The Fallen Premiums – Rd 14

I’ve just finished reading about the technical struggles at the Michael Walters appeal tonight at the tribunal, where considerable difficulties were had in establishing a video linkup between the appellant and the tribunal. This is in the age of FaceTime and Skype and live streaming and Whatsapp and about a gazillion other social media thingys that are capable of video conferencing that I’ve never heard of. Apparently the AFL hasn’t heard of them either.

Throw in the weekly farce that is the score review system, and then consider the way the AFL’s official app handles live streaming of its product, and you have to ask: is the biggest and best sport in this fine nation administered by Luddites? Other sports seem to be able to handle these concepts fairly well – the NRL video ref bunker works OK most of the time, the NBA kicks all kinds of rear ends when it comes to live game streaming, and every sort of corporate organisation in the world figured out video conferencing years ago. Can’t we just copy them?

In the meantime, every coach is frantically trying to finish his or her team, while also wisely keeping a few precious trades in the back pocket to cover the inevitable late season carnage! Here are the Fallen Premiums!

DEFENDERS

Matt SUCKLING (WBD), $409 300 (-$87.7K), avg 87, BE 37) – I was this close to including Suckers in last week’s edition, but I thought I’d give him one more week to prove himself. Matt did so by knocking up 101 against the Pies, marking his sixth ton in 10 games this year. That lethal left boot makes Suckling the Dogs’ designated kicker, and in my eyes a viable Supercoach target if you’re strapped for cash in the backline. He can throw in the loose game and as such probably falls just short of being a genuine top 6 chance, but at this price Suckling represents excellent value.

Backing it up….
Bachar Houli, $548K, BE 164
Shannon Hurn, $570K, BE 161
Lachie Whitfield, $564K, BE 154
James Sicily, $464K, BE 148
Harris Andrews, $474K, BE 143

MIDFIELDERS

It’s another week where there are just too many midfielders to consider. In brief, here are the cream of the crop:

Clayton OLIVER (MEL), $552 900 (-$69.7K), avg 107, BE 100 – You’re probably a week late, but Clarry is so consistent this year that any time is a good time to get him. Just the one score below 87 since round 1, and that was courtesy of the supertagger de Boer. Can’t go wrong here.

Angus BRAYSHAW (MEL), $448 800 (-$78.1K), avg 90, BE 49 – Three good games in a row from Gus, who is now the guy who could make or break your season on the run home. Either he continues this form and is a super-cheap M8 for you, or he returns to the cold confines on the wing and makes you hate yourself for even considering him. You choose!

Jack MACRAE (WBD), $591 800 (-$97.9K), avg 119, BE 53 – No Libba means more time in the centre square for Jack, who has duly smashed out scores of 150 and 148 in the past fortnight. With Liberatore set to miss the next month with that dicky knee, this is your last chance to grab him before he breaks back through the $600K barrier….

Matt CROUCH (ADE), $484 200 (-$67.1K), avg 102, BE 73 – That hip/ab/thigh/something injury that kept the elder Crouch out for about a thousand weeks earlier this year (rational edit: it was three weeks) means that Matt has gone from POD to SuperPOD. Has a history of huge finishes to the season, with post-bye averages of 125 and 110 in the past two years. Outrageously cheap for such a ball-magnet, Crouch is fifth in the league for disposals per game.

Adam TRELOAR (COL), $502 500 (-$91.7K), avg 106, BE 77 – Speaking of magnets, the leading ball-winner in the comp this year is the jet-propelled Treloar, who is driving the Pies’ star-studded midfield once again this year. Can struggle with disposal efficiency at times, but at this price he simply must be considered as you try to complete your midfield.

Marcus BONTEMPELLI (WBD), $523 900 (-$40.7K), avg 112, BE 89 – Bont has the ability to compile SC points at a speed matched by few others in the league – when he plays as a midfielder. Hopefully the return of Schache and the continuing emergence of Aaron Naughton will encourage Bevo to keep Bontempelli in the middle, where he does his best work (just my opinion). Has only dropped below 95 once this year.

Just quickly: Rory Sloane ($511 000, avg 109, BE 75) was written up in the Flavour Of The Week, and is also an excellent choice this week at a very enticing price.

Limbo land….
Scott Pendlebury, $534K, BE 178
Josh P Kennedy, $522K, BE 164
Josh Kelly, $651K, BE 151
Nat Fyfe, $622K, BE 148
Ben Cunnington, $568K, BE 146
Lachie Neale, $559K, BE 146

RUCKS
Grawndy, or Bromax, or whatever the hell it is you call that two-headed ruck monster. They scored 325 points between them last week. THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE! Anyway….

Just quickly: Scott Lycett ($495 900, avg 95, BE 3) was a highly recommended swingman last week. He responded with an incredible 180, the highest score of the round, and Lycett’s fourth ton in five games. Too expensive to pick up as an F7/R3 now, but if you’re very brave could you consider him as an onfield forward?

FORWARDS

Patrick DANGERFIELD (GEE), $586 600 (-$73.9K), avg 111, BE 58 – If you don’t have him by now, I don’t know what else to say.

Robbie GRAY (PTA), $471 700 (-$53.8K), avg 89, BE 65 – Yep, Robbie was here last week too, but it bears repeating: Gray has attended 71% of centre bounces in Port’s last two games, and has a three round average of 112. Maybe Rocky coming back will make a difference, but maybe it won’t. The Power are playing great footy with their current setup, why change?

Forward thinking….
Tom Hawkins, $471K, BE 157
Jeremy Cameron, $455K, BE 145
Tim Kelly, $552K, BE 130

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