TIPPAZ Early Season Prospects (afl dreamteam 07)

[Tippaz]

ADELAIDE
The Crows are a tough team to read. They began with a shock loss to Essendon, followed by a shock win to the Bulldogs. With so many injuries to key players, one gets the feeling they might be on the way down. Midfield rotations play a big part in this side, so I think you’ll find most of their players excessively overpriced (due the success of last year).
Andrew McLeod has hit the ground running with a sensational 35 possession performance on the weekend. The 330k pricetag seems a little excessive. However, he is a superstar of the competition and will basically produce midfield stats. McLeod doesn’t often miss games, and he has the unusual ability of playing through injury with great success. Won’t take many marks, but will always have high disposals.
The loss of Trent Hentschel has certainly left an opportunity in the team for another tall forward, and few could deny that Nathan Bock has grabbed his chance in football. He is amazingly misclassified as a “back”, yet looks set to hold down centre-half-forward. 235k is a great bargain.
The aging bodies of Goodwin and Edwards are offering great opportunities for midfield rotation, but not for 24yr old Scott Thompson. He is likely to spend the majority of games in the centre, and is guaranteed to produce big numbers. Thompson is set for a career-best season. The 348k pricetag is a good offer.
The Crows will need Ben Hudson more than ever, in light of the Rhett Biglands injury. Hudson is on the comeback trail himself (after a knee reco), but his confidence is starting to come back. 19 possessions was a good return on the weekend. They’re basically giving him away at the very generous price of 112k. All the smart people already own him, but there’s still time to catch his price rise.
The smart dreamteam coaches will have also noticed that Jonathon Griffin is currently to no.2 ruckman at Adelaide, and was a guaranteed starter in the early parts of the season. He’s the only 82k ‘ruck’ getting a gig, and most people already have him. He is actually looking like a very promising ruckman, so if you’re after a min. wager – Griffin is your man.

BRISBANE
The young Lions have made a surprising start to the year. Many pundits were picking them to finish last. Despite the loss of Daniel Bradshaw, coach Leigh Matthews has organised a formidable team full of stat-potential. Like many coaches, he likes to drop numbers back behind the ball. This significantly boosts the number of ‘uncontested marks’, especially amongst the defenders.
One of the biggest early season movers will undoubtedly be Jed Adcock. The small back pocket player has learnt how to zone-off his opponents. He is more confident in coming up the field and uses the football quite well, much like the Johncock-mould. He has also become the no.1 man for “kick-out” duties because Josh Drummond is still injured. Adcock’s severe mis-valuation of 158k really makes him your no.1 target, if you haven’t already got him. As long as his body can hold up, he is a season keeper.
At centre-half-back, Jared Brennan is showing real signs of stat-potential. He is mainly benefiting from the amount of numbers behind the ball, and as a consequence, takes a lot of ‘uncontested marks’. I’ve never really trusted him before. He seems very susceptible to injury. But CHB might be a safer position for him. 246k is good price if he can make it through the season.
In the midfield, I’ve been watching Michael Rischitelli very closely over the pre-season, mainly trying to figure out if he’d be playing as an onballer this year. It turns out I was correct. Brisbane are rotating 4 main onballers at the moment. They are Black, Power, Rischitelli, and Stiller. At just 274k, Rischitelli was easily the smartest choice. He will significantly increase his numbers this year, and is likely to kick 1 goal per game.
Simon Black got away to a flying start with an awesome 39 possessions in rd1. He rarely gets injured, and hardly ever misses games. You can always feel confident about Black getting through the 22 games. He doesn’t take a lot of marks, but is highly efficient in tackles and disposals. I should also speak favourably upon his professionalism and high levels of consistency. You can’t go wrong with Simon Black – he delivers!
Cheynee Stiller is getting amongst the stats in just his 2nd year of football. I always thought he’d be an absolute rip-off this year, but I wasn’t counting on him moving straight into the ‘onballers’ group. If he can continually gather 20+ possessions per week he’ll be worthwhile. It would be worth keeping an eye on him.
If you’re in desperate need of resolving your reserve backs, I can recommend young Irishman Colm Begley at 117k. He has made a good start and ought to be quite profitable. He is actually showing signs of becoming a very good player off a half-back-flank, and will usually get 90-100% of gametime.

CARLTON
The Blues lineup is starting to come of age. Denis Pagan will continue to blood his young players for some much needed experience in the Carlton ranks. The rebuilding has been a long process thus far, but it’s time they got off the bottom this year. 7-9 wins is a good target.
Obviously, their best buys are the young up & coming players. Andrew Walker has certainly taken the next step this year off a half-back-flank. His high fitness levels allow him to cover a lot more ground and spend most minutes on the field. The bulk of his improvement has been disposals. He is capable of 30+ possession hauls, and will most likely produce midfielder stats.
The other listed “back” that has got my attention is Andrew Carrazzo. A very favourable misclassification! They have been using him across half-forward, wing, half-back, and even gets rotated as an onballer sometimes. He also gets his fair share of benchtime. But for the time he actually spends on the ground, he has a very high disposal rate. 308k is still a generous offer. Keep your eye on him.
Amongst the “centres” the best value pick is most likely Marc Murphy. Barely 15 games into his short career, and he’s already playing like a seasoned veteran. You can snap him up for 296k and watch him get leather poisoning.
There is still time to buy Bryce Gibbs if you haven’t already got him. The no.1 draft pick has started well enough to buy into his price-rise. But it’s probably worth noting he will eventually need an upgrade if you’re planning on starting him. And quite frankly, there are probably cheaper options that are just as good. Bryce is the 3rd ‘most bought player’ this year.

COLLINGWOOD
As always, the Magpies like to rack up the numbers on the stat sheet. The gameplan involves a lot of short kicks resulting in cheap uncontested marks, which ultimately leads to over-possessing the ball.
Heath Shaw is fast becoming the king of uncontested marks. He had a boom season last year (which led to his big price-tag). Early signs have shown a slight increase on top of last year, and he could soon become the next Goddard if things stay the same. I fear it may take a while before his price gets back to 350k.
Looking for the next Jobe Watson? Well, Scott Pendlebury could be your man at 245k. He certainly knows how to find the footy. I actually spotted his form in the NAB Cup after an incredible 29 disposals from just 61 minutes of gametime. He is quite tall for midfielder, which helps him take more marks than usual. Malthouse has been playing him mainly on a wing, where he often gets by himself. Expect him to progress as an onballer throughout the year.
Forward/midfielder Dale Thomas is still a considerable option at just 243k. In general, most 2nd year players will improve their stats. It certainly helps that Thomas is still listed as a “forward”. He is really a half-forward-flank with midfield rotation, and will obviously produce some midfield-orientated stats. He needs to average 75+ to be a worthwhile trade. Think carefully.

ESSENDON
The fast starting Bombers appear to be the most improved team in the competition. They have made a lot of changes to their starting lineup, and as a result, hold more hot prospects than any other team. The new-look team is much quicker, which suits their tall marking options of Lloyd/Lucas.
In defence, Adam McPhee has made a flying start on the half-back-flank. I think he is fit enough to become an elite midfielder, but Sheedy seems content on leaving him in the backline where he can mop up plenty of marks. Has struggled with injuries over the past 2 years.
The recent signing of Mal Michael, plus the emergence of Ryder has given Dustin Fletcher a new lease of life in the backline. He will mainly interchange between CHB/FB/BP according to matchups, but don’t let that deter you. Essendon intend on bringing his long-kicking skills into each game. They will play through Fletcher a lot, and he will be a major catalyst in defence. His stats are set to soar! Also takes kickouts.
Essendon don’t exactly have the greatest midfield going around, but if you haven’t already figured it out… Brent Stanton keeps getting his name at the top of stat-sheets. He’s a rotten kick, but that won’t matter in dreamteam. He is advantaged by his excellent fitness levels, and will just run all day. He gets tackles, drifts into the backline for uncontested marks, and pushes forward for goals. He’s become quite the stat-rat. The 345k pricetag is a good one.
Round 1 Rising Star Nomination, Patrick Ryder, has cemented a spot in the backline as the 3rd tall in defence. He has also lifted his stats, and is still a great bargain as a 109k misclassified ‘ruck’. He should get good price rise, and would make the perfect reserve. He could even be worth starting in the early stages of the year.
The very expensive Scott Lucas has started like a house on fire. I reckon he’s already clocked up 6 Brownlow votes. Normally, I wouldn’t be rating 381k ‘forwards’ as big price-movers, but Lucas is an exception. If he continues this form, it could take a long time to get him for a good price. He is a highly consistent player in career-best form. Don’t ignore!
Alwyn Davey has made an impressive start, and there is still time to catch his price-rise. He is very quick, and gets a lot of tackles. He is also getting good gametime for a min. wager.
Leroy Jetta seems to be going unnoticed amongst dreamteam coaches. Everyone has opted for Davey over Jetta (probably because of the Davey surname), despite the fact they were both min. wage forward-pocket type players who lined up in rd1. Both players produce very similar stats, but Jetta is spending more time on the bench. If you want another one like Davey – just take Jetta!

FREMANTLE
The Dockers are one of the more ‘statistically-friendly’ teams going around. Their stats-sheets are always riddled with short kicks, junk possession, and uncontested marks. Plenty of good buys, though!
Paul Hasleby is a generously priced onballer at just 292k. He had his injury problems last year, but so far so good. He is finding plenty of the footy, and starting to return to his old ways of ball-magnetism.
I always though Josh Carr never really cracked it as a genuine stat-rat. He has too many off-weeks for my liking. But if can maintain consistency throughout the season, there’s no reason why his numbers shouldn’t be high. He has the ability to produce 30 possession hauls, and is a great tackler. Needs to stay away from the tribunal this time!
Andrew Browne has produced some excellent numbers in his opening two games. He is set to hit a decent price rise. Listed as a min. wage ‘centre’.
The new no.1 ruck in the league could very well be Aaron Sandilands. He is dominating all the hitouts, and has really improved his workrate around the ground. He has even added goalkicking to his game (about 1 per game). At 292k, he is the bargain of all bargains. He just needs to set himself at playing 22 games.
Centre-half-forward Matthew Pavlich has got off to a great start, and really looks set for a career-best season. 356k may seem expensive, but his record speaks for itself. He rarely gets injured, and doesn’t miss games. The arrival of Tarrant will allow Pavlich to push further up the ground. Don’t let his price runaway!
Chris Tarrant seems to have settled into his new club quite well, taking the full-forward position. I reckon he played his best game in years on the weekend, by booting 4 goals and providing 3 assists. He has the advantage of drawing the no.2 defender each week, alongside Pavlich. Despite his recent Collingwood letdowns, the 308k pricetag is worth considering.

GEELONG
The Cats are high-stats team. They must be the current champions of the ‘sideways kick’ because a lot of their midfielders seem to rack up disposals without having any influence on the game. Most of their big guns are massively overpriced, and aren’t even worth considering at this stage.
The one player that is genuinely looking like hot property is Gary Ablett jr. I think he has finally taken the next step, thanks to some helpful midfield rotations. His disposals output has been given a major boost. But his main strengths are in tackles and goals. He is finally starting to emulate Shannon Grant and Jason Akermanis.
Everyone knows Paul Chapman loves a stat. The 397k forward is almost unaffordable, but he has started very strongly. It may take a while for his price to come down. Chapman is totally misclassified (belongs in the centres) and is going to feature in a lot dreamteams throughout the season. Get on board whenever you can!
Perhaps you’re looking for a risk… well, Brad Ottens could be a challenger in the ‘rucks’. The recent injury to Steven King has forced the move to the no.1 ruck position, and the arrival of both Tom Hawkins and Nathan Ablett could finally get Ottens out of the forwardline. From all reports, he trained the house down over the summer. We just need to see some big games out on the field. At his best, he ought to match Troy Simmonds. I think it’s best to buy him as a ‘ruck’, not a ‘forward’.
If you’re looking for a cheap reserve option, there’s none better than Joel Selwood as a 96k centre. He has started well, and should be very profitable indeed. So far, he has spent a lot of time on the bench, which has probably dried up the points a little. However, that will change as the season goes on.
Travis Varcoe made an impressive debut to football. He too, is a min. wager with good price-rise incentives. I’d be a little deterred by his misclassification though. It is a well known fact that small forward pockets struggle to get stats, and spend too much time on the bench. However, Varcoe is an exciting player to watch, and is probably guaranteed a start from now on.
Good news for Tom Hawkins fans. He has already made his debut. It came a lot sooner than we first thought. 3 goals in his first game of football will have Geelong supporters licking their lips. Hawkins is a min. wage forward with a lot of price incentive. I don’t think he is quite good enough to start, but he’d make the perfect reserve. You can still get him while he’s cheap.

HAWTHORN
The round 1 match vs the Brisbane Lions certainly caught the attention of footy purists. The Hawks absolutely murdered the stats-sheet with nothing but junk possession. This has been a common theme under coach Alistair Clarkson, and I think Hawthorn are the no.1 stats team going around. When in doubt – buy a Hawk!
Sadly, most of their good players are too expensive, but back-pocket Danny Jacobs has a reasonable pricetag. He’s one of the best zone-off players in the league, and gets heavily advantaged when Hawthorn drop numbers back behind the ball because it sometimes creates him as a loose man (free harvest time!!). Jacobs is fast becoming the new prince of uncontested marks. Opposition teams need to make him more accountable. He has suffered from injury in recent years. I would consider him a risk.
Tim Boyle is suddenly looking like one of the best bargains of the year. Only 94k, and listed as a highly favourable misclassified ‘back’. His real position is either full-forward or tall-forward-pocket. So far, he is proving to be a tough matchup. I think he’s improved out of sight, and will be a great early season pick. Price-rise is imminent!
If you haven’t already got him, Xavier Ellis is getting a regular this year. He is spending a lot of time on the bench, but showing promising signs. His stats will improve throughout the season, and Ellis should prove to be quite profitable. The boat is leaving – so get in quick!
As expected, Jordan Lewis is taking on a greater load in the midfield, and is reaping the rewards in dreamteam. He is quite small, but very hard at the ball (wins a lot of hard-ball-gets). He is not strong in the air, but the Hawthorn style of play allows him to take plenty of uncontested marks from short kicks. He is a strong tackler and has lifted his disposals rate. They are also giving him more gametime. A very big improver with a great price (293k centre).
I wonder if many people know about Simon Taylor being to the new no.2 ruckman. The departure of Spida Everitt left the door open for someone else to step up. Taylor’s form has been quite promising. He is always guaranteed a few hitouts. His price is still cheap enough to buy into his price-rise. He’d make an ideal reserve.

KANGAROOS
It’s been a shaky start to the Roos. They just haven’t turned some of that good pre-season form into wins. They are suffering from structural problems down the spine, and as a result, their new fast-moving style of play may have backfired without Nathan Thompson.
The ever-reliable Corey Jones is a popular dreamteam pick. For those that don’t own him, he is favourably misclassified back and will basically produce midfield stats. He is also a sharp goal-kicker. You can’t miss him.
I’ve kept a close eye on Matt Riggio in the min. wage backs. He’s a no-nonsense small back-pocket player with very little statistical output. However, he’s probably one of 2 or 3 players getting a regular down there, and there’s obviously plenty of room for improvement.
Same old faces in the midfield yet again, and Brent Harvey just keeps getting the job done every week. He is a very small player (won’t take a lot of marks), but gets plenty of kicks, tackles, and goals. Opposition teams never pay him the respect he deserves because they concentrate too heavily on Daniel Wells - Harvey benefits from this.
Adam Simpson has put some early points on the board. He too, will benefit like Harvey. Opposition teams don’t pay him any respect, but Simpson keeps racking up the disposals. He is nearing the end of his career, so I’d expect a few more rotations for his aging body. Got a great dreamteam history though.
Despite the annoying misclassification, min wager Lindsay Thomas has given the team a real spark in the forwardline. Small forward-pockets tend to be inconsistent, but Thomas is performing above the average. He is getting good gametime, and is probably one of the better first year players in the competition.
One of the best min. wage forwards is Aaron Edwards. He was a surprise omission from rd1, but they’ve brought him in for rd2 and he kicked 1 goal. Spent a lot of time on the bench, but I’m sure that will change as the season goes on. Without Thompson, they really need a marking option in the forwardline, and Edwards has got to step up. The medium-sized forward is tough to match-up on.

MELBOURNE
What an awful start to the year! It looks like they’ve lost 2 key players (Neitz and Robertson) for at least a month. I think their players are massively overpriced and yet to fire a shot. Don’t bother.
The best tip I’ve got is min. wage forward Colin Garland. The no.46 draft pick from last year’s draft is listed at 191cm, 85kg, described as “Quick on the lead and good hands”. The 18yr old will probably make his debut next week, in the absence of Neitz and Robertson.

PORT ADELAIDE
One of the real surprise packets so far. Did we under-estimate them? Their kids have certainly come along in leaps and bounds. I think they will challenge for the finals. Unfortunately, most of their young players kicked on a bit last year. Therefore, they got caught up in the mid-ranged price bracket.
One of those players was obviously Steven Salopek. He really had a breakthrough season last year. Well, he’s away to another great start as a permanent onballer. The 21yr old might step up another notch. He gets tackles, and has lifted his disposal rate. I think he’s well priced at 311k. Needs to take more marks and kick more goals.
Just as I feared, David Rodan has started in a blaze of glory. I feel dreadful for not having the confidence to pick him. He is an absolute bargain at just 126k, and all the smart people own him. It’s a pity they made him a misclassified ‘centre’ because he just won’t match it with the Scott Wests. However, he is still cheap enough to buy into his price-rise, and he could serve you well as your 6th centre for the early parts of the season.
Young Nathan Krakouer has slotted into the forward pocket for Port Adel. The slightly built 18yr old is getting reasonable gametime, and obviously has a real eye for goal. A very good min. wage selection.

RICHMOND
Not a lot to talk about here. I think the Tigers are overly defensive in their approach. Terry Wallace likes his defenders to negate rather than create. He is also very fond of taggers, and they are still too dependant on Matthew Richardson. Luckily for Richmond fans, he is putting a lot of games into their young kids.
Luke McGuane has managed to squeeze into the team playing at a key defensive post (usually CHB). Ray Hall is injured, and Polak has been playing in the ruck because Simmonds still is injured. McGuane could be a handy min. wage back ready for some price-rise.

ST KILDA
Or should or I say the Swans? Coach Ross Lyon has certainly brought the Sydney gameplan to the Saints. The statistical outlook is not looking so good for some of the peripheral players. They’re going to like their stoppages, and the ugly stop/start football (chip-chip-chip into the forwardline). Last year, I found this style of play produced lower numbers. Not so good for our dreamteams!
Putting that aside, you can’t ignore the 2nd most bought player this year Justin Koschitzke. He has begun the season in the forwardline, switching between full-forward and centre-half-forward. At the ridiculous price of 139k, he’s kind of hard to miss. He also comes along with a highly favourable misclassification as a ‘back’. His body is the major concern, and the only real deterrent for us DT coaches. Buyer beware!
Xavier Clarke has made an excellent start to the year. He’s finally come of age, and coach Ross Lyon seems to be happy to play him through the midfield, usually on a wing. A 230k ‘back’ with a misclassification advantage is a good buy in my book. However, Clarke’s body is the major concern. He is far too injury prone for my liking. Once again, buyer beware!
If there’s one player that has caught my eye during the opening 2 rounds, it has to be Leigh Montagna. He has seized his onballing opportunities and is really good at finding tackles. Montagna is the 4th option behind Hayes/Dal Santo/Ball, but there is good reason to believe he will be rotated through there a lot because Lenny Hayes has been spending a lot of minutes on the bench. If giving the chance, he will bolster his stats, and is capable of kicking 1 goal per game. Very similar to Buchanan of Sydney.

SYDNEY
The formidable Swans outfit have always been a low-stats team. The stop/start nature of their game create less disposals overall. They love their stoppages though, so you can always expect lots of tackles, hitouts, and clearances. Their style of play is much more suitable to Champion Data.
Having said all that, it may be worth keeping an eye on Tadgh Kennelly. He seems to have bolstered his stats playing off the half-back-flank. His exciting run-and-carry ability doesn’t win you any points in dreamteam, but mucking around with the ball in the backline certainly will! The main reason behind his abnormally high scores has been ‘uncontested marks’. He could be set for his best year.
Craig Bolton has made an unbelievable start to the year at centre-half-back. He’s been tearing up the uncontested marks at will. He’s not going to keep it up! But he is more than capable of improving upon last year. The All-Australian defender has an excellent history is stringing games together. Bolton deserves respect, but don’t get conned by his amazing 100pt average.
The no.1 tackler in football over the past few years has been Brett Kirk, and this year will be no different. He amassed a league-high 8 tackles in rd1, and another league-high 13 tackles in rd2 (some players struggle to get 13 tackles in an entire season!). ‘Kirky’ is a tough customer who hasn’t missed a game for about 5 years. He doesn’t take a lot of marks, and probably handballs too much. But for just 325k, the embattled midfielder is likely to last the journey.
The recruit of the season looks like Peter Everitt. The 32yr old ruckman was once a legend at dreameam. Well, he has started the season is some dazzling form, and is pushing hard into the forwardline producing 1 goal per week. His ruckwork is going to be more dominant than ever (at the Swans). He just needs more gametime. Sadly, I don’t think he will get it. The ruck duties will be evenly shared by Everitt and Jolly. But for just 295k, he is still a worthy selection.

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Very exciting times lie ahead for the Doggies. They’ve got a great mix of youth and experience, and almost everyone agrees they’re the most exciting team to watch. The fast frenetic pace really suits the quicker midfield players. Just about all their players produce midfield orientated stats. I think they’re the 2nd best team to buy into (behind Hawthorn)
The Bulldogs like to run the ball out of defence, and tend to travel a long way up the field. This helps the likes of Lindsay Gilbee getting his hands on the footy. He’s the most accurate kick in the team, so his team-mates will naturally pass the ball to Gilbee a lot. He also take kickouts. Gilbee hasn’t missed a game in over 2 years. He has started really well, and I think there is room for improvement. Always a popular choice.
One of the more under-rated players is Jordan McMahon. He is really quick and has an accurate pass. McMahon often plays out of the back-pocket but don’t let that deter you. He is a very creative player, and will involve himself in the play further down the field. I think he’s one of the best in the business, and doesn’t miss too many games. The 23yr old should be set for a career-best season.
Sam Power is looming as a real early-season-bolter. He is producing some unusual high numbers for a 224k back. I believe they are playing him off the half-back-flank, but produces wingman-like stats. He offers plenty of rebound, and looks set for some pretty serious improvement. I like the look of him. Could be the next Lovett-Murray!
There are a plethora of midfield options to choose from, but I’ve narrowed down the main onballing brigade to West/Cross/Cooney. Out of those 3, Daniel Cross has made a boom start to the season. Even the ridiculous 399k pricetag could start running away from us. Cross is a handball machine who just runs all day. The 23yr old is following in the footsteps of Scott West!
The Adam Cooney price looks good enough to buy into. He is the cheapest of the 3, and certainly has the most improvement in himself. Unfortunately, he is the one that gets rotated the most, but he pushes forward to kicks goals. The 21yr old is only going to get better. He doesn’t often miss games.
One of the most valuable players in dreamteam is Brad Johnson. He just keeps getting better with age, and the 30yr old is enjoying some career-best form. Johnson has the most amazing dreamteam history than any other player in my lifetime. The move to the forwardline has helped him become a better player. The medium sized full-forward is one of the toughest match-ups in football. He is capable of 30+ possessions, 10+ marks, and 5+ goals. Just an out-and-out stat machine! He is available in the forwards (but will basically produce midfield stats). The Bulldog captain has barely missed a game in 10 years !! I think he’s must-have, and makes an excellent choice as captain.

WEST COAST
The 2006 Premiers seem to be in a spot of bother with early season injuries. They’ve started the season without Cousins, Fletcher, Cox, Embley, Hansen, Nicoski, Butler (7 of their premiership players). Luckily, this has allowed a few players to step up.
It looks like Beau Waters has taken his game to a new level. His best position is probably half-back-flank, but he likes to come a long way up the field to deliver the ball inside50. I think he has a favourable classification as a “back”, because he basically produces midfield stats. He reminds me of a young Mark Johnson. 259k is a great price for him. However, he has a history with injuries & tribunal.
The form player of the competition right now is undoubtedly Daniel Kerr. He’s already got two best-on-grounds. And just like I predicted in my original ‘hot prospects’ thread, he has increased his workload with the absence of Cousins and Fletcher. I believe he’s finally become a fully fledged stat-machine, and should average 90pts. He just needs to get through the 22 games without injury/suspension.
The no.1 target in the Eagles forwardline is Quinten Lynch. So far, he’s only kicked 2 goals, but he’s definitely picked up in other areas. He is producing more disposals and marks, and works further up the ground. Full-forwards normally suffer from oscillation in their scoring, but when he’s on song – he scores big! 289k is a bargain in my book, and for sheer entertainment value he is worth every cent.
Looking for a min. wage forward? Take a look at Mitchell Brown. The no.16 draft pick was highly impressive on debut. He has good height and athleticism, and can be played in either forward of defence. Right now, he is getting roughly 50-60% of gametime, but that should increase as the season goes on. I think he has some real stat-potential. Reminds me of Grant Birchall from last year.

[tedbull]

Thanks Tippaz. Jeez you've gone to some effort with this.

[sligorover]

Mighty effort. Excellent. Thanks for the update. Helps us newbies stick with it

[brogie]

love the report tippaz... mighty impressive work

especially the stuff about some of my reserves, like hudson, ryder, begley, ellis, browne et al... should have a good bit of dough in the bank thanks to your and viddle's input

[viddleodge]

thanks tippaz.
excellent work.
glad to see so many hot prossies in my squad already.

agree about melbourne not having many good selections except for one. cameron bruce can munch them up and spit them out quicker than you can say international harvester. i expect his numbers to be down for the first 5 rounds but then, look out.

but really enjoyed reading it. have to 2nd simon blacks professionalism too. after 2 brownlow medals (afl's highest individual honour) and 3 premierships, a lot of guys would've sat back and mentally hung up the boots, but he's never taken his foot off the accelerator. very impressive for a dude who loves his surfing.

[tedbull]

have to 2nd simon blacks professionalism too. after 2 brownlow medals (afl's highest individual honour) and 3 premierships, a lot of guys would've sat back and mentally hung up the boots, but he's never taken his foot off the accelerator. very impressive for a dude who loves his surfing.

Could you argue that Black is this year's Brown?

[Tippaz]

have to 2nd simon blacks professionalism too. after 2 brownlow medals (afl's highest individual honour) and 3 premierships, a lot of guys would've sat back and mentally hung up the boots, but he's never taken his foot off the accelerator. very impressive for a dude who loves his surfing.

Could you argue that Black is this year's Brown?

No, not Jonathon Brown (if that's what your referring to )

Black's numbers are reading more like Scott West.