In the process, I have joined roughly 150,000 AFL dream team coaches with nothing better to do next weekend except mow the lawn, prune the roses or watch my AFL side play (oh goodie, we've got St Kilda!). Bugger.

And quite cleverly, I still had two trades in the bank that would have been so helpful in a preliminary final. Except that the Gavernators aren't in a preliminary final. Double Bugger!

I should reflect on the wonderful lessons I have learned as a rookie dream team coach this season.

Right now I am too bitter to do that. Sixteen miserable points ... .

The seeds for the downfall of many dream teams in August were sown in March. There is an element of chance with selecting first year players and those coming back from long term injuries, but those

who got them right set themselves up for a strong season. Those who didn't, meanwhile, burned off trades rectifying problems instead of using them to steadily build the value of their squad.

Of the early season punts, dream teamers who went for West Coast Eagle Beau Waters (original price $152,800, now worth $330,000), who did not play in 2009 due to an elbow injury, reaped the rewards.

Other success stories, apart from the obvious early round draft picks, were James Podsiadly (opening price $77,800, now $269,100), Nick Malceski (opening price $242,800, now $310,900), Michael Barlow

(starting price $105,800, price prior to broken leg $454,600). Sure, a great many teams traded for these players throughout the year, but coaches clever enough to have them all from round one were and are

at an enormous advantage.

At the other end of the scale, punts on Andrew Raines, Mitch Clark, Jed Adcock, Jonathan Brown (down a whopping $120,500 in value), and one or two other footballers who may not have been Brisbane

players, would have left some coaches playing catch up for four months. Bugger.

You live and learn, or you just don't live - much like the Gavernators.