Player X vs Player Y - 2019

[PassivePenguin]

Thought I would get the ball rolling with Player X vs Player Y

My Query
Titch, Macrae, Crouch, Zerrett vs. Cripps, Oliver, Kelly, Neale

[RaisyDaisy]

Drop Macrae for Oliver, upgrade Crouch to Neale

Haven't done the sums but should be pretty close

Titch is a must imo

[quinny88]

R.Gray vs T.McLean

[PassivePenguin]

R.Gray vs T.McLean

Probably Gray since McLean's midfield minutes looked like they got eaten up by dunkley and may be restricted even more with Libba going back in, Gray without Wingard may move back into the midfield

[Ringo]

Still on Gray

Gray v Dunkley

Regarding Query 1
Titch, Macrae, Crouch, Zerrett  (2,386,600) vs. Cripps, Oliver, Kelly, Neale (2,495,600)
Agree with RD here as Titch is a virtual must have.
Titch, Oliver, Neale and Zerrett cost 2,475,500 slightly better scoring as well

[RaisyDaisy]

Everyone pick Dunkley or McLean

Gray is my POD  ;)

FWIW I'd be picking Dunkley over McLean too

[crowls]

Goods points on Gray.   Only worthwhile if his onball minutes increase.   Otherwise it is feast and famine and my old heart can't take the strain of having to rely on Gray to score to win a match.

Just thinking about it,  who do Port have to get a winning score each week.
Grey 36,Dixon 26, Ryder 10, Westhoff 24, Lycett 10, S Gray 21, Boak, 19, Watts 18, Motlop 11.          Still pretty thin on the ground in getting the ball through the posts.

Likes of Rockliff best years were high teens,   Motlop is capable of 30+,  Watts is only a high teens scorer historically. 
So Dixon is capable of adding 20 goals,  Motlop 20 goals, lose about 10-15 with Wingard to Lycett.   Still sees a high reliance on Gray.    If so why would they increase his onball time at expense of scoring capability.     
     

[ubeaut]

Goods points on Gray.   Only worthwhile if his onball minutes increase.   Otherwise it is feast and famine and my old heart can't take the strain of having to rely on Gray to score to win a match.

Just thinking about it,  who do Port have to get a winning score each week.
Grey 36,Dixon 26, Ryder 10, Westhoff 24, Lycett 10, S Gray 21, Boak, 19, Watts 18, Motlop 11.          Still pretty thin on the ground in getting the ball through the posts.

Likes of Rockliff best years were high teens,   Motlop is capable of 30+,  Watts is only a high teens scorer historically. 
So Dixon is capable of adding 20 goals,  Motlop 20 goals, lose about 10-15 with Wingard to Lycett.   Still sees a high reliance on Gray.    If so why would they increase his onball time at expense of scoring capability.     
     

Gray is needed forward.
Perusing Port forums most have him in the fwd line, with minimal mid time if team is struggling there.
Ebert, Rocky, SPP, Wines will play inside with Westhoff and Motlop on the wings.  a
Apart from the later half of this year Wingard was mostly fwd, they'll need Gray to kick goals.
They'll get more goals out of Ryder being able to spend more time forward, but apart from that there's???

[ubeaut]

Brodie Smith vs Dylan Roberton??
And reasons why

[PassivePenguin]

Brodie Smith vs Dylan Roberton??
And reasons why

Hmm honestly not a fan of either but...
I would pick Roberton here.

Roberton has actually been a premo (look 2017) whereas Smith hasn't actually been a packable premium before. Have also seen SOME saints supporters saying he will be the main interceptor out of defence (Savage is an in and out prospect meaning he can very easily be dropped).

Smith would be more of a stepping stone compared to Roberton who has a higher chance of becoming a premium this year. I'm not buying the whole "new kick out rule gives more points" that's pure speculation and CD will have accounted for that possibly making it so that the kick the from the defender will only be worth 1 point or something.

[Peter]

M Crouch vs Z Merrett

[shaker]

Brodie Smith vs Dylan Roberton??
And reasons why

Hmm honestly not a fan of either but...
I would pick Roberton here.

Roberton has actually been a premo (look 2017) whereas Smith hasn't actually been a packable premium before. Have also seen SOME saints supporters saying he will be the main interceptor out of defence (Savage is an in and out prospect meaning he can very easily be dropped).

Smith would be more of a stepping stone compared to Roberton who has a higher chance of becoming a premium this year. I'm not buying the whole "new kick out rule gives more points" that's pure speculation and CD will have accounted for that possibly making it so that the kick the from the defender will only be worth 1 point or something.

Both of them are good value and pretty sure we will be forced to use one or two players like this and Roberton seems the best choice but lets see what happens through the preseason and agree this kick out rule change is being overblown a bit there is still the same amount of points to be carved up I'm guessing so thinking there might be a small benefit to some players.

[PassivePenguin]

M Crouch vs Z Merrett

Both GREAT options (Have both personally), Adelaide have a fairly soft draw for what they are capable of which leads me to believe Crouch will be a consistently good scorer (since Sloane is the one who usually gets the tag). Merrett on the other hand usually gets the tag (not too sure on how Shiel affects this) but he did learn to deal with it.  I would choose Crouch only because Merrett gets tagged more often leading to slightly lower scores (90-105 rather than 110+).

[Peter]

I had Crouch to start with, due to draw, then saw Merrett has higher ceiling. Yes, could go both too. Thanks for your thoughts

[RaisyDaisy]

This is one I'm really struggling with

Luke Ryan vs Connor Blakely

I read previously that Ryan has been urged by Ross to step it up again this year and take the game on more, and I had him last year too which he was very good

Blakely I keep seeing is being touted as the number 1 replacement for Neale, so I expect him to spend a lot of time in the mids

I actually think both could be very good picks, but picking one over the other to start with is a genuine coin flip