MY NO.1 trade target last week, Luke Jackson (RUCK/FWD, $981,000), didn't let his coaches down after making the most of his opportunity to play solo ruck against a debutant opponent.

He was everywhere, collecting 21 disposals while taking four marks and laying four tackles to go with three goals and a whopping 48 hitouts. He remains a viable target again this week, especially if Sean Darcy remains out.

The game is slowing down a bit and the stoppages appear to be increasing as the season progresses … Enter the rucks. The big men have been slowly rising to the top so it's no surprise they filled the podium this week.

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Tim English (RUCK, $1,129,000) continued his outstanding form after the bye, adding an impressive 138 to add to his previous scores of 120 and 139 while Jarrod Witts (RUCK, $924,000) took advantage of his own match-up, racking up 54 hitouts on his way to a season-high 138.

It's the final week of the byes and a lot of coaches are using the access to three trades in order to remove their last rookie from their best 22, or set them up to do it next week. This is of course while also trying to maintain rank and field a team strong enough to get a league win.

What makes it so difficult this week is the number of popular premiums we have missing from the Cats, Lions, Giants and Bombers. Although tempting, we never want to fall into the trap of straight swapping too many premiums, because we know that ends up biting, especially when we look ahead to the favourable match-ups straight off the bye for the Cats and Bombers.

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MOST TRADED IN

• Tom McCarthy (DEF/MID, $293,000)
• Mani Liddy (MID, $296,000)
• Callum Mills (DEF, $791,000)
• Sam Darcy (FWD, $836,000)
• Tyrell Dewar (FWD/MID, $464,000)

MOST TRADED OUT

• Angus Clarke (DEF, $460,000)
• Zach Merrett (MID, $926,000)
• Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $942,000)
• Zak Johnson (MID, $441,000)
• Hugh Boxshall (MID, $349,000)

TOP FIVE PRICE RISES

• Harry Rowston (MID, $327,000) +$71,000
• Caleb Serong (MID, $1,041,000) +$67,000
• Logan Morris (FWD, $632,000) +$63,000
• Luke McDonald (DEF, $638,000) +$61,000
• Rory Lobb (DEF, $642,000) +$60,000

TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS

• Adam Treloar (MID, $916,000) -$85,000
• Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $942,000) -$67,000
• Charlie Curnow (FWD, $648,000) -$65,000
• James Aish (DEF, $513,000) -$62,000
• Archie Perkins (MID/FWD, $513,000) -$54,000

LOWEST BREAKEVENS

• Tom McCarthy (DEF/MID, $293,000) -25
• Harry Rowston (MID, $327,000) -21
• Tyrell Dewar (FWD/MID, $464,000) -14
• Mani Liddy (MID, $296,000) -10
• Archer May (FWD, $296,000) -10

HIGHEST BREAKEVENS

• Adam Treloar (MID, $916,000) 159
• Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $942,000) 151
• Nic Martin (DEF/FWD, $1,101,000) 148
• Errol Gulden (MID, $1,077,000) 147
• Tristan Xerri (RUCK, $1,061,000) 146

STOCKS UP

Tom McCarthy (DEF/MID, $293,000)
The mid-season recruit burst onto the scene in round 14 with a cracking debut where he scored 101 from 31 disposals and six marks. He looked like the Eagles' most senior player out there and wasn't afraid to step up for a kick in to add some bonus points. The 24 year old has a BE of -25 and is as close to a 'must have' as it gets.

Callum Mills (DEF, $791,000)
The time is right to bring in the Swans skipper after ticking all the boxes since his return. He has played three games in that time with scores of 110 and 96 in his last two, but what impressed me most was his TOG figures of 85 and 90 per cent which is a great sign his injury woes are behind him. He is playing a great position across half-back which has ensured a high marking role and he has a BE of just 63 to reinforce his bargain status.

Luke Jackson (RUCK/FWD, $981,000)
Last week was obviously the week given the versatile big man was given the all clear to play the solo ruck role against a debutant. He made the most of his opportunity with a season-high 144 which included 48 hitouts and three goals. We can't expect that every week and his match-ups are very tough over the next four, but if Sean Darcy remains on the sidelines, he is a great option with a BE of 68.

Sam Darcy (FWD, $836,000)
Not since the great Nick Riewoldt have we had serious discussions about a key forward being a viable option but such is the ability of the 21-year-old, here we are. Since returning from what looked like a season-ending injury he has been unbelievable with scores of 115 and 114 to leave him with a BE of 80. He is certainly a bargain price for what he can do, the flag is he has played the Saints and Tigers in the last two weeks and it will be tougher going this week against the much-improved Swans.

Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $959,000)
Any time the Bont is under a million dollars, it's time to launch. His price plummeted after being clamped by Windy in round 14 where he was unrecognisable for a score of just 50. He bounced back in a favourable match-up with the Tigers last week and he is a name you want for the remainder of the season. He has a BE of 116 heading into this week's game against the Swans.

STOCKS DOWN

Zach Merrett (MID, $926,000)
For a decade the Bombers skipper has been considered one of the most reliable names in the game, a walk-up to average you over 100 points a game. Unfortunately, he has been playing a variety of roles lately which has resulted in disaster for owners with just one triple-figure score in the last eight weeks. He scored just 57 from 17 disposals against the Dockers on the weekend which leaves him with a BE of 136 leading into the bye. The temptation has to be strong to trade him out but with games against the Suns and Tigers straight off the bye, there is every chance it will instantly haunt.

Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $942,000)
A first-quarter injury was a brutal blow for owners of the superstar running machine, especially those who understandably made him skipper. He was subbed out on a score of just 23 from 19 per cent time on ground and although he is technically available to play straight after his bye, it is no guarantee. He has a BE of 151 and will be a bargain for under $900k in the coming weeks.

Levi Ashcroft (MID/FWD, $689,000)
The 18-year-old young gun has done an outstanding job, averaging 75 over 15 games and increasing $361k since the start of the year. He was solid once again with a score of 79 in what will be a swan song for many coaches who have held the cash cow until his bye. He has a BE of 91 and the time has come to cash out.

Angus Clarke (DEF, $460,000)
I don't like cashing out the cows early, but such is the nature of the byes, sometimes we need it to in order to balance the numbers. The 18-year-old has been very solid, averaging 61 since his debut and he has settled into a nice role across half-back. He has a BE of just 35, but if you need another player on field or a way to get McCarthy, he can be moved on.

Kai Lohmann (FWD, $471,000)
The 22-year-old has been a great way to grab some cash after bottoming out in price following an unfortunate run of injuries. Although he is worth keeping if you can manage the final bye round given his BE of just 29, he has also got himself to a nice price on the back of his impressive score of 84 against the Cats. 

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