoufides continues to give his all and can still win the ball in the middle, evade a tackler by holding the ball up in one hand and then kick a goal on the run.
Anthony Koutoufides information:
191cm, 98kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 42
Tredrea had the Power storming home in the final minutes but when the margin was less than a goal Akermanis took over and his two goals in a minute got the Bulldogs the win. For the Heritage Round, Port Adelaide got to wear their stripes, while Westhoff's hairstyle must have been inspired by the 1970s as well. Westhoff didn’t kick his usual amount of goals, but he did a couple of amazing plays that showed how agile he is for someone at his height. West spent most of the game on the bench with an injury so he could be in doubt for next round.
Bulldogs 133 - Power 113
Fantasy Player News
Western Bulldogs
Akermanis: 15 kicks, 3 goals and 4 tackles.
Everitt: An exciting debut, 11 possessions and 7 marks.
Darcy: He could have been dropped by the Bulldogs after some bad games, turned it around here with 23 disposals and 11 marks.
Johnson: 5 goals and 4 frees received provided plenty of fantasy points.
Boyd: 31 possessions and 10 tackles as he again takes on the role of Cross in the middle.
Port Adelaide
Cassisi: 38 possessions, 8 tackles and 2 goals, a huge game for fantasy points.
Thomson: 12 handballs and 5 kicks, he should be playing next week.
Tredrea: 4 goals helped along his fantasy points, 3 of the goals were kicked late in the game.
Boak: A much better player this week, he had 23 possessions and 8 marks but gave away 3 free kicks.
Carlile: A quiet game, 6 disposals, so he may not do a lot for fantasy points this season.
Wet weather often shows the players that have the best skills and Dale Thomas had a big influence on the result here. While his hair may have been contained by the rain, the Saints couldn't contain Thomas. When the game was there to be won Thomas stepped up, and he might have finished with one less goal than he deserved.
Magpies 89 - Saints 80
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Thomas: 7 tackles, 8 marks, 15 kicks, 2 goals and 3 frees received produced a lot of fantasy points.
Reid: Rocca is back next week so Reid won't be getting a lot of stats if he plays, Reid kicked 2 points and no goals.
Swan: 24 kicks, 5 handballs, 11 marks, 3 tackles and a goal.
Fraser: Good news for fantasy coaches who have him as Bryan and Richards were out of the team, Fraser had 20 disposals, 21 total hitouts and 2 goals.
Iles: Not the first picked for their team, his 19 possessions and 4 tackles might see him play a bit more.
St Kilda
Gehrig: Not the ideal conditions for a big forward but he did get 4 goals.
S Fisher: 25 kicks, 5 handballs, 14 marks and 2 free kicks received.
Gilbert: He has become one of the surprise stars of the fantasy season, he had 16 disposals, 7 tackles and a goal.
Koschitzke: He played but didn't do a lot, his stats included a goals, 3 marks and 11 total hitouts.
Maguire: 12 disposals in his first game back from injury.
Hawthorn haven't played as bad as this since the 1970s, so the AFL's Heritage Round used the appropriate decade to commemorate. The Hawks never got going and Adelaide had winning players all over the ground. The forward line doesn't function too well for the Crows but for this game it was led by Ricciuto with 4 goals and Welsh, Bock, McGregor and Maric also contributed.
Crows 102 - Hawks 31
Fantasy Player News
Adelaide
Ricciuto: Could be added to a few more fantasy teams now, he kicked 4 goals and had 17 disposals.
McLeod: Ran around without an opponent for a lot of the game, great for fantasy points with 39 possessions.
Thompson: 19 kicks, 20 handballs and 8 marks.
Edwards: 41 possessions, also had 10 marks and a goal.
Maric: Used in Griffin's role, Maric had 8 disposals, 5 marks and 2 goals.
Hawthorn
Ladson: 30 possessions, a big increase on his usual production.
Gilham: 8 tackles provided some unexpected fantasy points, also added 12 possessions and 6 marks.
Lewis: 3 free kicks received as well as 27 possessions and 8 marks made him one of the Hawks' better players for this game.
Ellis: Might have cemented a regular spot after 21 possessions and 7 marks, still cheap in fantasy leagues.
Birchall: 13 kicks, 15 handballs and 5 marks.
It was a night of upsets, the Iron Chef lost his contest and the Eagles went down to Brisbane. Brennan, Copeland and Hooper gave the needed support to Brown up forward. The Lions' Leuenberger Era started off with a win and their huge ruck prospect looked like he belonged as he went against Cox and Seaby. A first round pick in the 2006 AFL Draft, Leuenberger didn't play a lot of minutes but he moved very well for someone his height and made a couple of useful plays. Fitzroy's jumper was there once again for a big win, while Richmond fans got to see Judd in a black and yellow uniform. Judd was a bit sore at the end of the game, Kerr left a Lion a bit sore in the head so he might be in trouble on Monday.
Lions 91 - Eagles 64
Fantasy Player News
Brisbane
Brennan: 8 marks and 9 kicks, he kicked 4 goals and 3 behinds.
Notting: 20 kicks, 11 handballs, 13 marks, 4 tackles and a goal.
Lappin: 20 kicks as he ran all game.
Hooper: His speed around goals really helped the Lions, he didn't help fantasy teams with 3 behinds, but he did have 9 kicks and 7 marks.
Leuenberger: 3 possessions and 4 hitouts but he should keep his spot in the team and will increase his production.
West Coast
Judd: 35 possessions, but left the field in the last quarter.
Priddis: 32 possessions as he keeps his spot in the middle for another week or two.
LeCras: 4 goals by LeCras was a good result.
Cox: 26 disposals, 5 free kicks for and 21 total hitouts.
Wirrpanda: 29 possessions, a lot of his fantasy points this year have come as a forward but he was in the back line for this game.
It was a close contest for three quarters. Essendon were finished off in the last term by Chapman, Stokes and a lot of injuries. Davey could be out for a long time, Hird for a couple of weeks at least, Hislop was hurt in his first game and there are some other worries for Essendon too.
Cats 133 - Bombers 83
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Bartel: A good game for most other players, but down on his usual averages with 20 possessions.
Hawkins: 9 kicks, 5 marks and a goal, not enough stats to be starting fantasy teams.
Ling: Had 3 goals as a defensive forward, also had 25 possessions and 11 marks.
Enright: Doing a lot more now, he kicked 2 goals and had 24 possessions and 8 marks.
Selwood: 10 kicks, 16 handballs, 6 marks, 8 tackles and 3 free kicks received.
Essendon
Ramanauskas: Probably not ready for fantasy teams to use, he had 12 possessions.
Watson: He does do some odd things on the field but he always gets the ball, he had 28 disposals and 2 goals.
Hislop: A big game but could have a bad injury. His stats were 14 possessions, 4 marks, 5 tackles and a goal.
Welsh: Played deep in the forward line early and kicked 2 goals, also had 21 possessions and 9 marks.
Peverill: 19 handballs, 10 kicks, 10 marks and 3 tackles.
42
Nathan Lovett-Murray.
Defender for the Essendon Bombers.
Coach Sheedy likes to have players that he can move around into different spots and Lovett-Murray is perfect for that. With his height and mobility he can play forward, back or on the wing.
In Lovett-Murray's first season he spent a lot of time in the forward line. He kicked 21 goals in 20 games for season 2004. That season he kicked 3 goals in a game on several occasions.
In recent seasons the Bombers have needed help in the back line and Lovett-Murray has taken on many roles in the defensive half. He has played on the bigger forwards and has also been used as a loose player to rebound from the back. Last year was Lovett-Murray's best for stats, he recorded his highest ever total for possessions in a game with 30.
The idea for this season was that Lovett-Murray would be a midfielder, and would cause a lot of mismatches in that role. He has only appeared in one game so far but should see a lot more action in the second half of the season.
Nathan Lovett-Murray information:
190cm, 87kg
Official Essendon Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 41
The fantasy team has all the stars back this week with Judd and Hall named by their AFL teams.
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
C Kane Cornes
C Jordan Lewis
R Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes (captain)
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
Raines is a funny player for fantasy stats, he always seems very busy but sometimes that doesn't translate into fantasy points. He also gets into trouble for holding the ball. One good thing about Raines is that Polak often looks to give him the ball, and Raines also seems to pass to Polak a bit too, so that helps the fantasy team here.
Judd is back so that is good news for this team, and probably half the other fantasy teams too. Hasleby was the captain last week, but he didn't have a huge game for fantasy points.
White and Hudson could have an advantage over their opponents this round. White should be too good for the Carlton ruckmen and Hudson has a home game against Hawthorn.
Hall gets his last chance with some games at the SCG. Chad Cornes is the captain for this round, he should play an attacking game in the middle with his brother.
Xavier Ellis is slowly becoming a part of the Hawthorn side, Dzufer had a brief appearance for the Lions last week, Ackland is still sharing ruck minutes at Carlton and Cox has put together a couple of solid games so the emergency position has a lot more options now. With Judd available this week Petterd's stats won't be needed.
It doesn't look like the fans will be running onto the ground to celebrate 100 goals from a forward this season. There is still plenty of excitement as there are a lot of contenders for the Coleman Medal.
Matthew Pavlich, 41 goals.
Fremantle isn't having the best year but Pavlich is leading the league in goals.
Scott Lucas, 39
Had a minor slump after starring in the early rounds, is back scoring goals again and is a big chance to lead the league.
Lance Franklin, 39
Took on a bigger role when Williams went out.
Brad Johnson, 39
After round 1 it looked like the Coleman was his. He is still in contention as nobody else at the Bulldogs has shown they can kick a lot of goals.
Brendan Fevola, 39
His production has dropped away over the last month.
Matthew Lloyd, 35
Still in the race for the most goals, for the AFL and for his club.
Matthew Richardson, 32
Not a bad result for a player with injury problems and umpire problems.
Cameron Mooney, 32
Mooney has been the best of the Cats' forwards this season.
Jonathan Brown, 30
Probably one of the preseason favourites for the most goals, he has been stopped by a few teams who have used extra defenders against him with Bradshaw out of the team.
Scott Welsh, 29
The Crows are not kicking a lot of goals so Welsh isn't someone expected in the top 10 here.
Tim Boyle,28
A big surprise on this list, injury will keep him out for a few games.
Fraser Gehrig, 27
Don't rule him out for the medal, he can kick a lot of goals in a game and he will also be under the roof a lot during winter.
Brett Ebert, 26
He kept the team going when Tredrea was out and is still kicking goals now that the Power have added more options up forward.
Anthony Rocca, 25
He was kicking accurately once again before he was suspended, he should be aiming to finish the season with over 50 goals.
Shannon Grant 25
He has kicked 25 goals but the point in the opening round is his scoring shot that is talked about the most.
Corey Jones, 25
A consistent medium-sized forward that other teams don't pay enough attention to.
Chris Tarrant, 24
A few accuracy problems, and other things, so he will need to have a big finish to the year to justify the trade.
Quinten Lynch, 24
Possibly it is part of the Eagles' game-plan, Lynch has been playing up the ground a lot more this season.
Barry Hall, 24
He has been kicking inaccurately and dropping marks which has resulted in a much lower total than expected.
Michael O'Loughlin, 23
Might need to be played in a forward pocket now as he is slowing down.
Brad Fisher, 22
The quiet player on this list, he plays the role of a third tall forward and gets his couple of goals per game.
Nathan Bock, 21
This is his first season as a full-time AFL forward, some of his games have been dominating but he has been stopped in others, he needs to be more consistent.
Nathan Ablett, 21
A race to watch will be to see which Ablett records the most goals this season.
Nick Riewoldt, 21
Started the season a bit late and spends a lot of time away from goals on long leads.
Kayne Pettifer, 21
One of the more precise kicks for goal among the Richmond forwards.
Des Headland, 20
He gets his goals in bunches.
Russell Robertson, 20
He is having a very good season, except for his injury in the early rounds.
Ashley McGrath, 20
Kicked a few goals in the early rounds when Brisbane were on a roll.
Adam Cooney, 20
He kicks some of his goals from runs through the middle of the ground, a play that often lifts his team.
Jarrad Waite, 20
The plan was to have him at centre half back but he has been up the other end a lot more.
Shaun Higgins, 19
Considering how the Bulldogs use him, often off the bench, he has scored plenty of goals so far.
Leon Davis, 19
He is getting into the middle more but is still producing goals.
Steve Johnson, 19
Would be higher up on the list if he was available for the first month of the year.
Brent Harvey, 19
Among the highest for total possessions for players on this list.
David Neitz, 18
His season could be over as Melbourne might shut him down so he is in perfect health for next season.
Stephen Milne, 18
He might think he is still in the running for the Coleman Medal, that could explain his wild shots at goal when a pass to one of their big forwards is a much better option.
Gary Ablett, 17
Kicks a few goals and sets up his teammates for a lot more.
Cameron Ling, 17
Some of his goals have occurred due to following his opponent to a stoppage in Geelong's forward line, Ling is very good in front of goals and provides an edge for his team as a tagger/goal scorer.
David Rodan, 17
The biggest bargain on this list. Port Adelaide have gotten a lot this season from the last pick in the draft.
Travis Cloke, 17
Not the most accurate kick, but he marks the ball a lot and can kick a long way.
Peter Bell, 16
One of the Dockers' best this season, he gets the ball a lot as well as helping on the scoreboard.
Jarryd Roughead, 16
Should finish the season off with a lot more goals as he has cemented his spot and Boyle is out for a while.
Essendon v Geelong
The Tip: Essendon by 13 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Scott Lucas
Chance For An Upset: Essendon is the upset pick, they do have the milestone of Hird and the return of Ramanauskas to drive them and it worked for Archer last week and Harvey the week before.
Essendon
They win if....Scott Lucas is kicking long goals.
The Good News: Tom Hislop plays his first game.
The Bad News: Lloyd would have been very useful, he is out for a week.
Geelong
They win if....they make Fletcher accountable, Ottens might have to play a smart game and drag Fletcher away from the action.
The Good News: Hawkins returns.
The Bad News: Rooke is out for several weeks.
Collingwood v St Kilda
The Tip: St Kilda by 26 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Nick Riewoldt
Chance For An Upset: The Saints are getting their big stars back while Collingwood are without several of theirs, both teams have been playing well recently so it should be an exciting game.
Collingwood
They win if....Fraser is going to get help, right now Bryan is just an emergency and Richards is out of the side.
The Good News: Reid showed last week that he is ready for the AFL.
The Bad News: Rocca might have been the difference.
St Kilda
They win if....they isolate Riewoldt and let him dominate a defender that is probably smaller and less experienced.
The Good News: Maguire and Koschitzke are two very good inclusions.
The Bad News: Hudghton is hurt again.
Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Scott West
Chance For An Upset: This game should be very close, and it might be the team with the big, veteran forward who plays the best that gets the win.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....Street has a big game against the powerful Port ruckmen.
The Good News: Everitt is an easy player to recognize, his inclusion will give the coach more options as Everitt is a versatile player.
The Bad News: They can't mark the ball up forward.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Westhoff kicks his usual 3 goals for the game.
The Good News: Their season is back on track following a couple of solid wins.
The Bad News: Pearce is out for at least a couple of weeks.
Adelaide v Hawthorn
The Tip: Adelaide by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Mark Ricciuto
Chance For An Upset: Adelaide are inconsistent so Hawthorn will be very confident.
Adelaide
They win if....they come out ahead in the battle of two hard-working midfields.
The Good News: Porplyzia gave them a target across half forward last week, and Burton should bring more variety to their forward line this time.
The Bad News: A win last week against the Eagles was not only expected but was needed to show that they can win it all this year.
Hawthorn
They win if....whoever is against Rutten takes him out of the goal-square, to disrupt a defensive unit that won't be at their best without Bassett.
The Good News: They could lose nearly all their remaining games and still make the finals.
The Bad News: He is off the Boyle with a hamstring injury.
West Coast v Brisbane
The Tip: West Coast by 58 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Chance For An Upset: One Selwood will be happy, the other will be playing for Brisbane.
West Coast
They win if....they again have some other players marking inside forward 50, like Seaby did last week.
The Good News: They are getting closer to their best side, as Judd returns.
The Bad News: They don't kick very big scores, although it is usually just a bit more than the opposition.
Brisbane
They win if....Brown kicks 10 or more goals.
The Good News: Leuenberger is available, it will be a good test to see if he really is "The Next Dean Cox".
The Bad News: A trip to Perth is usually not the best thing for a struggling team.
Sydney v Fremantle
The Tip: Sydney by 18 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brett Kirk
Chance For An Upset: When these teams last played it was for a spot in the Grand Final, now it could be a battle to see who can make it into the top 8, the home ground should help Sydney get the win.
Sydney
They win if....Hall can mark the ball.
The Good News: Roberts-Thomson might play his first game of the year.
The Bad News: They usually have a height advantage in the ruck, not this time.
Fremantle
They win if....they outwork Sydney in the middle.
The Good News: Tarrant and Sandilands are some big ins for this game.
The Bad News: The Dockers have not been very competitive away from Subiaco this season.
Carlton v Melbourne
The Tip: Melbourne by 44 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Cameron Bruce
Chance For An Upset: Either team winning a game qualifies as an upset, the Demons should have a few extra stars like Bruce, McDonald and White and they should get them the win.
Carlton
They win if....they play as a team, and kick it to Kennedy.
The Good News: Grigg is in the team, he was injured earlier in the year and will make his debut in this game.
The Bad News: Fevola, one week away won't change him.
Melbourne
They win if....Jeff White has a huge game due to his vast experience advantage over his opponents.
The Good News: Davey started the season with some quiet games but is playing much better now.
The Bad News: Neitz is what the forward line is built around, without him as its foundation it doesn't work very well.
Richmond v Kangaroos
The Tip: Kangaroos by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brent Harvey
Chance For An Upset: Richmond are putting a better team out there now, so they should be a chance especially if Simmonds plays and has a big game.
Richmond
They win if....they use Bowden in a more attacking position.
The Good News: Polak continues to play well.
The Bad News: Melbourne are planning for next year, so the Tigers will have to work hard to get Kreuzer.
Kangaroos
They win if....someone else kicks goals this week, Hale or Brown will need to help Petrie this round.
The Good News: Archer didn't just play last week, he played very well around half back. He might be guarding the space in front of Richardson for this game.
The Bad News: This is a danger game for them, and if they do lose games like this they will struggle to make the top 8.
Essendon v Geelong
Essendon
FB: Slattery, Michael, M.Johnson
HB: McPhee, Ryder, Hislop
C: McVeigh, Ramanauskas, Nash
HF: Hird, Lucas, Welsh
FF: J.Johnson, Fletcher, Davey
Foll: Laycock, Watson, Peverill
bench: Dyson, Lovett, Hille, Johns
emergency: Camporeale, Monfries, Bolton
In: Hille, Hislop, Ramanauskas, Dyson, Johns
Out: Lloyd, Winderlich, Stanton, Bolton, Camporeale
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hille is back and he should return to his usual fantasy numbers. Hislop has a lot of ability, and a low fantasy price, so he is a player to watch. Ramanauskas doesn't cost a lot so if it looks like he will keep his spot he has the potential for a very good price rise.
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Harley, Egan, Mackie
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Corey
HF: Chapman, Mooney, Varcoe
FF: S.Johnson, Hawkins, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, G.Ablett, Ling
bench: Blake, Kelly, Selwood, Tenace
emergency: J.Hunt, Prismall, D.Johnson
In: Tenace, Hawkins
Out: Rooke, N.Ablett
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The fantasy teams that left Hawkins on the bench might get some more help as he is back, but he will also be going up against Fletcher or Michael.
Collingwood v St Kilda
Collingwood
FB: Johnson, Wakelin, O'Brien
HB: H.Shaw, Goldsack, Cox
C: Clarke, Burns, Licuria
HF: Thomas, Cloke, Davis
FF: Didak, Maxwell, Lockyer
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Swan
bench: Iles, Medhurst, Pendlebury, Reid
emergency: Bryan, Davies, Dick
In: O'Brien, Iles
Out: Holland, Richards
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Clarke looks like he has been playing for Collingwood for 10 years, not 10 months. It is the last chance to sign Clarke at his bargain price.
St Kilda
FB: Blake, Maguire, Baker
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, L.Fisher
C: Fiora, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Harvey Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Voss
Foll: Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Attard, R.Clarke, Gilbert, Rix
emergency: Birss, Thompson, Ferguson
In: Koschitzke, Maguire
Out: Hudghton, Thompson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
If fantasy teams are starting Koschitzke or Maguire it will be a good idea to have emergencies ready for those positions.
Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide
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: Addison, Murphy, Ray, Everitt
emergency: Minson, Robbins, Wight
In: Everitt, Murphy
Out: Lynch, Power
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Everitt has a lot of ability and he can play on talls or smalls. There may not be a lot of minutes there in his first game.
Port Adelaide
FB: Surjan, Thurstans, Wilson
HB: Pettigrew, C.Cornes, P.Burgoyne
C: Lonie, K.Cornes, S.Burgoyne
HF: Rodan, Tredrea, Gray
FF: Lade, Motlop, Ebert
Foll: Brogan, Cassisi, Thomson
bench: Bentley, Boak, Westhoff, Carlile
emergency: Krakouer, Mahoney, Symes
In: Carlile, Thomson
Out: Pearce, Wakelin
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Thomson might be a solid player for fantasy points this round.
Adelaide v Hawthorn
Adelaide
FB: Stevens, Rutten, Johncock
HB: Torney, McGregor, McLeod
C: Massie, Goodwin, van Berlo
HF: Ricciuto, Bock, Reilly
FF: Knights, Welsh, Burton
Foll: Hudson, Edwards, Thompson
bench: Doughty, Shirley, Maric, Porplyzia
emergency: Douglas, Gill, Mattner
In: Burton, Goodwin, Maric
Out: Bassett, Griffin, Mattner
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There is still a bit of doubt for the fitness of some of their players, so don't sign Goodwin or Burton yet. Griffin had a useful fantasy season and had a good price increase but now might be the time to trade him in. Bassett has to be traded as he will miss a lot of games.
Hawthorn
FB: Ladson, Gilham, Birchall
HB: Brown, Croad, Guerra
C: Smith, Mitchell, Young
HF: Bateman, Franklin, Crawford
FF: McGlynn, Roughead, Hodge
Foll: Campbell, Lewis, Sewell
bench: Taylor, Ellis, Jacobs, Thurgood
emergency: Murphy, Muston, Tuck
In: Jacobs, Thurgood
Out: Osborne, Boyle
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There is a spot open for a tall forward next to Roughead and Franklin, with Boyle out, and Croad or Jacobs could kick a few goals.
West Coast v Brisbane
West Coast
FB: Hurn, Glass, B.Jones
HB: Waters, Hunter, Selwood
C: Embley, Priddis, Braun
HF: Fletcher, C.Jones, R.Jones
FF: LeCras, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Judd, Kerr
bench: Graham, Nicoski, R.Jones, Wirrpanda
emergency: Armstrong, Chick, Mackenzie
In: Judd
Out: Armstrong
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There could be an announcement tomorrow that the guy who was surfing will be added to the team.
Brisbane
FB: Copeland, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Brennan
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Macdonald, Brown, Selwood
FF: Rischitelli, Leuenberger, Patfull
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: Begley, Hamill, Mills, Hooper
emergency: McGrath, Sherman, Hadley
In: Hooper, Leuenberger, Roe, Copeland, Mills, Hamill
Out: Dzufer, Proud, Wood, Hadley, Sherman, McGrath
AFL Fantasy Watch:
A lot of changes at the Lions again. It's Heritage Round, and the Brisbane Lions have as much stability with their lineup as Fitzroy did in 1996. It is good for fantasy coaches, with Roe and Leuenberger the ones to watch. Roe was a fantasy superstar last season but hasn't been close to that this year, but he can still turn it around with a good game here. Leuenberger could be played next to Brown in the forward line as well as the backup to Charman in the ruck. Not the best idea to throw a first-game ruckman into a fantasy team, evaluate him over the next game or two first.
Sydney v Fremantle
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Dempster
HB: Bevan, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Malceski
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, Goodes
FF: Davis, Hall, Everitt
Foll: Jolly, J.Bolton, Fosdike
bench from: Schmidt, Laidlaw, Schneider, Vogels, McVeigh, Kennelly, Roberts-Thomson
In: Hall, Kennelly, Roberts-Thomson, Schneider
Out: Buchanan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hall and Kennelly could really help fantasy teams, but there is plenty of risk with playing them this round.
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, McPharlin, Thornton
HB: Johnson, Grover, Dodd
C: Black, Carr, Mundy
HF: Headland, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Farmer, Tarrant, Sandilands
Foll: Warnock, Hasleby, Bell
bench from: M.Carr, McManus, Gilmore, Duffield, Parker, Schammer, Murphy
In: Tarrant, Duffield, Sandilands
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Warnock's numbers from last week will take a big hit with Sandilands back. Their first game with Pavlich, Farmer and Tarrant and there should be enough stats to go around.
Carlton v Melbourne
Carlton
FB: Gibbs, Thornton, Hartlett
HB: Grigg, Waite, Scotland
C: Bower, Houlihan, Simpson
HF: Wiggins, Koutoufides, Murphy
FF: Betts, Kennedy, Fisher
Foll: O'hAilpin, Walker, Carrazzo
bench from: Young, Ackland, Bannister, Bentick, Lappin, Russell, Saddington
In: Walker, Kennedy, Grigg, Bower
Out: Fevola
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Fevola will need to be rested for fantasy teams this week. Mr Kennedy gets his big chance as he wasn't getting the ball when Fevola was in the team. Grigg could be a useful player for fantasy teams for the rest of the season. He can play in a variety of roles so he should find a way to get playing time.
Melbourne
FB: Ward, Carroll, Wheatley
HB: C.Johnson, Bizzell, Brown
C: Bruce, McDonald, Petterd
HF: Godfrey, Robertson, Davey
FF: Sylvia, Miller, Bate
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench from: P.Johnson, Frawley, Newton, Buckley, Pickett, Holland, Dunn
In: Miller, C.Johnson, Buckley, Frawley, Holland, Pickett, Dunn
Out: Neitz, Green, Bell, Johnstone
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Demons are going to start shutting their veteran players down. That should help some of their younger players become fantasy stars for the rest of the year.
Richmond v Kangaroos
Richmond
FB: King, J.Bowden, Thursfield
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: Deledio, Tuck, Tivendale
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Edwards
FF: Jackson, Brown, Tambling
Foll: Pattison, Johnson, Foley
bench from: White, Graham, Simmonds, Howat, Riewoldt, Moore, Hughes
In: Moore, Graham, Riewoldt, Hughes
Out: Hyde
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Riewoldt and Graham are two names to look for tomorrow night when the team is set. Graham has the low rookie price, and a team looking to trade someone like Jonathon Griffin to get extra money could put Graham on their bench. Riewoldt is the mystery of the year as he has only played a couple of minutes of AFL this season, when they finally do give him a permanent spot on their team he should be helpful to fantasy teams.
Kangaroos
FB: Pratt, Firrito, Watt
HB: Smith, Brown, Archer
C: Sinclair, Simpson, Harvey
HF: Swallow, Hale, Grant
FF: Jones, Petrie, Wells
Foll: McIntosh, Rawlings, Harris
bench from: Green, Moran, Lower, Edwards, McMahon, Campbell, Whyman
In: Moran, Edwards, Campbell, Whyman
Out: Thomas
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Better not sign Petrie just because of his stats last week, while he is a very good player he want be kicking that many goals again.
On Monday, Fevola might arrive at Princes Park and the past week will be forgotten about. He could also phone them up and tell them to go suck a lemon, which would then ignite all the trade talk.
A lot of teams will not go near Fevola, others will see him as the final piece for their team. Sydney, Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs are probably the three teams that need him the most.
Here are a bunch of trade ideas, if Carlton can get a first round pick for Fevola then they should be happy with that.
Adelaide
The Crows need a full forward so they should be interested. They need to win now so they could be looking to trade their top pick.
Possible trade: 1st round pick, Luke Jericho and John Meesen for Fevola.
Brisbane
Fevola's addition would certainly stop teams using extra defenders on Brown. The Blues still need a ruckman, so if Charman is moving to Melbourne then something could be worked out.
Possible trade: Jamie Charman for Fevola.
Collingwood
Bryan could have started a tradition of players leaving Carlton for Collingwood, both Fevola and Stevens might be options for the Magpies.
Possible trade: 1st round pick for Fevola and Stevens.
Essendon
While Sheedy won't be saying no, there isn't a spot in the forward line for Fevola at the moment.
Possible trade: Courtney Johns and Kepler Bradley for Fevola.
Fremantle
They have probably learned their lesson after rolling the dice and trading for Collingwood's former forward. It would give them a loaded forward line which would allow Pavlich to go in the middle sometimes. Carlton could really use Warnock but the Dockers are unlikely to trade him.
Possible trade: Ryan Murphy, Ryan Crowley and Adam Campbell for Fevola.
Geelong
They have Hawkins so probably not interested in Fevola, but could play a role in a three team trade if Carlton want a veteran ruckman.
Possible trade: Steven King and Sam Hunt for Fevola.
Hawthorn
After teams build with youth, the final push to the top is often grabbing a star veteran. For Hawthorn, they have the forward line covered and don't want to disrupt their team.
Possible trade: Thomas Murphy and Danny Jacobs for Fevola.
Kangaroos
The Kangaroos have traded for worse players, he actually could help them.
Possible trade: Brad Moran, Matt Riggio and Daniel McConnell for Fevola.
Melbourne
Neitz is close to finished, it might be something they look at. The Demons may try to rid themselves of Sylvia while Brad Miller is someone who needs a new start.
Possible trade: Brad Miller and Colin Sylvia for Fevola.
Port Adelaide
They have The Hoff and he is scoring at as high a rate as Fevola is, the old Tredrea guy isn't done yet too. The Power won't want to trade their first rounder, so there is very little chance of a trade unless several Victorian players want to leave.
Possible trade: Troy Chaplin, Greg Bentley and a 2nd round pick for Fevola and Jordan Russell.
Richmond
It was mentioned before, so there is some chance.
Possible trade: 2nd round pick, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls and Jay Schulz for Fevola.
St Kilda
Gehrig is a bigger and better, but older, Fevola. Maybe they see Fevola as a replacement for him. A lot will depend on whether Riewoldt signs a new contract, and if he leaves then the Saints will have to explore all their available options.
Possible trade: 1st round pick and Barry Brooks for Fevola.
Sydney
It makes sense in several areas, more importantly the Swans can't score goals at the moment and they need a quick fix.
Possible trade: 1st round pick and Luke Vogels for Fevola.
West Coast
Comparing Fevola to several players there, Fevola is a good citizen. What the Eagles will look at is his goals production and he could fix a problem they have.
Possible trade: 1st round pick and Mitch Brown for Fevola and Paul Bower.
Western Bulldogs
The Bulldogs need to make a big push next year to win it all. Johnson, West, Akermanis, Grant and several other players won't be there much longer. Their forward line is in disarray and they need a big, marking target to kick to. The Bulldogs once drafted Allen Jakovich and they have been looking for a full forward for a long time so they will be trying to get Fevola if he is available.
Possible trade: 1st round pick for Fevola.
41
Nathan Carroll.
Defender for the Melbourne Demons.
It isn't easy for teams to find a quality full back. It is not a position that many people volunteer for. The Demons even went to Europe to get a full back once, they didn't have to go that far to find Nathan Carroll. He was playing for Claremont.
The Demons used pick 56 in the 2003 AFL Rookie Draft to acquire Nathan Carroll. While there were players like Zac Beeck and Kevin Tandogac taken in that draft, there were actually a lot of future AFL stars taken too. Brad Sewell, Michael Firrito, Mark Nicoski and Courtney Johns went in the picks before Carroll while Paul Bevan and Joel MacDonald were even later picks.
Carroll wasn't a regular in Melbourne's side for his first three years there, in 2006 he established himself as an important member of their defensive structure. He played every game that season, which was more than his combined total from his first three seasons. Carroll kicked the only goal of his career in season 2006.
Carroll has expanded his game and is more than just a spoiling backman. He has developed the ability to successfully go for the mark and he is also getting a solid amount of possessions in the back half. He recently set his career-high for marks in a game with 12. In 2006 he had his best game for total possessions when he recorded 22.
Melbourne are at their best when they have the key defensive positions under control. That means Rivers at centre half back and Carroll at full back. It will be 2008 before they can put that duo on the field again. But for the rest of season 2007, Carroll will continue to make things difficult for the star full forwards of the AFL.
Nathan Carroll information:
191cm, 91kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 40
His card could be the worst of the worst, have a look at the AFL site for old football cards of Schimmelbusch and other stars of that era who either didn’t know there was a camera or thought that nobody would ever see the pictures.
From the AFL site: The worst footy cards of the '70s
If you want to own your very own 1975 Scanlens Schimmelbusch card then here is one to purchase.
WAYNE SCHIMMELBUSCH-1975 SCANLENS(N/ MELB)-100- EXC
Round 13 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 3
Handballs: 2
Marks: 1
Tackles: 2
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 10
Handballs: 9
Marks: 7
Tackles: 3
Goals: 0
Carlton might be the first team in the history of AFL drafts to use the top overall pick on a back pocket. Gibbs was once again sentenced to the very last line, and to make it worse it was against Jeff Farmer who had only been preparing for this game for a couple of months. Selwood's drop in the 2006 AFL Draft is something he should now be thankful for, as he is part of the top of the ladder Geelong Football Club.
Gibbs probably would have seen some of the Under 18 game before Carlton played at Subiaco. It would have brought back memories of his huge games in the midfield last year. The Carlton coaching staff must not have been watching last year as there is no logical reason for Gibbs to be a back pocket. Once again he tried and when he had the ball he used it well, but he didn't have the ball very often. Gibbs consistently being played in the back pocket will be one of the reasons for a coaching change at Princes Park soon.
It was another cold and windy day at Geelong but their opponent, Sydney, didn't mind the conditions as they are well suited to a close battle in the midfield. Selwood needed to do more than usual as the Cats lost Rooke and Bartel during the match. Selwood also received a bump too. It wasn't the best weather for aerial work but Selwood found space and ended up taking 7 marks.
Joel Selwood could be playing against someone like Stanton next week as Geelong take on Essendon, maybe he will be lucky and have Camporeale as his opponent instead. If Bartel does miss, expect Selwood to have a big game with over 20 possessions. Carlton play Melbourne and if Gibbs is assigned to stop Davey or Robertson it will not be a pleasant day for Carlton supporters. Gibbs against Travis Johnstone, a battle of former top picks, would have been a better idea but Johnstone isn't expected to play. Johnstone may have had the experience edge but for Football IQ it would have been an advantage to Gibbs. Another matchup that could happen is Gibbs versus Petterd, it could be two first-year stars competing all over the ground as both their coaches should get their young players into the action as they need to look to next season.
B Gibbs 5 - J Selwood 8
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
If there is one team that has a problem with injuries it is Adelaide and they now have to adjust to being without their most consistent defender. Bassett might be out for the remainder of the regular season.
From the Adelaide site: Bassett to have ankle surgery
From The Advertiser: Bassett out for eight
AFL Fantasy Impact:
There are quite a few Crows who could take Bassett's spot in fantasy teams. Johncock, Mattner, Massie, Stevens or Bock could all be traded for. McLeod is another option if you also have some extra money to use. Bassett is often used by the Crows to switch the play from one side of the ground to other around half back which gets him a lot of easy, but great for fantasy points, statistics. The player who takes over this task should see a good jump in fantasy points. Players at other clubs to bring onto fantasy teams in place of Bassett include Gram, Hayden, Wirrpanda and Waters.
If the AFL wants to play games on the exact dates to commemorate 150 years then a couple of Thursday night games will be needed in July and August. This is another suggestion for the sesquicentennial of Australian football that is being planned for next year.
The history books say the Melbourne Football Club was formed on August 7, that will be on a Thursday next year. The first recorded game was on July 31, another Thursday. It will take some scheduling using common sense, so the teams involved in these games are not travelling the week before and are also involved in games on the previous Friday night or Saturday afternoon.
Obviously Melbourne would get the August 7 match at the MCG, but their opponent isn't an easy choice. Essendon might be a good choice, as Melbourne already have a special day set aside to play Collingwood, and a game with the Bombers should bring in a large crowd. Geelong would be another team to consider as Melbourne’s opponent. Whichever team out of Essendon and Geelong that didn’t play the Demons could instead be scheduled for the July 31 match. Possibly Carlton could be involved in that match.
The season probably starts on a Thursday next season and there might be several other matches next year that take place on Thursday nights. It should be good for football, as the game is celebrated 150 years to the day and it also would get a couple more games on television during primetime.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Three Games, Value For Money Round.
Drew Petrie of the Kangaroos.
A lot of records suddenly became under threat as Drew Petrie shocked the crowd at the MCG by kicking 6 first quarter goals. Archer had his day of celebration and the most important part of that, winning the game, was due to Petrie's unprecedented goals outburst.
This is the same Petrie who was initially used as a ruckmen by the Kangaroos and even missed out on selection during the early rounds of last season. When Coach Laidley did play him last season, Petrie became a dominant player at half back.
This season Petrie has been used at full back, centre half back, in the ruck and also as a forward. It made sense to throw him forward against the Bulldogs as there isn't a lot of height in the Bulldogs' forward line so Petrie didn't need to play a defensive role, and the Bulldogs are also a bit short in the back line so there was the chance that Petrie could cause a bit of trouble for them.
Petrie did more than cause the Bulldogs trouble, in a quarter of domination he ruined their day and every game-plan they might have had to stop him. He had three different defenders in the opening twenty or so minutes and he scored against all of them. Petrie was marking strongly and kicking accurately, he also played a smart game and there was one play when he was perfectly positioned in front of the pack as he crumbed and goaled.
That he didn't get to 10 goals for the game is a very slight disappointment, very few players reach that mark now but he was on target for double-figures after the first quarter. 7 goals was more than enough to get the Kangaroos the win and it also makes Petrie the surprising yet deserving AFL Player Of The Week.
Drew Petrie's profile at the Kangaroos site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Matthew Richardson.
Port Adelaide will be without exciting midfielder Danyle Pearce after he had an appendectomy. The Power are now without a couple of young stars in the middle, as Salopek is out for a couple of months too.
From the Port Adelaide site: Pearce out for two
AFL Fantasy Impact:
He might have been a player to buy, but that will have to be put on hold for a couple of weeks at least. The Power do have good depth at the moment and someone will step up now. First-year players Boak and Gray are two to consider, Boak is a lot cheaper in fantasy leagues and he reached double-figures for possessions in the match at Brisbane even though he played just under half the game.
Carlton may have thought that Fevola needed more time to dedicate to all of his interests outside of football because they have given him a week off. There is a possibility that his suspension could last a lot longer, and next Monday the Blues could announce that he will play for round 15 or he might miss again.
From the Carlton site: Fevola suspended by Blues
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Rocca will miss this round, Lloyd might too, Koschitzke is still hurt, Neitz is injured again, Hall is not at his best, and now Fevola is out for at least a week. Fantasy coaches have the option of benching Fevola for a week or trading him. If there is a healthy forward on the fantasy bench then waiting to see what happens with Fevola could be the best move. There are not many forwards at his price to choose from, Richmond's Nathan Brown might be a player to consider. O'Loughlin had a solid game last round and his price is similar to Fevola's. Andrew Lovett and Nathan Bock are other options.
40
David Wojcinski.
Midfielder for the Geelong Cats.
Wojcinski joined the Cats via the 1998 draft. It was a draft that produced Ryan Fitzgerald, Des Headland, Brendan Fevola, Heath Scotland and Ray Hall. It is safe to say that Wojcinski has kept a lower profile than those players. Wojcinski went at pick 24.
Throughout his career there have been two things that have been linked to Wojcinski, pace and injuries. He seems to have overcome his knee problems and now he is getting noticed for his pace.
This season Wojcinski is performing better than he ever has. He has already set new highs for goals and handballs in a season. With the season only half over for Geelong, Wojcinski should set many more personal bests this year.
The Cats are not the quickest team in the AFL, but they make up for that with players like Varcoe and Stokes up forward and Wojcinski in the middle. Except for the magic from the Abletts there, there is no sight at Geelong as impressive as Wojcinski sprinting through the middle with a couple of pursuers who know they have no chance of catching him.
David Wojcinski information:
180cm, 80kg
Official AFL Profile
Wikipedia entry
Number 39
Jimmy Bartel may not play this week as Geelong are now saying they won’t take any risks after his mystery injury which occurred against Sydney on the weekend. The article, from the link below, also says Barry Hall should play for Sydney when they take on Fremantle.
From The Age: Cats set to play safe and rest Bartel
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Bartel will be the big news for AFL fantasy coaches this week. If he doesn't play, or even worse if he is named and then doesn't play, it will really change around the top teams in AFL fantasy leagues. His injury caused him to miss a lot of the game last round so his fantasy price has dropped a bit, it is still very high and he can be traded for nearly any player if he has to be traded.
If Hall is going to turn his season around it could happen in the next couple of games at the SCG. If the Swans don't name him on Thursday it might be time to give up on him, and even if they do name him it might be a wise move for fantasy teams to stop persisting with him.
1: West Coast Eagles 9-4 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
They lost at home against the Saints so a win away at Adelaide was not expected. Considering the players who missed, this win might have been bigger than their earlier win at Sydney. With Judd still out, it was a team effort that also had some unlikely players kicking multiple goals.
2: Geelong Cats 10-3 (2)
They play the Bombers, Magpies and Bulldogs now and can maintain top spot on the ladder as well as their unofficial designation as Victoria's best team if they continue to win. Bartel's availability will be very important, and Sydney put together a big run on the weekend after Bartel left the field. Sheedy disposed of one former student last round and will be eager to defeat another so this will be a big challenge for Thompson. The Geelong forward line is managing to get the job done but with Michael and Fletcher waiting for them it could be where the game is decided.
3: Hawthorn Hawks 9-4 (5)
They could be missing Boyle next week, but that could possibly improve the side as first round pick Mitch Thorp would surely be included. They might go with Jacobs instead of Thorp if they want an experienced player added to help Franklin and Roughead.
4: Adelaide Crows 7-6 (3)
The Crows were back to their low-scoring ways again. They need to put out an all points bulletin for someone who can kick goals. Their back line is their main strength but as Bassett hobbled off the field in this game there might need to be an adjustment made there too.
5: Collingwood Magpies 8-5 (6)
One more week without Rocca, and it is against the Saints who have found form and also have Gehrig coming off a big game. Amidst all the turmoil there, the play of Martin Clarke in his first two AFL games is something that deserves the headlines. Few players have played so well to start their career, and he has only be playing Australian football for a few months. Ben Reid's first AFL appearance showed that the Magpies got the better of that trade with Fremantle.
6: Western Bulldogs 7-6 (7)
They have been a bit disappointing in some of their recent losses, against the Kangaroos and also Sydney. The Bulldogs have a big game next round against the Power and the face a team that is playing well. Coach Eade has been threatening to makes a lot of changes and he might do it this week. Everitt will play his first game next week, that is something to look forward to.
7: Port Adelaide Power 8-5 (8)
Port play the Bulldogs and then the Eagles in the next two weeks. Those two matches could shape their entire season, two losses and they are in danger of missing the 8 and two wins would mean that the finals would be very likely.
8: Sydney Swans 6-7 (4)
The Swans - Dockers game in round 14 is very important to both teams and their chances of playing in the finals. Hall had his week off so maybe he comes back rejuvenated and able to lead Sydney back into the finals.
9: Essendon Bombers 8-5 (9)
When they win they win by the smallest margins and with only a few seconds on the clock. They have been "Houdini" for around half their wins, especially the game against Melbourne that was won in the final 10 seconds. Laycock's game would have been something they were very impressed with, and with Hille back this week the Bombers will be very strong in the ruck.
10: Kangaroos 8-5 (10)
Their next 3 games are against teams outside of the current top 8, if they win them all then finals are nearly guaranteed. They can't afford to drop 2 of those games, the game next week is against Richmond and the Kangaroos will expect to win that. The Kangaroos might need Petrie in the ruck next game, to help McIntosh against Pattison and Simmonds, if they do go with Petrie as a forward again they should not expect another 7 goals although 2 or 3 will be useful for them.
11: Fremantle Dockers 6-7 (11)
They managed to stay in touch with the top 8 but a loss to Sydney could finish them off next round. Farmer had a big game after serving his suspensions, they get Tarrant back this round.
12: St Kilda Saints 6-7 (12)
Their season is still alive after wins against the Eagles and Tigers. Hudghton is hurt again, but they do have Gwilt and possibly Maguire to replace him. Even Hamill is running around once more and isn't far off a return.
13: Melbourne Demons 2-11 (13)
They play Carlton next round and should win, as teams often win their first game with a new coach and teams returning from WA often lose the next week too. Last round's game against Essendon was actually similar to condensing Daniher's coaching time into one single game. He had a winning percentage of just under half the games, while Melbourne scored just under half the points scored for the match. Under Daniher the Demons had good years and bad years, in this game they also had big runs when they were dominant and other times when they couldn't get near the ball. Daniher's time at Melbourne will always be linked to Essendon, for several reasons but mainly due to the 2000 AFL Grand Final, and it was a fitting team for him to end his coaching days at Melbourne against.
14: Brisbane Lions 4-8-1 (15)
Their season is over as they now go to Perth to play the Eagles. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year, even if some of their expectations and early wins indicated they could contend now, and the Lions are now doing what is required as they see what their young players can do. Leuenberger is the one prospect they are waiting to see, and he should join other young Lions like Proud and Dzufer in the team soon.
15: Carlton Blues 4-9 (14)
They are still on target for the top pick but they can't win another game. Considering their last two games, there might be a small chance of that happening. Looking at big Kreuzer, and Carlton were there at Subiaco on Saturday when he played, the top pick might be a very good thing to get. Carlton did defeat Melbourne twice last year, so talk of the top pick could quickly go away if they win at the MCG.
16: Richmond Tigers 1-11-1 (16)
They are competitive every game now. With Brown back their forward line has more variety and when Simmonds has played a few games they will be much better in the middle. The Tigers are a bit short in the back line and the Kangaroos might try to exploit this with Petrie, Brown, Hale, Jones and Edwards next round. He seems to get a mention here every week, but again Jack Riewoldt was a star in the VFL and obviously should be in the Tigers' AFL side.
Here is something different for raising money for football clubs. The Bulldogs are auctioning off their players for a dance. Maybe not a big surprise, but it doesn't seem that Peter Street is one of the players who will be breaking it down on the dance floor.
From the Bulldogs site: Dancing with the Dogs Auction now open!
The organisers reserve the right to refuse any bid.
So that could mean if someone called Bubba wins the dance with Will Minson it might not happen.
Some of the more important details:
Date: Saturday 4th August 2007
Time: 7.00pm for 7.30pm start
Location: Moonee Valley Racing Club
Dress: Lounge Suit
Cost: $150 per person (includes three course meal, beverages, dancing and entertainment)
The Crows don't have a consistent player in the forward line and it was the reason why they couldn't beat the Eagles. West Coast also have a few problems kicking big scores but Seaby and Chad Jones kicked 3 goals each in this game and that was the difference between the two sides.
Eagles 95 - Crows 74
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
C Jones: 3 goals but he may be like Brown and Morton and not keep his spot for too many games.
R Jones: 17 possessions, 6 marks and 2 tackles.
B Jones: 18 possessions, 5 marks and 3 tackles.
Embley: His first game in a while, he helped fantasy teams with 2 goals, 20 possessions and 7 marks.
Seaby: 16 possessions, 4 marks and 3 goals is not a bad output for a backup ruckman.
Adelaide
Stevens: 17 possessions, 8 marks and 2 goals as he spent time at both ends of the ground.
van Berlo: Very busy with 25 possessions and 8 marks, he's been a big improver for fantasy numbers this season.
Doughty: 12 kicks, 11 handballs, 4 marks, 6 tackles and 1 free kick received.
Johncock: 20 disposals, 6 marks and 3 tackles and he has the capacity to do even more.
Rutten: 20 possessions for the big defender, most of them were handballs as he only had 4 kicks.
It was supposed to be Archer's big day, and it certainly was, but the big news was Drew Petrie's performance in the first half. The Bulldogs had more scoring shots for the game but were very inaccurate, while all 7 of Petrie's scoring shots in the first half went through for goals.
Kangaroos 111 - Bulldogs 85
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Petrie: 7 goals, 11 kicks, 9 marks and 5 tackles but he could be at full back next week.
Harvey: 23 kicks, 10 marks, 6 tackles and 2 goals, plenty of fantasy points there.
Jones: 20 possessions, 2 goals, 4 marks and 4 free kicks received.
Wells: He had 14 disposals and a goal and should be back to his usual numbers next round and is worth signing.
Archer: 22 possessions and 7 marks as he had an enjoyable 300th game, often playing as a loose defender.
Western Bulldogs
Boyd: 31 possessions as he stepped up his production with Cross and other important Bulldogs out.
Cooney: 16 kicks, 9 handballs, 5 marks and 10 tackles but missed his kicks at goal and only had 3 behinds and 0 goals.
Giansiracusa: 27 possessions, 6 tackles and 3 goals provided a large amount of fantasy points.
Akermanis: 19 possessions, 5 marks and 3 tackles, he is producing better numbers now.
Grant: A goal and 6 kicks, unlikely to help fantasy AFL teams.
Hawthorn had a few more tall forward options and that was the difference between the two sides. The Hawks were also a lot more accurate in front of goal. Martin Clarke's 3 goals kept Collingwood close enough that they could make a late run, they hit the lead in the last quarter but Hawthorn came back and sealed the win with a couple of goals. It looks like Boyle could miss a few games.
Hawks 95 - Magpies 87
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Mitchell: 28 possessions, 7 marks and 6 tackles but he did lose some fantasy points with 3 frees against.
Young: 17 kicks, 9 handballs, 6 marks and a goal as he found a lot of space on the wing.
Roughead: Impressive again, he kicked 3 goals, and he will be asked for more with Boyle probably out next week.
Bateman: He kept on running and ended the game with 20 possessions.
McGlynn: A tad quiet last week, much better here with 26 possessions, 12 marks and 2 frees for.
Collingwood
Clarke: Going to be even more popular in fantasy leagues this week, he had 13 kicks and 3 goals. Buy him now before his price doubles next week.
Reid: Very young but very talented, kicked a goal in his first game and will play next week without Rocca there again.
Swan: 16 kicks, 14 handballs and 13 marks.
Wakelin: Getting a bit of the ball, he had 15 kicks and 8 marks.
Cox: Collingwood's coach seems to mention Shannon Cox a lot, fantasy coaches might too after 18 possessions.
Geelong struggled during the second half of their game with Sydney after they lost Jimmy Bartel, they did hang on for the win but they would not want to face the Bombers next week without him. According to the Cats, Bartel probably will play but Rooke is back on their injured list again and could miss several weeks.
From the Geelong site: Bartel hospitalised but is ‘fine’
From Fox Sports: Cat clear after mystery injury
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Bartel isn’t on as many fantasy teams as would be expected, but he is on a lot of the teams that are high in the fantasy league standings this season. If he misses one game it will be a setback and if he is out for a longer time it would hurt a lot of the better fantasy coaches, although because Bartel has such a huge fantasy price they can afford to replace him with the best available fantasy player if they do need to trade him. Geelong say he should be there for their next game so until other news comes out Bartel should remain in fantasy teams, and a midfielder can be set as an emergency too.
Rooke had a delayed start to the season but when he played he produced a lot more fantasy points than expected. He isn’t on many teams and will have to be traded off those that do have him. Tenace was having a solid season and he would be expected to return to the Geelong side in place of Rooke. Other Cats like Kelly, Selwood and Enright might do a bit more with Rooke out of the lineup.
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