One of the new features this week at FanFooty is mid-season player reviews, which you can help with.
I have worked a little bit this week on sprucing up the player profile pages, including prices, averages, price movements and breakevens for both AFL Dream Team and Super Coach competitions. Additionally, I have written a few “mid-season reviews” for some star fantasy players: Gary Ablett jnr, Matthew Pavlich, Dean Cox and Hayden Ballantyne.
You get the idea of what I want the feature to be: a short analysis of what sort of fantasy player he is, followed by a bit of a wrap of how his season has gone so far. If you feel like you want to write a mid-season review for your favourite player, submit your entry of around 150 words – warning, it must be at least within 130-170 words or it will be edited or ignored! – in the comments of this post. I’ll post the good ones with attribution, and a nice picture of the player to go with it.
EDIT: User-submitted reviews – Dane Swan, Leon Davis, Paul Hasleby, Shane Tuck, Brad Green, Brendon Goddard, Daniel Rich, Marc Murphy, Ryan O’Keefe, Steven Salopek, Leigh Brown (!), Trent Cotchin, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes, Brad Sewell, Hamish McIntosh, Chris Judd, Josh Drummond, Sam Gilbert, Daniel Cross, David Mundy, Heath Shaw, Ryan Griffen, Shaun Higgins, Andy Otten, Jason Porplyzia, Paul Chapman, Lance Franklin, Steve Johnson, Will Minson, Jimmy Bartel, Aaron Davey, Andrew Lovett, Chris Knights, Jarrod Harbrow, Simon Prestigiacomo, Xavier Ellis
the dud
June 9, 2009 at 6:59 pm
great idea mitch
Dogg1983
June 9, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Dane Swan
This man is an absolute ball magnet averaging 31.8 Disposals, 7.8 Marks, 3.0 tackles and 5.4 inside 50’s per game. He is undoubtedly one of the most prolific ball getters in recent times. He is in and under winning the contested ball at most stoppages whilst also running harder than any other player on the ground. Have a look at these stats and see for yourself how good of a season this man is having.
Ranked 1st in Total Disposals
Ranked 1st in Total Kicks
Ranked 1st in Kicks Per Game
Ranked 2nd in Disposals Per Game
Ranked 5th in Total Inside 50s
Ranked 6th in Inside 50s Per Game
Ranked 9th in Total Marks
Ranked 11th in Total Goal Assists
I reference to Dreamteam he has scored big 100’s in 8 of the 11 games so far. With an Avg of 119.55 and a price of $496,400 (and still rising) he has to be one of the most wanted Dreamteam players this year.
Pies 09
June 9, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Hey Monty, Is this what you’re after? 162 words.
Leon Davis’ career has forever been frustrating for Collingwood supporters and his fluctuating form in the past made him a fantasy coach’s nightmare. After his breakout year in 2008, many coaches assumed he was overpriced and unlikely to justify such a hefty starting price. All of us doubters have egg on our this year, as Leon has further improved his fitness base and spent the majority of the year in the midfield, yet still managing to maintain a healthy goal kicking average of 1.6 goals per game. Davis’ value lies not only in his disposals per game (23), but in his tackles (4.1) and his disposal efficiency, making him slightly more attractive in Supercoach than Dream Team. Opposing teams have now begun to tag Davis, but given he can be picked as both a forward and a midfielder and his propensity to have huge scores, he is still going to be a very attractive option for any fantasy coaches that can afford him.
Daveo
June 9, 2009 at 9:22 pm
“Most importantly, he comes with big numbers in lower ranks, specifically 75 goals for Peel in the WAFL in 2008 to lead the league goalkicking.”
You forget yourself Sir :p The mighty Brad Smith led the WAFL with 104 to follow up 126 the previous year.
m0nty
June 9, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Perfect, Pies 09.
m0nty
June 9, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Thanks for the correction, Daveo.
William
June 9, 2009 at 10:27 pm
With an 84 average at the halfway point of the season Paul Hasleby is proving to be a valuable mid-priced midfielder this season. He has increased nearly $90,000 since his starting price and has shown that he has fully recovered from the knee reconstruction that forced him to miss all of 2008, giving his owners four tons and delivering solid numbers and good value, apart from Round 5 (when Freo played Sydney) and Round 1 (where he was still gaining match fitness).
In Dream Team terms, he is starting to plateau in price and has shed $2,000 in the past two games, giving his owners serious thoughts about an upgrade to a premium before too long, but expect his numbers to not drop significantly as he takes the mantle of possibly Freo’s premier midfielder with Rhys Palmer out for the rest of the season and feeding off the giant Aaron Sandilands’ hitouts during the second half of the year.
DT=Life
June 10, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Shane Tuck
Shot to Fantasy Prominence in the back half of 2008 with an unbelievable run of 8 scores above 110 in 10 games at an average of 112.4 making him one of the top scoring players in the Dream Team competition. As a result he’s been a relatively popular fantasy pick for 09 but struggled early on to recapture the late season form his coaches were hoping for. However in the lead-up to the mid-season break Tuck has scored 4 consecutive hundreds coinciding with the return of inside players such as Mark Coughlan, Ben Cousins and Trent Cotchin to the Richmond line-up which has allowed him to play a more outside role. Along with his point-scoring ability Tuck’s durability is a key asset with 100 consecutive games under his belt as of this weekend, like father like son. Tuck’s mid-season breakeven of 65 indicates he is a player on the rise and it may be a long time before he’s this cheap again, get onboard.
Grovesy
June 10, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Brad Green:
A forward turned outside midfielder, he is Melbourne’s only real dreamteam premium. You can usually find him running around behind the ball and up the wings taking marks, kicking into the fifty and occasionally sneaking forward for a goal. Usually an excellent (by Melbourne’s standards) user of the ball, Melbourne aren’t afraid to give it to him. Despite being a durable player, he copped a heavy knock to the head in the round four win over Richmond which resulted in a broken jaw. Since his return he has been playing predominately as a forward which has negatively impacted his scores to a degree. His price has fallen $90,500 in dreamteam and $108,800 in supercoach. Watch for when his role changes back to his outside midfield accumulator role, then pounce as he’ll be grossly underpriced.
Pies 09
June 10, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Daniel Rich
Daniel Rich was easily the most popular pre-season rookie and despite his poor form in the NAB, he has delivered on all of the hype. Averaging 85 in SC and 78 in DT, he has surprised most observers who predicted he was in decline, notching two Supercoach 100’s in the last four games. Rich’s form provides coaches with somewhat of a mid-season dilemma. Ideally, Rich is a perfect player to upgrade to a midfield premium, but many of us fantasy coaches find ourselves both short on trades and with other more pressing holes to fill in our sides. Given Rich’s mature body and the inside nature of his game, plus the fact that he will never draw the No.1 tag, it appears likely that barring injury he’ll be a consistent contributor all season. Many coaches may therefore find that they hang onto Rich until late in the season, giving themselves the option of either keeping him as the No. 6 midfield starter or trading him if trades permit to a premium midfielder.
DT=Life
June 10, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Marc Murphy
The number 1 draft pick in 2005 Murphy has lived up to the hype and is one of the most impressive players in the AFL, regardless of age. Since his debut in 2006 Murphy has never averaged less than 74 in a season and has not missed a game since an unavoidable broken leg in his first year. Since the addition of Chris Judd to the Carlton midfield in 2007 he has managed to escape the attention of taggers on a regular basis and rack up huge numbers in both Dream Team and Supercoach. Whilst 2008 was undoubtebly Murphy’s breakout season, when he lifted his average by over 20 ppg, he has continued to improve in 2009 with an impressive average of 104.2 in DT and 115 in SC. At the mid-season break Murphy sits with a number of players on a tier below the top 6 averaging mids at a fair price that is perhaps slightly below what he is capable of.
DT=Life
June 11, 2009 at 2:40 am
hey monty you’re not getting many responses to this because its not the no.1 article on the main page so most people don’t realise there has been a post since the weekends games. If you want more reviews you should definitely put it up ahead of the Sunday Round Review. Anyway here’s another one:
Ryan O’Keefe
Since his shift forward in the 2005 season O’Keefe has been a strong fantasy contributor without ever really pushing into the truly ‘elite’ group of forwards in the Dream Team competition. However O’Keefe has long been regarded as a Supercoach specialist due to his long accurate left boot which has allowed him to average over 15 ppg more in SC than DT over the past few seasons. Early in 2009 his numbers were down but over the past month the return of Barry Hall and Michael O’Loughlin has allowed him to run through the midfield and score higher than ever before with nothing below 100 in either competition. This recent charge is reflected in his low break-evens and he has proved an invaluable pickup for those coaches who got him for only 310 000 at the bottom of the roller-coaster. It looks as though O’Keefe may have his best season ever this year and he is still fairly underpriced for those who missed the boat a month ago.
Disco DB
June 11, 2009 at 8:53 am
Nick Malceski:
WTF.
mr gor
June 11, 2009 at 11:54 am
Steven Salopek – 168 words
Salopek has been a frustrating fantasy prospect over the last 2 seasons, teasing his owners by scoring highly as a “unique†pick before succumbing to an injury mid-to-late-season and forcing a trade when they would’ve needed him most.
Sal has moved to half-back this season, but still ritually started the year well averaging 102 (DT) and 110 (SC) over the first six games. A shoulder injury in round 7 resulted in a minimal score, and grouping that with a traditional low score in his return game against Sydney in round 9 and a recent poor outing against Fremantle has dropped his price to the point where he is a clear bargain.
When on the field, Salopek consistently finds 20 possessions and makes up for his lack of tackles with the ability to find space and take marks. His superior ball-use and healthy kick to handball ratio make him an asset in both DT and SC. The obvious concern though is whether he will last the season or not.
mr gor
June 11, 2009 at 11:57 am
that should also read “20-plus possessions”
for some reason, the plus sign didnt go through
ADROCK
June 11, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Hey Monty. Think your spreadsheet might have a problem. Or maybe my maths way off. Brad Green has averaged 97.8, 93.7, 93.7, 98.9 and 82 in his Supercoach years. Any chance that might put his average of 79.1 for his career. You know, seeing that he has never averaged that low. Great work btw. Best site…EVER
m0nty
June 11, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Good get ADROCK, fixed now.
thall
June 11, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Leigh Brown (Collingwood) 169 words.
Where can we begin to describe this star player. Debuting in 2001 for Fremantle, he played 21 games in 2001 and 2002, but did not impress. He was traded to Norths as a result where he showed his spudly qualities for 6 seasons. His ‘breakout’ year was 2006 where he ammassed a whopping DT average of 58!
After playing only 9 games in 2008, Norths traded King Spud to Collingwood. It is unknown at this stage what substance Mick was smoking on trade night.
So far in Season 2009, Brown has displayed moments of brilliance to the likes of dropping uncontested marks, giving away pathetic free kicks and always having a negative impact on Collingwood when he is within kicking distance of the ball.
DT coaches have stayed away from Brown due to his career DT average of 48. For a 194cm and 101kg player, you’d expect more.
I am certainly looking forward many more potatoes being awarded to Brown, on the internet’s best site, FanFooty.
DT=Life
June 11, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Trent Cotchin
The no.2 pick in the 2007 draft Cotchin has proved to be a classy player in his limited opportunities in between injuries. Cotchin debuted in round 8 2008 and went on to average a respectable 68.5 in DT and 66.8 in SC despite his interrupted pre-season. So far in 2009 he has been restricted to the past 4 games returning from an achilles injury but has maintained his reasonable scores for a player of his age. Whilst he is probably not fantasy-relevant in 2009 look for him to explode in 2010 if he gets his first full pre-season under his belt. This should be particularly true in SC as he bulks up and moves to a more inside role which coupled with his fantastic disposal should see him rack up the SC tons. Given the talent Cotchin has displayed in his brief AFL carreer he will almost certainly break-out in the not too distant future so keep a close eye on pre-season form in 2010.
DT=Life
June 11, 2009 at 4:55 pm
thanks for the mention on coaches box m0nty, glad you liked my opinion.
m0nty
June 11, 2009 at 5:39 pm
No problemo mate, top work.
SungMach15
June 11, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Travis Boak
A top 5 pick in the 2006 AFL Draft, Boak has proved that he is a gun in DT with an exceptional average of 93.8 this season. His injury will last about 5-6 weeks and will hurt teams that currently have him, he is a potential upgrade option later in the season and expect his price to drop when he comes back with a high Breakeven.
Boak has class written all over him with his hard ball gets, tackles, marks and plenty of possessions, he is the next best to Joel Selwood and Bryce Gibbs in the 2006 AFL Draft
Expect him to have a breakout year in 2010 with him getting more time in midfield and with no tag as opposition teams have so many other Power midfielders to worry about.
SungMach15
June 11, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Kane Cornes
Kane Cornes is one of the most consistent DT performer over the last 5 seasons. He has played more than 130 games straight and don’t expect that trend to stop. His injury against North Melbourne brought about a low score the following week against Richmond.
He is currently about 370k in DT and is a bargain, his price is expected to rise over the following weeks as he has a low breakeven. With Kane Cornes, you always expect him to get 100 every match as Port Adelaide like to utilise the ball in his hands as he is very efficient and clean with his disposals.
You don’t have to worry about Cornes getting tagged as he is a tagger. He is one of the most prolific ball winners in the competition and that is more impressive considering he has a stopping role to perform.
SungMach15
June 11, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Brad Sewell
Brad Sewell was well underpriced at the start of the year only worth 370k in DT. He has been playing as a tagger over the last few seasons but now has a new role as a man who gets the hard ball. His price has soared to 450k and is expected to rise even further as teams tend to not bother tagging him.
He missed a couple of games at the start of the season which gave fantasy owners a chance to get him in before his price rise. Sewell is averaging 111pts this season with most accumulated in tackles. He averages an astounding 7-8 tackles a game and along with his possessions make him a gun in Fantasy Football.
When Brad Sewell hits the ton, he usually keeps on going with note to his 5 games where he scored over 120 points. He doesn’t ever have a bad game where in which a bad game will still get you 80 odd points.
If you have missed the boat at the start of the season, don’t worry as his price will eventually fall.
footycool
June 11, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Hamish McIntosh
Last year, only playing 14 games and only averaging 66 ,Hamish has stepped up this year for fantasy coaches.At the start of season 2009, Hamish would cost fantasy coaches 296,600 in DT.Hamish has not just improved in his ruck work,but also improved in his around the ground work. This year, for coaches who picked him up was an absolute steal. With his lowest score this year being 69 against the bulldogs, remembering he han 30 Hitouts in that game. He has have scores of 119 and 118. This year compared to last year, he have improved. At the mid way point of the season he is averaging 94 and it producing amazing results.
For fantasy coaches, he was a huge buy and will no doubt consider to deliver outstaind games and DT results
Edit if u wish m0nty, but i spend ages on this 🙂
footycool
June 11, 2009 at 9:29 pm
is this good m0nty, BTW 135 words 🙂
footycool
June 11, 2009 at 9:31 pm
may need some editing 🙂
DT=Life
June 12, 2009 at 2:45 am
Widely regarded as the premier player in the competition with one possible exception Chris Judd was part of a West Coast midfield that is among the best ever assembled prior to being traded to the Blues in 2007. Despite this Chris Judd has never matched his sublime football ability with good Dream Team scores largely due to the contested nature of his game, and the tags he inevitably gets, which leads to a poor kick-handball ratio and a lack of marks. However for this very reason Judd is a Supercoach star with his contested ability making him 2nd only to Gary Ablett in this competition over the past few years. In 2009 Judd has recaptured his best Dream Team form from 06 and is well up on previous years with only 3 scores below 100 to date. Judd would’ve been a superb pickup at the start of the season if only for the sake of cheering on one of the most exciting players in the game.
SungMach15
June 12, 2009 at 7:55 am
Thx for accepting my reviews =]
SungMach15
June 12, 2009 at 8:05 am
You don’t mind if i do a few more. =]
Josh Drummond
Drummond is often renowned as the ‘General’ and the pinnacle of the Brisbane defence. Drummond is one of the most injury prone players in the competition so if you decide to select him, you are taking a huge risk; but risk doesn’t come without reward.
Brisbane often like to utilise the ball in his hands and get it to him as often as possible as he has a penetrating kick and often hits the target, this is also one of the reasons of why opposition coaches will put a forward tag on him
Drummond was an absolute steal at the start of the competition only worth 300k in DT and with note to his 2 100 plus performances in Rounds 2 and 3, he was well worth the risk. At the mid-season break, Drummond currently has a calf injury which will only rule him out for 1 week and is currently still hovering around the 320k mark!
Hopefully this injury will be his last injury for the year as DT and SC owners will miss his scoring capabilities for this week and expect Drummond to slot straight back into the side after the mid-season break.
SungMach15
June 12, 2009 at 8:12 am
Sam Gilbert
Sam Gilbert is arguably the most improved player in the competition. At the start of the year he was only worth 221k in Dreamteam and if you are one of the owners that got him before the massive price rise, well done!
He is currently worth 335k and expect his price to hover around that mark until the end of the season. Gilbert playing well attributes how St.Kilda are going, they are playing rebouding and fast football which Gilbert usually gets involved in with his cheap marks and possessions.
He is coming back from injury which only lasted 1 week which will please many Dreamteam and Supercoach owners. His lowest score was 66 in Dreamteam and that was only because he was injured and missed most of the second-half.
Expect Gilbert to play more of a Joel Bowden role as Max Hudgton comes back and solidifies their defence, he may also go up forward or have a run in the midfield which will help his scores.
jimmydee
June 12, 2009 at 10:57 am
Daniel Cross
Daniel Cross has carried over his form which has everyone bar dream teamers smiling. He is a ball magnet who every week is in doubt after leather poisioning the week before but its the way he disposes of it that has dt coaches on the brink of emo-ism. Take nothing away from the man as he is still averaging 87.8 but people should look no further than two weeks ago when the dogs rolled the swans, Cross had 23 touches – 17 handballs which is the difference between 87 and the magical ton.
mr gor
June 12, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Daniel Cross – 161 words
Daniel Cross is notorious for being a handballing machine with one of the biggest tanks in the league and while that reputation has held up this year, his reputation as a consistent fantasy contributor has not.
After a pleasant start to the season Cross has averaged just 79 in Dream Team and 87 in Super Coach through rounds 6-11, which is well below what owners expect from a player of his quality. His disposal, mark, and tackle averages are all down and he’s yet to crack the 30-possession mark thus far.
Cross’ tremendous work rate and proven consistency doesn’t correspond with this drop in scoring, but it is uncertain whether he will return to fantasy stardom while the Bulldogs continue to play a much more attacking style that rewards outside players.
He should hold up ok in Super Coach competitions as he continues to win his own ball and be effective by hand, but his Dream Team prospects are average at best.
footycool
June 12, 2009 at 4:41 pm
David Mundy:
David mundy showed signs of brilliance last year, and has continued that brilliance this year.
Mundy started at 310k in DT and is only up 2k this year because of an injury in the year and harvey made him play through it.
This year Mundy is averaging 85,up from 70 last year.He has had high scores of 126,113,which is a major improvement this year.
Coaches who sign him up for there team this year have received there fair share of his amazing scores.People have still an opportunity to buy him at his price, but he will surely rise
austin33
June 13, 2009 at 12:01 am
Heath Shaw has had his fair share of trouble in the last 12 months whether it be behind the wheel of his infamous black ute, questioning umpiring decisions with a touch and feel method as well as being dogged by persistant hamstring problems.
This being said, recent form may suggest he has put such indiscretions behind him. His DT average since returning from injury and suspension has been a very respectable 94.
With the likes of Pendlebury, Swan and Davis running riot in the Pies midfield its seems increasingly unlikely that Shaw will recieve a tag. Being allowed to run free in the second half of the season may see Shaw return to his damaging best.
austin33
June 13, 2009 at 1:28 am
Ryan Griffen continues to frustrate Bulldog supporters and his DT fans with his inconsistency. A player who has the ability to win games of his own boot with his breath taking run and pin point disposl unfortunately hasn’t taken the step into the elite midfielder class.
Thankfully though Griffen has time on his side,at 22 his best football is still ahead of him and he may have a big say in how far the doggies go this season and beyond.
footycool
June 13, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Robin Nahas
He had high raps on him and this year we found out why.
Robin started the year at 866k in DT and has risen at the mid-season break 155k. For all the coaches that picked him up and the start of the season would be ecstatic with his results.
Robin is averaging 65 this year in DT and has had scors of 85,84,81 which is outstanding for a first year play.
Robin is one of the fastest players in the AFl, and with his silky skills and amazing speed, he has kicked 11 goals at the mid-season break.
Robin has been excellent value and he will continue to play and star for the Tigers this year.
SungMach15
June 15, 2009 at 8:05 am
Jimmy Bartel
Jimmy Bartel is a DT specialist but one bad score of 69 against the Western Bulldogs have some questioning his abilities to find the ball. He was on fire during the absence of Gary Ablett but ever since Ablett’s return, he has found it hard to deliver DT owners a huge score.
Bartel is often known for as the ‘Junk Time Specialist’ for that he scores massive points in the last quarter to compensate for his slow start to the match. You can see why Bartel could have a downer of a game when Geelong’s midfield include: Ablett, Corey, Selwood, Ling, etc.
Up to this point Bartel has had 10 scores over 100 and 1 under the ton which is that 69 against the Western Bulldogs at an average of 116. His inconsistent start to the last few matches have deterred many people leaving him as (C) and going with other options such as Dane Swan and Gary Ablett.
Jillsy
June 15, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Will Minson:
The man affectionately known as ‘big willy’ does not have the same phallic girth as his counterpart Dean Cox but what he lacks in stat accumulation he makes up in pure effort and general mop-top antics.
Unfortuntaly this doesn’t translate to high DT scores.
Nonetheless big willy is a much loved identity in die-hard AFL circles and so far this year he has returned the love in spades playing all games to the split for an average of 65.7 culminating in a steller 23 possession, 3 goal game in the Dog’s round 12 arse pumping of Port.
Known for his ability to compete and go forward and kick crucial goals with his ungainly kicking style big willy is sure to garner more fans as he continues to improve on his year to year average.
This form has seen more than one elite dream teamer comment that big willy is on the rise.
Solat
June 15, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Steve Johnson
For many avid watchers of the game Steve Johnson is an enigma wrapped in riddle. You have seen things you will always remember and you see things that you try to forget.
Surprisingly for many his fantasy scoring is relative risk free. He is averaging in 2009; 106(DT) & 101 (SC), numbers not often seen with a medium sized half forward. At his peak in Rd 7 he scored 147 & 146 against of all teams the shut-down Swans.
What is unique about Johnson is ability to play a number of roles; One day he can kick you 5 goals from 15 possessions, on another, have 30 possies, 1 goal and 5 goal assists. You just hold him for the games when he does both.
With Geelong’s epic possession style game, their lack of a power forward option and Johnson’s freaky skills he becomes a go to man for team-mates and for fantasy coaches’ forward lines
DredgeD
June 16, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Lance “Buddy” Franklin.
A popular choice at the start of the season, Buddy has haemorrhaged cash in both DT and SC. More worrying though is the form that has triggered his plummeting prices, particularly in DT. 1 score over 100 is not the output required of a premium DT player. Meanwhile his SC form has been patchy at best and two sub 30 scores in the past 3 games sets alarm bells ringing.
For most of the season Buddy has looked like an opportunist starved of opportunities rather than a dominant power forward and it is quickly reaching the stage where people are entitled to ask whether 2008 was a breakout year or an aberration.
If 2008 truly was a breakout year and Buddy has simply been a victim of Hawthorn’s slow start, you will never pick him up cheaper than he is right now. He could be the buy of the century.
However, if his current form continues then we may rename him Lance “Spuddy” Franklin.
aza03
June 16, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Paul Chapman (155 words)
The Bald Knight, potentially the most injury-prone player in the AFL, has been sensational in 2009 to date (when he hasn’t been injured), averaging a whopping 107.2 in DT and 108.7 in SC. These averages have obviously been helped by massive scores of 152 DT/160 SC in round 3 and 161/163 in round 6, but you can’t deny his ability to completely dominate a game, and fantasy scoring. He has missed two games to date so far, one because of a late withdrawal with a tight back, and the other due to a fractured finger. His inside midfield/half-forward role ensures that “Chappy” gets plenty of disposals (most of which are kicks) and nets plenty of goals, too. His current price of 416k looks tempting, and could be a good upgrade for any coach looking for a high scoring forward. Don’t be surprised if he gets injured, though, so be wary if running low on trades.
xztatik
June 16, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Hey m0nty, I posted reviews for Andy Otten and Porplyzia but did it on the player comments rather than here. Sorry, misread it. They’re there anyway.
Also, could you put a little login thing at the top of each blog so I dont have to go all the way back to the homepage and log in before I can post?
austin33
June 18, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Jarrod Harbrow has never set the DT world on fire but in 2009 he has played with a great deal of confidence since cementing his spot, he has played every game since being recalled in round 4.
This new found confidence may be due to his change in position. Harbrow has played almost exclusively down back in 2009 after spending his first two seasons at the club playing as a small forward.
After finding his feet in defence Harbrow seems to have taken on a running half back role along side the likes of Gilbee and Hargrave, seeing him average a very impressive 82 over the past six weeks.
At a price of $280,000 and rising there are still many players you would take over him at his price but Harbrow is definately one to keep an eye on in the future.
aza03
June 18, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Simon Prestigiacomo
Prestigiacomo, the rock of the Collingwood defence, has been at his consistent best in 2009, averaging 29.6 in DT and 45.7 in SC. While his average may not be a stunner, this bloke is remarkably consistent, with a measly 29 points the difference between his lowest and highest scores for the year in DT (13 and 42).
Presti is very cheap at the moment, setting you back 110k in DT and 212k in SC, meaning that he will be a bargain later in the year, for anyone trying to get the jump on their league opponents.
In all seriousness though, as good as he is in real life (he is on the verge of All-Australian and has conceded 10 goals in 11 games), DO NOT PICK HIM UP. There are better options around his price, who will average more and rise in price more. This is a perfect example of a good player who is terrible at fantasy football.
djch00k
June 19, 2009 at 1:19 am
Geez, aza03’s Presti write-up is a tough act to follow. “Consistent best” and “bargain later in the year” are classic quotes.
Anyway, I’m putting forward an X review. I can’t think of much I’d like more than to forever be associated with my favourite DT player on (one of :)) the best DT sites around.
Cheers m0nty.
Hawthorn utility Xavier Ellis is threatening to prove his table-topping 136-point effort in last year’s AFL Grand Final was far less fluky than his side’s premiership victory.
A top-three draft pick, Ellis produced steady but inglorious fantasy performances throughout his 13-game rookie season in 2007. The same two adjectives apply when describing the start of Ellis’ sophomore season before a big-game 99 against Geelong in round 17 kicked him into gear. Ellis averaged 97 points over his final seven games, including his crowning performance on that one day in September.
An injury-interrupted pre-season, round-three foot injury and round-11 run-in with Barry Hall have this season prevented Ellis from delivering on the potential he showed at the tail end of 2008. The second half of the season, however, gives a fully-fit Ellis the opportunity to show us believers he’s a premium defender in the making.
Not a noted goal-kicker, Ellis instead attracts suitors through his high mark count and, for a skinny bloke, fearless ball-winning ability. Expect his popularity to nosedive if the fantasy law-makers next year cotton on to the fact that Hawthorn employ him on the ball or on a wing and re-classify him accordingly. Until then, get on.
essendonfc
June 25, 2009 at 2:56 pm
many people chose against having Adam Goodes in their super coach team this year as they felt he was past his best and would not live up to his starting price of $569 thousand.
But he has been on fire all year and the 9% of teams that have the Sydney champion are absolutely wrapped with his form. He is averaging 113 points a game and has a total 1364 points the tenth most in the competition.
the other reason he has been so effective this year is he hasn’t missed a game and has been ultra consistent only having three sub 90 games and pulling out the whopping scores of 183,160 and 166 during the year.
the reason he scores so well is that he kicks a lot of goals ( 21 this year sitting 19t hin the coleman medal!) , puts the ball inside fifty alot ( 66 this year 3rd most in the competition ), a good kick to handball ratio ( 148-112 ) , draws alot of free kicks but does not give many away (18-7) and takes a lot of contested marks(17 the most of any midfielder in the afl) .
Adam Goodes is not quite as formidable in dream team as his average score is well down at 94.
don’t be surprised if goodesy wins his third brownlow this year.
essendonfc
June 25, 2009 at 4:45 pm
andrew raines
almost everyone jumped on andrew raines at the start of the year thinking that this was the year that the number 4 draft pick would explode into a quality rebounding player with the potential to score massive points.
at three quarter time of the round one match agaisnt carlton you would of thought you had picked up an absolute bargain ready for a big year as he was one of the few richmond players having a respectable game but it was a case of here we go again when he went down with an ankle injuries. now the question is will his body hold up enough to become a quality player and is it to much of a risk having him in your team.
when he finally made his comeback the two games he played he could only manage 37 and 38 points. surely raines would be the most traded player in fantast football by a long way.
he has the potential to become a high scoring rebound defender but right now his future has alot of clouds surrounding it.
miichaael
June 25, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Jason Winderlich review:
Is no doubt one of the biggest improvers of 2009. Played just 9 games in 2008, for an average of 69 dreamteam points and 81 supercoach. Those who kept an eye on his NAB cup form saw there was a premium on the rise, but did not come at a bargain price, limiting the amount of people who picked him up. He has shown he can score amazingly large numbers such as his round 9 score of 139 dt points against Richmond! To date, he has averaged 97 dreamteam and 105 supercoach points in 2009! Rarely pulls out a bad one, his lowest score this year still being a commendable 73! He is on his way to becoming a premium player, and has jumped over $80,000 in dreamteam and supercoach! Still young at 24 years of age, all he can do is improve from here on in, and looks capable of lifting that average well into the hundreds by the end of 2009!
essendonfc
June 25, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Jonathon Brown is one of the premier players in the competition but for his standards his fantasy year has been down. saying that he has not been poor averaging 93 points a game but only cracking the ton 4 times.
his price has gone down 98 thousand this year but he is averagig 104 in the last three weeks with two very strong showings in his last two games so it looks as if he is back to his best so if your going to get him jump on him especially considering his breakeven this week is 23 and the lions are playing the demons
jono brown is a star and very reliable fantasy player , i think his second half of the season will be massive