19 down, 4 to go.
AFTER 20 gruelling weeks we’ve reached the AFL fantasy finals! Only eight moves are left before the 2019 season draws to a close, with those trades crucial for a portion of the competition chasing premiership glory. Others are already planning for 2020 as Round 19 threw us some stunning scores/results, in the process officially ending the season for those of us fielding questionable outfits.
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MY TEAM
2210 – The number of injured Collingwood players
THERE weren’t too many passengers this round in the Large Fry’s & Coke allowing to move up a whopping 43 spots in rank. Jack Ziebell’s time is done mainly because Sydney Stack is much more fun to watch and I can’t bring myself to trade him away.
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF CARNAGE
Players listed below are in doubt for Round 20 and perhaps longer due to injury/suspension issues.
Taylor Adams – A late withdrawal from Friday night’s game, those who were considering Adams will have more doubt planted in their mind now.
Shaun Atley – Atley dislocated his kneecap against West Coast with the severity of the injury unclear. He’s doubtful for Round 20.
Trent Cotchin – For the third time this season Trent Cotchin’s hamstring is a concern. Alarming stuff that’ll probably see Richmond take a conservative approach with their skipper.
Jordan De Goey – Set for a stint on the sidelines with a hamstring complaint.
Dale Morris – Dale Morris’ 253rd AFL game might have been his last with the champion Dog suffering his third ACL tear in 17 months.
Isaac Quaynor – Collingwood’s promising young defender is set to miss multiple weeks with a stress fracture in his foot.
Luke Ryan – Hamstrings were the flavour of the weekend with Luke Ryan hurting his right one in the third quarter against Hawthorn.
Alex Witherden – Early against the Hawks Witherden “felt something sort of pop” in his upper calf/knee area. It sounds like he’ll miss at least a few weeks.
FRY’S FAVOURITE FIVE
Honourable Mentions: Jack Macrae (127), Marc Murphy (128), Adam Treloar (126), Toby Greene (126), Marcus Bontempelli (128)
+5. Patrick Cripps, Blues (MID, $633K – 141)
NATURALLY after being the -5 last week, Patrick Cripps erupted against the Crows for the third-highest score of the round and probably three Brownlow votes. Cripps accumulated the equal second-most clearances ever with 19 on the weekend, looking like the contested ball-winning beast that we all know he can be at the peak of his powers. Consistency has hurt his season, but those who stuck with him were handsomely rewarded.
+4. Seb Ross, Saints (MID, $613K – 146)
YOU couldn’t do it, could you? Fresh off a season-best 146, Seb Ross is flirting with fantasy relevance again after an underwhelming season to date. His two-goal, 31 disposal effort against the Demons has some coaches considering a trade for Ross, who has some favourable fantasy matchups within the next month. We saw Ross play a huge factor in the 2018 AFL fantasy finals, could we be in for a similar story in 2019?
+3. Kade Simpson, Blues (DEF, $521K – 142)
IT’S been too long since we’ve heard Kade Simpson’s name in the positive column, with a real possibility his AFL career only has four games left. The rebounding specialist wound back the clock with a virtuoso 142 against Adelaide, featuring his kick-happy style of play with a match-high eight rebound 50’s. There probably aren’t too many of these outings left in his tank and while it’s risky to consider Simo as a trade target, it was nice to see him rewarding the 9.1% of faithful coaches.
Image from wwos.nine.com.au
+2. Dustin Martin, Tigers (MID/FWD, $685K – 133)
I called Dusty out a few weeks ago, asking for him to reward the coaches who’ve stuck with him. Round 19 was yet another display of how dynamic and dominant he can be, with the Tigers’ superstar at his match-winning best. If you’re a frustrated Jack Ziebell owner chasing a forward with the highest ceiling, then Martin is certainly worth considering.
+1. Max Gawn, Demons (RUC, $742K – 128)
BRAYDON Preuss’ omission from the Dees’ side meant a Max Gawn 120+ was expected and the big man didn’t disappoint. A lot of people were considering other routes after a polarizing month of footy from Maximus, but he showed us on Saturday night why he is widely regarded as the unequivocal second-best ruck in fantasy. There are contenders, but for now, Gawn holds his place at No. 2 in the ruck power rankings.
FRY’S FRUSTRATING FIVE
Dishonourable Mentions: Caleb Daniel (65), James Sicily (72), Tom Stewart (73), Jack Billings (85)
-5. Brodie Grundy, Magpies (RUC, $858K – 79)
IRONICALLY the +5 and the -5 from Round 18 swapped spots this week with Brodie Grundy kicking the weekend off on a sour note. I was one of the 39% of coaches who locked the ‘Ruck Pig’ in as captain only to watch him go through the motions for a 79. It was disappointing, but no player is perfect.
-4. Josh Dunkley, Bulldogs (MID/FWD, $858K – 71)
IF you didn’t captain Grundy then there’s a high chance the ‘C’ was on Josh Dunkley, who was just as much of a letdown. While the Bulldogs continue to feature high up on the list of fantasy scoring sides, one of the Dogs’ midfield maestro’s tends to miss out each week and this time it was Dunkley’s turn. Much like Grundy, we can expect greater heights to close the season, but his worst score since Round 4 still stings.
-3. Jack Ziebell, Kangaroos (FWD/MID, $625K – 61)
I warned you Jack Ziebell. I didn’t want to give you such an ultimatum with a tough task travelling out West to take out a premiership contender in the Eagles, but I stated if you scored anything less than triple figures you’ve got to go. If I was this ruthless earlier in the year with failing players I might be in a better position, but with the aggressive North utility losing midfield minutes, it’s time to cut our losses.
-2. Stefan Martin, Lions (RUC, $596K – 54)
WHEN Max Gawn’s injury issues became a talking point a lot of people opted to move him for Stef Martin, who for years has been a fantasy staple in our sides. He looked every bit like a 32-year old with Ben McEvoy AND Oscar McInerney beating him in the hitout tally. If you’re still an owner it’s time to abort.
Image from sunshinecoastdaily.com.au
-1. Angus Brayshaw, Demons (MID, $515K – 66)
TIME for your weekly Angus Brayshaw check-in. A pedestrian 17 touches, three tackles and three marks has Brayshaw looking nothing like the bloke who finished third in last year’s Brownlow count. Back-to-back ton’s from his brother Andrew, who averages under 70 on the year, has him costing you just $9K less than Angus right now. Spare a thought for the 10% of coaches suffering.
TRADE TACTICS
IN – THERE are targets that can be found in every line for fantasy coaches this week as shuffling premiums will be a popular tactic. You could argue that Toby Greene (FWD, $664K – 126) is the form player of the comp right now after Grundy/Dunkley’s mortal efforts on the weekend. If Josh Kelly keeps missing time then Greene should be a coveted target. Caleb Daniel (FWD/DEF, $651K – 86) hasn’t been lighting the world on fire, even though he continues to rack up a ton of the footy, but I don’t mind a move for the pint-sized Bulldog while Patrick Cripps (MID, $633K – 141) comes with plenty of risk, but offers plenty of reward as well. Even though Max Gawn (RUC, $742K – 128) is sitting in over 42% of teams, if you’re chasing an upgrade from a Stef Martin/Scott Lycett type, he should be your No. 1 target.
MOST of the second gamers backed up their debut with good performances, however, they now come back at a steeper price. Doulton Langlands (MID/FWD, $229K – 75) and Hayden McLean (FWD, $243K – 53) are near the top of the food chain with Francis Watson (DEF, $231K – 56) likely to be dumped for Hurn, even though he performed admirably. Debutant Rhlyee West (DEF, $231K – 53) had a solid game and could be chased for bench cover, similar to Will Snelling (MID, $251K – 64). I’d rather chase a cheaper target to maximise dollars in the bank, but any of those players listed who hold their spot are solid candidates for downgrade manoeuvres.
OUT – MOST coaches rocking with a complete team will be looking to move on from underperforming premiums in the lead up to the finals. Shannon Hurn (DEF, $591K – DNP) missing another contest forced some coaches to swing the axe, but if he misses again he HAS to be cut by those people who’ve held the West Coast skipper. James Sicily (DEF, $530K – 72) and Jack Ziebell (FWD/MID, $625K – 61) are both on the block after struggling recently, with Patrick Lipinski (MID/FWD, $506K – 74) owners also happy to pull the trigger on the lacklustre Dog. Luke Shuey‘s (MID, $700K – 87) on a knife’s edge, after some average games but his soft run could help boost his numbers back to normality.
I expect rookie trio Jarrod Cameron (FWD, $313K – 28), Griffin Logue (DEF, $329K – 34) and Oskar Baker (MID/FWD, $376K – 30) to all find themselves axed following their Round 19 efforts. Baker can probably be moved on first, maximising his dollar worth, with Cameron and/or Logue also fine to be moved on. Coaches who are still fielding cash cows should prioritise an upgrade around them before finals commence, especially if they’re in the sub $400k price bracket.
WAIVER WIRE WATCH
IN his first game of the season Scott Selwood (MID, 14% – 93) only played 68% of the contest, but still helped himself to a good score from 23 disposals. Andrew Brayshaw (MID/FWD, 17% – 106) backed up his recent heroics with another ton, offering some good depth for coaches who can snap him up, with Bombers duo Shaun McKernan (FWD, 16% – 93) and Zac Clarke (RUC/FWD, 9% – 69) also good FWD targets. Zac Smith (RUC, 17% – 93) could remain relevant if he holds Rhys Stanley out, giving coaches a ruck to chase if you’re desperate. Finally, those seeking a defender should turn their attention to Jayden Short (DEF, 20% – 106) who is starting to find his mojo or Nick Coffield (DEF, 1% – 84) in deeper formats.
MY MOVES
ROOKIES on my field should be my priority, but with cash generation stalling, I’m looking at chopping out Ziebell for a reliable FWD. Caleb Daniel and Ed Curnow are both still in my sights, but for now, I’m siding with the en fuego Toby Greene. If Josh Kelly’s back that may change, but Greene’s form is too hard to pass up right now.
My Trades
J.Cameron → D.Langlands
J.Ziebell → T.Greene
Peace ✌