I currently have two each in the forwards and backs, three in the middle and the obvious one in the ruck. I'm a little concerned that I am over-reliant on them but I'm also paranoid about missing the GC kids that explode. How many is too many? How few is not enough?
I have Back:1 Mid: 2 Fwd:2 Ruck: 1 3 in one line is a bit much, gets you into trouble when gold coast has the bye and you need to cover other players who go out. Also think about your trading strategy, how many of these cash cows are you going to need really? I would suggest trying spread your rookie selections across a few teams. I hear you though, GC is very tempting
Their first bye is round 1, so you can afford to have 3 players per line not playing. As long as your players on the ground are named and arent extended bench sunday players you should be fine. Their second is round 9, by which time they will have played hopefully 7 games, and one of them, at least, will have been traded out. Doesnt seem like much of a risk to me. The bigger problem seems finding 3 good ones you can be confident are in the best 22, and still fitting the other teams standout rookies, yer mpp players, etc.
Personally i have: Def: 1 Mid: 2 Ruc: 1 Fwd: 2 Given that many of the spots at GC are up in the air, a rookie may look like a gun, but if he doesn't get games, it doesn't matter. For mine you want to find the rookie's who are going to play ie. Swallow, Richardson, Mzungu. Especially for the ones who don't end up being cash cows, and are instead year long cover, it's better that they play 22 games for an average of 60 than 5 games for an average of 70.
Ive got Toy in my defence. Harris in the guts. Smith in the ruck. Thats it. Can't be too reliant on them given the bye first up plus the obvious conundrum of having a few players from one team on one line let alone spread out through your entire team. Funny how one decision (the bye) has an affect on your whole outlook on SC. No longer can you flood your team with several players from the one club. Means you have to look twice as hard and plan twice as carefully. One thing is for sure, whoever wins the whole competition will have done a mighty job.
I have: Def: 2 Mid: 2 Ruc: 1 Fwd: 1 However the fwd one swaps from 1 to 2 whenever Prestia jumps in and out of my team. I'm think I have a fairly average number (at 6). But I am cautious of what Ruddy alludes to, especially regarding that Guy McKenna interview you can read in the Round 1 Rookies thread.
Difficult to answer or examine your lines by confining it to rookies, e.g. what is your exposure if you have both Fraser and Z. Smith in the ruck? And FixEmUp is going to go without Swallow? Your choice on how many mids depends also on whether you are starting with GAJ. The strategy here also varies if you are going for league or overall. The requirement for cover in the multi-bye rounds is zip if you are only going for league. Too many? Too few? Perhaps the analysis should be based on how many can you have from any one team in each line and still minimize your risk?
I've messed around with my side that many times that I may end up swapping Harris for Swallow. Dunno what it is but I reckon given Harris' experience with the intensity of AFL will hold him in good stead and possibly produce results early whereas Swallow may take time. I have no doubt Swallow will be a gun but even some of todays young guns took their time to adapt. FWIW I don't have GAJ in my side. I have a midfield of Swan, Gibbs, Deledio, Kennedy, Harris and Atley with Mzungu, Curnow and Wright on the bench. I have Goddard and Gilbee in my defense to compliment Lids and Gibbsy.
Don't have any in the backs, 2 mids, 1 ruck and 2 forwards atm. Happy with that. Could easily include Toy or Coad. Have them in and out of the side each day. Seb Tape looked very good on the weekend and great for the Bays in the final last year, but he still needs to bulk up a bit.
Swallow and thats it, but I have a few rookies who should play the first three so any GC Kids that fire early I'll trade in. Extra trades will definetely help this year
Def 1 Mid 2 Ruck 1 Forward 1 I want a 6th in there but haven't yet settled on another forward or back (easy options for both but want to see whether the forward or def. alternatives are stronger over the next couple of weeks)