Alright, so heres part two of the retrospective, this time coming in from Shags Nags. You only joined us halfway through the season, but Im glad you did. Its been facinating watching you go about it!

Theres been a couple of gutsy calls which Ive been well and truely behind- though Im feeling your pain with LeCras, he was meant to come home with a wet sail- rather than the wet limp hes been doing- reckon you should give him a call, ask him to throw a couple grand your way if you miss out!.

(oh, and just a quick note- the article was written *before* Fyfe was an out! I reckon his rating might get a bit of a touch up now! )

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Starting Team R1.

Backs – Gibbs, Goddard, Deledio, Grimes, Lower, Heppel, Duigan (Otten,Toy, Tape)

Mids – Watson, Pendlebury(vc), Judd©, Corey, Goodes, Atley (Harris, Swallow, Liberatore)

Rucks – Cox, Sandilands (Smith, Keefe)

Forwards – Rioli, Pavlich, Johnson, Franklin, Zaharakis, Krakouer, Richardson (Tapscott, Darling, Matera)

TRADES (With rating out of 10)

<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 23
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Pavlich ($421,200)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Fyfe ($457,300) Pav inj, Fyfe premium POD<td style="vertical-align:top;" > 9
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 19
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Riewoldt ($318,700) <td style="vertical-align:top;" >IN Cloke ($478,900) upgrade, Cloke no byes and consistent POD <td style="vertical-align:top;" >9
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Newman ($440,300)<td style="vertical-align:top;" > IN Hurn ($372,000) Newman inj, Hurn no byes and POD <td style="vertical-align:top;" >5
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 18
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Darling ($226,000)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Talia ($110,200) Cash in <td style="vertical-align:top;" >7
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 16
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Corey ($385,900)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Dal Santo ($489,600) upgrade to POD mid no more byes <td style="vertical-align:top;" >6
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Martin ($435,200)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Gilbert ($347,600) cash in and DPP that will play rest of yr <td style="vertical-align:top;" >4
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 13
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Dixon ($177,000)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN LeCras ($403,800) upgrade no byes maybe go big in finals <td style="vertical-align:top;" >5
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Sandilands ($554,000)<td style="vertical-align:top;" > IN Leuenberger ($402,300) Sandi inj, Leuen no byes potential <td style="vertical-align:top;" >10
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 12
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Heppell ($369,600) <td style="vertical-align:top;" >IN Newman ($414,800) Upgrade to Premium <td style="vertical-align:top;" >5
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Krakouer ($334,500) <td style="vertical-align:top;" >IN Ablett ($566,300) Had to upgrade to Ablett at some point<td style="vertical-align:top;" > 9
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 11
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Tapscott ($264,300) <td style="vertical-align:top;" >IN Mzungu ($110,200) Tapscott inj, cash in to cheap playing DPP <td style="vertical-align:top;" >9
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Duigan ($295,800)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Birchall ($427,900) Upgrade, Birch premium POD Def <td style="vertical-align:top;" >8
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 10
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Harris ($310,100)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Jacobs ($113,600) Cash in, Jacobs DPP should play rest of yr <td style="vertical-align:top;" >7
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Swallow ($332,700)<td style="vertical-align:top;" > IN Thompson ($471,700) Upgrade, Thompson a POD premium<td style="vertical-align:top;" > 7
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 9
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Matera ($266,700)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Retzlaff ($110,200) Cash in and Ratzlaff DPP <td style="vertical-align:top;" >6
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Watson ($512,900)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Swan ($548,800) Jobe inj, Swan premium replacement <td style="vertical-align:top;" >9
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 8
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Curnow ($319,000) <td style="vertical-align:top;" >IN OKeefe ($403,300) Curnow inj, O’Keefe premium DPP <td style="vertical-align:top;" >8
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Grimes ($382,700)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Fisher ($462,100) Grimes inj, Fisher in form POD <td style="vertical-align:top;" >9
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 7
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Otten ($227,400)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Johnson ($103,600) Otten inj, AJ cheap DPP<td style="vertical-align:top;" > 7
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Liberatore ($268,800) <td style="vertical-align:top;" >IN Iles ($121,700) Lib inj, Assumed Iles will play rest of year<td style="vertical-align:top;" > 7
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 6
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Rioli ($459,800)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Riewoldt ($357,100) Rioli hammy, thought J Roo on improve <td style="vertical-align:top;" >1
<td style="vertical-align:top;" nowrap>
OUT Richardson ($149,300)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >IN Dixon ($147,000) Adj for non playing rookie, didn’t work <td style="vertical-align:top;" >1
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
ROUND 3
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Atley ($108,600)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Curnow ($107,700) Adj for better rookies <td style="vertical-align:top;" >9
<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
OUT Toy ($110,200)<td style="vertical-align:top;" >
IN Martin ($114,300) Adj for better rookies <td style="vertical-align:top;" >9


To start with the season’s result so far has been completely unexpected for me with my whole team, trades and strategy planned around been successful in my leagues, overall success was never on my mind. This definitely changed during the year.

Some background about me is I work as a Management Accountant for a composting company based in Mt Gambier, SA with offices in Melbourne. I started Supercoach about 5 or 6 years ago and generally had success in my leagues over that time but had last year off due to traveling overseas and playing cricket in the UK (at more of a social level than anything else). While I was away a group of my mates had got pretty serious with Supercoach so I started up again this year with them , I also got my Dad involved who I play in a GF in one of my leagues this week. Best part is I have been giving my mates a flogging all year after a few of them were talking themselves up! Gotta love getting bragging rights over your mates.

For my starting team this year I spent around 4 to 5 weeks preparing and planned to have players from multi bye rounds and not from teams with byes with my trade plan to follow the same theory, I was totally league focused. My team had reasonable form straight up from Waston which was a good POD early this year and I received consistent form from standard selections of Pendlebury and Judd. I started with the old ‘set and forget’ ruck duo of Cox and Sandilands which was a good move until Sandi went down, I would be interested to know how popular Cox was in starting teams as lots had written him off as being past it. I did use two trades early to fix up rookie selections, out Toy, Atley and In Curnow, Martin with these two providing good cash and points when required. Grimes and Rioli were two selections that back fired due to injury which I knew was a big risk with Grimes but didn’t pay off. I also ran with the poor scores from Gibbs and Goddard early which has now paid off but this is the same for everyone. I knowingly started without Swan and Ablett with the plan to trade them in at some point which I did.

During the season I was pretty happy with my trades out, only one I look back on was Heppell and whether I should have kept him but I don’t think it would have affected my position anyway. I do have a couple of ordinary trade in’s, Dixon was a fail from GC and never provided much cash, J Roo had one or two reasonable scores then became a spud selection and LeCras hasn’t done what he was suppose to against weaker opposition. Of all my selections and trades Scotland would be the only player I have regretted not getting but the only reason was I already had Gibbs, Judd and didn’t want any more Blues in my team.

Over the course of the season I have been very relaxed even after climbing into the Top 10. It’s such a long season even though I have been a chance to catch up and maybe win I really didn’t think I was a chance until last week. This was the time the nerves kicked in with my last trade to be made and captain choice getting to me a bit knowing these two decisions could be a masterstroke or my downfall. Both those decisions proved correct last week with now my only big decision left is captain choice this week. I will be very nervous Thursday and Friday waiting for the teams hoping I have a full team.

My plans for this weekend will be to keep a close eye on all the games and not let my laptop get too far away from me. I have a night away with some mates on Friday so drinking and watching the footy Friday night. I will head to some local footy on Saturday before going to an engagement party that night. Sunday will be all about SuperCoach and I really hope I’m still in with a chance to finish my SuperCoach ride for the year!

Some things I’ve learnt this year or found that worked for me are, to start with a solid team and fix any errors early in the season. Don’t be bias towards your team or to certain players. Each week set your team up on the Monday and review later in the week once teams are announced. Be careful on making decisions close to lockouts and after drinking.

I would like to wish Impromptu and Yamum good luck this week and hope this goes right down to the wire and we will all have a very exciting and nervous Sunday ahead, but in the end I come out on top, sorry guys. Also good luck to other TS’s trying for top 10,50,100 or what ever you goal is and hope you get some GF success aswell.

Finally thanks to Walesy and the crew for the TS website. I found this when looking around the net one day and signed on about half way through the year. I find the site very user friendly with the stats page most helpful. I like that it’s well controlled and people don’t post too much rubbish that you see on other sites.

Cheers

Shagga