THE 'EASY' byes are behind us and the next two weeks will be our biggest challenge of the four-week period. After experiencing rounds of four and two teams having a mid-season rest, the increased challenge is a result of six teams missing per round over the next two, and it's not just the fact there is an increased number of teams, they are teams with players of highly-owned premiums and more importantly members of Roy's Rollin' 22.
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So, the challenge becomes fielding 18 players without trading out our stars on the bye to do it. It's certainly easier said than done and depending on team balance, some stars may have to go. I was so poorly structured for the round 15 bye that I needed to start trading out strong performers from the round 15 bye last week to ensure I will be able field a full team in two weeks' time. It was a hard watch as Jack Ziebell (FWD/DEF, $835,000) and Harry Sheezel (DEF/FWD, $756,000) did their thing knowing they are no longer members of my squad.
As far as upgrade targets go, we are looking at players who have completed their bye in order to get two games out of them over the next fortnight as opposed to one. Following this week's rest for the Cats and Suns, we are now looking at players from there along with the Lions, Dockers, Saints and Swans.
There was an unlikely hero of the round and it came on the back of a bag of 10 goals from the big Crows forward Taylor Walker (FWD, $618,000). He led all scorers with a whopping 166 for his happy one per cent of coaches, followed by Josh Dunkley (FWD/MID, $990,000) who is back to his stat-stuffing best with 145 which gives him an average of 128 in his last five. On the flipside, Bulldogs ruckman Tim English (RUC, $984,000) had the easiest match-up in the book against the Power but Scott Lycett made a huge effort to curb his influence on the game which resulted in an uncharacteristic first quarter score of two before finishing on a season-low 76. The pain was amplified for coaches who selected Errol Gulden (FWD/MID, $954,000) as their VC on Thursday night and rolled the C into English.
MOST TRADED IN
- Angus Sheldrick (MID/FWD, $213,000)
- Ryan Maric (FWD, $218,000)
- Nat Fyfe (MID/FWD, $449,000)
- Marcus Windhager (MID/FWD, $344,000)
- Josh Dunkley (MID/FWD, $990,000)
MOST TRADED OUT
- Jacob van Rooyen (FWD, $429,000)
- James Sicily (DEF, $934,000)
- Will Day (DEF/MID, $748,000)
- Noah Long (MID/FWD, $344,000)
- Seamus Mitchell (DEF/FWD, $538,000
TOP FIVE PRICE RISES
- Kieren Briggs (RUC, $677,000) +$65,000
- Taylor Walker (FWD, $618,000) +60,000
- Jarman Impey (DEF, $697,000) +$59,000
- Callan Ward (FWD/MID, $562,000) +$57,000
- Matthew Johnson (MID, $406,000) +$57,000
TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS
- Luke Shuey (MID, $622,000) -$52,000
- Patrick Cripps (MID, $683,000) -$50,000
- Riley Bonner (DEF/MID, $468,000) -$50,000
- Joey Amartey (FWD, $432,000) -$49,000
- Oleg Markov (DEF, $365,000) -$49,000
LOWEST BREAKEVENS
- Angus Sheldrick (MID/FWD, $213,000) -3
- Harvey Harrison (FWD, $256,0000) -1
- Matthew Johnson (FWD, $406,000) 3
- Phoenix Spicer (FWD, $265,000) 7
- Ryan Maric (FWD, $218,000) 8
HIGHEST BREAKEVENS
- Errol Gulden (FWD/MID, $954,000) 145
- Sam Walsh (MID, $863,000) 143
- Tom Green (MID, $928,000) 142
- Tim English (RUC, $984,000) 138
- Andrew Brayshaw (MID, $972,000) 134
STOCKS UP
Jack Sinclair (DEF, $834,000): The hard-running defender is coming off a three-game average of 110 which includes an impressive 141 and 107 in his most recent from 32 possessions, three marks and three tackles. He is fairly priced with a BE of 96 and the Saints have the pick of the fixtures for defenders on the run home.
Lachie Neale (MID, $852,000): One of last week's most popular trade targets rewarded his new coaches and no doubt attracted a lot more after a season-high 124 consisting of 30 possessions and 14 marks. He is now averaging 114 in his last three games and has a BE of 81, reinforcing his value as a great trade target.
Tom Stewart (DEF, $817,000): The trade targets from the most recent teams on the bye are few and far between, but the star Cats defender is an exception to the rule. He is averaging 103 in his last three games and has a BE of just 82. He has five games out of his next eight at GMHBA Stadium and is sure to produce some huge games there in that time.
Andrew Brayshaw (MID, $972,000): It took a late score update to record his sixth triple-figure score in a row and the hard-working midfielder remains a required player on the run home. Through the byes we can be guilty of selecting second rate players in order to serve a purpose but with Brayshaw, you are getting one of the best. He has a five-game average of 120 and a good fixture over the next four weeks.
Angus Sheldrick (FWD/MID, $213,000): Providing he holds his spot in the team, the young Swan looks a great downgrade after being given his first decent run at it. He recorded 19 possessions, three marks and six tackles for a score of 79 from 57 per cent game time while going at a very impressive PPM. He has the lowest BE in the game at -3 and could be a handy contributor and money maker over the next two weeks.
STOCKS DOWN
Will Day (DEF/MID, $748,000): The young Hawk has had an outstanding season and has been a great selection following his move to the midfield, averaging 94 on the season. Unfortunately, given the state of play in the byes, a drop in form to average 86 over his last five and no game this weekend has made him a trade out target for a number of his coaches. He has recorded just one triple-figure score in his last six games and will return in round 15 with a BE of 93.
James Worpel (MID, $700,000): The Worpedo has certainly done his job, starting the season at a bargain price and averaging well over that at 84. The intention and hope for many of his coaches was that he would be a serviceable provider until his bye before upgrading him to a premium and the time has come. He is still owned by 23 per cent of the competition which will drop significantly this week. He has a BE of 93 upon return.
Ben Hobbs (FWD/MID, $671,000): The fact the young Bomber is being traded out of so many teams is purely a product of the byes because he hasn't put a foot wrong. He is averaging an impressive 90 over his last five game and has a low BE of 61 when he returns from the bye. For some teams, he has simply been squeezed out by coaches who are looking ahead to what their team looks like in round 16 so he is being cashed out early for a player who has completed their bye and in a position of need.
Sam Walsh (MID, $863,000): The star midfielder's price is plummeting after recording just 55 in round 13 and to be honest, points are currently hard to come by at the Blues. Walsh suffered a significant price drop of $42K this week despite being the teams second highest scorer at 91. He had 35 possessions, but a season-low zero tackles which leaves him with another high BE of 143 leading into his last game before the break against the Suns.
Jayden Hunt (FWD/DEF, $668,000): The running defender has been an outstanding selection this season, increasing in value significantly following his average of 78. Given the Eagles are going into their bye, it is the perfect time to offload him, especially given he is coming off a season-low performance of 37 from 13 possessions, no marks and one tackle. He now has a BE of 101 and should be used as part of an upgrade to a premium who has completed their bye.
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