FOR THE second week in a row, it was the big Saint leading the way as Rowan Marshall (RUC, $1.02M) backed up his 164 last week with a whopping 171 from a stat-stuffing 31 disposals, seven marks, 31 hitouts and an impressive nine tackles.

This of course adds further salt to the wound for coaches that traded him out after appearing injured in round seven. Despite his hefty price tag, his form and captaincy prowess means he remains on the radar because with a BE of 61, the reality is he won't be cheaper any time soon.

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OK, the byes, I've been avoiding talking about it too much, but the reality is, it should be influencing our trades now to give us the best chance to navigate the four-week period with minimal headaches and no stress of donuts. Remember, we will have three trades each week, starting prior to round 12 and we will revert to best 18 in that time.

Last year it was the 'Rat Pasta', a combo that appeared to be too good to be true (and was). This year we have the 'Sexy Fish', a pair of juicy price tags matched by juicy roles. Sometimes being a good coach means biting your pride, and given that a huge percentage of the competition started both Zac Fisher (DEF/FWD, $697,000) and Alex Sexton (FWD/DEF, $573,000)… A big call will need to be made.

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MOST TRADED IN

• Alex Sexton (FWD/DEF, $573,000)
• Joe Richards (FWD, $297,000)
• Joel Freijah (MID/FWD, $266,000)
• Kane McAuliffe (MID, $244,000)
• Zac Fisher (FWD/DEF, $697,000)

MOST TRADED OUT

• Will Graham (DEF/MID, $490,000)
• Colby McKercher (MID/DEF, $592,000)
• Nat Fyfe (MID/FWD, $596,000)
• Blake Howes (DEF, $464,000)
• Hugo Garcia (MID/FWD, $374,000)

TOP FIVE PRICE RISES

• Alex Sexton (FWD/DEF, $573,000) +$68,000
• Toby Conway (RUC, $449,000) +$65,000
• Blake Hardwick (DEF/FWD, $601,000) +$62,000
• Rowan Marshall (RUC, $1.02M) +$59,000
• Jack Crisp (MID/DEF, $737,000) +$58,000

TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS

• Caleb Daniel (MID/FWD, $542,000) -$64,000
• Cam Guthrie (MID, $664,000) -$55,000
• Tom De Koning (RUC, $673,000) -$52,000)
• Jacob Weitering (DEF, $610,000) -$51,000
• Luke Breust (FWD, $404,000) -$51,000

LOWEST BREAKEVENS

• Joe Richards (FWD, $297,000) -14
• Bruce Reville (MID/FWD, $311,000) -7
• Joel Freijah (MID/FWD, $266,000) -3
• Kane McAuliffe (MID, $244,000) -1
• Toby Conway (RUC, $449,000) -1

HIGHEST BREAKEVENS

• Max Gawn (RUC, $1.00M) 155
• Zach Merrett (MID, $942,000) 148
• Harry Sheezel (DEF, $963,000) 141
• Tim English (RUC, $975,000) 135
• Tom De Koning (RUC, $673,000) 135

STOCKS UP

Alex Sexton (FWD/DEF, $573,000): After forcing his way back into the team in round nine on the back of some very impressive VFL form and scoring 88, the running defender turned it up a notch against the Cats with a dominant performance that consisted of 32 disposals and 10 marks for 126. It makes him one of the genuine bargains of the week with a BE of 15. He looks to have finally taken ownership of the role many of us selected him to play in at the beginning of the year.

Zac Fisher (FWD/DEF, $687,000): Following a vest in round seven where many of his coaches traded him out, the Roos designated kicker in the back half has gone on a tear with scores of 103, 103 and 121 which has forced strong consideration to bring him back in. Harry Sheezel's move up the ground has been the main reason for the spike which leaves him with a BE of just 38. The main flag here is many teams are already loaded on the round 12 bye, so it may be worth waiting on him as an under-priced target in round 13.

Jack Crisp (MID/DEF, $737,000): In what was thought to be a short-lived return to the midfield to cover injuries, the hard-working Pie has returned to top form in the role which has left many believing he is there to stay. He is averaging 114 in his last three after scoring 118 on the weekend from 22 CBAs and has a BE of just 38 to go with the round 15 bye, which makes him a perfect candidate to help you though that challenging period.

Clayton Oliver (MID, $741,000): After a slow start to the season, the Dees ball-magnet is playing at a level above his early season form and remains a bargain as a result. His score of 94 against the Eagles from 26 disposals and eight tackles gives him a three-game average of 100 which looks good against his BE of 71. He is down $286,000 since the start of the year and although he is not yet back to his best form, he is tracking in the right direction.

Rowan Marshall (RUC, $1.02M): Can you afford him? Can you afford not to have him? It's a far cry from the value game we usually play at this time of year but it's hard to ignore the 164 and 171 he has dropped on non-owners' heads the past two weeks. The value of having someone like that to throw a VC or C on as well speaks for itself and leaves you well ahead of the pack. Despite his hefty price tag, he has a BE of just 61, so if you have been mucking around in the ruck department and need to abort, find the cash and go straight to the top now because he isn't getting any cheaper in the near future.

STOCKS DOWN

Nat Fyfe (MID/FWD, $596,000): Despite many popular trades involving two rookies, it's also the right time to move on the Dockers midfield bull. He has increased an impressive $105K since the start of the year but his value is starting to fall on the back of a score of 61 which leaves him with a three-game average of 49. The 32-year-old has a BE on 91, a total he has reached just once this year, so an upgrade to a fallen premium is the play. 

Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $896,000): It's always a risk starting players at top dollar at the beginning of the year, and Bont is case in point. After thinking he was the exception to the rule, I have been proven wrong given he has now dropped $160K since round one on the back of a disappointing score of 71 on the weekend. It leaves him with a BE of 122 and he will be a bargain for non-owners once he turns his season around.

Jack Steele (MID, $899,000): After exciting his coaches against the Hawks with the knee strapping gone and his freedom of movement returning while pumping out a score of 131, it was back to the worrying signs of rounds six and seven against the Dockers, managing a season-low five kicks and two marks for just 77. He has a BE of 122 and will be a nice price and target for non-owners after his bye.

Sam Clohesy (MID/DEF, $576,000): The 21-year-old has been a great cash cow and more than serviceable player on field over his seven games. In that time, he has averaged 78 and increased an impressive $376,000 for the year. He is certainly not a high trade priority given his BE of 54 and good job security to help through the byes but there are some coaches in an attacking position, using the money on his head to upgrade him to a fallen premium.

Darcy Parish (MID, $845,000): If the late withdrawal wasn't bad enough, the Bombers ball-magnet is now set for a stretch on the sidelines with a calf complaint. He was a popular target the last few weeks and rewarded coaches in rounds seven and eight with impressive returns of 107 and 147. His nice price tag allows plenty of options on the trade table and it's recommended you use your bye structure to assist with his replacement.

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