Hey Doc, What to do you reckon about tanking in DT? Things like holding off on late-season trades that would win you matches and even benching guns to lose matches if it creates a more favourable finals fixture for you. – Brett (three trades, $34,000)
I've come across a few of these operators in my time, Brett, and they weren't for mine. However, the times have changed and strategy is important if you're restricting your DT ambitions to winning your league.
Now you've mentioned holding back trades late in the season as a form of DT tanking. Not so sure myself. If a few upgrades were sure to get you over the line, but you're not desperate for the win, there's no shame in holding the trades and maybe just missing the points. That's just smart team management.
If DT coaches were expected to do everything possible to win every week, like those real life coaches, well, we'd be out of trades and staring at a shot season by the split round.
However, there's a much more blatant form of DT tanking, and it is now, in the final round of the regular season, that DT coaches will employ it.
Who you face in the first round of the finals is crucial. There's a week off up for grabs for the top four sides, and it's do-or-die for the bottom half of the top eight.
If losing now is going to pit you against an out-of-form opponent in the first week of the finals, well, maybe round 18 is the week to give Swanny a rest and throw the captaincy to Sam Blease.
Now, prepare yourself for a whole heap of dodgy metaphors from your jaded opponents. "You've shown poor leadership," they'll cry. "You're limping into the finals." But rest assured, this is a game. Tanking happens and there's really nothing all that wrong with it.
Hey Doc. I’m considering trading Dean Cox for Darren Jolly. Is it worth it, and are there any other players I should consider getting instead of Jolly? – Luke (four trades, $15,600)
Well, Luke, it's only worth it if you've got some tough games coming up either this weekend or first week of the finals, and you don't reckon you can get through without some solid points where the big fella normally resides.
Now, a little update on the great Eagle, and this is straight from the horse's gob.
"If I can get the injury right with a couple of weeks to go, well then I'll play again this season. If I can’t, then I'm just going to have to continue with the recovery process.
"I'd say getting through a full training session and pulling up okay is still two weeks away."
Make of that what you will, but I suspect expecting the champ to play a role in the DT finals is a long-shot. Here are some options outside of Jolly.
Aaron Sandilands ($411,500) returned last week to pocket himself a Ross Glendinning Medal with 116 DT points. With an average of 106 from his last three games, he's your best option for mine.
Mitch Clark ($389,300) is still an option if you can stomach his price rise this season. His average of 114 from his last three matches means it's probably time for those that missed the boat to swallow their pride and get on. Giving Clark added shininess is the fact his Lions are finals bound.
I'd look at these two and Hamish McIntosh ($376,100) ahead of Jolly. Matthew Kreuzer (62) and Kurt Tippett (71) had disappointing games in round 17, but they remain viable downgrade options and their sides are also finals bound.
What do we do with Shaun Higgins, Doc? I've got Mitch Brown and Steele Sidebottom as cover on my bench, but I think I'll need the extra points come finals. What should I do good doctor! – Tanya (three trades, $22,000)
This is a real kick in the guts, Tanya. At $211,900, Higgins was already one of the buys of the pre-season, but he's gone on to be one hell of a solid performer, worthy of a forward line spot come finals time.
You've obviously held onto him, so you'd know as well as I do how admirable his season's been. A neat average of 90, seven centuries and only two games missed. Unfortunately he's going to miss at least another three with this hamstring injury it seems, so we've all got a tough decision to make.
Looking at your case, Mitch Brown seems to have returned to a key defensive post for a few weeks at West Coast, so those 70s and 60s of a few weeks back are likely to turn into 40s and 50s. And Sidebottom is one of those young guys that you look nervously for on the team's list every Thursday.
However, situations like this are what emergencies are for, aren't they? But if you don't reckon you can get through the first two weeks of finals without a bigger name on the ground, here's a couple to look at.
Buddy's a bargain at $313,000, and there are a lot of coaches banking on his 118 from last week being a turning point in a tragic DT campaign.
Boomer Harvey ($350,200) is starting to hit some DT form with an average of 97 in his last three matches, while Simon Goodwin ($328,900) is also reasonably priced and running into some form with 117 DT points in round 17.
Buddy has the most reward of those three, and he's the cheapest.
Captains
Well, if you put the 'C' on young Joel Selwood last week, well done, squire! There are certainly risks in straying from the proven skippers, but Selwood's monster score proves taking a punt can deliver.
Having said that, there are three standout names this week, and you're probably pretty familiar with them.
Swanny loves the 'G, he loves a blockbuster and he loves racking up monster scores. But he doesn’t love the Brisbane Lions.
The star Magpie has averaged 81 against the Lions in his last five matches with a score of 79 the most recent of those. However, there have been two centuries in that lot and a score of 21 when he did a hammy back in 2006.
Now Swanny's 131 last week was just about on his average of 129 at the home of football this season and I reckon that's of more consequence than his record against the Lions. Lock him in.
Now, Jimmy and The Little Master have had contrasting fortunes against the Crows, but they're both in line for big scores this week.
Ablett? Well, 155 against the Crows in round four, 131 last week and 121 the week before that tells the story.
Jimmy averages 122 against the Crows in his last five clashes – including monster scores of 145 and 160 – but his recent form has been off.
A barnstorming finish against the Hawks last week should seem him back to his best, so feel free to lock in the 'C' with Jimmy.
Selwood, as reactionary as it may seem, is a fine pick, while out west Brent Stanton is the pick of the Bombers on Subiaco Oval.
This week's top three:
Swan (131 last week)
Ablett (131)
Selwood (185)
Best of luck to you all dream-teamers!
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
