Team Reveal – Father Dougal

Team Reveal Father Dougal

 

Hi Everybody!

For me, last season was not the best. I was so busy with real life I had to take a year off of writing here,  and while I did play, the results were, shall we say, not pumpkin seed worthy.  A big thing I learned, or really remembered, is that even with a lot of trades patience is important. So going to beach myself  and not react to a bad week or two. Likely to be a Cow Talk topic. I also decided to just take the players I want to and follow rules I like. I’d rather have an bad season that way than going with conventional wisdom or following “rules” that ought more to be guidelines. Including my own. 

So, firstly starting with Cows. Did that. Willing to go with three total in defense, but ugh. One ruck cow and two forward cows. Midfield, my, there are a lot who could be taken. I settled on the top 5, and one more cheaper good one. My top six, I am sure not the real top six, but you never know. Nobody I feel bad about. Ok, maybe FOS a little but mostly not bad about him too.  

I had long planned for Bont and Butters and filling in after. So much for that!  Players who do well one season often return to earth the next season and while I am good with paying up for the top top captain options, those guys are hurt. The other options I just don’t feel too good about.  With an incredible number of discount players, I decided to stock up. I didn’t take anyone I did not take anyone I wasn’t comfortable with.  

I also put a lot of thought into the byes. The R12 bye is awful and a lot of player’s I want are in it.  Adding people not Bont and Butters with it will be risky. We shall see. 

Defenders:

I was going to go without any players worth over $600k, but I decided I did not feel good going without Harry Sheezel. He averaged 118 when 19 years old.  He could average 113 and I’d not be upset. He might do better. I hate his bye, NWM was there for a long time, but…not up for dissing my gut and took Harry.  After that, I have the four discount defenders I think will be worth owning. Likely to make money, no rush to upgrade, points on field, and some chance of being a keeper. I call guys like this Heisen-keepers, because I know some are and some are not, but not which ones.  (I’m guessing Roberts and Perryman.)  I was really thinking of going six deep in the back but I ended up happy with the three cows I have, and I want the open spot for Mills later on. 

Midfield:

Whelp, a top five who all cost between $441,200 and $491,300. That’s a thing. But, all of them ought to at least score what they cost, as a very worst case.  One of them is Oliver, and he could very easily be a keeper, and I was big on Finn after owning him a lot of last season and watching him play.  The others, well, could be good or just ok, we shall see. I am at risk of fielding the wrong cows, but I am not minding that problem. A possible issue will be if they all do well and I don;t want to use any of them to get up to Bont and Butters! Another problem I will not mind having. 

Rucks:

TDK seems too good value to pass up. I can’t pay what Gawn costs and be happy. If he starts fast he does, not gonna panic.  It would be very easy for Gawn to drop 10-15 points of average. At 33 years old, he could easily never get near last season’s average again. He could do better, but why not go with the discount points from TDK?  He could outscore Gawn and is only 25.  Flynn is a huge discount and when the Supercoach Gods give you a $261,900 R2 you say thank you and pick him.  Boyd, when not playing can be a loophole, but he will play and make money. Hard to say how fast but I like him more than the other options, so best available. 

Forwards & Flex:

I feel like the top three are near certain for most teams. THe former Dogs are hard to argue with. Garcia looks very promising.  The one player I don’t have that I thought I would is Ryley Sanders.  He just hasn’t looked good enough for me to take him in his second year. Just 14 games and an average of 62.9 with a lot of VFL time to get better. A lot of bad scores.  Compare him to Joel Freijah. Two fewer games for Joel, but an average of 68.8 and a score of 136. He pretty much had a spot once he got going. I feel like Bevo trusts Joel a lot more, and I think Bevo is correct to trust Joel more.  So, a faded Sanders. 

My Flex plan is to put a guy there who does not fit into the midfield. Assuming Cerra is named I’ll probably move him to the flex, but for now it happens to be Peatling. He is yet another guy who I think will score 90ish and make money at the same time. 

If not for Sheezel this would be full blown mid-price madness, at least by long ago thinking. As it is, clear enough to make no difference.  But, There is a lot of value here. Crazy value, with a chance of lots of cash.  With 40 trades (!) I feel like I can still bring in lots of players and have some left over for injury.  I will not have the normal rush to get rookies off the field, since I only have four, and three of them are likely to be pretty good.  

I have hopes of not making early unforced trades. If it turns out that I do not have a cow who is clearly a must have, I’ll think on it, but I feel like not waiting out slow starts last season killed me. 

Obviously changes may be forced, but I am hoping this is it. (Ha ha!)

 

Thanks for reading!