I thought you would!
Here’s a first look at the 2022 incarnation of The Maulers@SCT. This leaves me with $22,100 in the bank.
I’ll run you through my selections (and non-selections) line-by-line.
Defenders
I started without Lloyd last year and regretted it so this year I’m splashing the cash and he’s the anchor of my backline. Crisp picks himself based on his 2021 stats and Ridley only came in this week after Dawson (who I’d been keen on all PS) didn’t get up for the game against the Lions with calf soreness. The rest are rookies whose spots will be dictated by whether they get named in Round 1.
Midfielders
Sam Walsh was, of course, one of my first picked this year but he got moved on for Oliver after he went in for foot surgery. Macrae‘s a no-brainer. Already had Miller prior to his praccy match against Port but his 140 points in that game cemented his spot. Went without Neale last year and didn’t regret it but a full PS has seen me regain confidence in him and at his price he’s hard to ignore (144 against Adelaide doesn’t hurt either). Rowell‘s been in and out of the team but his 118 against Adelaide and positive reports from training have broken down the door for me – at $343k I’ll take the risk. Likewise Berry with his 158 against Adelaide.
Rucks
As advised by Chips Ahoy! I’m waiting on Gawn to get R/F DPP status in a few weeks and then he’ll go into my Forward line. In the meantime, these guys are the other two best options in the ruck and I’m happy to set and forget with them.
Forwards
OK here’s where it gets interesting. 4 midpricers in Coniglio, Curnow, Gresham and Rayner. Yes there’s a bigger than normal injury risk but this is the kind of move that wins you this thing. Dunkley will be a Top 6 Forward for sure by season’s end and the way Butters played in the game against the Suns (167), you’d think he will be too.
Politely let me know what you think in Comments and if you’ve got any questions I’ll be happy to respond.
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Other than a couple of mid-pricers in the forward line this is basically my team! So I love it and look forward to battling for the #1 ranking with you.
I know rookies are yet to be locked in, but there are a number of $102k options that may force you to dump one of Gresham, Curnow or Raynor (none of which I have or are sold on). That gives you a lot of flexibility!
Charlie Dean is out now, so there is one rookie that will need to change. Also realised you don’t have Daicos, who is likely to outscore JHF based on role.
Thanks BBB. Great minds think alike!
Pretty solid team, only concern i have is the amount of rookies fielded down back don’t think we’ll get
Thanks buddy! Yeah, I may have to downgrade a premium mid in order to pay for players that get games in Round 1 down back.
If you turn Gresham & Curnow into 2 x rookies, turn Ridley into Sicily then you could afford a Whitfield down back. This would reduce reliance on 3 x def rookies to 2 x def rookies on field
I’ll need to move past my ND policy to bring Sicily in.
Pretty solid Motts. My 2 cents would be to trade Rayner/Curnow to Daicos and swap Rachele fwd. Should free up a little bit of cash for rookie swaps. I like the look of having 3 premos in def and heavier in the guts but after last years struggle with def rookies I feel like having to field 3 could be tricky. Fingers crossed we get some rookies!
Cheers Alza! I’ll take that on board.
Alza you just reminded (as in, gave me nightmares) about how tough the defensive line was last year….. Please I don’t want to go back there again
Some thoughts, take it with a pinch of salt.
I don’t think Gresham, Rayner and Durdin have SC conducive roles
Curnow is made out of paper mache
Having 3x $102k rookies which are unlikely to be named will cause a significant restructure when Rd1 teams drop
I enjoyed following your team last year after starting #2, but cash gen really stalled out when it mattered, be careful to avoid that.
Very good advice, Stonks. Your points are definitely valid. Love Curnow and whilst he got plenty of it last Thursday, he didn’t convert a lot and the injury he got could be a sign of things to come.
Gresham and Curnow are my concerns as well as the 3 cheap rookies I went that way last year and paid the price with little cash gen. It’s shaping up to plenty of quality mid rookies and a bare cupboard for def and fwd therefore I am going with a 3 premo mid just a sec Motts ,I can sense disagreement to the full and who am i to offer advice but the winner last year started ,from memory, with a 3 premo mid and 2 high mid priced players .i,e. THOMAS types not COGS types i have reluctantly dumped Steele and 2 non playing rooks for Dunkley daics and JHF I have 13 prems including BUTTERS and only cogs and Berry as my 2 risky low end midpricers this enables me to get DAICS and JHF the 2 best rookies who will play Sorry to be so negative but Gresham and Curnow are imo tradeouts waiting to happen Best of luck son NDD
Thanks mate. Good advice.
Like the Team Motts.
Agree with Alza mentioning Daicos into the Mids for Charlie and Rachelle moved forward.
As a Blue, what’s your thoughts on Durdin’s role & JS?
They played him last week. If they play him tonight you’d think his JS would be pretty good.
This can’t be your team Mottsy, there’s only two Carlton players. Where’s your eternal optimism gone?
Head > Heart when it comes to SC.
Only taken you over 13 years!
Hutta
Wow. I’m trying not to fan boy.
Don’t we look good, not me..
Flagmantle. 😉
Excuse my tone… Its my B’day tomorrow so I’m a little loose .
How ya been Hutta ?
Love to see YOUR team !
Can we have a celebrity team announcement ?
Hutta ‘s team… Hutta’s team !
I’ll have a word to him. Happy birthday, FT!!
Thanks mate.
Another year older, yet am I another year wiser ? It’s so hard not to get tempted by Cripps and Hewitt. Even Kennedy ?They all looked very good v the Dees.Be interesting to see how they do when the real stuff starts..
Carlton do look to finally have some structure behind the ball (sorry.. they looked a rabble defensively at times last year ) This should help Cripps and Hewitts game. Hopefully this new game plan helps them reach their best. I’m not sure I can start Cripps.Too many bad memories… Hewitt could sneak into D4 if I I have the cash..
I love this time of year, its getting close to crunch time…Hope you have a great weekend.
Cheers FT…
Happy Birthday FT
…Coniglio, Curnow, Gresham and Rayner. Yes there’s a bigger than normal injury risk but this is the kind of move that wins you this thing.
Certainly huge risk down fwd- because even the 2 safe ones you got in Dunkley & Butters didn’t play much last year!
It would be interesting to count the number of games in your forward 6 from last year?
Too risky for mine!
Actually worked out your forwards played 37 out of a possible 132 season games, and that inflated by a few finals games by Butters, Coniglio & Dunkley, so was probably more like 30 games in season.
I wouldn’t be too worried about Coniglio and injuries, he is low priced and historically when he gets injury it is significant so you know you have to trade him out.
He has also been a value pick twice in his career and backed it up with full season above 90. For a starting price of 50 AVG that represents a +40
Fair point. Maybe I need to temper my love of a good midpricer.
I have to agree with most of the comments Motts.
I think all of Curnow , Gresh (high possibility of injury ) and Rayner* could all be traps in 2022. * Rayner is just not an accumulator and there’s way too many SC mouths to feed at the Lions. I have Neale, Lyons , McLuggage, Rich, Zorko , Bailey, Berry and H Andrews all well ahead of him. I would get off the Rayner train.
I do like Rachele Forward for Curnow, and get Daicos. Then I would try and turn Rayner and Gresh into a Premo and maybe McCartin.
Best of luck for you and The Blues in 2022.
Thanks pal.
Who makes the eight ?
T/U The Blues.
T/D Flagmantle. 😉
Loving the midfield!! I’m pretty much the same there but I’ve taken lipinski > Rowell. For now. Watching both closely.
I see too much risk elsewhere. Injury risk has been covered already by the above comments.
I think you’re risking a few too many low scores from the chosen rookies. The best rookies determine structure. Too many 102k rookies. You’re missing out on stephens who has job security, and daicos. Mcdonald perhaps. Mccartin perhaps.
Excellent start to the season. Where did your team finish up Motts?
Let’s not go there mate. Crashed and burned.
Mottsy, for my tuppence worth, Brisbane were only playing a more depleted Adelaide than usual, likewise Freo v West Coast, but GC v Port, well maybe Rowell is about to step back up..