IF EVER there was a fitting metaphor for Pollock’s Premiers in this year’s AFL.com.au Fantasy Football season – it would have to be Dale Thomas’ ill-fated stint at Carlton.
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Like Thomas, who started the year with so much promise only to become irrelevant and eventually grind to a stand still, my fantasy side has had a shocker of a year.
And trying to tell how well you are travelling during the bye rounds is about as about as easy as tipping a Richmond game, which, for those who don’t know, is brutal.
Last week’s score of 1443 was, like the Gold Coast Suns’ relevance to AFL footy, neither here nor there.
Although the marginal jump of 255 spots up to 32,992 overall (pathetic, I know), maybe indicates it was a step forward.
Or maybe I’m just as delusional as Essendon, who elected to take on Nic Naitanui without a proper ruckman last week.
However, it wouldn’t be outrageous to expect a better score in round 12, with the side (probably) only missing certified and crucial stars Dyson Heppell, Scott Pendlebury, Nathan Fyfe, Lachie Neale and Tom Mitchell.
On the other hand, losing that quintet might see my side hanging on by a bare thread, much like Greater Western Sydney’s season with the absence of ruckman Shane Mumford.
The painful mid-season bye rounds are almost behind us, it’s just a case of weathering the storm until the season proper returns.
TRADES
OUT: Daniel McKenzie (St Kilda, $257,000, DEF/MID), Cameron McCarthy (GWS Giants, $311,000, FWD)
IN: Connor Menadue (St Kilda, $177,000, MID), Marco Paparone (Brisbane, $394,000, FWD/MID)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chad Wingard (Port Adelaide, FWD/MID), $484,000: Wingard is almost certainly back to his best. Followed up from a solid couple of weeks with 27 disposals, four goals and 127 fantasy points against Geelong.
Jamie Cripps (West Coast, FWD), $426,000: Has averaged a very solid 82 points per game this season and went to another level with 113 points against Essendon.
Dane Rampe (Sydney, DEF), $382,000: Hasn’t had a brilliant season to date but was superb against North Melbourne last week, reeling in 26 disposals and 14 marks.
Tom Scully (GWS Giants, MID), $463,000: A good left-field choice, Scully is averaging 21 disposals for the year.
Jimmy Toumpas (Melbourne, FWD/MID), $333,000: Without doubt played the best game of his career against St Kilda last week. Finished the match with 26 disposals, eight tackles and two goals. Toumpas is only averaging 63 points this year, but might have turned the wheel.