IT WAS a funny old round with plenty of unfamiliar names popping up in the top scorers. That wasn’t to say our regulars weren’t also in fine form, resulting in a season-high score for many coaches.
The uncharacteristic high scoring from a number of players is purely a reflection of the opposition. A couple of teams have the defensive pressure of a broken witch’s hat, so be careful not to trade a player in off one good score.
Fantasy Pig of the week
As we flagged on The Traders Podcast, Big Max Gawn was eyeing off a 150 squaring off against Max Lynch and the Hawks. The in-form player of the competition dominated for the fourth week running, this time producing an unbelievable stat line consisting of 29 possessions, six marks, three tackles, two goals and 35 hitouts for a monster 149. Since being a popular trade out for Braydon Preuss, he has sent a clear message to the competition.
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Honourable mentions
Tom Stewart was the highest scoring player of the round with a massive performance in a loss against the Dockers. He took full advantage of the Cats playing possession footy in the back half, taking an impressive 14 marks and collecting 40 possessions for 157. Tom Lynch benefited of the training run against the Eagles, taking 14 marks and kicking seven goals and five behinds to score a lazy 146 in a match winning performance for many Draft owners.
TOP ROUND SCORERS
- Tom Stewart DEF 157
- Max Gawn RUC 149
- Tom Lynch FWD 146
- Dylan Moore FWD 138
- Shai Bolton FWD/MID 136
- Josh Kelly MID 134
- Josh Dunkley FWD/MID 133
- Callum Mills MID 131
- Jack Crisp MID/DEF 130
- Patrick Cripps MID 125
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:
5 – Greg Clark, West Coast, MID - 110
We have been eagerly awaiting the debut of the mature ager and after returning thought the WAFL following injury, we finally got our wish in round seven. The big bodied midfielder didn’t disappoint, ending the game as one of the Eagles' best players with 26 possessions, seven marks and six tackles. He is a must-have trade target.
4 – Nick Martin, Essendon, FWD - 90
The young Bomber is on fire, once again finishing the week as the second best rookie. He had 25 possessions to go with four marks and a season high four tackles for 91.
3 – Tyson Stengle, Geelong, FWD - 87
The rookie-priced Cat has put together a great stretch, recording scores of 80, 79 and 87 in his last three games. It has caused a nice spike in his cash generation.
2 – Jack Carroll, Carlton, MID - 87
The young Blue made the most of his call up with an outstanding performance. He had 19 possessions and an impressive eight marks for 87 from just 68 per cent time on ground.
1 – Robbie McComb Western Bulldogs, MID - 83
After a solid debut last week, the mature age Dog turned it up a notch and did his job security no harm, kicking two goals among his 21 possessions.
LEADERBOARD: Nick Daicos 18, Nic Martin 16, Tristan Xerri 14, Tyson Stengle 8, Josh Gibcus 5, Greg Clark 5, Jason Horne-Francis 5, Jack Hayes 5.
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Rage trades
Jason Horne-Francis MID – The No.1 pick has been a great servant, averaging 68 points over the first seven rounds and increasing in value by $223k. It is time to go following his score of 52. A downgrade to Greg Clark looks a great option.
Nick Daicos DEF/MID – There is certainly no reason to rush into trading the talented Pie ball magnet, after all, he is averaging 87 and available in our back line. If however you can move him to a top line premium, it's hard to say no after he has averaged 72 across his last three.
Will Brodie MID/FWD – The former Sun has been a great selection this year, relishing his opportunities in the midfield and averaging an impressive 88 as a result. His time on ground continues to be an issue however and his score of 64 on the weekend reflected that.
Joshua Rachele MID/FWD – The exciting Crow has been an outstanding cash cow, increasing in value by over $190k since the start of the year. He has hit some great heights in that time but his score of 43 on the weekend reminds us of the inconsistent contributions small forwards make.
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