TooSerious

<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]We're 3 games into the round and damn, that third one was a tight finish! Reckon the Tiges were a little stiffed there!
<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]Anyways, drop in, let us know how you're going, and as always, feel free to join us in theChat

<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;]Here is the second part of the Best Buys for this week, which covers all the teams who aren't playing today. With some big matches this weekend there are sure to be some massive scores floating around, so we'll be looking at who these scores will likely come from.
<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;]The Best Buy this week is Grant Birchall. The Hawks defender has continued to dominate the backline and is now tied with Pendles as the 4th highest scorer for the season to date, making him excellent value and a great pick-up.
<p style='font-weight: bold;]


DEFENSE
MID-PRICERS



Charlie DIXON (GCS) DEF 455.2k 108
Cheerable Charlie didn't get a mention last week as his injury status was still unkown, but after playing and tonning up once again he looks to be unimpeded. Playing the Giants this weekend, who don't exactly have the best ruck or defense going around, Dixon should score well once again for his sub 20,000 coaches.



Hamish Hartlett (PTA) D/M 489.6k 106
Hartlett bounced back in a good display, and at still under 500 grand he still looks to offer good value in the backline. Might not average the 120 some were hoping for, but should still be 100+. Currently in almost 40,000 teams.



PREMIUMS



Grant Birchall (HAW) DEF 563.4k 128
Birch is the best defender going around this season, averaging a midfielder-like 128 and still priced at around 560 grand. Currently in only...

As we venture towards Round 5 of the ORFFA season, a divide is starting to open up in the ladder - and in teams' fortunes. While the door for spots in the top half of the ladder remains well ajar, there are quite a few teams already casting a longing eye towards the mid-season draft.
Onwards with the Round 4 review:

Wagga Wagga 1284 d Gundagai 845


Wagga best: S Thompson. Goddard, Shiel, L Thomas
Gundagai best: B Goodes, ROK, Rockliff.
Wagga continues its fine start to the ORFFA season while the Grasshoppers, hurt by late withdrawals, hope for a change of luck and fitness.

Nunawading 1134 d Darraweit Guim 1107
Nunawading best: Stanton. Dixon, OMeara
Darraweit best: Walker, Maric, Walters/Grimes
A stunning win for the Nuffas, one player short and still able to overcome the Guim. OMeara paying his way as the Guim struggle to find form and fit players.

Whitsundays 1187 d Larrikin Lagoon 1171
Whits best: Birchall, Sloane
Lefties best: S Selwood, Bailey, Priddis
Grant Birchall inspires the Whits to a win over the luckless Lefties, who have lost three close games to go along with their one win.

Waikikamoocow 1355 d Powlett Plains 1175
Waikiks best: The Hoff, Taylor, Hibberd,
Powlett best: K Cornes, Buddy, Scully
The Warriors bring Powlett Plains' unbeaten run to an end. Both teams enjoying solid output from Port stars Cornes and The Hoff.

Foul Bay 1360 d Charlie's Opening 1337




Chickens' best: J Selwood, Liberatore, Yarran
Opening's best: Jack, The Frenchman, The Dish


Another close one, with the Chickens emerging victorious. Both teams enjoying a great scoring run this week.

Birdsville 1285 d Gariwerd 1215
Birdsville best: Cloke, Cloke, Cloke
Gariwerd best: Burgoyne, Cooney, Sylvia
Travis Cloke puts on a one man show to get Birdsville over the line against a game, and improving, Gariwerd outfit.

Iron Knob 1454 d Lovely Banks 1289 ...

<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]This week the Best Buys are doing a split-round, with the teams playing on Anzac day covered here, and then the rest in another Best Buys edition out on Anzac Day itself.
<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]Due to this, there is no Best Buy today, as this week's selection isn't playing until the weekend, so you'll have to wait another night for that one.


Unfortunately a family emergency has put me 2 days behind this week, and Iapologizefor the break in schedule, but hopefully the Best Buys can be as informative and useful as ever.



So now, onto the Best Buys.



DEFENSE

ROOKIES




Nathan Wright (StK) DEF 109.5k 41 +25k





MID-PRICERS




Michael HIBBERD (ESS) DEF 442k 99

Hibberd has progressed well in his short time in the AFL, drafted behind Heppell he has been often overlooked for him but is showing similar levels of output. Averaging 99 for the season (2ppg less than Heppell) he is 50 grand cheaper and showing more consistency. Unlikely to be tagged and a good POD in only 10,000 teams or so compared to Heppell's 77,000.





Nick Malceski (SYD) DEF 442.9k 98

Malceski has started the year in good form, averaging 98 to date and looking set to rise another 30 odd grand in price this week. A solid POD selection he has been somewhat unreliable in the past, and his only 7,000 selections reflect this.





Jarryn...

<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]Break out theBuglescause it's ANZAC Day.
<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]Don't forget if you have made any trades, once lockout kicks in tomorrow, YOU CANNOT ROLL THEM BACK!





Essendon v Collingwood, MCG, Thursday April 25, 2.40pm AEST


<div>Essendon
<div>B: M.Hibberd 1, C. Hooker 26, M.Baguley 46
<div>HB: B.Stanton 5, J.Carlisle 22, B.Goddard 9
<div>C: D.Heppell 21, J.Watson 4, C.Dempsey 15
<div>HF: J.Merrett 20, D.Hille 19, S.Gumbleton 3
<div>F: K.Hardingham 34, S.Crameri 12, A.Davey 29
<div>Foll: T.Bellchambers 2, B.Howlett 40, J.Winderlich 8
<div>I/C: D.Zaharakis 11, D.Myers 23, H.Hocking 39, T.Colyer 32
<div>Emerg: N.Lovett-Murray 42, J.Melksham 17, T.Pears 16
<div>


<div>In: K.Hardingham, T.Colyer, S.Crameri
<div>Out: M.Hurley (ankle), T.Pears (omitted), J.Melksham (omitted)
<div>


<div style='display: inline !important;]Collingwood
<div>B: N.Brown 16, A.Toovey 34, B.Reid 20
<div>HB: M.Clarke 9, H.Shaw 39, H.O'Brien 8
<div>C: S.Sidebottom 22, D.Swan 36, D.Thomas 13
<div>HF: J.Elliott 19, T.Cloke 32, Q.Lynch 21
<div>F: B.Sinclair 28, T.Goldsack 6, S.Dwyer 41
<div>Foll: B.Hudson 25, S.Pendlebury 10, J.Blair 11
<div>I/C: A.Fasolo 1, J.Russell 2, B.Macaffer 3, P.Seedsman 40
<div>Emerg: J.Witts 15, J.Thomas 24, B. Kennedy 27
<div>In: T Goldsack Out: J.Thomas
<div>


<div>


St Kilda v Sydney Swans, Westpac Stadium, Thursday April 25, 7.50pm NZST


<div style='margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline !important;]St Kilda
<div style='margin: 0px; padding: 0px;]B: N.Wright 34, S.Fisher 25,...

<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]That's right, we're back again onStadium Sport
<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]This week, we've got a prize fund of $350 on the Fremantle v Richmond game.
<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;]So jump in, sign up and take the few minutes it takes to put in a team! And yanno, if you want, add me (Les Wales) as a friend- love tracking how you guys do!

By Charles Happell from BackPageLead.com.au

The AFL will make its first serious foray overseas on Thursday - ANZAC Day - when St Kilda and Sydney play a match in Wellington, the first game contested outside Australia for premiership points.



A lot of money will be spent on the staging of the event, its marketing and promotion, and the transporting of teams, officials, television crews and sundry AFL hangers-on to New Zealand - hundreds of them in total. A lot of time and effort will also be devoted to ensuring the game's success. AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou will be wheeled out to talk of the close ties between the two countries on this historic and poignant occasion and the benefits of such a trans-Tasman sporting initiative.



But the questions have to be asked: Is it all worth it? What is the AFL trying to achieve here? And what will the return be on that million-dollar investment?



For those AFL clubs left back in Australia and continually beset by financial problems, for those struggling country leagues forever battling the population drain to the cities, for those Australian states who'd love to host more AFL footy, the New Zealand experiment is an expensive folly; a delusion the code doesn't need and can't afford.



Melbourne FC is the oldest sporting club in Australia and, as you might have read during its recent run of crises, has been around since 1858. And, sure, many of its current problems are entirely self-inflicted. But how the Dees - or St Kilda or Port Adelaide or the Western Bulldogs, for that matter - would love some of that promotional money, marketing effort and AFL love.



Similarly, Tasmania can't get enough of the indigenous code, yet that affection has hardly been reciprocated by AFL HQ in the past decade or two.



Australian Rules is an Australian game, just as sumo wrestling is Japanese, and no amount of marketing and slick TV advertising will make it universally popular....

Round 4 saw the Donor team finally get back into a bit of form, scoring 2165 for the week. It was only enough to place us 49,434 for the round, but it bettered our average, so we're moving in the right direction.We're now ranked at 58,588 for the season, and on the leagues front we won all five! This puts us 6th, 5th, 3rd, 8th, and 12th in our leagues.



Our team for round four looked like this:
Backmen
Goddard 117
Dixon 103
Gibbs 95
Heppell 88
Pittard 79
Heath 60
Midfielders
Ablett 131
Pendlebury 105 (V)
Cotchin 106
Goodes 108
Wines 91
Dangerfield 120
Viney 9
Crouch 83
Rucks
Cox 96 (Captain 192)
Leuenberger 79
Forwards
Westoff 149
Kennedy 68
Franklin 116
Rockliff 95
Zorko 105
Neade 66
Bench
Stevenson 67 (E)
Terlich 62
O'Meara 100 (E)
Dwyer 65
Rowe 68 (E)
Currie 0
Macaffer 58
Karnezis 0 (E)



In the backline we had both of our bench players score more than Heath's 60, otherwise it was good selection. Swapping out Heath for Stevenson and his 67 would have made us an extra 7 points.



In the midfield we got stung, like nearly everyone else, with the Viney 9 points&amp;hellip; Swapping him out for O'Meara and his 100 points would have given us an extra 91 points. We also went with the captains loophole, with Pendles as VC, but chose not to take his 105 points, thinking that Big Cox would carve up against an undermanned Blues ruck division.



Which brings me onto the rucks, and captain Coxy only scoring 96 points really hurt. Had have we stuck with the permacap himself, we would have gained an extra 35 points, however this wasn't our best option.



Westoff in the forward line top scored for the donors this week, with 149 points, meaning our optimal captain selection would have made an extra 53 points for us this week. We did have the right players on the bench though, and luckily didn't get stuck with loophole captain Macaffer and his 58 points!



So, all up in round...

Similar deal to R1 this year, if you have players in Thursday's matches (ESS/COL, STK/SYD) they are locked in as of the commencement of the ESS/COL game. All other players are locked in as of the commencement of Friday night's match.



More to come soon. Promise.



































...

As mentioned in the preamble, we are lucky enough to have Shenanigans putting in the work this week, doing most of the heavy lifting this week.



So give him a hand, and a few kind words as we dive into this week's review.



Sydney vs Geelong

Result: Geelong by 21



It was an epic game. 15 goals kicked in the first quarter gave us a taste of what could be, before the brakes were put on with both teams reasonably modest on the score board for the rest of the game, in comparison anyways.



Watching the game though, in particular, to the third quarter, harks my mind back to the pre-season, and my prediction that injuries would hit and Geelong would drop out of the eight this year. I gotta say, they way they are all playing- even if the injuries kick in, I don't see them dropping out. They're playing some magnificent footy.



Leading from the front for the Catters was none other than captain courageous, Joel Selwood who had 31 disposals, 18 of them contested and still managed an 81% disposal efficiency rating. Worth every last big of the 163SC that he put out!



Harry Taylor had one of those games out of the bag that he has, with 20 disposals and 2.3 for a very solid 125SC.




Not many poor scores from the Cats who were all firing, with even Mark Blicavs stepping up for a 47SC off 7 touches and 11 hitouts.


On Sydney's side, it was Kieren Jack who top scored. 29 disposals and 130SC for the tagger, sadly though his target, SJ, had a good one himself.



Nick Malceski was the only other Swan to score a ton, with 28 disposals and 123SC. A whole bunch of that (25)...