Carnage, carnage, carnage… That was the story of Round 18 and you would be hard pressed to find a coach that did not cop it in one way or another. From rookies like Sheldrick, Robertson and Mullin, to the premos like Serong, Green and Nank, it was a difficult week to manage.
If we learned anything from this round, try and keep your trades as flexible as possible with the rolling lockout, you need to be able to pivot when news comes out late. So what else happened this round…?
VC Heaven
If we wanted a match-up to get a VC, this was the one. Bont (142) is just on another level at the moment, Gulden (126) is a VC master and to cap it off, we had the Swans drop their ruck so English (140) could just wander around and do what he wanted. Outside of the two already mentioned, Libba (118) and Treloar (99) have been consistent scorer, but I could not trust Bevo with any other Dogs. Daniel (67), Dale (68) and Macrae (71) are prime examples. Also a tough pill to swallow is the form of Callum Mills (71) who looks an under-priced premium, but when will the scores come?
Grundy a Gawner
This game probably threw up the biggest question for the week… Will Brodie Grundy return or not? If the decision is based on the form of Max Gawn (162) the answer is well and truly no. Max was back to his best on his own Friday night and could be a great POD if anyone is willing to take on the big 2 rucks. Interestingly, this also coincided with Brisbane’s midfield having underwhelming numbers. McCluggage (104) was solid, but Lachie Neale (75) owners would not have been happy with this one after his great form recently. Could this be a trend against Melbourne to finish the year…?
Beware the veterans
Some great scores from the Daicos boys (132 and 120) is what we have come to expect, but a big learning from this game for me was the fact the Pies named Tom Mitchell (60) as the sub, and subbed Scott Pendlebury (68) early in the game. Could this be a trend to get extra rest into the older legs toward the end of the season? Worth considering with your trade ins. As for the Dockers, it was Neil Erasmus (115) who benefitted from Serong’s absence, but could potentially be a one-week wonder. For those looking for something different, Sean Darcy (74) picked up another injury and means Luke Jackson (88) could present enormous value. All about timeframe as to whether this would be worth doing or not.
Sun value?
The Suns got back on the winners board and there are numerous options here from a fantasy perspective. Unbelievably, The Rat (122) presents value again after some rare form over the past couple of weeks. For those who have not already, Sam Flanders (120) also seems to be enjoying greater game time and if it is a premium you are looking for, Touk Miller (108) looks to be building nicely to finish the season. Jack Steele (106) was solid again and NWM (105) kept his fantastic season going. For those running the rookies this week, Windhager (100) was a great surprise, but do not be afraid to cash him in as a low score could come at anytime.
Not all Rozee
Well I am not entirely sure what Port were doing this week, but of the popular players, Connor Rozee (111) at least managed to fly the flag. A serious option who has been great since his bye is Dan Houston (156) who looks to have the thirst for the ball at all opportunities. Other premiums were underwhelming with Doc (88), Walsh (76) and the now potentially injured Zak Butters (68) putting up average scores. An interesting choice now could be George Hewett (74) who is mighty cheap, but seems to have his body right and with Kennedy out of the team, could present value for those strapped of cash.
The Geelong rollercoaster
I think it is now safe to say the Geelong are coming and hitting their straps at the right time of year. With their improved performances comes good scoring, however, in classic Geelong style, it is difficult to pin down who will benefit regularly. Tom Atkins (122) has now put a couple of good scores together, Max Holmes (109) found the ball at will and even Lionel Messi (104) has a three-round average of 110. Would I recommend any of these guys? I am not sure I can… What I can say though, with Geelong playing better, scores against them will be down, with Merrett (80) and Parish (93) prime examples.
Premos be premos
The Giants have been somewhat restrictive this year, however real premiums do not let match-ups get in their way. Jordan Dawson (123) is a huge must have in defence and Rory Laird (131) shrugged off another injury scare to post an uber score. Jelly (108) enjoyed not having a hard tag this week and Cogs (105) looks a great upgrade option in your forward line. Briggs (86) was solid again, but now might be the time to look at upgrading to one of the big dogs.
Ups and downs
This may have been the most interesting fantasy game of the round. A great unique upgrade option appears to be LDU (138) who is back playing the footy we all hoped for at the start of the year. Bailey Scott (136) has been excellent since the byes and presents another unique option, while The Sheez (112) shook off the third quarter tag to post another excellent score. The latter was on fire and held to only 6 points in the third, so continue to beware of the McGuiness tag. On the Hawks side, Worpel (127) was great for those still rolling with him and Will Day (111) got going late, but it was the non-form of Sic Dawg (65) that would have had most coaches fuming. I would still recommend the Hawks captain though with a goo run coming and surely no more tags like that…
Yawn
Probably the most uninspiring game of the round, there was not a lot to report from this one. Timmy Taranto (111) just rolled the legs over, and Shai Bolton (99) almost tore it apart. With Nank out it was over to big Ivan (107) and he did not disappoint. He could be an option, but likely only has JS until Nank returns. Many coaches would have been hoping for more from Hewett (40) as he was popular cover for all the bullets, and for those coaches who have held Jayden Hunt (32), this one definitely would have stung.
Round 18 is over and for a lot of leagues there is just one week left until finals. Hopefully you have now got those rookies off field and if not, look to prioritise this ASAP. Their scores are volatile and although they were good one week does not guarantee they will be the next. Good luck and happy trading!
Find out all the Round 18 role changes with our analysis. Read here
Read about the players who impressed in the VFL, WAFL and SANFL over the weekend, including Brodie Grundy’s push for a recall. Read here.
