CROWS fans like myself are still waking up at night with cold sweats and nightmares after what happened on September 30th last year. However, a new season is here and this year we will fly as one and aim to go one better.
Carlton's Sam Docherty was ranked as the best AFL Fantasy defender in 2017, but sadly an injury has ended his season before it began. This opens the door for our very own Rory Laird (DEF, $707,000) to be the No.1 player down back. He averaged 100 and if he can repeat that this year, the mantle should be his.
Despite having a few poor scores last year, Rory Sloane (MID, $754,000) still managed to average 107, his best Fantasy season to date. Sloane showed once again he could produce huge numbers, scoring more than 150 on four occasions.
Tom Lynch (FWD, $640,000) was consistent as ever and has now averaged 91, 90, 89 over his last three seasons. He's often overlooked in Classic, but when it comes to Draft, he's always a steal.
Hugh Greenwood (MID, $555,000) is a basketballer turned footballing beast. Greenwood was super-impressive in his debut season averaging 79. With his desire to tackle, his average will rise towards the 90-plus mark in years to come.
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Many Fantasy coaches believe that Matt Crouch (MID, $752,000) has peaked after improving his average by 13 points to 107. However, I believe this Fantasy superstar has more to offer in 2018. During the AFL finals, Matt scored 124, 122 and 115, scores that don't contribute to his home and away average and price.
Matt Crouch is a ball-magnet and collected a season-high 45 disposals against the Lions in round 14 for a massive 150 points. He only dropped under 100 once in his last 11 games and should continue on from where he left off.
A fit Brad Crouch (MID, $726,000) is a very dangerous player in the Fantasy world. Although Brad has had his injury troubles in the past, he put all that behind him, only missing one game after playing his first game in round five. In his first four games, Brad only averaged 88 but from there, he went on a scoring spree.He averaged 121 during the finals and finished the year with 14 scores of 100 or more next to his name.
Earlier in 2017, Darcy Fogarty (MID/FWD, $248,000) was touted as a potential No.1 NAB AFL Draft selection. The Crows picked up the versatile 192cm at No.12, which still makes him quite expensive in Fantasy terms. In his debut for Glenelg in the SANFL he scored 58, and although he's not relevant yet in Fantasy, the Crows certainly have a future star in the making.
Jordan Gallucci (MID/FWD, $285,000) had a stand-out season in the SANFL, averaging 79 from his 13 games before a broken jaw prematurely ended his season. Gallucci was a high draft selection for the Crows in 2016 and debuted last year in round nine for a score of 54. He'll play again at some point this year, but the Crows' midfield is now stacked more than ever.
New stripes, yes. Right price … probably not. Bryce Gibbs (MID, $790,000) had a stunning 2017, finishing his year with a career-high average of 112. He joins one of the best midfield combinations in the game and some people believe this will slightly affect his scoring output. Gibbs hasn't missed a game in the last two years and although he still should be high in your Draft rankings, he probably isn't going to be a starter in your Classic team.
Jake Lever has gone and Tom Doedee (DEF, $170,000) is apparently the man to fill the void. Doedee is a mature-aged rookie who averaged 65 from his 15 games in the SANFL and finished just one vote behind veteran Scott Thompson in Adelaide's state league club champion award. He led the league in intercept marks and at his bargain basement price in Fantasy, he'll be a popular selection for round one if he can make the best 22.
A career-high average of 99 saw Sam Jacobs (RUC, $700,000) rank once again as one of the best Fantasy ruckman in the game. This warrior is extremely durable and has only missed three games in the last five seasons.
While many teams opt for a tandem ruck combination, Jacobs likes to play by himself. This is perfect for his Fantasy coaches, as this means he attends all the centre bounces, where he can accumulate hit-outs, just like he did against the Demons in round eight when he had 74 for 132 points.
He's a dual all-Australian defender, but one to cross off your Fantasy watch-list. As a key defender Daniel Talia (DEF, $361,000) can lock down the best forwards in the game but as a result, his Fantasy numbers take a hit. Talia averaged just 51 last year and although he's very durable, he's one to stay clear of.
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