Rookie Review – Round 20

Rookie Review – Round 20


At Round 20, most coaches aren’t really shopping for rookies anymore.

We’re trying to finish our teams with premiums.

The rookie’s job is now pretty simple: be cheap, unlock enough cash to get us to the premium we want and, if possible, actually play football.

If they can provide some bench cover for a late out or injury, even better.

This week we don’t have much, but there are a few options.

Oliver Greeves is the standout bubble boy at $99,100, although his longer-term job security isn’t guaranteed.

For coaches happy to go early, Jaxon Artemis finally got his chance at Essendon, while Jay Polkinghorne could have a pathway to a few games following Jeremy Cameron’s injury.

And with trades disappearing faster than our remaining rookies, the DPP of Matt Whitlock and Riley Hamilton could actually be more valuable than their scoring.

Rookie Options – Round 20

Oliver Greeves

Greeves is the obvious bubble boy this week.

At $99,100, with an average of 56 and a break even of -50, the numbers are certainly good enough.

As a Hawks supporter, I was very happy when we picked him up at pick 12 in the Rookie Draft. He was an Under-18 All-Australian and has looked comfortable in his first two AFL games.

The only concern is job security. Hawthorn have gone out of their way this season to give their young players a taste of AFL football for a few weeks before sending them back to the VFL. We’ve seen it plenty of times already.

So while Greeves looks good enough to play, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be there for the rest of the season.

At $99k though, we’re probably not asking for much. A few games and enough cash to complete our team will do nicely.

Matt Whitlock

Whitlock isn’t going to excite anyone with an average of 33.

But at Round 20, maybe he doesn’t need to.

His biggest attraction is the DEF/FWD DPP.

With trades running low, this might allow you to trade across multiple line over the last couple of week


Riley Hamilton

Hamilton is another player whose value probably comes more from flexibility than scoring.

He’s now $122,300 with an average of 38 and a break even of -14.

The MID/FWD DPP could be useful for coaches trying to build some flexibility into their benches for the run home.

Jaxon Artemis

He finally exists!

After weeks of talking about when Jaxon Artemis might get a game, Essendon finally picked him.

He scored just 31 SuperCoach points.

But more importantly… Essendon won.

Jaxon Artemis: one AFL game, one win. Perfect record. Why would they ever drop him?

At $99,100, if you need a basement-priced defender and he’s named again, he’s certainly worth considering.


Jay Polkinghorne

Polkinghorne also made his AFL debut last week and, like Artemis, immediately experienced something every rookie dreams about. A win.

He scored 46, which is perfectly acceptable for a first-game rookie forward.

More importantly, Jeremy Cameron’s injury could open up a spot in Geelong’s forward line for the next few weeks.

If Polkinghorne is named again, he becomes an interesting option for coaches needing a cheap forward.

At $119,900, he’s not quite basement price, but potential job security matters more than ever this late in the season.

Conclusion

This isn’t really about finding the next great cash cow anymore.

We’re running out of rounds for them to make any cash.

The goal now is simple: Find the cheapest rookie who allows you to buy the premium you actually want.

If they continue playing and provide some emergency cover, that’s a bonus.

Oliver Greeves is the best bubble-boy option this week and the obvious choice if you need a midfielder.

If you’re prepared to go early, Jaxon Artemis is the basement-priced defensive option, while Jay Polkinghorne could have a pathway to games up forward.

And don’t underestimate the value of Matt Whitlock’s DEF/FWD or Riley Hamilton’s MID/FWD status.

With trades disappearing and injuries inevitably coming, DPP could be extremely valuable over the final few rounds.

thanks fellas