Totally agree with you on this one Boulder, and like your selection of Sinclair. Grimley is the other I am looking at, but he has spudded up in NAB and will only offer token coverage at best,,,

he dominated a reserves game - much like your champion Ciaron Byrne

I don't mind this team. Which Crouch is the better one? I think Brad has the upside if he gets his shit together and gets the trust of the coaches back again. Being top heavy in defense means you're struggling for depth on rookies in your midfield, Davis being at M8 for you signifies this.

DEF: Shaw, Houli, Gibson, Weitering, Hartley, Adams (Brown, Broad)
MID: Fyfe, Dangerfield, Pendlebury, Ward, Wines, Mills, Oliver, Kerridge (Gresham, Gore, Davis)
RUC: Martin, Naitanui (Grimley)
FWD: Dahlhaus, Barlow, Hall, Wells, Kennedy, Milera (Mccarthy, Tipungwati)
112K to play with.

OR

DEF: Shaw, Houli, Gibson, Johannisen, Brown, Adams (Ruggles, Hartley)
MID: Fyfe, Dangerfield, Pendlebury, Ward, Wells, Mills, Oliver, Kerridge (Gresham, Gore, Davis)
RUC: Martin, Naitanui (Grimley)
FWD: Dahlhaus, Barlow, S.Gray, Hall, Kennedy, Menadue (Tipungwati, Adams)
1.6K left.

Really don't know which I prefer, feel free to pick away at it.

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Keep it up young fella, you might find a spot in my def.

I'll keep my advice rather general;
I think Goldy is a must, once he starts smashing out 130's the stampede to trade him in will be strategy destroying for any team.
Same goes with Fyfe, too good for me.
I see some love for Degoey, I'm not sure if I can find space for him this year so I'll probably miss the boat.
Can't pass on T Greene but I think he's a FWD with flexibility, don't like him in the middle.
I think there is some value in DEF this year, mainly in the form of GC and WC.
Joel Selwood?!?!?!, he'll be messing my whole team up next week when named I bet.

My team is as foollows;
DEF
My super cheap backline because I don't like anyone and don't like Shaws price hopefully he comes down a bit (grab him after a 50k drop) , I'm sure Hurn will pound out the 90's with a few larger gams, Johannisen can't be ignored or am I completely wrong on this guy?!
MID
Guns, guns, guns, so much meat this year and I've left out crouch (*2). We'll all end up with the same midfields again this year.
RUCK
Hoping Maxxy can deliver what sooo many are craving.
FWD
Somewhat worried about Dusty and his demons, Hall & Wells are speculative but promising form.
ROOKIES
Why do they cost so much this year? I'm not really sold on too many at this stage, all listed are very speculative and on very thin ice.

Every year I say I'm grabbing Lids, this year was my year and I've been talked out of it by constant talk of his niggles/injuries.

I'm really tempted. I don't need 20 games, just the first 6/7. He gains 100k, Goldy loses 50k and up we go.

In my current team I have two mid/fwd's in the middle! Usually I'm thinking 'Gee I probably should get a fwd in there for some flexibility' as I end up having only pure mids because they have so much more value for money than fwds and defs

You have spent too much on defence and left your mids weak. A player with a career avg in tne 90s at m5 is asking for trouble.

Like Wells and Hall picks but think you have overspent in the rucks.

Hi Jason (and others), thanks for the thoughts.

After looking at my team, I am now eating Humble Pie after questioning why other people were picking rookies that are still requiring upgrades or that I think won't be playing. Consequently, a cull has happened - no more Keough, M Cox, M Brown, Petracca,.
Also downgraded Rosa & Billings to make the extra cash for C Oliver.

The theory - the cheaper rookies will not have the reliability to generate their cash as quickly as before. The higher priced rookies means you either put all your cash making into fewer eggs (calves?) and have non-players or downgrade a premium or two to pay for more reliable rookies.

I'm gambling on the points I expect to lose to the premiums I don't have, will be less than the points I expect to gain from the Mid Pricers over the all in rookies + unreliable price gain.

Who do you trade to if one of your few selected playing rookies goes down?

(I think I have just worsened into Diversified Delirium! )