Round 21 saw many leagues start their finals series and there were some big scores to be on the right side of. People will tell you that finding those PODs is critical this time of year, but really it is about finding the players with the match-up and role regardless of ownership.
What is worse, missing a POD who goes 110 or seeing that high ownership guy you faded punch out a 140 against you…?
So what did we learn this round?
Dogs bark at Tigers
Richmond seem to be losing their edge and along with it comes a nice match-up for fantasy coaches. The Bont (151) went Bonters again, Libba (133) continued to prove he is very underrated and English (131) got going late to provide a nice VC score. Looking at other scores, the Dogs had 11 of the top 13 scorers, from all over the ground. Keep Richmond in your thoughts when selecting your final few trade options.
Hobb Off!
In a match that went mostly to plan, Zerrett (128) and Parish (113) did their thing, without hitting the big ceiling game that many were hoping for in this match-up. Essendon defenders continued to score well with Hind (113), Heppell (103) and Redman (100) all tonning up. Unfortunately for those who held Ben Hobbs (55) hoping to squeeze one more good score out of him in a soft match-up it did not eventuate. This is not the kind of score you can carry this time of year and a trade is a must.
Crouch the forgotten man
The Crows have found their mojo and it might just happen to coincide with the return of the forgotten Matt Crouch (120). A classic under-priced premium who has burnt us before, Crouch looks fit and is firing. If you are strapped for cash, this could be the man you need to get you over the line. Unfortunately for owners of Will Powell (92), who had been going along beautifully, it is a must trade now after his nasty injury on the weekend.
Sic Dawg goes woof woof
Speaking of Dogs being back, many were disappointed with Sic Dawg’s (160) return last week, however he more than repaid the faith in this one. Almost as unbelievable as the match result, the Pies just let Sic do whatever he wanted and the Hawks used him at every opportunity. The big question now is, will this continue? OR are teams going to wisen up and lock him down? Tough one to call… In other news, Naicos (37) is out for up to six weeks, a great season but he will just miss the end of season trip this year. Naicos to Sic?
Butter me up
I am a massive Zak Butters (130) fan boy, but when it comes to fantasy, if I take my Power hat off, he is a real mixed bag of lollies. Although his best is now undeniably as good as anyone, he still finds a way to pump out the odd 80 here or there. A really tricky hold or trade for your F6 spot… His pal Connor Rozee (109) knocked out his 11th tonne in a row and has proven to be the most consistent forward this year. Looking forward, rucks against Port are going to be a flavour again, so check the draw closely (hello LJ!).
Tom is back!
There was some fear that Tom Green (141) would have a slow finish to the season and that seemed the case prior to his recent injury. He returned on the weekend with a bang and could be a nice POD to finish your year off knowing what he is capable of now. Errol (132) just did his thing (oink oink) and low and behold the real Callum Mills (117) finally stood up. Potentially a little too late for many coaches, which must have been infuriating for those who traded.
You couldn’t, could you?
When Alastair Clarkson took over the Roos at the start of the year, we saw Jack Ziebell (138) back in his defensive sweeper role for a couple of years ago and scoring like a premium. Clarko left, Ziebell fell out of favour for the young gun, and the scores disappeared. Enter Clarko and Jack is back! He is soo underpriced for what he can do, but we know the risk it carries… On the flip side, this saw the demise of Harry Sheezel (53) who was shifted around the ground and may need to be traded out to finish the year. By the way, Clayton Oliver is (supposedly) returning this week, so a brave coach in a great spot may look to trade Trac (108) to get an edge.
Saints stop in the last
After a blistering first three quarters that saw Brad Crouch (126) rack up every stat line, before producing exactly DONUTS in the final quarter. To go with that, Jack Steele (59) who was going just ok, knocked out a big 4 points. It was only Mason Wood (153) who kept the foot down to produce a huge score in what has become a fantastic season for the winger. As for the Blues, I mentioned Nic Newman (139) last week as an option and boy oh boy he did not let me down. Lastly, those who traded Marshall (116) to Max recently, would not have been quite so happy this week…
The Jackson show
This one leaves a really bitter taste as I was relying on Caleb Serong (125) to get me enough points to win a crucial semi final. Enter my opponent Luke Jackson (149) and down I go by a measly 3 points… After this amazing turn of form, did you hear that Jackson now has the Eagles (with no Bailey Williams, barring a Tribunal challenge) and then the Power? Could this be the perfect storm? It certainly appears to be… Get on!
As I mentioned at the start, finding the right players now is so crucial and predicting what comes next is not just about team match ups, but also look at the ins and outs for each side and how that might impact roles. The same goes for looking at which players to trade out, as just because they were good this week, does not guarantee they will be next week. Good luck to all the hat and premiership chasers!
Read Round 21’s freaks and flops
About The Author
Ben Lamont
