Part two of the review series focuses on the following three matches; North Melbourne v Carlton, Adelaide v Port Adelaide and Gold Coast v Essendon.
A mix of potential mid-price bargains and high quality rookies were seen during these matches, with some very promising performances on display.
Luke McDonald – Defender
SC Starting price: $182,300
Fantasy Starting price: $243,900
DT Starting price: $177,800
2013 SC Average: N/A
2013 DT/Fantasy average: N/A
SC score v Carlton: 61
DT/Fantasy score v Carlton: 66
Luke McDonald had 20 disposals against Carlton, solidifying his spot as one of the more secure rookie picks this year. He’s got solid job security and high scoring potential, making him a very good pick in your backline. There is only a few reliable rookie defenders this year, so he’s one of the bigger locks this year in fantasy football.
Jack Ziebell –Midfielder
SC Starting price: $513,600
Fantasy Starting price: $513,100
DT Starting price: $517,100
2013 SC Average: 95.2
2013 DT/Fantasy average: 94.7
SC score v Carlton: 149
DT/Fantasy score v Carlton: 147
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Will Jack Ziebell join the elite midfield premium group this year? If he can produce something similar to what was seen in North Ballarat then he’ll be an excellent pick. Ziebell had 29 possessions and 12 tackles, a perfect combination for fantasy football. Would be a risky pick as his price is still fairly high, and there other options that are more reliable to pump out high scores each and every week.
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Marc Murphy–Midfielder
SC Starting price: $498,300
Fantasy Starting price: $463,500
DT Starting price: $467,200
2013 SC Average: 92.4
2013 DT/Fantasy average: 85.5
SC score v North Melbourne: 59
DT/Fantasy score v North Melbourne 61
Marc Murphy had an interrupted preseason in 2013 and never got going, failing to produce the numbers he put up in 2012. This has seen his price fall dramatically, making him good value in all competitions. Had a quiet game against North, so watch closely in the game against Adelaide to see if he’s able to win a lot of the ball.
Matt Crouch –Midfielder
SC Starting price: $117,300
Fantasy Starting price: $203,200
DT Starting price: $112,800
2013 SC Average: N/A
2013 DT/Fantasy average: N/A
SC score v Port Adelaide: 95
DT/Fantasy score v Port Adelaide 85
Matt Crouch displayed his ball winning ability at Richmond Oval, registering 24 disposals and a game high seven tackles. It’ll be difficult to win his way into the Crows side considering the number of inside ball winners the Crows have, but his first game did nothing but increase his chance of a round 1 debut. If he does play round 1 and avoids the subs vest, he’ll be a very nice selection.
Jared Polec –Midfielder
SC Starting price: $172,600
Fantasy Starting price: $135,500
DT Starting price: $169,300
2013 SC Average: 32
2013 DT/Fantasy average: 31
SC score v Adelaide: 87
DT/Fantasy score v Adelaide: 91
Port Adelaide beat Adelaide for the services of Jared Polec, and they’ll be quite happy they did considering how he performed last week. He moved across the ground very smoothly and used the ball well. Had 20 disposals, seven marks and 5 tackles, showing he can score points in all departments. Job security is good and scoring potential looks solid as well.
Matthew Wright –Forward/Midfielder
SC Starting price: $384,900
Fantasy Starting price: $368,900
DT Starting price: $371,800
2013 SC Average: 71.4
2013 DT/Fantasy average: 68.1
SC score v Port Adelaide: 159
DT/Fantasy score v Port Adelaide: 139
Matthew Wright’s form mirrored the Crows performances of 2013; well down compared to his output in 2012.. He was everywhere against Port last week, securing 36 disposals and kicking two goals. If he can back this performance up against Carlton on Monday, he’ll be present great value as a mid-pricer. An increase of 30 points on his 2013 averages is entirely possible considering how he performed in 2012.
David Zaharakis–Midfielder
SC Starting price: $458,700
Fantasy Starting price: $444,700
DT Starting price: $448,200
2013 SC Average: 85.1
2013 DT/Fantasy average: 82.1
SC score v Gold Coast: 143
DT/Fantasy score v Gold Coast: 145
Zaharakis had a massive 43 disposals against Gold Coast, including four marks and four tackles. Hard to read much into one match, but if Zaharakis can go big again in Essendon’s 2nd NAB Challenge match against Port Adelaide, he may be worth a look. Awkwardly priced as he’s only $40k cheaper than proven guns Dayne Beams and Marc Murphy.
Jack Martin –Midfielder
SC Starting price: $222,300
Fantasy Starting price: $268,300
DT Starting price: $217,800
2013 SC Average: N/A
2013 DT/Fantasy average: N/A
SC score v Essendon: 48
DT/Fantasy score v Essendon: 62
Jack Martin has been all the rage in the pre-season, with big things predicted for the Western Australian. He was solid with being spectacular against Essendon, having 14 disposals, three marks and four tackles. With such a light build, it’s unlikely he’ll produce the same numbers Jaeger O’Meara did last year, but he still should perform solidly in your midfield. His job security is great, so you know he’ll produce cash for you.
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David Swallow–Defender/Midfielder
SC Starting price: $429,400
Fantasy Starting price: $377,000
DT Starting price: $380,000
2013 SC Average: 79.6
2013 DT/Fantasy average: 69.6
SC score v Essendon: 89
DT/Fantasy score v Essendon: 88
Being given defender status has made David Swallow fantasy relevant this year. The number 1 draft pick is yet to have a break out year, but as he’s listed as a defender, an average of 90 across both comps will see him become a premium in the backline. His game against Essendon was promising from a fantasy perspective with 23 disposals and seven tackles.
