SCT Classic: The Double Burn

This post went up on the site 13 years ago. Check out the names in it! Who do you think it might relate to in 2023?

(Our thanks to regular commenter and good mate kb for putting this together. If anyone has a good idea for an article let us know and we’ll happily have a look at it).

This is not a common term in fantasy footy circles (in fact, I just made it up) but the phenomenon that it describes is no stranger to us hapless coaches. Duck mentioned in an earlier blog that he was refusing to select Buddy Franklin because of past disappointments. Well, if Duck proceeds with this policy, he has the potential of suffering a double burn as per the (now) official definition:

The Double Burn: when a player you have been burnt by before and therefore refuse to pick, turns his scoring around, leaving you frustrated that: a) he didn’t score like that when you had him, and b) you allowed your pig-headedness to count him out before truly considering his potential scoring ability.

Other examples are:
Jared Brennan – he looked a million bucks when he burst onto the scene only to disappoint when in my team and then score vigorously when I dropped him.
Aaron Davey – underperformed in 2008 and was dropped from my team and radar, only to play 22 games at an average of 96 in 2009.
Justin Sherman – averaged 91 in 2006 only to follow up with 2 seasons in the 60s. Then he returned to 91 in 2009. He didn’t double burn me but there’s bound to be some feeling the sting.

And potentials for 2010 are:
Paul Medhurst – I’m sure many were sucked in by his 2008 form, only to get burnt in 2009. Will he reverse this and double burn those poor victims who are refusing to reconsider him?
Nick Malceski – the miracle knee-reconstruction failed to reconstruct his 2007 average of 101. There could be a case for triple burn if you had him in 2008 and 2009 and then he blasts back in 2010.
Andrew Raines – will a change in clubs result in a change in scoring capacity? My fingers are still burnt from last year and I can’t bring myself to consider what could turn out to be a drastic form reversal.
Adam Cooney, Lindsay Gilbee and Andrew Carrazzo – all popular fantasy players who underperformed in 2009. Therefore, they present the definite possibility of the double burn.

Have you experienced the double burn? If so, who was the culprit (of course, the true wrongdoer was you for being too pig-headed to wipe the slate clean)? And who are you refusing to consider in 2010 because the slate is too soiled to clean and therefore, leaving you open to the risk of a double burn?

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