MELBOURNE has always been one of the most Fantasy relevant teams in the game and this year is no exception.

Remarkably, 17 players failed to reach their 2021 average last season and Christian Petracca (MID, $908,000) was one of them. After coming off a career-best 111, this was always going to be hard to maintain. Petracca managed to play all 22 games though with some thumping scores of 142, 141 and 139.

Angus Brayshaw (DEF, $878,000) wound back the clock and reinvented himself with a role across half-back. This Fantasy friendly role, including plenty of marks, saw him average 99, his best season since that standout 105 back in 2018.

So, what can the Demons offer in 2023 and how will this Brodie Grundy/Max Gawn combination work?

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Lock them in

Last season we saw the lowest number (18) of midfielders averaging 100-plus than we have in the past nine years.

Surprise, surprise… Clayton Oliver (MID, $994,000) was one of them. In fact, excluding his debut season, Oliver has now averaged over 100 in every single year he has played.

He is tough, reliable and rarely misses games. He missed his first game in six years last season with a broken thumb, making him one of the most durable players going around.

He has now averaged 111 over the last two seasons and is a must-have player in Fantasy Classic and one of your first players picked on Draft Day.

Track their pre-season

The sharing of the ruck role between Brodie Grundy (RUC, $830,000) and Max Gawn (RUC, $914,000) will be an intriguing watch this pre-season. Will it be evenly shared or will we see something completely new?

Both players have been in the top three drafted players in the past, but with them joining forces in 2023, so many questions need to be answered.

Grundy though, arrives at his new club after playing just six games last year and is priced at an average of 93. This is very cheap for a guy who had averaged 106, 114 (adjusted), 122 and 120 leading into last year.

Dual-position tempter

Hang on… you can't have Max Gawn (RUC, $914,000) listed as a "dual-position tempter" when he doesn't have a dual position. Hear me out…

In rounds six, 12 and 18, players who have been playing out of position get adjusted. This means, if Max Gawn has been sitting forward, then he is a chance to become a RUC/FWD.

With the inclusion of Grundy into the team, this is not out of the question. Gawn can be a damaging forward. He kicked five goals in the preliminary final against Geelong in 2021 and misfired a little last season, kicking 13.14. At 209cm, the big man will always be a huge threat and will spend plenty of time up forward.

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Bargain basement

If you are with me and think that Lachie Hunter (MID, $732,000) can average 90-plus with his new team, then he could be nearly $100k under-priced.

Hunter knows Fantasy, but last year he struggled to get a run in Bulldogs midfield. Back when he was a regular, he had some standout seasons that saw him average 119 (adjusted), 105, 103 and 99.

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Some are saying that Hunter will secure his old wing role with his new club and if this is the case, anything can happen.

After a year in the VFL kicking 36 goals from 18 games, many expect Jacob van Rooyen (FWD, $200,000) to feature at some point this year. Van Rooyen was pick No.19 in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft and the club is excited about what the key forward can offer in the future.

Although he won't have huge Fantasy scores, he is bargain basement.

Draft sleeper

Leading into 2022, Christian Salem (DEF, $653,000) had averaged between 89 to 93 for three years straight. Last season, injuries restricted Salem to just 11 games and an average of 74.

This dramatic 19-point drop means that Salem is ranked as the 42nd best defender available. In 2021, he ranked inside the top 10.

Bump him up your rankings on Draft Day and hope that your mates don't do the same.

FANTASY New positions for 2023 revealed, who's a must-have

Buyer beware

Regardless of how many times Warnie mentions Jake Bowey (DEF, $561,000)… you must ignore him.

For some reason, Warnie likes to find players who are "his boy" and take them under his big hairy wing. From Trent McKenzie, Sam Draper to Jake Bowey, it never ends well.

Stick to your guns, make your team yours! Enjoy this great game and don't let Warnie destroy it.

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