ALTHOUGH it may feel like it, it’s not a time to panic.

There were plenty of under-performing players in round one, but wield the axe wisely, you picked them for a reason. Last year Touk Miller and Jack Steele had a bad first round and look how that ended up.

That’s not to say there aren’t plenty who deserve the chop but I think it’s wise to prioritise bringing in any of the impressive cash cows you may have missed like Nic Martin or Jack Hayes and then luxury trade after that.

TOP FIVE PRICE RISES

• Nic Martin (FWD, $266,000) +$76,000
• Jack Hayes (FWD/RUC, $253,000) +$63,000
• Dan Houston (DEF, $720,000) +$50,000
• Bailey Smith (MID, $781,000) +$48,000
• Nick Daicos (MID, $332,000) +$48,000

TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS

• Christian Salem (DEF, $717,000) -$62,000
• Kyle Langford (MID, $667,000) -59,000
• Dayne Zorko (MID, $860,000) -$53,000
• Dion Prestia (MID, $732,000) -$37,000
• Jack Crisp (DEF/MID, $819,000) -$35,000

LOWEST BREAKEVENS

• Nic Martin (MID, $266,000) - 44
• Jack Hayes (RUC/FWD, $253,000) - 31
• Nick Daicos (MID, $332,000) - 7
• Josh Rachele (MID/FWD, $327,000) - 7
• Tyson Stengle (FWD, $344,000) - 3

HIGHEST BREAKEVENS

• Dayne Zorko (MID, $860,000) 168
• Christian Salem (DEF, $717,000) 159
• Jarryd Lyons (MID, $959,000) 149
• Kyle Langford (MID, $667,000) 149
• Touk Miller (MID, $1,001,000 147

BUY

Bailey Smith
WESTERN BULLDOGS
MID, $781,000
Now that we have seen the CBAs are there is no reason not to launch into selecting the hard running Dog. His massive score of 154 increased his price by $48k but he is still a bargain at under $800K. He has a break even of just 52 to ensure his price continues to sky rocket.

Nic Martin
Essendon
FWD, $266,000
After one of the all time great debuts, the mature age Bomber is as close to a must have as you can get. His five goal, ten mark performance made him the sixth highest scorer for the round with 130 and leaves him with an unheard of break even of -44 leading into his match up with the Lions.

Tom Green
GWS GIANTS
MID, $646,000
We all love a break out player and it appears the hard nosed Giant is about to do it before our eyes. He racked up 30 disposals, took five marks, laid seven tackles and kicked two goals for a game high 133. He has a BE of just 39 and remains a bargain price leading into his game against the Tigers

Also consider: Jack Hayes, James Sicily, Patrick Lipinski, Isaac Heeney

HOLD

Max Gawn
MELBOURNE
RUC, $892,000
Big Max made the ‘set and forget’ strategy look more like ‘set and regret’. He dropped marks, gave away free kicks and mis-timed leaps at the ball, eventually going on to score just 79. His role is still there despite sharing time in the ruck and he will bounce back this week against the Suns.

Jack Crisp
COLLINGWOOD
DEF/MID, $819,000
The Pies endurance machine showed that more midfield time is not always a good thing. With the ball moving swiftly around the ground, Crisp looked a step off the pace and couldn’t get his hands on the ball. Hopefully as the game slows down following round one quickfire, he comes back into his own and accumulates.

Lachie Whitfield
GWS GIANTS
DEF/MID, $778,000
The hard running Giant looked to be a bargain price prior to round one, only to play one of his least memorable game in recent times. He scored just 69 points for 54 per cents of coaches which gives him a break even of 120. Thankfully he is more than capable of reaching that this week.

Also consider: Jayden Short, Matt Crouch, Dustin Martin

SELL

Dayne Zorko
BRISBANE
MID, $860,000
The Lion skipper looks likely to miss time after an interrupted pre season battling achilles complaints. Unfortunately for his owners, he only managed 32 before he felt a pop in his calf while playing more time than we are accustomed to at the defensive end of the ground. He has a BE of 168.

Justin McInerney
SYDNEY
DEF/MID, $565,000
Following an outstanding finish to 2021 and impressing on the wing during the AAMI series, McInerney had a disappointing game against the Swans, managing just 43 points and dropping $18k. He only took one mark and he didn’t lay a tackle which leaves him a break-even of 92. Unfortunately he has to be traded for a player moving in the other direction.

Tarryn Thomas
NORTH MELBOURNE
MID/FWD, $659,000
I’m a big fan of the star in the making and it is justifiable to back him in but with players like Issac Heeney dominating for around the same price, it may be best to pull a trade straight away. Thomas managed just 49 points and dropped $18k leaving him with a BE of 109.

Also consider: Jordan Ridley, Daniel Rioli, Christian Salem, Wayne Milera

I don’t think McInerney will be that bad again. Having said that, It can be easy to be a forgotten man on the SCG wing. Sic Dawg Sicily had an easy match up against the Roos, but he looked great and I tick this trade off.

This is an interesting one. That is as bad as I have seen Crisp play and it’s unlikely he reaches a low like that again for the year. As the game naturally slows in the coming weeks, he will return to his best. Having said that, if you are in a position to luxury trade and cash grab like that, it’s a tick from me.

Both are great options but given the lack of depth in the backline, I would grab McCartin.

This is a risk I’d be willing to take, Green was outstanding!

He will need to plan a new hobby if I hear how much he is beating me by one more time.

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