AS THE dust settles on the Toyota AFL Dream Team season, it’s time for the boffins at market watch headquarters to take a look at 2009’s winners, losers and all-round good guys.
And there’s no bigger winner than North Melbourne’s Liam Anthony, who produced his very best Steven Bradbury impersonation to top the list of this year’s Dream Team improvers.
Fremantle’s elevated rookie, Greg Broughton, looked a monty to take the crown with a couple of rounds remaining but Anthony just kept on coming with a spate of high-scoring games.
The North Melbourne midfielder racked up 103 points in the final round against Port Adelaide to overhaul Broughton (43 points) at the death.
Anthony’s final increase in value of $279,500 fell shy of Broughton’s round 20 peak of $311,100 but in Dream Team, as in life, it’s all in the timing.
Other eye-catchers included Brisbane Lions ruckman Mitch Clark, who finished with the highest overall value ($431,100) among the 10 most improved players.
It’s all very well for a bargain-priced rookie like Broughton to send his value soaring from its initial $75,300, but Clark required consistent excellence to nearly double his starting value of $217,800.
The Lion ended the season as the only experienced player in the top 10, surrounded by a bevy of first-years that included teammate Daniel Rich.
Finally, a mention must go to another late bloomer, Tom Swift.
The market watch analysts picked the young West Coast midfielder as a bargain buy for round 22 and he didn’t disappoint, racking up 126 points in a best-afield effort against Richmond.
That was enough to send Swift rocketing into the top 10 after a fine finish to the season that will have had Eagles fan salivating at the prospect of what might follow in 2010.
Hawthorn youngster Brendan Whitecross, who led the Dream Team improvers for almost half the season, finished just out of the top 10 after a quiet end to 2009 that mirrored his team’s fortunes.
While round 22 provided a flurry of final-week action, there was much less movement at the other end of the Dream Team form spectrum.
As expected, Geelong forward Mathew Stokes finished the season as the most disappointing Dream Team prospect with an overall drop of $173,300.
As the Cats are still in the running for the flag, it is unlikely Stokes will be too cut up about his dubious honour.
If Dream Team rankings are any guide, the time was right for Melbourne’s Matthew Whelan and Richmond’s Nathan Brown to move on. The experienced pair finished second and third on the form drop table after injury-hit campaigns.
One of the few final-round surprises was the entry of Swans skipper Brett Kirk to the top 10 biggest losers.
Kirk’s rating peaked at more than $416,000 after round 12 but his form dropped off in the second half of the season as Jude Bolton, Ryan O’Keefe and a host of young teammates shouldered more of the midfield load.
He finished the year rated at $288,600 – a drop of almost $130,000 from his mid-year high.
Hawk Lance Franklin and Fremantle’s Chris Tarrant were perennial presences on the biggest loser list but both missed the final cut after lifting their respective games in the second half of the year.
Other big names on the cusp of the top (or bottom) 10 included Geelong’s Jimmy Bartel, Bomber Matthew Lloyd, West Coast’s Daniel Kerr and Port Adelaide’s prodigal son, Josh Carr.
Top 10 movers
1. Liam Anthony (NM) $366,100 (+$279,500)
2. Greg Broughton (Fre) $327,900 (+$252,600)
3. Dayne Beams (Coll) $320,300 (+$233,700)
4. Mitch Clark (BL) $431,100 (+$213,300)
5. Jason Davenport (PA) $298,900 (+$211,400)
6. Tom Swift (WCE) $297,100 (+$210,500)
7. Andrew Collins (Rich) $293,600 (+$207,000)
8. Robin Nahas (Rich) $289,300 (+$205,000)
9. Daniel Rich (BL) $299,900 (+$173,300)
10. Nathan Grima (NM) $258,800 (+$172,200)
Top 10 losers
1. Mathew Stokes (Geel) $217,900 (-$173,300)
2. Matthew Whelan (Melb) $163,200 (-$168,500)
3. Nathan G. Brown (Rich) $249,600 (-$157,900)
4. Mark McVeigh (Ess) $252,500 (-$142,700)
5. Paul Medhurst (Coll) $256,100 (-$132,900)
6. Tom Lonergan (Geel) $168,200 (-$130,800)
7. Kelvin Moore (Rich) $163,200 (-$124,600)
8. Brett Jones (WCE) $190,100 (-$121,400)
9. Brett Kirk (Syd) $288,600 (-$115,800)
10. Nick Malceski (Syd) $183,200 (-$115,600)
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
