ON A WEEK where bold cash grabbing moves in the ruck department paid off from both points and monetary perspectives, the search for a reliable high scoring premium fell well short of expectation for many. The salt in the wound was that most of new inclusions also carried skipper responsibilities.
Of the top five most popular captain selections this week, Jack Steele (who went scoreless for the first 20+ minutes) was the only one to reach triple figures after a handball with five seconds remaining took him to 101.
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Despite the under performers, many coaches still managed to produce respectable scores. Moving forward, it’s probably our last opportunity to do any fix up trades before we get stuck into some traditional downgrade/upgrade moves. Green dots and cash generation are your friend.
Fantasy Pig of the week
OK, not to be outdone by his brother, Angus Brayshaw pumped out the highest score of the round with a super impressive 156 which included 20 marks... ridiculous! The pig of the week however is going to the more relevant Fantasy superstar Sam Docherty. What the Doc is doing is not only inspirational, it’s career best type stuff, and that’s saying something. He stood up in the clutch to give the Blues their third straight victory, all while scoring 138 which takes his average to 113. We need to get him in ASAP.
Honourable mentions
The Blues skipper did it again. Patrick Cripps took his average to an impressive 124 for the year on the back of his 134 from 31 disposals, 11 tackles and a goal. If you don’t have him yet … It may be worth rectifying. Popular ruck replacement and forward DPP Tim English had his owners licking their lips after another dominant display as the sole ruck for the Dogs, notching up a lazy 138. He is no longer cheap, but his role and ability around the ground means he remains a viable option.
Top scorers
- Angus Brayshaw MID 156
- Sam Docherty DEF 138
- Patrick Cripps MID 138
- Tim English RUC/FWD 138
- Josh Dunkley FWD/MID 132
- Brad Crouch MID 128
- Tim Taranto MID 126
- Jarryd Lyons FWD/MID 122
- George Hewett DEF/MID 119
- Jayden Short DEF 118
Cash cows of the round
The best player with a starting price under $300k will be awarded the Michael Barlow Medal as the best cash cow of the year.
The votes for round two:
5 – Nick Daicos Collingwood, MID - 89
The Pie ball magnet was at it again, collecting 26 possessions and snagging a goal for a piglet high 89.
4 – Tristan Xerri North Melbourne, FWD - 79
The X Man continues to shoulder the majority of the ruck responsibilities and his scoring once again reflected that with 25 hitouts and 79 points.
3 – Nic Martin Essendon, FWD - 71
Followed up his week on the sideline with a nice contribution of 71 from 20 possessions and eight marks. Very handy considering his incredibly low breakeven.
2 – Denver Grainger-Barras Hawthorn, DEF - 70
The Hawk defender had an impressive outing with six marks and 18 possessions for his 70.
1 – Jason Horne-Francis North Melbourne, MID - 67
Another solid game for the number one pick who keeps his value moving in the right direction.
LEADERBOARD: Nick Daicos 9, Tristan Xerri 9, Nic Martin 8, Jack Hayes 4, Josh Ward 4.
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Rage trades
Touk Miller – The usually reliable Sun was tagged to a disappointing score of just 68 from 17 touches. He will bounce back.
Callum Mills – The hard working Swan didn’t find the ball we have become accustomed to in his midfield role, collecting just 20 possessions and scoring 78 points.
Rowan Marshall – The return of Paddy Ryder was never going to be good and it hurts more given it is the second disappointing outing in a row. There are good options available like English or Braydon Preuss.
Andrew McGrath – For anyone who selected or drafted the Bomber for his potential DPP, it’s a hard slog getting there. He managed just 69 despite the absence of Zach Merrett.
Jack Macrae – The ball-magnet had a disastrous last quarter against the Swans, eventually finishing on 75. The worry was, he spent the majority of that quarter on the wing … Surely we aren’t going there again.
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