14 down, 9 to go.

I don’t know about you, but it feels great to look at your team and see no more blue dots! Unfortunately, I don’t see as many of the players/points as I would like, but with the byes rounds behind us, we can all exhale. With under 20 trades left for the season, it’s time to start thinking about the finished product and getting the upgrades that will be around for the rest of 2019. Things don’t get any easier with Round 15 offering us the last chance to use a VC loophole. Brace yourselves.

IF you like what you read be sure to check out more SportsbyFry articles by hitting this link. Make sure you keep up to date with the latest AFL and AFL Fantasy articles and follow my fan pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to never miss a minute of the action!

Click here to subscribe on iTunes
(Feel free to leave a rating and review to help me move up the charts 👍)

---

MY TEAM

1815 – How many points I expect Jack Macrae to score in the next month
MY trades last Monday were Hannebery and Macrae in and for the record, I didn’t follow through. This game is so much fun. I can’t complain about adding Mitch Duncan and Max Gawn, but still it stings to have not climbed in rank as much as I would have liked. Overall I still moved up a few thousand spots throughout the byes, so things could be worse…

INJURY ISSUES

WHILE not all the players mentioned here are dealing with ‘injury issues’ exactly, none of them are certainties to appear in Round 15.

Taylor Adams – Adams remains a few weeks away (at least) which is good news for Treloar owners.
Harley Bennell – Tragically, Bennell suffered yet another calf setback in the WAFL and has no timetable for his return. You have to feel for the bloke.
Lance Franklin – Hamstring issues are set to rule Buddy out for at least the next month. Ouch.
Jesse Hogan – Freo’s tall was just starting to find some form but a foot injury will halt him instantly. No injury timetable isn’t great news either.
Jeremy Howe – A calf complain will keep Howe out for around 2-3 weeks.
Wayne Milera – Could miss this weekend with a back issue, but will most likely lineup to face the Cats.
Nic Naitanui – Could (should) be an instant inclusion for West Coast against Hawthorn following his successful WAFL return.
Tom Rockliff – Still can’t make his way into Port Adelaide’s team with rumours going around he’ll play in the SANFL this week. Move him along.
Matt Scharenberg – Sneaky Draft candidate with a chance he takes the injured Jeremy Howe’s spot in the side. Had 135 last weekend with 16 marks and 33 touches too. Monitor.
Michael Walters* – Draft relevant for a lot of people, Michael Walters was hit with a one-week ban for headbutting Jay Lockhart. However, the Dockers gun will challenge the suspension tonight at the Tribunal.
Lachie Whitfield – For what it’s worth Whitfield returned to training, but he’s at least a few weeks away from contention.

*Michael Walters was found not guilty of headbutting and is clear to play in Round 15

Image from afl.com.au

FRY’S FAVOURITE FIVE

Honourable Mentions: Elliot Yeo (132), Jack Crisp (122), Adam Treloar (128)

+5. Jack Macrae, Bulldogs (MID, $726K – 180)
WHACK. I’ve been pumping up Jack Macrae a bit lately and foolishly chose not to bring him in this week. 180 points later and he’s clearly back to his best. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he scored the most points to end the season, he’s that good. Don’t forget in the finals last year he averaged 141. Must. Have.

+4. Brodie Grundy, Magpies (RUC, $873K – 168)
GRUNDY’S going to be hard to stop in the SBF Fantasy Brownlow this season, with Collingwood’s Goliath posting historic numbers. No player in history had recorded 25 touches, 50 hitouts and kicked two goals until Grundy did it on Sunday, in the process posting the highest score of his career. Spare a thought for the 32.3% of teams without him…

+3. Luke Parker, Swans (MID, $755K – 157)
ALL the signs were there for Luke Parker’s huge Friday night points binge, but hardly anyone benefitted from it. 156 brave people traded in the Swans jet for his mammoth 157, fuelled by 30 touches and 12 tackles. Facing Gold Coast and Carlton in the next three-weeks means that Parker could very well keep up these lofty point totals.

+2. Max Gawn, Demons (RUC, $835K – 129)
I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to make Max my skipper on debut and he didn’t disappoint. Shoutout to Jarrod Witts for his serviceable role, but Gawn showed on the weekend why there are only two ruckmen you need in your fantasy side. If you don’t own either him or Grundy, that should be your highest priority.

+1. Caleb Daniel, Bulldogs (FWD/DEF, $667K – 135)
I’VE steered away from Caleb Daniel through most of the season, but the tiny terror is a walking 30 touches. His height may be a joke at times, but his fantasy game isn’t with Daniel shaping up as a legitimate chance to be a top-6 forward OR defender. Given his high-possession role in the Dogs’ outfit, I don’t expect his scoring to dip anytime soon, making him a viable trade target.

FRY’S FRUSTRATING FIVE

Dishonourable Mentions: Nat Fyfe (88), Scott Pendlebury (82), Tom Stewart (84)

-5. James Sicily, Hawks (DEF, $611K – 44)
THE rollercoaster that is James Sicily was on full display last Friday night, putting forth one of the most frustrating performances of the entire bye period. Alistair Clarkson should really cop the -5 after sending Sicily inside the attacking 50 for most of the game, severely hampering his owners. A 21-point last quarter, when Sicily was finally sent back into his natural position, gives owners hope that his production can return to normal. There’s now a huge risk associated with Sic Dog though so proceed with caution.

Image from sunshinecoastdaily.com.au

-4. Tim Kelly, Cats (MID/FWD, $705K – 71)
OCCASIONALLY Tim Kelly has a habit of going missing when it comes to fantasy scoring. Granted, he only has three scores under 75 this year and with under 40 AFL games on his resume, we have to cut TK a bit of slack. Still, these blemishes are holding him back from challenging as the best forward fantasy has to offer, a title that he is well and truly capable of capturing.

-3. Shannon Hurn, Eagles (DEF, $656K – 61)
THOSE who took the punt on Hurn after his bye week were sorely disappointed. The ball wasn’t down his way a lot against Essendon, but West Coast’s skipper should have been good for another 80ish match. Non-owners will rejoice in knowing Hurn has a breakeven of 140, with his kick-happy style of play bound to attract a ton of coaches when he dips in price over the next fortnight.

-2. James Worpel, Hawks (MID/FWD, $627K – 72)
AT this point in the season there are a few stepping stones who have served their purpose and are looming as our next trade outs. James Worpel could find himself in that basket for coaches who don’t have any rookies left, with the talented Hawk facing a tough upcoming gauntlet of opponents. By no means is he a pressing issue, but in a perfect world, you feel like Worpel’s time is almost up.

-1. Lachie Neale, Lions (MID, $663K – 79)
LACHIE Neale owners have a tough decision on their hands. You probably know by now my stance on holding your premiums, but that rule can often be ignored if your gun players are being shut down by opposing players. After erupting to start the season, Neale has looked too mortal for my liking, averaging under 90 in the last month of footy. I’d give him another chance against St Kilda, but he’s on thin ice.

TRADE TACTICS

IN – FIRST things first, let me address the Daniel Hannebery (MID, $455K – 103) situation. Personally, the Saint midfielder will probably come in for me this week as I remove another rookie from my MID’s, but it does come with some risk. All pre-season I talked Hanners down, scared at the prospect he could self combust at any moment. However, there’s a chance with regular games, if he stays healthy that Hannebery can push his value north of $600k, making him a worthwhile gamble in my opinion. I wouldn’t condone going down to him, yes even from Angus Brayshaw and Sam Walsh. However, he might be a nice stepping stone from a fattened cash cow.

MY other two favourite trade targets this week are Bulldogs Jack Macrae (MID, $726K – 180) and Caleb Daniel (DEF/FWD, $667K – 135). Macrae was at his absolute basement price last week, but he still has some value if you jump on this week. Daniel has proved his worth and if you’re chasing an upgrade in a non-midfield spot, he should almost be at the top of your shopping list.

BASEMENT rookies are hard to come by at the moment, with a lot of the higher priced cash cows the ones we covet. Youngsters Joel Garner (DEF, $210K – 39) and Nick Hind (MID, $211K – 76) might be the best available if they hold their spots, with Griffin Logue (DEF, $303K – 74), Patrick Naish (DEF, $254K – BYE) and Oskar Baker (MID, $355K – 69) perhaps out of your price range.

OUT –  IF rookies aren’t on your list of pressing issues, it could be time to move on some of the middle tier talent and get a BIG upgrade. James Worpel (MID/FWD, $627K – 72) fits the bill up forward with Brodie Smith (DEF, $548K – BYE) the culprit down back. In the midfield, I’d suggest holding on to Lachie Neale (MID, $663K – 79), but I can’t blame you for wanting to part ways with Angus Brayshaw (MID, $612K – 87), especially if you can land an elite talent.

WITH the byes behind us it’s time to axe the rookies on your bench that have served their role with a few helpful scores. That means safely parting ways with bench pieces like Michael Gibbons (MID/FWD, $408K – BYE), Noah Answerth (DEF, $303K – 32) and Nick Larkey (FWD, $328 – BYE) to a reliable, cheaper money maker. Players in that mould of Marty Hore (DEF, $460K – 49) and Gryan Miers (FWD, $434K – 30) have topped out in value too and if you can upgrade them I’d make that a priority move.

Image from geelongadvertiser.com.au

WAIVER WIRE WATCH

MY favourite waiver wire addition this week comes in the form of defender Cale Hooker (DEF, 48.7% – 116). I gave the Dons backman a pump up a few weeks ago and fresh off his third straight ton, I’d look to add him if you can. A lesser owned defender like Taylor Duryea (DEF, 3.8% – 80) can help address a need, while forwards Will Hoskin-Elliott (FWD, 23.3% – 96) and Allen Christensen (FWD, 14.9% – 97) have already seen their ownership rise since restricted free agency opened. They’ll only continue to be snapped up around the globe, so if you need a FWD, act accordingly. Finally, Daniel Hannebery (MID, 46.4% – 103) won’t go scoring 100 every week, but he could help you in the midfield by posting a few more 80+ scores.

MY MOVES

TAKING a chance on Dan Hannebery is a necessary evil for the Large Fry’s & Coke. I don’t know if the dice roll will pay off, but I’ve been trying to cash Willem Drew in for weeks now, so upgrading him to a non-rookie is a nice feeling. Naish could be my other move, with Nick Larkey lucky to survive the axe. If another FWD downgrade presents themselves it’ll be hard to ignore them.

My Trades
N.Answerth → P.Naish
W.Drew → D.Hannerbery

Peace ✌