A little bit of work has gone into this iteration of my team since draft #1, although this is still only draft #4 for the Circus. It is obvious that more changes will occur with more intel from the praccies, but at this stage those moved on from the defence include players with an injury hiccup or a role not conducive to selection yet. This may change as players (eg Jack Sinclair misses a bit of training but will be back for round 1).
Players originally in the defence but now not include the hamstrung Sinclair, Trevaglia and Bice (who are simming in the “B” sides), and Zac Reid.
Sheez is in for now due to ownership, but comments from Clarko recently that he will be playing a bit more forward worry me! However he’s a star and could score anywhere, so probably stays. Ryan is my keeper POD despite the changing game style at the Dockers. I still think he intercepts and delivers by foot and slows the play down when needed. Mills is the value pick and his ownership makes him necessary. Wayne Milera is my speculative pick at this stage, and I’m hoping Junior looks after himself and becomes a keeper (might be a bit of Crows bias there)! Allen and El-Hawli are there because of ownership as well but I’m open to change here with more intel.
My on field mids have not changed since draft #1. Wanted to bat little deeper in this area and have gone for four premos and two value picks with proven scoring potential. Happy to pay up for a couple of big boys in Bont and Butters for potential scores and VC/C options each week. I’ve never owned Brayshaw before but his finish to the season was compelling and despite owning Serong all season last year, I’ve switched allegiances. My man Daws will play a freer and more adaptable role that he will dictate, and not the team being shit, dictating. The need for Mr Fixit will be minimised by the quality recruits and players returning from injury as virtual recruits (Thillthorpe, Pedlar, Milera), and the emergence of guys like Curtin and Peatling dropping forward. Clarry gets a guernsey at the price and the ownership. Think he comes back to relevance this year, and too good to miss if he does. Peatling‘s non sub games last year were up there and I reckon he gets a run at it this year and averages close to the ton, given his higher scoring avenues of tackle and contested ball numbers. Two high priced rooks on the field hoping they play, but if they don’t, should be easy swaps by round 1, fingers crossed.
My initial ruck selections were Big Max and Tingles but concerns around Tingles and some extra cash needed for a restructure necessitated a double downgrade to Xerri and Jackson. I believe Maxxie and The “‘X’ man are about par so hoping that switch pays off for me and half the fantasy world. I had to ride the vicissitudes of Jacko last year and overall it wasn’t a complete disgrace. Reports of a Darcy delay and a BOG from Jacko in a match sim playing as a roaming forward with inside mid time gives me hope for multiple scoring options, ostensibly with some ruck time. The way the forwards are, he may well be there in the top eight anyway. The Magarey Medallist is there as the cheapest bench option who should get a crack at it this year, and at least make some coin.
My ruck rejig allowed the forward inclusion of Bailey Smith who wasn’t originally there, but weight of numbers make it almost compulsory. I had cheaper options in SPP and Tom Lynch, but on reflection, this seems a better balance. Daniel and Macrae join everyone’s popular value options, but the addition of Rankine and two rookies makes this forward line feel slightly less Cookie Cutter. I’m speculating that Hewett gets mid time and Connor Stone fills the role he’s been trialling in at half back. Either way, Curtin fills in adequately with his mooted mid forward role and some high 80s and 90s in the twos last year. Archer Reid is getting good reports from the west and his DPP earns him a spot. (I’ll defer to GD on this one though).
Whilst Chillo’s intelligence covers the Flex strategy very well, I am trialling a slightly differing approach to the FLEX. My idea, while holding a player there to make money for an extra upgrade but still providing a score to assist in best 22/23 is to preclude a rookie from this position. The rationale is to select non first year payers with radically reduced prices but with the potential for scoring spikes. I filtered the search parameter below Peter Ladhams’s and Matt Flynn’s $260k mark to see if there were players who fit this bill.
Results were not overwhelming but led to various players in this price bracket who have scored in the past, Tom Lynch being one with a high ceiling worth considering. Others who fit the category include Power trio Rory Atkins, Dylan Williams and Josh Sinn. If one of them grabs a half back spot with some kick in duties they should score well enough to be good coverage and make money. Another pair who may be fit for purpose is West Coast’s Jack Hutchison and Ryan Maric, both slated for improved role changes that should score more. Other forwards in this category if they are selected, would be Hugo Garcia, Luke Pedlar, Reef McInness, SPP and Elijah Hewett. Speculative I understand, but with more upside than a rookie in the same position.
Midfielders are a little harder to find, but a a few could fit the bill if selected, including Nathan O’Driscoll, Ed Allen, Elijah Tsatas, Angus Sheldrick and Mitch Knevitt. These guys have produced some good scores when they have played and may do so again. (if you are game)!
In the rucking division we obviously have a fairly popular Matt Flynn, but another doing well pre-season is Pete Ladhams. Whether he gets to help out Grundy with a couple of slow starting big men at the Swans is debatable, but if he does, he has several huge tons to his name including a monster 168.
Anyway, for what it’s worth, something to debate. My team structure is not too bad at this stage. I have 14 players who I would like to be keepers, six genuine captaincy options per week, three premo PODs and only one non rookie player (Bailey Smith) from the rounds 2,3 & 4 byes, and even then it only includes four rookies. My byes overall are solid having round 15 with 21 players being my worst but plenty of time to fix it, and round 12 (like most) but still having 24 available from this draft. All other bye rounds look great with a minimum of 26 per round during all the best 18 periods. Food for hope, but bound to go pear shaped at some stage. Still, 40 trades, how can you go wrong???
Projected 1857 with a bank of $60,700
Good job Jimmy.
Overall I am a bit worried about defence rookies, but feel like we are spoiled for choice in the mids and forwards. I would be tempted to take a premo from the mids and adding one to defense.
Flex plus Best 18 in Rds2-4 mitigates that a bit for scoring. I was thinking more on the JS angle.
There’s half of the Crows team here,