[span style='font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;]Much has already been written on this website about the merit of having
Ablett in your team. Everyone would be aware that he scored a massive
178 SC points last week against St Kilda (87 SC points in the first
three quarters before his match winning effort including 3 goals
and 91 SC points in the last quarter). This week, Gold Coast are playing
Sydney and his numbers are very impressive …




<p style='text-align: justify;]Last week I mentioned
that the captain's loophole continued throughout the round. For those
who missed it, the new rule change this season is: [span style='font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Arial; color: #414141;]You can change
your captain and vice captain as often as you like, prior to the start
of the round and during a round and Rolling Lockout, up until the time
that your currently selected captain's (or vice captain's) match has
started. At this point, your selection is locked in for the round and
cannot be changed.&amp;rdquo;
<p style='text-align: justify;][span style='font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Arial; color: #414141;]



<p style='text-align: justify;]This means that we during
the year, we can select a player from an early game in the round as
our vice-captain and, if happy with that score, remember to put the
captaincy on a non-playing player whose team is playing later that round.
This week, the only game to be played before the Ablett's game (Saturday
afternoon at 1:45 pm) is the Friday night game between St Kilda and
Richmond. That being the case, I have included a number of St Kilda
and Richmond players for your consideration.

<p style='text-align: justify;]For those not interested
in picking either a St Kilda or Richmond player, why not select Ablett
as vice captain and give one of your other players a chance to better
his score (but make sure you have a non-playing player in your team
for the remainder of the round just in case Ablett knocks out another
huge one!).

[span style='font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;]Ablett [span style='font-weight: bold;]v. Sydney

Rd 18 2012: 171 SC points, 42 disposals
Rd 16 2011: 19 SC points, 3 disposals
Rd 18 2010: 135 SC points, 29 disposals
Rd 7 2010: 203 SC points, 38 disposals
Rd 20 2009: 164 SC points, 44 disposals
Rd 20 2008: 155 SC points, 32 disposals
Rd 5 2008: 254 SC points, 35 disposals
Rd 13 2007: 122 SC points, 23 disposals

Average is 153 SC points with 31 disposals.




Note: 153! What a huge average. And that average is
despite his 19 SC points in the 2011 game when he was subbed off in
the second quarter with a knee injury. Take that score out and his average
jumps to 172 with 35 disposals. Tagged by Jack and then McGlynn in the
game last year. A huge 178 SC points last round.




[span style='font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;]Pendlebury v. Carlton

[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 3 2012: 62 SC points, 15 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 17 2011: 145 SC points, 26 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 3 2011: 94 SC points, 21 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 18 2010: 139 SC points, 34 disposals
Rd 6 2010: 115 SC points, 29 disposals
Rd 17 2009: 131 SC points, 28 disposals
Rd 8 2009: 150 SC points, 31 disposals
Rd 12 2008: 89 SC points, 19 disposals
Rd 4 2008: 100 SC points, 24 disposals
Rd 7 2007: 131 SC points, 24 disposals

Average is 119 SC points with 26 disposals.




Note: Solid record with only three scores below 100.
Was comprehensively tagged out of the game in Round 3 2012 by Carrazzo
who had 29 touches. Was limited to 62 SC points which was his lowest
score for the season. Has started the season strongly with 160 SC points
last week.




[span style='font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;]Judd v. Collingwood

Rd 15 2012: 126 SC points, 32 disposals
Rd 3 2012: 134 SC points, 35 disposals
Rd 17 2011: 122 SC points, 35 disposals
Rd 3 2011: 112 SC points, 24 disposals
Rd 18 2010: 85 SC points, 17 disposals
Rd 6 2010: 106 SC points, 37 disposals
Rd 17 2009: 100 SC points, 20 disposals
Rd 8 2009: 141 SC points, 32 disposals
Rd 12 2008: 101 SC points, 25 disposals
Rd 4 2008: 98 SC points, 26 disposals
Rd 2 2007: 133 SC points, 29 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 16 2006: 96 SC points, 23 disposals
Rd 7 2006: 184 SC points, 32 disposals

Average is 118 SC points with 28 disposals.




Note: Very solid average against Collingwood. Usually
tagged by Wellingham but played the most recent game head to head against
Swan. Started the season with 106 SC points last week.




[span style='font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;]Dal Santo v. Richmond

Rd 10 2012: 83 SC points, 23 disposals
Rd 2 2011: 107 SC points, 22 disposals
Rd 21 2010: 170 SC points, 36 disposals
Rd 11 2010: 98 SC points, 23 disposals
Rd 13 2009: 147 SC points, 26 disposals
Rd 7 2008: 128 SC points, 27 disposals
Rd 22 2007: 131 SC points, 21 disposals
Rd 13 2007: 95 SC points, 17 disposals
Rd 17 2006: 64 SC points, 8 disposals
Rd 2 2006: 134 SC points, 19 disposals

Average is 116 SC points with 22 disposals.




Note: Solid record with some up and down scores -
ranging from 64 to 170 in 2010. Only managed a poor 84 SC points last
week.




[span style='font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;]Cox v. Hawthorn

Rd 23 2012: 81 SC points, 13 disposals, 28 hitouts
Rd 4 2012: 96 SC points, 17 disposals, 22 hitouts
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 4 2011: 87 SC points, 13 disposals, 36 hitouts
Rd 7 2010: 112 SC points, 16 disposals, 35 hitouts
Rd 5 2009: 163 SC points, 30 disposals, 31 hitouts
Rd 21 2008: 98 SC points, 22 disposals, 31 hitouts
Rd 14 2008: 128 SC points, 22 disposals, 27 hitouts
Rd 9 2007: 81 SC points, 16 disposals, 23 hitouts
Rd 18 2005: 147 SC points, 18 disposals, 23 hitouts
Rd 7 2005: 170 SC points, 18 disposals, 33 hitouts




Average is 116 SC points with 19 disposals and 19
hitouts a game.

Note: Poor recent record against Hawthorn but some
huge scores against them including 163 in 2009 and 170 in 2005. Started
the season with a poor 96 SC points last round.




[span style='font-weight: bold;]Swan v. Carlton

Rd 15 2012: 112 SC points, 31 disposals
Rd 3 2012: 109 SC points, 31 disposals
Rd 17 2011: 107 SC points, 31 disposals
Rd 3 2011: 108 SC points, 34 disposals
Rd 18 2010: 152 SC points, 31 disposals
Rd 6 2010: 113 SC points, 31 disposals
Rd 17 2009: 136 SC points, 38 disposals
Rd 8 2009: 90 SC points, 30 disposals
Rd 12 2008: 124 SC points, 27 disposals
Rd 4 2008: 85 SC points, 27 disposals
Rd 18 2007: 102 SC points, 24 disposals
Rd 7 2007: 128 SC points, 29 disposals
Rd 21 2006: 130 SC points, 33 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 6 2006: 109 SC points, 24 disposals

[span style='text-decoration: none;]Average is 115 SC points with 30 disposals.
[span style='text-decoration: none;]



[span style='text-decoration: none;]Note: Solid record against the Blues with only two scores below
100 in 14 games. Three scores of 130 or higher. Most recently played
head to head against Judd. Solid start to the season with 136 SC points.




[span style='font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;]Selwood v. North Melbourne

Rd 3 2012: 140 SC points, 29 disposals
Rd 7 2011: 126 SC points, 32 disposals
Rd 14 2010: 118 SC points, 32 disposals
Rd 8 2009: 130 SC points, 31 disposals
Rd 21 2008: 98 SC points, 27 disposals
QF 2007: 117 SC points, 22 disposals
Rd 20 2007: 26 SC points, 15 disposals
Rd 5 2007: 113 SC points, 25 disposals

Average is 109 SC points with 27 disposals.




Note: A fantastic recent record against North Melbourne
averaging 129 SC points in his past four games against them. Has previously
played head to head against Harvey or Wells. A game winning 126 SC points
against Hawthorn last week.




[span style='font-weight: bold;]Murphy v. Collingwood

Rd 3 2012: 130 SC points, 39 disposals
Rd 17 2011: 113 SC points, 23 disposals
Rd 3 2011: 79 SC points, 18 disposals
Rd 18 2010: 79 SC points, 21 disposals
Rd 6 2010: 114 SC points, 30 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 17 2009: 109 SC points, 29 disposals
Rd 8 2009: 98 SC points, 24 disposals
Rd 12 2008: 132 SC points, 31 disposals
Rd 4 2008: 107 SC points, 22 disposals
Rd 18 2007: 72 SC points, 17 disposals
Rd 7 2007: 118 SC points, 22 disposals

Average is 105 SC points with 25 disposals.




Note: Most recently played head to head with Ball
in the game last year. A solid 130 SC points in that game which had
followed a relatively poor run of 6 games below 120. A disappointing
104 SC points last week in his first game as captain of the Blues.




[span style='font-weight: bold;]Watson v. Melbourne

Rd 10 2012: 140 SC points, 32 disposals
Rd 15 2010: 135 SC points, 32 disposals
Rd 12 2009: 126 SC points, 28 disposals
Rd 18 2008: 63 SC points, 18 disposals
Rd 13 2007: 62 SC points, 16 disposals

Average is 105 SC points with 25 disposals.




Note: Great recent record against Melbourne averaging
134 SC points with 31 touches in his last three games against them.
Most recently played head to head with Grimes but was tagged by Dunn
in the 2010 game. A solid 121 SC points matched up against Thompson
in Adelaide last week.




[span style='font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;]Deledio v. St Kilda

Rd 10 2012: 114 SC points, 29 disposals
Rd 2 2011: 136 SC points, 29 disposals
Rd 21 2010: 140 SC points, 25 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 11 2010: 86 SC points, 20 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 13 2009: 79 SC points, 21 disposals
Rd 7 2008: 94 SC points, 22 disposals
Rd 22 2007: 79 SC points, 16 disposals
Rd 13 2007: 39 SC points, 18 disposals
Rd 17 2006: 106 SC points, 24 disposals
Rd 2 2006: 80 SC points, 18 disposals

Average is 95 SC points with 22 disposals.




[span style='text-decoration: none;]Note: Solid recent record with a poor record from 2009 and
earlier. A solid 116 SC points last week.




[span style='font-weight: bold;]Franklin v. West Coast

Rd 23 2012: 112 SC points, 14 disposals, 4 goals,
1 behind
Rd 4 2012: 89 SC points, 19 disposals, 1 goal, 6 behinds
Rd 4 2011: 146 SC points, 24 disposals, 6 goals, 2
behinds
Rd 13 2009: 69 SC points, 11 disposals, 4 goals, 0
behinds
Rd 5 2009: 82 SC points, 12 disposals, 2 goals, 3
behinds
Rd 21 2008: 82 SC points, 13 disposals, 4 goals, 5
behinds
Rd 14 2008: 79 SC points, 14 disposals, 5 goals, 2
behinds




Average is 94 SC points with 15 disposals and just
under 4 goals a game.

Note: Most recently manned by Brown. A poor record
against West Coast with only two scores over 100 in seven games. A terrible
game last week against Geelong with only 62 SC points.




[span style='font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;]Cotchin v. [span style='font-weight: bold;]St Kilda

[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 10 2012: 106 SC points, 28 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 2 2011: 88 SC points, 20 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 21 2010: 112 SC points, 22 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 11 2010: 32 SC points, 17 disposals
[span style='text-decoration: none;]Rd 13 2009: 41 SC points, 11 disposals

[span style='text-decoration: none;]Average is 76 SC points with 20 disposals.




Note: Poor sample size. A solid 119 SC points last
week.




[span style='font-weight: bold;]My opinion: How can we ignore Ablett's unbelievable average
of 172 SC points with 35 touches (after ignoring his injury affected
game in 2011) against the Swans. Together with his 178 SC points last
week, it would take a brave person to not lock him in as captain.




For those that don't have Ablett, there are a whole
group of players with strong recent records against their opponents
this week including Selwood against North Melbourne and Watson against
Melbourne. Other options are Swan, Pendlebury (except for his most recent
game) and Judd who have solid records against each other.




As usual, I will have a look at the teams playing
Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney. Port Adelaide play the Giants
and, with respect to Kane Cornes and Hamish Hartlett, I wouldn't be
nominating any Port players as captain.




Sydney face Gold Coast. They have played each other
twice. In Round 18 last year, Kieran Jack top scored with 158 and he
was helped by O'Keefe with 143, Bolton with 138 and Kennedy with 127.
In their Round 16 clash in 2011, Sam Reid top scored with 122, O'Keefe
had 121 and Goodes had 107. Kennedy only managed 81.




For me, I am going Ablett (by some distance) followed
by Kennedy, Pendlebury, then Watson and then Swan.

Good luck to all!!