Josh Dunkley in action during the R10 match between Brisbane and Gold Coast at the Gabba on May 20, 2023. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

THE 2023 season continued to deliver, once again producing a little bit of everything for the round. Across the board, most teams still managed to score respectably, with 2300s a common trend among the top 10k.

Speaking of trends, there is one we could have all seen coming, yet only six per cent of the competition got to enjoy it. After kicking nine goals and scoring 151 against the Eagles earlier in the year, Charlie Curnow (FWD, $770,000) and his owners were licking their lips at the mouth-watering rematch. The goalkicking star didn't disappoint with yet another dominant performance, snagging 10 sausage rolls on his way to a round high 146. He is quietly putting together a nice season, especially for his Draft owners, with an ADP of 121 and a season average of 90.

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Injury once again reared its head, taking down a couple of our favourites. It was awful to see young Lions star and cash cow sensation Will Ashcroft (MID, $722,000) go down with a knee injury, only to get confirmation that he will need a reconstruction and will face 12 months on the sideline. After a disappointing run of scores from Blues midfield premium, Sam Walsh (MID, $729,000) looked on track for a monster score, embracing the increased opportunities with Carlton's midfield smashed by injuries. Unfortunately, his day ended early following a hamstring complaint in the second quarter, scoring 53 from 34 per cent time on ground.

With the bad news, there was also some good for owners of Marcus Windhager (FWD/MID, $587,000). After a quiet year to date, he still remained on some coaches' fields, such is the nature of the weekly injuries to popular players. He backed up round 18's season high 100 with an impressive 114 against the Roos, collecting 30 possessions and taking nine marks. He is probably worth giving one more run given his fruitful half-back role and match-up against the Hawks.

MOST TRADED IN

  • Luke Nankervis (FWD/MID, $230,000)
  • Josh Dunkley (FWD/MID, $960,000)
  • Sam Flanders (FWD/MID, $681,000)
  • Jack Steele (MID, $878,000)
  • Luke Davies-Uniacke (MID, $818,000)

MOST TRADED OUT

  • Will Ashcroft (MID, $722,000)
  • Matthew Johnson (MID, $520,000)
  • Ben Keays (FWD/MID, $784,000)
  • Angus Sheldrick (FWD/MID, $516,000)
  • Sam Walsh (MID, $729,000)
01:41

On the chopping block: The Traders' early R20 moves

Roy, Calvin and Warnie reveal their early trades for round 20

TOP FIVE PRICE RISES

  • Marcus Windhager (FWD/MID, $587,000) +$65,000
  • Ivan Soldo (RUC/FWD, $557,000) +$64,000
  • Sam Flanders (FWD/MID, $681,000) +$60,000
  • Jayden Laverde (DEF, $567,000) +$59,000
  • Rory Atkins (DEF/MID, $635,000) +$59,000
01:00

Michael Barlow Medal: The best R19 cash cows

Roy, Calvin and Warnie deliver the round 19 Michael Barlow Medal votes

TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS

  • Tom Mitchell (MID, $791,000) -$62,000
  • Jack Ziebell (DEF/FWD, $661,000) -$62,000
  • Bailey Williams (DEF/MID, $587,000) -$53,000
  • Hunter Clark (DEF/MID, $502,000) -$52,000
  • Jackson Hately (MID, $615,000) -$51,000

LOWEST BREAKEVENS

  • Sam Banks (MID/DEF, $270,000) -6
  • Luke Nankervis (FWD/MID, $230,000) -4
  • Callum Ah Chee (MID, $362,000) 7
  • Nathan Murray (DEF, $320,000) 10
  • Ivan Soldo (FWD/RUC, $557,000) 11
Luke Nankervis kicks the ball during Adelaide's clash against Melbourne in round 19, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

HIGHEST BREAKEVENS

  • Tom Mitchell (MID, $791,000) 155
  • Jordan Dawson (DEF/MID, $1.07M) 153
  • Zach Merrett (MID, $960,000) 143
  • Josh Dunkley (FWD/MID, $960,000) 141
  • Tim Taranto (FWD/MID, $981,000) 139

STOCKS UP

Josh Dunkley (FWD/MID, $960,000): Finding a POD within the top 1,000 teams can be tough and I am never a fan of chasing a random one in the hope to make up ground. That's what brings me to the Lions star, who was traded out by almost every team in the top 1,000 following his round 16 calf complaint that resulted in him missing the following two weeks. He returned last week in a tough match-up with the Cats and overcame a slow start to finish with 112 from 27 possessions, five marks and eight tackles from a slightly conservative 77 per cent TOG. He has a high BE of 141, so will likely be cheaper next week, but if you have the cash, I'm ticking off to trade him in this week prior to a match-up with the Suns.

Max Gawn (RUC, $829,000): To think Max is still this cheap is nuts, even after his $50k price rise this week. As solo ruck, the big fella is genuinely in the conversation as the best ruck in the comp for the run home on the back of scoring 162 and 115 in that role in his last two matches. He has a nice run of games ahead against some depleted ruck departments and he is looking to hit his straps at the right time of the year so the domination should continue. There is no question that if you have anyone other than Tim English and Rowan Marshall, it's a no brainer, but some Marshall owners are monitoring the situation closely following Ross Lyon's post-game comments regarding the health of his prized ruckman. Maximus has a BE of just 58 and is a genuine bargain.  

Max Gawn celebrates a goal during Melbourne's clash against Adelaide in round 19, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

Sam Flanders (MID, $681,000): What was Stuey Dew thinking? Fantasy coaches were all over this bloke playing midfield during the pre-season and we are only getting to see the results of how that looks in the back end of the season. Since making his way back into the side in round 15, he has been outstanding, faltering just once with scores of 94, 101, 67, 120 and 110. His CBAs are high and his possession count is reflecting that with tallies of 33 and 31 in his last two. He has a BE of just 38 and is a great option.

George Hewett (MID, $464,000): Super Hewey is a genuine option, especially for the cash starved who are looking to remove a rookie off the field. At his best, the hard-nosed midfielder is a 90-plus guy providing he is receiving plenty of CBAs and, given the injuries to the Blues' key onball personnel, that isn't going to be a problem. He attended a whopping 24 against the Eagles, collecting 31 possessions and laying two tackles for a score of 91. Expect that tackle count to increase significantly this week against the Pies where he will make a mockery of his BE of 37. The only reason he is this cheap is due to a concussion and subsequent vests upon return as he eased back into action.   

Luke Davies Uniacke (MID, $818,000): We are finally seeing the LDU that we talked about all pre-season. After injury and form issues held him back from the elite scoring we expected, he has hit his straps in the last three weeks with scores of 122, 138 and 104 for an average of 121 in that time. It leaves him with a BE of 67 leading into a soft match-up with the Eagles where he should have no trouble making it four in a row.

STOCKS DOWN

Sam Walsh (MID, $729,000): Following an unforeseen six-week stretch where the Blues star had gone without a triple-figure return, he was killing it against the Eagles and on track for a thumper before succumbing to a 2-3 week hamstring injury. He has dropped $187k for the season and will need to be moved on.   

Will Ashcroft (MID, $722,000): What an absolute gun! In a devastating blow to the rising star, a knee injury against the Cats will require surgery. He has been an absolute sensation, fitting into the Lions midfield seamlessly and averaging an impressive 83 on the season which included seven scores over 90. He will be a regular member of our teams over the next 10 years and Fantasy coaches are wishing him all the best in his recovery.

Will Ashcroft after hurting his knee during the round 19 clash between Brisbane and Geelong on July 22, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

Ben Hobbs (FWD/MID, $648,000): His ownership has been on a steady decline since the return of Darcy Parish and if you haven't traded him out yet, you received a swift reminder of why it needs to be a priority after he managed just 44 against the Dogs from 12 possessions and five tackles. He has a BE of 118 leading into his game against the Swans and needs to go.

Ben Keays (FWD/MID, $784,000): The hard-working Crow has been a sensation since receiving a spike in CBAs in round 11, but a three-week stretch of sub 100 scores and an inconsistent role that includes sitting deep forward for extended periods has his coaches jumping off. He avoided disaster on the weekend, overcoming a 21-point first half with no CBAs, before attending eight in the second half and finishing on 82. He has a BE of 112 and a tough match-up against the Power.

Matthew Johnson (MID, $520,000): The Dockers cash cow has been more than serviceable, increasing in price an impressive $320k on the season. Unfortunately, that is starting to slide the other way so it would be best to jump off now given his BE of 95 and risk of copping a vest week to week. Last week he only managed 49 per cent game time and scored a disappointing 22 from six possessions as a result.

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