LET’S clear something up quickly – a delicious rack of pork ribs, good. A broken set of Fantasy Pig ribs, terrible.
Poor Tom Rockliff went from Fantasy royalty to roadkill once Travis Varcoe’s knee cannoned into his ribs and left more than 22,000 coaches with $737,000 burning a hole in their collective pockets.
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If you considered Rockliff over-priced at the start of the NAB AFL Fantasy season and held fire, you can pat yourself on the back, and burn your trades elsewhere. Otherwise Jordan Lewis [MID, $643,000], Brad Ebert [MID, $590,000] or Robbie Gray [FWD/MID $558,000] look the smart swaps for your midfield, and as captain over the next month or so.
Rockliff’s teammate Daniel Rich [MID, $298,000] was quick to show where true value lies with a round-one score of 111 and Mitch Clark [FWD, $184,000] lived up to his exalted status of Fantasy’s most selected player with a score of 86 in a heavily beaten side.
Five of Fantasy’s top seven scorers in round one were from the Adelaide teams - of the two that weren’t, Jordan Lewis was no surprise but Tom McDonald certainly was.
And what of Gary Ablett? Rodney Eade suggests you keep the faith for now, and with Rockliff on ice, Fantasy coaches will flock to the Little Master and hope he has moved on from the Jack Viney-blanket he faced on Saturday.
Sorry, who broke the ton?
Tom McDonald [DEF, $367,000] – 125 points: The Demon stopper can usually be banked on for a solid 60-pointer but he monstered the Suns for a debut Fantasy century on Saturday. Interestingly, his previous highest Fantasy score was a 96 against, you guessed it, Gold Coast in round 19, 2012.
Jeremy McGovern [DEF/FWD, $393,000] – 114 points: The Eagles have really found one here and McGovern was super-impressive in a losing cause, picking off errant Bulldog kicks at will with 12 marks. A tasty dual-position option.
You! My team. Now!
Kamdyn McIntosh [DEF, $158,000]: There’s rookie upgrades and there’s rookie upgrades. When you clock up 101 points in front of 83,000 fans in the season opener, you’re a keeper. If you don’t want to waste a trade this week on round one’s rising star nominee, get set to feel a strong tinge of regret by Saturday evening.
Taylor Walker: [FWD, $449,000] – 146 points: Some chancer suggested pre-season that Gold Coast’s Tom Lynch was the better power forward pick when he returns from suspension in round two. Tex put down a marker on Sunday against North with 146 points and immediately delivered the League’s second-biggest price rise. Pounce now on the mighty Crow.
I’m not angry, just disappointed
Jack Newnes [DEF/MID, $446,000] - 43 points: One of Fantasy’s most talked-up pre-season fancies, Newnes had an absolute stinker against the Giants. His 14 disposals were below par, but it was the five free kicks he conceded that left Fantasy coaches tearing their hair out. He can be considered ‘on notice’.
Kade Kolodjashnij [DEF, $372,000] – 37 points: It might seem a bit harsh picking on the second-year Sun, as he wasn’t alone in disappointing against the Demons. After a few early possessions on Saturday, KK was handed a lock-down job and an immediate lock-down on Fantasy points was the result. Here’s hoping Rocket lets him roam this week against the Saints.
Get ‘em in
Steven Motlop [FWD, $482,000]
Taylor Hunt [DEF, $356,000]
Jared Polec [MID, $432,000]
Jamie Cripps [FWD, $370,000]
Lin Jong [MID, $278,000]
Farewell for now
Tom Rockliff [MID, $737,000]
David Myers [MID, $423,000]
Steele Sidebottom [MID, $602,000]
Dale Thomas [FWD/MID, $395,000]
Jaeger O’Meara [MID, $525,000]
