STATISTICS from 2020 look a little different to other seasons. With only 17 games per club and 16-minute quarters, the thinking for coaches who like crunching the numbers had to change.

With less game time, scores went down.

A quick calculation of multiplying 2020 scores by 1.25 to get the ‘BCV’ score (before Coronavirus) gave us a figure to understand how scores translated to previous seasons. In 2019, 29 players averaged 100 or more, this year 37 players averaged 80 or more (the equivalent to a Fantasy ton of past years).

Despite the increase in players’ averages at the top end of the scale, there was a small decrease in the equivalent average score for all players. In 2019 players averaged 66 Fantasy points per game while this season the average dropped to 64 (adjusted).

Top scoring players

As per other season, the bulk of the Fantasy points are scored by the midfielders. Lachie Neale was the Dane Swan Medallist as the most valuable player/pig this year, producing his best season to date. Jake Lloyd was the best defender by a whopping 205 points while Reilly O’Brien impressed to be the second best ruckman of 2020.

Player

Club

Games

Average

Total points

Lachie Neale (MID. $778,000)

Bris

17

98

1666

Clayton Oliver (MID, $777,000)

Melb

17

92

1559

Taylor Adams (MID, $791,000)

Coll

17

92

1556

Jake Lloyd (DEF, $829,000)

Syd

17

92

1555

Jack Steele (MID, $809,000)

St K

17

91

1546

Brodie Grundy (RUC, $757,000)

Coll

17

91

1546

Jack Macrae (MID, $782,000)

WB

17

90

1532

Zach Merrett (MID, $860,000)

Ess

16

93

1481

Andrew Gaff (MID, $747,000)

WCE

17

87

1479

Reilly O’Brien (RUC, $785,000)

Adel

17

87

1475

 

00:16

Perfect bounce for Brownlow fancy

In yet another performance that should capture attention from the umpires, Lachie Neale snaps through a goal

Published on Aug 8, 2020

Highest individual scores

It was little surprise that the highest score of the season was scored against the Crows. Marcus Bontempelli (145) enjoyed a day out as did other midfielders such as Zach Merrett (138) and Clayton Oliver (131) to make the top five for highest scores this year. Adelaide conceded the most Fantasy points in 2020 averaging 1.5 scores of 100 or more per game, a huge effort in shortened quarters.

Player

Club

Round

Opponent

Score

Marcus Bontempelli

WB

12

Adelaide

145

Rory Laird

Adel

11

Collingwood

139

Zach Merrett

Ess

8

Adelaide

138

Jack Viney

Melb

1

West Coast

132

Max Gawn

Melb

5

Richmond

131

Clayton Oliver

Melb

10

Adelaide

131

Caleb Daniel

WB

17

Hawthorn

128

Jack Macrae

WB

11

Brisbane Lions

128

Todd Goldstein

NM

2

GWS Giants

127

Steele Sidebottom

Coll

3

St Kilda

126

Lachie Neale

Bris

3

West Coast

126

Andrew Gaff

WCE

8

Collingwood

126

Most popular players

While ownership figures change throughout the course of the year, the big names were at the top of the list come round 18. Brodie Grundy was the ruck of choice in Fantasy Classic and was also the consensus No. 1 selection in Fantasy Draft.

Player

Club

Games

Average

Ownership

Brodie Grundy (RUC, $757,000)

Coll

17

91

65%

Lachie Whitfield (MID/FWD, $784,000)

GWS

17

86

61%

Dustin Martin (MID/FWD, $642,000)

Rich

16

75

54%

Jake Lloyd (DEF, $829,000)

Syd

17

92

47%

Tom Mitchell (MID, $778,000)

Haw

17

86

44%

Lachie Neale (MID, $778,000)

Bris

17

98

44%

Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $721,000)

Melb

17

86

40%

Jack Macrae (MID, $782,000)

WB

17

90

40%

Bailey Williams (DEF/RUC, $226,000)

WCE

3

36

40%

Marlion Pickett (MID, $473,000)

Rich

15

54

37%

 

00:33

Insane Dusty kick shows his sublime skills

Dustin Martin pulls off something very few have the talent to do in the AFL

Published on Aug 4, 2020

Biggest price increases

Making his debut in round four, Fremantle’s Caleb Serong got better as the season progressed. The Michael Barlow Medallist for the best cash cow of the year scored 101 in the Fantasy grand final. Serong added $85k in the final four rounds. The No. 1 selection in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft, Matthew Rowell, was on track to break all record before a shoulder injury ended his season in round five. Even with a zero points to his name in that match, his $257k price increase in that short period is a thing of Fantasy legend.

Player

Club

Games

Average

Price change

Caleb Serong (MID, $613,000)

Frem

14

67

+$357,000

Shane McAdam (FWD, $507,000)

Adel

13

53

+$337,000

Marlion Pickett (MID, $473,000)

Rich

15

54

+$303,000

Noah Anderson (MID, $543,000)

GCS

17

59

+$275,000

Will Day (DEF, $518,000)

Haw

11

60

+$272,000

Luke McDonald (DEF, $698,000)

NM

17

73

+$267,000

Matthew Rowell (MID, $527,000)

GCS

5

71

+$257,000

Trent Rivers (DEF/MID, $455,000)

Melb

9

52

+$247,000

Justin McInerney (MID, $416,000)

Syd

9

50

+$246,000

Sam Simpson (MID, $412,000)

Geel

6

57

+$242,000

01:05

Serong's special effort in the pocket

Caleb Serong kicks a great goal in the latter moments of the game

Published on Jul 27, 2020

Biggest price decreases

Injury was a major factor in Jack Ziebell’s hefty price drop this season. He was injured in round one on 22 points and didn’t register a stat before a first quarter injury in round seven. After averaging 104 last year, Jarrod Witts was well below his best, frustrating his Fantasy Classic owners, but even more so those who drafted him in Fantasy Draft expecting a similar output. 

Player

Club

Games

Average

Price change

Jack Ziebell (MID/FWD, $357,000)

NM

8

38

-$309,000

James Harmes (DEF/MID, $407,000)

Melb

13

50

-$291,000

Jarrod Witts (RUC, $538,000)

GCS

17

64

-$237,000

Cameron Ellis-Yolmen (MID/FWD, $421,000)

Bris

8

44

-$231,000

Matthew Suckling (DEF, $401,000)

WB

7

40

-$228,000

Darcy MacPherson (MID/FWD, $422,000)

GCS

12

50

-$226,000

Jeremy Cameron (FWD, $428,000)

GWS

17

51

-$221,000

Mitch Robinson (MID, $495,000)

Bris

17

58

-$200,000

Jaidyn Stephenson (FWD, $406,000)

Coll

12

49

-$193,000

Mitch Lewis (FWD, $276,000)

Haw

8

30

-$191,000

Most improved

Nailing players who out perform their previous season is one of the keys to success in Fantasy Classic and Draft. Of the players who played 10 or more games in the last two seasons, Luke McDonald had the biggest average differential (2019 figures adjusted to 80 per cent due to 16-minute quarters in 2020). The defender enjoyed a hot patch of form mid-season when he averaged more than 100 over a six-week period. Christian Petracca and Andrew Brayshaw lived up to the pre-season hype to breakout in a Fantasy-sense this year.

Player

Club

2019 average

(adjusted)

2020 average

Difference

Luke McDonald

NM

46.5

72.5

26

Christian Petracca

Melb

60.7

86.4

25.7

Cameron Guthrie

Geel

61.4

84.9

23.5

Zac Bailey

Bris

38.6

61.8

23.2

Andrew Brayshaw

Frem

55.6

76.4

20.8

Jack Lukosius

GCS

41.8

62.3

20.5

Jed Anderson

NM

63.1

83.3

20.2

Jackson Nelson

WCE

38.6

58.2

19.6

Cam Rayner

Bris

36

54.3

18.3

Andrew McGrath

Ess

59.8

77.3

17.5

 

00:19

The good, the bad and the Guthrie

Cam Guthrie takes a stunning grab and then gets caught after playing on

Published on Aug 1, 2020

Biggest form drop-offs

Role changes was the reason for some of the players who played 10 or more games in the last two seasons to decrease their average. James Harmes and Ben McEvoy were used in defence while Mitch Wallis was predominantly played in the forward-50.

Player

Club

2019 average

(adjusted)

2020 average

Difference

James Harmes

Melb

74.9

49.7

-25.2

Darcy MacPherson

GCS

69.8

48.1

-21.7

Rory Sloane

Adel

79.7

60.6

-19.1

Jarrod Witts

GCS

83.5

64.6

-18.9

Jeremy Cameron

GWS

70

51.1

-18.9

Phil Davis

GWS

54.1

36

-18.1

Mitch Robinson

Bris

74.8

57.7

-17.1

Ben McEvoy

Haw

66.6

50

-16.6

Jake Melksham

Melb

59.8

43.5

-16.3

Mitch Wallis

WB

63.4

47.1

-16.3

 

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