When it Raines, it pours
It's something I hear in medical rooms all the time and, well, it's a sentiment (and a poor pun) that I'm sure is not lost on Dream Team coaches with a nose for a pre-season bargain.
Sure, Ben Cousins ripped his hammy, but Ben Cousins would have set you back $364,000! Nup. I'm sure come Friday morning it was Andrew Raines' knee injury that 76,107 Dream Team coaches out there were stewing on.
The bargain of the pre-season came in at $188,100 and, with Richmond playing a possession-heavy game in the back half, he was set to pull coaches in a handy wad of cash.
So, you're probably still wondering what to do with him, right? Well, for what it's worth, I reckon hanging on to him for three to four weeks is certainly manageable, particularly if you're subs are getting a game.
So, why is it pouring? Well, another Tiger palatable among Dream Teamers, Jordan McMahon, has been dropped, young Bomber Michael Hurley (quad) is out and Hawk Michael Osborne has done a hammy. Blimey!
What's up with the Pav?
Nothing, Fremantle coach Mark Harvey said in response to claims the Dream Team Hall of Famer was struggling with a knee injury. But scores like Pavlich's 78 in round one won't be holding the big guy's value for long.
At $440,000, DT coaches will be looking for a much bigger output this week if he's going to be a mainstay this season.
Brett Deledio also failed to live up to his $433,000 price tag with an opening score of 85. But if these guys are still notching serviceable early-season scores when they're playing stinkers like they did in round one, it may just be worth riding out the poor form with them.
Show me the money!
I'm not sure how many of these guys are mentored by famed player manager Jerry McGuire, but there's definitely some value being injected into the Dream Team competition this weekend.
Young Tiger Alex Rance comes in for Raines and, after showing solid pre-season form, could provide great value for DT coaches at $86,600.
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide's Wade Thompson ($88,300) is set to debut against West Coast and clock in some sub-10sec sprints on the Subiaco Oval wing.
The returning Lenny Hayes, Simon Black and Heath Shaw are all proven scorers, while youngsters Robin Nahas and David Myers are on a number of lists and get their first run for the season this weekend.
Aye Aye, Captain
Bargain buy Hayden Skipworth may have top scored for a number of Dream Team's last week with 124, but is he going to do it again? My top three captain choices for this week are:
Gary Ablett (123 last week)
Jimmy Bartel (108)
Dean Cox (99)
Expect the Cats' midfielders to run rings around Richmond in their first outing at the Cattery for the year, while the West Coast big man will be combating the wily tap work, but aging legs, of Brendon Lade.
Best of luck to you all, Dream Teamers.
Got a bad case of dud-captain blues? Let the good doctor diagnose your trouble, each Friday on afl.com.au. Drop Dr Dream Team a line on dreamteam@afl.com.au
