Forwards 2016

[Tevez17]

Why force it then? Why not just stick with 2? Plenty of decent sub 250k players going around.

Yeah never really considered that.

 

[M4TT B8S]

Still struggling with this 3rd forward

If you want that structure and you're really doubting it then Cyril should average around the same or better, after a couple interrupted seasons, finally got a 20 game season under the belt. I can see him improving, fit body and lower rotations means he'll get to spend more time in the middle when players rest forward.

Dahlhaus should go around the same too.

Westhoff if you're looking for an outside option should go about the same (and did average very well after R8 a 105 AVG), no more Ryder but Dixon comes in so nothing really changes for him

Zach Merrett should go 95+ average as a pure midfielder, even in a shit team

Why force it then? Why not just stick with 2? Plenty of decent sub 250k players going around.

but as FB said, Wells, D.Menzel, Simpkin, Anderson, Duggan etc. plenty of options around

 

[cactus]

Yeah. I've had a couple of drafts with Libba down at M6 and only two forward primos in Dusty and Barlow. Really depends where the rookies end up being available which structure I end up with I think.

 

[Prospector]

Still struggling with this 3rd forward, I don't really like any of the premiums priced players outside of Martin & Barlow, Zorko is my back up, outside of that ???

I'm looking at Dahlhaus and Bennell.

 

[Tevez17]

I'm looking at Dahlhaus and Bennell.

Bennell is the one I wanted in there, despite having risks he ticks so many boxes, if he's named round one 99% likely he'll be F2 for me.

 

[TomCat]

Bennell is the one I wanted in there, despite having risks he ticks so many boxes, if he's named round one 99% likely he'll be F2 for me.

I'm keen on Bennell as well but at the moment I only have the two premiums in my forward line - Dusty and Barlow.

 

[camloch]

My issue with lids is hes missed a few games early in the past two seasons. When we need our guns firing early on especially, i see it as a risk. He may be one to pick up after the byes depending on how he goes.

 

[smirski]

I really like the look of De'goey hard inside midfielder that hunts the hard ball. if he is getting midfield time in nab games im sure he will average 90+

 

[Lowrider]

Higgins is my big POD at F1. Fittest he's ever been and plenty of potential left in him. Only a minor hiccup now but he'll be fit for last NAB game. He'll be top 3 forward this year and average 105+.

Robinson at F2 currently just as a place-holder. I don't know who I want there. I don't want to be a sheep and have Barlow who I think will still average 95 at best this year. Might end up being Dusty. Might end up sticking with Mitch??

From there I've gone mid-price mad. I've stacked the midfield to (Libba is M7) and going cheaper elsewhere due to lack of trust in the top guys. Currently I have Thomas, Conca, Wells and Patton F3-6 with Kerridge and Kommer on the bench. Depending on how much sticky-tape Thomas needs, I might end up with Simpkin instead.

I'll then use my trades to upgrade forward and back while hopefully needing to do very little in the midfield.

 

[doddy2731]

Higgins is my big POD at F1.

Higgins is going under the knife, watch progress.

 

[Tevez17]

I really like the look of De'goey hard inside midfielder that hunts the hard ball. if he is getting midfield time in nab games im sure he will average 90+

Like him as a player but don't think he's supercoach relevant just yet, DE% kills him when he doesn't get a stack of it & his manic tackling only makes up for it so far.

 

[M4TT B8S]

Popular players are popular for a reason. If you want a POD [Point of disappointment] then you'd want to be 99% sure you're picking them for the right reasons

 

[doddy2731]

Popular players are popular for a reason.

There's also the sheep mentality that goes with some players.

 

[M4TT B8S]

There's also the sheep mentality that goes with some players.

Agreed, like Yeo.

 

[Prospector]

There's also the sheep mentality that goes with some players.

Baaah!

 

[cactus]

Higgins is my big POD at F1. Fittest he's ever been and plenty of potential left in him. Only a minor hiccup now but he'll be fit for last NAB game. He'll be top 3 forward this year and average 105+.

Robinson at F2 currently just as a place-holder. I don't know who I want there. I don't want to be a sheep and have Barlow who I think will still average 95 at best this year. Might end up being Dusty. Might end up sticking with Mitch??

From there I've gone mid-price mad. I've stacked the midfield to (Libba is M7) and going cheaper elsewhere due to lack of trust in the top guys. Currently I have Thomas, Conca, Wells and Patton F3-6 with Kerridge and Kommer on the bench. Depending on how much sticky-tape Thomas needs, I might end up with Simpkin instead.

I'll then use my trades to upgrade forward and back while hopefully needing to do very little in the midfield.

Each to their own but to me this reads like madness.

You say you're going to use your trades to upgrade forward and back but the structure you describe is likely to miss half the good cash generating rookies so you won't be able to afford the upgrades.

But you know this already, right? You're stirring the pot ...

 

[Lowrider]

Each to their own but to me this reads like madness.

You say you're going to use your trades to upgrade forward and back but the structure you describe is likely to miss half the good cash generating rookies so you won't be able to afford the upgrades.

But you know this already, right? You're stirring the pot ...

Well my thoughts might change by the end of the NAB, but at the moment I can't see the enormous value in the midfield rookies. Yes, traditionally the midfield is the place to make coin. But this year I can't see much in the sub $200k range in the midfield. Some first year guys look good but can you back them to get consecutive games without the sub rule? If you're an AFL coach you're going to be more cautious with these guys - if they blow-up in the 3rd quarter you've got nowhere to go. More likely to see them get a run of 2-4 games in the AFL then go back to VFL, etc to build their fitness base. There's a few mature ones who look good but are fringe 22 (e.g. Gore, Menegola). There's a few prime guys (e.g. Kerridge) but they're DPP.

The only guys I've picked so far are Trengove, Polkinghorne and Mathieson and I don't have a lot of confidence in any of those guys. There's probably 1-2 who'll tear up the NAB like CEY did last year and plant themselves firmly in the best 22, but I can't see enough value/reliability to go in with 5-6 rookies in the midfield this year. But, as I said, things may change a lot in 3 weeks.

 

[Lowrider]

Higgins is going under the knife, watch progress.

Went in for an arthroscope to clear some longstanding bone chips. Will be able for selection NAB3 so don't see it impeding him much. In fact, probably a positive he's getting it fixed now and not midseason.

 

[M4TT B8S]

But this year I can't see much in the sub $200k range in the midfield

at the moment they're just names and I know most of these won't make the 22 week 1, but watch Barrett, Keays, Mathieson, Polkinghorne, Cuningham, Trengove, Menegola, Gore, Macaffer, Gresham, Clarke, Marcon, John Smith, Lucas, Matthew Kennedy

I can easily see 5+ of the sub-200k midfielders playing well (There's more options around, and I haven't even listed any dpp yet, these are all just pure mids)

Went in for an arthroscope to clear some longstanding bone chips. Will be able for selection NAB3 so don't see it impeding him much. In fact, probably a positive he's getting it fixed now and not midseason.

Coming from a dogs supporter though, with Higgins, it's never minor... Still a decent pick, but be careful

 

[The Kraken]

Some slightly cheaper guys I haven't seen discussed (yet) in this thread - unless I'm going blind..:

A.Hall - probably too risky at $428k (priced at his 79SC average) given he's perhaps unlikely to follow up his blistering 114pt average over the last 7 rounds of last season with the - in theory - return of GAJ, Prestia, O'Meara and Swallow to the Sun's midfield.. but now it seems very unlikely that Swallow and O'Meara will be ready for the start of the season, so could Hall's fortune continue? Seemed to get good midfield time in NAB1..

S.Gray - like Hall, a surprise end to last season, averaging 111SC over the final 6 games. More expensive (at his 89 average of $481k) and therefore even riskier than Hall.. Looked lively in NAB1 - but that was without R.Gray, Wines, Boak, Hartlett, Ebert and Wingard. Need to see him scoring well with all these studs back - but probably a hard risk to take with Z.Merrett and Buddy cheaper..

T.Greene - has beaten his $447k price tag (based off ~83SC average) 2 years out of the previous 3 - but what role will he have? Seen talk he could step into the Treloar void - but doesn't he face competition from Steele (77SC average without his 2 vests), Kelly (79SC average without his 4 vests), Devon Smith (talk of more midfield time) and the highly-touted Hopper? Would want to see a more SC-friendly role for Greene in the NAB before he Lumumbas his way into my team. He can definitely rack up big numbers though, as evidenced by his 129 average over the last 7 rounds of 2014..

Tom Bell - was disheartened not to see him playing as a pure MID in NAB1 with Rocky, Beams, Hanley, Rich, Zorko and Christensen rested - did rack up 19 contested (9 contested) but it looked to me like he was playing more of a HFF role. Question how many midfield minutes he'll get with those studs back. At $484k too risky IMO..

FWIW on Bennell - I'd prefer to upgrade to him - he's not cheap at $549k, I want to see what role Ross will have him playing, and he's missed 7 games in EACH of the last 3 years..

FWIW on Bird - true that he averaged 88SC in 2014 when allowed to play more offensively at Sydney.. true that in theory Crowley should be handling the tagging duties (if Worsfold goes that route).. but he isn't cheap, even with his 10% pricing discount (priced at ~64, averaged ~72) (thanks, Captain Obvious!). Need to see him playing some kind of accumulator role throughout he NAB otherwise i fear he could be a value trap (vs rookies) if he doesn't get to an 85-90 average - and i worry i'd be stuck with him if i'm having to put out fires in other parts of my team (though not starting with Lumumba this year will help alleviate this)..