Zach Merrett was the star of the AFL Fantasy round, on a difficult weekend for VCs with the likes of Tim Taranto, Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli not scoring enough. There’s some mid-price dilemmas brewing too.
Richmond v Sydney
Freak: Gulden (126)
Flop: Nank (113)
Rookie Roulette: Sheldrick (46), Banks (39), Bauer (6)
Errol’s stat padding has gone up in the middle part of the season. He was everywhere, unlike Timmy T (97), who didn’t deliver us a captain’s score for the second week running even though he had prime tackling conditions. The real heartbreaker in this one though was Jake Lloyd (38) who was looking absolutely on to repay the faith for before being decapitated by Nank, who for that can admire the Flop award on his shelf while he kills time on the sidelines. What a horrible, unmitigated disaster and a rotten piece of Fantasy Gods work this was. Can you tell I’m a Lloydy owner? Round over before it began. Mills (92) was good, I guess, although worryingly sat at full back occasionally. Idk, who cares. I’m also too grumpy about Lloyd to even dwell on the Sheldrick fail. Looping now out of the question, Dunks became even more of a trade than he already was after this game.
Bulldogs v Collingwood
Freak: Daniel (116)
Flop: Smith (43)
Rookie Roulette: O’Donnell (9)
This was an unexpectedly hum drum game for Fantasy. Twin awkward VC scores Bont (114) and Daicos (112) made for head scratching on Friday night. I burned mine on TT and rolled into Dawson, but for what it’s worth I would have taken either of those. Dunkley replacement Macrae (93) was a little ho hum after half time and old mate English was ho hum in the first half. Like Lloydy, Cameron (77) looked on for repaying the faith but copped a hit in the second half which seemed to knock the ability to find the footy right out of him. Titch (88) and Treloar (75) also went unders but blimey Bailey Smith is turning into one of the worst picks of the year to score forty three. He’s parked on my draft bench twiddling his thumbs week in, week out, but honestly it’s tempting to put him on the scrap heap. Daniel (116) was just about the only shining light, returning to form despite the inclusion of Richards (84).
Brisbane v West Coast
Freak: Neale (127)
Flop: Gaff (30)
Rookie Roulette: Wilmot (76), Chesser (66), Hewett (62), Long (44), Williams (43), Maric (41), Fletcher (37), Ginbey (34), Madden (28), Lohmann (25)
As usual the rookie roulette list is longer than the write up for Eagles’ games, with plenty acquitting themselves very nicely. Gaffy cops the Flop mainly because of the fantasy irrelevance of the poor performers in this one and his dramatic fall from fantasy and real life form this season. Neale was a shrewd and bold captain option, so of course I did not do it. With this game in mind you might’ve held Ashcroft (113) till now, but you can let him go even though he’s done a bit of a number on his BE. Although if Dunks stays out, I tick off holding him another week. Full disclosure, he’s likely a forced hold for me with the Lloyd problem. McCluggage (118) was a bold and smart one week hit, but if Dunks is back next week I wouldn’t be banking on him.
GWS v Hawthorn
Freak: Coniglio (136)
Flop: Kelly (30)
Rookie Roulette: Weddle (63), Mitchell (56), Greene (45), Blanck (21)
I get the feeling this was the make or break game. Plenty up the top have been fading Cogs which would have finally really hurt with the other Dunkley replacements struggling. Briggsy (95) came good late for those bold enough to hold him and he pipped English by one point. I’d still get him up to English (or Darcy if you want a POD) asap. The rest of this game was absolute fantasy slop. Nothing says it more than Green (69) somehow avoiding the Flop. You will notice Green is conspicuously absent from ‘cop it on the chin’ because I honestly don’t mind the idea of dumping him, just not quite enough to pop him in the bin. Day (87), Himmelberg (75), Green and the hampered Impey (23) are all lucky that Josh Kelly delivered perhaps the worst uninjured score of his career. Thirty off 85% game time. I don’t care if you’ve got Maginness glued to you, 30 is ridiculous. If you brought him in for Dunks via some POD DPP action, you’re 16 points worse off than if you had kept Dunks and taken Sheldrick’s 46. What a nightmare.
St Kilda v Melbourne
Freak: Steele (146)
(unlucky) Flop: Crouch (96)
Rookie Roulette: Windhager (74), Caminiti (71), McVee (53), Phillipou (44), Woewodin (37)
A standing ovation for Jack Steele who is back with an absolute bang. Are the injury worries behind him? This score would seem to confirm that. His price has taken a jump but if he can return to his best he is now suddenly a potential target, and an unders one at that. He’s cheap, and you could do it, although you’ve surely missed his best score. The flipside is Crouch, who took a bit of a hit because of it. The score was ok but he came good very late, much like Petracca (105) who is spending a concerning amount of time forward. Lets also not forget the monster scores of NWM (130) and RoMar (148) and, like Cogs, had round-defining efforts. Sinclair (110) continues along his merry way and Windy is still generating you some cash.
Port v Gold Coast
Freak: Atkins (103)
Flop: Butters (86)
Rookie Roulette: Humphrey (52), Oea (49)
I mean, it’s a bit of a joke but how can I not twist the knife by awarding Rory the Freak? This was a craptacular low scoring nuffy of a game with Rozee (103) and Anderson (104) at least scraping to a ton. Keep an eye on Touk (97) who returned a good score despite low TOG and forward time on his return game. You could wait a week but this is the kind of POD I love. Flop contenders abounded across the ground with Butters netting you -50 on Cogs and none of Houston (77), Flanders (67) or Rowell (86), who’s still floating in some teams, firing.
Geelong v North
Freak: LDU (122)
Flop: Sheezel (52)
Rookie Roulette: Harvey (63), Mullin (47), Dempsey (8)
Good god what a boilover for old Sheez. With Ziebell (79) demoted to sub I tipped a 110+, but then an early injury had JZ straight on the ground. I don’t think you need to panic about Sheezel, but he’s in the luxury trade category. It’s just quietly a ‘downgrade’ to trade him to LDU. Flag on that, though, surely LDU is in Finn Maginness’ sights next week. Boy oh boy do I want to bring Xerri in (110). If he had forward status I would, and I tick it off in the ruck for the bold. Sometimes this game just has to be a bit of fun. The Duncan (128) rollercoaster continued and with him taking all the +6s it’s lucky Stewart (111) is so exceptional in junk time. Cooper Harvey looks like the downgrade option of the week.
Essendon v Adelaide
Freak: Merrett (150)
Flop: Hobbs (70)
Rookie Roulette: Pedlar (38), Menzie (38), Michalanney (22)
What was all this rubbish about Merrett being tagged out of it by our man Keaysy (91)?! What an unbelievable output, so good that I almost forgot Dawson (128) returned a very good captaincy score. I am annoyed with myself that I didn’t take my own advice and bring in Parish but I still might. Laird (116) and Keays did their best to worry us early but barnstormed their way home late. Hobbsy’s scoring just couldn’t stay up there with Parish back and he’s in that Himmelberg/DCam, Day, Ashcroft group who have done well, but it’s time to go. I’d actually put him at the top of that list.
Freo v Carlton
Freak: Ryan (142)
Flop: Johnson (41)
Rookie Roulette: Johnson (41), Cincotta (39), Worner (21)
Luke Ryan I have straight up just been wrong about this season. He knocks out scores like this frequently enough that it cancels out any low ones. Darcy (124) is a legit alternative upgrade option if you’re rolling Briggs or DCam at R2. He’s a shedload cheaper than English and I think that cash is better used elsewhere. Doch (115) and Serong (100) ticked the box but actually I’d like to point the finger at Andy Brayshaw, who’s not been delivering me the 140s I signed up for. Spare a thought for the Hayden Young (108) traders and for the Walsh (90) holders, who didn’t get DPP. A stark reminder for many that ‘rookies off the ground’ is still the number one play with neither Sheldrick nor Johnson delivering their usual scores, with Johnno being subbed just to rub it in.
Bring them in: Steele, Miller, Harvey
Cop it on the chin: Butters, Crouch, Brayshaw
Put them in the bin: Day, Himmelberg, Johnson
Read In The Wings to see who’s pushing for an AFL game via the VFL, WAFL & SANFL
