I HAVE rolled out a few team reveals over the pre-season, but they were more to highlight some players of interest than an accurate representation of a good starting unit.
This team however, is very close to my finished product leading into round one and a great squad to use as a guide for anybody who hasn’t signed up yet and wants to be fast tracked into contention.
The backline will be led by Crows midfield sensation Rory Laird, whose role in the scratch match all but confirmed he will be playing the same position he finished 2020 as an elite scorer on the ball. I have taken a punt by paying up for Callum Mills, with all indications that this will finally be the year he is unleashed in the Swans aging midfield and I think he will dominate in the role and average triple figures. As you can see, I have chased value rounding out the back half and will do my best to avoid starting a rookie back there. Both Zac Williams and James Harmes look under-priced with more midfield opportunities coming this year, while Isaac Cumming will be given every opportunity to be prominent for the depleted Giants defence (plus he loves a kick in) and Hayden Young looks a great value play.
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My boy Sam Walsh is headlining the midfield brigade as he looks set to make a permanent move from the wing to the centre which should ensure he has his third breakout on the trot which could conceivably result in a 110+ average. Tim Taranto is too much value to ignore after a shoulder injury kept him well below his best last year and he has shown the ability in the past to score with the best in the game. My youth policy created spots for Caleb Serong and Matt Rowell as both have elite scoring potential and come in under-priced. Rory Sloane is a bargain for a player who has been in the premium category for the best part of a decade, while I am more than willing to pay up for the rookies who are well placed to not only play, but keep the score ticking over.
Look, I would love to have Max Gawn, especially given his easy start to the year but instead I have opted to save some cash with the combo of the Pig Brodie Grundy and Reilly Obrien. It’s still set and forget as far as I am concerned and I am not interested in getting pretty with under-priced options like Sam Draper. The gift of mature-ager Matt Flynn is a rare bonus on the bench.
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Despite loving a couple of the top dollar forwards like Patrick Dangerfield, I have saved money by looking at value and going with Tom Phillips as my most expensive as he looks set to return to the wing and midfield role that should see his average return to a 90+ average. Zak Butters is looking like having a secondary breakout with additional midfield opportunities and Jye Caldwell attended more centre bounces than any other Bomber in their scratch match. I don’t like starting with key forwards, especially injury prone ones but I have always been a fan of Joe Daniher and he has forced my hand at that price following an uninterrupted pre-season. To round it out, Paddy Dow, or should I say Paddy WOW is about to go bang and Braeden Campbell’s elite skillset make him an easy selection to round out the team.
Hopefully I don’t get too Royactionary over the weekend and completely ruin my team.
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