The final round of the year is here, meaning we have just 9 more games of football left before we sit and stare at a wall waiting for fantasy to return… Read below to see who to pick as your AFL Fantasy captain this week to end your season on a high!
Zach Merrett is the guy playing early in the round that I would be wanting to take a punt on as a VC option. He only had 94 last week, but that was in a thrashing at the hands of GWS, who are already a tough match up in fantasy. Merrett’s last 3 games at the MCG have resulted in scores of 114, 97 and 158. The last round of the season is generally a pretty open affair in games like this, which means plenty of marks and one-twos for Merrett this weekend. Every chance to go 130+ to finish the year.
My next best option is Sam Flanders. Am I losing the plot? Maybe. But Flanders had the best game of his career last week, resulting in a score of 125 in a super tough match up against the Carlton midfield. He had 36 touches to go along with 5 marks and 5 tackles. This is a bloke who is playing for something this week, because he has finally broken back into the team and been given midfield minutes, and that’s how he wants it to stay when Dimma takes over next season. He will be out to prove one last point against bottom of the ladder North Melbourne this week, who don’t have their best midfielder in LDU playing. I can see him having 30+ and a goal.
Darcy Parish can also have a case made for him. At the MCG this year, his only score below 100 was against Collingwood in Round 6. Of his 5 other games, 4 of them have been 120+. The Pies aren’t as restrictive on points as they were earlier in the year, and this is Parish’s last week to play a blinder and put some extra dollars onto that contract he hasn’t signed yet… Could finish the year with something huge. A great POD VC pick this week.
With the Finn tag in the Hawks/Freo game early Saturday, it is too risky to go with Brayshaw or Serong this week. Touk could be a play in the other early Saturday afternoon game for his low percentage of owners as a VC, coming off 118 last week and an average of 112 at Blundstone arena where he plays this week. North need to lose this game, they won’t tag, LDU won’t play so Gold Coast wont tag. Touk should run free and get plenty of the pill in a match that has no meaning unless the Roos somehow get a win.
If you don’t hit the areas you were hoping for with the guys listed above, below are my top 5 captain options for the last round of the AFL fantasy season!
- Tim English He is the highest averaging player in the comp for the entire year by 3 points a week. He has scored 140+ 6 times this season, including last week, and three times in the last 6 weeks. Playing in a match that the Dogs simply must win to lock in finals, against a Geelong side that have 50% of their players being rested. Oh, did I mention he has already scored 158 against the Cats this year? English has been the best player all year, and is every chance to be the best player of the round again for one last time this week.
- Marcus Bontempelli This bloke has just kept getting it done this year. Now averaging 116.6 for the year, the second most in the comp behind his team mate listed above him. 140 last week, 151 two weeks before that, and speaking of guys with something to play for like Flanders and Parish above… Bont has a Brownlow to play for this week. The dogs need to win to secure finals. Bont needs to dominate to potentially take home the highest individual honour of the year. Backing him in to step up this week with one of his very best performances. Hasn’t scored below 86 all year, so he is as safe as houses regardless.
- Jordan Dawson 3 consecutive scores under 100 don’t fill you with confidence to lock someone in as captain, but I think Dawson bounces back and ends the year on a high this week. Playing at Optus this week, where he averages 104.5 for his career, Dawson had 105 on the Eagles earlier in the year. I think he will be better this week. In another game that has no meaning at the end of the round, Dawson should be able to run free on the big ground at Optus and gather plenty of +6’s and get the crows a big win to build on heading into next season.
- Clayton Oliver Got well and truly beaten last week By Maginness, but that was his only score under 100 for the season, including the game where he injured his hamstring. Had 111 against the swans earlier in the year, and has scored 124 or more in 50% of his games this year. Another safe option.
- Tom Green Since returning from injury, Green has scored 141, 118 and 120. Two of these scores have been in tough match ups against Sydney and Port. This week he gets another one against the Blues, but I think it will be one that suits him. Green loves the contested ball, as do Carltons mids in Cripps and Hewett. I see plenty of pill and tackles being on offer for Green this week, and with form like he has shown over the last few weeks, he deserves to round out the top 5.
