DESPITE finishing 12th on the ladder, St Kilda was once again a very Fantasy relevant team last season, with more 100-plus scores than any other team.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (DEF, $1,003,000) had his best season to date, averaging 98, while rookie Darcy Wilson (MID/FWD, $671,000) proved to be one of the best cash cows for the year, averaging 65. Wilson finished the year in style, scoring 91 and 100 in his last two games, rewarding those coaches who held onto him for the entire journey.
Veteran Brad Hill (MID/FWD, $762,000) had a great campaign and even registered one of his best Fantasy scores of 150 in his 13th AFL season. That was his second score of 150, and he did it in round five against the Giants with 33 disposals and 13 marks.
The Saints are a high scoring Fantasy team and they love to possess the ball. If this style of play continues in 2025, we might see more players having breakout seasons and career-best years.
Listen to the AFL Fantasy Podcast with The Traders at Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Lock them in
He's the highest averaging player in the game and in 2025, Rowan Marshall (RUC, $1,201,000) is the most expensive player we have ever seen.
Now… do not let that price tag deter you from starting with the great man. Last season he averaged 117, the year before that he went at 116. This is what he can do.
You could even argue that Marshall is under-priced based on how he ended 2024 where he averaged 125 in his final 10 games. With scores of 171 and 164 during the year, he's a walk-up captain option, No.1 pick on draft day and a player worth spending your salary on.
Track their pre-season
Repeat after me… "Jack Macrae (FWD, $732,000) is a midfielder" … let's hope Ross Lyons thinks the same, because Luke Beverage certainly didn't.
The thing is, off the back of Brad Crouch's retirement, who else is there to support Jack Steele? Last year, Paddy Dow and Marcus Windhager were the next in line for midfield minutes and surely Macrae's inclusion changes that.
Macrae only averaged 71 last season, a long way short of the multiple 110-plus seasons he has had in the past. Watch his pre-season with interest and if he is getting the midfield time he went to St Kilda for… an average of 95-plus isn't out of the question.
Dual-position tempter
Jack Sinclair (DEF/MID, $1,046,000) is as reliable as they come. Over the last three seasons he has averaged 102, 102 and 103. Whether he is being used in the middle or across half-back, Sinclair's scoring doesn't really change. In games where he didn't venture into the middle he averaged 103 which proves that this guy can get the job done from anywhere.
Bargain basement
Snapped up with pick No.8 in the Telstra AFL Draft was Tobie Travaglia (DEF/MID, $319,000).
Travaglia excelled in 2024 as a defender, averaging 101 in the Coates Talent League. He even managed two games against the bigger bodies in the VFL where he scored 55 and 71 late in the season. He now finds himself in a team where his role is rather unpredictable. If he can join the likes of Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera down back, Travaglia could be an exciting prospect.
Word on the street is… this kid will play round one.
Draft sleeper
Entering his third season, Mattaes Phillipou (MID/FWD, $656,000) could break out in a big way.
There was a clear turning point in Phillipou's season last year after he spent five weeks in the VFL. He returned in round 17 and scored 117 and 93 before a hip injury derailed his epic comeback. Three weeks later Phillipou continued from where he left off, scoring 96 and 119 in the final two games.
The former No.10 pick finished the season averaging 64, a long way short of what he is truly capable of.
Custom stat star
The centrepiece of the St Kilda midfield is Jack Steele (MID, $1,094,000) who attended 85 per cent of their centre bounces in 2024. Steele averaged an impressive 107 thanks to his tackling game that saw him lay 7.3 a game, the fourth best in the League.
Steele laid 15 tackles in round 12, just short of his personal-best of 18 he laid in 2019.
Buyer beware
Callum Wilkie (DEF, $758,000) goes on hot patches that you need to ignore.
Don't get me wrong, Wilkie is a great player and on his day he can take double-figure marks, something he did on seven occasions last season. But then some Fantasy coaches get tricked.
Towards the end of last season, he scored 135 and 99 from a total of 26 marks. However, the next week he scored 36. Defenders like this are too hot and cold and need to be avoided.
Get expert advice from The Traders during the pre-season in the Fantasy Hub. Follow AFL Fantasy on X and Instagram and 'like' the Facebook page to join in the conversation.