<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 14.399999618530273px;]This week the Best Buys has reached the penultimate edition for the year, and with each week we get closer to that all-important SC grand final. After Callan Ward tried his best to ruin our strike rate for the season with a 50 odd after being named the Best Buy last week he hasn't made the cut at all this time around, and will need to do something special in the pre-season next year to get him off 'the list'. Hopefully this week the Best Buy can put in an effort worthy of the title, of course depending on whether or not he actually plays.
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<p style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 14.399999618530273px;]The Best Buy for this week, is young Cat Stevie Motlop. Even though he was subbed out at half-time last week with a 'tight hamstring' Geelong appear to have taken the conservative approach with Motts training well so far this week. Did we mention he scored 103 before being subbed out? Well he did, and for mine that's impressive enough to warrant a punt for the final two games of the year. For teams with some trades still left, this may well be the week that it's worthwhile trading in a player or two that isn't strictly needed, and giving the emergency loophole a try. It's a pretty good feeling when you can pull a couple of sneaky switches during a round and squeak out a win you wouldn't have gotten otherwise.





DEFENSE
ROOKIES



Troy DAVIS (MEL) DEF 115.9k 35 +15k
Davis has been reasonable in first 2 matches at the top level, averaging 35 in the Dee's backline which is probably a lot better than it sounds and providing a good fill-in for Clisby. Davis is only facing a 15 grand price rise this week however, which means he can be fairly safely left for next week for those interested.



Nathan Blee (PTA) DEF 151.1k 51 +27k
Blee is the better of the two defensive rookie options, boasting an average of 51 and playing in a Port side with a good chance of actually winning another game this year. Priced on the high side for a rookie at just over 150 grand though, means even with his average he's only looking at a price rise of around 27 grand.



MID-PRICERS



Andrew Mackie (GEE) DEF 443.8k 88
Mackie has stepped up over the last few weeks, bringing his season's average to 88 and his 3 game average to 105. A massive game this week against the Swans should hopefully see another good score, with the Lions to follow the week after. Mackie is the type of player that steps up in big games, but can go missing when the Cats are in cruise mode, so with their draw some careful consideration will be required. Currently in 15,000 teams.



Michael HIBBERD (ESS) DEF 457.2k 96
Hibberd has been in and around the Best Buys for most of the year, at one stage even touted as being in AA form. Since then however, the wheels have fallen off for the Bombers in a big way. The injury to Heppell may provide a small boost to Hibberd's scores in the final two rounds, as Hibberd is one of only a few Bombers who can still score big while getting belted. Playing the Blues this weekend on the back of some bad losses the game really is a 50/50 call, however the average winning margin for Carlton over Essendon since 2010 has been 77 points (over 4 games) which puts them in front for mine (thanks DC, great stat). Hibberd still has around 42,000 selections.



Grant Birchall (HAW) DEF 416.3k 94
Birch is back as of last weekend, and brought a 106 against the Pies with him. For many coaches Birchall represents far too great a risk, especially after he burned so many earlier in the season, but realistically he only needs 2 more good scores to make him a great pick-up. Now in only around 20,000 teams, if we can get another 2 solid games out of him then all may well be forgiven.



Bryce Gibbs (CAR) D/M 403.3k 94
Gibbs has been disappointing this year, playing some good footy at times but still not reaching the heights his potential has always promised. Averaging 94 for the season but priced at an excellent 400 grand (mainly due to said poor form) he is still in around 135,000 teams so would make for a good candidate for some emergency loop-hole action.



Jed Adcock (BRI) DEF 447.4k 90
Adcock is a former fantasy favourite who has seemed to be overtaken by Hanley this year, not competing in quite the same role as previously but still offering loads of potential. An average of 90 for the season reflects this, but with Hanley still under a bit of an injury cloud, and Jed putting up a 107 last week he could well be worth the punt. Currently in under 10,000 teams Adcock has some solid POD value, and with all the defensive injuries going around makes a decent smoky for the final 2 games.



Danyle Pearce (FRE) D/M 408.2k 82
Pearce had some decent wraps early in the year, and while he has had some good games the Fremantle game plan seems to limit the scoring of some of their players even when playing well. Averaging 82 for the season, but posting a 122 on the weekend and playing Port then the Saints means he is probably worth at least a look. In around 20,000 teams at the moment, his price of not much over 400 grand offers some good value for the risk takers.



PREMIUMS



Robert Murphy (WBD) DEF 506k 99
Bob Murphy is finishing the season strongly this year, averaging 99 for the year and posting a 110 in his last outing. The Dogs have certainly looked a much better team over the last few weeks, and a decent amount of that has been their older brigade standing up when needed. Murphy is in around 8,000 teams and still offers good POD value.



REGULARS



Brendon Goddard (ESS) D/M 498.8k 110



MIDFIELD
MID-PRICERS



Travis Boak (PTA) MID 544.5k 109
Boak put in a monster game over the weekend, top scoring with a 172 and quite probably cementing a spot in the finals for a lot of his 10,000 coaches. A much tougher assignment this week in Fremantle at Patterson's may put a few off however, as he is now the leading contender for a Crowley tag. Averaging 109 for the year and facing a 26 grand price rise this week before playing the Blues in the SC Granny, a few coaches may wait for next week to trade him in.



Josh P. Kennedy (SYD) MID 458.4k 106
JPK was one of the most popular picks in the pre-season this year, on the back of a stellar 2012 season. Unfortunately he didn't quite live up to the standards he had previously set, but is looking like coming back to form at the right time of year for the Bloods. Priced at a ripping 460 grand and coming off a 136 last week JPK will tempt more than a few coaches this week, but with over 90,000 selections still he's probably another emergency loop-hole contender.



Brett Deledio (RIC) MID 488.2k 105
Lids! Every time one of Cotchin or Deledio seem to pull away this season, the other bounces right back with some big scores. Lids is averaging 105 for the season and priced at a very nice 490 grand, and if he can keep up the 140+ scoring he displayed on the weekend his near 50,000 coaches will likely be claiming the moral victory.



David Mundy (FRE) MID 493.9k 104
Mundy has been good this season, but is another player to not quite break into the elite level as many were hoping pre-season. Averaging a solid 104 for the year and priced at around 495 grand he offers good value and as with all Freo players has an excellent run home. Still in only around 16,000 teams, Mundy also offers some hefty POD value.



Luke Hodge (HAW) MID 485.3k 98
Hodge showed why the Hawks fans love him so much against the Pies on the weekend, returning early with a still-broken thumb but putting in a near BOG performance all the same. A very nice 130 from the skipper would have greatly helped a lot of his 15,000 coaches, and his current price of 485 grand may well mean he can do the same for a few more over the last 2 rounds.



Jobe Watson (ESS) MID 501.2k 112
Jobe has just broken the 500 grand mark, with an average of 112 no less, but unfortunately is playing in a Bombers side that seems completely lost at the moment. Another one of the few Dons who can score consistently well in defeats, the news coming out of Bomberland this week is that AOD-9604 was not banned in February which may provide a boost for the side against a hated rival in Carlton. Due to recent Essendon form, and the surprise Carlton win over Richmond last week, Jobe is probably one of the more high-risk/high-reward players going around. Still in about 40,000 sides.



REGULARS



Scott Pendlebury (COL) MID 582.8k 126
Joel Selwood (GEE) MID 633.4k 117
Michael BARLOW (FRE) MID 546.6k 113



RUCK
MID-PRICERS



Ivan Maric (RIC) RUC 468.6k 96
Maric seems to have hit some good form at the right time for the Tigers this year, booking their first finals appearance in quite some time and really getting the tiger army up and about. Priced at a solid 470 grand and averaging 96 for the season, matches against GWS and then Essendon to finish off the SC year should give him every chance to fire. The Mullet has around 33,000 selections currently, but will likely add to that over the final 2 weeks.



Zachary Clarke (FRE) RUC 440k 93
Clarke has been in and out of the Best Buys this year, and it's usually coincided with Lurch being injured. Since Sandi copped an errant elbow to the face over the weekend and will be out for at least a week, it seems Clarke will be given the opportunity to once again lead the Dockers ruck and try to improve on his seasons average of 93. Priced reasonably at 440 grand Clarke is a decent fill-in option, and a POD in under 9,000 sides.



Matthew Lobbe (PTA) RUC 471.7k 84
Lobbe has been solid for Port this season, but has seemed to really step up his game over the last while averaging 114 from his last 3 games compared to 84 for the season. A couple of tough matches for the Power may be leading to more stoppages, but whatever the reason he's looking good for a sneaky finals POD, especially when you see his selection numbers only just break 2,500.



Shane Mumford (SYD) RUC 490.3k 88
Mummy is another player to appear to be coming into form at the right end of the season, after a shocker of a start to the year he's now raised his average to 88 on the back of an average of 108 from his last 3 games. Priced on the high side for his seasons numbers, due to this recent form, Mummy has always been high-risk but with only 15,000 selections so far he's a risk that could well be worth taking.



REGULARS



Todd Goldstein (NM) RUC 535.1k 112
Will Minson (WBD) RUC 518k 111



FORWARD
ROOKIES



Darren Minchington (StK) FWD 115.9k 41 +23k
Young Minchington has shown a bit for the Saints in his 2 first-up games, averaging 41 and competing well in some often difficult circumstances. As the only forward rookie on the bubble this week he may well get a few guernsey's, but with only a 23 grand price rise on the way a fair few will also probably wait for the next week to consider bringing him in, even though Fremantle in the Granny isn't the easiest proposition.



MID-PRICERS



Jordan Lewis (HAW) M/F 471.5k 96
[span style='font-size: 14.399999618530273px;]Lewis has been solid for the Hawks this season, but is another player to not quite reach the heights of the previous year. Averaging 96 as a M/F makes him a handy F6-7, but he's still not really a leading forward so far. A solid price of 470 grand and playing for a premiership fancy, Lewis is a solid contributor and may well step up if other Hawks are rested giving his 20,000 coaches a nice boost.



Kurt Tippett (SYD) FWD 479.2k 95
Tippett has been easily the form forward in the competition over the last couple of months, kicking a few goals a game and being the focal point of the Swans attack. Some concerns over Sydney becoming too one-dimensional&amp;rdquo; may see a little less ball directed his way, but on his current form it would be unlikely. Some injury concerns mean he is a risk to miss this week, so waiting for team announcements before joining the 16,000 coaches with him currently. I'd love to hear Lucas' thoughts on TTT these days.



<a href="http://tooserious.net/Player.aspx?id=310&name=Mathew Stokes">Mathew Stokes[/url] (GEE) FWD 424.1k 95
Stokes is one of the 3 young Cats to have really impressed this season, and all of them have made the Penultimate Best Buys. Priced at a great 425 grand and averaging 95 for the year, on those numbers he's at least 50 grand under-priced at the moment and 18,000 selections so far give him solid POD credentials.



Angus Monfries (PTA) M/F 461.8k 93
Wantsfrees&amp;rdquo; has certainly stepped up this season at Port, seemingly with a lot more freedom to play in his own style and with a more attacking role he has made a solid F7 for those that brought him in early. Averaging 93 for the year with some big scores in there he is quickly becoming a key piece in the Port finals puzzle, and should be a great addition for them over the next few seasons. Currently in around 42,000 teams, indicating his rapid fantasy rise, Monfries makes another good emergency loophole contender.



Allan CHRISTENSEN (GEE) M/F 468.5k 92
Bundy joins Stokes and Motlop to complete the up and coming small forwards group at Geelong, with pace and some good run through the midfield on top of solid kicking for goal making them all equally dangerous for opposition sides. Averaging 92 for the year and priced at just under 470 grand Bundy has some decent value going on, but is behind Motlop on recent form., although his 7,000 selections give him better POD credentials.



Steven Motlop (GEE) FWD 476k 85
The third and final small Cat to make the Best Buys this week is Stevie Motlop. Averaging 85 for the year he started a little slowly, but over the last couple of months has really come into his own. A 108 average from his last 3 matches, including a 103 last week when he was subbed out after only a half of footy, show the kind of potential that he can offer and will make him a tempting pick for 2014. Around 15,000 selections so far show that Motts still has great POD value, but with the early sub last week it's recommended you wait until after the team announcements to jump on.



Sharrod Wellingham (WCE) M/F 438.8k 79
Sharrod had a shocking start to the year, injuring his ankle in a trampolining accident&amp;rdquo; before even getting a game for his new club certainly didn't send the right messages, and a long recovery period ensured his impact early on was minimal. Since making his way into the side, and not hurting himself in stupid ways again, he has shown why the Coasters were keen on him to begin with and what he can offer through the midfield. Averaging 79 for the year but 108 from his last 3 games he is in solid form, and with only 6,000 selections a smoky for a finals POD.



PREMIUMS



Drew Petrie (NM) FWD 505.9k 103
Droopy has been good this year without really exploding, up until last weekend anyway, when his 162 bumped his seasons average up to 103. That kind of form is what wins SC finals, even though it won't be enough to get North into a real one. Priced at just over 500 grand and sitting in 15,000 teams at the moment he offers some decent POD value, but playing the Hawks then the Pies in the last two rounds will likely scare of the majority of suitors.



REGULARS



Steve Johnson (GEE) M/F 554.5k 116
Jimmy Bartel (GEE) M/F 452.8k 104
Andrew Walker (CAR) M/F 475.9k 105