So Meataxe, time for the chop buddy.

This week Beat the Best will focus on three of the top teams, will show you some of the differences, and how you can pull back the margins.   In many ways, we can also see the slices of luck they have had and we havent when getting top of the tree.

Im certainly one for saying that even now probably anyone outside the top 1000 are in trouble of winning the overall, but that said, there are still the big 3 bye weeks where teams are going to be smashed left-right-and-centre.  When you think about the issues we see with Rioli or Selwood or Hayes or Jack Riewoldt, they are nothing compared with the carnage that occurs when four of them go out in one week.

Its THEN that your rookies will have to stand up, your teams will have to undergo fast upgrades, and you will also find that unless Zac Smith continues to punch out great games, lots of coaches will be huddling and hoping around Broc McCauley.  Risk and reward - thats what this game is all about.

So, Meataxe, youre number one, my prediction from last week, and so heres the team, and the areas of strength and weakness will be discussed over the break.

DEF: Gibbs, Deledio, Goddard, Broughton, Heppell, Lower, Duigan (Lester, Stanley, Toy)
MID: Swan, Pendlebury, Curnow, Judd, Dal Santo, Krakouer (Buckley, Harris, Bewick)
RUC: Cox, Sandilands (Petrie, McCauley)
FWD:  Rioli, OKeefe, Tapscott, Riewoldt, Goodes, Franklin, Darling (Richardson, Matera, Dixon)

<!--more-->A very strong team, this is a TooSerious team for sure.

The defence is the 4-0-6 structure.  Avoided Otten likely for reasons of last weeks bye and possible sub/security issues.  Could bite later.  Heppell is the good selection here, lots went him, but my team got the miss there.  I think the rest is stock standard, and just needs upgrading.  Plenty in the mix here.

Midfield he has Curnow, which explains his current advantage.  How many times can you go to the well?  Went Dal Santo who has ensured that the Selwood bomb did not affect him.  Not so sure about Buckley and Bewick in the rookies, but all are playing.  Thats not the same for Hibberd, who is still a player fairly popular in most teams after Hirds earlier effusive praise.

Rucks, its Sex and the Beach.  Probably unless you have this combo, or one involving Ryder (Lady Gaga) you would be thinking trouble.  Strangely those who have gone McEvoy would probably be experiencing the best bang per buck.   I am dismayed that Meataxe has Petrie nicely awaiting a role in the ruck for Round 5 and 6.  Very astute selection and will have to find another chink in the armour.

Forwards, the key here was not thinking either/or for ROK and Goodes.  It was a both-and situation, and both have started the year fairly strongly.  In addition, we see the both-and approach with Franklin-Rioli.   The flawed thinking of "no more than two in a line per team" has been studiously ignored by Meataxe to his great benefit (Pendles-Swan etc).  Rookies seem solid and no weak links.

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How to beat this team? Probably hope he hits injuries and subs during the games - he hit Lower/Krakouer like all of us.  He probably needs them to hit his uniques to come back to the pack.   So all of us running to Curnow, might have to take a risk to not go down this path because we might get hit in exactly the same fashion.   It might be a further reason to zig and choose Liberatore.  Just sayin.

Another method is to upgrade faster and better.  That will involve some gutsy trades 1 or more weeks earlier than you would feel comfortable doing.   It will also involve getting on board future premiums when the value is down.  I see defence and forwards as an area where swift upgrades will make a decided difference, because at the moment the rookies are providing such good coverage.  I can see that continuing/improving in the middle but not so much forward/back.

Lots of the top teams are much fuller GNR and hence dont have David Swallow. If this kid is truly the champ he appeared to be all through testing and his preparation, he will rise and others will fall off.   I personally cant see players of the Savage or Curnow variety being "this years Barlow", but you never know.   Certainly Swallow has so far done OK in a beaten team, and he will improve, and those who drafted him in need to keep backing him in.

Higgins to me seems like he is taking the steps forward to be one of those undervalued mids to move into premium.   Those who have him will make ground on the Rioli holders this weekend.  Didak and Chapman are gilt-edged players who will be coming into lots of teams soon.  You might have to bite the bullet early to steal some points.

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Which moves me onto a look at Impromptu SCE:  Team 2.  I will list the team and be brief about the main differences.

Starting team differences:
Newman-Enright-Montagna-Pittard (to be traded for sure)-Pavlich
There are some weaknesses in the rookies though, which will need adjustment to keep pace.  Still think Meataxe has the edge here.  No Curnow, Atley with the bye, Hibberd etc.

Four good solid players though who will score and score well are in the team, and this will keep points going.  If I were the Impromptu, Id fix the rookies and hope the team on the park can maintain the rage.   The danger for Impromptu is tempo, where other teams get upgraded quicker. So for those weeks, his rookies are going to have to win the battle against other teams upgraded premiums.   He needs big games from players like Harris did last weekend.

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My tip for a future leader though is P3 in Snowdogs.

Differences to top team: Grimes-Otten-Liberatore-Savage-Selwood-Pavlich-Higgins-Hurley

Lots of uniques here, and aside from not really getting the right rookies in midfield (Wallis/Hibberd) there is a great mix there of players who are different and still in good form.  But the biggest key is the return of Selwood.  Well managed, he should find afterburners to push him ahead of his rivals.   I have doubts on Hurley and Savage, but as they might only need to last until the upgrade cycle, he could win through here.

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Finally, its time to give an update on last weeks leader, The Tentacle.   Unfortunately his team, as many of us expected, hit the skids this week, and scored 2080.  His team is now in 1150th position, which shows, when it goes wrong for your team, it can go downhill really fast.   That said, we all know he was set up for Round 6, so I think we can expect a comeback from his team in going for the Round win that weekend.

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If you want to make up ground on the leaders, the time is always now, its never next week.  See what you can do to strengthen your teams this week, dont be afraid to trade boldly, and remember to stick with pre-season research if a few players have had a down week, you can check if its a trend that can easily be explained (Foley) or a trend that might be terminal (Jolly).

Until next week, do your best to Beat the Best.