AFL Dream Team

Redirected, man

2007-04-25T10:15:00.000+10:00

You've not heard from me in nearly a week, and I apologise. From now on, I've joined forces with a blog over at FanFooty. The URL is this: http://www.fanfooty.com.au/blog/With multiple writers (and possibly more on the way), there'll be more regular updates and a far broader look at everything Dream Team. Trust me; put it in your favourites. It could prove very handy for tips and hints. See youse

Stevens out: who'll step up?

2007-04-19T19:27:00.000+10:00

Holy shit. Carlton's gun Nick Stevens is out for the rest of the year. This throws up a few more dilemmas for Carlton, of course... but it's also a golden opportunity for Dream Teamers to get their hands on a player who moves up in the ladder of opportunity.So who's likely? See below:Marc Murphy (301k): Scary to think Daniel Kerr was this cheap three weeks ago. If Murphy steps up and starts

Ball set to miss this week

2007-04-17T21:04:00.000+10:00

Here's trouble. Saints coach Ross Lyon has said that Luke Ball is "unlikely" to play in this week's game - his third miss in a row, a highly significant number in Dream Team terms. "Functionally, he's perfect but there's still an element of risk," Lyon said. "Until that disappears he won't play."This is worrying news. Let's not forget the troubles that Koschitzke had last year with head

Hodgey says

2007-04-17T18:54:00.000+10:00

If you read to the bottom of this article from the AFL website, you'll see this, regarding Luke Hodge and Hawthorn's weekend win over the Roos:- Hodge admitted to a personal interest in Mitchell's best-afield performance. Mitchell was outstanding with 34 disposals, including 14 touches during the pivotal third term."I had him captain of my Dream Team, so I was absolutely rapt ... especially when

Impulse trading

2007-04-17T13:49:00.000+10:00

A really excellent thread on BigFooty details the many perspectives involved in trading players this early in the season - when you should, when you shouldn't. There's some very well thought out opinions being expressed - it's well worth a read: Click here. My personal view: trade at the beginning of the season to miss the guns you left out of your initial squad (Brennan/Sandilands/etc). But

Watch the extended interchange benches!

2007-04-16T12:07:00.000+10:00

Here's an email I got from a mate, highlighting the importance of carefully watching those extended interchange benches: "I scored ok - 1698 - but that was really, really lucky. I got screwed over twice this week. First, James Clement was a late withdrawal, and then Nigel Lappin didn't come up for the Swans game. Ordinarily the damage from this would have been limited by the emergencies. But it

Talking Points: round three wrap

2007-04-16T09:15:00.000+10:00

Well, what an interesting round in football. Plenty of things to note – and from now on, this will be a regular feature every Monday morning. The Tomahawk stepped up into gear again, scoring 70-odd points. The only worry here is that Thompson will give him limited game time to douse the hype – but surely he’ll continue to play while he’s in this sort of form. I watched Luke Hodge (at the game)

The state of play: Forwards

2007-04-13T09:14:00.000+10:00

This, loyal readers, is the final instalment of a position-by-position look at who is good to draft this week, before the first wave of price changes come into force. For Backs, Rucks, and Centres, see previous posts below. Today, it's Forwards. Pounce: Alwyn Davey (Ess) – just about everyone has Davey, but those who don’t will be wise to consider now. He’s shown good form, and the Dons are

Selection perspection

2007-04-13T08:03:00.000+10:00

Yeah, I know. “Perspection” isn’t a real word. But I felt like a silly title (it’s Friday…) and if I put the obvious one in, this blog will come up on all the dirty-word databases and I’ll get my inbox battered with offers for schlong enlargers. Getting to the point, there’s quite a few p-a-i-n-f-u-l surprises with club selections this week… First of all has to be Luke Ball’s omission. Plenty of

Not too late to whip it

2007-04-12T23:02:00.000+10:00

Saw an ad in Melbourne’s mX yesterday for the Fox Sports fantasy league – surely this is the last time they can invite new players to enter the competition. Any later, and they’re playing for, like, 8th place at best. Got me thinking though. It’s the ‘fantasy league’ for Fox Sports, ‘Dream team’ in most other competitions (and there’s a few), and a sole ‘Supercoach’. The original home of DT

Tredrea unlikely this week

2007-04-12T14:40:00.001+10:00

Teams are released tonight, and Warren Tredrea will probably be named. However, as you can read here, a return to the park is looking unlikely. If he doesn’t play, it’ll delay his inevitable price rise when he returns… and with price changes next Monday, he could be a second-wind cash cow. By that, I mean a player who is drafted to replace an original cash cow, who has been sold off to gain cash.

The state of play: Rucks

2007-04-12T07:32:00.000+10:00

PouncePeter Everitt (Syd) – best-on-ground last week; that won’t last, but neither will his price which is the cheapest of the elite ruckmenBrad Ottens (Geel) – here’s a real punt. Ottens is notoriously inconsistent – bad for Dream Team – but if Geelong’s forward line can operate well, he’ll play in the ruck regularly, where he plays best. He could step up and be this year’s surprise packet… If

The state of play: Centres

2007-04-11T07:20:00.000+10:00

For those that came in late, this week I'm looking at who's good to get immediately, and who it's better to wait for, considering this week the first round of price changes come into effect. Today, it's the Centres. (Tomorrow: Rucks).Pounce (ie get this week)Nigel Lappin (Bris) – a super-cheap option for an elite player, and gave every indication he’ll return to that standard in his only game

The state of play: Backs

2007-04-10T08:42:00.000+10:00

Some very, very interesting outcomes from this round’s matches. With the price changes coming in after next week, see below for who’s good to get now, and who it’s better to wait on. Before going any further, it’s worth touching on the finer points of trading this week. Conventional Dream Team theory abhors heavy trading this early in the season – with only 20 trades over 22 rounds, it’s

Luke Ball

2007-04-06T17:02:00.000+10:00

There was some talk in cyber-space of Luke Ball actually taking his place in the team Friday night. It didn't happen, of course, but it illustrates how rumours and innuendo (especially on BigFooty) are always to be taken with a grain of salt. Many teams have been stuffed around after taking a supposed "rock-solid" rumour, only to find a mysterious silence when the exact opposite happens. Keep an

AFL's shoddy predictions

2007-04-05T15:59:00.001+10:00

The AFL think they're onto a good thing with their weekly preview. But in my opinion, they've missed the bullseye by a long way. You can read this week's preview here, but golly gosh there's a few howlers. Almost every top scorer from round 1 is recommended. Now, you and I know that only the real guns can back up good scores from week to week, and even then, they don't win you much because

Keep an eye on...

2007-04-04T15:08:00.000+10:00

I've come across this other nifty effort, which is only new but nevertheless worth keeping an eye on: http://dttalk.blogspot.com

He says, she says

2007-04-04T13:34:00.000+10:00

I had an interesting conversation with another Dream Teamer this morning, who happens to be my sister. Nevertheless, she managed to talk a bit of sense amid the rubbish; it went something like this.Helen, you’ve had a horrid first-round score. Not even breaking 1500 is bad in anyone’s books. What’s the go?My team is full of rookies. I’ve got four bottom-priced centres, which means two of them are

Your team...

2007-04-02T16:46:00.000+10:00

Now that the season has started, and we're all giving 111% every week, here's a few questions. Feel free to reply; my answers are below. - Round 1 score?- Most expensive player? - First player you're likely to trade?- Who do you wish you had (but couldn't fit in)?- Who's your biggest risk?- Which club provides most of your players?

'Preying on cash cow' season

2007-04-02T15:38:00.000+10:00

Some of you may be thinking the most important phase of Dream Team is already over. And you’re right – the squad you have now is what you’ve got to work with from here on in. The good news, however, is that we’re now in the middle of a two-week period which is the second most important phase of DT. Until round 3, no price changes will take effect. That means that as the cash cows reveal

Five best first-year players

2007-03-30T17:27:00.001+10:00

I realise this post is a little bit obvious, but I promised, so here goes:Lindsay Thomas: Rather than Lachy Hansen, Thomas has shown more promise for instant points at the Roos this year. Xavier Ellis: Just as Thomas has some competition for the “best club debutant” title this year, young Ellis is up against Beau Muston. But I reckon Ellis will get a regular run in the pacy Hawks backline, and

Apology / request

2007-03-30T15:32:00.000+10:00

Just quickly, sorry for not getting the analysis of the DT pricing system to you. I'd planned speaking to my contact on the inside (nudge nudge) but they've been absolutely flat out this week. It's mental. So sorry, all. Also, this blog has a fair few viewers - over 1500 this week - but it could be more. At present, it's nowhere near the top on a Google search. So if you get the chance, please

Decisions, decisions...

2007-03-30T12:44:00.000+10:00

With the lockout not far away, there’s some urgent thinking going on. Nathan Brown’s injury has thrown a major spanner in the works – there’s no way I want to start the year already allowing for injuries. Problem is, no obvious replacements take my fancy in the forward line. Second area of concern is the midfield. Who to take as a cash cow rookie? I was thinking Armitage, but he’s not selected. I

The five blokes we've all forgotten about

2007-03-29T16:09:00.000+10:00

(Obviously, four of the five are pictured) These five players are all very smoky chances to tear the competition apart, in my opinion. They're all dirt cheap, having suffered various injuries, but not only do they belong in their team's best 22, these five players could all enter the AFL's elite. (Maybe not this year, in at least 1 case...) Two are key forwards, while the others are hard-running

Chicken or egg? Strategic choices...

2007-03-28T21:45:00.000+10:00

There’s been some talk online of different strategies at the start of the season. Each has its merits, and its purposes, but also some drawbacks:The first involves loading up on cheap players (like rookies, injured guns and the like), deliberately keeping salary cap room spare. When these players improve in price, you sell them for bigger stars, having gained more room to move due to the rise in

Season preview: Bulldogs

2007-03-28T19:07:00.000+10:00

The Bullies showed plenty of promise last year, but there’s far more to come. Their young guns will only fire more rapidly next year, thanks in part to a couple of recruits.Imminent explosions: Andrew McDougall has got solid gametime and showed good form since arriving at Whitten Oval – both factors missing from his time at West Coast. He’s a certainty to improve on his existing value, but

Don't choose these players

2007-03-27T16:32:00.000+10:00

Having suggested some questionable (ie injured) choices in previous blogs, I thought I’d run through a few injury updates for players I’d been recommending. This is all courtesy of the AFL injury blog, which is doing a far better job than the actual AFL site in keeping me up to date. *** I only listed players I'm interested in for Dream Team. For a more comprehensive list, check out the

Season preview: West Coast

2007-03-27T08:40:00.000+10:00

With Fletcher’s injury yesterday, the West Coast midfield question just got a whole lot more interesting. With Cousins already out, the imminent replacements will be from four players – Shannon Hurn, Matt Rosa, Mitch Morton, and Matt Priddis. Personally, I like Hurn; he’s dirt cheap, very talented, and will have the most improvement of the lot. Rosa, meanwhile, could well be the one to start

Season preview: Sydney

2007-03-26T16:35:00.000+10:00

At first glance, there’s not a lot of obvious improvement among this squad. No significant injuries or form drops last year. But taking a closer look, there are several very interesting DT prospects from Sydney. In particular, there’s a few talented midfield types that are ready to take the next step. Jarrad McVeigh and Nick Malceski are both in the mix, and if the Swans midfield suffers injuries

Season preview: St Kilda

2007-03-26T15:24:00.000+10:00

Weird. The bottom-dwelling Port Adelaide has only a few players of interest, yet the comparatively successful Saints have some really cheap, good options going this year. Get Koschitzke. Take a punt. Hopefully, he rewards your faith with a banging season… Even so, if you don’t have Kosi, and his numbers soar, you’re missing out bigtime. This time last year, he was costing a fortune, after tearing

Picking the players: Sunday Age report

2007-03-26T08:04:00.000+10:00

Interesting read from Emma Quayle in yesterday’s Sunday Age: “Every year at every club, there will be a player who makes the leap from fringe-dweller to matchwinner. Why does it happen, and how do you tell who’s next?”This correlates perfectly to DT. Pick the right players whose numbers explode, and you’ve won yourself the competition. Notable comment from Terry Wallace, who “is rarely surprised

Season preview: Richmond

2007-03-23T16:56:00.000+11:00

Ho hum. When it comes to Richmond, I am going to launch straight into the… Imminent explosions: Brett Deledio is just set. He averaged 77 last year, but with his third year comes a more mature frame, more strength, and that speed. Lids is going to really go off this year, in my opinion. The next suggestion may surprise a few people – Nathan Foley. He wins a heap of the ball, of course, but he

Season preview: Port

2007-03-22T20:27:00.000+11:00

For a bottom-ranking team, there’s not too much I like about the Power’s list. There ain’t that many youngsters that look set to explode, and the only real return from injury is Warren Tredrea. Tredrea is definitely worth a punt. Last year, he played constantly despite injuries, the result being poor output and a lower DT average of just 71. I know, because I had him. But this can work in your

Cuzzy, cuzzy, who will replace thou?

2007-03-21T18:06:00.000+11:00

I feel guilty treating a serious problem with such coldness: let me say now, Ben Cousins is a football freak, and let's hope he gets back sooner rather than later. But at the same time, who's going to replace him in the Eagles' engine room? DT-wise, this question is fraught with danger. It's high-risk, (and therefore high-reward). This story from Fox Sports says that Shannon Hurn, Mitch Morton,

Season preview: Demons

2007-03-21T17:46:00.000+11:00

You may think the Dees have an image as tough, hardworking – getting the most out of their list. This is true, but there’s a couple of promising guns on the list that I think will gather real momentum this year.The Band-Aid Boys (Johnson & Johnson) head up my list. Chris A and Paul are both young players with a bit of talent. Paul is a giant ruckman/forward, and Chris is a running back-flanker,

Season preview: Kangaroos

2007-03-20T20:44:00.000+11:00

When Thompson went down, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The Roos just can’t take a trick, and their forward line this season is pretty much unrecognisable from last year – with plenty of excellent dream team opportunities in the mix. At first glance, I counted 12 players I’m considering, and that doesn’t count Shannon Grant, or Brent Harvey. We’ll start with the forward line. There have

It's open! Analysis soon

2007-03-19T21:05:00.000+11:00

Finally, finally, finally. After looking at that bloody "coming soon" picture for weeks, the Dream Team comp is open. At first glance, prices look pretty good, and there's a gluttony of choice for bottom-priced certainties. In the next couple of days, I'll give you a definite wrap of prices, positional wierdies (Ryley Dunn a Centre?), and other observations. Stay tuned.While I'm at it, also

Season preview: Hawthorn

2007-03-19T20:23:00.000+11:00

There's a lot to like about the Hawks this year. They're a team on the up, and you simply cannot afford to let this gravy train pass if you're to have a chance this year. Among the promising band of youngsters, top of the pile is Xavier Ellis. He's a talented player, who runs fast and uses the ball well - at least junior level. He's at a bargain price, having not played a game yet, and he's a

Season preview: Geelong

2007-03-18T20:34:00.000+11:00

The Hawkins Hype example headline: 'Geelong's next big thing') has slowed down after an interrupted pre-season, and it’s worth looking at some other tall forwards from the Cats: Nathan Ablett was in stunning form for the VFL last season, but hasn’t shown much over the summer. Henry Playfair just doesn’t look like getting any better, while Brad Ottens has been playing well pre-season. But go there

Season preview: Fremantle

2007-03-16T17:35:00.000+11:00

The Dockers have one of the darkest horses of them all this year. He was a top-10 draft pick four years ago, and (in my opinion) has the talent and the desire to succeed. Midfielder Ryley Dunn is set, I reckon, but this hasn’t been reflected in the pre-season games. He hasn’t played, and there isn’t any injury explanation for this, so maybe it’s form… But with Schammer out injured

Season preview: Essendon

2007-03-16T17:17:00.000+11:00

I have red and black blood in my veins, and I’m real excited about this year. Emotion aside, there are several good bets in the team for this year’s Dream Team. The defence has been changed by Mal Michael’s arrival (see previous post), but there’s other things to consider. Two Jasons (not Johnno) are both good chances to finally take their rightful places in the starting 22, after each battling

Season preview: Collingwood

2007-03-15T17:56:00.000+11:00

The forward line is the main point of interest for me, with Rocca returning after a dodgy year, and Taz being traded. Medhurst may have more opportunities this year compared to his 2006 at Fremantle. Travis Cloke is a big chance to fill the vacant tall-forward position, especially with Rusling out for the year. He averaged just 56 last year, which is a good chance to increase. Another option is

Season preview: Carlton

2007-03-15T08:15:00.000+11:00

Jury’s out on the Blues. I don’t think there’s much improvement happening this year, meaning the reliance is still on their key players: Murphy, Stevens and Scotland among them. Bryce Gibbs is a more-than-handy choice as a cheap midfielder (even with the price being inflated compared to other years’ debutants). Murphy may improve on his points, and value, from last year, but I think there’s

Season preview: Brisbane

2007-03-14T15:49:00.001+11:00

Jonathon Brown is a gun, but he’s a bit injury prone… Enter Jamie Charman. This bloke has got a lot more passionate in the last year, and can double as a leading key forward as well as a damn good ruckman. His average of 77 last year is ready to go up, I reckon. Importantly, if Brown goes down, Charman could be the Lions’ trump card up forward, leaving ruck duties to Cameron Wood. Another

Season preview: Adelaide

2007-03-14T14:05:00.000+11:00

The aforementioned ruck situation presents one of the best opportunities for points this year, in my opinion. Ben Hudson, returning from a knee injury, has looked in good form but will play every game barring injury anyway, as Rhett Biglands is out for the year. But the drama doesn’t stop there – the remaining ruckman (in order of hierarchy) are Ivan Maric, John Meesen, and Jon Griffin. The first

Coming soon: Team-by-team previews

2007-03-12T16:23:00.000+11:00

Starting Wednesday, with the Crows, each team will be individually examined for Dream Team strengths, weaknesses, and could-go-either-ways. I'll be asking for feedback, so have a squiz and add your opinion to the mix.

First sightings: Tarrant, Ellis

2007-03-12T15:36:00.000+11:00

Yesterday's match between Freo and the Tassie Hawks was won by the Dockers, with several interesting aspects for DT coaches:Chris Tarrant apparently flopped, with seven disposals, well held by Steven Gillham. Also, highly-rated Xavier Ellis was on show, and didn't disappoint, being named in the best. Ellis is a half-back flanker, tall and quick, and sounds like he can rack up touches like some

Rodan, Salopek: Port Power possibilities

2007-03-10T14:53:00.000+11:00

Afternoon all. Just wanted to bring up a couple of Power midfielders - David Rodan and Steven Salopek, both of whom starred in their recent win over the Saints.Rodan is an interesting one. Five games last year, averaging 6 disposals, isn't pretty. He'll be a very low price. But I'm predicting a return to form (of sorts) at the new club - he won't dominate, but he'll be a handy acquisition to a

Reflections: Geelong v Brisbane

2007-03-10T09:30:00.000+11:00

Saw the game live, there were three things in particular that interested me.Firstly, the form of Travis Varcoe and Nathan Djerrkura, both impressive in working together up forward. Varcoe kicked a couple, and looked the more polished of the two, while Djerrkura looked solid enough to suggest his body is up to the rigours of AFL already. These two will both be at bargain prices, and I would

Rusling out for 07

2007-03-09T13:27:00.000+11:00

Promising Magpies forward, Sean Rusling, is out for the 2007 season after injuring a shoulder.This is a real blow to the kid who is a Pie fan favourite, and also a disappointment to many Dream Team coaches. Rusling was predicted to slot straight into the Pies' attack, covering Tarrant's loss. FanFooty had him at $133,000 - a bargain price, after he averaged just 6 disposals per game last year.

Bomber's backline brainteaser

2007-03-08T20:39:00.000+11:00

Firstly, apologies for my absence in the last week. Moved house, still no internet at home. Anyway, today we're discussing the new-look Essendon backline. With just one change (the recruitment of Mal Michael), the whole structure looks different. But which player will be freed up by Michael, start to get more kicks, and be a higher DT scorer? Let's look at the options.Dustin Fletcher: predicted

Adelaide's rucks - sorting through the quagmire

2007-03-01T11:58:00.000+11:00

The ruck situation at West Lakes is getting bad, man. They're calling it a 'crisis'. Hudson played really well in last week’s loss to Port. But here’s the bad news – Bhiglands and Clarke are gone from last year’s side, and the two youngsters who were to battle for the back-up spot have both got themselves injured.DT wise, this means Hudson is an even better bet, as is another young fella, John

Hawthorn's young guns

2007-02-27T15:22:00.000+11:00

In this excellent summary of where each Hawk player is at after the pre-season, there's a few interesting summaries from a member of the coaching staff:- Xavier Ellis: A hot Dream Team tip for this year, Ellis has been injured, but "is on track to push for selection late NAB Cup or round one".- Beau Muston: Talented player, "really benefited physically from having 12 months out of the game".-

Observations: Hawthorn v Melbourne, other games

2007-02-26T17:05:00.000+11:00

ST KILDA v BRISBANE: A few blokes on the watch-list were missing from this game. Nonetheless, Broosey kicked two early goals - and he is the type of tall player who could sneak a spot as the Saints' third tall forward... Merrett and Roe look set to be the Brisbane replacement to Michael and Leppitsch. MELBOURNE v HAWTHORN: The Hawks may have finally realised how to best play to Lance Franklin's

Observations: Kangaroos v Collingwood, Carlton v Essendon

2007-02-25T23:30:00.000+11:00

Some good signs, and some disappointing ones, from the first round of the NAB Cup. Observations below. KANGAROOS v COLLINGWOOD: Unfortunately for readers, I watched this one through a haze of Golden Brook Fruity Lexia. Read into this one what you will... But I thought the Kangaroos won without any bother at all. As they should have. Lindsay Thomas - made a really promising debut. Aaron Edwards -

NAB Cup: things to watch for

2007-02-23T14:55:00.000+11:00

With the NAB Cup beginning tonight (North Melbourne v Collingwood, Gold Coast), here’s a few things to keep your eyes peeled for during the pre-season games. New recruits: The key is judging whether they’re in the team’s best 22 (like this bloke is). Skinny bodies often mean they don’t last a whole season – but the cheap price at the season’s start means new

Player price estimates

2007-02-18T19:18:00.000+11:00

FanFooty.com have released their predicted prices for the 2007 season, which you can read here. The prices aren’t going to be exact for players who scored in 11 games or less last year, but nonetheless it’s a good guide for those injured players’ prices – and also a good look at some other prices which are pretty much spot-on. Among the notables (keep in mind prices will vary from the Fanfooty

The Collingwood forward line conundrum

2007-02-16T09:44:00.000+11:00

With Tarrant leaving, there's several contenders for the second tall forward position in Collingwood's forward line. Rocca will be back, taking the best opposition defender, meaning one player could step up and start scoring points, consistently. Guessing who, exactly, is a tough one - and the NAB Cup will be crucial. Travis Cloke looks an obvious candidate after a relatively poor season last

Walker, Rusling, B. Miller

2007-02-11T16:17:00.000+11:00

Andrew Walker was featured in a story in Saturday's Age - which I can't find on the web. In it, he revealed he may play on half-back this year. If he does, let's hope he's classified as a Back; there's often far less good options to choose from - high-scorers or not - in the Backs compared to the Centres. If Walker is a half-back, he'll likely be a playmaker, grabbing plenty of possessions.

Gibbs, Knobel, Tenace, more

2007-02-08T16:12:00.000+11:00

The footy coverage has amped up in the last couple of days, and the NAB Cup is only two-and-a-bit weeks away. Time to look at a few good and bad Dream Team prospects:Heading up any list will be Bryce Gibbs. An automatic selection for 98% of Dreamteamers, and he'll probably be a good cash cow, just like Marc Murphy was last season. The link above tells how, like Murphy, he'll step straight into