Anyone considering getting more than one of the many bulldogs mid-price defenders? i.e Hargrave, Lake, Wood and Howard. I had Hargrave locked in, but I'm really tempted to add another one of those dogs in, seeing as they are underpriced and with the new game plan McCartney has implemented, those half back blokes will be chipping it around to each other all day. May not be as big a gain in Supercoach as it will be in Dreamteam, but do expect those players to gain quite a lot of points from it.
<blockquote>Quote from AngryAnt on March 7, 2012, 11:00 @hayesing, people are keen on Hargrave due to McCartney's implementation of a new gamestyle, one revolving around possession retention, a Hawthorn style game which is fantasy rich, specifically for backmen. Hargrave is looking like being one of the main conduits out of the Bulldogs backline, setting up the play, making himself available for the switch of play (lots of marks and kicks) and also having license to zone off his direct opponent and provide run and carry out of the half back line. Sure, lots of uncontested possession but disposals that minimise the chance of turnover.</blockquote> fair point, i still cant see myself going near him after his last 2 seasons though ;/ i also understand the cash/ lack of decent def player cash cows is playing into this though
I can't even find a 5th defensive prem to fit in my side let alone get rid of Lids. That said if he goes out of the team its not like there isn't a million other R13 options.
<blockquote>Quote from anthak on March 8, 2012, 02:32 nooo way. If Lids is named in R1, he'll be in my team.</blockquote> Correct. If he's in the rnd1 team Lock him in!
port_lesch-enault: What is the rationale for loading up premiums in the defence? I would have thought 3 at best would be all that could be afforded or are you going with the bare-minimum mid premium strategy to cash in on cows in that line?
Personally I'm going with 4D 4M 3F 1R. Finding it hard to pick a 5th premium in defence and am loath to put in a medium pricer. Then again it's also hard to find the required rookie defenders at this stage. Hope somebody shows something soon in pre season.
Duffman vs broughton ??? Duffield still going ok and cheaper option anyone watch the port vs freo game howd did these 2 look??
<blockquote>Quote from Tigerman on March 8, 2012, 08:57 port_lesch-enault: What is the rationale for loading up premiums in the defence? I would have thought 3 at best would be all that could be afforded or are you going with the bare-minimum mid premium strategy to cash in on cows in that line? </blockquote> 4-4-2-4 is the standard GNR strategy. However that only leaves you with 4 rookies from the mids, yet all indications are that that is where any sort of decent rookies to be found. So putting in a rookie there means you need to find a prem on another line. Forwards is easy enough but Defence is another matter, especially with the way the byes fall. Just 3 prems in the defence would be fine but then you have to consider that would mean selecting 6 def rookies when its quite the struggle to pick 4. So you have to work with some sort of balance. Premium get you points but then rookies turn into cash cows, important if you want to strengthen your side. So its a balancing act Which is probably why GMR is so popular.
I'm not so sure if the amount of love for Heater here is justified. Don't get me wrong, I think he looks like a pretty good pick and there aren't many solid premium options around, but it seems to me there's no upside given that his last four years going back are 101, 90, 95, 92. If it's his bye that's attracting people, Broughton has the same bye with massive upside since by my count he averaged 118 in the midfield last year as opposed to 80 in defence (along with one game of 121 playing def-fwd and one of 70 playing forward), and he's been playing midfield the last two games. If Harvey was still coach I'd understand the uncertainty as to where he'll play but surely a new coach will be playing him in the position he intends to use him in for the real season. They are learning a new gamestyle after all. Admittedly no Mundy or Barlow atm, but if Broughton was slated for a defensive role surely you'd play him there and blood a kid in the mids. IMO he's a clear third choice after Goddard and Deledio (assuming you're not starting Scotland due to his bye). Shaw also a better chance of being rested/Arizonified.
So far my defence reads like this... Goddard, Scotland, Deledio, Birchall, Howard, Bower, Darley with Ellis and Morris. Trying to get Lake in somewhere but I don't know who to knife for him.
Depends if you are going for overall or leagues FixEm. If you're going for overall then you might have to get rid of one of your 4 premiums with the R13 bye. You could get away with having 3 and using 1 of them as you're guaranteed donut in the backline in R13, but with the 4 of them you will have 2 donuts in the backline when you only need 1 (unless you're going to sideways trade one of them). However, if you're going for leagues you can afford to throw 1 round. So if you're going for overall, knife one of Goddard, Deledio, Birchall or Scotland. If possible try to get 50k in change and turn Howard into Lake. An example would be Deledio to Broughton and Howard to Lake or Goddard to Heath Shaw and Howard to Lake. If you're going for leagues then I'd ditch Bower for Yagmoor, Brennan, Bugg, Wilkes or Smedts and then trade Howard to Lake.
Have been mucking around with some different team setups! Would it be madness to start with an unbalanced team?? Start with complete midfield (5-1-2)the 1 is hayes (1-0-3) RUCKS , (4-2-3) FWDS (2 would be dangerfield/porplyzia) , then for defence take the mother of all gambles and go with a setup that would include most off! Lake (can see him getting back to top 10 defenders if fit?) Hargrave (can see him getting back to over 85 AVG with new gameplan?) Bower (if he gets a run on like in 2009 21 games AVG 86?) Grimes (Just cross your fingers and hope with grimes) Clarke (probably 70-80 if he can secure that spot) Duffield (hopefully back to the 90's) along with rookies? Different to the normal stratergy, and would probably work better loading up defence and going light in midfield due to scoring oppurtunites for rookies but who knows!! Anyone got thoughts on any of these guys?? or strategy
You'd want to hope that all those defenders are premiums at the end of the year or at least there abouts. Lake and Duffman might be able to do that, but there would be question marks over the others. Not sure why people are trying to find ways to beat the system. Sure, have a player here and there as a POD but completely going in the opposite direction to what is the norm is asking for trouble.
I'm going Broughton over the Duffman. I think both are in for good years but I think Broughton will still be a bit more consistant. Duffman still seems to pull out those 40 point games. I'm struggling to fit everyone in though. Currently Lids has been left out but I;m sure he'll be back by the start of round 1. Currently I have Goodard, Scotland, Broughton, Lake, Hargrave, Ellis, Webberly, Darley, Bugg. Thoughts?
@Moblets - Is Webberley going to get regular games. He seems like a bit of a fringe 22 player at the Tiges and Hardwick would probably have Ellis and Morris in front of him for the small defender roles. Re: Broughton, with Mundy and Barlow missing at the start of the season, surely Lyon needs some ball winners in the midfield and Broughton is up there at Freo.
The discussion over Hargrave would hold a lot more merit if he was younger than 31. Old dogs, new tricks...........