Ed Langdon in action for Melbourne against St Kilda in round eight, 2022. Picture: Getty Images

IT IS amazing how the Friday night fixture can set the tone for sub-par premium performances throughout the weekend and many coaches' scores reflected that.

The list of reliable premiums is thinning by the week, with only a few capable of getting the job done week in, week out.

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Obviously it’s those guys we need to be upgrading to as soon as we can while getting rid of rookies and more importantly… the dead weight!  

Fantasy Pig of the week

Hugh McCluggage had a ridiculous last quarter to top the round with a whopping 141. He continued a run of good form over the last month with 26 possessions and 10 tackles, but it was his four goals that took his score to a season high for the talented Lion. It was yet another example of a midfielder taking full advantage of the Eagles matchup.

01:39

Masterful McCluggage bags four in a dominant performance

Hugh McCluggage boots four goals to help the Lions to a big win over the Eagles

Honourable mentions

After a quiet week, Demon running machine Ed Langdon more than made up for it with 39 possessions and eight marks for 140… A lazy 102 up from his round seven performance. In an unexpected trend, Tiger forward Tom Lynch has made yet another appearance on the scoring leaderboard after smashing out his second 140 in a row on the back of an 11-mark and six-goal performance. Blues star Charlie Curnow kicked his own bag to score 138 while Dockers gun Andrew Brayshaw pumped out a handy 134 for his coaches.

Top scorers

1. Hugh McCluggage MID 141
2. Ed Langdon MID 140
3. Tom Lynch FWD 140
4. Charlie Curnow FWD 138
5. Andrew Brayshaw MID 134
6. Mark Blicavs DEF 133
7. Dayne Zorko MID/DEF 132
8. Darcy Parish MID 131
9. Patrick Cripps MID 130
10. Jordan Dawson DEF/MID 128 

02:44

Charlie's six lifts Blues into top four

Charlie Curnow had a game to remember as he snagged six goals in a dominant forward display, with the win seeing his side move into fourth spot

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 eight:

5 – Tyson Stengle Geelong, FWD - 114
The Cats recruit is rocketing up the leaderboard after once again displaying his high ceiling. He continued his run of hot form with a season-high 114 from 20 possessions, six marks, five tackles and three goals to be at the top of the rookie-priced class for round eight.

4 – Nick Martin Essendon, FWD - 91
The Bomber star in the making will be staying in teams for a long time after backing up last week's 91 with a score of 104. He is making the 'premium' forwards look silly.

3 – Ben Hobbs Essendon, MID - 95
After disappointing his coaches last week, the big-bodied youngster made the most of his increased opportunities at the decimated Bombers, receiving plenty of midfield time.

2 – Paddy McCartin Sydney, FWD/DEF- 86
Welcome to the rookie-priced party Paddy. Unfortunately very few coaches had access to the former No.1 pick's score this week but at least it kickstarted his cash generation.

1 – Nick Daicos Collingwood, MID/DEF- 83
Despite illness through the week and rumours of a rest, the young Pie star did it again with another superb performance, once again justifying his spot in our teams moving forward.

LEADERBOARD: Nic Martin 20, Nick Daicos 19, Tristan Xerri 14, Tyson Stengle 13, Josh Gibcus 5, Greg Clark 5, Jason Horne-Francis 5, Jack Hayes 5.

Rage trades

Zak Butters FWD/MID – This isn't just a rage trade, make it happen. We find a way to make excuses for the highly touted Power forward every week but after scores of 34, 74 and 63 the last three weeks, the experiment is over. He has a break-even of 107, a score he has reached just twice this year.

Jason Horne Francis – The talented Roo youngster has consistently been serviceable, but we are coming to a stage in the season where that is no longer enough. That and the fact he is starting to bleed cash means it's time to go.

Matt Rowell MID – After an awesome start to the season, I am at a loss to what is happening here. The Suns had an impressive victory against the Swans and the former No.1 pick still managed just 58, causing a price drop.

Stephen Coniglio MID/FWD – After appearing to be back in top form last week, the former Fantasy star turned in his second-worst performance for the year with just 16 touches and 65. There is no role consistency at the Giants and their form reflects that.

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