JUST when we thought it was safe to rely on a few rookies, it was a swift reminder that the youngsters are going to throw you the odd curve ball as we saw by the disappointing returns from Tim English and Nick Coffield. On the flipside, it was great to see that out-of-form premiums Tom Mitchell, Zach Merrett, Adam Treloar and Lachie Neale have all responded to their training camp on Moron Mountain and returned to legend status, while it may be time Patrick Dangerfield made an appointment for a visit.

Fantasy Pig

Jared Polec has been flying under the radar, but maybe not for much longer after a thumping 156 against the Roos. That ranked him the highest scorer for the week and leaves him with a breakeven of just 68. He is now averaging 108 for the season and has an ownership of less than one per cent.

Honourable mention: Adam Treloar was coming under plenty of scrutiny a couple of weeks ago, but he has certainly turned things around, much to the delight of his coaches. Having underperforming 'top priced' premiums can be tough, especially when they have a low ownership like Treloar, but with the Pies star now back in hot form, he is sure to be on the radar for many coaches. His three-game average is an impressive 135 and he has a breakeven of just 81.

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Rage trades

Patrick Dangerfield has not looked himself and certainly hasn’t scored like his coaches expect. Once again, he spent a lot of time forward and often looked disinterested on his way to just seven kicks and a goal for 70. When you couple this with the fact that he spent a large chunk of time on the bench in the last 10 minutes when that game was on the line, it would suggest he is playing injured. With his price plummeting, many are suggesting jumping off.

Honourable mention: Jack Billings had another shocking return for a player selected at a 2017 average of 90+. Usually I am a strong advocate for holding premium players but unfortunately he is doing nothing to suggest he is in that bracket. If you can find a way to offload him, do not hesitate on the back of his 64 points, which included another inaccurate outing of one goal and three behinds.

FROM THE TWOS: Big Roo, dropped Sun impress

Piglet

Kobe Mutch had job security concerns, but he certainly gave everything he had in order to hold his spot. He looked right at home on the big stage, collecting 20 possessions and taking six marks while using the ball at 71 per cent efficiency for a score of 71. If he holds his spot, he will be a great downgrade target next week.

Ben Ronke was outstanding on debut for the Swans, despite the tough introduction to top level football down at Geelong. He collected 15 possessions, but it was his pressure and goalkicking that provided the highlights with seven tackles and two goals contributing to his 78. Even with star Swans returning to the team in the coming weeks, it is hard to see him losing his spot if he can continue to dish up performances like that.

Trade targets

  • Adam Treloar
  • Koby Mutch
  • Zach Merrett
  • Lachie Neale
  • Brett Deledio

NINE THINGS WE LEARNED: The Cats' massive midfield concern

Fantasy mailbag

 

Both are having a great season, but I like the consistent role and value of Seedsman.

 

Great trading. A traditional downgrade and upgrade trade used to grab an under-priced premium.

 

Yes mate, straight off the plane from Perth and to the studio … it should be an interesting episode.

 

For more, follow me on Twitter: @RoyDT

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