IT'S Grand Final week, and the football world must find a way to rouse itself into an even greater frenzy this Saturday than it did when Nat Fyfe was photographed sans shirt with the Brownlow Medal.
While the prospect of a Hawthorn three-peat seems to have divided fans (into those who barrack for Hawthorn and everyone else of sane mind), there is the small matter of $10,000 on offer in AFL Fantasy Match Day to keep the big day interesting, no matter who you support.
Click here to play NAB AFL Fantasy Match Day for the Grand Final
All you have to do is pick the best combination of seven players from both sides, select a captain for double points, and you will be in the running for a $10,000 start to your off-season, which should make Mad Monday extremely interesting.
Jordan Lewis (MID), Luke Hodge (DEF/MID) and Nic Naitanui (RUC) should be first picked, but the field opens up quite a bit from there. Hodge had 157 Fantasy points in the decider last year, and Lewis 139.
Shaun Burgoyne (DEF/MID) has been a big game player for more than a decade now, and this will be his sixth Grand Final – two for Port Adelaide and now four straight for the Hawks. Back the champ in for a big day in the backline.
Jack Gunston (FWD) will be worth picking if named, but he must overcome an ankle injury first. If Gunston doesn't get up, consider Luke Breust or Jarryd Roughead. Breust had 98 in last year's Grand Final and Roughead a more than serviceable 80.
Your other midfield slot looks like a choice between two All Australians, Andrew Gaff and Sam Mitchell. Gaff has had an outstanding Fantasy year, averaging 104.6 and regularly leading the Eagles in scoring.
Mitchell was unstoppable in the Hawks' last flag win, notching 146 points, and with the Eagles lacking a genuine tagger to shut him down, the former skipper must be considered.
If you're scouting the forwards, consider Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy, particularly if you give the Eagles a chance of causing the upset. A man going by the same name notched 100 points in the red and white this time last year, so surely that's an omen for Fantasy coaches.
Good luck!
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