We also learnt that a single week of the NAB is in no way enough time to judge anything. Each game, each bit of knowledge that we’ve picked up through the pre-season paints a rich tapestry of information to draw from.

Then panic and throw out when the round 1 teams are announced.

And onto this weeks teams.

Sydney Swans, Geelong, St Kilda
Etihad Stadium, Friday 24 February, 6.40pm AEDT

GEELONG
1. Mitchell Brown, 2. Billie Smedts, 3. Jimmy Bartel, 4. Andrew Mackie, 7. Harry Taylor, 8. Josh Hunt, 12. Trent West, 13. Tom Lonergan, 14. Joel Selwood, 15. Jordan Schroder, 17. Shannon Byrnes, 19. Taylor Hunt, 22. Mitchell Duncan, 23. Orren Stephenson, 25. Tom Gillies, 26. Tom Hawkins, 27. Mathew Stokes, 29. Cameron Guthrie, 32. Steven Motlop, 33. George Horlin-Smith, 34. Simon Hogan, 37. Cameron Eardley, 39. Shane Kersten, 41. Jesse Stringer, 42. Josh Walker, 43. George Burbury, 46. Jonathan Simpkin, 47. Ryan Bathie

Personally, I’ll be looking at Smedts here. Huge interest in the bloke with his DPP. Horlin-Smith is a maybe, but Scott did say that he’s unlikely to play games early.
Stephenson of course will be watched by all and sundry- 3 rookie rucks were all the rage when Giles went well- imagine if Stephenson dominates!!
No Christensen is a little interesting though, haven’t heard of any injuries though, so he might be scheduled a rest this week.

SYDNEY SWANS
1. Mark Seaby, 2. Rhyce Shaw, 3. Jarrad McVeigh, 5. Ryan O’Keefe, 9. Nick Malceski, 10. Mitch Morton, 11. Jed Lamb, 12. Josh Kennedy, 13. Andrejs Everitt, 14. Craig Bird, 15. Keiren Jack, 16. Gary Rohan, 17. Tommy Walsh, 18 Jesse White, 20. Sam Reid, 21. Ben McGlynn, 23. Jordan Lockyer, 24. Jude Bolton, 25. Ted Richards, 26. Luke Parker, 28. Dylan McNeil, 29. Martin Mattner, 32. Lewis Jetta, 33. Jarred Moore, 34. Alex Johnson, 35. Campbell Heath, 37. Adam Goodes, 38. Michael Pyke, 39. Heath Grundy, 40. Nick Smith, 41. Shane Mumford, 44 Harry Cunningham, 45. Nathan Gordon, 46. Shane Biggs

With Mitchell going down, there’s not a lot of Swans on my watch list, but to reward the hard work his DPP has brought to my team in the past, lets hear it from Omicron Persei VIII’s Lrrr: We want McNeil!

ST KILDA
1. Jason Gram, 2. Arryn Siposs, 3. Jack Steven, 4. Clint Jones, 5. Ben McEvoy, 6. Sebastian Ross, 7. Lenny Hayes, 9. Sam Crocker, 12. Nick Riewoldt, 13. Adam Schneider, 14. Jarryn Geary, 15. Tom Ledger, 16. Jack Newnes, 17. Nick Winmar, 18. Brendon Goddard, 19. Sam Gilbert, 20. David Armitage, 22. Farren Ray, 23. Justin Koschitzke, 24. Sean Dempster, 25. Sam Fisher, 27. Jason Blake, 28. Rhys Stanley, 30. Brett Peake, 31. Tom Simpkin, 32. Terry Milera, 34. Dean Polo, 35. Jamie Cripps, 37. Beau Wilkes, 39. Cameron Shenton, 42. Daniel Archer, 43. Tom Curren, 44. Stephen Milne

This squad makes me Saad, but with Lyon taking his gameplan with him and completely changing Freo, it will be interesting to see how St. Kilda are lining up under a different coach. Seb Ross and Milera should be on everyones watchlist here I’d think.

Gold Coast, Melbourne, Brisbane Lions
Metricon Stadium, Saturday February 25, 7.10pm AEDT

BRISBANE LIONS
2. Ryan Harwood, 3. Sam Sheldon, 4. Jared Polec, 5. Billy Longer, 6. Joshua Green, 7. Jed Adcock, 8. Bryce Retzlaff, 9. Ashley McGrath, 11. Pearce Hanley, 12. James Hawksley, 16. Jonathan Brown, 17. Claye Beams, 18. Todd Banfield, 19. Jordan Lisle, 20. Simon Black, 22. Ben Hudson, 23. Matthew Leuenberger, 24. Joel Patfull, 25. Richard Newell, 26.Elliot Yeo, 28. Patrick Karnezis, 30. Jack Redden, 31. James Polkinghorne, 32. Cheynee Stiller, 33. Amon Buchanan, 34. Jesse O’Brien, 35. Ryan Lester, 36. Matt Maguire, 38. Tom Rockliff, 41. Mitchell Golby, 43. Rohan Bewick, 44. Aaron Cornelius, 45. Brad Harvey, 47. Jack Crisp

I get the feeling that the Lions are going to provide us something this year, save the day when it comes to the round 11 bye, so I’ll be watching Hanley, Rockliff and Brown very closely here. Also how Leuenberger and Hudson work in the same squad.

GOLD COAST
1. Jaeger O’Meara, 2. Zac Smith, 3. Jared Brennan, 4. Maverick Weller, 5. Jarrod Harbrow, 6. Alik Magin, 7. Karmichael Hunt, 8. Luke Russell, 9. Gary Ablett, 11. Harley Bennell, 13. Hayden Jolly, 14. Matthew Warnock, 15. Piers Flanagan, 17. Josh Fraser, 21. Jeremy Taylor, 23. Charlie Dixon, 24. David Swallow, 26. Matt Shaw, 30. Campbell Brown, 31. Jackson Allen, 33. Aaron Hall, 35. Michael Rischitelli, 36. Sam Iles, 37. Alex Sexton, 38. Joel Wilkinson, 41. Dion Prestia, 42. Kyal Horsley, 43. Liam Patrick, 44. Nathan Bock, 45. Steven May, 47. Daniel Gorringe, 48. Seb Tape, 49. Jacob Gillbee, 51. Andrew McQualter

OMG O’Meara!! SO CHEAP LOCK HIM IN!!

I think that was code for me saying that the vast majority of Coasters this year played last year, giving terrible pricing options this year. And there’s Ablett. Go you good thing.

MELBOURNE
2. Nathan Jones, 3. Clint Bartram, 4. Jack Watts, 5. Jordan Gysberts, 6. Matthew Bate, 7. Jamie Bennell, 8. James Frawley, 11. Mitch Clark, 12. Colin Sylvia, 14. Lynden Dunn, 15. Ricky Petterd, 16. Jack Grimes, 18. Brad Green, 20. Colin Garland, 22. Brent Moloney, 25. Tom McDonald, 26. Daniel Nicholson, 27. Jared Rivers, 28. Joel MacDonald, 30. James Sellar, 34. Stefan Martin, 36, Aaron Davey, 38. Jeremy Howe, 40. Mark Jamar, 44. Rohan Bail, 46. Josh Tynan, 47. Tom Couch, 48. Jack Fitzpatrick, 49. James Magner

The Bate to the midfield talk cooled off this year, a little too late for my ORRFL squad, but still, let’s see what he does. Great to see Grimes playing, he’s gunna tempt us all again this year. From the rookie front, I’ve been hearing good things on Magner though.

Adelaide, Carlton, Port Adelaide
AAMI Stadium, Sunday February 26, 4.15pm AEDT

ADELAIDE
1. Richard Tambling, 3. Brent Reilly, 4. Kurt Tippett, 5. Scott Thompson, 6. Luke Thompson, 7. Nathan van Berlo, 8. Lewis Johnston, 9. Rory Sloane, 10. Matthew Jaensch, 11. Michael Doughty, 12. Daniel Talia, 13. Taylor Walker, 14. David Mackay, 15. Brad Symes, 17. Bernie Vince, 18. Graham Johncock, 20. Joshua Jenkins, 22. Andy Otten, 23. Jared Petrenko, 24. Sam Jacobs, 26. Richard Douglas, 27. Tom Lynch, 29. Sam Kerridge, 31. Jarryd Lyons, 32. Patrick Dangerfield, 33. Brodie Smith, 34. Sam Shaw, 35. Shaun McKernan, 37. Ian Callinan, 43. Aidan Riley, 45. Ricky Henderson, 47. Matthew Wright, 49. Tim McIntyre

Kerridge would fit my lineup perfectly with his DPP status. Let’s hope he’s up for some early games at the Crows this year. Outside of him though, I don’t know if there’s too many rookies that will break into the side early next year.

CARLTON
2. Jordan Russell, 3. Marc Murphy, 4. Bryce Gibbs, 6. Kade Simpson, 7. Dylan Buckley, 8. Matthew Kreuzer, 9. Kane Lucas, 10. Matthew Watson, 13. Chris Yarran,14. Brock McLean, 15. Jeremy Laidler, 16. Andrew Collins, 17. Sam Rowe, 18. Paul Bower, 19. Eddie Betts, 21. Josh Bootsma, 22. Shaun Hampson, 23. Lachie Henderson, 24. Patrick McCarthy, 26. Andrew McInnes, 27. Dennis Armfield, 29. Heath Scotland, 31. Marcus Davies, 32. Bret Thornton, 35. Edward Curnow, 36. Rohan Kerr, 38. Jeffrey Garlett, 39. Frazer Dale, 41. Levi Casboult, 42. Zach Tuohy, 44. Andrew Carrazzo, 45. Aaron Joseph, 46. David Ellard, 47. Mitchell Carter

Woah, just as we’d written him off as an option, Sammy Rowe!! Go you good thing! Paul Bower looks great value if he can get games. Meanwhile, I’ll be interested to get a look at Bootsma. I’m hearing good things, but apparently he’s still a ways away.

PORT ADELAIDE
1. Domenic Cassisi, 3. Steven Salopek, 5. Matthew Broadbent, 6. Danyle Pearce, 7. Brad Ebert, 8. Hamish Hartlett, 9. Jacob Surjan, 10. Travis Boak, 11. Mitchell Banner, 12. Jackson Trengove, 13. Cameron O’Shea, 14. Paul Stewart, 15. David Rodan, 16. Ben Jacobs, 17. Robbie Gray, 18. Kane Cornes, 20. Chad Wingard, 22. Simon Phillips, 24. Nathan Blee, 26. Andrew Moore, 27. Alipate Carlile, 28. Jay Schulz, 30. Troy Chaplin, 31. Darren Pfeiffer, 32. John Butcher, 34. Jarrad Redden, 35. John McCarthy, 39. Justin Westhoff, 40. Aaron Young , 41. Brendon Ah Chee, 42. Thomas Jonas, 43. Daniel Stewart, 44. Tom Logan, 47. Jarrad Irons

Chad Wingard and Andrew Moore. Both awkwardly priced, but both definitely to keep an eye on. Also expecting Gray to have a day out here!

So, who are you guys looking at?

In AFL the defence is one of the most important areas in a game and perhaps the most under-rated. Forwards may win the match but the defence will save it, just ask Hawks fans about Luke Hodge about the ’08 Granny. SuperCoach it is no different, the defence may be the weakest of the lines in terms of points but that just makes it even more important to get the right players into the team. Below I’ll list some of the main defenders who will figure in most of our teams with a bit of an overview on their situation to get the ball rolling on the discussion. I’ve split the premiums into 3 groups: Elite, Premium and Sub. “Premium” is always a subjective term but hopefully this will allow a bit of flexibility.

ELITE PREMIUMS

Brendan Goddard – $584,700

2011:  2373pts @107.8avg, 22 games

PastAvg: 130,115,103,90,106

It’s hard to peg down Goddard’s 2011 season, on one hand it was shocking, he dropped 23pts on his average from 2010 but on the other hand he was still the best DEF option in SC. His ’10 season was just that good, second only to the SC freak who’s now at Metricon. So he’s a potentially an undervalued premium who can score 110+ and he’s in the backline.  The interest will be to see how he plays under a new coach but at 26 years of age, there’s absolutely no indication of him slowing down or why he shouldn’t be in every team.

PREMIUMS

Brett Deledio- $568,700

2011: 2308pts @104.9avg, 22 games

PastAvg: 102,103,102,91

Lids was Mr. Consistent in the defence for 2011, in fact he’s been the epitome of consistency since he’s been a premium, in the last 3 season’s he’s scored less than 80 just 3 times and he’s played every game  in the last 4 seasons. Oh and he’s only 25 this year! There’s not much else that needs to be said, he’s the lockiest of locks after Goddard, Hardwick’s even said he’s going to get more midfield time. Don’t let any over-hyped injury niggle scare you off him, he should be already up and running.

Heath Scotland- $572,900

2011: 2325pts @ 105.6avg, 22 games

PastAvg:  95, 93, 98,107,110

Last year Scotland again rose to prominence as a premium in the defence.  Whilst playing every game he scored 100+ 13 times and only went lower than 80 once.  Carlton are predicted to be on the rise again from last year which should mean more points to share around but the main problem for Heath is his age. Turning 32 in June his is wildly tipped to have a decline in his output but don’t discount him being the Goodes/Harvey of the defence.

Heath Shaw – $546,700

2011: 1412pts @ 100.8avg, 14 games

PastAvg:  90,95,91,106,101

The infamous Heater, the man who single handedly made VS change the way you can trade this season. Many people were burnt by his off-field indiscretions so is he worth the gamble now? In the few games he did play he was consistent without the high scores of Goddard or Scotland, 9/14 games over 100pts and averaging 78 for the other games. The biggest advantage of Shaw is his bye; he’s one of the few top defenders not to have a R13 bye. His history shows he’s been a solid scorer throughout his career and in a successful lMagpie outfit, with a more focused pre-season you can bet he’ll be one of the top defenders again.

Sam Fisher- $537,900

2011: 2183pts @ 99.2avg, 22games

PastAvg: 91,92,101,99,96

A quiet pre-season of scrutiny compared to others, none-the-less Fisher deserves a look at this season. Playing the loose man in defence he averaged 99 for the season, playing every game and was one of the few successful SC options from St.Kilda. He tailed off towards the end of the season though, averaging just 83pts from his last 10 games. With byes to consider and Goddard already in most teams, Fisher may not be a practical option but he is perfect for those looking for a POD.

SUB-PREMIUMS

Chris Newman- $536,000

2011: 1681pts @ 98.8avg, 17 games

PastAvg: 93,99,100,91,75

2011 ended badly for Newman after he did his knee in the game against Geelong. It was a shame for some, how traded him in after he was hitting form. Regardless, Newman is a decent prem option and is slightly under-priced. In a Richmond some that seems to be coming together as a team and a potential role in the mids (sounds kinda familiar…) means there is plenty of upside to him. Downside is a bit of a worry though as he will compete in peoples sides with Deledio and all the other players with a R13 bye.

Corey Enright- $522,600

2011: 1928pts @ 96.4avg, 20games

PastAvg: 98,98,98,101,92

Enright has been super consistent over the years as a defensive prem but will 2012 be the same? If I recall that was the same question with him last year. Even though he’s now on the wrong side of 30 Enright should still figure prominently in Geelong’s plans and as we all know, we can not discount the Cats at all. He faces little competition bye wise either, with Shaw and Broughton the only other prem options with the R12 bye. Definitely a POD to consider.

Grant Birchall- $509,600

2011: 1974pts @ 94avg, 21 games

PastAvg: 79,81,85,83,70

Birchall only came into consideration as a premium defender last year, the biggest beneficiary along with Suckling, of the Hawks’ new kicking game-plan and has a bit more to his overall game than the team-mate formerly mentioned. The round 1 draft pick has plenty of upside and in a Hawks team expected to challenge you can only expect more of the same. The R13 buy is the bane of many defenders and is no different for Birchall but he should be a safe, alternative option as the #2 prem from that group.

Nathan Bock- $508,500

2011: 1970pts @ 93.8avg, 21 games

PastAvg: 83,100,90,73,80

Despite the enormous shadow a certain egg-head cast on the Suns 2011 season, Bock was also a player who had a successful season SC-wise , never lacking from the ball being down his end of the ground he scored over the century 8 times. A year on and with GCS having another pre-season to develop Bock should be an even tastier prospect, with even a more “free-role” being touted for the upcoming season. He’s going to miss the first 3 games however, after his involvement in trying to do a Heath Shaw so only consider as an upgrade target.

Greg Broughton- $502,100

2011: 1945pts @ 92.6pts, 21 games

PastAvg: 99,99

So admit it, how many of us have a collection of their hair they’ve pulled out in a jar entitled “Greg Broughton”? Too many I think, with his potential midfield role never eventuating until the middle of the season (5 games, 127avg!!!) and then he was back in defence towards the end.  So 2012 is no different with the question and the rumours of getting more game time in the middle. He can score well regardless of where he plays but look to monitor NAB form to see if he will step up once again.

“MID-PRICERS”

Jack Grimes – $380,600

2011: 468pts @ 78avg, 6 games

PastAvg: 88,94,35

Yep, I’m going there! Like the reaction Higgins now gets (Do Not Want!), for many Grimes has burnt them too many times. However if you have to consider, if he was a bargain last year, then this year he must be an absolute steal at his price. He’s now a captain, has had an uninterrupted pre-season (touch Duckwood) and looks set to resume his roles on the half back flank. He was averaging 91 in SC so with the Dees potentially getting their stuff together he could well indeed improve and be a very useful mid-price pick…for those with the nerve to pick him

Brian Lake $286,900

2011: 294pts @ 58.8avg, 5 games

PastAvg:  104,93,92,99,73

Pre-pre-season Lake was all the rage in many sides after his dismal 2011, coming back from 4 operations after his AA-earning 2010 season. So at his best we know he’s got the goods. With the R11 bye Lake is even more of an attractive option if he can get back to his best. Can he, is another question altogether and at 30, with dodgey knees and a sketchy pre-season people have every reason to be hesitant in picking him up. No show in the NAB as of yet will only compound the fears but if he is right for Rd1 and looks fit, he will be a popular pick.

Reece Conca – $298,800

2011:  937pts @ 55.1avg, 17 games.

All aboard the hype train! Conca’s game last weekend has earned him a mention here for more than one reason. The #6 pick in the 2010 draft played through the middle and racked up the possessions in both games and despite the competition for a spot there from others (eg Newman) he looks very appealing, especially as he’s could be slightly OOP, named solely as a defender. Of course selecting him based on one turnout will be a big gamble but that’s all we’ll get this pre-season after his over-zealous bump behind play on Leigh Adams so be warned, there could be a potential mean streak under his bonnet.

That’s all for now, please discuss in the comments all the players I have missed or all who I have completely wrong!

** StKildaThunda’s Thoughts **

Thought id throw in couple thoughts on some fallen premiums & possible breakouts that havent been touched on yet.

Sam Gilbert – $432K – Had the season from hell in 2011 and that saw his average drop dramatically. James Gwilt also played fair part in his “form” drop as he was used as the main go to man out of defence. Word around the traps is James Gwilt wont return til at least Round 7 and Sam Gilbert should be used in that role that he made his own in 2009 & 2010. If this is the case then could be a very good option.

Nick Suban – $309K – Possible breakout is on the cards. So far this preseason has been given the kick in duties and seems to be one used to kick out of defence. Last year he scored 77, 113, 104 before breaking his leg. His return didnt see his scoring fair that well, but he showed early on that he is capable of scoring in top bracket. Watch closely how he is used during NAB Cup.

Beau Wilkes – $106K – I know i said earlier that we’ll touch the rookies later but technically he isnt a rookie, he’s just rookie priced Wilkes will play games, and lot of them this year. At moment Scott Watters seems to want to use him in defence but also swing him forward if needed. Might not get you 100 points every week, but he doesnt need to at his starting price. Expect him to get you at least 60-70 each week. Lock him in and thank me later

Since it’s a fairly large article, I’d suggest grabbing a coffee or reading over lunch, and joining us over the break!

This year I’ll be taking on the mantle of “Best Buys Writer” and providing the article, but as always the key part of this thread is the community input. The “thumbs up, thumbs down” system has worked really well in the past and provides an excellent way for the greater TS community to vote on your trade ideas. All the old hands around here will know all of this but for the new guys I’ll do a quick re-hash anyway. Simply put, you post your idea of a trade in the article comments with two options and the community tells you via the thumbs what they think. E.g. “Curnow upgrade to Swan?” or “Curnow upgrade to? Thumbs up for Swan, thumbs down for Ablett”. This takes personal feelings out of the equation and gives you great unbiased feedback from TS as a whole. If you are posting a question it is generally good form to answer a few other peoples questions while you’re there, and it helps to kill some time while you wait for answers. Generally speaking though it is best to give your trade suggestions 48 hours or so before tallying to get a more even spread of TS user feedback.

Best Buys as an article will outline players each week who will go up in price, down in price, or are great value where they are and will be listed by position, and sectioned into rookies, mid-pricers and premiums. This pre-season edition is a bit of a monster, but regular season should be a bit more manageable with stable line-ups. Additionally Best Buys will more than likely only have 2 pre-season editions covering round 1, but may have a wrap up after the NAB cup finishes.

This pre-season edition uses a very basic formula to calculate SC scores based on DT scores and whilst a good indicator, are not necessarily accurate and do not include efficiency. This means that players scoring 120+ skews their scores a bit, but the Best Buys regular season editions will use only official SC stats. Included are the SC scores that have been released by Fantasy Freako for comparison. Using this formula for the first two games for each team of the NAB cup, and the players average from 2011 or average based on price, we also get a good indication of what their price would have done had these been regular season games and they had played 3.

And now, finally, to the Best Buys

Defense
Rookies

Brandon Ellis (Rich) scored 52 and then 59 in a decent display, getting a bit of the ball but also taking kick-ins without Lids or Newman, so judge accordingly. Price rise would be around 25 grand, and seems sure to get some game time.
Steven Morris (Rich) played once and looked comfortable scoring 78 to go up 20 grand, and if he continues to get time the mature aged recruit could be a handy option.
Sam Darley (GWS) showed a lot of potential in his only outing, producing 104 points and rising 35 grand. Definite defensive rookie option to watch and has already impressed many.
Tomas Bugg (GWS) impressed a few with his only outing netting 121 points and a price hike of 40 grand, if he gets game-time he should be an excellent defensive cow and you’d think GWS will have the ball down there a fair bit. Freako – 142 from 1 game
Tim Mohr, (GWS) the mature aged defensive mid, played twice and whilst he only managed scores of 49 and 51, that would be enough to up by 20 grand. Solid option.
Adam Tomlinson (GWS) posted a 118 in his only game, rising 35 grand. For those considering Smedts, Tomlinson could provide a very handy swing-man as he is also defense/forward. Freako – 112 from 1 game.
Jacob Townsend (GWS) had a decent outing with scores of 95 and 37 to have a 35 grand price hike, and is another young GWS defender to keep an eye on.
Peter Yagmoor (Coll) was the standout of the Pies rookies over the first round of the NAB, knocking up scores of 70 and 115. These scores see him rocket over 60 grand in value, and if he can get a regular gig in the forward line could be a very handy pick-up. Macaffer’s injury can only help.

Mid-pricers
Reece Conca (Rich) scored a 123 and a 48, which when combined with his average means he’d go up around 20 grand. Took out Leigh Adams behind play though and may have suspension issues during the year.
Bachar Houli (Rich) scored 97 and 86 to lose 10 grand, which to me is not promising. Would need to average 100+ this year to be value for money and Richmond already have its fair share of premium defenders.
Ryan Hargrave (WBD) had a great night returning 118 then 123 to give his price a 50 grand boost. Another solid mid-price defensive gamble but has had a history of burning coaches.
Shannon Hurn (WCE) played once only, but belted out a 162 to increase in value by 25 grand. Has always had the ability to belt out huge scores two or three times a year though. Be wary.
Matt Suckling (Haw) knocked out a 117 and a 104 to rise in price by only 5 grand, suggesting to stay at his starting price he will need to average 100+. Hawthorn had the highest points per game total of any AFL club last year, meaning if Suckling increases his output the points will more than likely come from a teammate. Also note his disposal was poor, which would lower his score, but has typically been one of his strengths in the past.
Christian Howard (WBD) pumped a 175 followed by a 23 to mean he increased his price by 40 grand. Good Mid-priced defensive option.
Jake Carlisles (Ess) 111 and 101 point games would see his price go up to the tune of 30 grand, in a good display for the mid-pricer.
Tyson Goldsack (Coll) put a 73 on the board in the first, and then managed an improved 121 to net himself a 25 grand price rise. Another viable mid-priced option from the Pies, and may benefit from current injuries there.
Simon Buckley (Coll) played both games, scoring 123 points followed up by a more subdued 44. His price would increase by only 5 grand or so, and would take a brave coach to put Buckley in their side. Better Mid-price options around.
Tom young (Coll) managed a 44 and then a 121 in his couple of outings, increasing by almost 30 grand in price but is awkwardly priced for a mid-pricer and may be one to look to next season and beyond.
The Duffman (Freo) was average in his first game but tore it up in his second, scoring 42 and 124 respectively, which has been a habit of his over the years. Dropped 3 grand. Will be hard to judge till we see Ross’ game plan properly.
Poops (HAW) initially looked good and smashed a 106 only to bring in a 27 in the second game, meaning his price dropped by almost 25 grand.

Premiums
Bob Murphy (WBD) played once for 120, meaning his price went up 3 grand. Shows he is overvalued I feel.
Greg Broughton (Freo) played both games and scored 87 then 92, which would see him lose 15 grand. If he does get more mid-field time this year he could be a good pick, but under Lyon and the changes that follow he will be a bit of an unknown quantity I think.
Heath Shaw (Coll) pumped out scores of 123 and 145, playing himself into a few more teams. A price rise of nearly 20 grand means he should probably be jumped on early, and will be by the majority of SC coaches. May be a dumbass but can play some good footy. Freako – 140 average over 2 games.

Midfield
Rookies
A 106 from Sam Gibson (NM) in his only game gives him a rise of 35 grand, making him a good possible rookie choice.
Koby Stevens (WCE) scored a decent 45 and then an improved 76 to rise in price by nearly 30 grand. Could be a good rookie option so he’s another one to keep an eye on.
Steven Clifton (GWS) only managed one game and 55 points, but that still saw a rise of 10 grand. Will need to see more before I commit, but still one to keep an eye on.
Curtly Hampton (GWS) only played once and scored 66 points, but still rose 15 grand, looked like he knew what he was doing. Doesn’t hurt that he’s forward/midfield eligible either.
James McDonald (GWS) scored 110 in his first game in his new colours, rising 35 grand in the process. GWS will need him playing as often as possible and he doesn’t look much worse for wear from being out of the game for a year.
Dom Tyson (GWS) only played once but had a good game with a score of 118 and a rise of 30 grand, his higher price may put a lot of people of with the abundance of cheaper options.
Anthony Miles (GWS) knocked out a 118 in his only appearance, which increased his price by 40 grand. Easily worth considering
Marley Williams (Coll) managed both games for the Pies, scoring 84 points and then 34 to rise in value by 35 grand. Will struggle for consistent game-time at the Pies but if he gets a run of a few matches in a row on the board, could be worth looking into.
Lachie Neale (Freo) was the star for Fremantle, in the eyes of most SCers anyway, belting out a 129 and a 67. This impressive display from the rookie saw his price rise by 65 grand, and Lyon talked him up before the game meaning he is better odds than most rookies under Lyon to get game time.
Elliott Kavanagh (Ess) got one game in and made the most of it scoring himself 90 points and a 30 grand price rise. His disposal and decision making were questionable at times, but it was his first match at this level. Good rookie option to keep an eye on.
Brendan Lee (Ess) played once and managed a 48 and a 10 grand increase, which while not bad for a rookie puts him firmly behind Kavanagh and Dell’Olio for me.
Stephen Coniglio (GWS) is badly priced, being the number 2 draft pick and all, but his scores of 49 and 84 meant he increased in value almost 25 grand. Should get time at least but similar to Swallow last year won’t set the world on fire just yet.

Mid-pricers
Robin Nahas (Rich) put up a 126 in his only game and sees a 10 grand gain. Will be interesting to see how the new recruits change the Tigers game-plan but I would still be hesitant to recommend him. Freako – 156 from 1 game.
145 and 73 see Ziebull (NM) go up close to 20 grand. Good mid-price option and looking fit, but awkwardly priced.
Leigh Adams (NM) only played about a quarter of one game before getting concussed. With an average of 90 he would need to improve to premium this year, but has good chances of doing so.
Jordan Lewis (HAW) managed a 132 followed up with a 65 to end up with a net loss of 5 grand. Better options.
Libba (WBD) scored himself a 118 and a 110 to increase his price 25 grand. Second year blues could be an issue.
Andrew Gaff (WCE) scored a 99 in his only outing but only increased by 8 grand. As he was the West Coast Super-Sub last year his average will have been affected but is awkwardly priced and may also suffer second year blues.
Chris Masten (WCE) scored an impressive 150 and followed it with a reasonable 76. After burning SC coaches for a couple of years now it could be Mastens time, but not sure many will be willing to risk it again. Could be a good mid-price option and POD.
Ballantyne (Freo) scored 101 then 48 and lost just over 5 grand, those considering him as a mid-price option should watch the remaining NAB closely.
Ben Howlett (Ess) was consistent with a 102 and a 97, making him a solid mid-priced choice if he can keep up the average but at almost $450,000 not many will be willing to take the risk.
Rhys Palmer (Freo) played once for an impressive 139, but don’t expect to see it again and at around $350,000 that only saw his price rise by 25 grand. Much better mid-priced options around. Freako – 111 from 1 game.

Premiums
A 78 and a 117 sees Boomer Harvey (NM) lose 15 grand. Slowly declining output in general. His demise was predicted a little early last year, but the odds are definitely against him.
134 and 77 see Andrew Swallow (NM) drop 20 grand, seems over-priced to me but is still worth a look.
Sam Mitchell (Haw) belted out a 150 then a 149 in a very consistent display meaning he increased by 15 grand, I hadn’t looked seriously at him until now but if he keeps this form going consider locking him in. Freako – 141 average over 2 games.
Hodge (Haw) only lined up once scoring 62 points and subsequently drops 30 grand, not the best start for a premium.
Matty Boyd (WBD) went on a rampage, knocking up 159 before 235. This earnt him a huge rise of almost 60 grand. Even bigger when you realise that he is over $600,000 to start. Freako – 170 average over 2 games.
Daniel Cross (WBD) scored 136 and 68 to lose 7 grand, not a bad choice but others may be better. Freako – 103 average over 2 games.
Ryan Griffen (WBD) scored 95 but is priced at an average of 109 meaning he lost close to 20 grand. Avoid at this stage, but could be good value when his price drops over the early season.
Matt Priddis (WCE) only managed a 42 in his only outing, dropping his price by almost 35 grand. Not a good start, so keep an eye on him during the rest of the NAB.
Luke Ball (Coll) had a couple of solid games, scoring 81 and 172 to rise by 10 grand, as with all the Collingwood midfielders though the lack of Pendlebury and a few key others means there was more of the pill around for the other guys but also more tags. Freako – 95 average over 2 games.
Swannie (Coll) played both games but didn’t seem to get past a jog, scoring 97 and 71 to lose close to 50 grand. Luckily the premiums aren’t about cash movement and Swan should still be a star in the regular season. Also of note is with Pendles out he took some heavy tags which may have affected his score. Freako – 89 average over 2 games.
Daisy Thomas (Coll) had a good night out, scoring 110 in his first game before a massive 239 in his second, these stats are skewed at the top end but still indicative of a monster game. He would rise 40 grand on the back of this, and into true premium status. Daisy will be overlooked by many for Swan and Pendles but has shown he is still definitely a viable option for those looking for a POD. Freako – 143 average over 2 games.

Ruck
Rookies
Tom Derickx (Rich) posted 67 and 36 to move up by almost 25 grand, but not sure he will get time with Maric freshly joined. Better options around.
Young Ayce Cordy (WBD) looked promising in his only out scoring 118 to rise 30 grand.
Big American Shae McNamara (Coll) put in a good showing with a 131 in his only game, rookie priced but no job security to speak of as of yet. His score would see a 40 grand bump to his price, but may not mean much if he’s not getting games. One to keep an eye on, but probably more a 2013 prospect if anything. Also note playing on Cooyou who got a lot of the pill as well.
Big Jon Giles (GWS) had a night out, producing scores of 130 and 148, and an almost 100 grand price rise to match. Will be in all teams come round one, so you might as well lock him in now. Freako – 115 average over 2 games.

Mid-pricers
Ivan Maric (Rich) scored a 112 in his only hit out, and was the only RUC to crack 100. Price rise of 15 grand but cannot see him playing as well against serious opposition.
Hamish McIntosh (NM) only sees a rise of 8 grand from an 89 and an 84, but seems that a lot of his points were stolen from Goldstein. The two switching through the ruck will affect both their scores over the year.
Jordan Roughhead (WBD) knocked out a 136 in his only match to rise 25 grand. Not a bad prospect but would need a break-out year to be worthwhile and mid-priced rucks are never particularly popular. Freako – 112 from 1 game.
Paddy Ryder (Ess) only managed scores of 42 and 66, meaning those hoping he can reach premium status this year may be sorely disappointed. He would lose around 40 grand for these performances and win a spot on “do not pick” list. Only if he tears up the rest of the pre-season should he be considered.
Wilbur Minson scored 104 and 73 to drop 3 grand. Much better options I feel but some saying this could be his year. Freako – 103 average over 2 games.

Premiums
Todd Goldstein (NM) scored 67 in his only hit-out to lose 35 grand. Not a good sign for Goldy to start the year. A lot of this seemed to be HMac’s influence so if considering watch closely.
Big Cox (WCE) only suited up the once, but dominated with a 197 against Sandi. Expensive and getting older but an out-and-out star. Price increase of 15 grand or so but that’s not why he’s in your side. Barring injury will be my R1.
Sandilands’ (Freo) 125 and subsequent 44 meant he lost around 35 grand, but more worryingly was dominated by Cox in the second game. The key thing was his toe seemed fine and you can hope to put that game down to rust.

Forwards
Rookies
Zeph Skinner (WBD) belted out a 153 against GWS to increase by a total of 55 grand. Something to remember is in his only AFL game to date he was dominated by the bigger bodies and was subbed out after doing nothing, so wait to see how he handles a bigger and stronger team than the Giants. Freako -121 from 1 game.
Gerrick Weedon (WCE) scored a massive 165 and followed up with a good 86, to mean his price rocketed by 90 grand. Wait to see if he’s elevated prior to round one but with LeCras out for the year he’s a good chance to be. Get on.
Corey Dell’Olio (Ess) might be a mouthful but if he can get games could also be a great cash cow with scores of 63 and 83 in his two games for a gain of 35 grand.
Rhys Cooyou (GWS) had an exciting single scoring 118 points and rising by 40 grand. If he’s looking to get early game time he could be a great forward rookie pick up.

Mid-pricers
Brad Miller (Rich) had scores of 175 and 86 to post a huge gain of 55 grand. Buyer beware with his job security though, and I wouldn’t expect many performances like that in the real stuff.
Gunston (Haw) managed a 51 then an improved 98 putting his price up by 10 grand, although the 98 was scored while Buddy played Mid for half the game.
Gia (WBD) notched up a 156 and a 115 to increase by 30 grand, but tends to start strong and die out over the pre-season. Freako – 131 average from 2 games.
Ashton Hams (WCE) managed a 126 and a 108 for a price boost of 50 grand, also keep an eye on NAB to see if he makes the cut but will be behind Weedon for mine.
Stewart Crameri (Ess) looked solid in his only game, scoring 120 points. Another good mid-price option from the Bombers, but only made 5 grand.
Leroy Jetta (Ess) was impressive with 125 in his only match, meaning he would rise by 15 grand. Solid mid-price performer, but may struggle to reach premium.
At almost $500,000 David Zaharakis (Ess) needs to perform as a premium and his 56 didn’t come close. Would lose 15 grand and needs impress in the rest of the preseason to get a look.
Steele Sidebottom (Coll) managed two games scoring 115 and 128 to see his price increase by 20 grand. Although the signs are promising and he is another who may benefit from Macaffers injury, at $450,000+ there are probably cheaper mid-pricers around with a similar ceiling but forward/mid eligibility helps. Freako – 104 average over 2 games.
Dustin Martin (Rich) scored 160 in his only game and would go up 15 grand. Will be in most sides and rightly so. Should step it up to premium this year. Freako – 138 from 1 game.

Premiums
Buddy (Haw) smashed through a 161, followed by an even better 193 meaning he’d go up 45 grand. Get on, he will be in all sides and those he isn’t will regret it as usual. Freako – 167 average over 2 games.
Cyril Rioli (Haw) looked good notching up 128 but failed to deliver in the second game with only 56 for a net loss of 20 grand, has always been up and down but continues to tease.
Fyfe (Freo) played once and seemed to move fairly well, notching up a very solid 118. His earlier pre-season injuries don’t seem to be affecting him currently but again keep an eye on him for signs of it.
Pav (Freo) may have played his way into a few sides over the weekend, with his one game returning 181 points. This also saw his price rise 20 grand, which is pretty good for a premium, and is supposedly fitter than ever.

Wow! That was even bigger than I thought. Keep in mind these are just the results from the first week of Round 1 for the NAB cup, so only half the teams have played and as always it is the pre-season so try not to read too much into it. As for the community feedback on this one, it’ll be same as above but instead of trades it’ll be starting selections, so just a “Cox over Sandi?” deal should work pretty well as long as it’s a yes-no or two option question.
Hopefully it all helps, and it’d be great to hear some feedback!
Thanks guys and see you again next week, BB.

The rucks are possibly the biggest talking point of supercoach this year, with what appears to be abundance of choice. Not anymore is there your stock standard Cox/Sandi ruck combination that everyone locked in. Last year saw the emergence of the new brigade.

One thing to keep in mind when selecting your rucks is the fact last year their scoring got a little tweak, with hit outs to advantage becoming a major player. Rucks scores across the board seemed to be inflated by about 15-20 points, whether this was due to new points or fact the AFL sub rule forced ruckman to spend more time on the ground as clubs didn’t want to waste precious interchange spot on one of their big men.

One of the big talking points amongst supercoachers this preseason has been whether you run a 2 premium & 2 rookie ruckline, or you take bit of risk and run 1 premium & 3 rookies. Or if you’re really brave you could always run 1 midpricer & 3 rookies!

The popular option (& most safe) is to run 2 premiums, eg 2 of Sandilands/McEvoy/Mumford/Cox/ Leuenburger/Goldstein and then 2 rookies, which should be Giles & Stephenson this year.

But there has been lot talk about running one of those “premiums” and spend the $400K+ elsewhere by running Giles as your second ruck. This theory allows you to upgrade midpricers elsewhere to top premiums, or say a Gibbs/Thompson/Watson/Hodge to a super premium like Swan/Ablett/Pendlebury. A lot people will say you will lose points doing this, but it all comes down to how you spend the extra cash. Use it wisely and you have some massive upside to your team. Breaking it down most people will start about 5 or 6 rookies on field, so you all Giles has to do is beat whoever would be your 5^th-6^th mid to come out in front. With the extra points that seem to be added to rucks last year its quite easy that Giles will average min 70, which is more then likely more then any of your other rookies.

Obviously there is lot risk and you could destroy your season within a few weeks, but to win it you have to think outside the box. Walsey will be going over the negatives to this in the comments! (ill also add some extra to it at some stage as I’m sure I’m forgetting something &/or not explaining it propely)

Before I get onto break down of few of the rucks, ill just explain why some players ive classified as a “premium”. I cant bring myself to rate players as “premium” after 1 breakout season, I think to be true “premium” you need min 2 seasons of 90 or 100+ seasons in the bag. I think there is just as much risk picking a McEvoy/Burger/Goldy as there is picking a midpricer as they can easily be one season wonders!

ELITE

Dean Cox – 122, 88, 111, 112, 98, 99, 108

Is the Big Cox overpriced? I believe so, when you take into account before 2011 the highest ever average by ruckman was Sandilands in 2012 with 114. Keep in mind he will turn 31 during 2012 and has had been hampered by injury in recent times. Then there is the Nic Nat problem, how much game time will he pinch off him this year? If Cox scores 115 for first 10 rounds leading into his Round 11 bye, he will bottom out $572K which is almost 100K cheaper then his starting price. Looks to be a tasty upgrade option. But then there is the fact he is a Supercoach legend, one of the best we have ever seen and he did dominate the opening round of the NAB Cup!

Aaron Sandilands – 111, 114, 101, 93

Interesting when looking at Sandilands stats last year, before his injury during round 9 (where he still scored 113 & included in this stat) he was averaging 121.25. He then next played in Round 14 for a massive 44 before sitting out until final 4 games. Take out his 44 and he averaged 116 for the season, so considering he is priced at only 111 he appears to be an absolute bargain.

Shane Mumford – 113 & 93

Mummy is possibly the best option this year, is relatively cheap & has proven he can do it over couple years. If he can curb his anger problems and stop getting stupid suspensions he would be lock in almost every team. He has everything going for him, is young, built like a tank and is one best tap ruckman in league.

“PREMIUM”

Todd Goldstein – 113, 65

A breakout 2011 saw his average climb an incredible 48 points due to Goldy becoming the Roos number 1 ruck and had no real opposition for the spot due to McIntosh spending fair amount of season injured. But heading into 2012 we see HMac & Goldy both fit and firing and their coach coming out and saying the 3 big men (Petrie, Goldy, HMac) can all play in one side. What does this mean for Goldstein? Well for 1 you can rest assured he will be sharing the ruck duties with McIntosh and this in turn could potentially have big impact on his output. Would probably recommend stearing clear and having him as upgrade target during the year after having plenty time to see his actual role and how they will all work together.

Matthew Leuenburger – 102, 69

Ben Hudson, that is name that has put concern in potential owners of the Burger. Will he play more then just backup to Burger or will he just be on their list running around in reserves as backup if he goes down? Had 33 point increase in his scores last year but that was as sole ruckman. Watch closely over preseason and try get gauge on Hudsons role before committing.

Ben McEvoy – 101, 63

Fair to say I was Macca’s biggest fan before last season, telling everyone to get onboard at ridiculously cheap price. Is once again StKilda’s only ruckman so will be playing every week and playing most minutes every match. His ruckwork isn’t the greatest but he has said he’s working hard on that this preseason. His biggest strength is his endurance and skills around the ground. McEvoy was 3^rd in AFL last year for contested marks. Definitely one to keep consider strongly, although im staying away this year. (just a gut feel, although hope im wrong!)

“POTENTIAL BREAKOUT”

Mathew Kruezar is priced at just over $400K and if his performance in last weeks Intra Club (even if it was against their reserves) is anything to go by then he is set for big year. Word from BlueLand is he dominated. He should have no troubles with knee injury from couple years ago, and he went at #1 for reason. Only concern is fact Carlton have about 100 different ruckman on their list. Who will play as main ruck? Warnock, Hampson or Kruezar?

Zac Smith is priced same as Kruezar and for mine was story of 2011. Is quite possibly reason so many are thinking about running a rookie in rucks this year. Averaged 80 in his first year and will be number 1 ruck yet again. Can he take his game to another level? Having another preseason under his belt will help Zac immensely as last season he tired towards end of the year, which looking at stats is clear as day!

Rounds 1-12 averaged 90

Round 14-25 averaged 66

This also shows that he has enormous growth in his scoring available. Personally think he is worth taking the gamble with, and offers more value then Kruezar/HMac.

There are plenty of other breakout players, eg McIntosh, Jacobs & Nic Nat but thought id concentrate on a handful and let you guys post things as to why you think other guys are good options, or post why you don’t think they are aswell.

This next matchup is an odd one due to the All Star break happening in the middle of it, but there are also 10 days with games during it, compared to the usual 7, so its a longer one in both ways – and we still only have the 5 acquisitions available to us, so use them wisely .

The highest score this week, once again, went to The Jug-O-Naughts (coached by Fez) in Div1, with a monster score of 1929, which was more than 200 higher than than the next closest – 2 teams tied on 1718. The highest scoring loser was Team Ring Ticklers (coached by joellamerton) who had 1617 points in Div 2 – which was the 5th highest score of the round. The lowest score for this week was  by CK Nicks (coached by costak) in Div 1 with 945 points as 1 of only 2 teams to score less than 1000 – interestingly, the highest and lowest scores of the week were against each other, resulting in a margin of 773 points between them. On the other end of that scale, there were 3 games with a margin of 15 or less, but the smallest margin of the week was 13 – between Too Seriouseses (coached by Walesy) and Run TMC (coached by Owen) in Premier, with the later coming out victorious.

Over the break will be the usual reviews by myself, Steve and smokinjoemisiti::::::::

PREMIER LEAGUE (by anthak)

**I am having a lot of trouble with my internet connection tonight, so these will be a bit more basic than usual.

ant hak (anthak) 1373 v Fudge’s Sixers (fudge) 1388

This was one of the 3 lowest margins of the round as mentioned above, with fudge getting up and extending his unbeaten run to 4 games. anthak had 10 players play on the first day to just 1 for fudge, building a big lead that was never broken until the last game of the last day of the matchup. fudge was hit harder by injuries, had 4 less games played over the matchup and was also more canny with his FA signings so definitely deserved the win. Top scorer was Conley with 188 for anthak, while best for fudge was Dave Lee with 178.

Too Seriouseses (walesy) 1396 v Run TMC (Owen) 1409

Another really close game, and as mentioned above the break, it was the closest of the round across all 3 leagues. As my internet is playing up a lot, I cannot see how the match played out over the week unfortunately, but it must have been really exciting. Top score went to Love with 228 for Walesy, and for Owen it was Cousins with 179.

Jasmine’s Mob (Jasmine) 1502 v  Ruddy’s Cavaliers (Ruddy) 1350

Jasmines Mob is looking quite strong again this year – especially after the recent form of 2 of her FA pickups, Lin and Ilyasova, who helped her to the 2nd highest score in Premier League this week. Ruddy on the other hand, was badly affected by injuries again; however shortly after he lost his only fit C (Varejao), Lopez made a comeback who will be a handy addition over the remainder of the season. Top scorer in this game was Pekovic with 216 fro Ruddy, while Lin topscored for Jasmine with 209.

Westside Hardcore (mick) 1436 v Adelaide Maggotz (maggots) 1399

Mick has turned his season back on track with 2 wins in a row now. This was another close game with only 37 between them at the end. LeBron James was huge for micka with 266 points – and I wonder if he is still on the trade table… I know that trade negotiations between myself and mick came to an abrupt halt at some point over the last week. Best scorer for maggots this week was Lowry with 195.

Robert Sarver’s Handbag (chris88 & smittys07) 1695 v Kings of Karlos (karlos & Lethal) 1463

A battle of the two teams with co-GMs… RSH finished with the highest score of the round in the Premier League – almost 200 higher than the next best – which left KoK with their 2nd loss in as many weeks, after starting the season with a 6 game winning streak. RSH have been right up there week in week out, and it is fantastic to see their consistency rewarded with a big win against one of the top sides. Top scorer for the game was Durant with 246 for Kings of Karlos, while for Robert Sarver’s handbag it was Gortat with 239.

Team HEAVER! (HEAVER) 1264 v Wade Machine (dabombers) 1112

HEAVER is still undefeated after this ultra low scoring match against dabombers. These 2 teams scored the lowest two totals in the Premier League this week, so HEAVER was lucky he came up against dabombers as he would have seen his first loss against anyone else – and this is a significant win, as HEAVER has locked up first place in his division which in turn has guaranteed a bye in the first week of finals. Top scorer in this game was JSmoove for HEAVER with 184 and for dabombers it was Howard with 159.

Here is the upcoming schedule:

DIVISION 1 (by Steve)

Linsanity 17   (Steve)   1454   v   Everton 149érs   (Rev)   1132

Both teams were missing key players throughout this matchup.  The 149érs were missing Garnett, Bass and Lopez while for Linsanity 17 they were missing Carmelo and Gooden.  Going into the last day of the matchup, I was leading by 120 pts which I was concerned about as I did not think it was a match winning lead.  However my team put the foot to the pedal and scored 388 pts from 8 players on the last day to get the win.  The best players for Linsanity 17 were Linsanity himself 209, Ilyasova 190 and Westbrook 157.  The leading scorers for the 149er’s were Wall 165, Walker 148 and Fields 119.

The Bucks Fizz   (spm67)   1549   v   Canuck Steelers   (UA)   1383

This matchup was very close until the 2^nd last day whereby the Bucks Fizz outscored the Steelers by 180 pts which was near enough the final margin.  The Steelers threw everything at the Bucks Fizz by raiding the FA list but to no avail.  The Bucks Fizz have one of the more stable rosters in Division One and have been very consistent throughout the season.  Nash led the way for the Bucks Fizz with 188 followed by Dirk 184 and Humphries 171.  For the Steelers, K Love was clearly the best with 228, followed by Lowry 195 and Brewer 133.

Crossy’s Crusaders   (Crossy)   1383   v   Doobia Dominators   (Doobs)   1233

Unfortunately for Doob’s, his losing streak continues after Crossy was able to post a comfortable victory.  Crossy was able to extend his lead each day of the matchup until the final day whereby Doobs was able to claw some points back but it was never going to be enough to get the win.  The leading scorers for Crossy this round were Conley 188, Frye 157 and Parker 152. Once again Durant was the best for Doob’s with 246 followed by Knight 120 and Kaman 117.   I think that is the end of Doob’s chances of making the finals this season.

Albert Park Rangers   (bgt2110)   1562   v   NahlaVLittleDee   (Rodgo)   1326

Once again the Rangers get another win and are now sitting at 8-0 and are gearing up for the finals.  This match was very close until the last few days of the match up whereby the Rangers outscored Rodgo by 150pts.  The Rangers also have a very even roster and have not been required to raid the FA list too often.  For this round, the best players for the Rangers were Al Jefferson 210, Batum 181 and Lee 178.  For Rodgo, Wade was the best with 169, Pau Gasol 148 and Ariza on 146.

Get Knicked   (Liquid Sixx)   1412   v   Team Stowie   (Stowie)   1389

This was the closest match for Division this week and it all came down to the last game where Liquid had Harden up against Stowie who had Afflalo.  Unfortunately for Stowie while Afflalo had a great game (54pts) it was not enough get the win.  Liquid is quietly building momentum and it is now 4 wins a row. The best players for Liquid this round were Gay 191, CP3 155 and Harden 148.  For Stowie, the best players were DWill 218, Howard 159 and Iggy 147.

The Jug O Naughts   (Fez)   1929   v   CK Nicks   (Costak)   947

The Jug O Naughts keep rolling along and handed out a belting to the CK Nicks this round. Not only did the Jug O Naughts score the highest score for the year but they also had the greatest winning margin for this year as well.   I don’t know who is going to stop them? The CK Nicks were up against it from day one as two of their best players (Rose and Nene) did not play any games during this round.  Once again the King led the way with 266, followed by Pekovic 216 and J Smoove 184.  For the CK Nicks, the best players were Gortat 239, Kobe 126 and Camby 113.

Here is the upcoming schedule:

DIVISION 2 (by smokinjoemisiti)

SmokinJoe Misiti (smokinjoemisiti) – 1527 defeated Six Ten Two Forty (twoeyec) – 1433

Smokin was led by Mike Conley with 188 and had 9 players overall score in triple figures. Twoeyec’s high scorer was Serge Ibaka who scored a massive 222 points for the round. Ibaka tried his best to get twoeyec over the line on the last day producing a triple double against Denver. He accumulated 98 fantasy points in that game alone which included 11 blocked shots.

Team 726 (minis) – 1470 defeated Broady Broncos (nicksnow) – 981

Easy win here for Minis with big scores from Kevin Love (228) and Jeremy Lin (209) once again. Lamarcus Aldridge missed some time for Team 726 but it didn’t matter. Nick got 169 from Dwyane Wade, whilst he had Nene and Varejao out with injury along with some others which didn’t help. Minis sit on top of the league with a 7-1 record.

Team Farken White (Jet) – 1718 defeated Team Ring Ticklers (joellamerton) – 1617

A high scoring affair here, with Joel coming home strong in the final couple of days, but just coming up short. Jet had Marcin Gortat play 5 games with the big man scoring 239 points. Jet did miss Carmelo Anthony once again but should regain him shortly. Joel’s high scorer was Kris Humphries with 171. He was disadvantaged with Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol’s teams only playing 3 games for the round.

Team Travysboys (travyboy11) – 1718 defeated Hawthorn OKC Magic (Cobra_Magic) – 1336

Trav had 9 players score 116 points or more, led by Steve Nash’s 188. Rookies Kemba Walker and Ricky Rubio were also very good considering where they would have been drafted fantasy wise at the start of the year. Cobra once again was led by Lebron James who scored a whopping 266. The interesting scorer for Cobra was Ersan Illyasova who scored 185 which included a 29 point – 29 rebound – 74 fantasy point scoring effort against New Jersey.

The Hinrich Manoeuvre (Don_Cottagers) – 1288 defeated Cyril33s Crushers (hawker) – 1061

A low scoring affair resulting in what I believe is Don’s first win of the season. Don got 210 from Al Jefferson whilst Stephen Jackson continues to stink it up in Milwaukee. Hawker had just 3 players score over 100 points. Josh Smith was his top scorer with 184, despite only playing 3 games.

Maxwell’s Marvels (maxweas) – 1379 defeated Dropping Bombs (brettmarinovich) – 1365

The closest matchup of the round, with the final days play deciding the result. Max got 8 points from Brook Lopez in his return, whilst the improved play of Nikola Pekovic who scored 42 on the final day and 216 overall for the round helped him pull out the win. Interestingly, Max had Derrick Rose out all round but still found a way to win. Brett got 246 from Kevin Durant who shot 51 against Denver, whilst Rajon Rondo’s negative 6 points on the final day was an absolute killer.

Here is the upcoming schedule:

While waiting however, check out my review of last nights games with the debut of the GWS, and how they we *almost* undefeated, but still don’t have a win.

GWS vs Bulldogs

Result: Dogs by 5, 5.5.35 to 1.3.3.30

Wow, what were the dogs thinking with that red? I mean, in isolation, it’s not that bad an outfit, but straight up against the orange Giants, it just seemed a terrible idea! I gotta say, wow, the GWS weren’t as bad as I thought they would be. That said though, it is the first game of the NAB, so I’m sure the Dogs weren’t going at 100%. Still, if not for a Mohr punch, it would have been a Giant victory.

Palmer top scored for the GWS with 10 disposals and 48DT, I reckon though it will be about a 5SC, his disposal was pretty bad.
Giles was prolific, 6 touches and 7 hitouts for a 45. If you could guarentee me that Brogan was going to miss early, Giles would definitely come into the R2 equation.
McDonald looked great out there. Was rotated a bit, but 9 disposals and 38DT at a rookie price is tough to go past!
Darley, again, 10 disposal, he certainly got a lot of the ball and should be on everyone’s radar right now.
Curtly kicked the first goal for the GWS and got a fair few touches further up the ground. His disposal wasn’t great, but he’s certainly one to watch.
Scully/Ward, not fantasy relevant if that performance is anything to go by (of course, only a fool judges off this one performance)
Coniglio wasn’t great, certainly didn’t do enough to justify his premium rookie price.
Issy wasn’t as bad as his 0 suggests, at least in the first half.

Ha, 17 touches for Boyd- gosh he racks them up didn’t he! And he certainly has started the season red hot.
I expected Giansiracusa to do well here, he tends to start every year- particularly the pre-season well, then head down hill from mid-season onwards. Still, his 14 touch 54 wasn’t too bad.
Skinner popped up for a few nifty goals, on his way to a 53DT – definitely got himself onto the radar.
Hargrave did nicely in the backline for a 47DT, though I’m sure he burnt a few coaches last year, and with Lake to come back, will he hold that position?

Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Result: Pies by 7, 4.2.26 to 3.1.19

Early injuries to by Ryan Griffin and Brent Macaffer marred what was otherwise a pretty defensive game of footy. Might be a bit of a worry if the dogs keep this up I reckon,

Wow, Boyd. 20 disposals for a phenominal 90DT. I had all but ruled him out of my squad with an expectation that the Dogs will slide this year, but wow, what a performance.
Howard played up on the wing a bit in a role that saw him collect 12 disposals and 9 marks. Awkwardly priced, but certainly could be interesting.
Liberatore but in his second good performance for the night. Doubt he’ll make it to a premium status, but it looks like he’s opn track for one day.
Hargrave again was pretty prolific. Still, he remains on my Do Not Trust list.

Heater did himself no harm for selection with 8 disposals and 47DT.
Sidebottom had a lot of it, which makes him a very interesting prospect. Though there were a few names missing tonight, so we’ll need to keep watching I think.
Swan went alright, nothing huge, but playing tells me that he’s not on 3 strikes.
Yagmoor did alright, I ducked out after the first and only heard this game on the radio, but it sounds like he went alright.

Collingwood vs GWS

Result: Collingwood by 3, 5.5.35 to 5.2.32

I thought the Giants were gunna get up here, they certainly put up a spirited performance. Seriously though, how BS was that goal from Paine- a great effort!

That said though, I highly doubt the Pies were going anywhere near where they would in the season, even with the young team that they fielded.

Daisy top scored for the Pies, was very prolific with 15 disposals, 7 marks and 71DT.
Heath Shaw put in another solid performance, this time with 9 disposals.
Steele again did very well, with 10 touches for a 38DT.
Swan got a fair tag from Bugg, restricting him to just 8 touches and 21DT.
McNamara got a lot of it in defence, but also let his opponent, Cooyou do a lot of damage.

Giles again with another big score, 8 disposals and 8 hitouts for a 44.
Cooyou got a lot of attention in the live chat, certainly looked a lively type.
Tyson, I haven’t heard many good things about him this summer, but wow, he showed a lot of class here, 9 touches and a 35DT.

Check out over the break to see the first three games of the season.

North Melbourne vs Richmond

Result: North by 3, 7.2.44 to 6.5.41

Wow, how did North end up winning this one, they looked absolutely terrible early, but with late goals to Petrie and Edwards, managed to fall into the half time break only two points behind. The second half started much as the first did, with Richmond – in particular Martin and Conca, doing some good things to get them out to an early lead.

It was at this stage that Conca rubbed out Patch Adams, it was reasonable innoucuous- Conca laid a block onto Adams, who from what you can tell, didn’t see it coming. Heads clashed and Adams left the ground with a concussion. Still, it was very behind the play, and the AFL doesn’t like behind the play, so for mine, he’ll get weeks. Now, I don’t know if NAB weeks can be served out in the NAB or not- still waiting for the official word, but it’s a shame as Conca was looking very good.

From the hit on out though, it was all Roos, kicking the next 3 goals to run out 4 point victors. Though they did cop what looks a 6-8 week injury to Grima.

We don’t have any Supercoach scores, but from a DreamTeam front, we have the following:

Brad Miller led the way for the Tigers, 7 disposals and 2.2 for a 47.
Dustin Martin looked every bit as good as I would have hoped. 11 disposals and 1.1 for a 43, and doing everything possible to get locked into my forward line.
Maric dominated the rucking against a pretty top-line outfit, scoring 12 of the games 20 hitouts. I think the dirty mullet might have helped with his streamlining, or something.
Conca, as mentioned above, played through the middle and was very good. 7 disposals for a 30, was a fine performance. Gotta see if the MRP let’s him be in our teams though.
Morris looked pretty solid down back, he scored himself 5 disposal, for a 21. That said though, 4 of them were recieved through free kicks, but he looks to be shaping up as a solid 45-55 week-in-week-out defender who does his job and covers injuries. I don’t see many big scores coming from him unless he Leo Barry’s a few games.
Ellis looked alright, was a little more defensive than I’d hoped, but a 3 touch performance was alright in this format.

Edwards top scored for the Roos with 3 goals for a 47.
Ziebull made us sad, his first two games will be missed through suspension, depriving us of his 7 touch 39.
Swallow was his usual prolific self, 6 disposals, 2 tackles and a goal for a 34.
Goldstein and McIntosh both shared the ruck and forward duties, and I reckon it was detrimental to both players scores- we’ll need to watch this closer.

North Melbourne vs Hawthorn

Result: Hawthorn by 25, 1.6.8.53 to 4.4.28

Wow, this was the biggest margin of the weekend, and it really showed up the gap between these two side. The Hawks we just awesome, rolling out early and just keeping the pressure up. Meanwhile, North knocked up their 3rd injury for the night with Luke Delaney being subbed with a rolled ankle.

I’m gunna start with the Roos, give quick lip service to Harvey, who did well- 9 disposals for a 32.
Then move straight onto Sam Gibson. If this guy gets promoted off the rookie list, get him in your belly. 9 disposals for a 29 tonight, but this former captain and B&F winner at Box Hill last year averaged 28 disposals a game and was top3 for most disposals in the VFL last year. If North find a spot for him, he’s an easy lock.

Lance Franklin. We all heard it in the pre-season, moving to the middle- and wow, I dunno if he’ll be stoppable this year. 11 disposals and 1.2. Seriously though, if he could learn how to tackle, he might have turned a few of his FA’s into T’s and a massive score. Still, just lock him in early and be done with it!
Mitchell will have gotten on a few more radars this weekend, at least in DT land where his 13 disposals scored him a 41.
As will Birchall, who himself knocked up 13 disposals. I didn’t think there would be much real growth for any of the Hawks premiums, but Birch has gotten himself onto my maybe list.
Gunston was alright without being excellent. Not really justifying his price just yet.

Hawthorn vs Richmond

Result: Richmond by 3, 6.4.40 to 5.7.37

After seeing the results of the last two games, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one expecting the Hawks to once again romp it in, and early days they did. Those Tigers though, wow, doing just enough to hold onto a 3 point lead.

Franklin was best on ground, 11 disposals and 3.2 for a massive 65. And let me just say again. Get him in your team early, rather than trading him in and raging for the first 6 weeks.
Mitchell again was a big part of the Hawthorn engine room, 15 disposals and a 52. A massive score again will make him a very interesting option.
Suckling did better this game, 9 disposals for a 35.
As did Gunston, with 7 possessions and 5 marks for a 33. However, he couldn’t put anything on the scoreboard which would have topped his score off nicely.

Over on Richmonds side, Tuck top scored with 10 disposals for a 42. I still don’t know why he isn’t playing for the GWS though- he’s still got so much to offer and was treated pretty harshly last year I thought. I guess they are holding out for the Lids option though.
While Maric didn’t ruck this game, he still did pretty well for himself, with 8 disposals for a 33.
Ellis was better this game, 5 disposals and he’s looking like a fantastic option.
Conca wasn’t as good as last game, however, I’m still thinking that the MRP are going to decide if he’s in my team or not.
I’ve heard a number of good things said about Derickx, and sure, he was alright for a rookie price, but it will be interesting to compare him to the other rookie rucks (in Giles and the big O)

But in the meantime, let’s get the live chat up for the weekend!

Click on read more to join the chat!

and CARN THE BOMBERS!!!

I should probably give usage instructions to you new guys, but it’s late and I gotta hit the sack!

So join us over the break as we take a quick look at the 9 squads that will be taking the field this weekend.

And let us know who you’ll be keeping a close, close eye on.

Richmond, Hawthorn, North Melbourne
Etihad Stadium, Friday Feb 17, 6.45pm AEDT

RICHMOND
2. Dylan Grimes, 4. Dustin Martin, 6. Shaun Grigg, 7. Matt Dea, 8. Jack Riewoldt, 9. Trent Cotchin, 10. Shane Edwards, 11. Jake Batchelor, 13, Brad Miller, 14. Bachar Houli, 16. Luke McGuane, 17. Chris Newman, 18. Alex Rance, 20. Ivan Maric, 21. Shane Tuck, 23. Daniel Jackson, 25. Angus Graham, 26. Robin Nahas, 28. Jake King, 29. Tyrone Vickery, 30. Reece Conca, 32. Brad Helbig, 35. Matthew White, 37. Jayden Post, 38. Steven Morris, 39. Tom Derickx, 41. Nathan Foley, 42. Brandon Ellis, 43. Todd Elton, 44. Matt Arnot, 45. Brett O’Hanlon, 46. Jeromey Webberley, 47. Addam Maric, 49. Steven Verrier

Ellis and Morris are the two big names here, with a slight dash of Arnot, Derickx and Conca will be the guys I’m looking at closely here.

NORTH MELBOURNE
1. Hamish McIntosh, 3. Ryan Bastinac, 4 Liam Anthony, 5. Ben Warren, 6. Lachlan Hansen, 7. Jack Ziebell, 9. Andrew Swallow, 10. Ben Cunnington, 11. Michael Firrito, 12. Lindsay Thomas, 13. Leigh Adams, 14. Gavin Urquhart, 15. Luke Delaney, 16. Scott Thompson, 17. Nathan Grima, 18. Shaun Atley, 20. Drew Petrie, 22. Todd Goldstein, 23. Kieran Harper, 24. Levi Greenwood, 25. Robbie Tarrant, 26. Ben McKinley, 27. Aaron Edwards, 29. Brent Harvey, 31. Cameron Delaney, 33. Matthew Campbell, 34. Jamie Macmillan, 35. Aaron Black, 39. Cameron Pedersen, 41. Aaron Mullett, 42. Scott McMahon, 43. Sam Gibson, 45. Brad Mangan, 46. Ben Speight.

Love to get more of an idea on how the McIntosh/Goldstein dynamic is going to work. I’m hoping that Gibson get a good amount of time to show us what he’s got, but am still worried that even with early games that he’ll be dropped early to make way for others.

HAWTHORN
3. Jordan Lewis, 4. Matt Suckling, 5. Sam Mitchell, 6. Josh Gibson, 9. Shaun Burgoyne, 10. Chance Bateman, 11. Clinton Young, 12. Brad Sewell, 14. Grant Birchall, 15. Luke Hodge, 16. Isaac Smith, 17. Cameron Bruce, 18. Brent Guerra, 19. Jack Gunston, 21. Shane Savage, 22. Luke Breust, 23. Lance Franklin, 24. Ben Stratton, 25. Ryan Schoenmakers, 26. Liam Shiels, 28. Paul Puopolo, 29. Tom Murphy, 31. Jarrad Boumann, 32. Brad Hill, 33. Cyril Rioli, 34. Jordan Kelly, 35. Sam Grimley, 36. Alex Woodward, 37. Brendan Whitecross, 39. Max Bailey, 40. Broc McCauley, 42. Angus Litherland, 45. Tom Schneider, 46. Derick Wanganeen

No Amos Frank, not that he would have made a good option, more so because I want to see him play! Brad Hill is definitely on the radar, first ever rookie to get a 16+ beep test at the carnival definitely needs to be watched. Gunston will be interesting, as will the Buddy to the midfield call.

Collingwood, GWS, Western Bulldogs
Blacktown Sportspark, Saturday February 18, 7.15pm AEDT

COLLINGWOOD
1. Alex Fasolo, 6. Tyson Goldsack, 12. Luke Ball, 13. Dale Thomas, 15. Jarrod Witts, 18. Darren Jolly, 22. Steele Sidebottom, 23. Lachlan Keeffe, 25. Tom Young, 27. Simon Buckley, 28. Ben Sinclair, 29. Jonathan Ceglar, 30. Brent Macaffer, 31. Chris Dawes, 33. Jackson Paine, 34. Alan Toovey, 36. Dane Swan, 38. Peter Yagmoor, 39. Heath Shaw, 40. Paul Seedsman, 45. Lachlan Smith, 46. Marley Williams, 47. Michael Hartley, 48. Caolan Mooney, 50. Shae McNamara

Sidebottoms roll will be interesting, but sadly, there’s not much here that I’ll be looking too closely at.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
1. Phil Davis, 2. Curtly Hampton, 3. Stephen Coniglio, 4. Israel Folau, 6. Luke Power, 8. Callan Ward, 9. Tom Scully, 11. Chad Cornes, 13. Sam Darley, 14. Tomas Bugg, 15. Tim Golds, 16. Nathan Wilson, 18. Jeremy Cameron, 19. Nick Haynes, 20. Adam Tomlinson, 22. Shaun Edwards, 23. Sam Reid, 24. Steve Clifton, 25. Anthony Miles, 26. Jonathan Giles, 27. Andrew Phillips, 28. Liam Sumner, 29. Dom Tyson, 31. Jacob Townsend, 32. Gerald Ugle, 34. Devon Smith, 35. Toby Greene, 36. Jack Hombsch, 38. James McDonald, 39. Tim Mohr, 42. Mark Whiley, 44. Tom Downie, 47. Josh Bruce, 49. Rhys Cooyou

What can you say, it’s the GWS- everything is interesting!

WESTERN BULLDOGS
1. Jarrad Grant, 2. Robert Murphy, 3. Mitch Wallis, 4. Daniel Cross, 5. Matthew Boyd, 8. Patrick Veszpremi, 10. Easton Wood, 12. Tom Williams, 13. Daniel Giansiracusa, 14. Clay Smith, 16. Ryan Griffen, 19. Liam Jones, 21. Tom Liberatore, 22. Dylan Addison, 23. Jordan Roughead, 25. Ryan Hargrave, 26. Zephaniah Skinner, 27. Will Minson, 29. Tory Dickson, 30. Christian Howard, 32, Michael Talia, 37. Lukas Markovic, 40. Luke Dahlhaus, 42, Liam Picken, 48. Matthew Panos, 49. Ayce Cordy

Not much to see here, those I am amused that Easton Wood listed as Easton Ward on the AFL site. Probably wouldn’t be as amused if I was a Doggies fan…

Fremantle, West Coast, Essendon
Patersons Stadium, February Sunday 19, 4.45pm WST

FREMANTLE
Hayden Ballantyne, Zac Dawson, Jayden Pitt, Garrick Ibbotson, Greg Broughton, Nathan Fyfe, Nick Suban, Adam McPhee, Nick Lower, Tom Sheridan, Tendai Mzungu, Ryan Crowley, Hayden Crozier, Jack Anthony, Chris Mayne, Josh Mellington, Lachie Neale, Peter Faulks, Matthew Pavlich, Zachary Clarke, Aaron Sandilands, Stephen Hill, Lee Spurr, Haiden Schloithe, Michael Johnson, Sam Menegola, Matt De Boer, Paul Duffield, Clancee Pearce, Jay van Berlo

Ballantyne to the middle!!! Broughton, Duffman, Ross Lyon- what are you doing here! Lachie Neale, Lee Spurr there’s just a bunch to watch here.

WEST COAST
Mark LeCras, Andrew Gaff, Brad Sheppard, Mark Nicoski, Chris Masten, Matt Priddis, Luke Shuey, Koby Stevens, Tom Swift, Eric Mackenzie, Josh Kennedy, Bradd Dalziell, Ryan Neates, Dean Cox, Quinten Lynch, Michael Mascoulis, Darren Glass, Shannon Hurn, Sam Butler, Jack Darling, Ashley Smith, Scott Lycett, Blayne Wilson, Josh Hill, Jacob Brennan, Patrick McGinnity, Fraser McInnes, Adam Selwood, Anton Hamp, Jeremy McGovern, Ashton Hams, Gerrick Weedon, Callum Papertalk, Simon Tunbridge, Lewis Stevenson

Gotta feel for LeCras, here’s hoping for the best. In the meantime however, Koby Steven is a very interesting prospect. Also, Papertalk has a comical name, I do like to see a good comical name.

ESSENDON
Ricky Dyson, Angus Monfries, Leroy Jetta, Mark McVeigh, David Zaharakis, Stewart Crameri, Anthony Long, Sam Lonergan, Courtenay Dempsey, Tayte Pears, Jake Melksham, David Hille, Henry Slattery, Jake Carlisle, David Myers, Cale Hooker, Luke Davis, Elliott Kavanagh, Alwyn Davey, Patrick Ryder, Travis Colyer, Jackson Merrett, Kyle Hardingham, Nick O’Brien, Lauchlan Dalgleish, Kyle Reimers, Michael Ross, Ben Howlett, Brendan Lee, Michael Hibberd, Mark Baguley, Cory Dell’Olio

Carn the BOmbers!!! Jetta and his halfback role, Zaharakis, Dempsey, Kavanagh, O’Brien, Lee and Dell’Olio are all on my radar for this game.

So guys, who are you watching? and why? Let us know in the comments.