Sure, you’ve chosen your big guns but now you need players who will not only get game time should your regulars become injured or be late withdrawals, but will actually score significant points. And it doesn't hurt if they increase their value as the season progresses, giving you extra manoeuvrability in the trading game.
First and second-year players are always required to fill any Dream Team squad to help keep you under the salary cap. But it’s the actual choosing of these soon-to-be stars at the beginning of a season that can keep budding Jock McHales tossing and turning in the lead up to the season opener.
So, what to look for when choosing these cheapies?
Here are some important things to remember:
• Key-position players take longer to develop while smaller, stronger-bodied types can make more of an immediate impact.
• Treat pre-season form cautiously. Is this club playing its best team at the moment? Or is this player likely to get squeezed out of the team by the big guns when the season proper begins?
• Does the player have the ability to play a variety of roles? Is he only a midfielder or can he go forward, too?
• How strong is the player’s team? There are exceptions, but few youngsters play week-to-week in their first years at a dominant club.
• Don’t immediately scroll to last year’s draft. There are a lot of good players from the 2006 and 2007 drafts – at bargain basement prices – yet to taste senior action but who are now ready to make their marks.
Below, we’ve included at least one player from each team we consider could be a bargain when it comes to filling your team.
Adelaide:
Patrick Dangerfield ($115,400 - MID)
Any kid the Crows are talking about as being in the same mould as a young Mark Ricciuto must be half decent. Powerful and with the ability to play forward and through the middle, young Patty looks ready to play more senior footy this year. Taylor Walker ($86,600) also kicked a stack of goals in the SANFL last year and looks appetising at his price.
Brisbane Lions:
Daniel Rich ($126,600 - MID)
A little ball of muscle, Rich looks like the next Rhys Palmer – some would argue with a neater left boot. Michael Voss will be keen to slot him in beside the likes of Simon Black and Luke Power as quickly as possible.
Carlton:
Mitch Robinson ($86,600 – MID)
Keen on a young Blue but low on cash? You can save almost 50K by opting for Robinson instead of his higher-profile teammate, Chris Yarran ($130,600). Robinson dominated the division two championships at U18 level last year and has shown ability up forward and through the middle during the pre-season.
Collingwood:
Dayne Beams ($86,600 – MID)
Beams didn’t boot 10 goals in a TAC Cup grand final but, nonetheless, you’re likely to see him in 2009. He’s more your in-and-under type than the pricier Steele Sidebottom ($110,600) but both have impressed at the Lexus Centre over the summer. Capable of kicking a goal but just as likely to rack up points for tackles and doing the hard things.
Essendon:
Scott Gumbleton ($86,600 – FWD)
Forget our earlier tip to steer clear of young key position players with this kid. Injuries have kept him off the park for the past two seasons, and this explains why he's so cheap. Unlike other young talls in the under $100,000 bracket, 'Gumby' has had three pre-seasons to develop his body and word is that he is in excellent shape to slot in beside the likes of Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas in 2009.
Fremantle:
Nick Suban ($86,600 – DEF)
Worried about the slighter, lightning quick Stephen Hill ($142,600) getting knocked off the footy and being belted around by round six or seven? Perhaps try the chunkier Suban who, at a bargain price, is categorised as a defender. A two-time All-Australian at junior level, he could surprise.
Geelong:
Simon Hogan ($86,600 – FWD)
The Cats boast a super-strong list and none of their most-recent intake look ready to play in 2009. Hogan, however, has had a couple of years of VFL footy and is super fit. The youngster is classed as a forward in Dream Team but with Brent Prismall having gone to Essendon, the midfield spot he so craved might now just be his.
Hawthorn:
Beau Muston ($86,600 – MID)
Will there be a Cyril Rioli story this year at the Hawks? Hmmm, after winning a flag it looks doubtful, with most pieces of the jigsaw seemingly filled. The best bet for a bargain would appear to be a player who has been at the club for some time, trying to work his way into the senior group. Muston is returning from a knee injury and, now in his fourth year, must make an impact.
Melbourne:
James Strauss ($86,600 – MID)
The Dees will continue to play the kids; it’s simply a question of which ones get more of a turn. At more than $150,000, Jack Watts isn’t a bargain, especially when he’ll likely have seasoned key defenders standing him when he does play. Given all that, second-round draft pick Strauss could be excellent value. Word is he’s impressed over the summer.
North Melbourne:
Jack Ziebell ($118,600 – MID/FWD)
He’s big, strong, a neat user and looks ready to play. He also blitzed in the Kangas’ first intra-club game.
Port Adelaide:
Hamish Hartlett ($138,600 – MID)
Hartlett looks to be a Rolls Royce. He tasted senior footy at SANFL level last year and Mark ‘Choco’ Williams will be keen to get the No.4 draft pick into the thick of the action, where he can start his apprenticeship alongside the likes of Kane Cornes, Dom Cassisi and Travis Boak.
Richmond:
Alex Rance ($86,600 – DEF)
Taken at pick 18 in the 2007 national draft, the Tigers kept their young defender hidden at Coburg last year but after stacking on a few further kilograms over the summer, look for the Sandgroper to take up a place in the Richmond backline.
St Kilda:
Jack Steven ($86,600 – MID)
Yet to debut but has impressed the Saints over the summer. Can play through the middle or forward, and now seems set to make an impression in his second year at Moorabbin. Looked pretty good in his side’s NAB Cup loss to the Lions.
Sydney Swans:
Brendan Murphy ($75,300 – DEF/FWD)
Take note – Murphy is a rookie. However, with Leo Barry having been placed on the long-term injury list the Swans will replace him with a rookie. Could it be Murphy? They do like the 197cm, 96kg Irishman. Retirements have hit the Swans before the season has started, so Paul Roos will really feel any injuries this year and youngsters may be given a chance like never before. Daniel O’Keefe ($86,600), a first-round draft pick from 2006, is another who might be worth a thought.
West Coast:
Tom Swift ($86,600 – MID)
A ball magnet at junior level, Swift didn’t play much last year but seems to have come back from a knee injury in fine fettle. Given where the Eagles are coming from on the table, he should see good game time alongside fellow youngsters.
Western Bulldogs:
Ayce Cordy ($98,600 – RUCK)
He’s 202cm and could one day play on a wing Richo-style, such is the first-round draftee’s athleticism. However Cordy is classed as a ruckman, so if you’ve spent up on the big fellas (eg Dean Cox or Drew Petrie) and need a cheapie who is likely to play, Cordy might be a good bet.
