The high bump by David Hille has overshadowed the NAB Cup semi final for frantic fantasy coaches.
• Collingwood vs Essendon fantasy scores
• Collingwood vs Essendon by quarter
• Collingwood vs Essendon match report
• Collingwood vs Essendon chat log
Hille’s high bump on Shane O’Bree, using a leading elbow to a player whose head was over the ball, is just the sort of thing that leads to a charge by the match review panel. The complication with Hille is that even if he gets a minimal charge of rough conduct with 125 demerit points – which under normal circumstances would be able to be reduced via the 25% reduction from an early plea below the threshold for a suspension – Hille is carrying a 10% point loading from a striking conviction in round 2 of 2006 against Mitch Clark. This loading, which will expire in a few weeks’ time, would mean that he couldn’t reduce a level 1 charge below one week’s suspension. A level 2 charge could be pleaded down to one match, however.
If we assume that Hille will miss round 1, and like me you were counting on him fronting up for your fantasy side as the #2 fantasy ruck in the comp, what to do? The answer for me lies in the young Richmond ruckman Angus Graham. As I said in this week’s team projection post, Graham has received a public endorsement from coach Terry Wallace that he will play most games as the Tigers’ second ruckman, unseating Adam Pattison. Given the 160 minutes of maelstrom we are likely to encounter before round 1, Graham is the best bet to be a warm body to fill Hille’s big shoes for one week, in a game which will probably be lucrative for fantasy purposes. This suspension, if it does come, doesn’t rule out Hille for me, though I suspect for many of us the temptation to save a bit of money in favour of Troy Simmonds or Drew Petrie would be too strong.
Elsewhere in this game, Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams both put their name right under the nose of Michael Malthouse for consideration for round 1. I still think Beams is more likely to get a gong than Frontbum, purely because the Magpies need more inside mids. There’s no doubting Sidebottom’s DT potential, though, so he’s likely to find his way into a significant portion of teams at some point during the season.
Scott Lucas had another Barry Crocker. He really is playing poorly: unfit, positioning himself all wrong, getting in the way, looking old and slow. On current form, he is going to struggle to keep Jay Neagle out of the side, and it would probably be better for all concerned if he spent half the season at Bendigo sorting out his fitness while Neagle and Scott Gumbleton got the run of games they need for their development. As for Neagle, Matthew Lloyd‘s game staying put in the goalsquare proved that whoever is standing at full forward for the Bombers this season, they’re probably not going to be worth spitting on for fantasy purposes because even Lloyd couldn’t get a kick.
Hayden Skipworth started as he did in the last two weeks, and though he slowed down as the game wore on, he’s looking solid. Jason Winderlich backed up his performance last week by topping the Bomber DT scores once again this week. Bachar Houli didn’t record a single mark and handballed more than he kicked, again proving his Super Coach specialism. Anthony Corrie just didn’t get enough of the pill, something that is starting to count against his round 1 prospects with the likes of Beams and Sidebottom knocking on the door. Meanwhile, Travis Cloke only did well when playing on younger, smaller opponents. Some things never change!
Athomas
March 7, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Argh. Major Problem! lol.
Superfist
March 7, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Off topic but who saw Richard Hinds’ article in The Age this morning? Really a terrible article based upon a superficial understanding of what dream team is. I can’t believe it was even published – what low grade journalism to twice refer to competitions that he had some involvement in as if they were “more real” and more socially interactive while suggesting that ordinary dream team would dilute people’s interest in the game.
Disco (UK)
March 7, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I saw that rubbish article. Its funny how the Age aren’t running a DT competition and their competitor (Herald Sun) is and the Age try to bag the shit out of DT. If the author did any research he’d find websites like FanFooty and DT Talk contradict his whole arguement about lack of meaningful interaction. People don’t like DT or don’t like cheering for a player in their DT playing against the team they barrack for simply won’t register a DT. Its a shame The Age website is in the dark ages and doesn’t provide a comments section for their articles, unlike the Herald Sun website. Let the smashing of said article begin!
Disco (UK)
March 7, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Also, rather then dilute my interest in AFL, DT has turned me into a football fanatic now interested in every player, result, stat, list management, …pretty much every thing about footy.
Ash
March 7, 2009 at 2:14 pm
If i was an Essendon fan i would be worried about there fwd line, lloyd and lucas looked a bit old and rusty, there rest of there fwd line is a bit inexperienced. Add that to the terrible kicking skills shown last night and it will be hard to see the bombers kick a score big enough to beat most sides. Hurley did look like he will be a good defender though
Chad
March 7, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Frontbum looked solid i thought. But is he someone you buy in your initial squad or is he someone you downgrade a cash cow to?
Mitch
March 7, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Totally agree Disco!
ETOH
March 7, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I’ll third that Disco
Narkee
March 7, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Hit it on the head disco.
Monty, I watched the game last night and thought Skippy was ordinary. His 1st 1/4 was mint but after that his disposal was dreadful and turned the ball over on a number of occasions. This did cause me concern however, I still think he is in their best 22 on the mere fact that I don’t think the Bombers have the talent to replace him!
fryzie
March 7, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Disco, I couldn’t agree more, it has made me pay more attention to the games I’d usually ignore and helps me maintain an interest in the ‘ugly’ football we’re likely to see this year.
As for the social aspect, my friends and I will bore our girlfriends to death at weekend barbecues discussing DT smokies. Ridiculous article.
However the problem, rather than it not being as socially interactive, is that I feel as though I’m in The Matrix, seeing the world in 4s, -3s and so on.
bryka
March 7, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Interesting that Hille will come under review when the incident actually led to O’Bree being pinging for holding the ball followed by a 50 and a 9 point goal to the dons!
pascoe
March 7, 2009 at 4:13 pm
damn Hille, so stupid. is he captain or is mcveigh? yes disco, my adoration for AFL has risen by 10 times since i got enrolled in dream team!
Chunky
March 7, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I thought that Skipworth was dreadful last night. His disposal was very, very ordinary. A few delightful helicopter kicks capped off his perfomance I thought. I doubt that he will be able to keep his spot in the side based on what I saw last night.
Knights would be better off giving his spot to a youngster.
Chunky
March 7, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Monty. What did you think of Goldsack last night ? I was quite impressed with him. Does he make it into the Pies best 22 ?
peppers
March 7, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Skippy was a real worry last night. Out of 7 kicks, 3 ineffective and 3 clangers. His spot is probably safe for round 1 but I’d be surprised if he averages much more than a decent rookie, particularly in sc
BazzaRingball
March 7, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Yes bad signs for the bombers last night, its still the old players like hille that constantly stand up, however the ess mid field was very very poor without any senior players in there ie welsh waston etc coundnt hit a target from 20m. The game looked like a team of men playing a team of boys but hey thats preseason for ya.
Bombers will warm up as the year goes on !
Skippy filling holes until the youngers come on .
Max Power
March 8, 2009 at 1:38 am
With the current structure of tall forwards at Essendon, I would love to see Scott Lucas playing across half-back.
He won (or almost won?) the club B&F a few years back playing CHB, so we know he can do it, and with the current style of play in most games a player with his kicking ability would be invaluable in that “quarterback” role the commentators love to tell us about. It would also do wonders for his DT scores.
and to pascoe, Lloyd is captain.
Tommy Mid
March 8, 2009 at 12:46 pm
okay not related but opionions anyway
I have 488,000 left and 1 mid spot to fill
Joel Corey or Dane Swan or Kane Cornes?
Or
Upgrade Leon Davis to Pavlich and get Gibbs or Pendelbury or Cross or Hayes
Brad
March 8, 2009 at 6:40 pm
My level of footy fanatisism has increased 100 times since playing s/c, yet so have my number of splitting headaches and trips to the marriage counsellor.
I cant right skippy off just yet.
Yes he had a terrible night but what i want to know is if the skippy sledgers above did see his first 2 games?
I thought he was outstanding for a bloke who had not played at this level for so long.
Anyone with me on this one or is skippy ready to be made into kangaroo steaks already?
Craig
March 8, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Everyone get off Skip. (I want him all for myself)
Everyone get on the Lewis/Cousins/Lucas train. I want to see it collapse and laugh at you all for doubting the Skiparoo.
The Skip is vital for my team’s structure. No idea what to do with Hille. Probably going to just take the zero for Round 1 and save a trade… then i guess he’ll be a unique for a while till people start upgrading their 2nd ruck.
snoop dawg
March 8, 2009 at 7:52 pm
is cox worth 475k to buy this is my first yr in dream team???
lenny&carl
March 8, 2009 at 8:43 pm
re Beams, Sidebottom, Goldsack, Johnson, Cox, Toovey, Rusling, McCarthy etc
Collingwood have about 10 good-to-half-decent SC/DT prospects who won’t be playing round 1. Buyer beware.
Roger
March 9, 2009 at 12:01 am
any news on stats from nab challenge matches? great post Monty.
I’m still trying to figure out if hasleby is a good selection, but with no figures it is going to be hard to find a spot for the old man
Dicko
March 9, 2009 at 8:56 am
snoop dawg Says:
is cox worth 475k to buy this is my first yr in dream team???
Definitely yes!