It might be the old ‘Carlton arrogance’ coming out in me, but if Essendon can (and by some miracle) dodge the considerable bullet launched by ASADA almost two years ago then Pollock’s Premiers are a shoe-in for that elusive $25,000 prize.

After several months (yes, months) of careful deliberation and study, I have settled on a team that should set me off on that righteous path towards fantasy glory.

They say premierships are won in defence and that adage holds true when selecting one’s fantasy side.

Nick Malceski is the best rebounding defender in the competition and is worth the hefty price tag.

Malceski will anchor the backline alongside Josh Gibson, who should take his game to a new level with James Frawley now in Hawthorn’s back six.

The addition of Demon Heritier Lumumba, Gold Coast star Kade Kolodjashnij and dogged GWS defender Tomas Bugg means the propensity for tackles and disposals will be high in 2015.

Gary Ablett jnr will always be the focal point of any self-respecting midfield, as is the ever-reliable Scott Pendlebury.

There’s no reason why Nathan Fyfe can’t kick 30-plus goals this year and I’ve decided to swallow my pride and white-hot loathing of all things Richmond to allow Trent Cotchin a spot in the midfield.

A couple of solid mid-pricers in Lachie Neale and Daniel Wells should get the job done each week, but there will be plenty of pressure on Patrick Cripps and Cam Ellis-Yolmen to lift in the final two spots.

Picking a ruck combination more reliable than Jarrad Waite’s calves is difficult, so rather than stress over it I’ve backed Ben McEvoy and Nic Naitanui to consolidate on the ‘set and forget’ strategy.

Jimmy Bartel and Dustin Martin are obvious choices to lead the forward line, while Josh Kelly is the brightest young star in a shining GWS midfield.

Christian Salem looks set for a big year, as does Troy Menzel, while Mitch Clark has spent the summer reminding us all how much of a competitive beast he can be.

Interestingly, there are no Bombers selected in the round one side, and with $122,000 tucked away safely in the bank, it will be a few weeks before I decide whether or not to take the plunge on the AFL’s most contentious team.

So, with the traditional Carlton v Richmond clash just around the corner, lets strap ourselves in for what looms as a rollercoaster of a season.

michael.pollock@fairfaxmedia.com.au

DEFENDERS

Nick Malceski (Gold Coast), $521,000: Should be the first defender picked.

Josh Gibson (Hawthorn), $442,000: Kick, mark, spoil etc.

Heritier Lumumba (Melbourne), $402,000: Cheap and ready to fly.

Kade Kolodjashnij (Gold Coast), $387,000: About to blossom.

Tomas Bugg (GWS), $356,000: Calculated risk who can find the footy.

Kristian Jaksch (Carlton), $186,000: Won’t score big, but should play every week.

Kamdyn McIntosh (Richmond, emergency), $120,000: Richmond’s big surprise of 2015.

Adam Saad (Gold Coast, emergency), $120,000: A lock for most teams.

MIDFIELDERS

Gary Ablett (Gold Coast), $675,000: You’d be mad not to have him.

Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), $614,000: He’s called ‘Dependlebury’ for a reason.

Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle), $579,000: Heir apparent to the ‘best player’ title.

Trent Cotchin (Richmond), $571,000: Should improve on measly 2014. Surely.

Lachie Neale (Fremantle), $466,000: Can’t ignore him after his NAB Challenge.

Daniel Wells (North Melbourne), $356,000: Can’t be scorned at that price.

Cam Ellis-Yolmen (Adelaide), $120,000: Great pre-season, will start.

Jed Anderson (Hawthorn, emergency), $172,000: Insurance, but will wear the subs vest more often than not.

Patrick Cripps (Carlton), $163,000: Can play, the lad.

Kane Lambert (Richmond), $120,000: Looks every bit the next mature-age fantasy pig.

RUCKS

Ben McEvoy (Hawthorn), $437,000: Will relish playing closer to goals.

Nic Naitanui (West Coast), $413,000: Massive ceiling. Worth a look.

Reilly O’Brien (Adelaide), $120,000: Shown plenty so far.

Toby Nankervis (Sydney, emergency), $120,000: Will play senior footy at some stage.

FORWARDS

Jimmy Bartel (Geelong), $562,000: Evergreen Bartel – there’s nothing he can’t do.

Dustin Martin (Richmond), $553,000: Finally ready to run out four quarters.

Joshua Kelly (GWS), $395,000: Got the nod over Marcus Bontempelli. Just.

Troy Menzel (Carlton), $281,000: Will spend time in the middle and has plenty of scoring power.

Christian Salem (Melbourne), $193,000: Will play down back and score big. No risk here.

Mitch Clark (Geelong), $156,000: Has too much upside to ignore.

Cameron McCarthy (GWS), $136,000: Will get his chance after a great pre-season.

Robbie Tarrant (North Melbourne, emergency), $142,000: Not expecting any miracles, but a solid bench option.