Jason wrote: I don't buy that logic on not starting Ablett. He has been the best SC player for several years and shows no signs of changing. I'm not saying he won't be the best player or highest scorer this year. If you feel he is a must, trade him in after round 1. This competition is not about starting with the best team, its about who trades the best at the right time to make the most of their team and captain/benches. I feel not having Ablett in the starting team will add another dimension to the game.
I agree with Warsaken here... This is TRADING games... The whole idea is to see who has the best trading strategy, trading up AND down at the right time. Do you hold faith with anunder-performingstar and stick fat, or do you chop his ass and bring in GAJ straight away? Decisions, decisions! If you want to pick the best side right from the start then perhaps a 'SELECTION games' thread needs to be started... Pick a squad at the start of the season and then do your best WITHOUT using a single trade for the year :-O. A real trading test would be to start with a completely rubbish team and then go from there. Although it was kind of cool seeing 'Trading Games' in the top 100 leagues last year.
Mad_Mattigan wrote: A real trading test would be to start with a completely rubbish team and then go from there. Although it was kind of cool seeing 'Trading Games' in the top 100 leagues last year. That is exactly my point. Not starting the best player in the competition would go some way to precluding the league from finishing in the top 100 leagues.
I don't think there's any doubt that Ablett needs to come into the side at some stage... However, paying $65,000 more than the next highest player at the start of the yeardoesn't seem sensible to me... Surely the kids at GC will start to take points off him at some stage? I'd be interested to know how many of the best SCers from last year have Ablett from day one. I know I don't, and many of the RMT posts show this is not a unique position. Either way, setting up a definite POD between trading strategies seems like a good start to me. Clearly no-one will trade him out if they start with him.
Ablett averaged 12ppg better than the next best player in the competition last year. That is why he is more expensive. You get real SC points for those $$. The ideas you raise such as 'surely the other GC players will take points off him' etc have been raised every year for the last 3-4 years. And they have been wrong each time. At 28 years of age, why would GAJ suddenly get worse than when he was 27? It's just wishful thinking really, no rational basis for it. The trading shenanigans begin when Ablett/Pendlebury/Franklin/whoever cop a corkie and miss a week in R3. Then we see who has the balls to stick with them or who trades them out hoping to bring them back in soon afterwards. That's where I see the real test of this format comes in, not in who can get their sub-optimal starting team up to scratch with the rest of the competition the fastest. Also in who manages their upgrades/downgrades the best over the long-haul and through the byes. I can live with either way, but I seriously dislike starting with a second-string team. If one of the objectives (because it was cool last year, I agree) is to see the Trading Games league consistently in the top leagues overall, I can't see how leaving the best player for SC by a country mile out of the squad is a good idea.
The more I think about it; I'm cool with the Ablett out strategy <FWIW>.Logic says for sure Ablett is in......but under the concept of 'Trading Games' I like the challenge personally...plus I like the idea of an entire league going in without Ablett. On the off chance he goes down in Rd 1, the league itself has a huge POD.Wars ...you da boss I reckon, but my vote to not finalise until after Thursday nights selections. I'm away on work this week so won't be much help anyway.Karnezis & Pittard have also gone way up on my lists after their efforts this weekend, but this is well covered in other threads so I'm sure you are on it.
You make sensible and logical arguments Jason (are you sure you're suited to TS? ;-) ) and I understand that 12 points becomes 24 when he's the captain, but... The key to SC has always been buying players when their price is under the odds. Paying more than $740k for one player is a big risk. Especially when his first game is against St Kilda, a team he scored 64 against last year. Yes, I know he also scored 134 against them and his record going back is as good against them as anyone. But I'll take the risk that Pendles or Watson or Cox (especially using the captains loophole this year) will be able to punch out some high scores too. I'm not sure about anyone else, but $65k+ is a useful stash to use to upgrade players in other positions at the start of the season. Add to that, the fact that GAJ's price got as low as $600k last year. Now we're talking $140k difference between buying GAJ at start of season and at best price. Anyway... isn't this conversation, and hundreds like it, the very reason that 'Trading Games' is so interesting? We probably should have a thread for these discussions rather than cluttering up this one. I seem to remember watching with interest as the team was pulled together last season via the forums. The RMT thread would be a good starting point methinks.
Popey wrote:Hey guys my mum's son would like to be involved... Is it too late for entries? Welcome aboard popey The only cutoff to join will be the commencement the adelaude vs essendon match to kick off rd 1 I wold be hoping we get a rush of last week entries, lets spread the word as in my book the more the merrier ! Cheers Tth
[span style='font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; color: #0070c0;]Ok, here is the 1st League code [span style='font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; color: #ff0000;]913605 [span style='font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; color: #ff0000;] [span style='font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; color: #000000; line-height: 23px;]Once it fills with Trading Games teams I'll add more codes.
<p style='font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;][span style='font-family: Georgia; font-size: 24px; color: #00b0f0;]got ????? next to your/your teams name?? let me know what your team is called! <p style='font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;][span style='font-family: Georgia; font-size: 24px; color: #00b0f0;] <p style='font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 18px;][span style='font-family: Georgia; font-size: 24px; color: #00b0f0;]And please make sure youenterthe group!!
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-03-17/gaz-start-to-finish That might make you rethink having Gaz Jason. Still...
I've made a league for trading game: 975525, I haven't named it yet. Suggestions for name can be posted.
I have joined again this year, almost enjoyed this more than my own side last season! Chasing Birdies - Brendan
Do we have a blog post up for this comp? If not, does someone want to make one and either post it (or email it through to me?) Time has not been kind to me of late.
HOLKY wrote: I've made a league for trading game: 975525, I haven't named it yet. Suggestions for name can be posted. There is already a league, you don't need to make one...
warsaken wrote: TheOnion wrote: Appreciate your good work warsaken's sister's husband's nephew's dad's pet Llama, but the Wed deadline leaves us a bit open to the vagaries of Rd 1 weirdo selections.My own Trading team would look something like the following: sure its a bit 'cookie cutter' but seems to cover most bases. Goddard,Gibbs, Heppell, Vlastuin,Goodes,Stevenson,Terlich,DochertyAblett,Swan,Kennedy,Dangerfield,Fyfe,Mitchell,O'Meara,Crouch,Viney,KerridgeJacobs,Currie,Rowe,DawFranklin,Cox,Zorko,Rockcliff,Stevie J,Mccaffer,Neade,Lee $54K left, some mid problems with Rd 13 bye, hopefully balanced up by then.Rd 1 selection will change the make up <like>, so I suggest we agree a team in principle on Wed, but fine tune on Thursday night. e.g., got a feeling Currie wont make the Roos side, but Witts could be the smokey replacement.What are the thoughts on being 90% agreed on Wednesday but still prepared for one or two switches on a couple of rookies depending on selection ? I'm also keen to leave warsaken's llama relative totally in charge of final team once R1 teams are out. </like> Nice looking team there TheOnion, however the team being developed so far is a little less cookie cutter. We are trying to make a team that will cause major strategic differences between each player. Ablett will not be in the starting team this year. The decision of when to trade him in will be a major POD for all teams. It is decisions like this that we are trying to build the team. Last years team was set before round 1 teams were known and most of the rookies we had included played early season (with the exception of miles, only one i can remember off the top of my head). In the end, it doesn't matter who is in the team, because everyone will be starting with the same 30. So, when does the base team get announced?
Wednesday. Read the article on the front page please. EDIT: sorry, the draft trading games team has been discussed only at this stage via some PMs. Can't see it changing before Wednesday though.
Mad_Mattigan wrote: I agree with Warsaken here... This is TRADING games... The whole idea is to see who has the best trading strategy, trading up AND down at the right time. Do you hold faith with anunder-performingstar and stick fat, or do you chop his ass and bring in GAJ straight away? Decisions, decisions! If you want to pick the best side right from the start then perhaps a 'SELECTION games' thread needs to be started... Pick a squad at the start of the season and then do your best WITHOUT using a single trade for the year :-O. A real trading test would be to start with a completely rubbish team and then go from there. Although it was kind of cool seeing 'Trading Games' in the top 100 leagues last year. That selection game idea is brilliant, although the team would have to be mainly flat (most players the same av.) to prevent a soccer-like number of draws (if a league was made), although that would be interesting too. I'll be on board if we do have one next year.