Round 7 throw us some bullets but it was nothing compared to what Round 8 produced! With so much uncertainty around a number of premium players, who are the best options to “switch to” if and when we have to trade?
Premium Possibilities
If you were able to avoid disaster this week then you are one lucky coach. Obviously some had it worse than others but Tom Green (7), Connor Rozee (51), Tom Liberatore (62) and Elliot Yeo (62) all fell to injury while Lachie Whitfield (48), Matt Rowell (51) and Harry Sheezel (89) were underwhelming. Even popular captain Max Gawn (93) couldn’t breach the triple figures! Watching team announcements will be extremely important this week, but as with Rozee on the weekend, going sideways may just be the safe option anyway.
Bailey Dale ($806k, DEF, L3 113)
The second week in a row for Dale in this article. Although he slowed to record a 105 on the weekend, it was looking like another monster score early. A great option for those with Yeo.
Jack Sinclair ($846k, DEF, BE 65)
Sinclair went ballistic on the weekend with a whopping 156! To go with that, the coach has already come out and applauded his performance stating the “more mid time” role should continue as his style is exactly what they need. The time is now to get on Sinclair.
Zach Merrett ($1.01m, MID, L3 112P) or Darcy Parish ($847k, MID, L3 113)
We flagged the Bombers draw a couple of weeks back and it isn’t done yet. Pre-bye they still have North, Richmond and Gold Coast to come. Merrett is the safe option to be a top 3 mid this year, but Parish seems to have hit his straps now and offers great value.
Errol Gulden ($942k, MID, L3 106)
Now on the surface a 98 on the weekend does not appear very special, however a deeper look and you would note that Gulden was actually 101 with 12 minutes to play. Unfortunately the game did not finish his way, however considering the wet conditions and lack of marks, this could have been another monster and there should be more to come.
Nick Daicos ($885k, DEF/MID, L3 105)
With a 122 on the weekend and kicking the match winning goal, Naicos appears to have come alive and at under $900k he is a terrific option either in the midfield or back line. Remember most people had this guy going 110+ in the pre-season so a run is likely to come soon… Is it now?
Although there was not much carnage in the forward line, for those looking to upgrade here Dayne Zorko ($952k, MID/FWD) shrugged off a quiet week with a whopping 184, Dylan Moore ($750k, FWD) looks well underpriced and back to peak fitness and although it doesn’t feel right Harry McKay ($798k, FWD) just keeps getting it done and looks a lock for a top 6 forward spot.
Rookie Roulette
Now if you were lucky enough to avoid the injuries and have no forced trades this week, going the traditional 1 up, 1 down method is likely where you are at. Popular rookies Ollie Dempsey ($539k, FWD, BE 75), Zane Duursma ($367k, MID/FWD, BE 56) and Matt Roberts ($630k, MID/DEF, BE 82) have all topped out and are ripe for the trading. In priority order I would be looking at:
- Darcy Jones ($281k, FWD, BE -8) – Has looked super coming into the side. Low ceiling but high floor and good JS.
- Calsher Dear ($232k, FWD, BE -4) – Excellent debut and should have solid JS now.
- Lachlan Sullivan ($225k, MID, BE 3) – Led the Pies for score involvements even after being the sub. If not sub, moves to number 1.
- Bruce Reville ($221k, MID/FWD, BE 5) – JS is a bit of a concern, but solid scoring on the first outing.
- Taj Woewodin ($288k, FWD/DEF, BE 1) – Getting a little pricey now, but if he avoids the vest, some solid cash gen is very much on the cards.
That’s it for this week. As we get into the cooler months keep an eye on the weather forecast and home ground as the game becomes more contested and can severely impact some players scoring output, both good and bad.
Good luck!
