Fantasy coaches have made all the changes they can and now have to hope they have the right team to win their leagues. It would have been a good game for fantasy teams with Collingwood's running defenders, and Mark Ricciuto also played well but very few people would have him in their AFL fantasy teams. The Crows started the game like their season was on the line, and it was, but Collingwood had a big second quarter that would have had St Kilda fans applauding. The Crows again increased their lead before Collingwood caught up, but the Crows fought off the challenge and booked a finals spot, which might even see them play the Magpies next week.
Crows 94 - Magpies 75
Fantasy Player News
Adelaide
Ricciuto: 3 goals, 13 possessions and 6 marks, those who signed Ricciuto for this game made a great choice.
Bock: 21 kicks, his fantasy points consistency is much better as a defender.
Johncock: 16 kicks and 8 marks as he and McLeod provided run from the back.
Gill: 8 marks, 2 goals and 10 kicks, Gill has been very good for fantasy points in the second half of the season.
Hudson: An easier time without Fraser out there, Hudson had 16 possessions and received 2 frees.
Collingwood
Pendlebury: 2 goals, 11 kicks, 11 handballs, 8 marks and 3 tackles, he should be a fantasy star for many years.
Buckley: 12 kicks and a goal, he has had a steady improvement each game but didn't provide a lot of fantasy points.
H Shaw: H Shaw, Clement and Lockyer all had a lot of the ball with 20 or more kicks each, Shaw had 24 kicks and 16 marks.
Wakelin: 19 kicks and 12 marks, he provides a lot more fantasy points than Prestigiacomo can.
Clement: 20 kicks, 13 marks and 2 free kicks, he was the only player for Collingwood on the ground the entire game so that is good for fantasy points.
Here is a fantasy game for the NFL that is somewhat similar to the AFL SuperCoach and Dream team games. If you are watching Ben Graham, or maybe Big Sav too, you can also have a fantasy player to watch too.
Like the AFL games, you have a set salary cap and have to sign a team using the available finances. If you get the big star of fantasy NFL, LT the RB from SD, it uses up nearly a third of the cap. He might be worth it. Here is the AFL Insider Salary Cap NFL fantasy team.
QB J. Delhomme (Car - QB) $14.79
RB L. Johnson (KC - RB) $23.31
RB R. Bush (NO - RB) $9.94
WR T. Taylor (Oak - WR) $5.75
WR S. Holmes (Pit - WR) $5.57
WR N. Washington (Pit - WR) $6.02
TE C. Cooley (Was - TE) $9.16
K N. Rackers (Ari - K) $13.15
DEF Atlanta (Atl - DEF) $11.32
Yahoo! Sports Salary Cap Football
Saverio Rocca threw his first official pass in NFL football. Not something that a punter, or for this play he was the holder for the kicker, is expected to do. Rocca and Dirk Johnson continued their contest to see who would win the punting job with the Eagles. The winner will be announced soon.
Rocca landed a couple of punts inside 20 yards, so that shows he didn't have a lot of the field to kick to. Ben Graham sent off 7 punts and 4 of them had the Eagles starting their drive with poor field position. Along with distance and hang-time, NFL teams also want their punter to be able to pin a team deep in their own half.
4th and 9 at NYJ 28 (9:51) (Field Goal formation) S.Rocca Aborted. J.Dorenbos FUMBLES at NYJ 36, recovered by PHI-S.Rocca at NYJ 36. S.Rocca pass incomplete short right.
4th and 8 at NYJ 28 (9:59) D.Akers 46 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-J.Dorenbos, Holder-S.Rocca.
4th and 4 at NYJ 25 (1:54) D.Akers 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-J.Dorenbos, Holder-S.Rocca.
4th and 11 at NYJ 45 (10:56) S.Rocca punts 38 yards to NYJ 7, Center-J.Dorenbos, fair catch by C.Stuckey.
4th and 8 at NYJ 47 (8:08) S.Rocca punts 33 yards to NYJ 14, Center-J.Dorenbos, fair catch by C.Stuckey.
4th and 4 at PHI 27 (13:01) S.Rocca punts 44 yards to NYJ 29, Center-J.Dorenbos. C.Stuckey pushed ob at NYJ 41 for 12 yards (D.Fox).
Philadelphia Passing
C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
K. Kolb 22/33 220 6.7 1 0
A. Feeley 6/9 79 8.8 0 0
S. Rocca 0/1 0 0.0 0 0
Team 28/43 261 6.1 1 0
Philadelphia Punting
TOT YDS AVG TB -20 LG
S. Rocca 3 115 38.3 0 2 44
D. Johnson 2 99 49.5 0 0 57
Team 5 214 42.8 0 2 57
New York Punting
TOT YDS AVG TB -20 LG
B. Graham 7 319 45.6 0 4 61
Team 7 319 45.6 0 4 61
From the Eagles site:
Sav Rocca botched a snap that resulted in a David Akers missed field goal on Thursday. Earlier, he failed to handle a Jon Dorenbos snap -- the second low snap from Dorenbos this preseason -- and while Rocca punted OK, not great -- he had two kicks inside the 20-yard line and averaged 38.3 yards gross -- you wonder how the decision is going to fall. Dirk Johnson averaged 49.5 yards per punt on Thursday, but only 27 yards in the net punting department. Tough call here. Rocca or Johnson? Upside vs. knowing what you have?
The fantasy team ended the season with a few injuries and a team-imposed suspension. It was a good team but not a great team. The finals fantasy competition starts now, and that team will be posted here. A review of this team will also be posted then, looking through the positions and figuring out what went right and the players that should have been avoided.
B David Mundy
B Jesse Smith
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Dustin Fletcher
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell (captain)
C Chris Judd
C Nick Dal Santo
C Paul Hasleby
C Kane Cornes
C Jordan Lewis
R Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis (emergency)
B Matt Riggio
C Daniel Dzufer
C Tom Hislop
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
Birchall and Polak have been very good all season. Birchall is a very good kick and he also has the ability to kick a goal after a big run through the middle. Polak is playing as a ruckman at the moment, which does mean he sits on Richmond's bench a bit more than if he was a loose defender or a tall forward.
Hasleby isn't helping the fantasy team this week, the Dockers suspended him as well as five other players.
White and Hudson should finish the year with good numbers. White could be the best ruckman this round, as Carlton may not put up a lot of resistance.
Franklin could have been the fantasy player of the round, if the behinds he kicked had gone through for goals.
One team has Cameron Bruce, Russell Robertson and Brad Green while the other one has Cain Ackland. Melbourne will be big favourites.
In a contest between two struggling teams, a brilliant game by a player or two is enough to get the win. Here are the players that could win the game for their club, which might mean incurring the wrath of plenty of their supporters.
Melbourne's stars:
Bruce: If he is in the middle and up forward then the Demons will win, if Bruce is getting 30 possessions in the back line then the Demons are playing for the pick.
Green: Just like Bruce, but a tad smaller.
McDonald: May not take his place due to injury, if he does play then he will dominate the middle.
Robertson: The Demons could be down a couple of goals in the last quarter, and then a minute of brilliance from Robertson could see Melbourne hit the lead, usually that would be greeted by applause from the Melbourne fans.
White: One of the best ruckmen in the AFL, he should have an easy game.
McLean: Even if McDonald does miss the game, the Demons can still win more of the ball in the centre with players like McLean.
Carlton's stars:
Carrazzo: He gets a lot of the ball, and could cost them a draft pick if he gets the ball in a more damaging part of the ground.
Whitnall: He may not play, and might even be playing for Melbourne next season, but he could win this game for Carlton with his passing skills.
Scotland: Is very effective at marking opposition kicks around half back, he could limit the supply to the Melbourne forwards, although he is also under an injury cloud.
Bentick: With his tackling and hardness, he is Carlton's best chance of matching some of the stronger Melbourne bodies in the middle.
Waite: Probably the player who is their best chance at winning the game, especially if he kicks a bunch of goals up forward.
Simpson: Can get into space, bounce the ball with his right hand and kick a goal on his left foot. If he does that for three or more goals then Carlton could start the draft at pick 3.
The team that suddenly discovers a plethora of injuries to the above players might be the big loser on the day, and the winner on draft day. So expect a few cases of Plantar Fasciitis, Equine Influenza and some of the abbreviated injuries like OP, DUI and TB to be discovered before the game starts.
Collingwood v Adelaide
The Tip: Adelaide by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Ben Hudson
Chance For An Upset: Both teams have a lot to play for. It should be a close game but with Fraser out again the Crows might have an advantage in the middle, Richards will have to lift like he did last week.
Collingwood
They win if....they don't kick to Rocca, the Crows showed last week that they can stop a big forward, so other players like Rusling and Thomas will need to kick the goals.
The Good News: Buckley had a successful return last week and will have a bigger impact this time.
The Bad News: There have to be 10 NFL teams thinking that Anthony Rocca would be a good punter to sign.
Adelaide
They win if....they work harder in the middle for the ball, Hudson's work for the contested ball may be the difference.
The Good News: Adelaide's resurgence coincided with the addition of Nick Gill to their lineup, he provides some of the things that Hentschel used to do.
The Bad News: A university computer looked at all the data and stated that the Crows would win everything this year, and all the Crows can hope for now is to sneak into the last spot in the top 8.
Richmond v St Kilda
The Tip: Richmond by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Matthew Richardson
Chance For An Upset: This result could depend on who wins out of Collingwood and Adelaide, but even if the Magpies do win to give the Saints a finals shot, the Tigers would enjoy playing the role of spoiler.
Richmond
They win if....they keep playing in the same way they did last week.
The Good News: Sometimes Tambling goes tumbling, but the times that he has a big influence on the game are increasing.
The Bad News: They have put up with a terrible season but their fans may be given a wooden spoon but not the first pick.
St Kilda
They win if....they adjust to playing at the MCG and not the Dome.
The Good News: The coach thinks Harvey and Gehrig can play another year, that is the correct thinking.
The Bad News: They need Collingwood to win, and it might happen, although if it doesn't then the Saints don't have a lot to play for.
West Coast v Essendon
The Tip: West Coast by 24 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Adam Hunter
Chance For An Upset: The Eagles should win, but it will be about percentage for them. Essendon will at least keep it close, as they will want to redeem themselves for their performance last round.
West Coast
They win if....Priddis continues his big season.
The Good News: Second spot is, sort of, theirs for the taking. They just need to kick a huge score.
The Bad News: Without Hansen, their chances of losing a game increase by a substantial amount.
Essendon
They win if....they use their many tall players and work a mismatch in the forward line.
The Good News: Bolton and Bradley are back in the team, they might both be Melbourne players next year.
The Bad News: After this game it is "out: Sheedy", it will take a long time for the Bombers to recover.
Brisbane v Geelong
The Tip: Geelong by 19 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brad Ottens
Chance For An Upset: The Cats can't lose two matches in a row, so even with the home crowd behind the Lions it is unlikely that they win.
Brisbane
They win if....Leuenberger and Wood can have a win in the ruck, in a couple of years they could be the best ruck duo in the AFL but right now they are at a disadvantage when it comes to experience and strength.
The Good News: Corrie was injured for a long time but had a successful return last week.
The Bad News: A lot of players have done more than expected this year, but there have been a few, like Sherman and Moody, who seemed to regress in form.
Geelong
They win if....they implement the same strategy the last time they played the Lions, they made it impossible for Brown to win the game.
The Good News: It is a "Selwood Brothers Match", Geelong have yet to lose when Joel competes against an older brother.
The Bad News: The streak ended, it doesn't matter as they still finish far ahead of the other teams.
Port Adelaide v Fremantle
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 67 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: David Rodan
Chance For An Upset: The Dockers seem to have started the offseason a week or two early, the Power are fighting for second spot, so the Power have to get the win.
Port Adelaide
They win if....they pay extra attention to Pavlich, he is the only one who can hurt them.
The Good News: The Power risked very little when they drafted Rodan, and the rewards have been better than their most optimistic expectations.
The Bad News: They are leaving it very late to kick the winning goal.
Fremantle
They win if....they want the Eagles to finish in second spot.
The Good News: Pavlich can still win the Coleman medal.
The Bad News: The new coach, which probably means Harvey, will need to clean out many of the players.
Sydney v Hawthorn
The Tip: Sydney by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jude Bolton
Chance For An Upset: It will depend on if the Swans are able to put their named team out on the SCG, if their big stars are fit they should get the win.
Sydney
They win if....Hall and Everitt play.
The Good News: They landed another Irish star.
The Bad News: They have more injuries than they normally do in September.
Hawthorn
They win if....they kick a lot more accurately for goal.
The Good News: Quite a large number of Hawks are chances for the All-Australian team.
The Bad News: It looked like it was going to be an easy game to finish off the regular season, as there was talk of Hall resting and O'Loughlin was hurt, but if those two play then the Hawks could be in trouble.
Western Bulldogs v Kangaroos
The Tip: Kangaroos by 77 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Hamish McIntosh
Chance For An Upset:
Western Bulldogs
They win if....McDougall fires.
The Good News: Everitt didn't seem like the right choice in the draft for them, but he has shown that he has a rare combination of height, skills and that he knows how to play.
The Bad News: Back in round 2, they were Victoria's best club, that was a long time ago.
Kangaroos
They win if....they park Petrie in front of goal.
The Good News: Gibson is back after his serious injury.
The Bad News: Coach Laidley seems to be demanding things from the Kangaroos, judging what he has accomplished over the last 5 years he is lucky to even be still around.
Melbourne v Carlton
The Tip: Melbourne by 99 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brad Green
Chance For An Upset: Someone could be upset, the fans of the winning team. Melbourne have more of their stars available so they should have an easy win.
Melbourne
They win if....
The Good News: Sheedy could, unofficially, be their new coach.
The Bad News: They are about to lose a top 20 draft pick.
Carlton
They win if....a number of Melbourne players are injured in the first quarter.
The Good News: S O'hAilpin has given his all for his team, they have played him in the back line, the ruck and as a forward and next year he should have his brother out there too.
The Bad News: Even with picks 1 and 3, the Blues will continue to lose for a few more years while the players develop.
Carlton are going to be without Lappin, who often kicks to the opposing team, but they will have a lot more players turning the ball over than Melbourne will. So that could have a big impact on the result.
Bower, Jamison and Austin are going to be under pressure in the back line. They will have their hands full with Robertson and Newton, and will also want to be aware of Pickett, so expect Carlton's young defenders to make a few mistakes. It could be Pickett’s last ever AFL game, so it might be a good idea if the Carlton players get rid of the ball as fast as they can if he is lining them up.
The middle for Carlton will also be occupied by many young players. If Carlton really want to lose then they will want the ball in Jordan Russell's hands, he really struggles to hit targets.
Houlihan could be used as a defensive player in Carlton's forward line, a job he has been effective at a few times this year. Houlihan has totalled up a large number of turnovers before, although that was often when he played in the back half. Hampson, in his second game, would also be expected to have a few problems.
Melbourne also have plenty of players who can be depended on to make a mistake. Although some fans won't be worried if they keep turning the ball over.
The Demons could have plenty of veterans in the back line. So the ball should be used well where it could hurt them the most. If some of their bigger players are forced to pinpoint their passes they could go astray.
Johnstone can always do something great, or terrible, especially if it is a close game. It probably won't be close. But still expect a play or two from him that will leave people wondering why he was drafted so high.
Bode, Buckley, the Johnsons, Newton and Garland could all see some minutes around the forward line. They are all very young and a few mistakes will always happen.
The team that wins will have people saying they lost, and the team that loses but is the big winner will be the one who makes the most mistakes. Carlton are putting a very inexperienced team on the field, that should equal a lot more mistakes and a win for the Demons, and a draft pick for the Blues.
Collingwood v Adelaide
Collingwood
FB: Clement, Wakelin, Lockyer
HB: H.Shaw, O'Brien, Goldsack
C: Clarke, Burns, Buckley
HF: Maxwell, Rocca, Pendlebury
FF: Thomas, Cloke, Rusling
Foll: Richards, O'Bree, Davis
bench: Swan, R.Shaw, Bryan, Medhurst
emergency: Dick, Reid, Licuria
In: R.Shaw
Out: Didak
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The final round of the fantasy season, there are a few players to sign this week who could help a fantasy team win a league. Rusling would definitely by a player to consider.
Adelaide
FB: Johncock, Rutten, Massie
HB: Torney, Stevens, Mattner
C: McLeod, Goodwin, Reilly
HF: Welsh, Burton, Edwards
FF: Porplyzia, Ricciuto, Gill
Foll: Hudson, Shirley, Thompson
bench: Griffin, van Berlo, Knights, Bock
emergency: Doughty, McGregor, Jericho
In: Griffin, Knights
Out: Doughty, Messen
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Knights returns and will have a lot of the ball. Johncock and McLeod are a couple of players to think about signing for fantasy points in the back line.
Richmond v St Kilda
Richmond
FB: Moore, Thursfield, McGuane
HB: Newman, Raines, Bowden
C: Jackson, Foley, Tambling
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Edwards
FF: Riewoldt, Deledio, Brown
Foll: Pattison, Tuck, Johnson
bench: Hyde, Polak, Tivendale, King
emergency: Schulz, P.Bowden, Howat
In: Hyde
Out: Schulz
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The battle of the Riewoldts, expect both of them to be among the goals. Deledio has put together some big games after returning from his hand injury and he could be a player that helps fantasy teams win.
St Kilda
FB: Gilbert, Maguire, L.Fisher
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, R.Clarke
C: Fiora, Hayes, Montagna
HF: X.Clarke, Riewoldt, Harvey
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Birss
Foll: Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Blake, Jones, Gwilt, Ferguson
emergency: M.Clarke, Geary, Thompson
In: Jones, Harvey, Gwilt
Out: Attard, M.Clarke, Voss
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Harvey is back and expect a big game. Gwilt produced earlier in the year, but that was when a few more of their defenders were out so don't expect similar numbers here.
West Coast v Essendon
West Coast
FB: B.Jones, Glass, Wirrpanda
HB: Waters, Hunter, Stenglein
C: Selwood, Priddis, Braun
HF: Chick, Staker, Nicoski
FF: LeCras, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Cousins, Fletcher
bench: Hurn, C.Jones, R.Jones, Rosa
emergency: Brown, McNamara, Morton
In: Chick, Nicoski, C.Jones
Out: Judd, Hansen, McNamara
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Judd is officially out, which is going to affect a lot of fantasy league Grand Finals. Hansen is out, the Bombers have a very tall back line, this might be the week that Lynch is contained.
Essendon
FB: Slattery, Michael, Ryder
HB: Winderlich, Lucas, McVeigh
C: Stanton, Hird, Fletcher
HF: McPhee, Gumbleton, Lovett-Murray
FF: Neagle, Lloyd, Welsh
Foll: Laycock, Peverill, Monfries
bench: Heffernan, Bolton, Bradley, Lovett
emergency: Hille, Hocking, Houli
In: Bradley, Bolton, Heffernan, Neagle, Fletcher, Peverill
Out: M.Johnson, Dempsey, Reimers, Nash, Hille, Camporeale
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Sheedy's favourites are back for his last game, Bolton and Bradley have the ability to get fantasy points.
Brisbane v Geelong
Brisbane
FB: Drummond, Merrett, Selwood
HB: Adcock, Roe, Begley
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Rischitelli, Brown, Copeland
FF: Hadley, Brennan, Leuenberger
Foll: Wood, Black, Power
bench: Scott, Mills, Johnson, Corrie
emergency: Moody, Sherman, Clark
In: Drummond, Roe, Mills
Out: Patfull, Clark, Sherman
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Brown had a lot of defenders around him last time he played Geelong, he should still get the ball a lot as his teammates will want him to win the Coleman. Roe and Drummond can get a lot of kicks, and either one could be a good addition for a fantasy team this round.
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley
HB:, Mackie, Egan, Wojcinski
C: Kelly, Enright, Corey
HF: S.Johnson, Mooney, Selwood
FF: Chapman, N.Ablett, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, G.Ablett, Ling
bench: Hunt, Varcoe, Blake, Byrnes
emergency: D.Johnson, Gardiner, Callan
In: Selwood, Ling
Out: Playfair, D.Johnson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Selwood's return could help a few fantasy teams. Bartel is still out so Chapman and Enright will do a bit more.
Port Adelaide v Fremantle
Port Adelaide
FB: Wilson, Thurstans, Pettigrew
HB: P.Burgoyne, Chaplin, Surjan
C: Cassisi, S.Burgoyne, Salopek
HF: Motlop, Tredrea, Pearce
FF: Lade, Westhoff, Ebert
Foll: Brogan, C.Cornes, K.Cornes
bench: Boak, Logan, Carlile, Rodan
emergency: Krakouer, Lower, White
In: Carlile
Out: Wakelin
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Power may have to win, and win with a huge score, to get second spot. It could mean plenty of fantasy points for Ebert, Motlop and The Hoff.
Fremantle
FB: Thornton, McPharlin, Hayden
HB: Mundy, Johnson, Crowley
C: Schammer, Bell, Foster
HF: Cook, Tarrant, Gilmore
FF: Drum, Pavlich, Farmer
Foll: Warnock, McManus, Browne
bench: O'Brien, Duffield, Haddrill, Dunn
emergency: Murphy, Ibbotson, Campbell
In: O'Brien, Duffield, Haddrill, Dunn, Browne, Dunn
Out: J.Carr, Grover, Dodd, Peake, Hasleby, Solomon
AFL Fantasy Watch:
A big chunk of their team is missing, so the fantasy stats could be up for the players who are still there.
Sydney v Hawthorn
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Malceski
HB: Bevan, C.Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, McVeigh
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, J.Bolton
FF: Schneider, Hall, Davis
Foll: Jolly, Fosdike, Goodes
bench from: Everitt, Barlow, Crouch, Dempster, Grundy, Roberts-Thomson, Schmidt
In: Barry, Dempster, Grundy, Roberts-Thomson, Schmidt
Out: Buchanan, Brennan
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hall is named, there was talk that he would be rested, and O'Loughlin is also there despite the bump he took last week. Everitt is also in a bit of doubt.
Hawthorn
FB: Brown, Croad, Birchall
HB: Guerra, Gilham, Ladson
C: Bateman, Lewis, Smith
HF: Young, Franklin, Crawford
FF: Hodge, Roughead, Boyle
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Mitchell
bench from: Ellis, McGlynn, Taylor, Dixon, Murphy, Tuck, Vandenberg
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Hawks won't have an easy game this time, so a lot of players will have fewer stats than they did last week.
Western Bulldogs v Kangaroos
Western Bulldogs
FB: Gilbee, Harris, Morris
HB: Power, Williams, Hargrave
C: Cross, West, Eagleton
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Murphy
FF: Grant, McDougall, Robbins
Foll: Darcy, Cooney, Boyd
bench from: Ray, Skipper, Tiller, Wight, Faulkner, Harbrow, McMahon
In: Faulkner, Grant, Harbrow, McMahon, Robbins
Out: Akermanis, Everitt
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Everitt was a very useful addition to fantasy teams, he will miss the last game. Power and Murphy might be players to sign this week.
Kangaroos
FB: Watt, Gibson, Archer
HB: Smith, Pratt, Firrito
C: Green, Harris, Sansbury
HF: Wells, Edwards, Harvey
FF: Jones, Petrie, Grant
Foll: McIntosh, Rawlings, Simpson
bench: Lower, Hansen, McMahon, Hale, Swallow, Brown, Sinclair
In: Smith, Gibson, Hansen
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Bulldogs allowed the Hawks to get a lot of stats last week, so the Kangaroos might provide a big bonus for fantasy teams. McIntosh should be too big and too good in the ruck, obviously big Petrie can demolish the Bulldogs too.
Melbourne v Carlton
Melbourne
FB: Carroll, Ferguson, Brown
HB: Bizzell, Miller, Bruce
C: Green, McDonald, Johnstone
HF: Pickett, Robertson, Dunn
FF: Bate, Newton, Bode
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench from: C.Johnson, P.Johnson, Jamar, Buckley, Garland, Ward, Wheatley
In: McDonald, Bate, Bizzell, Wheatley, Garland
Out: Neitz, Sylvia
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Players fighting to prolong their careers, either at Melbourne or another club, might bring in some more stats. Miller, Dunn, Jamar, both Johnsons and even Pickett are some of the players who need a big game here. Bizzell returns to say goodbye, both he and Brown can help fantasy teams.
Carlton
FB: Jamison, O'hAilpin, Bower
HB: Scotland, Austin, Walker
C: Murphy, Bentick, Jackson
HF: Simpson, Kennedy, Waite
FF: Carrazzo, Whitnall, Hampson
Foll: Ackland, Houlihan, Gibbs
bench from: Russell, Blackwell, Grigg, Bannister, Betts, Saddington, Wiggins
In: Austin, Blackwell, Houlihan, Wiggins
Out: Fisher
AFL Fantasy Watch:
This could be the week that Mr Kennedy stars, especially if Whitnall also misses with injury. Scotland did have an injury so fantasy teams will want to have an emergency midfielder ready. The “M1 Abrams Match” will provide some unexpected stats, so a fantasy team might get a win this week by adding someone like Jackson, Jamison or Wiggins.
This is something that probably should be enforced for all games, but as 150 years of football is celebrated it is a good idea for next year. Get rid of the countdown clocks, on TV and on the radio. Nobody went to a football game 80 years ago and left with the game in the balance because the radio broadcast told them there was only 20 seconds remaining.
Bring back the big clock, with one hand and a yellow and red segment. Only allow the broadcasters to announce how much time has elapsed, not how much is remaining. The game was a lot more exciting when the final siren was unexpected.
While the teams will still be able to roughly determine how much time is left in games, they won't have the exact number which could help the standard of play. Plenty of teams seem to have a specified time that arrives and then the backwards kicking begins. Back in the day they had some idea of how much time was left, and they started to hit the boundary line, but at least they were kicking the ball forward.
This is the final part of the Australian Football Sesquicentennial ideas. It will be interesting to see what they do, maybe they watched the 1969 VFL Grand Final that was on TV recently. Long kicking, plenty of paper on the ground, a huge and vocal crowd, umpires in white, small posts, no 50m line, it was good to see.
Name: David Hill
Height: 202
Weight: 85
State: Queensland
Club(s): Zillmere
AFL Positions:
Same height and same position as the current AFL player with nearly the exact same name. David Hill is a lot thinner than David Hille, and is unlikely to ever bulk up to be as strong as the Essendon ruckman, but they do have plenty of other things in common.
Perfect Fit For:
Melbourne didn't know what they had when they agreed to move Jolly to Sydney. Paul Johnson is a versatile big but isn't going to be a number 1 ruckman, he is more of a tall option for either end. Jamar is a big ruckman but is also lacking in some areas. Hill could be a long-term project for the new Melbourne coach to teach, and it might mean that the former coach of David Hille becomes the first AFL coach for David Hill.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
He is tall and can jump, and the draft camp tests should have plenty of clubs considering him. Port Adelaide might use a 4th round choice on him. Lade only has a few years left, and Brogan won't be around much more than Lade, so they need to bring in a couple of young ruck prospects for the future.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
Nearly all first-year fantasy ruckmen provide very few points. A long-term project like Hill wouldn't be a good addition to fantasy teams for several years.
It might be possible to create a team, using the injured players for Melbourne and Carlton, and that would be a better composite side than what is on display for round 22 at the MCG.
While horrible drafting, undeserved contracts, off-field problems, bad attitudes, poor coaching and laziness are all reasons why the Blues and Demons are so bad, the injuries also need to be taken into account.
The following team is made up of the players who have been named on the teams' injured lists. It is possible that a few players here might play on Sunday, but most will not.
FB Paul Wheatley, Ben Holland, Bret Thornton
HB Ricky Petterd, Jared Rivers, James Frawley
C Brent Moloney, James McDonald, Anthony Koutoufides
HF Brad Fisher, Lance Whitnall, Matthew Bate
FF Aaron Davey, David Neitz, Brendan Fevola
Foll Cameron Cloke, Nick Stevens, Simon Godfrey
Bench: Adem Yze, Clint Bartram, Daniel Bell, Joe Anderson
Round 21 goes to Bryce Gibbs.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 4
Handballs: 7
Marks: 2
Tackles: 6
Goals: 1
J Selwood (Nathan Ablett's stats)
Kicks: 5
Handballs: 5
Marks: 5
Tackles: 1
Goals: 3
General soreness was the reason why Joel Selwood didn't play. At least it wasn't due to major catastrophe or corporal punishment.
Gibbs started in the middle and also went forward during the match against the Kangaroos. He was hustling for his team, which included a good smother in the second quarter. While he did do a lot of impressive things, watching a replay of falling over on the goal line instead of kicking the simple goal is something he won't want to see, although Carlton did get a goal from that play as a Carlton teammate booted the ball through.
With Selwood being rested this round, Nathan Ablett's performance was watched instead. He certainly made the most of his opportunities as he kicked 3 goals. The Cats did miss Selwood, as they also had Bartel and Ling out of the side their midfield was not effective.
Selwood should be back and could be involved in another battle of the brothers, as the Cats visit Brisbane. Gibbs and Carlton take to the MCG in the "M1 Abrams Match". The "M" stands for Matthew Kreuzer and the "1" is the draft pick needed to select him. In a couple of years, people could be talking about the Kreuzer, Gibbs, Murphy and Cotchin midfield at Carlton.
B Gibbs 8 - J Selwood 13
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
The Eagles are expected to give their punting duo one more game until they decide who they are keeping for the season. According to the Eagles site, Rocca has a very good chance.
Some Of The Good, Bad And Otherwise
Sav Rocca has pretty much done everything right. He was tremendous in the first half, booting two punts - one one play -- inside the 10-yard line (one was called back due to a penalty), he got off a field-position-changing 62-yard punt and he had another inside the 20-yard line that the coverage teams failed to jump on before it bounced into the end zone. Rocca's final punt was ugly, but it still went 41 yards and was downed without a return. Rocca's final punt was low, but the Steelers called for a fair catch and the net result was a 41-yard punt.
Reuben Frank at phillyBurbs.com reports that the Punting battle is just about over
Looks like this punting battle is just about over. Through no fault of Dirk Johnson.
Your AFL fantasy team might have been out of contention weeks ago but there is a second chance with the AFL Finals Dream Team game.
Every week of the finals you can bring in any player you want, with a restriction on the number of players from each team playing that week.
Probably a good idea to load up on the star players who get a lot of possessions every week, but maybe avoid the big forwards for teams that are expected to lose. Games involving the Swans might also be played at a slower pace, with fewer goals and stats, compared to games with Geelong.
AFL Finals Dream Team
In the easiest Dream Team competition to date, we've removed all salary and trade restrictions. Simply select your ultimate starting team of 22 players from the AFL teams participating in the finals series and you'll score points in each week of the 2007 AFL finals, right through to the memorable and nail-biting 2007 Toyota AFL Grand Final in September.
Melbourne lose:
The Demons could get pick 1, or 2, depending on what Richmond do. They also get to keep their priority selection with a loss, which is going to be something like pick 17 or 18. Then they would also have a pick just after that when the second round starts.
The Demons could add a star ruckmen with the early pick, and two future stars with their other picks in the top 20. If they lose, and get pick 3, then the two bigs could already be gone, and instead of getting two players right after the first round they will have to decide on one of them.
So the difference for the Demons could be losing and then drafting Matthew Kreuzer, Tom Collier and Marlon Motlop or winning against Carlton and adding Trent Cotchin and Tom Bellchambers.
Carlton lose:
They get top pick, and either pick 2 or 3. The Saints are successful now because they had the first two picks in a draft, when they took Riewoldt and Koschitzke. Carlton could lose, and Richmond could win this round, which would mean the Blues could replicate what the Saints did then and draft two star talls, Kreuzer and Ben McEvoy.
If Carlton win, it could mean that the two star ruckmen/forward prospects are already gone. Trent Cotchin would probably be considered the best player available, but adding him won't help them a lot as it could mean they still use an undersized ruckman who can’t supply their midfield with the ball.
It is going to be one of the most intriguing matches ever in the AFL. This is due to the priority pick rules. Sometimes events are spectacular as the unstoppable force meets the immoveable object, but this game is between a team which can't win playing a team that always loses.
Kane Johnson of the Richmond Tigers.
The Tigers and their captain have not had a lot to be happy about this season, and the Tigers were expected to be a small part of the entertainment at the MCG on Sunday. Things did not go according to plan for the Bombers and Kane Johnson was one of the reasons.
Johnson helped Richmond establish dominance in the middle of the ground. The Bombers had big Hille and Laycock so it wasn't going to be easy for Richmond to win the ball at stoppages but Johnson, and other Tigers, were up to the challenge.
Kane Johnson never stopped working and was effective in every quarter. The stats for the game showed that he contested for the ball and never stopped running. 12 marks was the result as Johnson worked hard to get into space to be an option for his teammates taking the ball out of the back line. 19 kicks and 12 handballs made him the most productive player out there.
There has not been a lot for them to roar about but Kane Johnson gave the Richmond fans a big win to celebrate, and Johnson is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Kane Johnson's profile at the Richmond site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Kane Cornes
1: Geelong Cats 17-4 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
They don't have to worry about being asked about their huge winning streak now. Not that it mattered, if they had won they would finish on top and with the loss to the Power they are still on top. Bartel thinks he can return next week, so there should be no problem with his availability for the finals.
2: West Coast Eagles 14-7 (2)
The scans to determine the extent of Hansen's leg injury could determine how far the Eagles go in the finals. They don't want to be without their good luck charm for too long.
3: Port Adelaide Power 14-7 (5)
Williams should be the Coach Of The Year, not just for their success this season but also how he quickly he rebuilt the team. A lot of stars from the 2004 season retired in the last 12 months, but the Power made wise choices for their replacements. Close wins against Hawthorn and Geelong showed that the Power are again a force, but they will need to kick a huge score this week to stay in second spot on percentage.
4: Sydney Swans 11-9-1 (4)
They are just a Barry short, so when Leo is back they will play much better, although they will probably be without Hall for round 22. Hopefully John Longmire is in good health, in regards to the news about the horse flu.
5: Hawthorn Hawks 13-8 (3)
They can't afford to have another quarter like they did at the start of the Bulldogs game. If they do that again then their season will be over. But if they can replicate what they did for the rest of the game, then the Hawks will trouble some teams in the finals.
6: Collingwood Magpies 13-8 (6)
The Magpies have been one of the surprise teams this season, and it is something they will be able to build on next season. When Reid, Dawes and Brown are added in 2008 the Magpies will be aiming to finish in the top 2 spots.
7: Kangaroos 13-8 (7)
If Brent Harvey has another big game, and the Kangaroos defeat the Bulldogs, it could be enough for Harvey to win the Brownlow and for the Kangaroos to finish in the top 4.
8: Adelaide Crows 11-10 (11)
All they need is a match-winning performance from someone like Burton and they will grab the last finals spot. The Crows might have been looking to past successes to find a strategy to win now, as how they contained Brown was very similar to what they did against Loewe in the Grand Final a decade ago.
9: St Kilda Saints 10-10-1 (8)
It won't be easy as the other team has a Riewoldt too, and Richmond are coming off a confidence-boosting win too. The entire Saints' season depends on Collingwood winning.
10: Brisbane Lions 9-10-2 (9)
Brisbane can still win something, it is Brown versus Pavlich in the race for the Coleman. Brown might have a tougher time with Egan, Scarlett and Harley trying to stop him getting the ball.
11: Fremantle Dockers 10-11 (12)
The reception from the crowd might have been different this week if Pavlich had not extended his contract with the Dockers. The Power fans might remind him that Port Adelaide are going along just a bit better than the Dockers are at the moment.
12: Essendon Bombers 10-11 (10)
Their season did start off very well before it all fell apart. They need to start a new era now, which means finding a coach and getting a younger team on the field.
13: Western Bulldogs 9-11-1 (13)
Their skills and running ability were on display for the first quarter, and then their strength and height deficiencies were exposed for the rest of the match. Maybe McEvoy is the solution to some of their problems, and if they lose to the Kangaroos they could be in the right spot in the draft to take the big marking player.
14: Melbourne Demons 4-17 (14)
It is possible that the Demons will add Sheedy and the top pick in the draft, that would drastically improve their team in 2008.
15: Richmond Tigers 3-17-1 (16)
They will go into 2008 with a few reasons to be optimistic, due to finishing off the season much better than they started it. But it might actually be 2011 before they are a contender.
16: Carlton Blues 4-17 (15)
Their game against the Kangaroos was just as bad as anything they did under Pagan. Which could be beneficial when they play Melbourne in the "M1 Abrams Match", the one about the tank.
Big Saverio was punting for distance as usual but he also showed he could place the ball where it had to go. A long punt would have put the ball in the endzone, allowing the other team to start at the 20 yard line, but Rocca was able to land the ball between the endzone and the 10 yard line.
Rocca does get the yardage, and seems to be adequate as the holder for the kicker, but other things like hang-time and also financial reasons could see the incumbant punter who was named after a Battlestar Galactica actor retain his spot, Dirk Johnson.
Sav Rocca seems to be the fans' choice there, but there is still another game to go in preseason. It could be Rocca versus Ben Graham when the Eagles play the Jets in a few days.
Plays involving Sav Rocca during the preseason game against Pittsburgh:
4-26-PIT 43 (9:54) 6-S.Rocca punts 37 yards to PIT 6, Center-46-J.Dorenbos, fair catch by 15-W.Reid. PENALTY on PHI, Illegal Formation, 5 yards, enforced at PIT 43 - No Play.
4-31-PIT 48 (9:21) 6-S.Rocca punts 39 yards to PIT 9, Center-46-J.Dorenbos, fair catch by 15-W.Reid. Penalty on PIT-92-J.Harrison, Defensive Offside, declined.
4-4-PIT 4 (5:31) 2-D.Akers 22 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Dorenbos, Holder-6-S.Rocca.
4-3-PHI 33 (12:50) 6-S.Rocca punts 59 yards to PIT 8, Center-46-J.Dorenbos. 15-W.Reid MUFFS catch, and recovers at PIT 8. 15-W.Reid to PIT 3 for -5 yards (84-H.Baskett).
4-9-PIT 43 (10:53) 6-S.Rocca punts 43 yards to end zone, Center-46-J.Dorenbos, Touchback.
4-5-PHI 36 (4:00) 6-S.Rocca punts 41 yards to PIT 23, Center-46-J.Dorenbos, downed by PHI-50-M.McCoy.
4-12-PHI 24 (1:09) 6-S.Rocca punts 41 yards to PIT 35, Center-46-J.Dorenbos, fair catch by 80-C.Wilson. PENALTY on PIT-97-A.Harrison, Defensive Holding, 5 yards, enforced at PHI 24.
Punting NO AVG I20 LG
S. Rocca 5 41.6 2 59
The Philadelphia Eagles also address their punting situation on their official site:
Rocca Vs. Johnson Round Three
Rocca handles the first half for the second straight week as the punter and the team's holder. It is safe to say that, contrary to public opinion, the battle is very, very close. Rocca does not have the "job to lose," as was suggested to Reid in his Friday press conference. Instead, the Eagles continue to monitor every kick and every action by both players.
Highlighting Things To Watch Vs. Steelers
From phillyBurbs.com: Rocca making punter decision tough
From philly.com, talking about the punters holding for their kicker: Akers hits one for teammates
The Bulldogs were great for one quarter, and then disappeared. Hawthorn had an easy win despite giving the Bulldogs a big start. Lance Franklin had plenty of scoring shots, most of them were misses. Franklin finished with 11 behinds and 2 goals.
Hawks 151 - Bulldogs 67
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Hodge: 6 goals, 34 possessions, 5 free kicks received, fantasy teams with him as captain had a good round.
Brown: Picked up his production with 22 possessions and 9 marks.
Mitchell: 38 possessions, although he and the other Hawthorn onballers will have a much tougher time next week.
Sewell: 39 possessions and 5 marks, a huge game for fantasy points.
Taylor: 13 possessions and 5 tackles, a big improvement compared to what he normally does.
Western Bulldogs
Gilbee: 17 kicks and 3 goals, one of the best fantasy defenders.
Skipper: A younger player for the Bulldogs might produce a lot of fantasy points next week, so someone like Skipper, who had 11 kicks and a goal here, might be someone to sign.
Everitt: 11 possessions, will probably get closer to 20 next round.
Tiller: Might finish the season with a few goals next week, although he didn't get any here as he played only half the game.
McDougall: Only 9 possessions in this game, so could be a big risk to sign.
The Cats will point out they played without three of their important midfielders, the Power will remind them that the game was at Kardinia Park. There were mind games before the match and this could have only been the rehearsal for something much bigger in the finals. G Ablett had the game won for Geelong before Cassisi kicked a goal in the last few seconds.
Power 106 - Cats 101
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
Salopek: 21 possessions and 2 goals, injuries have caused him to be traded off fantasy teams during the year but right now he is a player to sign.
C Cornes: 32 possessions, expect a big game from him next week as the Power fight for second spot.
Pettigrew: 17 possessions, he increased his production and will be important again next week with Wakelin out.
Wilson: 12 kicks and 12 marks, he has been very good for fantasy points recently.
S Burgoyne: 3 goals, 13 kicks, 9 handballs and 8 tackles.
Geelong
N Ablett: 3 goals, he could be a good forward to sign for next week.
D Johnson: A player fighting for his spot in the team could produce a big effort next week, he had 14 possessions in this game and D Johnson might have more next week.
Enright: He does do more when Bartel is out, Enright had 24 possessions.
Chapman: 23 possessions, 8 marks, 5 tackles and a goal.
J Hunt: Another player who will have to be at his best next week to ensure he is in their finals team, he had 19 possessions in this game.
The Tigers decided not to follow the script and with unstoppable run they ruined the Essendon party.
Tigers 119 - Bombers 92
Fantasy Player News
Richmond
Johnson: 19 kicks, 12 handballs, 12 marks and 4 frees for, he was very important for the Tigers and fantasy teams.
Pettifer: 21 kicks and 2 goals, he produced for fantasy teams this game.
Deledio: 9 marks, 2 goals and 15 kicks, he could have another big game next week too.
Brown: Brown has been good for fantasy points since returning from injury, he had 15 kicks and a goal here.
Newman: 21 possessions and 2 goals, one of the better Tigers for fantasy stats this season.
Essendon
Lucas: He showed he could get fantasy points as a defender, he had 16 kicks.
Hird: 15 kicks, probably won't do a lot next week for fantasy teams.
Hille: 13 possessions was good for a ruckman but he also added fantasy points with a couple of goals.
Lovett-Murray: 19 possessions, his season was affected by injuries but next week, and next year, he should help fantasy teams a lot.
Lovett: Was in a lot of space and that produced 21 disposals, he also kicked a goal.
Results and stats on Yahoo Sports
For a spot in the finals, or to get second spot and the important home final in week one, fans are going to want other clubs to win. Eagles’ fans need the Dockers to win, a lot of other fans will want Collingwood to win, although they just want Adelaide to lose.
Adelaide - Richmond
The Crows can assure themselves of a spot in the finals with a win, but they could also get there by other teams losing. A Richmond win would be very helpful.
Brisbane - Adelaide
Nothing really matters for them, but if the Crows keep winning then the Lions can point out that not only did they have a better season than expected but they just missed the finals due to being beaten twice by the champions.
Carlton - Richmond
Carlton might be able to get the first and second picks in the AFL draft, the perfect way to start rebuilding the team.
Collingwood - Sydney
They didn't want Sydney to win for round 21, but in round 22 if Sydney can defeat Hawthorn it will move Collingwood up a spot or two.
Essendon - Western Bulldogs
If the Bulldogs win it will improve the Bombers' draft position.
Fremantle - Essendon
They don't really have a lot to cheer for, except for the Eagles to lose. The Dockers could also stop West Coast from getting second spot by sending a very young team to play the Power, putting Ibbotson on Chad Cornes might help his development as a player but it could allow the Power to have a big, percentage-boosting win.
Geelong - Essendon
The Cats would probably prefer the Eagles to not finish in second spot.
Hawthorn - Essendon and Fremantle
The Hawks can still finish in second, it is difficult but possible.
Kangaroos - Sydney
The Kangaroos would like to finish in the top 4, and that might set up a final against Geelong, a team they do not sweat. But they will need Sydney to beat Hawthorn.
Melbourne - Richmond
If Melbourne lose, and Richmond win, the top pick could be given to Melbourne.
Port Adelaide - Essendon
The Power want to finish in second spot.
Richmond - Carlton
The Tigers get the top pick if Carlton win.
St Kilda - Collingwood
The Saints can't sneak into the finals if Adelaide win.
Sydney - Collingwood
They can't really move up, so they don't want to move down a spot.
West Coast - Fremantle
If the Eagles want to finish in second spot, they will need the Dockers to either win or keep the game close when they visit the Power.
Western Bulldogs - Adelaide
Not a lot of importance regarding the other matches, but some of their fans might like to see Collingwood lose.
Name: Marlon Motlop
Height: 182
Weight: 76
State (Territory): Northern Territory
Club(s): Wanderers
AFL Positions:
An outside midfielder type of player who can also play in the forward area. A player with a lot of skills, Motlop can add some flair and unpredictability to a team.
Perfect Fit For:
The Kangaroos need to put a faster team out there, Motlop might add something they need. He also could be used like Grant and Harvey, and spend time in the forward line and midfield.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
The Dockers are a team that will want to add to their midfield depth, especially for a faster type of player. Their third round pick could be used on Motlop.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He might be the type of player who can turn a game with a couple of exciting plays instead of one who accumulates a lot of statistics, so more of a fan favourite than someone that fantasy coaches will sign. He will thrill the crowds when he gets a chance to play AFL but it might be a few seasons when he becomes stronger and develops a more versatile game that he will bring in the fantasy points.
The Blues went back to playing the worst football they could. Something they will want to take into next round. The Kangaroos were too big and too good in every area.
Kangaroos 161 - Blues 79
Fantasy Player News
Kangaroos
Harvey: 28 possessions and a goal, a star for fantasy points and a favourite for the Brownlow.
Edwards: 7 marks and 4 goals, he would have helped a few fantasy teams who had him on their bench and needed to play him this week.
Petrie: Always going to be too big for Carlton, he had 12 marks and kicked 4 goals.
Archer: 9 possessions and 3 tackles for his milestone game.
Sansbury: 21 possessions and 3 goals, a big game compared to what he usually does.
Carlton
Bentick: Hit double-figures for possessions in 3 of the 4 quarters, a fantasy star with totals of 36 possessions, 9 marks and 4 tackles.
Whitnall: His AFL coach doesn't seem impressed with him but fantasy coaches should be happy, he had 19 kicks, 11 marks and received 5 free kicks.
Jackson: 16 possessions, 5 marks, 4 tackles and 2 goals, an unexpected fantasy contributor.
Kennedy: A late inclusion, he took 7 marks and could be a fantasy star next year, and might be good to play next week too.
Walker: 30 possessions, although he did give away 4 free kicks.
The Demons played the first quarter, but hardly did anything after that. They might be getting ready for their round 22 game. The Dockers destroyed them in the second quarter, and kept the pedal down in the second half as they produced a big win to celebrate the careers of Parker and Cook.
Dockers 144 - Demons 85
Fantasy Player News
Fremantle
Mundy: 24 possessions, 10 marks and 6 tackles were a big jump from his usual fantasy points.
McPharlin: Is able to get fantasy points as a defender but went forward here for better results, 5 goals and 8 marks.
Foster: 16 possessions and 4 tackles, also had 2 frees for and didn't give any away.
Solomon: 21 possessions, once again Solomon produces for fantasy teams.
Schammer: 20 possessions although he didn't have a lot of playing time, he should be a fantasy star next season.
Melbourne
Green: 25 possessions and 2 goals, plenty of fantasy points.
Brown: 22 possessions, 6 marks and 3 tackles.
Pickett: 9 tackles, and 11 possessions, a productive fantasy game.
Bruce: Used a bit too much as a defender, he still had 19 possessions and 5 tackles.
Robertson: 3 goals and 8 marks, could kick a bunch of goals next week too.
The Magpies got the early lead and although the Swans fought back a few times they never caught up. Buckley played an important part in the win, especially early in the game by setting up Collingwood's opening goal.
Magpies 101 - Swans 76
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Buckley: 10 kicks, 4 handballs and 4 marks, didn't do enough in regards to his high fantasy price.
Rusling: A player for next year, as well as next week if he isn't injured, he kicked 4 goals here.
Clarke: Back in the action, only 9 possessions but he did receive a few more fantasy points due to 4 frees for.
Richards: One of his better games, 14 kicks and 7 marks,
Wakelin: 12 kicks and 10 marks, one of the surprises of the AFL fantasy season.
Sydney
Goodes: 33, possessions, 11 marks and 7 tackles, one of the best players this round.
Hall: 8 marks and 4 goals, back in form after plenty of below average games.
Jolly: 12 possessions, 8 marks and a goal, Everitt is often the better Sydney ruckman but in this game it was Jolly who provided a lot more fantasy points.
C Bolton: 16 possessions, 2 frees for and 3 tackles.
Barlow: Not able to replicate his numbers from last round, he only had 4 kicks here.
The Crows made sure that Brown wasn't going to beat them, and they always had multiple defenders around him. No other Lions stepped up so Brisbane are out of the finals race while the Crows only need to win next week to sneak into the finals and possibly cause a lot of problems for teams that don't have the experience that the Crows do in big games.
Crows 86 - Lions 60
Fantasy Player News
Adelaide
Stevens: A big game in the back line, Stevens had 10 kicks, 9 handballs and 7 marks.
Thompson: One of the best and most consistent fantasy midfielders, 17 kicks and a goal.
Shirley: 30 possessions and 5 tackles, one of the players who did more as Knights missed the game.
Ricciuto: 11 possessions and 3 frees for, not needed on fantasy teams but provides a big boost to the Crows.
Johncock: 14, kicks, 14 handballs and 10 marks.
Brisbane
Corrie: 23 possessions, 7 marks, 4 tackles and 3 frees for, a big fantasy game.
Begley: He provided lots of run, with Drummond out, Begley had 23 possessions.
Brown: 7 kicks, 6 marks and a goal, it wasn't an easy game for Brown.
Leuenberger: 10 possessions and 4 marks, he didn't have a big game as the new number 1 ruckman there.
Merrett: 10 kicks, 6 marks and 2 tackles, he was in the action a bit more than most of his games.
Results and stats at Yahoo Sports.
The Saints had more scoring shots but the Eagles had a lot more close to goal and that got them the win in a close game. The Saints will be out of the top 8 by the end of this round but are still a good chance to get back in with a win in the last round.
Eagles 106 - Saints 98
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
Lynch: 5 goals was great for fantasy points, and he also ran around a bit to add 21 possessions.
Priddis: 22 kicks, 14 handballs and 12 tackles, plenty of fantasy stats and he should repeat that next week too.
Staker: Hansen could be out with an injury, so expect Staker to improve on his 9 possessions next round.
LeCras: Makes the most of his opportunities, he kicked 3 goals from 5 kicks.
McNamara: 10 possessions in his first game, also had 3 marks and 2 tackles.
St Kilda
R Clarke: 12 kicks, 8 handballs and 7 marks, a very good fantasy game.
Riewoldt: One of the best fantasy forwards, he had 13 marks, 17 kicks, 4 goals and received 3 free kicks.
Koschitzke: Back into the team and back among the fantasy points with 3 goals and 7 marks.
Birss: 19 possessions, 7 marks and 6 tackles.
Gram: A bit of an increase over his normal numbers, 23 possessions and 8 marks.
Name: Dan McKenna
Height: 194
Weight: 82
State: Victoria Country
Club(s): Gippsland/Traralgon
AFL Positions:
Could probably be used better as a full forward, but some teams might draft him as a prospect for the back line.
Perfect Fit For:
The Bulldogs have to get bigger, and McKenna at full forward would be a step in the right direction. He could also be an option for a tall defensive position too.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
McKenna might go late in the second round to Sydney. They need a bit of help up forward now, and in several years will have a huge space to fill when Hall is gone. McKenna could be an eventual replacement for either Barry, taking over at full forward to replace Barry Hall or going to full back when Leo Barry retires.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
It is unlikely that McKenna makes a big contribution for statistics next season. Although the skills are there and if he does play AFL he could get a few contested marks and kick some goals.
It was supposed to be a round of games that impacted on the finals as well as possibly the last time that Sheedy coached the Bombers in Melbourne.
But there has been an announcement that is also making the news of Australia's footy landscape. While it was somewhat expected, it did come as a shock to some fans of the game.
Shane Parker of Fremantle has announced his retirement. It could be argued that Parker is Fremantle's greatest ever player, especially when his longevity is taken into account, although Pavlich is probably ahead of him for contributions on the field.
If there was one thing that Parker did for every year of the Dockers' existence it was giving everything he had. A medium-sized, versatile defender, Parker was often the best that the Dockers had in the back line. Giving away height and weight to many of the full forwards of the past decade, Parker was never outworked.
The Power will retire another of their premiership stars with Josh Mahoney announcing the end of his career. The Bulldogs are also going to say goodbye to exciting small forward Matthew Robbins. Fremantle also have midfielder Troy Cook retiring but he will play one more game.
From the Fremantle site:
Parker announces retirement
Don't leave early tomorrow
The fantasy team had a week off from it's league last week, and so did some of the players. Fletcher was named captain and he played a few minutes before going to the bench with an injury. Injuries have hit the team again, which will make things interesting for a lot of fantasy leagues.
B David Mundy
B Jesse Smith
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Dustin Fletcher
B Adam McPhee
C Sam Mitchell (captain)
C Chris Judd
C Nick Dal Santo
C Paul Hasleby
C Kane Cornes
C Jordan Lewis
R Jeff White
R Ben Hudson
F Nick Riewoldt
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett
F Jonathan Brown
F Lance Franklin
B Xavier Ellis (emergency)
B Matt Riggio
C Daniel Dzufer
C Tom Hislop
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
McPhee looked like Riewoldt last week, covering a lot of ground around half forward and getting plenty of marks. Although in some ways he looks like Riewoldt every week. According to the footage on the news, McPhee might not go as well this week as a young footballer, maybe 13 years old, was constantly outmarking him.
Dal Santo comes into the team. Mitchell gets the captaincy for this round. Hopefully he doesn't get injured and the game is played at a fast pace with a lot of stats.
Hudson played well after his week off. He has been very useful this season, but the better fantasy teams initially signed him as a third ruckman, not a starter, which gave them a lot of flexibility with their roster over the season. Probably a bit early to plan for next year's fantasy season, but with Biglands available in 2008 it would mean Hudson is likely to have a reduced role for the Crows.
It was nearly going to be Hall who was getting traded this week, but Hall improved a lot last round so he stays for the last two weeks of the fantasy season.
Hawthorn's X-Man, Ellis, had one of his better games of the year for stats but it didn't help the fantasy team because he was only an emergency, if Fletcher was hurt a few minutes before the game started instead of a few minutes after it started it would have helped this team as Ellis would have contributed fantasy points. With Campbell and Ackland also playing for their AFL teams it does provide backup at a few positions for this fantasy team, but not in the middle where it is needed more.
Geelong will be without midfielder Jimmy Bartel for the last two rounds of the regular season, and he might miss a final or two as well. Port Adelaide's Pearce wasn't out very long and he came back better than ever after a similar surgical procedure so this could only be a small setback for the Cats. It does make the Power a greater chance to get the upset at Kardinia Park this week.
Bartel's shot at the Brownlow probably disappears now, although that will help his teammate, Gary Ablett, as he will become an even bigger favourite for the medal.
From the Geelong site: Bartel out until finals
AFL Fantasy Impact:
He is on half the fantasy teams so this news is going to cause quite an upheaval in fantasy leagues. Bartel will have to be traded, which could make things difficult for teams with very few trades left to use. Kane Cornes, Brent Harvey, Scott Thompson, Luke Hodge and Andrew Carrazzo are some options.
Some of the Geelong midfielders are other options to replace Bartel in fantasy teams. Corey Enright played much better when Bartel was hurt against Sydney and has continued to provide better numbers than earlier in the season. Joel Corey is very good for fantasy points too and would probably be the best Cat to sign for fantasy teams. Paul Chapman is a fantasy forward, but he also does a lot of work in the middle for Geelong and he would be another player who will do more with Bartel out.
St Kilda v West Coast
The Tip: St Kilda by 30 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Sam Fisher
Chance For An Upset: This game is supposed to be close, but people are not sure who will have the advantage until the teams are announced just before the game. Maybe a few Eagles don't play and the Saints might get the win at dome.
St Kilda
They win if....Gehrig has another good game, which will be tough to do against Glass.
The Good News: Koschitzke is back, he was very important last time they played West Coast.
The Bad News: Harvey misses, they can't replace him.
West Coast
They win if....they put the side that they named on the field.
The Good News: Lynch is kicking goals, the Eagles are a much better team when he stays close to goal, although for Lynch he can be 60m out and still close to goal.
The Bad News: Hunter and Staker provided extra forward firepower last round, but they might have to play as defenders this time due to the Saints and their plethora of tall forwards.
Carlton v Kangaroos
The Tip: Kangaroos by 99 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Corey Jones
Chance For An Upset: The Kangaroos have every reason to win, the Blues have plenty of reasons not to win, the Kangaroos have to get the win here.
Carlton
They win if....Mr Kennedy plays at full forward, they picked him high up in the draft but even the new coach doesn't play him. Maybe Kennedy out and Lappin in is good for the draft picks. Kennedy is an emergency, so they might shock the Kangaroos and bring him into the side.
The Good News: Hampson plays his first game, another high draft pick although he is a lot more of a project than Mr Kennedy, Hampson will bring some extra height up forward and should get ruck minutes too.
The Bad News: They seem to be signing all their players, it doesn't make sense to keep trying the same thing and expecting better results.
Kangaroos
They win if....Petrie and Hale start in the forward line, Carlton don't have the height to contain them.
The Good News: Harris is getting a lot of the ball, it is the players like him who will be important during the tough finals games.
The Bad News: It has not been a good month, and by losing to other top 8 teams it shows that the Kangaroos are not as close as they thought.
Fremantle v Melbourne
The Tip: Fremantle by 61 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Michael Johnson
Chance For An Upset: Maybe Melbourne win next week, as the Dockers have home ground advantage and most of their players available.
Fremantle
They win if....They start with Warnock using his reach to combat White, and then bring on Gilmore after a few minutes who should be able to keep up with White and even run off him at times.
The Good News: Headland returns, giving them more options in the forward line.
The Bad News: No matter what happens in the final couple of weeks, the Dockers' season has been a disaster.
Melbourne
They win if....they have the same team that the Herald Sun newspaper mistakenly printed, with two Jeff Whites, two Brocks and even a couple of versions of Nathan Jones.
The Good News: Bruce returns, they need him out there as he causes a lot of problems for opposition teams.
The Bad News: They had six forced changes due to injuries, Melbourne should lead the teams and ask for larger player lists, maybe their new coach will get that to happen.
Collingwood v Sydney
The Tip: Sydney by 13 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Adam Goodes
Chance For An Upset: This game should provide plenty of surprises, and picking a winner is tough, but with Fraser out again it does mean the Swans have a huge advantage with their two star ruckmen.
Collingwood
They win if....Buckley gets close to the stats he had last week.
The Good News: Wakelin has played a lot better than most expected this season, although this will be one of his bigger tests.
The Bad News: Richards and Bryan are solid backup players, one of them is good at stoppages while the other can be a forward option, but Fraser can do both those things and the Magpies can struggle without his presence.
Sydney
They win if....Hall kicks goals, he got the ball last round which was a step in the right direction but then when he kicked for goal he sent it in the wrong direction.
The Good News: Goodes is finishing the season a lot better than he played in the early months.
The Bad News: If they had won last week they would be in the top 4 now.
Adelaide v Brisbane
The Tip: Adelaide by 23 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Graham Johncock
Chance For An Upset: Both teams have plenty to play for, and despite having some poor months during the season they can still play in the finals. The home ground might get the Crows the win.
Adelaide
They win if....they use a couple of forwards as defensive players to stop the run of Adcock and Drummond.
The Good News: Ricciuto is playing, he probably has a few more hits left in him.
The Bad News: It's another season for the Crows that has been ruined by injuries.
Brisbane
They win if....Clark or Brennan contribute on the scoreboard as the Crows are going to have a crowd around Brown to try to stop his influence.
The Good News: Leuenberger looked like a skinny Dean Cox last week.
The Bad News: It doesn't get any easier for them next week, they play Geelong.
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
The Tip: Hawthorn by 14 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Lance Franklin
Chance For An Upset: The Bulldogs have a lot of players who will trouble the Hawks, but Hawthorn has the big players up forward and the Bulldogs can't stop all of them.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....West, Boyd and Cross dominate the stoppages.
The Good News: They are going to have a high draft, much higher than they would have expected, and they could traded that for the veteran talls that they need to contend in 2008.
The Bad News: Street is hurt so they are back to their short ruckmen again.
Hawthorn
They win if....Sewell stops one of the Bulldogs' midfield stars.
The Good News: Vandenberg could be back.
The Bad News: The last 60 seconds against the Power were not very good.
Geelong v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Geelong by 3 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Joel Corey
Chance For An Upset: It is a battle of the two top sides, and Geelong can afford to take it easy while the Power need to win to stay in second spot, but playing in Geelong should be enough for the Cats to get the win.
Geelong
They win if....Nathan Ablett kicks a few goals.
The Good News: Harley has been a very important player this year, and his onfield performance has exceeded expectations.
The Bad News: The finals are still a couple of weeks away.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Lade and C Cornes go forward a lot, the Cats might not have enough height in the back line to stop them and Westhoff, Tredrea and also Ebert who plays tall.
The Good News: Motlop kicked a very important goal in Tasmania last week, as did Ebert.
The Bad News: The Lade contract talk seems to be a concern there, but it is unlikely that he leaves the Power.
Essendon v Richmond
The Tip: Essendon by 60 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brett Stanton
Chance For An Upset: It seems that only one team is appearing for this match, so Essendon will be the pick to win.
Essendon
They win if....they pay attention to Deledio and Richardson, if they have quiet games then the Tigers won't roar.
The Good News: Hille should be back, which will mean the Bombers will always have a giant on the field against Richmond's smaller ruckmen.
The Bad News: They have to beat the Eagles in Perth for any chance at the finals.
Richmond
They win if....they don't play Schulz, there is no way he does what he did in the VFL last week.
The Good News: The Polak trade was something that did work for them this year.
The Bad News: It has been an ugly season.
Anthony Corrie suffered a big injury last season and was delisted by the Lions, although they did keep him on their rookie list. It was a good move by the Lions as Corrie is over his knee problems and will play his first game of the season for the Lions.
From The Courier-Mail: Lions name Corie after 12 months out
AFL Fantasy Impact:
He is a very expensive fantasy player, compared to the other rookie-listed players, and that is due to his numbers last season for Brisbane. So signing Corrie for fantasy teams probably won't be a good idea. While the Lions did make five changes, they still have all their big-possession winners still in the side.
One fantasy star who is returning to action is Mr Drummond. His 20 kicks per game could be a big boost to a fantasy team for the last couple of rounds. Wood has returned to the side and replaces Charman, it probably isn't worth signing Wood as Leuenberger would be expected to play more than Wood.
St Kilda v West Coast
St Kilda
FB: Gilbert, Maguire, L.Fisher
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, Baker
C: Fiora, Hayes, Montagna
HF: X.Clarke, Riewoldt, R.Clarke
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Birss
Foll: Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Blake, M.Clarke, Ferguson, Voss
emergency: Jones, Attard, McQualter
In: Ferguson, Koschitzke
Out: Harvey, Hudghton
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Koschitzke has been great value for fantasy teams and he is back for this game.
West Coast
FB: Staker, Glass, Wirrpanda
HB: Waters, Hunter, B.Jones
C: Selwood, Judd, Braun
HF: Hurn, Hansen, Cousins
FF: LeCras, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Stenglein, Fletcher
bench: McNamara, Morton, Priddis, Rosa
emergency: C.Jones, R. Jones, Nicoski
In: Cousins, Judd, McNamara, Waters
Out: Kerr, Armstrong, R. Jones, Schofield
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Waters is back and he should be good again for fantasy numbers. Kerr is out and won't play until late in September. Judd is named but that doesn't mean he will play.
Carlton v Kangaroos
Carlton
FB: Scotland, Saddington, Jamison
HB: Houlihan, Waite, Walker
C: Simpson, Carrazzo, Murphy
HF: Bannister, Whitnall, Fisher
FF: Hampson, O'hAilpin, Betts
Foll: Ackland, Gibbs, Bentick
bench: Bower, Jackson, Lappin, Russell
emergency: Blackwell, Grigg, Kennedy
In: Hampson, Russell
Out: Fevola, Blackwell
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hampson will play his first game but won't have many stats. Fevola's absence allows a few more Blues to be among the goals.
Kangaroos
FB: Pratt, Watt, Archer
HB: Smith, Firrito, Sinclair
C: Green, Swallow, Wells
HF: Brown, Jones, Grant
FF: Hale, Petrie, Harvey
Foll: McIntosh, Rawlings, Simpson
bench: Sansbury, Edwards, Campbell, Harris
emergency: Lower, Hansen, McMahon
In: Edwards
Out: McMahon
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Kangaroos were contained by the top side last week, this game should produce a lot more stats and goals so this week could be the time to sign some Kangaroos.
Fremantle v Melbourne
Fremantle
FB: Thornton, Grover, Dodd
HB: Hayden, Johnson, Crowley
C: Mundy, Solomon, Black
HF: Bell, Tarrant, Headland
FF: McPharlin, Pavlich, Cook
Foll: Warnock, J.Carr, Hasleby
bench: Gilmore, McManus, Peake, Farmer
emergency: Foster, Schammer, Ibbotson
In: Headland, Dodd
Out: Carr, Murphy
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Dockers could have a big win here, and that will mean plenty of fantasy points. Signing a Fremantle forward might be a good move, and Headland had a big game against Melbourne earlier in the year.
Melbourne
FB: Carroll, Ferguson, Brown
HB: C.Johnson, Miller, Bruce
C: Green, Johnstone, Ward
HF: Pickett, Robertson, Newton
FF: Sylvia, Neitz, P.Johnson
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench: Bode, Dunn, Jamar, Buckley
emergency: Garland, Bizzell, Warnock
In: Bruce, Ward, Miller, C.Johnson, P.Johnson, Buckley
Out: McDonald, Davey, Bell, Bate, Holland, Wheatley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
A team that has seen plenty of injuries now has to make six changes due to more injuries. McDonald will be a big loss for fantasy teams, although Bruce would be a good replacement.
Collingwood v Sydney
Collingwood
FB: Clement, Wakelin, Lockyer
HB: H.Shaw, O'Brien, Goldsack
C: Clarke, Burns, Buckley
HF: Maxwell, Rocca, Pendlebury
FF: Thomas, Cloke, Rusling
Foll: Richards, O'Bree, Davis
bench: Swan, Didak, Bryan, Medhurst
emergency: R.Shaw, Wellingham, Licuria
In: Buckley, Goldsack, Clarke
Out: Johnson, R.Shaw, Cook
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Buckley is playing and he should be back among the stats leaders. Clarke was great against Sydney the first time he played them, he is back and should have another good game.
Sydney
FB: Richards, Barry, Malceski
HB: Bevan, Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, McVeigh
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, Buchanan
FF: Schneider, Hall, Davis
Foll: Jolly, J.Bolton, Goodes
bench: Everitt, Fosdike, Brennan, Barlow
emergency: Dempster, Crouch, Schmidt
In: Barry
Out: Schmidt
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Barry may not take his place, so don't sign him this week.
Adelaide v Brisbane
Adelaide
FB: Johncock, Rutten, Stevens
HB: McLeod, Bock, Mattner
C: van Berlo, Goodwin, Reilly
HF: Welsh, Gill, Thompson
FF: Porplyzia, Ricciuto, Burton
Foll: Hudson, Shirley, Edwards
bench: Meesen, Massie, Torney, Knights
emergency: Doughty, Douglas, Jericho
In: Ricciuto
Out: Douglas
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Meesen keeps his spot, but he shouldn't be starting for fantasy teams yet. Ricciuto is a risky signing, but if he kicks a few goals it could be a winning move as few fantasy teams will have him playing.
Brisbane
FB: Drummond, Merrett, Selwood
HB: Adcock, Patfull, Begley
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Rischitelli, Brown, Copeland
FF: Hadley, Brennan, Leuenberger
Foll: Wood, Black, Power
bench: Sherman, Clark, Johnson, Corrie
emergency: Scott, Mills, Hamill
In: Drummond, Corrie, Wood, Clark, Selwood
Out: Roe, Harding, Charman, Moody, Mills
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Leuenberger and Wood will share the ruck duties, Leuenberger will probably have better stats.
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
Western Bulldogs
FB: Gilbee, Harris, Morris
HB: Everitt, Williams, Hargrave
C: Ray, West, Eagleton
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Murphy
FF: Tiller, Grant, Akermanis
Foll: Darcy, Cooney, Boyd
bench from: Cross, Harbrow, McDougall, McMahon, Power, Skipper, Wight
In: Grant, Harbrow, McDougall, McMahon, Wight
Out: Higgins, Street
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Williams and Everitt have been very good for fantasy teams but they might have a few problems this game with Hawthorn's tall forwards.
Hawthorn
FB: Brown, Gilham, Birchall
HB: Guerra, Croad, Ladson
C: Bateman, Hodge, Smith
HF: Lewis, Franklin, Crawford
FF: Dixon, Roughead, Boyle
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Mitchell
bench from: Ellis, McGlynn, Murphy, Taylor, Tuck, Vandenberg, Young
In: Murphy, Tuck, Vandenberg
AFL Fantasy Watch:
It should be a fast game so plenty of Hawks could have the ball a lot, someone like Bateman or Young could have a big game.
Geelong v Port Adelaide
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley
HB:, Mackie, Egan, Wojcinski
C: Kelly, Bartel, Corey
HF: S.Johnson, Mooney, Varcoe
FF: Chapman, N.Ablett, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, Ling, G.Ablett
bench from: Enright, J.Hunt, Playfair, D.Johnson, Blake, Byrnes, Gardiner
In: Playfair, Byrnes, Blake, Gardiner, D.Johnson
Out: King, Selwood
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Selwood has "general soreness", so he won't be able to help fantasy teams this week.
Port Adelaide
FB: Wilson, Thurstans, Pettigrew
HB: P.Burgoyne, Chaplin, Surjan
C: Cassisi, K.Cornes, Rodan
HF: C.Cornes, Tredrea, Ebert
FF: Lade, Westhoff, Motlop
Foll: Brogan, S. Burgoyne, Pearce
bench from: Boak, Carlile, Logan, Mahoney, Salopek, Thomson, Wakelin
In: Logan, Mahoney, Wakelin
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Geelong are on a great roll and if they get another win it could mean reduced stats for may of the Power stars.
Essendon v Richmond
Essendon
FB: Slattery, Michael, Ryder
HB: Winderlich, Fletcher, Lovett-Murray
C: McPhee, McVeigh, Lovett
HF: Monfries, Gumbleton, Welsh
FF: Lucas, Lloyd, Reimers
Foll: Laycock, Hird, Stanton
bench from: Bradley, Camporeale, Dempsey, Hille, Hocking, M. Johnson, Nash
In: Bradley, Dempsey, Hille
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Laycock was very good for fantasy points against Carlton, but before signing him it is a good idea to wait until the team is finalized to see if Hille will also play.
Richmond
FB: King, Bowden, Thursfield
HB: Newman, Polak, Raines
C: Johnson, Tuck, Tivendale
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Tambling
FF: Meyer, Riewoldt, Brown
Foll: Pattison, Deledio, Foley
bench from: Connors, Hyde, McGuane, Moore, Edwards, Schulz, Jackson
In: Moore, Edwards, Meyer, Schulz
Out: Howat
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Pattison had a solid game for fantasy points against Dean Cox and should finish the year with a couple more good games.
Ricciuto is ready to go one more time, and if he plays it might be enough for the Crows to defeat the Lions, which would mean they only would need to win the last game of the regular season to possibly make the finals.
Maybe Ricciuto will surprise even himself with how well he plays and unretire, and if the Lions bring back Chris Scott to play on him then Ricciuto might look very quick.
From The Advertiser: Pick me, coach
From the Adelaide site: Roo bounds into contention
AFL Fantasy Impact:
He was often the first player picked when filling in the AFL fantasy entry forms from The Age newspaper. He was worth the top price, which might have been 9 or even 10, back then but it probably isn't a good idea to sign him now in fantasy leagues.
If you are a Crows fan, and fighting for 9th spot in your 16-team fantasy league then go ahead and sign him for the fun of it, it is a bit risky for fantasy teams contending for a title as Ricciuto may not play in round 22. Although it must be remembered that Ricciuto kicked a bunch of goals against Collingwood last season, and that is who the Crows play in the last round. Ricciuto is a lot cheaper than he was at the start of the fantasy season, so that is another small reason to sign him.
As long as Dean Cox is playing, the Eagles can win another Grand Final, and right now he is the only healthy member of their preferred centre-square group. Kerr won't be ready until deep into the finals after requiring surgery on his finger.
From the Yahoo Sports: Kerr out until Grand Final week
From the West Coast site: Kerr to have surgery
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Priddis was predicted to be a fantasy star until the Eagles returned to full strength in the midfield. That did happen but then the Eagles lost a few players which made Priddis a fantasy star again. So Priddis is an option to replace Kerr on fantasy teams.
Kerr will have to be traded as he is finished for the fantasy season, there are plenty of options among the fantasy midfielders to choose from. It might be best to avoid veteran onballers from teams going to miss the 8, although maybe an exception could be made if Melbourne name Cameron Bruce, and maybe even avoid some of the Geelong stars who may be asked to do less in the last couple of games, but that still leaves plenty of others. Dal Santo, K Cornes, Goodes, Hodge or Mitchell should be useful for the next two games.
Name: Trent Cotchin
Height: 184
Weight: 81
State: Victoria Metro
Club(s): Northern/PEGS
AFL Positions:
He will be a speedy and dominating midfielder for many years in the AFL.
Perfect Fit For:
Essendon need to be quicker in the middle, adding Cotchin would greatly improve every aspect of their midfield group. He might get to them in the draft, if the teams picking before the Bombers have different priorities. Unlike many teams, the Bombers have consistently drafted for height so that puts them in a good position now, as they can add quality midfielders with their early picks because they already have players like Gumbleton and Ryder.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
The teams picking with the first picks need to get talls but one of them will probably think that Cotchin is the BPA. Melbourne have been getting solid play from Newton, and Frawley was their first pick last year, so they might forget about selecting a tall early in the draft and take Cotchin. The Tigers and Blues might also have him at the top of their list and could take him as the best player available.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He should help fantasy teams next season. Cotchin gets a lot of the ball and uses it well. He plays taller than his height and should get plenty of marks against other midfielders. He will be among a group of 4 or 5 quality first-year onballers to choose from, and while it will depend on the AFL teams that they play for, it could be Cotchin who is the best for stats.
Round 20 goes to Bryce Gibbs.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 11
Handballs: 9
Marks: 8
Tackles: 2
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 8
Handballs: 7
Marks: 2
Tackles: 2
Goals: 0
Geelong had Chapman back, so that pushed Selwood into a secondary role for the Cats. Geelong still won and Selwood contributed when asked to. Gibbs started against Hird at the MCG. Gibbs had solid stats but not a big influence on the game. He will be one player hoping for a battleship, or maybe a cruiser, of a ruckman next season to help him and the Carlton midfield get the ball.
They have already engraved his name on the trophy, probably, as Joel Selwood has to get the Rising Star award. It will be interesting to see where Gibbs finishes in the voting. It might be difficult for him to grab a top 5 spot. Pendlebury and Ryder have played very well, Nathan Jones too, and as they are eligible even in their second year of AFL they should have more votes than Gibbs. One of the Power youngsters would finish above Gibbs too, so a top 5 finish in the voting looks out of reach.
Selwood gets to welcome Boak back to his neighbourhood. While Gibbs and J Selwood will always be linked and compared as they were two of the highest-rated onballers in the 2006 AFL draft, it was Boak who was rumoured to be going to Geelong until the Power grabbed him earlier than expected. Gibbs is unlikely to see the Kangaroos' first pick, Hansen, when he plays. The season was over for Carlton a long time ago, but it is even more over now if that is possible, which means they should have some fun and try something radical. Gibbs to full forward, put a couple of marking targets, like Whitnall and Fisher or Mr Kennedy if he is available, around the 50m line and give Gibbs plenty of space in front of goals. They have nothing to lose, as losing is really a win for them due to the draft rules.
B Gibbs 7 - J Selwood 13
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
The players and umpires will be in "throwback" uniforms for some games next year, to celebrate 150 years of football, but the grounds they play on may not be looking the part. The rules of the game and need for sponsor signs won't allow a total change back to the old days but some things can be done.
The best idea would be to watch an old black and white classic VFL Grand Final. A special heritage round in 2008 could replicate some of the things from then. The 50m line is useful but it doesn't affect any laws of the game. That would be easy to dispense with for a round, although it is likely the players and spectators would still be able to figure out the location of the arc as it would be painted over with green paint.
The next part that could be changed is the goal-posts, and point-posts. Compared to the old days, the posts are enormous now. The reasoning for the taller posts is to help the goal umpires with their decisions, that has some merit but in other leagues, like the WAFL, they seem to get by with short posts. Some of the WAFL point posts don't look too much taller than Max Bailey reaching an arm up, and they are still able to effectively judge goals.
Covering the fences in very long fan banners won't be able to happen now. Changing the centre square shape or dimensions would be changing a rule of the game so that won't work. But there are a few things that could be done next year to take the grounds back to the past.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: No Countdown Clocks
Sometimes a picture of a guy wearing a helmet appears on this site. Here is the AFL Insider NFL fantasy team that was drafted a few weeks ago. A good idea would be to avoid most of these players, as inclusion on this team often results in injuries during the season for the players chosen.
The major NFL fantasy competitions don’t include punters, so Graham and maybe Rocca can’t be drafted. The following team is for the Yahoo Sports game.
QB Marc Bulger (StL - QB)
WR Steve Smith (Car - WR)
WR Terry Glenn (Dal - WR)
WR Chris Chambers (Mia - WR)
RB Brian Westbrook (Phi - RB)
RB Deuce McAllister (NO - RB)
TE Antonio Gates (SD - TE)
K Josh Brown (Sea - K)
DEF New England (NE - DEF)
BN Jake Delhomme (Car - QB)
BN Santonio Holmes (Pit - WR)
BN Eddie Kennison (KC – WR)
BN Cedric Benson (Chi - RB)
BN Tatum Bell (Det - RB)
BN Reuben Droughns (NYG - RB)
Yahoo Fantasy NFL Football
The Lions used pick 4 in the draft on giant ruckman Matthew Leuenberger, which was an investment for the future. They now need Leuenberger to lead them into the finals as Jamie Charman is out injured. The Lions will bring in another ruckman, Wood or McDonald, and Chris Scott might even return.
Story from The Courier-Mail: Lions Jamie Charman to miss two matches
From the Lions site: Charman injury blow for the Lions
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Charman has a very good fantasy price and can be traded for nearly any ruckman. Leuenberger was a top 5 ruckman for fantasy points last round, and would be expected to have a good game against Hudson and the Crows. The last week of the fantasy season will have the Cats visiting Brisbane, Geelong could still be experimenting with their ruckmen so Leuenberger should get enough fantasy points to help fantasy teams.
Kane Cornes of the Port Adelaide Power.
Fortress Tasmania has been a venue that the Hawks have used to their advantage, but the Power are one team that does not fear a trip to Tasmania. Port Adelaide can thank Kane Cornes for providing a match-winning performance as they defeated the Hawks by 5 points.
Kane Cornes did the work of two players, he not only contained a Hawthorn star but he also led his team in disposals too. Maybe he even did the work of three players, as K Cornes joined Motlop as Port Adelaide's top scorer for the day, he had 3 goals.
Cornes had 22 handballs and 16 kicks. He also had more marks than any other player, finishing the game with 14. He received 5 free kicks and also had 3 tackles, Kane Cornes was very busy.
Motlop kicked a late goal to get them close and Ebert finished it off in the final second, but without Kane Cornes the Power would not have been close enough to catch the Hawks. While there have been occasions when Kane has been known as “Chad's brother”, it was a game that put Chad in the background and Kane in the spotlight, and also made Kane Cornes the AFL Player Of The Week.
Kane Cornes' profile at the Power site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Matthew Pavlich.
Carlton are going to give Ratten two years to get the Blues winning again. They had a big search to find a new coach and hired the guy who was already there.
Carlton have been playing a lot better since the coaching change, although no radical changes have been implemented by Ratten yet. Ackland has seen more time in the ruck, while Jamison has been promoted and put right in at full back.
It would seem that Ratten is going to keep Fevola around, so it doesn't look like Ratten will be going through the club with a broom.
From The Age: Carlton names Ratten fulltime AFL coach
From the Carlton site: Ratten to Coach
AFL Fantasy Impact:
It is two games of playing the young players now. Fevola is out, Thornton is gone too, they might find a few more injuries to some of their other players too. That will produce some unlikely fantasy performers, and there is a big hole at full forward that O'hAilpin or Whitnall might fill.
1: Geelong Cats 17-3 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
Geelong keep defeating all challengers, and they have another big game with the Power visiting on Sunday. There are not many problems at Kardinia Park and with Chapman back they are even better. The ruck controversy is a worry, although plenty of teams would like the problem of having too many huge ruckmen, and there was also the story reported in the media about the young Geelong player and his internet site.
2: West Coast Eagles 13-7 (2)
The Eagles could have a couple of tough games to finish the regular season, as the Saints and Bombers are still fighting for a finals spot.
3: Hawthorn Hawks 12-8 (3)
Looking at their last few seasons, Hawthorn should be happy to be back in the finals. But second spot was there for them, and they would wish they had the last minute of the Power game to play again. They can still regroup and finish in the top 4.
4: Sydney Swans 11-8-1 (4)
Barry Hall was getting to the ball and marking strongly, which was an improvement over some of his previous games, although his accuracy in front of goal is the next item to address.
5: Port Adelaide Power 13-7 (5)
The Power can beat anyone, so they could surprise a few people during the finals. Although they will be the big underdogs when they visit the Cats this week.
6: Collingwood Magpies 12-8 (6)
That was the "easy" part of their schedule, but they had to fight for two wins against the bottom sides, while also losing to Richmond. It is Hall at one end and Rocca at the other next week, and whichever player fires could take his team to a top 4 spot. The Magpies should be bolstered by several players returning after playing the VFL, Licuria and Clarke should be back in white and black, and they might also be very excited to have Buckley playing again too.
7: Kangaroos 12-8 (7)
Coach Laidley has not had a good month, losing three of four, so they better not sign him up until the finals are over.
8: St Kilda Saints 10-9-1 (10)
Win a game and make the finals, that is all they have to do next week, although their opponent is the Eagles. That is something the Saints have already accomplished this year, and if Gehrig is at his best the Saints won't have any problems.
9: Brisbane Lions 9-9-2 (8)
Charman getting injured did produce the opportunity for Leuenberger to play big minutes, and Leuenberger did some great things. They will want both ruckmen available for their final two matches as they fight for the last spot in the top 8 but it doesn't look like Charman will play.
10: Essendon Bombers 10-10 (12)
Camporeale was actually a very good player for Essendon when they struggled to defeat Carlton. That might not be good news. Watson and Peverill may be back in the middle after playing well in the VFL.
11: Adelaide Crows 10-10 (13)
They are still alive, but have to stop Jonathan Brown next week to not be eliminated from the finals race. It is another home game, which will help their chances.
12: Fremantle Dockers 9-11 (9)
The Dockers and Demons will play in a game next round that won't really affect anything.
13: Western Bulldogs 9-10-1 (11)
Along with Adelaide and Fremantle, the Bulldogs are one of the biggest disappointments of the season. Everyone knew they were a tad short but their pace and skills were expected to overcome that, it didn't happen.
14: Melbourne Demons 4-16 (15)
If Bruce is back then Melbourne will win one more game, maybe even both of them.
15: Carlton Blues 4-16 (14)
It looked like there wasn't going to be a round 22 game to decide the picks as Carlton nearly had Essendon. They play the Kangaroos and then it is Melbourne in what might be called "The M1 Abrahms Match". Which would mean it has something to do with a tank.
16: Richmond Tigers 2-17-1 (16)
2008 will be better, but they have to wait to see if they get pick 1 or pick 2, after the season they have had they certainly deserve pick 1.
Name: Jack Grimes
Height: 187
Weight: 76
State: Victoria Metro
Club(s): Northern/Hurstbridge
AFL Positions:
He is a midfield leader, making smart decisions and doing what his team needs. He should spend a lot of time in the centre square. But if his AFL team needs him to play as a defender or forward he would be able to contribute there too.
Perfect Fit For:
The Crows are starting to lose some of their bigger bodies in the middle to retirement. Grimes would bring size, leadership and intensity.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
He might still be around when Richmond make their priority selection. Assuming they went big with their earlier pick, Grimes might be taken with Richmond's second pick in the draft.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He will be a player that fantasy coaches think about signing in 2008. Plenty of possessions and tackles, some occasional goals, his fantasy points could be good in 2008. He is a bit taller than some midfielders, and can also get into space in the middle, so his marks totals could add up too. Grimes should play plenty of AFL games next season, no matter who drafts him.
The fans in Tasmania were entertained by a close game that was decided in the final second. Ebert played tall when it mattered and his mark and goal got the Power the win.
Power 87 - Hawks 82
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
K Cornes: 38 possessions, 14 marks and 3 goals, obviously that was great for fantasy points.
Ebert: 8 kicks and 7 marks, he has had a very good fantasy season.
Wilson: Some people are trying to retire him, but after 20 possessions and 3 frees for his fantasy coaches are happy he is playing.
Brogan: Lade didn't have to do as much with big Brogan back, and Brogan did a bit extra with 15 possessions and 8 marks.
Motlop: 3 goals and 5 tackles, a solid performance for fantasy points.
Hawthorn
Young: He gets in space and kicks it long, which is what produces fantasy points, he had 17 kicks and 7 marks.
Ellis: 16 possessions and 7 tackles, an underrated player who doesn't get a lot of playing time for Hawthorn.
Roughead: 3 goals and 2 behinds, plenty of fantasy teams will be looking to sign a forward this week and Roughead could be an option.
Brown: 18 possessions and 9 marks, a good increase on his usual fantasy points.
Dixon: 3 goals and 5 marks, a solid game but there should be better forwards at his price to sign.
The Kangaroos fought back a few times but the Cats always had the answer. Chapman's return was very important for Geelong.
Cats 118 - Kangaroos 91
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Bartel: 36 possessions and 8 marks, up the top of the fantasy rankings.
Ottens: 10 kicks, 8 marks and a goal, but be careful in signing him as he could be rested or they might try their 3 ruckmen idea.
J Hunt: He needs to fight for a spot in their finals' side, that might help along his stats and he had 22 possessions.
Chapman: 19 possessions, 7 marks, 2 goals and 9 tackles, a player to consider signing for the last couple of games.
G Ablett: The usual, 2 goals and 31 possessions, the elite when it comes to fantasy forwards.
Kangaroos
Harris: He has been playing at a much higher level in recent games, here he had 18 possessions and his fantasy points were boosted by receiving 7 free kicks.
Archer: 20 possessions and 8 marks, he is ending the season with some very good games for stats.
McIntosh: 14 possessions, 5 marks and a goal, one of the better fantasy ruckmen.
Wells: He lifted for this game with 20 possessions, but his 3 scoring shots were all behinds.
Grant: 3 goals, 8 marks, 12 kicks and 7 handballs.
Once again the Bulldogs were too small up forward while Adelaide were able to find some marking targets near goal.
Crows 107 - Bulldogs 73
Adelaide
Knights: 28 possessions and 7 marks, a bargain buy earlier in the season.
Welsh: Kicked 4 goals, also had 9 marks.
Reilly: 29 possessions, 8 marks and a goal, a lot more fantasy points than he usually produces.
Hudson: Back in the team and was good for fantasy teams with 16 possessions and 2 frees for.
Meesen: His first game and he didn't do a lot, but he might become a fantasy player next season on a different team.
Western Bulldogs
Gilbee: They needed him to lead the back line, and his fantasy teams also were glad he was playing, he was back to his expected numbers with 27 possessions.
Johnson: Only kicked 1 goal, but also added 17 possessions.
Boyd: He isn't slowing down, even with West and Cross both back playing, Boyd had 31 possessions.
Ray: 19 possessions and 5 marks, he will want to play better for their final two games and that might help fantasy teams.
Eagleton: 24 possessions and 11 marks, very useful numbers for fantasy AFL.
Buckley, and Licuria, powered Williamstown to a big win in the VFL. Both of them should be back playing for Collingwood next round.
From the Collingwood site: Buckley makes a successful comeback
From The Age: Buckley emerges unscathed and in fine form
From the Herald Sun: Bucks passes with flying colours
AFL Fantasy Impact:
On that performance, sign Buckley up for AFL fantasy teams. If you are in a fantasy league final and are looking for a different player to get an advantage, then Buckley could be the one to sign. Even halving the VFL numbers, which were 29 possessions and 4 goals, it would be a good fantasy points result next round. But with the good chance of 20 possessions, most of which would be long and accurate kicks, a few marks and a goal or two it could be a big fantasy points game when Buckley plays for Collingwood.
Essendon are still in the finals race, Carlton are still in the Kreuzer race, although for most of the game it looked like Carlton would get the win. A bunch of goals from Lloyd got Essendon the win.
Bombers 118 - Blues 108
Fantasy Player News
Essendon
Laycock: If Hille is out then Laycock is a good fantasy ruckman, he had 20 possessions.
Monfries: 18 kicks and 2 goals, more production than he normally has for fantasy points.
Lloyd: 12 kicks, 11 marks and 6 goals, fantasy points would have been even higher but he gave away 4 frees.
Lovett: 21 possessions, 7 marks and a goal, a big improvement on his normal numbers.
Lovett-Murray: Not a dominant fantasy player at the moment, but 20 possessions was a useful game and he should finish the regular season with a couple of very good performances.
Carlton
Bentick: Not expected to play, he was a late inclusion and had 31 possessions.
Scotland: Back to his very good fantasy numbers, 31 possessions and 9 marks.
Betts: Got a lot of marks, 10, and possessions, 18, and was a lot more than a forward pocket in this game.
Jamison: Is providing some good fantasy points at a low price, he had 10 possessions, 5 tackles and received 3 frees.
Whitnall: 10 possessions and a goal, he could have a couple of big games with Fevola out.
Every now and then Gehrig takes over a game and there is nothing that can stop him. The Dockers were destroyed by Gehrig and they can now go into total 2008 mode. The Saints are still a finals chance.
Saints 126 - Dockers 96
Fantasy Player News
St Kilda
Gehrig: A monster game, it is likely that the fantasy coaches who win this round will have Gehrig in their team, he had 12 kicks, 8 marks and 8 goals.
Fiora: Was great early in the season and is close to that form again, he had 12 kicks and 11 marks.
R clarke: He showed he should keep his spot in their side with 9 marks and 9 kicks.
Blake: 15 possessions and 4 tackles were useful numbers, a big bonus for fantasy points was the 5 frees for.
Hayes: 17 kicks, 9 handballs, 6 marks and 7 tackles.
Fremantle
Solomon: 23 possessions and 7 tackles, his fantasy season has probably been better than Tarrant's.
Mundy: Getting more playing time with the new coach, he had 16 possessions, 6 marks and kicked a goal.
J Carr: 12 kicks, 13 handballs, 4 frees for, 9 marks, 7 tackles and 2 goals, he can have some big games for fantasy points.
Bell: 2 goals, 4 frees for and 23 possessions, another good game from Bell.
Thornton: He seems to get himself into trouble with his handball, which did result on him getting the ball handballed back to him on several occasions, this resulted in 17 total handballs for the match.
That was unexpected, and the draw certainly changes things for the top 8. Sydney's big percentage isn't very useful now, while the Lions now have two draws which equals one win. The Lions were probably lucky to get half a win here as the Swans had a lot more scoring shots. Brown's kick at the end of the game was the highlight of the round, he took on the responsibility and kicked the long goal to tie it up.
Lions 63 - Swans 63
Fantasy Player News
Brisbane
Brown: 10 marks, 11 kicks and 4 goals, he is one of the best fantasy players at the moment.
Adcock: 22 possessions and 7 tackles, he has been great for fantasy teams this year with his midfielder numbers and his defender fantasy position.
Leuenberger: 15 possessions and 5 marks as he stepped up when Charman was hurt.
Hadley: 18 possessions and a goal as he returned to the Brisbane side.
Sherman: A huge star in preseason, Sherman has been a disappointment during the fantasy season but he was solid here with 16 possessions and 4 tackles.
Sydney
Hall: He was getting the ball, which was good for his fantasy points, but his kicking was more than a tad off, he kicked 1 goal and 5 behinds.
C Bolton: 22 possessions and 13 marks, a very mobile tall defender which is great for fantasy points.
J Bolton: 20 possessions, half of them were in the first quarter, he also had 4 marks, 4 tackles and 3 frees for.
Brennan: 17 possessions, he has provided some value in recent weeks.
Barlow: One to remember for next fantasy AFL season, he had 18 possessions.
The result was not a surprise but Richmond staying close for most of the game must be a worry to West Coast. The Tigers were just too short in the back line as the Eagles had plenty of marking options.
Eagles 117 - Tigers 86
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
Lynch: 7 goals and 10 marks, he stayed closer to goal and did a lot more damage for his team and for fantasy teams.
Staker: 7 marks and 2 goals, he has been a very useful fantasy player this year.
Hunter: He went forward and made things difficult for the Tigers, fantasy coaches were happy with his 3 goals and 6 marks.
Priddis: When the regular onballers are away then Priddis gets to play, he had 25 possessions.
Glass: He was solid for stats at full back with 7 kicks, 7 handballs and 3 frees received.
Richmond
Pattison: Worth signing, as his next two games will be even better, he kicked a goal and had 12 possessions.
Tambling: 12 kicks and 10 marks, a much better game than he usually has for fantasy points.
Brown: 3 goals, 14 kicks and 8 marks, very good numbers.
Tuck: 24 possessions, he is a very consistent player for fantasy teams.
Richardson: 15 marks, 14 kicks, 3 goals, he might be a forward to sign for fantasy teams that need to replace a forward for the last two games of the season.
Big Saverio Rocca played another NFL preseason game as he competes for the punting position at the Philadelphia Eagles. Rocca kicked for distance and accuracy, and also showed that he could hold the ball for the field goal kicker.
4th and 11 at CAR 34 (12:12) D.Akers 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-J.Dorenbos, Holder-S.Rocca.
1st and 3 at CAR 3 (7:36) T.Hunt right tackle for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Dorenbos, Holder-S.Rocca.
4th and 10 at PHI 21 (5:01) S.Rocca punts 58 yards to CAR 21, Center-J.Dorenbos. R.Robinson pushed ob at CAR 40 for 19 yards (J.Avant).
4th and 21 at CAR 39 (1:41) S.Rocca punts 35 yards to CAR 4, Center-J.Dorenbos, downed by PHI-G.Lewis.
4th and 4 at PHI 43 (12:06) S.Rocca punts 57 yards to end zone, Center-J.Dorenbos, Touchback.
3rd and 7 at CAR 34 (10:42) J.Delhomme pass short right intended for S.Smith INTERCEPTED by L.Sheppard at CAR 40. L.Sheppard for 40 yards, TOUCHDOWN. 0 10
D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Dorenbos, Holder-S.Rocca.
3rd and 1 at CAR 1 (1:55) T.Hunt right tackle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. 0 23
D.Akers extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Dorenbos, Holder-S.Rocca.
Philadelphia Punting
TOT YDS AVG TB -20 LG
S. Rocca 3 150 50.0 1 1 58
D. Johnson 3 121 40.3 1 2 51
Team 6 271 45.2 2 3 58
Collingwood owned the first half while Melbourne dominated in the second half. The Demons' late charge just fell short as they were missing several players who were injured.
Magpies 81 - Demons 70
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Rusling: His first game in a long time, he had 7 marks and kicked a goal, a good fantasy player at a low price.
Bryan: 9 kicks and 5 marks, a much better fantasy player than Richards is, but only helps fantasy teams if Fraser is out.
Pendlebury: 12 kicks, should be much better next week.
Thomas: 21 possessions, 8 marks and 6 tackles, Thomas was in a lot of the action.
Wakelin: He has been a good player for fantasy points, when Prestigiacomo has missed games.
Melbourne
Neitz: 11 kicks, 7 marks and 3 goals, he was very good for fantasy points in his 300th game.
Newton: 13 kicks, 6 marks, a goal and 4 free kicks received, he has been a useful fantasy player the past month.
Brown: 30 possessions, 8 marks and 6 tackles, he always gets fantasy points.
Dunn: They use him in a midfield role now, which should help his fantasy numbers, he had 12 possessions, 4 marks, 4 tackles and a goal.
McDonald: 16 kicks, 12 tackles and 5 frees for, a huge game for fantasy points.
The wrong Cornes might have been selected as captain last week, as Kane had a better game than Chad did. Fletcher gets the captaincy for this round.
B David Mundy
B Jesse Smith
B Andrew Raines
B Grant Birchall
B Graham Polak
B Dustin Fletcher (captain)
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
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)
Polak went forward last week, which would likely mean a drop in fantasy points, but he kicked 2 goals in the first 2 minutes so that was useful. Smith was crunched by the big Eagle who wears his special glove, that did look bad for the fantasy team but Smith not only got up off the ground but he made his way forward and kicked a goal.
Maybe Judd gets traded next week, his injury has affected his numbers. Bartel had one of his really big games last week, that helped this team but also around half the other fantasy teams too.
Hudson is back playing this week so that should help the fantasy team a little bit.
Maybe Hall gets traded next week, he seems to be getting to the ball but he is dropping marks that he would normally get.
Ackland played for the fantasy team last week as Hudson was dropped by the Crows. With Thornton's injury it could mean S O'hAilpin plays as a defender again for Carlton which could mean more minutes for Ackland in the ruck. None of that probably helps this team unless Hudson or White miss a game.
Name: Dawson Simpson
Height: 205
Weight: 97
State: Victoria Country
Club(s): Murray/Barnawartha
AFL Positions:
He is a ruckman, a huge and intimidating ruckman. That could be a worry for AFL players of the future as he will be even bigger after a few years of AFL weight training. Probably isn't suited to any other positions. His role as a ruckman would be to contest the hitouts and then play a kick behind play and to also fill the hole in front of the full forward.
Perfect Fit For:
The Magpies would be a good destination for Simpson. When Fraser is ready to retire, which is several years away, then that might be the time that Simpson is ready to be a starting ruckman in the AFL.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
If Melbourne bring in the former Essendon coach for next season then he will want to make the Demons a lot bigger, so Simpson would make sense there. But it might depend on whether Melbourne go big with their first round pick, and also if they have a priority pick to use too. Melbourne's third round pick might be used on Simpson and it should be a good investment.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
Very little chance of him helping fantasy teams next year, and it might be several years more until fantasy coaches start signing him up.
The Swans don't have Leo Barry available to play on Jonathan Brown and now Sydney have to adjust their defensive setup again with Tadhg Kennelly out with a knee injury. Ed Barlow is going to replace Tadhg Kennelly in the Sydney side
From the Swans site: Kennelly out of Gabba clash
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Kennelly will need to be traded if there isn't an adequate backup on the fantasy bench. There are plenty of good players to choose from that are around his price. Adelaide's Stevens, Bock or Johncock would be a good addition. The Dockers have Gilmore who is playing very well, Michael Johnson is another option at a slightly higher price. To try something different, Whitnall, Copeland or Archer could be useful for the last three games.
Collingwood v Melbourne
The Tip: Melbourne by 15 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jeff White
Chance For An Upset: The Magpies are expected to get the win, but the loss of Fraser could give Melbourne an advantage especially is White has a big game.
Collingwood
They win if....they can contain Robertson, he is a difficult player to find the appropriate opponent for.
The Good News: Pendlebury returns earlier than expected and they need his run through the middle.
The Bad News: Without Josh Fraser in the ruck, Collingwood are without one of their most important players.
Melbourne
They win if....they have enough height in the back line to stop Rocca, Cloke and Rusling.
The Good News: Neitz plays game number 300.
The Bad News: They are still interviewing a bunch of coaching candidates, they should just give it to Sheedy.
Essendon v Carlton
The Tip: Essendon by 23 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Scott Lucas
Chance For An Upset: Carlton are getting a lot closer to winning but Essendon might have the tall forwards that will kick enough goals to just get the win.
Essendon
They win if....Camporeale spends most of the match on the bench.
The Good News: Gumbleton is another big target in the forward line.
The Bad News: That were some strange changes to the side, with Hille and Watson out and Camporeale in.
Carlton
They win if....they stop Stanton, with Watson probably out of the Essendon side it means Stanton doesn't have as much help in the middle.
The Good News: Whitnall returns, they need his skills in the forward line.
The Bad News: Bentick is one of their only strong bodies to use in the middle, but he is stuck in the VFL now.
St Kilda v Fremantle
The Tip: Fremantle by 9 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Luke McPharlin
Chance For An Upset: The Saints are at home for this game but it is a new Fremantle team at the moment and the Dockers also have some mobile defenders who could slow down Riewoldt and Gehrig.
St Kilda
They win if....Milne kicks more goals than Farmer does down the other end, while the big forwards will get all the attention it could be one of the smaller players that wins the match.
The Good News: Blake is contributing in a number of roles, including a tagger in the midfield, but he might go back to his old role for this game as a backup ruckman.
The Bad News: While most teams are getting a contribution from their draft picks, the Saints haven't been helped a lot this season by the players they picked in the draft.
Fremantle
They win if....Bell has a bigger game than Ball.
The Good News: The coaching change has brought a lot more wins.
The Bad News: Even if the Dockers win this round it is unlikely they will jump into the top 8, as one of the Bulldogs or Crows will win and stay above them on the ladder.
Brisbane v Sydney
The Tip: Brisbane by 19 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jed Adcock
Chance For An Upset: It should be close, and Sydney are the favourite, but Brown is in a lot better form than Hall is so that could be the difference.
Brisbane
They win if....their ruckmen are up to the contest against the Swans' giants, Charman might have a sore hand while Leuenberger has only played a few games.
The Good News: Home ground advantage might be very important int heir chase for a finals spot, they have two more games in Brisbane.
The Bad News: Hooper was a good player during their streak, he is out and someone like Harding, Hadley or Johnson will have to take over his small forward role.
Sydney
They win if....they don't allow Notting to run around without an opponent.
The Good News: It is a rare battle of two high draft picks called Brennan, Sydney made a good choice when they gave Luke another shot at the AFL.
The Bad News: They would have liked to have Leo Barry available to battle Brown.
West Coast v Richmond
The Tip: West Coast by 50 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Chance For An Upset: The Eagles have lost a couple of games at home that they were expected to easily win, so if the Tigers can again find marking targets up forward they could challenge the Eagles.
West Coast
They win if....they pay attention to the Tigers' little players, Foley and King.
The Good News: Cox and Seaby continue to dominate the hitouts and are also getting forward to kick goals.
The Bad News: Embley is out for several games.
Richmond
They win if....Riewoldt marks everything that comes in his direction.
The Good News: They looked very good last week when they recorded their second win of the year.
The Bad News: They do seem to neglect their ruck position when it comes to drafting and trading, right now they are down to their last ruckman.
Hawthorn v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 12 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Peter Burgoyne
Chance For An Upset: Both teams play very well in Tasmania, the Power's ruckmen might be the difference.
Hawthorn
They win if....their big three up forward take over the game.
The Good News: The Hawks have certainly showed the other clubs how to rebuild, trade the old guys for draft picks and then scout the prospects effectively.
The Bad News: Vandenberg is hurt again.
Port Adelaide
They win if....they have Peter Burgoyne loose in their back line and he does more damage than someone like Guerra does for Hawthorn in a similar role.
The Good News: Brogan, Salopek and Tredrea are their inclusions, those three significantly strengthen the team.
The Bad News: Their young tall defenders are going to have a big challenge.
Kangaroos v Geelong
The Tip: Kangaroos by 27 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Drew Petrie
Chance For An Upset: Geelong are expected to win every game they play, maybe this have a slight stumble here against the team that previously defeated them.
Kangaroos
They win if....they use the height advantage that Petrie and Hale provide up forward and they also stop Milburn and Bartel playing without an opponent.
The Good News: They know how to beat the Cats, and it is their home game this time too.
The Bad News: Archer probably won't play next season, that will be a loss that isn't easy to replace.
Geelong
They win if....they know who is playing on Simpson, although that seems so long ago and they supposedly did know who was playing on him anyway.
The Good News: Chapman is playing, while G Ablett and Bartel have really stepped up this season, Chapman provides a bit more toughness that will be so important in September.
The Bad News: Those who thought that Hawkins was going to be the season's Rising Star were wrong, but those who did pick a Geelong player to win the award were right.
Adelaide v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 5 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Brad Johnson
Chance For An Upset: Two teams that need a big full forward play for the right to remain in the finals race. The Crows are expected to win but the Bulldogs might get going again with Gilbee and Johnson back in the team.
Adelaide
They win if....Hudson gets back in the good books with a big performance in the ruck.
The Good News: They can still make the finals, if they keep winning, and their percentage is quite good too which might help.
The Bad News: Ricciuto is retiring, the fans will have to find another player to cheer their name when they have the ball.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....West, Cross and Boyd get a huge amount of the football.
The Good News: Gilbee with the ball in the back line means a lot of accurate and long passes to other Bulldogs.
The Bad News: McDougall was supposed to bring them some size, but the way the Bulldogs play it is their taller players who kick forward to their smalls who are expected to mark the ball.
The soft players of football can stop hiding now with the news that Mark Ricciuto will be retiring at the end of the season. Ricciuto played a lot of games, kicked a huge amount of goals, won plenty of awards and just as importantly he played the game the right way. Ricciuto attacked the ball, and also anyone unfortunate enough to be between him and the ball.
Ricciuto started in the back line, played in the midfield and was also a successful forward. The Crows could put him anywhere and expect a match-winning performance.
The Crows are going to be without an onfield link to their early days with Ricciuto gone. When Ricciuto first played for the Crows he was out there with players like Andrew Jarman, Wayne "The Weed" Weidemann and Scott Hodges.
AFL fans are going to rue the day that Roo called it a day, as the league loses a player who kicked the ball hard every time and competed as hard as any other player around. If a Crows game from 1993 is shown on TV it is a good idea to watch, from his first game of his career Ricciuto was sending bodies flying.
From The Advertiser: Adelaide Crows captain Mark 'Roo' Ricciuto retires
From the Adelaide Crows site:
Roo to retire at end of season
The career of Mark Ricciuto
Ricciuto's player profile
Wikipedia page for Ricciuto
Collingwood v Melbourne
Collingwood
FB: Clement, Wakelin, Lockyer
HB: H.Shaw, O'Brien, Johnson
C: R.Shaw, Burns, Cook
HF: Maxwell, Rocca, Pendlebury
FF: Thomas, Cloke, Rusling
Foll: Richards, O'Bree, Davis
bench: Swan, Didak, Bryan, Medhurst
emergency: Stanley, Wellingham, Prestigiacomo
In: Richards, Wakelin, Pendlebury, Didak, Rusling
Out: Fraser, Goldsack, Toovey, Prestigiacomo, Licuria
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Rusling might be a useful player for the remaining games of the fantasy AFL season. Rusling's price is right to take a risk with signing him. A lot of fantasy teams have Fraser starting for them, if they don't have a good ruckman on the bench they might want to trade him, Pattison of Richmond and Ryder of Essendon could provide some value.
Melbourne
FB: Holland, Carroll, Brown
HB: Bell, Ferguson, Wheatley
C: Johnstone, McDonald, Bate
HF: Green, Newton, Sylvia
FF: Pickett, Neitz, Robertson
Foll: White, Dunn, Jones
bench: Bode, McLean, Jamar, Davey
emergency: Ward, Miller, Buckley
In: McLean, Bate
Out: Frawley, Moloney
AFL Fantasy Watch:
McLean and Bate can both help fantasy teams. Holland has been producing, for fantasy points at both ends of the ground.
Essendon v Carlton
Essendon
FB: McVeigh, Michael, Slattery
HB: McPhee, Lovett-Murray, Winderlich
C: Nash, Stanton, Reimers
HF: Welsh, Lucas, Gumbleton
FF: M.Johnson, Lloyd, Fletcher
Foll: Laycock, Camporeale, Monfries
bench:, Hird, Hocking, Lovett, Ryder
emergency: Peverill, Watson, Ramanauskas
In: Camporeale, Hird, Hocking, M.Johnson
Out: Dyson, Hille, Peverill, Watson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Some interesting moves by Essendon, and fantasy coaches will have to make some decisions regarding the players who were dropped and the likelihood that they will be back next week. Maybe the best idea is to just trade players like Watson and Peverill.
Carlton
FB: Houlihan, Saddington, Jamison
HB: Simpson, Waite, Bower
C: Blackwell, Scotland, Jackson
HF: Lappin, Whitnall, Fisher
FF: O'hAilpin, Fevola, Betts
Foll: Ackland, Bannister, Carrazzo
bench: Gibbs, Murphy, Russell, Walker
emergency: Bentick, Austin, Hampson
In: Lappin, Whitnall
Out: Grigg, Thornton
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Whitnall might be useful, he is an affordable fantasy player. Jackson and Blackwell get a lot of the ball now and are cheaper players to consider signing. Saddington can get fantasy points when they have him as a loose defender, but if Essendon have Lloyd, Lucas and Gumbleton up forward then Saddington is unlikely to be without an opponent.
St Kilda v Fremantle
St Kilda
FB: Maguire, Hudghton, Gilbert
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, Baker
C: Harvey, Hayes, Montagna
HF: R.Clarke, Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Birss
Foll: Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Blake, Fiora, L.Fisher, Voss
emergency: Jones, M.Clarke, Ferguson
In: Birss, R.Clarke, Voss
Out: Attard, Jones, Rix
AFL Fantasy Watch:
This could be the round that Gehrig kicks a lot more goals. Blake could be a fantasy ruckman to consider, and if he plays against Gilmore he will be picking on someone his own size as a backup ruckman.
Fremantle
FB: Thornton, Grover, Johnson
HB: Black, McPharlin, Hayden
C: Crowley, J.Carr, Mundy
HF: Peake, Tarrant, Solomon
FF: Farmer, Murphy, Pavlich
Foll: Warnock, Bell, Hasleby
bench: Gilmore, McManus, Schammer, M.Carr
emergency: Foster, Webster, Cook
In: M.Carr
Out: Foster
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Gilmore continues to accumulate possessions as a mobile ruckman, his last month has been very good for fantasy points.
Brisbane v Sydney
Brisbane
FB: Macdonald, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Patfull, Begley
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Mills, Brown, Copeland
FF: Selwood, Leuenberger, Brennan
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: Hadley, Johnson, Harding, Rischitelli
emergency: Hamill, Moody, Sherman
In: Harding, Hadley
Out: Hooper, Moody
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Forget about Hooper, he is suspended for the rest of the games and won't help fantasy teams now.
Sydney
FB: Kennelly, Richards, Malceski
HB: Bevan, Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Buchanan
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, McVeigh
FF: Schneider, Hall, Davis
Foll: Jolly, J.Bolton, Goodes
bench: Everitt, Fosdike, Brennan. Schmidt
emergency: Barlow, Dempster, Roberts-Thomson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Goodes is playing much better so now might be the time to sign him again.
West Coast v Richmond
West Coast
FB: Staker, Glass, Wirrpanda
HB: Hurn, Hunter, B.Jones
C: Selwood, Judd, Braun
HF: LeCras, Hansen, Cousins
FF: Armstrong, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Kerr, Stenglein
bench: Fletcher, Priddis, Rosa, Schofield
emergency: R.Jones, McKinley, Morton
In: Fletcher
Out: Embley
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Embley will need to be traded off fantasy teams now, he may not play again until the AFL finals. Fletcher may get enough possessions for his fantasy price but there are better players to sign than him. Priddis and Rosa were both great last week, but with most of their onballers playing it means Priddis and Rosa will have inconistent playing time and stats.
Richmond
FB: King, Thursfield, Newman
HB: Raines, Polak, Connors
C: Bowden, Tuck, Johnson
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Deledio
FF: Brown, Riewoldt, Tambling
Foll: Pattison, Tivendale, Foley
bench: Edwards, Jackson, McGuane, Howat
emergency: Hyde, Moore, White
In: Riewoldt
Out: Graham
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Even going up against Dean Cox for this game, Pattison is going to be very good value for fantasy teams. Polak was good for fantasy points as a forward last week, he might be returning to the back line and more fantasy points with Riewoldt back in the side. Polak will also get some minutes in the ruck when Pattison needs a rest.
Hawthorn v Port Adelaide
Hawthorn
FB: Brown, Gilham, Birchall
HB: Guerra, Croad, Ladson
C: Smith, Mitchell, Young
HF: Crawford, Franklin, Bateman
FF: Hodge, Roughead, Boyle
Foll: Campbell, Sewell, Lewis
bench from: Taylor, Dixon, McGlynn, Thurgood, Osborne, Ellis, Tuck
In: Ellis, Osborne, Thurgood, Tuck
Out: Vandenberg
AFL Fantasy Watch:
There probably isn't too much fantasy value in the players that have been included for this game. The game is in Tasmania and Birchall always stars there.
Port Adelaide
FB: Carlile, Thurstans, Surjan
HB: Wilson, Chaplin, P.Burgoyne
C: K.Cornes. S,Burgoyne, Salopek
HF: Pearce, Tredrea, Motlop
FF: Lade, Westhoff, Ebert
Foll: Brogan, C.Cornes, Cassisi
bench from: Boak, Deluca, Lonie, Pettigrew, Rodan, White, Thomson
In: Brogan, Salopek, Tredrea
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Salopek was great earlier in the year, he should have plenty of the ball again. Salopek's return could see Boak play less, although Boak was great last week. Tredrea is back but is a risk for a fantasy team.
Kangaroos v Geelong
Kangaroos
FB: Green, Watt, Rawlings
HB: Smith, Firrito, Pratt
C: Sinclair, Harris, Grant
HF: Harvey, Jones, Archer
FF: Hale, Petrie, McMahon
Foll: McIntosh, Simpson, Wells
bench from: Sansbury, Swallow, Moran, Edwards, Campbell, Lower, Brown
In: Brown, Lower, Edwards, Campbell
Out: Thomas
AFL Fantasy Watch:
This could be a game that is close and is won at the stoppages, Harris and Simpson could produce for fantasy teams.
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley
HB: Wojcinski, Egan, Mackie
C: Kelly, Bartel, Corey
HF: S.Johnson, Mooney, Selwood
FF: Chapman, Ablett, Stokes
Foll: Ottens, Ling, G.Ablett
bench from: Blake, Enright, J.Hunt, Varcoe, Byrnes, King, Gardiner
In: Blake, J.Hunt, Chapman, Gardiner
Out: D.Johnson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
If Chapman is healthy he will get plenty of fantasy points.
Adelaide v Western Bulldogs
Adelaide
FB: Stevens, Rutten, Johncock
HB: Torney, Bock, Massie
C: Reilly, Goodwin, van Berlo
HF: McLeod, Gill, Douglas
FF: Thompson, Burton, Porplyzia
Foll: Hudson, Shirley, Edwards
bench from: Meesen, McGregor, Welsh, Jericho, Knights, Mattner, Vince
In: Hudson, Mattner, McGregor, Meesen, Welsh, Vince
Out: Griffin, Maric, Perrie
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Crows are making a lot of moves as they search for a team that can kick more goals. Welsh and McGregor would be expected to score a few goals, while Meesen could also see time up forward as well as backing up Hudson in the ruck. Hudson returns after his indiscretion and should be solid again for fantasy points. Burton’s health seems to change all the time, he is named to play so he should be in the mix for fantasy coaches to sign.
Western Bulldogs
FB: Gilbee, Harris, Morris
HB: Everitt, Williams, Hargrave
C: Ray, West, Eagleton
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Murphy
FF: Higgins, Grant, Akermanis
Foll: Darcy, Cooney, Boyd
bench from: Cross, Skipper, Power, Tiller, McDougall, Street, McMahon
In: Gilbee, Johnson, Street
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Gilbee and Johnson are some of the best fantasy players at their positions so their return is important.
Melbourne will need to move along several of their older players as they add a new coach and new hope for season 2008 but David Neitz isn't going anywhere. He wants to play another season and that is good news for Melbourne fans. He may not be as effective as he was at his peak but he still provides a big body for them to structure their forward line around and will always get one of the opposition's best defenders.
From The Age: Veteran Neitz keen to play on for Demons
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Newton and Neitz are very close in fantasy price and points production. Newton has been going up in value every round while Neitz has not had the best year. The time to buy Newton was when he was at the bargain price after a game or two, so maybe now is the time to sign Neitz. A few marks and a couple of goals per game and he is easily worth his fantasy price. In his milestone game you can also expect his teammates to be looking to get him the ball, that won't hurt his stats. The Magpies, Dockers and Blues are Melbourne's opponents to end the season.
Carlton are going to end the regular season with Bret Thornton out of the side, he will have an operation on his ankle.
Carlton are chasing a couple of wins to get some momentum going into next year, they are also chasing the top pick which would be a big help for the next decade. The loss of Thornton may not impact any of that.
From the Carlton site: Whitnall back; Thornton out for season
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Waite or O'hAilpin, or possibly both of them, will need to play in the back line now. Waite will be a good addition to fantasy teams while O'hAilpin won't provide a lot of stats. It could also mean Jamison plays a few more games, he is a very inexpensive fantasy player. Thornton will need to be traded off fantasy teams.
Name: Cale Morton
Height: 192
Weight: 75
State: Western Australia
Club(s): Claremont
AFL Positions:
Where he starts his AFL career, and where he plays for the majority of his career, could be very different. Morton could begin on a wing next season with the idea that he would become a centre half forward a few years down the track. Morton has also shown he is capable in nearly any spot in the back line, he could play a role like Milburn or Sam Fisher do and play on a tall forward if that is needed or play as a loose defender and provide a lot of rebound from the back.
Perfect Fit For:
Melbourne have Bate who provides a secondary tall option around half forward and Morton could give them a similar type of player in the defensive half. With Rivers, Frawley, Petterd and Cale Morton the Demons would have a young back line full of potential. It might happen, as Morton could be one of the players Melbourne seriously consider when they use their first round choice.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
The Eagles were in a position to draft Jarryd Morton last season but went in a different direction and J Morton made his way to Hawthorn. This time around the Eagles are not going to have any chance at drafting Cale Morton, unless they trade up into the early picks. If the Eagles package their first round pick, Mitch Brown and another player or pick it should get them into the top 5 where Cale Morton would be the choice. There is a good chance of the Eagles wanting to make a trade to acquire him, if they don't get a trade done then Adelaide, Essendon or the Bulldogs could be where he goes in the first round.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He is tall, kicks the ball accurately and with distance, he gets into space a lot and can play in a lot of different positions. He could be a great fantasy player and he will be one of the more popular first-year players on fantasy teams next year. If C Morton is a defender in fantasy leagues, he will probably provide the best value of any first-year player at that position.
Round 19 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 10
Handballs: 8
Marks: 6
Tackles: 4
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 14
Handballs: 13
Marks: 7
Tackles: 4
Goals: 2
The Cats continue to win, and for this competition it is Joel Selwood who keeps getting the best of his opponent.
Gibbs was used as an impact player off the bench. He was useful but not a star, and contributed during their run in the second half. Boak had a big game against Carlton, he was selected in the picks between where Gibbs and Selwood were taken.
Selwood has now become one of the big topics of the AFL. One TV channel was comparing his stats to those of Chris Judd from his first year of AFL. His two goals were also worthy of a mention as highlights, especially when he was on the end of the freakish pass from Mooney. Joel Selwood also showed off his vast array of handball skills, including plenty of quick clearances as well as a very accurate, long-range handball.
Gibbs is back on the MCG, against Essendon. His team is more than a good chance to record a win, while Gibbs could have a 20 possession game. When the Kangaroos defeated Geelong earlier in the year, Joel Selwood was one of his team's best players. A lot has changed since then, the Cats have not lost and Selwood has cemented his spot in the AFL's top team and he has also done more than enough for the Rising Star award. Selwood and the rest of the Geelong midfielders will have another tough encounter against the Kangaroos.
B Gibbs 6 - J Selwood 13
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
Lance Whitnall has played two good games in the VFL and is ready to return to the AFL. Whitnall could be auditioning for Carlton's coach for 2008, or a new team if Carlton go in a different direction.
Story from the Herald Sun: Lance has three games
AFL Fantasy Impact:
He certainly is a lot cheaper in fantasy leagues than he was at the start of the year. The average of his last two fantasy games also provides a good number. So there are some reasons why he could produce for fantasy teams in the last three games. Someone wanting to sign a player who is on very few fantasy teams, to get a bonus compared to most other fantasy coaches if he performs, might look at Whitnall.
He could have been kicking 100 goals a season for the Crows, or playing in the midfield for the Power with Chad Cornes, those scenarios won't happen in 2008 as Matthew Pavlich has signed a three year contract extension with the Fremantle Dockers.
It would have been a disaster for the Dockers if Pavlich wanted to leave so this news is a big relief for the club. They have also signed up many of their other players, so even though they have changed their coach they should still have plenty of stability with their list.
From the Fremantle site: Pavlich signs on until 2010
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Pavlich has been one of the star fantasy forwards all season and his new contract won't change anything. Even if he isn't kicking a lot of goals he still gets a large amount of possessions and marks, although lately he has been getting plenty of goals. Fremantle are still chasing a finals spots, and Pavlich is also chasing the Coleman Medal, so he should produce for fantasy points in the remaining three regular season games.
The AFL might have surveyed players and asked if they had a Police record, and some of them may have said yes, and others might have said they listen to the band by that name. While a big name performing on Grand Final day is important, plenty of fans don't get the chance to attend, so maybe next year there could be several games with a concert.
They are celebrating 150 years of football, it is going to be hard to find a band from around then, although the Rolling Stones would come close. There could be lots of ideas for bands that should appear, like AC DC for the Power or Counting Crows to perform before a Crows' game.
Richmond fans deserve something fun, and they would be guaranteed a win if Survivor played before a game next season. With songs from Rocky III, Rocky IV and The Karate Kid, the crowd and the players would be fired up. Eye Of The Tiger would probably get Richmond a win over the defending premiers, or maybe cause them to record the greatest number of reports ever issued in a match.
There have been plenty of more sensible ideas for celebrating the sesquicentennial posted here than having a Survivor concert, but it would be entertaining. It's a lot better than having a dinner out on a football ground, like they are talking about doing, that is so 1996.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Old Style Ovals
Last season in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys’ punter Mat McBriar led the NFL with an average of 48.2 yards per punt. Saverio Rocca finished his first NFL preseason game with an average from 4 kicks of 48.3 yards. It looks like Big Sav can still kick the ball a long way.
Below is the play-by-play when Rocca was on the field against the Baltimore Ravens.
4-5-PHI37 (9:55) (Punt formation) S.Rocca punts 33 yards to BLT 30, Center-J.Dorenbos, fair catch by Y.Figurs.
4-10-BAL26 (8:39) (Punt formation) S.Rocca punts 45 yards to BLT 30, Center-J.Dorenbos. Y.Figurs to BLT 26 for -4 yards (S.Bradley).
PENALTY on BLT-L.McClain, Illegal Block Above the Waist, 13 yards, enforced at BLT 26.
4-12-PHI8 (14:57) (Punt formation) S.Rocca punts 56 yards to BLT 36, Center-J.Dorenbos. Y.Figurs to BLT 46 for 10 yards (M.Gasperson).
PENALTY on PHI, Ineligible Downfield Kick, 4 yards, enforced at PHI 8 - No Play.
4-16-BAL48 (14:32) S.Rocca punts 65 yards to BLT 31, Center-J.Dorenbos. Y.Figurs to BLT 48 for 17 yards (B.Celek).
PENALTY on PHI-M.Gasperson, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at BLT 48.
4-11-PHI19 (1:59) (Punt formation) S.Rocca punts 50 yards to BLT 31, Center-J.Dorenbos. Y.Figurs to BLT 49 for 18 yards (C.Smith).
The comparison stats as Rocca competes against the Eagles' incumbent at the punting position.
Philadelphia Punting
TOT YDS AVG TB -20 LG
S. Rocca 4 193 48.3 0 0 65
D. Johnson 3 131 43.7 0 2 53
Team 7 324 46.3 0 2 65
Have a look at a story from Philadelphia that was written before Rocca played his first game. It talks about the great potential of "Rocca, a legend in Australian Rules Football" and how he compares to their current punter.
From Philly.com: Between a Rocca & a hard choice
Matthew Pavlich of the Fremantle Dockers.
The Dockers have certainly turned it on after their coach departed. They are starting to win and are an outside chance at playing in the finals. Pavlich has been exceptional all year, but against Essendon he was even better.
If Pavlich was a midfielder, 30 possessions for the game would have been very impressive. If he was a centre half froward then his 16 marks would have resulted in a best-on-ground performance. As a full forward he not only kicked 6 goals, and provided the ball for other Dockers to goal too, but he also had 30 possessions and 16 marks.
Pavlich, and a lot of the other Dockers, were not very accurate in front of goals this season. With 6 goals and 3 behinds against Essendon, it was an efficient return.
There will be no player available this offseason who is wanted as much as Pavlich is, if he doesn't sign a new contract with Fremantle. Both he and Judd will deservedly have huge offers presented to them by teams in their home states. Pavlich didn't need to do anything more to get the Crows or Power interested but this game would have added a bit more to the contract offers.
Pavlich is in All-Australian form and is a good chance for the Coleman Medal and is also the AFL Player Of The Week.
Matthew Pavlich's profile at the Fremantle site
Here is the current roster for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Saverio Rocca, at 6-5 and 265 pounds, is competing for the team's punting spot with Dirk Johnson, who is 5 inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter.
Rocca is wearing number 6 for Philadelphia, which is a very different number than his 36 at Collingwood and 26 at the Kangaroos.
Compare Rocca’s size with the other NFL players, he is closer to a linebacker than the usual NFL punter is.
Roster from NFL.COM
Philadelphia Eagles
No Name Pos Height Weight Birthdate Exp College
78 Abiamiri, Victor DE 6'4" 270 01/14/1986 0 Notre Dame
2 Akers, David K 5'10'' 200 12/9/1974 9 Louisville
73 Andrews, Shawn G 6'04" 340 12/25/1982 3 Arkansas
81 Avant, Jason WR 6'00" 212 04/20/1983 2 Michigan
31 Barksdale, Rashad DB 6'2" 210 05/11/1984 0 Albany, N.Y.
84 Baskett, Hank WR 6'04" 220 09/4/1982 2 New Mexico
11 Bloom, Jeremy WR 5'09" 180 04/8/1982 1 Colorado
55 Bradley, Stewart LB 6'4" 250 11/2/1983 0 Nebraska
86 Brown, Reggie WR 6'01" 197 01/13/1981 3 Georgia
24 Brown, Sheldon CB 5'10'' 200 03/19/1979 6 South Carolina
28 Buckhalter, Correll RB 6'00'' 217 10/6/1978 4 Nebraska
78 Bunkley, Brodrick DT 6'02" 300 11/23/1983 2 Florida State
58 Cain, Jeremy LB 6'01" 235 03/24/1980 3 Massachusetts
87 Celek, Brent TE 6'4" 260 01/25/1985 0 Cincinnati
76 Clark, Jeremy DT 6'3" 309 09/6/1983 0 Alabama
11 Cochrane, E.J. K 5'11" 204 // 1 Montana State
59 Cole, Nick C 6'00" 350 07/28/1984 2 New Mexico State
58 Cole, Trent DE 6'03" 270 10/5/1982 3 Cincinnati
88 Collie, Zac WR 5'11" 190 // 0 Brigham Young
37 Considine, Sean SS 6'00" 212 10/28/1981 3 Iowa
83 Curtis, Kevin WR 5'11'' 186 07/17/1978 5 Utah State
50 Daniels, Torrance LB 6'03" 248 // 2 Harding
42 Davis, Jason FB 5'10" 240 11/2/1983 1 Illinois
20 Dawkins, Brian FS 6'00'' 210 10/13/1973 12 Clemson
46 Dorenbos, Jon LS 6'00'' 245 07/21/1980 5 Texas-El Paso
9 Faulkner, Dereck WR 6'4" 225 05/6/1985 0 Hampton
14 Feeley, A.J. QB 6'03'' 225 05/16/1977 4 Oregon
21 Fox, Dustin CB 5'10" 190 // 1 Ohio State
30 Gaddis, C.J. DB 6'0" 210 08/12/1985 0 Clemson
96 Gaither, Omar MLB 6'01" 235 03/18/1984 2 Tennessee
19 Gasperson, Michael WR 6'04" 220 06/6/1982 1 San Diego
57 Gocong, Chris LB 6'02" 263 11/16/1983 1 Cal Poly-SLO
35 Graham, Nick DB 5'11" 195 01/19/1984 0 Tulsa
22 Hanson, Joselio CB 5'09'' 170 08/13/1981 3 Texas Tech
33 Harris, Erick DB 5'11" 208 12/17/1982 1 Liberty
56 Harvey, Jasper C 6'02" 315 04/8/1983 1 San Diego State
79 Herremans, Todd G 6'06" 321 10/13/1982 3 Saginaw Valley
65 Hobbs, Jacob G 6'4" 325 02/17/1983 0 Albany, N.Y.
10 Holcomb, Kelly QB 6'02'' 212 07/9/1973 10 Middle Tennessee
90 Howard, Darren DE 6'03'' 275 11/19/1976 8 Kansas State
47 Hunt, Kyle TE 6'4" 260 09/30/1983 0 S.E. Missouri
29 Hunt, Tony RB 6'2" 230 11/24/1985 0 Penn State
48 Ilaoa, Nate RB 5'9" 248 04/4/1983 0 Hawaii
67 Jackson, Jamaal C 6'04'' 330 05/8/1980 3 Delaware State
21 James, William CB 6'00'' 200 06/15/1979 6 Western Illinois
17 Jamison, Jermaine WR 6'3" 211 04/9/1983 1 Fresno State
62 Jean-Gilles, Max G 6'03" 358 11/19/1983 1 Georgia
8 Johnson, Dirk P 6'00'' 205 06/1/1975 5 Northern Colorado
41 Jordan, Akeem LB 6'0" 235 08/17/1985 0 James Madison
74 Justice, Winston T 6'06" 319 09/14/1984 1 Southern California
93 Kearse, Jevon DE 6'04'' 265 09/3/1976 8 Florida
43 Kobel, Craig RB 6'1" 256 01/26/1982 1 South Florida
4 Kolb, Kevin QB 6'3" 225 08/24/1984 0 Houston
83 Lewis, Greg WR 6'00'' 180 02/12/1980 5 Illinois
51 McCoy, Matt OLB 5'11" 230 10/14/1982 3 San Diego State
68 McCoy, Patrick T 6'05" 328 12/14/1980 1 West Texas A&M
95 McDougle, Jerome DE 6'02'' 264 12/15/1978 4 Miami
5 McNabb, Donovan QB 6'02'' 240 01/25/1976 9 Syracuse
27 Mikell, Quintin FS 5'10'' 206 09/16/1980 5 Boise State
23 Moats, Ryan RB 5'08" 210 12/17/1982 3 Louisiana Tech
65 Murrell, Marques DE 6'2" 245 03/20/1985 0 Appalachian State
18 Outlaw, J.J. WR 5'8" 188 02/8/1984 1 Villanova
61 Palmer, Jonathan T 6'4" 321 12/3/1983 0 Auburn
32 Paschal, Marcus DB 6'0" 207 08/31/1984 0 Iowa
98 Patterson, Mike DT 6'00" 292 09/1/1983 3 Southern California
77 Ramsey, LaJuan DT 6'03" 291 03/19/1984 2 Southern California
90 Reagor, Montae DT 6'03'' 285 06/29/1977 9 Texas Tech
6 Rocca, Saverio P 6'05" 265 // 0 No College
64 Rodgers, Stefan T 6'04" 305 11/3/1981 1 Lambuth
53 Roper, Dedrick LB 6'02" 245 07/31/1981 3 Northwood (MI.)
69 Runyan, Jon T 6'07'' 330 11/27/1973 12 Michigan
13 Sampy, Bill WR 5'11" 192 05/10/1983 1 Louisiana-Lafayette
89 Schobel, Matt TE 6'05'' 255 11/4/1978 6 Texas Christian
95 Scott, Ian DT 6'03'' 302 11/8/1981 5 Florida
26 Sheppard, Lito CB 5'10'' 194 04/8/1981 6 Florida
39 Smith, Chris DB 5'10" 207 06/3/1985 0 Florida International
82 Smith, L.J. TE 6'03'' 258 05/13/1980 5 Rutgers
51 Spikes, Takeo OLB 6'02'' 242 12/17/1976 10 Auburn
38 Tapeh, Thomas FB 6'01" 243 03/28/1980 3 Minnesota
75 Thomas, Juqua DE 6'02'' 250 05/15/1978 7 Oklahoma State
72 Thomas, Tra T 6'07'' 335 11/20/1974 10 Florida State
54 Trotter, Jeremiah MLB 6'01'' 262 01/20/1977 10 Stephen F. Austin
67 Vickers, Lee DE 6'06" 270 03/13/1981 1 North Alabama
36 Westbrook, Brian RB 5'08'' 203 09/2/1979 6 Villanova
66 White, Chris C 6'3" 316 11/23/1983 0 South Carolina
71 Young, Scott G 6'04" 312 07/15/1981 2 Brigham Young
Angus Graham started off his AFL career with an injury after only a couple of games and is unavailable to play and now Richmond have also announced that Troy Simmonds is out for the rest of the season too. Knobel is also out, but even if he was playing it wouldn't help them.
From the Herald Sun: Simmonds battles clot on lung
From The Age: Blood clot ends season for Simmonds
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Pattison should have three big games for fantasy points to finish off the season. Polak probably gets the role as his backup, which won't hurt his statistics. Pattison should be a good signing, although next week is a bit of a worry, as he could have a difficult time against Dean Cox. But there is plenty of space on Subiaco so even if Cox gets 25 possessions and 35 hitouts, Pattison might do enough for fantasy teams with 15 possessions and a few marks. Richmond then finish up their season with games on the MCG against Essendon and St Kilda.
Name: Peter Rolfe
Height: 181
Weight: 73
State (Territory): Northern Territory
Club(s): Federals
AFL Positions:
Rolfe is probably put into a forward line. He is very effective around goals, looking for the right player to pass to or kicking the goal himself. He is an accurate kick for goal and can score from the more difficult angles.
Perfect Fit For:
The Swans need a few smaller options around their forward line, so Rolfe could be someone that Sydney look at. They have given Phillips a small look, but don't have many other young prospects to take a small forward role. There would be a spot on Sydney's list for someone like Peter Rolfe.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
The Saints have the big forwards but their small forwards are not very reliable, and often make the wrong decisions. They could use their last pick of the draft on Rolfe and might come away with a bargain.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He has skills and is also good overhead, for his size, so the ability is there, but next season the playing time probably isn't there.
1: Geelong Cats 16-3 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
If you add up the percentage for the AFL and VFL Cats it is over 300. So they don't have a lot to complain about, although their ruck controversy could cause some trouble.
2: West Coast Eagles 12-7 (2)
They will expect to finish off the regular season with three more wins. Judd is not at his best and Embley will miss with a hamstring so that will need to be addressed.
3: Hawthorn Hawks 12-7 (3)
Hawthorn finish the regular season with three games in three different states. If they win them all they finish in second spot.
4: Sydney Swans 11-8 (5)
If Hall was closer to his best they would be unstoppable, they might give him a rest so Hall is much better for September.
5: Port Adelaide Power 12-7 (4)
They function a lot better when Tredrea is out there, he might be there when the Power travel to Tasmania to play Hawthorn. Brogan is another player who could return.
6: Collingwood Magpies 11-8 (6)
The Magpies need a bit of help to get things going again, and help is what they will get with Buckley, Rusling and other players returning soon.
7: Kangaroos 12-7 (7)
Not the week for the coach to be asking for a contract extension. After losing to the Eagles the Kangaroos now face Geelong, but it is a team they defeated earlier in the season.
8: Brisbane Lions 9-9-1 (9)
Right now there is a team way ahead of everyone at the top, then a group competing for spots 2 to 7, Brisbane are in the next group of six teams that have a chance to sneak into the last spot in the 8. They have two games in Brisbane to come, and a game in Adelaide, so that sounds good. Their opponents are the Swans, Crows and Cats so that sounds bad. The Lions have a huge percentage advantage over the Saints, and the Cats might be resting a few players in round 22, it could be the Lions who get the last spot in the finals.
9: Fremantle Dockers 9-10 (13)
They were gone, but three wins out of the last four has changed everything.
10: St Kilda Saints 9-9-1 (10)
The Saints play an early final against the Dockers next round.
11: Western Bulldogs 9-9-1 (8)
Nobody is really sure what went wrong this season, there have been some injuries but the way they are playing is also a problem. They don't have enough talls so often they kick backwards, and it is hard to win with that strategy.
12: Essendon Bombers 9-10 (11)
Two possible wins in the next couple of rounds, they then go West to play the Eagles. Their very poor percentage might cost them a spot in the finals.
13: Adelaide Crows 9-10 (12)
Thirteen teams are still a chance to play in the finals, and the Crows do have a couple of home games now, so they are still in it. Injuries have taken away many of their stars, although their next opponent is the Bulldogs and they are also missing several important players.
14: Carlton Blues 4-15 (14)
They might be able to win at least one of their next three games, Essendon is coming back from WA this week and Carlton have the ability to lift against them. Whitnall could also return after playing a couple of good games in the VFL.
15: Melbourne Demons 4-15 (15)
They have already defeated Collingwood this season and will be confident after taking care of the Bulldogs.
16: Richmond Tigers 2-16-1 (16)
All the teams down the bottom of the ladder have started to play better. The win was obviously good news for Richmond, and their draft position could improve soon too. If Carlton and Melbourne both get another win, some priority picks will disappear, which will move Richmond up in the draft.
The Eagles were in control for most of this game. The Kangaroos did get back into the contest after Lynch launched into Smith, the glove might have to be put into its box for the next week or two.
Eagles 119 - Kangaroos 102
Fantasy Player News
West Coast
Cox: 19 possessions and 9 marks, and great for hitouts too, he is one of the best ruckmen for fantasy AFL.
Hansen: 13 marks and 2 goals, a big game and he might have to repeat it if Q goes out.
Rosa: They found a role for Rosa and Priddis even with the rest of their midfielders playing, Rosa had a huge game with 28 possessions, 10 marks, 5 tackles and 2 goals.
B Jones: 19 possessions, he was played where Chick would have been.
Embley: Injured and will probably have to be traded off fantasy teams.
Kangaroos
Sansbury: They let him run free, which also allowed the Eagles a player loose in the middle which wasn't a good idea, but for fantasy points it was great for Sansbury and he had 2 goals and 18 possessions.
Harris: 18 possessions and 8 tackles, he is finishing the season with some big games.
Moran: He impressed last year as a mobile ruckman, they tried him as a tall defender here but it wasn't good for his stats, he had 5 kicks.
Green: 17 possessions, he is one of the players that isn't assured of a spot in the finals team so his effort should be up for the last 3 weeks.
Archer: 13 kicks and a goal, his stats have improved from earlier in the year.
Another game, another Geelong win.
Cats 103 - Crows 70
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Corey: Slightly overlooked for awards and praise when compared to a few of their other star players, but is always elite for fantasy points, he had 35 possessions and 10 tackles.
Enright: Back in the team, he had 23 possessions and kicked a goal.
Ottens: Less time in the ruck this game, he might not do a lot for fantasy points in the next 3 games.
King: Not someone to sign for fantasy teams, even with Blake out of the side.
Varcoe: 5 tackles and 11 possessions, he will need to fight to keep his spot in the team so he might produce a couple of big games in the next few weeks.
Adelaide
Porplyzia: 3 goals and 5 marks, he has been playing very well in recent matches.
Bock: Very early in the season it looked like he might be a very good fantasy forward, he is now contributing but with more time in the back line, he had 22 possessions and 10 marks.
Maric: Forget about Maric, who had 9 possessions, and Griffin for fantasy teams as Hudson should be back next round.
Johncock: 31 disposals, a good increase on his usual fantasy points production.
Burton: 2 goals and 3 behinds, a solid game but not as good as some of his recent efforts, still is a good player to sign.
The Dockers played well in August last year and are repeating that in 2007. It was a win for Harvey, and Solomon, as Fremantle had too many players at the top of their game for Essendon to compete with. Pavlich led the way with 6 goals.
Dockers 140 - Bombers 77
Fantasy Player News
Fremantle
Gilmore: He won't get a lot of hitouts, but he is filling up all the other statistical categories, he had 20 kicks, 8 marks and a goal and is one of the best fantasy bargains at the moment.
Hasleby: Playing better after the coaching change, he had 35 possessions and 4 tackles.
Farmer: 3 goals, 8 marks and 19 possessions, he has turned things around for his fantasy points.
Pavlich: An amazing game for fantasy points with 6 goals, 16 marks, 22 kicks, 8 handballs and a tackle.
Foster: 10 possessions as he played half the game.
Essendon
Winderlich: He was one of the fantasy stars in the early rounds of the season, he had 24 disposals and 11 marks here.
Gumbleton: Essendon have said they will play the younger players now, he should stay in the team and there is fantasy potential after his 8 marks, 7 kicks and 2 goals.
Reimers: 7 possessions, might get a game next week but not for fantasy teams.
Lloyd: 5 goals from his 14 kicks.
Lucas: 20 possessions and 12 marks.
The three teams with a draw, and that are fighting for a finals spot, all lost on Saturday. So it wasn't as bad a day as it might have been for the Lions. Right now they are still in the 8, but that could change with games still to be played. The Hawks had numerous tall forwards doing damage, and that allowed them to overcome what Brown was doing for Brisbane down the other end. Hawthorn are currently in second spot, other results can alter their position on the ladder too.
Hawks 115 - Lions 91
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Bateman: He is another one of their midfielders that can get a lot of fantasy points, he had 24 possessions.
Roughead: Good fantasy forwards, at an affordable price, are not easy to find but Roughead could be an option after another 3 goals, he also had 10 kicks and 7 marks.
Croad: A big task, containing J Brown, but he still managed some fantasy points with 12 possessions and a useful 3 free kicks received.
Guerra: A loose player in the back line is usually a good provider of fantasy points, Guerra had 19 kicks and 12 marks.
Young: 18 kicks and 10 marks, his fantasy points production this season has been above expectations.
Brisbane
Brown: The Lions may have seen their streak end but Brown is still going strong, he had 6 goals and 9 marks.
Power: 34 possessions, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 3 frees for and 2 goals.
Charman: One of the better fantasy ruckmen over the past month, he had 14 possessions, 6 marks and kicked a goal.
Adcock: 25 possessions and 11 tackles, a fantasy defender who often plays as a midfielder is very valuable to fantasy teams.
Hooper: 19 possessions and a goal, he would have been very useful for fantasy teams in recent weeks.
In the third quarter, Richmond fans had something else to cheer about, Carlton hit the lead. The Blues kicked 8 goals for the quarter and the priority pick was about to disappear, and it wasn't helping the Power's top 4 chances either. Port Adelaide quickly got the lead back when the last term started and they hung on for the win.
Power 116 - Blues 93
Fantasy Player News
Port Adelaide
Boak: 28 possessions and 2 goals, obviously it was his best ever game, fantasy teams might be signing him now.
Pearce: 27 possessions and 8 marks, his fantasy points have improved after coming back from his surgery.
Westhoff: A big help to fantasy teams, especially if he was an emergency for a fantasy team that also had Brad Johnson in their starting lineup, The Hoff was among the fantasy points again with 4 goals.
Lade: 11 kicks, 7 handballs, 9 marks and a goal as he stepped up as he always does with Brogan out.
K Cornes: The better brother, with 33 possessions and a couple of goals.
Carlton
Jamison: One of their younger players could be a fantasy bargain in the remaining rounds, Jamison had 12 possessions.
Grigg: He had 8 kicks, 6 handballs and 5 marks and should keep his spot in the team as they look towards 2008.
Blackwell: He is a good fantasy player, when they give him minutes, he had 18 possessions, 7 marks, 5 tackles and 2 free kicks for.
Saddington: A triple-double with 10 kicks, 10 handballs and 12 marks, he also kicked a goal.
Walker: His shoulder must be fine, he had 12 kicks and 6 handballs.
The Bulldogs could have let their finals chances slip away, it is possible for them to win all their remaining games and they might need to do that to play in the finals. Brad Johnson was out, Higgins tried to step up his game but few other forwards were able to for the Bulldogs. It was a different Melbourne side than has been appearing in previous matches, they marked strongly and attacked the ball at ground level too. The Demons have now moved up a spot on the ladder.
Demons 129 - Bulldogs 87
Fantasy Player News
Melbourne
Holland: 4 goals and 12 kicks and 12 marks, the Demons and fantasy teams might want to keep him around.
White: A big milestone game win, he had 20 possessions and 20 total hitouts, more fantasy points were awarded with 3 free kicks received.
Bode: 4 tackles in his first game, fantasy coaches don't need to sign him yet.
Pickett: 2 goals, he showed he can still play but probably not for fantasy teams.
Jones: 21 possessions and a goal, he has been one of their better players in recent weeks.
Western Bulldogs
West: Their coach didn't get what he wanted but fantasy coaches were well served by several Bulldogs, West was the best with 37 possessions.
Cooney: 34 possessions for Cooney, more fantasy points would have been provided if some of his 3 behinds were goals.
Cross: Another with 30 possessions, 21 were handballs.
Higgins: 5 goals from 8 kicks, he was efficient.
McDougall: 13 possessions, until they change how they play, McDougall won't be used properly and his fantasy points won't be very high.
The Swans produced their usual style of play to grind out another victory, Roos had the better of Lyon. Jarrad McVeigh and his 3 goals might have been the difference between the two sides. Sydney also had their big two in the ruck, which was something the Saints were always going to be troubled by.
Swans 82 - Saints 65
Fantasy Player News
Sydney
Goodes: 24 possessions, 8 marks and 6 tackles, he has been playing much better lately.
Buchanan: 23 possessions and 3 frees received, it has been a good couple of weeks for his fantasy points.
McVeigh: 3 goals, 10 possessions and 6 marks.
Bevan: He had 9 marks, which led his team, he also had 10 kicks.
J Bolton: 7 tackles and 3 frees for, combined with 17 possessions it was a good game for fantasy points.
St Kilda
Ball: 9 tackles, he always is good for that stat, Ball also had 23 possessions.
Gehrig: 3 kicks and 2 goals, better than last week, and also expect a good performance next round.
Gilbert: 19 possessions, one of the bargain buys this fantasy season continues to get fantasy points.
Riewoldt: 4 frees for boosted his fantasy points, he also had 11 kicks and 5 marks.
Hudghton: A good game for his team and provided a bit for fantasy teams that play him, he had 11 possessions, 6 marks, 3 tackles and 2 frees for.
Name: Rhys Palmer
Height: 180
Weight: 76
State: Western Australia
Club(s): East Fremantle
AFL Positions:
His AFL team will put him in the middle and also allow him to go forward and kick goals. He will be more of an outside midfielder at the start of his AFL career.
Perfect Fit For:
The Dockers could use a bit more run in the middle, Palmer would be a perfect fit for them in many ways.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Palmer should go in the top 10, maybe top 5. His performances during the Under 18 Championships certainly pushed him higher up in the draft. It might depend on where they finish, and a few more wins could change their spot in the first round, but Fremantle are probably the favourite to select him.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
With all of the statistics that he accumulated in the Under 18 games, Palmer will be someone that is signed up by a lot of fantasy coaches next year. His fantasy price would be expected to at least triple during 2008.
The Tigers kicked a lot more accurately than the Magpies, the same scoring shots for both teams but Richmond had 4 more goals. It started well for them with Foley to Polak, which was then followed by Foley to Polak. Collingwood did get back into the game but Richmond withstood that challenge.
Tigers 116 - Magpies 96
Fantasy Player News
Richmond
Deledio: His hand wasn't a problem for his 5 strong marks, more important to his team and fantasy teams were his 5 goals.
Jackson: He provided an unexpected bonus for a small number of fantasy teams, he had 24 possessions and 10 marks.
Pattison: If Simmonds doesn't play then Pattison is good for fantasy points, he had 18 possessions.
Foley: 16 kicks, 11 handballs and 5 tackles.
King: 17 kicks, 9 handballs and 3 tackles.
Collingwood
Medhurst: He plays well against Richmond, he kicked 3 goals here.
Thomas: 2 goals, 6 tackles and 9 kicks provided good fantasy numbers.
Rocca: Finished with 3 goals,
Clement: He has been very good for fantasy points the last two weeks, and seems to be over his injuries.
Goldsack: 8 tackles was a big stat, those that signed him early have gotten good value.
It is Ackland to the rescue, ruckman Ben Hudson has played every game up to this point but he needs to rest up this week after staying out too late. Ackland is playing a lot more in the ruck with Carlton's interim coach in charge, that is some good news for this fantasy team, a bad part is that he will be playing against one of the best ruckmen in the AFL as he faces the Power and Lade.
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
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
R Cain Ackland (emergency)
R Brent Renouf
F Shannon Cox
F Matthew Campbell (emergency)
Smith was very good last week, Mundy was useful and Raines put together another solid performance. It looked like Raines was going to get caught in his weekly holding the ball decision, but luckily for the fantasy points the umpire was lenient last game at Geelong. According to one of the TV channels, Mundy was dropped, that is dropped by Sydney. That would have hurt the fantasy team if the Mundy part was correct, it wasn't as the Sydney part was correct in regards to Grundy, not Mundy.
The midfield is now loaded with some of the bigger names in the AFL. They will need to stay healthy as there isn't a lot of help left on the bench.
White won't have too much trouble with the ruckmen that the Bulldogs have so that should help his fantasy points. A fast game should give White an advantage over Darcy and Skipper. Ackland is named as Carlton's starting ruckmen, he should provide a useful number of points, although Hampson is named as one of Carlton's emergency players so when he plays it would mean less playing time for Ackland.
C Cornes gets the captaincy, he is playing against Carlton and is also up the top for fantasy points so he should have a good round. Brown and Riewoldt have been dominant over the past month, or more. Hall and Jones should have saved their huge games from two weeks ago and had them last week, it would have been more beneficial for this fantasy team.
Campbell, S Cox and Ellis are close to playing for their AFL teams. If any of them do play for their AFL teams, they should perform at their best because they would be fighting for a spot in a team that will play in the finals.
The Crows had to choose another ruckman to replace Ben Hudson for this week, it was Jonathon Griffin or John Meesen. During preseason the choice was made for them as to which one of the young ruckmen would play, as Meesen was injured, but this time both players were healthy and performing at SANFL level. With Biglands back next season, and Tippett also on the list now, Meesen could be a big name during the upcoming trade week.
A tall, Victorian ruck prospect is something that plenty of teams will be interested in. Maybe not the Cats, Kangaroos and Bombers, and possibly also the team that gets pick 1 in the draft, but the rest of the Victorian teams will be interested.
Collingwood need to find not only help for Fraser next year but a replacement for him down the road. Melbourne are in the same situation with Jeff White. The Ruck spot is the big problem for the Saints, they have tried a few ruckmen from the Power and might be interested in trading for the Crows’ ruckman this time. The Bulldogs would be another team that Meesen would be a good fit for, maybe Minson for Meesen might be something that happens during the trade week.
From The Advertiser: Meesen trade rumours buzzing
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Meesen won't be helping fantasy teams this week but Maric and Griffin could provide some useful stats. When they have been the backup to Hudson, both Maric and Griffin have provided fantasy points by going forward and kicking some goals. This week one of them, probably Maric, gets a lot more hitouts than usual and a big increase in fantasy points. No need to sign any of them for this week only, as Hudson should play next week, but if Maric is sitting on a fantasy bench he could start this week. Fantasy teams that signed both Hudson and Griffin might have expected Griffin to be useful during the year, due to Hudson's history of injuries, but now Griffin could help a few fantasy teams and might be of assistance to a team that has Simmonds in the ruck.
Richmond v Collingwood
The Tip: Collingwood by 30 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Josh Fraser
Chance For An Upset: The Tigers nearly had Collingwood last time they played, so it could be closer than some expect.
Richmond
They win if....they put J Bowden at half forward like they did earlier in his career, that might mean Polak on Rocca and Riewoldt against Cloke.
The Good News: Connors deserves his spot in the team, it should be questioned as to why he wasn't in the team earlier in the season.
The Bad News: Even with one hand, Deledio would be one of their best players, but if his hand is still sore maybe they should give him a bit more time to recover.
Collingwood
They win if....their experienced and stronger bodies in the middle control the football.
The Good News: Buckley might only be a week away.
The Bad News: Clarke is having a rest, not a bad idea as some in sports think there is a "rookie wall" that affects players in their first year, but the fans will miss the excitement he generates.
Hawthorn v Brisbane
The Tip: Brisbane by 21 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jason Roe
Chance For An Upset: Hawthorn might be expected to win this game, but with Brown and the rest of Brisbane's forwards on fire they might keep their streak going.
Hawthorn
They win if....one of their ruckmen is able to defeat Charman, Campbell has the hardness to compete with him while Taylor has an edge in height.
The Good News: Boyle, Franklin and Roughead have become a great combination of talls in the forward line.
The Bad News: They are winning, signing their young players to new contracts, there isn't a lot of bad news there although some fans could be disappointed that they haven't seen Mr Kennedy Version 3.0 playing for the Hawks.
Brisbane
They win if....they can figure out who should play on Franklin, Merrett on Roughead should be fun to watch and maybe against Franklin Roe gets a go.
The Good News: They have never lost when their Leuenberger with the lot has been in the side.
The Bad News: McGrath is out, but the blow is lessened with Chris Johnson back.
Port Adelaide v Carlton
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 55 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Kane Cornes
Chance For An Upset: Carlton are a chance, if Fevola and Fisher kick a lot of goals, but their supply may be limited with the Power owning the middle thanks to Lade.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Ebert and Westhoff take apart a Carlton back line that struggles against marking players.
The Good News: Chad Cornes has to get the title as the AFL's most versatile player, he is like MacGyver as he can fix anything, Cornes might go forward in this game with Tredrea out again.
The Bad News: They did miss Brogan last week, Lade has a new tag-team partner for this round with Deluca playing.
Carlton
They win if....Ackland has a big game against one of his former teams, he has been playing a lot better since the coaching change.
The Good News: Hampson is an emergency, they need to get him into a few games after taking him so high in the last AFL draft.
The Bad News: Gibbs and Boak can have a chat and compare how many times they have heard that Joel Selwood should have been drafted before them.
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 44 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Scott West
Chance For An Upset: Melbourne can compete in the middle as White is better than what the Bulldogs have in the ruck, but they will need a bit more than they usually get at both ends of the ground so it will be up to someone like Robertson to win the game.
Melbourne
They win if....Newton is used more than Neitz when they go forward, that could unbalance the Bulldogs in the back if Neitz takes Harris away from the action.
The Good News: Sheedy could be their next coach.
The Bad News: It seems to be the end for Miller at Melbourne, but plenty of other teams will want him if that does happen.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....they use the game-plan from the last quarter against the Saints for this game, not what they did in the other three quarters.
The Good News: Akermanis must surely be worth what they are paying him, the Bulldogs' sponsors would have seen their names on the front pages of the papers as well as on the national news broadcasts.
The Bad News: Too many players look to kick backwards.
Sydney v St Kilda
The Tip: Sydney by 15 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Peter Everitt
Chance For An Upset: The Saints should make this a closer contest than some expect, but with Barry back in the back half it means the Swans should be able to contain the Saints' tall forward line.
Sydney
They win if....Everitt and Jolly use their height and experience advantage to dominate in the ruck.
The Good News: Buchanan and Schneider have really excelled since returning to the side.
The Bad News: The opposition coach knows a bit more about the Swans than other coaches.
St Kilda
They win if....their defenders run hard all game, to get back in front of Hall and to also get the ball quickly to Riewoldt down the other end.
The Good News: Riewoldt and Jones are named next to each other in the team lineup, it is like watching Big and Little Enos from Smokey and the Bandit.
The Bad News: The backup ruck spot needs addressing, they will try Rix again for this game.
Kangaroos v West Coast
The Tip: West Coast by 2 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Chance For An Upset: This should be one of the best matches for the round, if the Kangaroos are going to do anything in September they will need to win this game with home ground advantage.
Kangaroos
They win if....they unsettle the Eagles' stars in the middle, all they need to do is look at the video from last week to see how to go about it.
The Good News: Archer returns, he will be playing the role of Dean Solomon this week.
The Bad News: The Kangaroos won't want to lose this game as next week provides an even tougher opponent.
West Coast
They win if....when the two teams last met it was all about Dean Cox, if he has another big game it should get them another win.
The Good News: They won't have to deal with a couple of angry brothers this week.
The Bad News: A TV channel decided earlier in the week that they needed to bleep out the name of their brawny midfielder, a bit ironic because earlier in the season they were bleeping out that player's speech.
Geelong v Adelaide
The Tip: Geelong by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Cameron Mooney
Chance For An Upset: It is Geelong at Geelong, few teams can even get close to them now when they have home city advantage.
Geelong
They win if....they are patient if the Crows play a very defensive game with a lot of players behind the play.
The Good News: The Cats are bringing in three impressive players, Chapman, Enright and Ottens.
The Bad News: They could be trying three ruckmen for this game, it won't matter for this week but it is probably unworkable in September.
Adelaide
They win if....they try something different, maybe put Burton in the ruck, at least that would make it difficult for the big Geelong ruckmen aroudn the ground.
The Good News: Ricciuto is still there, some people put captain plus announcement together and came up with retirement.
The Bad News: A lot of injuries and now club suspensions, the Crows need to be allowed to have a larger list of players.
Fremantle v Essendon
The Tip: Fremantle by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Solomon
Chance For An Upset: Not a lot of people think Essendon can do it but they have the big ruckmen, forwards and defenders who can dominate a game. Fremantle showed last week that they can be a force, but they also lost a lot of games this year when they were supposed to win.
Fremantle
They win if....they get close to the intensity that they played with last round.
The Good News: The video was looked at but no suspensions resulted from last round.
The Bad News: While they can still make the finals, they left their run a bit late as they have to win all their remaining games to have a chance.
Essendon
They win if....they get McPharlin out of the action, use his opponent to drag him away which could mean Lucas or even Gumbleton becomes the focal point of their forward structure.
The Good News:
The Bad News: Harvey versus Sheedy, not just for this game but possibly for a coaching spot next season. Harvey might have the advantage here as he knows plenty of Sheedy's tricks.
Name: Joel Smouha
Height: 196
Weight: 80
State: Queensland
Club(s): Mt Gravatt
AFL Positions:
Smouha could be a very effective full back with his height and leap. Although a bit short for the spot, Smouha does have ruck ability so he could be used there. With the ability to cover a lot of distance, a team might think that Smouha could be a centre half forward that could lead up through the middle as a marking option. He is more than an athletic project for a team, Smouha is a good football prospect with a lot of possibilities.
Perfect Fit For:
The Bulldogs have been trying to add height to their back line, Williams and Everitt have debuted for the Bulldogs this year and there is room on their list for some more young defenders. Smouha would add another tall and athletic prospect to their team, and as they are also happy to go with a shorter ruckman, like Skipper or Darcy, Smouha might also play there for the Bulldogs too.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
He won't be getting his name called too early in the draft. Right now he fits into the sleeper category and might be available in the later rounds of the draft, although his results in tests at the draft camp or at state level could change things. Brisbane in the third round might be a possible destination for Smouha. The Lions would want him as a tall defender, as they have the ruck spot under control.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
A bit younger than other draft picks, and needing to add some weight too, Smouha may not be thrown into the action right away. But as A Everitt and N Krakouer have shown, sometimes if the players have the ability but not the bulk they can still make a positive impact for their teams. If he is used as a full back his fantasy points may not be very useful, while a spot in the ruck could produce a lot more points as Smouha would often have a pace advantage over his opponent and could provide a marking target around the ground. Fantasy coaches probably won't consider him next season when assembling their teams, unless his team has several injuries among their tall players.
Richmond v Collingwood
Richmond
FB: King, Thursfield, Newman
HB: Raines, Polak, Connors
C: J.Bowden, Tuck, Johnson
HF: Pettifer, Richardson, Deledio
FF: Brown, Riewoldt, Pattison
Foll: Simmonds, Tambling, Foley
bench: Edwards, Graham, McGuane, Tivendale
emergency: Jackson, Krakouer, Howat
In: Pattison
Out: Hughes
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Pattison becomes more of a forward for this game, as Richmond still have Simmonds and Graham for the ruck. Probably a good idea to stay away from all those players for fantasy teams. Connors is a player who will be signed by fantasy teams, he is cheap and gets plenty of stats.
Collingwood
FB: Clement, Prestigiacomo, O'Brien
HB: H.Shaw, Goldsack, Johnson
C: Toovey, Burns, Cook
HF: Maxwell, Rocca, Licuria
FF: Thomas, Cloke, Swan
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Davis
bench: Lockyer, Shaw, Bryan, Medhurst
emergency: Wakelin, Wellingham, Dick
In: Licuria, Bryan, Toovey, O'Bree
Out: Didak, Lonie, Clark, Cox
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Clarke being rested for this game means the fantasy teams that have been starting him will need to do the same thing.
Hawthorn v Brisbane
Hawthorn
FB: Guerra, Gilham, Birchall
HB: Smith, Croad, Brown
C: Ladson, Mitchell, Lewis
HF: Crawford, Boyle, Bateman
FF: Vandenberg, Roughead, Franklin
Foll: Campbell, Hodge, Sewell
bench: Taylor, Dixon, McGlynn, Young
emergency: Jacobs, Ellis, Tuck
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Hawks are happy with their current lineup. That means that Jacobs won't play, he had an amazing game for fantasy points when the teams last met.
Brisbane
FB: Macdonald, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Patfull, Copeland
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Mills, Brown, Selwood
FF: Hooper, Leuenberger, Brennan
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: Begley, Johnson, Moody, Rischitelli
emergency: Hamill, Clark, Harding
In: Johnson
Out: McGrath
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Brown has been unstoppable recently, the Hawks don't have a great full back so Brown might continue his hot streak. Brennan has been a big performer during their winning streak, for this game he might have to play as a defender on Franklin which could hurt his fantasy points.
Port Adelaide v Carlton
Port Adelaide
FB: P.Burgoyne, Thurstans, Surjan
HB: Wilson, Chaplin, Pettigrew
C: K.Cornes. C.Cornes, Pearce
HF: Boak, Westhoff, Motlop
FF: Lade, Ebert, Rodan
Foll: Deluca, S.Burgoyne, Cassisi
bench: Carlile, Lonie, White, Thomson
emergency: Logan, Lower, Mahoney
In: Deluca, White
Out: Bentley, Krakouer
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Power go bigger for this game, adding a backup ruckman and another tall forward. White could have a 10 mark game, Deluca won't do anything for fantasy teams.
Carlton
FB: Houlihan, Saddington, Bannister
HB: Simpson, Thornton, Scotland
C: Grigg, Carrazzo, Russell
HF: Waite, Fisher, Gibbs
FF: Blackwell, Fevola, Betts
Foll: Ackland, Murphy, Walker
bench: Bower, Jackson, O'hAilpin, Jamison
emergency: Bentick, Austin, Hampson
In: Walker
Out: Bentick
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Ratten doesn't like watching number 7 out there for Carlton, Bentick is out again. Fantasy coaches might want to consider Blackwell or Jackson. Ackland has improved his numbers since they change the coach.
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs
Melbourne
FB: Holland, Carroll, Brown
HB: Bell, Ferguson, Frawley
C: Johnstone, McDonald, Wheatley
HF: Green, Newton, Sylvia
FF: Pickett, Neitz, Robertson
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench: Bode, Moloney, Jamar, Davey
emergency: Ward, Miller, Dunn
In: Sylvia, Johnstone, Bode, Frawley, Robertson
Out: Godfrey, Bate, Buckley, Ward, Miller
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Someone at the Demons should provide a lot of value for fantasy teams for the last four games, but they make so many changes a lot of their players don't string enough matches together to make them a useful fantasy signing. Newton might be the exception to this, he has been one of their better forwards. Frawley is back in the team, being involved in a quicker game against the Bulldogs might mean more stats for him.
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Everitt, Williams, Hargrave
C: Ray, West, Eagleton
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Murphy
FF: Higgins, Grant, Akermanis
Foll: Darcy, Cooney, Boyd
bench: Cross, Skipper, Power, Tiller
emergency: McDougall, Faulkner, Street
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Brad Johnson is still in the team, for now. Skipper isn't usually a player that gets a lot of stats but in his previous two games he has been one of their better players, against Melbourne he could again produce for fantasy teams. The Bulldogs reportedly did say McDougall would play, he is only an emergency at the moment, so maybe there is some news about that tomorrow night.
Sydney v St Kilda
Sydney
FB: Kennelly, Barry, Malceski
HB: Bevan, Bolton, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Buchanan
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, McVeigh
FF: Schneider, Hall, Davis
Foll: Jolly, J.Bolton, Goodes
bench: Everitt, Fosdike, Richards, Roberts-Thomson
emergency: Schmidt, Dempster, Brennan
In: Barry, Roberts-Thomson
Out: Brennan, Grundy
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Two big defenders return and the Swans will need them against the Saints. Barry will be good once again for fantasy teams, LRT probably won't be.
St Kilda
FB: Maguire, Hudghton, L.Fisher
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, Baker
C: Harvey, Hayes, Montagna
HF: C.Jones, Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Koschitzke
Foll: Rix, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Attard, Blake, Fiora, Gilbert
emergency: Birss, M.Clarke, R.Clarke
In: Ball, Rix
Out: Birss, M.Clarke
AFL Fantasy Watch:
One backup ruckman was exchanged for another backup ruckman, not important for fantasy leagues. Ball's return is good news for his fantasy coaches.
Kangaroos v West Coast
Kangaroos
FB: Archer, Firrito, Pratt
HB: Smith, Watt, Green
C: Rawlings, Wells, Sinclair
HF: McMahon, Hale, Grant
FF: Harvey, Jones, Petrie
Foll: McIntosh, Simpson, Harris
bench from: Edwards, Sansbury, Campbell, Swallow, Lower, Thomas, Moran
In: Archer, Moran, Campbell, Lower, Thomas
Out: Brown, Whyman
AFL Fantasy Watch:
McIntosh doesn't have it easy when playing against Dean Cox, Moran might also be playing so signing McIntosh this week might not be a good move. Firrito could be a player to consider, although he couldn't contain J Brown last week he still got a lot of the ball himself. If Lynch is Firrito's opponent here, you can expect Firrito to again run away from the bigger forward and get involved in the stats.
West Coast
FB: Staker, Glass, Selwood
HB: Hurn, Hunter, B.Jones
C: Embley, Judd, Braun
HF: Wirrpanda, Hansen, Cousins
FF: LeCras, Lynch, Seaby
Foll: Cox, Stenglein, Kerr
bench from: Armstrong, Brown, Fletcher, Jones, Priddis, Rosa, Schofield
In: Fletcher,Schofield, Rosa, Armstrong, Brown
Out: Chick, Waters
AFL Fantasy Watch:
A couple of spots open up in the back line for the Eagles. Wirrpanda could help fantasy teams if he returns to his role down back.
Geelong v Adelaide
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, Harley
HB: Wojcinski, Egan, Mackie
C: Kelly, Bartel, Corey
HF: S.Johnson, Mooney, Selwood
FF: Byrnes, Ablett, Stokes
Foll: King, G.Ablett, Ling
bench from: J.Hunt, Varcoe, Chapman, D.Johnson, Blake, Enright, Ottens
In: Enright, Chapman, Ottens
AFL Fantasy Watch:
It is getting crowded there, and fantasy coaches will need to wait until Friday night to see who the three outs are. J Hunt, Varcoe and D Johnson are the likely candidates. Although there must be the chance that Blake will be sent to the VFL for a week.
Adelaide
FB: Stevens, Rutten, Johncock
HB: Torney, Bock, McLeod
C: Knights, Thompson, van Berlo
HF: Goodwin, Perrie, Welsh
FF: Burton, Gill, Porplyzia
Foll: Maric, Shirley, Edwards
bench from: Douglas, Jericho, Campbell, Massie, Griffin, Mattner, Reilly
In: Bock, Campbell, Jericho, Griffin, Reilly, Rutten
Out: Doughty, McGregor, Hudson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Maric must play a lot more with Hudson out for this week. Gill's fantasy price will rise after this match. Rutten's return should allow another tall to play in a more attacking, and better for statistics, role.
Fremantle v Essendon
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, Grover, Johnson
HB: Black, McPharlin, Hayden
C: Crowley, J.Carr, Mundy
HF: Peake, Tarrant, Solomon
FF: Farmer, Murphy, Pavlich
Foll: Warnock, Bell, Hasleby
bench from: Gilmore, McManus, Schammer, Foster, Dodd, Cook, Webster
In: Cook, Dodd, Foster, Webster
Out: M.Carr
AFL Fantasy Watch:
M Carr was a casualty of the game last week, he is out injured. Gilmore gets in a lot of space in his role as a short, but extremely mobile, ruckman. That brings in a lot of fantasy points and he could again have a big game at Subiaco.
Essendon
FB: Lovett-Murray, Ryder, Fletcher
HB: McPhee, Michael, Reimers
C: Slattery, McVeigh, Monfries
HF: Lucas, Gumbleton, Lovett
FF: Nash, Lloyd, Welsh
Foll: Laycock, Stanton, Winderlich
bench from: Johns, Ramanauskas, Dyson, Hille, Peverill, Camporeale, Watson
In: Dyson, Gumbleton, Camporeale, Reimers
Out: M.Johnson
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Bombers now have Johnson and Johnson in the VFL, fantasy coaches will also want to send out M Johnson.
There weren't any suspensions handed down after the Eagles and Dockers played but some players are feeling a bit sore after the battle. Daniel Chick is going to miss a week or two.
From The West Australian: Derby toll mounts as Eagles lose defender
AFL Fantasy Impact:
Chick isn't a great fantasy player but his absence could bring in someone much better for stats. Nicoski or Rosa can get a lot of the ball and have helped fantasy teams before. The Kangaroos can put some big forwards out there, so the Eagles might also bring in another tall defender. A player like Graham wouldn't get a lot of the ball which could mean more stats for some of the smaller defenders around him. Chick should probably be traded, Leigh Fisher or Xavier Clarke could replace him as a fantasy defender, Eddie Betts or Jason Porplyzia are forwards close to Chick's price.
The Western Bulldogs could be without Brad Johnson but they have the forgotten McDougall to bring back into the forward line. McDougall was a big acquisition by the Bulldogs last offseason but most of his games have been for their VFL team.
From the Herald Sun: Lost Dog is back in fold
AFL Fantasy Impact:
McDougall is still on a few fantasy benches. If those teams also have Brad Johnson and need to replace him for this round, then they are in good shape. McDougall plays Melbourne so his team would be expected to win, and also to kick plenty of goals. His stats could be quite high as he could give them the big marking target they need, McDougall can also be played in the ruck but that may not happen if Skipper and Darcy both play. Fantasy teams that are contending for the top spots will have a choice to make if Brad Johnson misses. He could be only out for a week so benching him is the best idea for this round, as long as a good player like Westhoff is available to replace him. If a fantasy team can't afford to be without a star forward for one round, then Johnson can be traded for nearly any other fantasy forward. Pavlich, Fevola, Lloyd, R O'Keefe and Lucas are options, Pavlich would be the best choice.
Round 18 goes to Joel Selwood.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 7
Handballs: 6
Marks: 3
Tackles: 3
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 10
Handballs: 9
Marks: 5
Tackles: 10
Goals: 0
It was a lot better battle between two first-year players than a proposed Hansen/Gumbleton Watch would have been, but the Selwood versus Gibbs showdown is officially over now as Selwood has destroyed his competition. Selwood has an unbeatable lead with only four rounds to go.
The Cats had everything under control when Richmond visited but Selwood still played at the same intensity that he always does. In and under, crashing through people for the ball, they might have been up by 10 goals but he played like it was a much more important game. His statistic of 10 tackles is proof of his work-rate.
Gibbs was not very prominent. A lot more was expected from him after the coaching change. He still isn't getting played where the action is, but floating around half forward is preferable to being sent to a back pocket.
Gibbs gets to go home this round as Carlton travel to South Australia. The Blues play the Power. It is a team that has not used their young players very well against a team that has gotten the best out of their new players. Westhoff, Krakouer, Gray and Boak should be thankful they were not drafted by Carlton. Gibbs versus Boak might be a good matchup, two young midfielders who were both drafted before J Selwood. Geelong host the other South Australian team, it is a Crows squad who are fighting to stay in the finals race so Selwood and the rest of the Cats will not have an easy game.
B Gibbs 6 - J Selwood 12
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
Collingwood's Nathan Buckley could be part of the Williamstown side that plays at Windy Hill on Sunday. He has missed all of the 2007 season so far but should play a few regular season games to be ready to attack the finals.
From the Herald Sun: Bucks' match transfer
AFL Fantasy Impact:
When Buckley does play again for Collingwood, he could provide some value for fantasy teams. Fantasy coaches wanting to try something different to move up the standings could use Buckley in the last games of the regular season, and he could give those fantasy teams an edge if he performs because most fantasy teams won't have him. Buckley does have a big fantasy price, so it would be an expensive roll of the dice, but it could help win a league for a fantasy coach. So many teams have Judd, Bartel and Kerr, so replicating other people's rosters won't help a lot when trying to overtake them in the standings, a different player is needed and Buckley could produce for Collingwood and fantasy teams soon.
Just like an episode of the A-Team when George Peppard takes a hit but is able to come back at the end of the show to save the day, a team in the AFL could have Ricky Petterd making an unexpected appearance in the remaining month of the regular season. Melbourne have not had a lot of good news this year, except for Nathan Jones winning his annual Rising Star nomination, but the play of Petterd and now the quick recovery of Petterd is something that shows they have a star of the future on their list.
From the Herald Sun: Near-death experience no deterrent for Melbourne youngster
AFL Fantasy Impact:
If Petterd is still on a fantasy bench he might provide some unexpected stats in round 22. There could be some teams in the AFL who rest a player or two for the last game, that won't help fantasy teams, but if Petterd is able to play for Melbourne it could really help a fantasy team, especially if they have run out of trades. Don't sign Petterd up, as there are better options, but if is sitting on the fantasy bench he could be worth keeping for now.
The AFL have launched their sesquicentennial celebrations. Sheedy will be involved and the logo has been unveiled, although it looks like it says 15 degrees as the 0 is a lot smaller than the 5 where it says "150".
There is still time to suggest a few more ideas to celebrate 150 years of football, here is one that could be possible, playing some of the preseason games at the historical venues of the clubs.
The preseason competition may not even exist in 2008, as it is possible that the State Of Origin series could replace it. If the preseason does go ahead then that is the time to do something different. A game at Windy Hill, Princes Park, Moorabbin, Footscray or Moorabbin. A return to VFL Park, that would certainly be appreciated by some fans, maybe not the neighbours though. Port Adelaide and Fremantle could also host games at their historical grounds.
This could occur during the first round of the preseason. The AFL accountants may not agree, but it would also be a good idea for entry to be free.
What could be better than reliving the past of football by standing out on the concrete to watch a game. It would bring back a lot of memories for the older fans and could help educate some of the younger supporters. The Magpies versus Brisbane Lions at Victoria Park, maybe it could happen with Coach Matthews returning to that venue for one more game.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Survivor perform before a Tigers game.
Name: Zane Murphy
Height: 182
Weight: 85
State: Tasmania
Club(s): Wynard
AFL Positions:
Murphy is an inside midfielder, he could also be used as a small defender.
Perfect Fit For:
A team looking for a young player who is physically ready to play now could be interested in Murphy. Richmond could use some bigger bodies in the middle so Murphy might be an option for them.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
The teams that have a new coach will be clearing out a lot of the old and bringing in plenty of new players. A team like Carlton could see Murphy as a good investment in the later rounds of the draft.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
Sometimes a player who goes late in the draft, or is even a rookie pick, can help a fantasy team because they are ready to play AFL football while players chosen much earlier are taken as projects that are a year or two away. If Murphy finds himself in the right situation he could help fantasy teams, he is a good kick of the ball and can go and get the football too.
Josh Carr of the Fremantle Dockers.
The biggest game of the round produced the biggest upset, and a lot of that was because of Josh Carr. An upset win, a lot of upset players on the other team too, but he didn't upset the match review people.
The Dockers have not been going along too well, one part of their team that has failed this year is their forward line. They were better last round but the Dockers also got help from their midfielders. Josh Carr kicked 3 goals. His goals were also kicked at important times during the match.
The Dockers do need to show teams that they are physical but this year they have not gone about it correctly and a lot of suspensions have followed. Josh Carr was certainly physical, and he did give away a number of free kicks, but he also unsettled the other team. It was reminiscent of Scott and Rick Steiner as Josh and Matthew Carr battled the Eagles.
Amidst the boos and the umpire's whistle, Josh Carr had plenty of positive stats too. In a game that was played at a hectic pace, a mark can be a very important stat, as it allows the team to settle and to have a disposal with less pressure. J Carr took 9 marks. His 19 kicks and 7 handballs showed that he had as much of the ball as he did of his opponents.
Josh Carr led his teams in goals, and also free kicks against, and is the AFL Player Of The Week.
Josh Carr's profile at the Fremantle site
The AFL Player Of The Week for the previous round, Corey Jones.
1: Geelong Cats 15-3 win-loss record (1 in last AFL Power Rankings)
They have different priorities than other teams in the AFL now. Top spot is guaranteed, so they might want to look ahead and get players ready for September. They might want to rest a couple of players and they also have their ruck dilemma to negotiate. The Cats won't be able to play three ruckmen during September.
2: West Coast Eagles 11-7 (2)
Just like the Power witnessed on Saturday, ladder positions mean little when the big rivals meet.
3: Hawthorn Hawks 11-7 (4)
With Franklin and Mitchell firing they can beat anyone, it was a big change for Hawthorn compared to last week when their two stars missed the game.
4: Port Adelaide Power 11-7 (3)
They stumbled a bit and can get back on track as they host Carlton on Saturday.
5: Sydney Swans 10-8 (7)
The Swans have everything under control, with a very good percentage and few injuries. They will be the team that other teams don't won't to play in September.
6: Collingwood Magpies 11-7 (5)
They have a very low percentage, so games against Richmond and Melbourne are going to be very useful for them.
7: Kangaroos 12-6 (6)
They now play the Eagles and Cats. So the finals have already started for the Kangaroos.
8: Western Bulldogs 9-8-1 (8)
They are probably happy to get away from the Friday games. Another reason for optimism is their next game is against Melbourne. They didn't lose against the Saints because they finally got some marks from taller players in their forward 50, Everitt and Skipper unexpectedly produced close to goals.
9: Brisbane Lions 9-8-1 (11)
They now play Hawthorn, Sydney, Adelaide and Geelong. Those games are going to be tough to win, but the same was said about their recent games against the Eagles, Magpies and Kangaroos. With Brown at his best, Brisbane can defeat anyone. Right now, Brown is at his best.
10: St Kilda Saints 9-8-1 (9)
Maybe pencil in a win against the Dockers, as the Saints have dome ground advantage, and pen in a win in the last round against Richmond. They probably need at least one more win, but that will be tough as they go to Sydney next week and host the Eagles in round 21.
11: Essendon Bombers 9-9 (10)
The season is on the line when they go to Subiaco next round, to play the Dockers. They will need to win on one of their trips out West to make the finals, they also play the Eagles there in round 22. Their other games should be wins, Carlton and Richmond at the MCG.
12: Adelaide Crows 9-9 (12)
With a big finish against the Power they kept their season going, but it could again be in a precarious situation as they travel to Geelong.
13: Fremantle Dockers 8-10 (13)
When they get it all working at the same time they are a very impressive team. The midfield with Hasleby, Bell and the Carrs was great against West Coast, the back line was very solid with McPharlin leading the way while Farmer kicked a few goals down the other end. To keep their slim finals hopes alive, the midfield will need to perform against Essendon, with young Warnock going against Essendon's veteran Hille. The Saints, Demons and Power are their opponents after the Bombers.
14: Carlton Blues 4-14 (16)
A new coach and a much better effort by the team in the last couple of games.
15: Melbourne Demons 3-15 (14)
On current form, the Demons should be able to wrap up pick 2 in the draft when they play Carlton in round 22. Apparently Coach Roos mentioned that Melbourne are not playing enough of their younger players, that would seem to be a correct statement.
16: Richmond Tigers 1-16-1 (15)
They are killing their young, small defenders. Asking Raines or Newman to play on bigger marking players is not a good idea.
Sydney know that they are again a big chance to win in September, the Demons know they will be on holidays soon, and that is how the two teams played.
Swans 112 - Demons 64
Fantasy Player News
Sydney
Goodes: He plays very well in Canberra, he had 17 kicks and 2 goals.
Buchanan: 31 possessions, also had 11 marks and 2 goals, a big game and he might do it a few more times.
Schneider: 17 kicks and 2 goals, his last few games have been very good for fantasy points.
Fosdike: 23 possessions, a good increase over his usual numbers.
Everitt: 21 possessions, it seemed that there were plenty of times when he didn't have an opponent and he ran around and did as he pleased, which is great for fantasy points.
Melbourne
Newton: The late season fantasy bargains can be found on teams down the bottom of the ladder, Newton looks like he will finish the season with plenty of fantasy points, he had 13 kicks
Green: 20 possessions, used in a variety of roles but still got the ball.
Brown: 22 possessions, if the Demons play him then he helps fantasy teams.
Holland: A few of his games have been really good for fantasy points, this one certainly was as he had 4 free kicks for and 3 goals.
Pickett: 11 possessions, fantasy coaches won't want him, it will be interesting to see if a coach in the AFL wants him next year.
Franklin and Roughead combined for 7 goals and 7 behinds, Essendon's total score was only 7 behinds more than that.
Hawks 119 - Bombers 56
Fantasy Player News
Hawthorn
Lewis: He did a bit extra last week with Mitchell out and continued his high output here with 30 possessions.
Birchall: 28 possessions and 9 marks, is getting close to the upper echelon of fantasy defenders.
Vandenberg: Maybe he can help fantasy teams, he had 1 kicks and 12 handballs and also kicked a goal.
Mitchell: 21 handballs and 8 kicks, Hawthorn and fantasy teams received a big boost this week comapred to last week.
Franklin: 10 kicks and 4 goals, he was a fantasy bargain in round 1 and he keeps kicking goals.
Essendon
Fletcher: 22 kicks and 12 marks, a big game again.
Stanton: 30 possessions and 10 marks, he might be underrated in fantasy games.
Lovett-Murray: 19 possessions and 7 marks, getting better and fantasy teams might consider adding him.
Lloyd: He was in the action with 3 frees for and 3 against, he also had 12 kicks and 2 goals.
Welsh: 23 possessions and 8 marks, very good fantasy numbers.
Plenty of action and drama, a lot of heroes and villains to entertain the crowd, and a shock result.
Dockers 124 - Eagles 97
Fantasy Player News
Fremantle
Solomon: He was certainly made to play in games like this one, he had 7 tackles and 18 possessions and continued his very good fantasy season.
Farmer: 13 kicks, 10 marks and 3 goals, some fantasy coaches will be tempted to sign him and this game showed he can get fantasy points.
J Carr: 19 kicks, 7 handballs, 9 marks, 5 tackles and 3 goals, nut he also lost a few fantasy points with 5 frees against.
Hasleby: 30 possessions and 8 marks, the change of coach might have helped his game.
Gilmore: Not your typical ruckman, and he isn't eligible for that position in fantasy games, he had 20 possessions.
West Coast
Selwood: 22 possessions and 10 marks, probably fewer remarks too, about the opposition players.
Wirrpanda: 15 kicks and 2 goals, a good return on his return to the team.
LeCras: The Q is behind him in the queue in the forward line as they look to LeCras more now, it was a good idea as he kicked accurately for 4 goals.
Hansen: 12 kicks and 12 marks, his stats are much better this season.
Cox: Always one of the best fantasy ruckmen, he had 27 total hitouts and 16 possessions.
Name: James Mulligan
Height: 201
Weight: 96
State: Queensland
Club(s): Southport
AFL Positions:
Full forward might be the position to develop him for. With his height and leap he will, eventually, be hard to handle for full backs. His AFL club might try to make him into a ruckman, he certainly has the height, but he may not have the game for that spot and will need to add a bit of bulk too.
Perfect Fit For:
The Swans need to plan for the future, and in a couple of years they might have to replace their full forward. Not only Hall, but Everitt and O'Loughlin are other players who are close to the end of their careers. Mulligan would be a possibility for Sydney in the ruck or in a couple of other spots up forward. With Mulligan and Jesse White, the future tall forwards for Sydney could both be from Queensland.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
The Saints might consider Mulligan in the second round, they have been very successful when acquiring players from Queensland. Gehrig is close to the end of his career, M Clarke and Brooks are not the answer for St Kilda in the ruck, Mulligan would make a lot of sense for them. Mulligan should have some impressive results at the draft camp, this could push him up higher than expected in the draft.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He might be considered a project player and won't play a lot of AFL next year. His fantasy AFL impact might be several years away, although injuries to other forwards at his AFL club could change that next season.
The Cats were in party mode for most of the game, and a lot of their tricks worked. A couple of things that were unexpected were Blake's goal barrage and Steven King's huge contested mark. King had an unexpectedly solid platform to launch from, the goal umpire.
Cats 139 - Tigers 69
Fantasy Player News
Geelong
Blake: Ottens was out and Blake was ready to play, he had 15 disposals and 24 total hitouts and thrilled the crowd with his 2 goals, the first was a gift on the goal-line while the second was achieved through winning the ball at ground level and snapping across his body.
Stokes: Another big fantasy points game, Stokes had 23 possessions and kicked 3 goals.
Corey: 12 tackles was a good bonus for fantasy points, he also had 15 kicks and 17 handballs.
Bartel: 32 possessions and 9 tackles, he has put together two big games after a few quiet ones.
G Ablett: 28 possessions and 4 frees for, one of the best and most consistent fantasy forwards.
Richmond
Connors: Might be on the "sign now" list for fantasy teams, he had 25 possessions and 7 marks.
Edwards: 15 possessions and 5 marks, he should provide some solid stats in the last month of games.
Deledio: He looked to have some trouble with his hand, as he didn't want to handball with it, and his stats were a bit down with 16 possessions.
Graham: A ruckman in his first AFL game isn't expected to get a lot of fantasy points, he had 2 kicks and 13 total hitouts.
Richardson: 16 kicks and 4 goals, the ball didn't get down his end too often but he still helped fantasy teams.
It was a lot closer than the final score says. Carlton were in front at three quarter time but they slowed down a bit towards the end of the game while Rocca took over.
Magpies 120 - Blues 96
Fantasy Player News
Collingwood
Cook: Was a good player in his first game, he had 13 possessions but may not play many more games this year.
Cox: A late inclusion, he had 8 possessions and 6 tackles.
Rocca: Often a feast or famine fantasy player, this was a big game with 5 goals.
Lockyer: 21 kicks and 9 marks, always one of the best fantasy defenders.
Clement: He played very well, with 22 disposals, but left the ground with an injury.
Carlton
Jamison: 9 possessions and 3 marks, probably not going to help fantasy teams.
Jackson: 19 possessions, and 5 frees for, he could provide some value for fantasy teams.
Russell: 16 possessions, 8 marks and 9 tackles was a big improvement over his normal numbers.
Fevola: 6 goals, he should finish the year with a lot more goals.
Carrazzo: 36 possessions, every game he gets a huge amount of the ball.
Brisbane were very inaccurate in front of goal, it didn't matter as the Kangaroos were not only inaccurate too but they rarely had the ball in their forward area. Jonathan Brown kicked 6 goals and 6 behinds, that includes a couple of shots that hit the goalpost, he won the game with his strong marking as he was too big for Firrito.
Lions 77 - Kangaroos 40
Fantasy Player News
Brisbane
Macdonald: 23 possessions was an increase in his usual output.
Brown: 6 goals and 14 marks, another huge game for Brown, he has been one of the top players for fantasy points in the last month.
Stiller: 23 possessions, he helped bring the ball from the back with Drummond out.
Brennan: Fewer goals than last week but he still had plenty of fantasy points, he had 23 possessions and 8 marks.
Notting: He doesn't have a defined position, which is great for fantasy points as he roams around the field, he had 25 possessions and 11 marks.
Kangaroos
Smith: 19 possessions and 6 tackles, Smith is a very solid fantasy defender.
Harris: 27 possessions and 5 tackles, he is increasing his production.
Firrito: While he couldn't stop Brown, he helped fantasy teams by collecting a lot fo the ball in the back line, he had 21 possessions and 10 marks.
Rawlings: 25 possessions, that was a good result from Rawlings.
Harvey: 21 kicks, 14 handballs, 5 marks and 4 tackles.
Port Adelaide seemed to have everything under control for more than half the game, but the Crows then got some momentum behind them and ran past them in the final minutes. Burton was very important for the Crows.
Crows 73 - Power 65
Fantasy Player News
Adelaide
Porplyzia: It was a game with conditions that suited a small forward, Porplyzia was good with 6 marks and 14 possessions.
Burton: A player to sign now, he is back to his best for fantasy points. He had 24 possessions, 9 marks and 2 goals.
Knights: 25 possessions and 2 frees for, he is now one of the Crows' best for fantasy points.
Hudson: 16 possessions and 5 tackles, always solid for fantasy points and he produced a few more in this game.
Torney: 20 possessions, his stats will be very good with players like Bassett missing.
Port Adelaide
Thurstans: With Brogan out, Thurstans played a bit in the ruck, it helped his fantasy points as he had 15 possessions and 2 frees for.
Chaplin: 18 possessions was a bigger output than expected.
Westhoff: Only 5 kicks, but another useful fantasy game due to 3 goals.
Thomson: 18 possessions and 8 tackles, also a goal, Thomson has been a useful player for fantasy points in recent games.
Lade: 13 kicks and 9 marks, he will always increase his fantasy points if Brogan is out of the side.
Here is a competition to enter, guessing which players will make the 2007 AFL All-Australian team. Select the players in their appropriate positions and win prizes.
Coca-Cola Zero AFL All Australian Game
There are plenty of easy choices, like most of the Geelong midfield as well as the Cornes family, but it will be tricky to pick the right ruckman, full back and centre half forward.
Prizes include a PlayStation2, and if you miss out on that you could get a ticket to the Grand Final.
The Saints didn't finish last week's game too well and the same thing happened here. Akermanis got the Bulldogs going in the last quarter before Skipper got the Bulldogs the lead with a big contested mark. A Riewoldt point tied up the game in the final seconds. There will be plenty of points looked at during the game, and a point that possibly should have been scored. Both teams also rushed through plenty of points during the game.
The AFL doesn't have divisions or conferences like other sports, but unofficially the Saints and Bulldogs are now in a separate group with Brisbane. There may only be one spot in the finals available for the three teams that had a draw during the season, Richmond are the other team with a draw but they won't competing for a finals spot. Brisbane have a huge percentage, so if they keep winning they will leap over both the Saints and Bulldogs.
Saints 85 - Bulldogs 85
Fantasy Player News
St Kilda
Gilbert: He was a very inexpensive player a few months ago, now he stars with 23 possessions and 9 marks.
Fiora: 11 kicks, 6 marks and a goal, Fiora has been a very good player for fantasy teams this season.
X Clarke: 5 tackles, 7 marks and 14 possessions, Clarke had more fantasy points than he usually does.
Koschitzke: Back after his holiday and back among the fantasy points, he kicked 2 goals.
Gehrig: He has been a good player the last few weeks, but he was terrible for fantasy points here with only 1 mark and he didn't even get to kick the ball as another Saint gave away a free.
Western Bulldogs
Everitt: Another good game for fantasy points, he had 12 possessions, 5 marks and a goal.
Skipper: 2 goals, 9 marks and 11 kicks, Skipper has produced in his two games.
Giansiracusa: 4 goals and 2 frees for produced a lot of fantasy points.
Boyd: Cross didn't play a lot so Boyd continued his run of getting a lot of the ball, he had 26 possessions.
Murphy: A much better game for fantasy points, he played in different positions and produced 10 marks and 23 kicks.
Name: Ben McEvoy
Height: 199
Weight: 90
State: Victoria Country
Club(s): Murray/Dederang-Mt Beauty
AFL Positions:
He can play a lot of different spots, like Drew Petrie does for the Kangaroos, and can be used in the ruck or at either end of the ground. Centre half forward could be where McEvoy starts at AFL level.
Perfect Fit For:
Fremantle need more height in their forward line as well as some extra depth in the ruck. Longmuir's knee problems were a big reason why Fremantle had a bad 2007 season, and with him out of the lineup they didn't have another versatile forward/ruckman to use. If McEvoy is there when Fremantle pick they should consider him, but he may not last to their pick.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
Melbourne will be looking for future replacements for Neitz and White, so McEvoy would be a player that they look at early in the first round. McEvoy would be expected to go in the first half of the first round of the draft.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
He can cover a lot of ground so the marks could add up quickly. With a goal or two and some hitouts as well, McEvoy could be a good fantasy player next season. It will depend on which team drafts him, as one team might throw him right into the action while another could send him to the VFL for a couple of months, but McEvoy will probably be on quite a few fantasy benches next season as a forward or ruckman.
The idea of using a player as the captain if they play Carlton made sense again last week. Riewoldt brought in a lot of points, which was needed by this fantasy team as Hawthorn left out a couple of the important players on this team when they played the Kangaroos. A Kangaroo did help the points total along, Corey Jones had a huge game.
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
F Barry Hall
F Chad Cornes
F Corey Jones
F Gary Ablett (captain)
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)
Raines has been one of the more inconsistent fantasy defenders but seems to be getting better towards the end of the season. He is kicking more now and isn't getting caught holding the ball as much.
Mitchell missing last week hurt the team, Lewis did get some extra possessions for Hawthorn, and this fantasy team, but he also gave away a few points with his indiscretions.
Hudson keeps working hard, he has been a bargain this season. He will have a big challenge going against Lade and Brogan. White also has to combat a couple of big ruckmen as he plays against Sydney.
G Ablett will get a run as captain this week. His team could again kick a big score against Richmond and he should be among the stats. Hall finally filled up the stats sheet, that was good news for fantasy coaches who kept him around. Corey Jones was signed at the start of the year, his season has been very good and last round was a great result.
Emergency players were needed last round, but only Ackland was available. He actually had as many fantasy points as the starters in the ruck spot but as they both played it didn't help the team.
The Dockers won't have Des Headland in their forward line as he is out with a hamstring injury. Headland against West Coast is something that fans of the Dockers and Eagles will have to wait until next year to see.
Story from The West Australian: Injury postpones Headland V Selwood II
From the Fremantle site: Headland to miss
AFL Fantasy Impact:
With Headland out, Murphy or Farmer might kick some more goals. Farmer isn't the best player to sign for a fantasy team, Murphy would be a good option but he can't cement a regular spot in their new forward line. Headland is a chance to play next week, so fantasy coaches will probably want to put him on their bench for this round. Fantasy coaches will also want to see what Andrew Foster does, with the Dockers looking to 2008 they should start giving their younger players a lot more playing time. It may not happen against the Eagles, but the remaining rounds could see players like Foster and Ibbotson get a lot of playing time and stats.
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda
The Tip: St Kilda by 15 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Fraser Gehrig
Chance For An Upset: The Bulldogs seem to have become confused lately, instead of adding more height to the team they have
actually gone even smaller. Koschitzke and Clarke in the ruck for the Saints could be the difference here.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....Cross and West, who both return after missing through injury, win a huge amount of the ball at stoppages.
The Good News: Everitt impresses in every game he plays.
The Bad News: Griffen is out for the rest of the season, the Bulldogs' slump started around the time he and Cross were hurt.
St Kilda
They win if....they overload the Bulldogs with height, that could be the plan as Koschitzke is expected to spend time up
forward and with Riewoldt and Gehrig there too the Saints should kick a winning score.
The Good News: A month ago it looked like the finals were out of reach, now it seems very likely that they play in September.
The Bad News: They didn't finish off their opponent last week and the result was close at the end, they will need to make
sure they play the entire game to defeat the Bulldogs.
Carlton v Collingwood
The Tip: Collingwood by 55 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Anthony Rocca
Chance For An Upset: Carlton didn't get the win after firing their coach, something that the other teams like Fremantle were
able to do. The second game for a new coach is often a big loss, so that might happen here.
Carlton
They win if....they hold H Shaw to 10 or fewer possessions, unlikely to happen.
The Good News: There aren't many weeks to go.
The Bad News: With Kouta gone, Carlton can't put anyone on the field who has won before.
Collingwood
They win if....they do the opposite of what they did against Brisbane.
The Good News: Clement returns and their back line is now close to being complete.
The Bad News: Rocca has had a few shockers, there is a good chance that he turns it around here.
Geelong v Richmond
The Tip: Geelong by 99 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Nathan Ablett
Chance For An Upset: No.
Geelong
They win if....they have 18 players out on the ground.
The Good News: Geelong will finish in first spot.
The Bad News: King returns, that could be a problem as the Ottens-Blake combination was working so well.
Richmond
They win if....the kid from Family Ties turns up in his DeLorean and brings Jim Jess and the rest of their 1980 team to play.
The Good News: Angus Graham gets to play, which means they now have Angus Graham Polak, while the Cats will be missing their
Joel Corey Enright for this game.
The Bad News: Richmond fans are not cheering enough for Carlton to win, top pick is at stake.
Brisbane v Kangaroos
The Tip: Brisbane by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jamie Charman
Chance For An Upset: It was Leigh Brown who did the damage for the Kangaroos last time they faced the Lions, he won't be
playing in this game. Brisbane's Jonathan Brown is also kicking a lot better than he did when these teams last played.
Brisbane
They win if....someone like Patfull can stop Jones in the air and at ground level.
The Good News: Along with Geelong, at the moment Brisbane are playing better than any other team.
The Bad News: The Lions have found another potential star from Ireland but the GAA doesn't want to let him go.
Kangaroos
They win if....McIntosh has another big game with plenty of running and possessions.
The Good News: They went to Tasmania and won, so a trip North won't worry them.
The Bad News: This game is at the Gabba, when the Kangaroos won earlier in the year it was played on the Gold Coast.
Adelaide v Port Adelaide
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 2 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Kane Cornes
Chance For An Upset: These games are usually close, but Adelaide will need something special from a few players to make up
for all the players they are missing.
Adelaide
They win if....Perrie stops playing like Kent Kingsley.
The Good News: It is their home game, so they will have the crowd support.
The Bad News: More Ricciuto injury news.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Ebert and The Hoff take a few contested marks up forward.
The Good News: Some teams take 10 years to rebuild, the Power needed half a season.
The Bad News: Tredrea will miss again, but that might just mean he is rested and more effective in the finals.
Melbourne v Sydney
The Tip: Sydney by 123 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Nick Davis
Chance For An Upset: No Bruce, no MCG, no chance for Melbourne.
Melbourne
They win if....Sheedy arrives to coach and brings a couple of big forwards and an extra big defender.
The Good News: Round 22 could be one of the most intriguing games of the season, against Carlton, and it isn't a long wait.
The Bad News: It's Melbourne's home game but it is a long way away.
Sydney
They win if....it doesn't snow, although it could be cold in Canberra for the game.
The Good News: They have one of the best ruck duos in the AFL, and they can thank Melbourne for providing half of it.
The Bad News: Leo Barry is out again, that should not be a problem.
Hawthorn v Essendon
The Tip: Essendon by 13 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: David Hille
Chance For An Upset: Essendon have some momentum behind them, they might keep it going.
Hawthorn
They win if....Franklin and Mitchell play and are at their best.
The Good News: Lewis was reported but he is available to play this week.
The Bad News: They brought back Vandenberg and then lost, maybe it is just a coincidence.
Essendon
They win if....their tall, versatile players like McPhee and Lovett-Murray take up space in front of Hawthorn's big forwards.
The Good News: They are back in the finals race.
The Bad News: Their current coach is better than whoever they bring in for 2008.
Fremantle v West Coast
The Tip: West Coast by 8 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Chance For An Upset: The Dockers don't have a lot to play for, in terms of finals, but they will want this win more than any other over the last month of the season. It could be close but the Dockers may not have enough in the ruck to get the win.
Fremantle
They win if....Pavlich takes Glass into the midfield to unbalance the Eagles' back line.
The Good News: They win half their games with their new coach.
The Bad News: Sandilands is out for the rest of the year.
West Coast
They win if....they don't get caught in too much physical stuff.
The Good News: Wirrpanda and others are back, although there may not be room in the team for all their possible inclusions.
The Bad News: Due to losses at home against the Saints and Lions, the Eagles will have to keep winning to get second spot.
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda
Western Bulldogs
FB: McMahon, Harris, Morris
HB: Everitt, Williams, Hargrave
C: Ray, West, Eagleton
HF: Giansiracusa, Johnson, Murphy
FF: Higgins, Grant, Akermanis
Foll: Darcy, Cooney, Boyd
bench: Cross, Skipper, Power, Tiller
emergency: Hill, McDougall, Harbrow
In: Cross, Grant, West
Out: Harbrow, Hill, Wight
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Cross and West should help fantasy teams, Grant is a bit more of a risk to sign. Everitt has gotten stats in all the games he has played and is a defender to consider signing. It might be a good idea to trade Harbrow, he has had a good price increase and a fantasy team with plenty of trades left could free up some extra money by trading him.
St Kilda
FB: Maguire, Hudghton, L.Fisher
HB: Gram, S.Fisher, Baker
C: Harvey, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Birss, Riewoldt, X.Clarke
FF: Milne, Gehrig, Koschitzke
Foll: Clarke, Dal Santo, Ball
bench: Attard, Blake, Fiora, Gilbert
emergency: Jones, Voss, Clarke
In: Koschitzke
Out: Rix
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Koschitzke will move off fantasy benches this week and back into the starting lineup. As the Bulldogs often go very small up forward, Maguire or Hudghton may not have a player their size to play on and could spend a lot of time on the bench, which isn’t good for fantasy points.
Carlton v Collingwood
Carlton
FB: Russell, Thornton, Jamison
HB: Jackson, Bower, Scotland
C: Grigg, Simpson, Carrazzo
HF: Houlihan, Waite, Gibbs
FF: Murphy, Fevola, Fisher
Foll: Ackland, Bentick, Betts
bench: Blackwell, Bannister, O'hAilpin, Saddington
emergency: Austin, McLaren, Young
In: Bentick, Grigg, Jamison
Out: Lappin, Wiggins, Koutoufides
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The outs for Carlton are all injured players, with Koutoufides retiring. Grigg was a high pick by Carlton so you would think they would keep him in the team now, he has the skills to help fantasy teams but he needs playing time. Bentick was a surprise omission last week but he returns and the possessions and tackles should accumulate again.
Collingwood
FB: Clement, Prestigiacomo, O'Brien
HB: H.Shaw, Wakelin, Johnson
C: Clarke, Burns, Cook
HF: Maxwell, Rocca, Didak
FF: Thomas, Cloke, Swan
Foll: Fraser, O'Bree, Davis
bench: Richards, Lonie, Lockyer, Goldsack
emergency: Medhurst, Cox, R.Shaw
In: Cook, Clement
Out: Pendlebury, Licuria
AFL Fantasy Watch:
It certainly took a long time for Clement to get back, he is usually a very good defender for fantasy points but they might ease him back into the action during this game so possibly waiting until next week to sign him might be a good move.
Geelong v Richmond
Geelong
FB: Milburn, Scarlett, D.Johnson
HB: Harley, Egan, Mackie
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Corey
HF: Kelly, Mooney, Selwood
FF: S.Johnson, Ottens, Stokes
Foll: Blake, Ling, G.Ablett
bench: S.King, Byrnes, J.Hunt, N.Ablett
emergency: Varcoe, Gardiner, Tenace
In: King
Out: Enright
AFL Fantasy Watch:
King's inclusion changes a few things for fantasy stats. Blake has a big cut in playing time while Ottens' role is altered and he will stay in the forward line. While usually that might be a problem for Ottens and fantasy points, if Geelong get on another roll and keep sending the ball forward Ottens might kick a bunch of goals.
Richmond
FB: King, Thursfield, J.Bowden
HB: Raines, Polak, Newman
C: Tambling, Deledio, Connors
HF: Pettifer, Hughes, Edwards
FF: Brown, Riewoldt, Richardson
Foll: Simmonds, Johnson, Foley
bench: Tuck, Graham, McGuane, Tivendale
emergency: Jackson, Moore, Pattison
In: Graham, Deledio, Tivendale
Out: Moore, Pattison, Krakouer
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Deledio is back, so hopefully his hand is healed and he will play. Fantasy coaches might want to wait a week to make sure he is ready to play. Simmonds gets a chance to play without Pattison so his fantasy points might improve.
Brisbane v Kangaroos
Brisbane
FB: Macdonald, Merrett, Roe
HB: Adcock, Drummond, Patfull
C: Notting, Lappin, Stiller
HF: Mills, Brown, Selwood
FF: Hooper, Leuenberger, Brennan
Foll: Charman, Black, Power
bench: McGrath, Harding, Copeland, Rischitelli
emergency: Moody, Clark, Harding
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Mr Drummond was named but he was hurt last week so there might be a bit of doubt that he will play. So having a fantasy defender as an emergency will be something to do in case Drummond does miss.
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: Green, Edwards, Sansbury, Whyman
emergency: Brown, Lower, Thomas
In: Wells
Out: Brown
AFL Fantasy Watch:
With Brown out, Hale and Edwards could kick some more goals.
Adelaide v Port Adelaide
Adelaide
FB: Massie, Stevens, Johncock
HB: Torney, Bock, McLeod
C: Mattner, Goodwin, van Berlo
HF: Burton, Perrie, Knights
FF: Welsh, McGregor, Gill
Foll: Hudson, Edwards, Thompson
bench: Shirley, Maric, Douglas, Porplyzia
emergency: Doughty, Jericho, Campbell
In: Shirley, Douglas, Porplyzia
Out: Campbell, Doughty, Reilly
AFL Fantasy Watch:
They are still missing some of their big defenders so a couple of forwards will again go to the back line. Bock might be a more consistent player for fantasy points in the back line.
Port Adelaide
FB: Pettigrew, Thurstans, Surjan
HB: Wilson, Chaplin, P.Burgoyne
C: Lonie, S.Burgoyne, K.Cornes
HF: Rodan, Motlop, Pearce
FF: Ebert, Westhoff, Krakouer
Foll: Lade, C.Cornes, Cassisi
bench: Boak, Carlile, Brogan, Thomson
emergency: Bentley, Lower, Mahoney
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Tredrea is still out, so Ebert could again kick a bunch of goals.
Melbourne v Sydney
Melbourne
FB: Holland, Carroll, Ferguson
HB: Bell, Miller, Frawley
C: Green, McDonald, Wheatley
HF: Godfrey, Robertson, Brown
FF: Pickett, Neitz, Bate
Foll: White, McLean, Jones
bench from: Newton, Buckley, Moloney, Ward, Jamar, Davey, Bode
In: Pickett, Davey, Bode, Jamar, Carroll
Out: Bruce, Sylvia
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Pickett gets to play his milestone game, he isn't someone for fantasy coaches to sign.
Sydney
FB: Kennelly, C.Bolton, Malceski
HB: Bevan, Goodes, Mathews
C: Ablett, Kirk, Buchanan
HF: R.O'Keefe, O'Loughlin, McVeigh
FF: Schneider, Hall, Davis
Foll: Jolly, J.Bolton, Fosdike
bench from: Schmidt, Everitt, Brennan, Dempster, Laidlaw, Richards, Grundy
In: Ablett, Dempster, Laidlaw
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Hall was among the fantasy points leaders last week and he gets a chance to repeat that against the Demons.
Hawthorn v Essendon
Hawthorn
FB: Guerra, Gilham, Brown
HB: Ladson, Croad, Birchall
C: Smith, Mitchell, Lewis
HF: Crawford, Franklin, Bateman
FF: Vandenberg, Taylor, Roughead
Foll: Campbell, Crawford, Sewell
bench from: Boyle, Dixon, Dowler, Ellis, McGlynn, Tuck, Young
In: Boyle, Ellis, Franklin, Mitchell
Out: Murphy
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Franklin and Mitchell are both named to return. Plenty of fantasy teams rely on them.
Essendon
FB: Welsh, Michael, Fletcher
HB: McPhee, Ryder, M.Johnson
C: Stanton, Watson, Lovett-Murray
HF: Nash, Lucas, Peverill
FF: Winderlich, Lloyd, Lovett
Foll: Hille, Slattery, McVeigh
bench from: Dyson, Monfries, Laycock, Bradley, Johns, Gumbleton, Ramanauskas
In: Fletcher, Lovett, Johns
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Fletcher is back in the team, there may be some doubt regarding his fitness.
Fremantle v West Coast
Fremantle
FB: Hayden, McPharlin, Thornton
HB: Mundy, Grover, Black
C: M.Carr, J.Carr, Johnson
HF: Farmer, Pavlich, Solomon
FF: Murphy, Tarrant, Hasleby
Foll: Warnock, Crowley, Bell
bench from: Drum, Gilmore, Duffield, McManus, Schammer, Peake, Foster
In: Murphy, Warnock, Foster, Peake, Schammer
Out: Sandilands, Headland
AFL Fantasy Watch:
Warnock should provide some useful fantasy numbers in the next five rounds. Sandilands will need to be traded by fantasy coaches. Peake and Schammer were expected to have big seasons this year but injuries have kept them from achieving that, they are back and if they do make the team when it is finalized on Friday night they both could be good signings for fantasy teams.
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 from: Fletcher, Hurn, R.Jones, Schofield, Priddis, Rosa, Wirrpanda
In: Fletcher, Rosa, Wirrpanda
AFL Fantasy Watch:
The Eagles are close to full strength now so time to sign their stars and trade away some of the younger players.
The Bulldogs' Luke Darcy has announced that he will retire at the end of the season. That could be only five rounds away unless the Bulldogs start winning again. They have slipped out of the top 8 and need to win against the Saints to get back on track.
From the Bulldogs site: Darcy calls it a day
From The Age: Darcy to walk away on his terms
AFL Fantasy Impact:
For fantasy teams, it seems like Darcy has been retired for the past three weeks. His stats have been very bad in recent games. Maybe he does turn it around but he wouldn't be a player to invest in right now. After a disastrous game against West Coast, the Bulldogs probably recall one of their taller ruckmen and with Grant also a chance to play it could mean Darcy has a reduced role this week.
Name: Addam Maric
Height: 179
Weight: 80
State: Victoria Metro
Club(s): Calder/Greenvale
AFL Positions:
He is ahead of most prospects when it comes to foot skills and his Football IQ is an asset too. Obviously he can be very damaging in the forward line, an AFL team might also want to use his abilities in the back line as he could handle the kickout duties. Maric also has midfield skills and can read the hitouts well so a team might use him in the middle too.
Perfect Fit For:
Essendon might be a destination that Maric is pleased with. The Bombers could also use his skills up forward. They have the big forwards, and some quicker players to pressure defenders, and they could use a skilful player to provide a different option. Bewick and Mercuri used to play that role and Maric has a lot in common with those two players.
AFLinsider.net prediction:
With his accuracy in front of goal he is a unique prospect, but there will be some questions about how often he will get the ball to have a shot. The draft camp testing could be very important to his draft position, as a good sprint result could show he can get the ball on the lead as a forward in the AFL, and the endurance test might determine how much he could play in the middle too. The Crows can't kick goals, so Maric might be their choice in the second round.
AFL Fantasy Outlook:
As he is one of the prospects with the most skills, he could be extra useful in fantasy games that rate possessions on efficiency. He won't need a lot of opportunities to get a couple of goals per game, as he is extremely accurate when kicking for goal, so that should translate into fantasy points in all types of fantasy games. Most likely a fantasy forward, he could be the best option for the cheap fantasy players at that position.
Round 17 goes to Bryce Gibbs.
B Gibbs
Kicks: 9
Handballs: 8
Marks: 5
Tackles: 1
Goals: 0
J Selwood
Kicks: 8
Handballs: 11
Marks: 5
Tackles: 2
Goals: 0
Gibbs' new coach didn't get the best out of him, but it was an improvement over Pagan. Gibbs was a big part of Carlton's late fightback against the Saints, his last quarter provided a look at what he should start to contribute for an entire game. Selwood and Geelong took care of business like they usually do. Selwood didn't need to do anything extra as players like G Ablett and Stokes won the game.
Except for that one kick for goal just before the last quarter ended, Gibbs was a very effective player as Carlton got close to a win. In the last couple of weeks he has shown that he can perform very well in the fourth quarter.
Selwood has wrapped up the AFL's Rising Star Award for 2007. He was probably ahead of Pendlebury and with the Collingwood star's injury it means that Selwood will have a big finish to the regular season while Pendlebury will not.
The Cats host Richmond, it is an understatement to say that Geelong are expected to win. The Cats might want to rest a few of their stars during the match so Selwood might play a big role against the Richmond midfield that is without Deledio and will be using a ruckman in his first game. Joel Selwood could be looking at over 30 possessions. The Blues will farewell Koutoufides before the match against Collingwood. That officially ends any player connection with their previous successful era. Gibbs with his number 4, Murphy with his number 3, it is up to them to create a new era with 43 retired.
B Gibbs 6 - J Selwood 11
The previous Gibbs/Selwood watch.
Another idea for the 2008 AFL season as they look back to the previous 150 years of Australian football. It happens in all the other leagues and the AFL could allow it for a round next year, letting the fans on the ground during the breaks between quarters.
The fans could listen to some of the speeches from the coaches and have the privilege of walking on the historic venues. An extra siren and announcement could inform the spectators that they could enter the arena.
100 years ago the coaches were not sitting up in the stands in little boxes. For this special round they could coach from the sidelines. While also recreating events of the past, this idea would also allow them more time on the ground to address their players during the breaks in play. So there would still be time to talk tactics with the players after the crowd have been asked to return to their seats.
There are a few things that happen now that didn't happen in the previous 149 years of football that could make this idea a problem. Apparently people go to the football now and sit behind the goals, and are in total shock when a football hits them on the cranium.
Forwards aren't kicking 100 goals at the moment so the fans need a special round to run on the ground. Maybe without their footballs, the fans could participate in this in 2008.
Next week's Australian Football Sesquicentennial Celebrations Suggestion: Back to suburban grounds in preseason.
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