THERE may only be two ruckmen per team but they find a way to cause headaches, and a gun defender has given us another one this week.
This week it was headlined by Suns big man Jarrod Witts (RUC, $845,000) who was a late withdrawal that caused some reverse trades and scrambling given the limited cover on the bench in that department.
And if that wasn’t enough … Given the change in direct opponent, many coaches elevated Rowan Marshall (RUC, $825,000) to captain, which looked like a genius move with 107 points early in the fourth quarter before Ross The Boss decided to sit him on the back bench and activated the sub. Only in the ruck department…
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Speaking of rucks, on the flipside, how good is Tim English (RUC, $969,000)?! The No.1 big man in the game was at it once again despite the unfavourable conditions with a season-high 145 from 20 touches, six marks, nine tackles and two goals for 145. Moving forward, there are some dream match-ups for established rucks given the injury issues across the League but we also need to be wary of their potential management in a blowout.
Sam Docherty (DEF, $924,000) is the most traded out player so far this week after news on Tuesday that the Carlton defender will miss at least four weeks due to a knee injury.
It was nice to see a return to form from Noah Anderson (MID, $825,000) after a quiet start to the season. He went bang! He entered the game against the Saints with a season-high of just 83 before collecting 38 possessions, laying 10 tackles and kicking a goal for a round-high 159. If this turnaround is a sign of things to come, he presents some value given he has dropped $45K since the start of the year and has a breakeven of 73.
Looking ahead, the backline is going to be the main cause of stress this week, not that it was any free ride. Popular trade target Tom Stewart (DEF, $733,000) was a huge disappointment against the Hawks, limping to just 70 but in a hold my beer moment, he was outdone by James Sicily (DEF, $881,000) who scored just 18 points in the final three quarters before finishing on 49. Both will be called upon to bounce back this week in what is set to be a scramble back there.
MOST TRADED IN
- Nick Daicos (DEF, $879,000)
- Jordan Dawson (DEF, $862,000)
- Mitch Duncan (DEF, $840,000)
- Jayden Hunt (DEF, $518,000)
- Tom Stewart (DEF, $733,000)
MOST TRADED OUT
- Sam Docherty (DEF, $924,000)
- Will Day (DEF, $727,000)
- Charlie Constable (DEF/MID, $422,000)
- James Worpel (MID, $575,000)
- Andrew McGrath (DEF/MID, $704,000)
TOP FIVE PRICE RISES
- Harry Sheezel (FWD, $680,000) +$103,000
- Jayden Hunt (DEF, $518,000) +$60,000
- Mitch Owens (FWD, $583,000) +$59,000
- Oscar Allen (FWD, $494,000) +$58,000
- Brent Daniels (FWD, $469,000) +$58,000
TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS
- Deven Robertson (MID, $327,000) -$62,000
- Travis Boak (MID, $667,000) -$55,000
- Lance Franklin (FWD, $528,000) -$55,000
- Darcy Byrne-Jones (DEF, $609,000) -$54,000
- Ollie Wines (MID, $763,000) -$51,000
LOWEST BREAKEVENS
- Ned Moyle (RUC, $236,000) -8
- Jacob van Rooyen (FWD, $281,0000) -3
- Luke Pedlar (FWD, $343,000) -2
- Judson Clarke (FWD, $349,000) 0
- Charlie Constable (DEF/MID, $422,000) 3
HIGHEST BREAKEVENS
- Max Gawn (RUC, $849,000) 171
- Alex Witherden (DEF, $705,000) 152
- Rory Laird (MID, $925,000) 143
- George Hewett (MID, $797,000) 139
- Callum Mills (MID, $890,000) 138
STOCKS UP
Jayden Hunt (DEF, $518,000): The Eagles recruit put a quiet round one behind him and has made the most of his increasing opportunities at the injury-decimated club ever since. He has a three-game average of 88 following his 95 against the Demons from 20 possessions, seven marks, three tackles and a goal. He spends an impressive 88 per cent time on ground and has a BE of just 14 which ticks boxes, but my flag on him as a trade target is his upcoming draw with tough match-ups against the Cats, Power and Blues in his next three which are all restrictive.
Jack Ziebell (FWD, $708,000): The Roos veteran remains a great trade target, especially given his incoming defender status that will be here next round. After a quiet week against the Hawks, The Bull was back to his best across half-back with 29 possessions and seven marks for 100 against the Lions to record his third triple-figure score in four games. He has a breakeven of 58 which reinforces his value.
Trent Rivers (DEF, $594,000): The highly touted youngster is starting to get a taste of opportunities up the ground and his scoring is reflecting that. He is having a great season with an average of 85, highlighted by a season-high 104 from 27 possessions, three marks and six tackles. That leaves him with a breakeven of just 35 for his one per cent of owners. He attended three centre bounces and the Dees are increasingly looking to get the ball in his hands but the biggest appeal as a trade target is his favourable draw with friendly match-ups with the Bombers, Tigers, Roos, Suns and Hawks.
Tim Kelly (MID, $816,000): The talented Eagle is arguably in career-best form since moving west with a three-game average of 116 following his third triple-figure score on the trot. His last game was an eye-catcher against a formidable opponent in the Demons with a season-high 142 from 36 possessions, six marks, five tackles and two goals. He is certainly under-priced as his breakeven of 56 suggests and if you like a unique selection, he is owned by just two per cent of the competition.
Kysaiah Pickett (FWD, $592,000): After a massive round one score of 120, the lightning quick Dee returned from suspension with another impressive performance consisting of 15 possessions, three marks, five tackles and two goals, five behinds for a score of 87. He is certainly an under-priced option moving forward given his hot form, easy draw and low breakeven of just 27.
STOCKS DOWN
Andrew McGrath (DEF/MID, $704,000): It’'s been a disappointing start to the season for the Bombers VC, averaging just 78 after an underwhelming season-low of 65 against the Giants where he collected 20 possessions and took one mark. His breakeven is now 99 which is a concern given his season-high is 88.
Rory Laird (MID, $925,000): Last year's Dane Swan medallist has been down on form by his lofty standards with just one hundred in his first four outings which has left him with a breakeven of 143 following an 84-point performance against the Dockers. His tackle count has been down, recording four or fewer in three of the four games and he will look to bounce back against the Blues, who he has recorded some impressive recent numbers against with scores of 130, 122 and 115 in his last three.
Josh Dunkley (FWD/MID, $879,000): The Lions recruit has been performing well below what his 71 per cent of owners projected given his move north for a predominately midfield role. The CBAs have been there but the stat stuffing has been noticeably absent eg. zero marks in round one and just one tackle in his most recent game against the Pies where he scored a disappointing 81. He has a breakeven of 123 but there is hope he returns to form given his draw difficulty easing up over the next few weeks starting with the Roos this week.
Connor Rozee (FWD/MID, $784,000): Just one triple-figure score in the first four rounds isn't what his coaches expected following a huge second half of the 2022 season. In his defence, he copped a heavy tag on the weekend, restricting him to just 69 despite his huge game time of 91 per cent. It is worth holding him as he will bounce back with a big three weeks against favourable opponents for midfielders in the Bulldogs, Eagles and Saints.
Stephen Coniglio (FWD/MID, $845,000): Cogs got off to a solid start to the year, playing predominately the inside midfield role we wanted to see with scores of 104 and 103. Despite the role remaining consistent, unfortunately his scoring has dropped off with returns of just 86 and 79 in his most recent which included a quiet second half consisting of just 29 points. He has a BE of 123 leading into a nice match-up with the Hawks where he hopefully turns his scoring around.
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