With a bit more time, I’ve had a chance to get some more information from the 2009 AFL Prospectus on changes to player positions and classifications, some of which has important fantasy implications.
A disclaimer before we start with the list: these are Champion Data player classifications, which have a strong influence on VirtualSports classifications for the purposes of AFL Dream Team, Super Coach, Premium Dream Team and other VS competitions, but are not always translated one for one. We’ll start with the older players who have had their classifications changed from 2008.
Nathan Bock: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Michael Doughty: Def-Small-Gen from Mid-Small-Out
Richard Douglas: Fwd-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-In
Simon Goodwin: Utility-Med from Mid-Med-In
Aaron Kite: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Kurt Tippett: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Bernie Vince: Mid-Med-Out from Fwd-Med-Gen
Goodwin has been confirmed as a fantasy forward, while Vince is likely to be shifted from the forwards to the centres. I would expect the Doughty and Douglas changes to hold as well.
Jed Adcock: Utility-Med from Mid-Med-In
Mitch Clark: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Lachie Henderson: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Ashley McGrath: Utility-Med from Fwd-Med-Gen
Joel Patfull: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Albert Proud: Mid-Med-Out from Def-Small-Gen
Adcock is a fantasy back now. Proud is likely to lose back eligibility.
Steven Browne: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-In
Andrew Carrazzo: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-In
Jake Edwards: Fwd-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Adam Hartlett: Utility-Tall from Def-Tall-Key
Ryan Houlihan: Utility-Med from Mid-Med-Out
Setanta O’hAilpin: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Jordan Russell: Fwd-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-Out
Heath Scotland: Utility-Med from Mid-Med-Out
Jarrad Waite: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Andrew Walker: Utility-Tall from Def-Tall-Gen
Simon Wiggins: Fwd-Med-Gen from Utility-Med
Carrazzo is a back, though I am not sure on Scotland. Word is that Scotland has had an interrupted preseason in any case, with surgery before Christmas on his adductor, so he may not be relevant anyway. Houlihan is a surprise, as is his 20% discount, but the bigger surprise is Walker as a forward, which has been confirmed.
John Anthony: Fwd-Tall-Key from Def-Tall-Key
Nathan J. Brown: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Marty Clarke: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-In
Ryan Cook: Utility-Med from Fwd-Med-Gen
Leon Davis: Utility-Small from Fwd-Small-Gen
Tarkyn Lockyer: Utility-Small from Mid-Small-Out
Clarke would be interesting as a back if he hadn’t been injured in the preseason.
Courtenay Dempsey: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-Out
Cale Hooker: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Bachar Houli: Utility-Med from Mid-Small-In
Andrew Lovett: Utility-Med from Mid-Med-Out
Jay Nash: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-Out
Andrew Welsh: Mid-Med-In from Def-Med-Gen
Dempsey could be cheap, if horribly injury-prone. The good news on Houli and Lovett, who could be classified as back and forward respectively, is balanced by the bad news on Welsh who isn’t likely to stay a back.
Marcus Drum: Def-Tall-Gen from Utility-Tall
Garrick Ibbotson: Mid-Med-In from Def-Med-Gen
Ibbotson losing back eligibility would be a tragedy for his supporters, of whom there are many among fantasy coaches.
Shannon Byrnes: Fwd-Small-Gen from Small-Med-Out
Corey Enright: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-Out
Tom Lonergan: Fwd-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Max Rooke: Utility-Med from Def-Med-Gen
Harry Taylor: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
David Wojcinski: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-Out
Enright’s was flagged in Finals Dream Team last year, but Wojcinski is an added bonus.
Campbell Brown: Utility-Small from Def-Small-Gen
Stuart Dew: Utility-Med from Fwd-Med-Gen
Luke Hodge: Utility-Med from Mid-Med-In
Rick Ladson: Utility-Small from Mid-Small-Out
Ben McGlynn: Utility-Small from Mid-Small-In
Jarryd Morton: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Jarryd Roughead: Fwd-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Hodge has been confirmed as a fantasy back. McGlynn as a forward would be exciting, though no word yet on whether that will happen. Brown and Dew are likely to be BAC/FWDs, which will prove handy in Premium Dream Team.
Matthew Bate: Fwd-Tall-Gen from Mid-Med-In
Daniel Bell: Def-Tall-Gen from Fwd-Tall-Gen
Simon Buckley: Def-Tall-Gen from Mid-Tall-Out
Lynden Dunn: Mid-Tall-In from Fwd-Tall-Gen
Colin Garland: Def-Tall-Key from Fwd-Tall-Key
Jack Grimes: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-Out
Stefan Martin: Def-Tall-Key from Ruckman-Tall
Brad Miller: Fwd-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Colin Sylvia: Utility-Med from Fwd-Med-Gen
Austin Wonaeamirri: Fwd-Small-Gen from Def-Small-Gen
Bate was already a fantasy forward so that’s not news.
Michael Firrito: Utility-Tall from Def-Tall-Key
David Hale: Fwd-Tall-Key from Ruckman-Tall
Leigh Harding: Def-Med-Gen from Fwd-Med-Gen
Brent Harvey: Utility-Small from Mid-Small-Out
Ed Lower: Mid-Med-In from Def-Med-Gen
Drew Petrie: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Sam Power: Mid-Tall-Out from Def-Med-Gen
Ben Ross: Utility-Small from Fwd-Small-Gen
Michael Wundke: Fwd-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Petrie retains ruck eligibility, which is a relief. Ross could be a forward, which has me interested in him if he gets the discount I’m projecting him as having in the Fanplanner.
Matthew Lobbe: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Peter Burgoyne: Utility-Med from Def-Med-Gen
Michael Pettigrew: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Nick Salter: Fwd-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Shane Edwards: Utility-Med from Mid-Med-In
Kelvin Moore: Def-Med-Key from Utility-Med
Graham Polak: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Matthew Richardson: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Jay Schulz: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Jarryd Allen: Utility-Tall from Def-Tall-Key
Jarryn Geary: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-Out
This was another big surprise for me. I hadn’t twigged that Geary’s possessions had been gathered in the back half, but that must have been what it was since I don’t think he was given defensive jobs on forwards. A quirk of the system.
Amon Buchanan: Fwd-Small-Gen from Mid-Small-Out
Henry Playfair: Fwd-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Patrick Veszpremi: Fwd-Med-Gen from Utility-Med
Andrew Embley: Utility-Tall from Mid-Tall-Out
Tim Houlihan: Mid-Med-Out from Def-Med-Gen
Beau Wilkes: Def-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Embley was quietly a very good mid-range buy last year, and his skulking around defensive 50 could see him qualify as a defender for Dream Team this year. This would open up another excellent option at the top end of fantasy backlines.
Jarrad Boumann: Fwd-Tall-Key from Utility-Tall
Tim Callan: Def-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-Out
Mitch Hahn: Fwd-Med-Gen from Mid-Med-In
Shaun Higgins: Utility-Med from Mid-Med-In
Caleb Tiller: Utility-Tall from Fwd-Tall-Key
Callan Ward: Mid-Med-In from Utility-Med
Higgins is confirmed as a forward, and remains very popular in the Fanplanner.
And now we come to the draftees. I already predicted most of these in a previous post, though there are a few differences.
Phil Davis: Utility-Tall
Shaun McKernan: Utility-Tall
Rory Sloane: Utility-Med
Thomas Lee: Fwd-Tall-Key
Will Young: Fwd-Tall-Key
Daniel Rich: Mid-Med-In
Jack Redden: Mid-Med-In
Todd Banfield: Mid-Med-Out
Aaron Cornelius: Fwd-Tall-Key
Bart McCulloch: Ruckman-Tall
Kieran King: Mid-Med-Out
Tom Rockliff: Fwd-Med-Gen
Chris Yarran: Fwd-Med-Gen
Mitch Robinson: Mid-Med-Out
Rhys O’Keeffe: Def-Med-Gen
Caleb Tiller: Fwd-Med-Gen
Steele Sidebottom: Utility-Med
Dayne Beams: Mid-Med-In
Jarrad Blight: Def-Med-Gen
Luke Rounds: Mid-Med-Out
Michael Hurley: Def-Tall-Key
David Zaharakis: Mid-Med-Out
Michael Still: Fwd-Tall-Key
Tyson Slattery: Def-Med-Gen
Hayden Skipworth: Utility-Small
Stephen Hill: Utility-Med
Hayden Ballantyne: Fwd-Small-Gen
Nick Suban: Def-Med-Gen
Zachary Clarke: Ruckman-Tall
Michael Walters: Utility-Small
Ben Bucovaz: Fwd-Med-Gen
Tim Ruffles: Fwd-Med-Gen
Chris Hall: Mid-Med-Out
Mitch Brown: Fwd-Tall-Key
Tom Gillies: Def-Tall-Key
Steven Motlop: Fwd-Med-Gen
Taylor Hunt: Def-Med-Gen
Ryan Schoenmakers: Utility-Tall
Liam Shiels: Mid-Med-In
Jordan Lisle: Utility-Tall
Luke Lowden: Ruckman-Tall
Shane Savage: Mid-Med-Out
Jack Ziebell: Utility-Med
Sam Wright: Fwd-Med-Out
Liam Anthony: Mid-Med-Out
Nathan O’Keefe: Fwd-Med-Key
Warren Benjamin: Mid-Med-Out
Jack Watts: Fwd-Tall-Key
Sam Blease: Mid-Med-Out
James Strauss: Mid-Med-Out
Jamie Bennell: Mid-Small-Out
Neville Jetta: Mid-Med-Out
Rohan Bail: Mid-Med-Out
Liam Jurrah: Fwd-Tall-Key
Hamish Hartlett: Mid-Med-In
Jackson Trengove: Utility-Tall
Matthew Broadbent: Utility-Med
Mitch Banner: Mid-Small-Out
Jarred Redden: Ruckman-Tall
Glenn Dawson: Fwd-Med-Key
Tyrone Vickery: Utility-Tall
Jaydyn Post: Def-Tall-Key
Tom Hislop: Mid-Med-In
Tom Lynch: Fwd-Tall-Gen
Rhys Stanley: Ruckman-Tall
Nick Heyne: Fwd-Med-Gen
Alistair Smith: Mid-Med-Out
Paul Cahill: Fwd-Tall-Key
Lewis Johnston: Fwd-Tall-Key
Dan Hannebery: Mid-Med-Out
Campbell Heath: Def-Med-Gen
Nick Naitanui: Ruckman-Tall
Luke Shuey: Mid-Med-In
Tom Swift: Mid-Tall-In
Ash Smith: Def-Med-Gen
Jordan Jones: Def-Med-Key
Ayce Cordy: Ruckman-Tall
Jordan Roughead: Ruckman-Tall
Liam Jones: Fwd-Tall-Key
Tell me what jumps out at you from the above in the comments.
XztatiK
January 24, 2009 at 1:00 am
I’m confused.
Most of this is completely different to the fanplanner eg. HODGE, W.Young, Ziebell, P.Davis, Hale, Bate, Ibbotson etc.
m0nty
January 24, 2009 at 1:02 am
“Most” different is a bit harsh. I got most of it right, I thought. I’m not a mindreader you know!
m0nty
January 24, 2009 at 1:03 am
Also I have updated the Fanplanner where applicable.
XztatiK
January 24, 2009 at 1:08 am
Ok, Sorry monty.
I just thought that you had already updated fanplanner with the new prices/positions yesterday so I was wondering which was right – fanplanner or this.
No probs, I look forward to seeing Hodge back in my plan team’s defence 😀
Dazza
January 24, 2009 at 1:13 am
Fantastic work Monty! Just one little tiny thing:
”The good news on Houli and Lovett, both of whom could be classified as forwards, is balanced by the bad news on Welsh who isn’t likely to stay a back.”
I think you’ll find Houli will be a back, not a forward.
Brendan
January 24, 2009 at 1:19 am
Only two things jump out at me …
Change Shane Edwards to Jake Edwards for Carlton and Pterie to Petrie in the Kangas section 😐
m0nty
January 24, 2009 at 1:23 am
Can’t get away with anything with you blokes around… 😉
XztatiK
January 24, 2009 at 1:23 am
Agreed.
XztatiK
January 24, 2009 at 1:26 am
*Agreed with Dazza… Brendan too I guess.
Dazza
January 24, 2009 at 1:29 am
Another positive is it seems like Brennan will remain a utility.
XztatiK
January 24, 2009 at 1:37 am
I’ll have a shot at what some of the new utilities will be:
P.Davis: F/B
S.McKernan: F/R
R.Sloane: B/M
S.Sidebottom: M/F
H.Skipworth: F/M
S.Hill: M/not sure. anyone?
M.Walters: M/F
R.Schoenmakers: F/B
J.Lisle: B/F
J.Ziebell: M/B
J.Trengove: B/F
M.Broadbent: B/M
T.Vickery: R/F
Dazza
January 24, 2009 at 1:42 am
Hill has been confirmed as a defender Xztatik.
XztatiK
January 24, 2009 at 1:44 am
Nice, cheers Dazza.
m0nty
January 24, 2009 at 1:47 am
Most of these can be found in the Fanplanner already, Xztatik. Not all utilities are given dual fantasy positions, though.
Chad
January 24, 2009 at 10:46 am
Lobbe could be good news if brogan or lade go down.
TRS
January 24, 2009 at 11:54 am
WCE’s Mitch Brown has gone from B/F to Fwd only? I haven’t seen it written up anywhere, but it’s changed in the FanPlanner…
m0nty
January 24, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Yes TRS, he was a BAC/FWD in fantasy last year despite Champion having him as only a Fwd-Tall-Key. I reckon VS might align themselves with Champion on that one this year. Just my own judgment.
fieldy
January 24, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Monty, why is Ziebell still only listed as a back in the Fan Planner? Shouldn’t he be M/B?
m0nty
January 24, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I believe Ziebell was listed as just a back in the Prospectus, fieldy.
Dazza
January 24, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Monty/TRS, Mitch Brown was only a forward last year so the Fwd-Tall-Key was correct.
TRS
January 24, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Curses!
Thanks for the info though, I was getting rather keen on the idea of him on my defensive bench. Back to the drawing board. 🙁
gr0sbY
January 25, 2009 at 10:12 pm
scotland and embley both mids/defenders in prospectus monty
m0nty
January 25, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Grosby, is that in the fantasy section or the main section? Where did you read that? Page number if possible, please.
gr0sbY
January 25, 2009 at 10:27 pm
page 323
m0nty
January 25, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Thanks Grosby, I had that confirmed, you’re a champ! 😀
ben
January 30, 2009 at 8:14 am
Veszpremi a forward m0nty?
jarrad
January 31, 2009 at 9:49 pm
i have sent virtual sports an email confirming whether or not they have put price increases on first round draftees this year
hopefully they will confirm that is false other wise it would be a real tragedy if it where true 🙁