TooSerious

How are your boys going? Read on to see the most popular players (minus rookies) at each club. How many do you have?

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Geelong.
Most Popular: Bartel - 153 (Also highest)
2nd Highest: Selwood - 136

Hawthorn.
Most Popular: Franklin - 105
Highest: Mitchell - 113

Collingwood.
Most Popular: Shaw - 63 (Surprise!)
Highest: Medhurst - 120

Essendon.
Most Popular: Hille - 93
Highest: Welsh - 185

St. Kilda.
Most Popular: Riewoldt - 126 (Also highest)
2nd Highest: Fisher - 110

West Coast.
Most Popular: Cox - 83 (Glass is there 2nd most popular player - hehe)
Highest: Lynch - 137 (Yes, the big Q. Played in the middle)

Richmond.
Most Popular: Deledio - 124
Highest: Bowden - 182 (Match winner, plus other last qtr goals boasted his score)

Brisbane.
Most Popular: Brown - 96
Highest: Sherman - 130

Sydney.
Most Popular: OKeefe - 124
Highest: Mattner - 136

Adeliade.
Most Popular: BOCKYYY! - 49
Highest: Vince - 123

With Ablett likely to be out for another big game against the Hawks, punters looking for value as their skipper this week have a few likely choices (and a few unlikely ones too). With ROK hitting some top form again, Pav, Pratt and Petrie scoring ridiculously highly, and Big Cox proving that hes the best ruckman in the league despite carrying a right foot thats as broken as buggery. I reckon theres some games this weekend that will lend themsleves to unaccountable, high possession football - which is a fantasy footy coachs dream. The Dogs and the Blues usually have pretty high scoring shootouts, the Cats and the Hawks should put on one hell of a show tomorrow night, and the Anzac Day rematch should be one to look out for too.

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Ryan OKeefeHitting top form while
running circles around Waite last week, a cool 199 warmed the hearts of
those who had him as their skipper. With Big Bad Bashing Barry Hall
likely to be back this week against the Crows, ROK could be a good bet
to follow up the way that he left off last weekend. Having said that,
the Crows defence has been good this year, Stiffy and Bock being
standouts. Im hoping that Symes goes to ROK this week, and hopefully
plays a little wide of him, allowing another big score - having said
that, Craig may go the hard tag on him with McLeod maybe getting the
job. ROK has cracked the ton in 10 out of 16 games this year - not a
bad ratio - having said that - matches with the Crows has typically
been dour affairs with not many goals, and ROKs highest score being an
83 against them last year.Dean CoxRumours are that
he may do a Chad - play til the Derby comes up and then put the cue in
the rack for 08 - getting him right for pre-season 09. If thats the
case Ill be devastated, but his scores to date will probably mean
hell still finish the season as the years top ruckman. Saints this
week, locking horns with his old mate Gardiner. Cox has hit 4
consecutive...

The first time I have ever had a special Best Buys but basically I will look how much your going to get for a star that is out for the season (this case Chadwick) and see which are the best pick-ups depending on your kitty balance.

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Chad Cornes: $381,800.

Kitty Balance: Nil.
Its safe to say your f**ked. Chad actually having the highest average in this price range, so it is a downgrade at best. Even rookies like Harry Taylor are too expensive, so maybe downgrade Chad to a rookie and play Taylor if you have him on your bench. So look at names like Josh Head and Eric MacKenzie. Grant Birchall ($365k) is the best name that stands out but he hasnt really carried on the form he had at the end of last year and somethings even getting some close attention. The Church is well worth a look averaging 83 if your one of these poor bastards. Youll need about $3,000 but Guerra is another bloke around Chads price tag, averaging about 80. Kennelly is also in the mix, but miles to injury-prone for me. Then its all full-on key defenders.

In short: Birchall.

Kitty Balance: Under $50,000
Easy, dont have Shaw? Get him. Averages 90-odd and is $417k. Got Shaw? It gets dry. Look at Symes, back from injury and scoring 114s, just under $400k. Wirrpunda having a super season, averaging 90 and The Punda is only worth $409k. Craig Bolton ($414k) is in AA form, but he is no fantasy player although he has topped the 100 mark four times this year so is worth a peak.

In short: Shaw, then just go back to Birchall.

Kitty Balance: Under $100,000
Now we are talking. The Boner is my choice out of this bunch, but his aging body might be getting tired, failing to hit 100 for three weeks, which he hasnt done all year. Johncock at $441k is well worth getting up and about over. Jarrad...

<div>Its finally
happened. The Chad is no more. With the surgeons knife poised those who have
stuck with the mighty DreamTeam warrior finally have to pull the pin, and there
are still over 45,000 owners. Given his rather savage price drop this could
be difficult for those with minimal trades and nothing in the kitty.


So with
Chad sitting at $295k - who do you pick up? Well there are options
galore (most are not worth looking at though), so here is my one
(maybe) line guide, in DreamTeam average points order:
<div>&nbsp;
<div>Mackie - $363k -
rebounding defender in the best team in the country. Great option even if it
looks like a strong Geelong breeze will blow him over.
<div>Wheatley - $392k -
rebounding defender in the worst team in the country and the most expensive
backman available. Only for those with 'the minerals'.
<div>Bock - $366k - likes
playing kick to kick in the backline of Neil Craigs 'attacking' team,
laughable team, great DreamTeam defender option.
<div>Bowden - $391k -
another expensive risk, although if he kicked rushed behinds rather than
handballed them...
<div>Fisher - $373k -
awesome choice - 99 average over the past 7 weeks can not be ignored. His
parents are still wondering what they did wrong with Leigh.
<div>McMahon - $350k -
who? 100 average for the past month.
<div>Shaw - $303k - still
a premium defender even if he is a bit homophobic this year ('aarrgghhh
there is a man standing next to me').
<div>Goddard - $342k -
tadgh kennellys slightly less injury prone Aussie mate.
<div>Milburn - $332k -
had to wash the leather off his hands at quarter time last week after gathering
19 possies. Apparently used too much soap though with only 13 for the rest
of the match.
<div>Johncock - $323k - a
smaller, cheaper version of Bock, you get what you pay for.
<div>Brennan - $343k - 96
ave over past month with NO scores between 65 and 121, low correlation with
Heath Shaw...

The round of [span style="font-size: 1.2em;">HUUUGGE scores (for example, ROKs 199) and[span style="font-size: 0.8em;"> tiny[span style="font-size: 0.6em;">&nbsp;[span style="font-size: 0.8em;">scores (for example, McLeods -2)...

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Other big ones include something I just ate for dessert a Peppermint Crisp Pavlova (183) and something that my girlfriend nibbled on for afternoon tea a Big Cox (171)... I wish. Also, the drunks favourite in&nbsp;'The Lemon Tree' Petrie (176). But, the biggest of them all was ROK (199). Rock solid effort.

Now the reason why team struggled to smash the 2500 barrier... Judds -7 last half, Brown also slowed in the 2nd half, as did Buddy, not a Shaw thing with usless 40, McLeods and his negative two.

I scored 2377. And, looking to push into the top 50. Maybe. I need Richo back, bloody Tippett and his 29.

Had any of these boys captain?

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The highest scorer from each side, thus far...
Kangaroos: Drew Pisstree - 176
West Coast: Dean Coxy - 171
St Kilda: Jason Blake - 164
Essendon: Brent Stanton - 162
Richmand: Nath Brown - 154
Geelong: Matty Scarlett - 146
Brisbane: Simon Black - 130
Western Bulldogs: Linds Gilbee - 120
Collingwood: Scott Pendles - 115
Hawthorn: Mark Williams - 111

Some very interesting names in there, just happy I made Cox captain. Wouldnt normally see Hawks down the bottom of the table either.

Co[span style="font-size: 0.8em;">Shock horror - actually having to think about a captain this week adds a little bit of spice to Round 16. With a fair few top 8 teams playing each other, most of the games youd assume would be pretty tight affairs - making captain selection pivotal this week.

So for the first time in 08 - barring Ablett - heres a run down of your likely options:

Adam Goodes

Against the Blues this week and likely to get some attention from..whoever their main taggers are - Gibbs, Bentick and co perhaps.. Goodes has been a model of consistency this year, having a plethora of games in the 100+ region. A good bet this week as your skipper however something to bear in mind is that traditionally Goodes hasnt been all that impressive in recent years despite the Blues struggles. Averaging just under 80 against the Blues with a 90 last time they played, hell cop a fair bit of attention but hey, in the SuperCoach form hes in - Id happily put him as captain if I had him.

Luke Hodge

Taking on the Saints midfield, Hodge has been good in the last few weeks, sidling up to be in the top 5 midfielders-SC-price-wise. With his last 7 games played all seeing him get 100+, I reckon hes due for a big one, Ablett-esque. With a good record against the Saints, despite some of their matches being dour, hard-fought contests, Hodge is as good as any option this week. Averaging just around 100 with 112 and 87 in their last two meetings, its not a bad option.

Adam Cooney

Disappointing SuperCoach wise in the last few games - dropping off a bit but still in the top 5 average wise for SuperCoach mids - you cant really complain.&nbsp; However with the last two games failing to crack the ton - youd be looking elsewhere - especially with the tight tussle anticipated against the Cats. Still, with Ling out and Ablett missing, Cooney may have more free reign to roam, meaning better SuperCoach scores. Cats have had it over the Dogs in recent times,...

So, who is dreading this evening? I know I am. Usually, Thursday evenings have been a wonderful time to see your team being named, but sadly, all I can think of is the following.

Burgoyne, Macdonald, Ablett, Armfield, Porpz. Maybe even Brown

All out injured.

And an ugly bench to cover for them.

Combine that with your Mcleods, Myers, Deledio, Richo, Fraser, Kennelly, Black, Ling, Salopek, Cornes, Burton...

And there has got to be a lot of coaches out there that are struggling.

So, who is dreading the teams tonight?

How many 50/50s to play have you got?

And perhaps most importantly, if you wear a couple of zeros (and are out of the real race), will you still make the finals?

Who has any bloody trades left, anyway? For those lucky bastards that do...

Read on.

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BARGAIN OF THE WEEK.
Scott Lucas
I really didnt want to do it, but with the injuries to the Adelaide forwards in The Pleaser and Birdman. Alot of you would be looking for a forward and no one at this stage of the year can afford the good ol double trade. Everyone already has Buddy, so no point talking about him and ROK isnt officially a Best Buy*. Scotty is at only $387k and scored a massive 133. But, is he back? He has been a decent scorer in the past averaging about 100 in the previous three years. I dont really recommend him, but with the injuries and price sub $400k scoring 100+, is it really that bad? Its your call.

BEST BUYS.
I mentioned Mount Franklin earlier,&nbsp;well with only 10 effective disposals out of 21, 7 behinds, 5 free kicks against and to still put on 100+ on the weekend, he must be a bloody good SCer and only at $440k. Bloody bargain with TS Value Ranking of 3.6. Hands up who doesnt have him, though? Kane Cornes is sub $500k and owns an extremely low breakeven is well worth the look. Didnt buy Gentlemen Jim last week? Well, its still not too late. Better be quick, though. Simon Goodwin is also still in the mix, but cant seem to put on a real big score, lately. And, there are thousands of backs well priced, my favourite being Bock Choy at $442k, plus the Crows play alot of the top sides for the rest of the year, meaning all of ball for Stiff and Choy.

HOLD YA HORSES.&nbsp;
ABLETTTTT! Down he comes. He is now below $700k, bloody hell he is cheap and huge breakeven of 251. Little Jesus is the only upgrade anyone should be looking out for come finals time. But, while Im here I should mention ROK, whose form slump has push his price down, and another poor weekend means its dropping further. Other than that theres...

Alot of you would have answered yes to that question. Injuries are going to become more and more common as we go through the last seven rounds. How you going to cope? How many trades have you got left and how many do you want save right up til the last two rounds for injury?

Alot might be welcoming back McLeod and Richoman this week, if they get up. But, then could be saying goodbye to Jesus, Baby Face Deledio, Burton, Porpz and even the Browndawga has some doubts.

Lets know about all your injury troubles and how many trades you want to save for injuries?