The biggest issue the Swans are going to have with Grundy is having to pry the big old hipster out of all the vinyl records stores in Newtown. I think he's set for a big year. Top 2 ruck? I dunno, but worth a shot at that price.
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My punt at the moment is on Adelaide. I reckon them, Carlton and GWS are the ones going to push and challenge this year, with Port a pretty decent show too. Brisbane should be thereabouts again. Hopefully my Pies too but other than Dakes, I don't see too much SC relevance in the top end of the Collingwood list.
Therefore, Laird and Dawson to head up the mids, with Rankine to be a top 6 forward by the end of it all. The odds on backing up 115ppg seasons is fair to poor but Laird and Dawson have done it, just last year in fact. I think with Adelaide fixing their late game woes they will be primed for a huge tilt at the 8 and these 2 leaders will be in the thick of it - especially early. There's budget to go Rankine to go to either Greene or Flanders after their early byes if needs be.
Houston, I'm a little uncertain of but is in for now and I've gone for Rozee over Butters, thinking Rozee has the better upside. I also wouldn't mind culling him early for a Touk/Walsh slingshot (see below). Butters could very well go 130+ this year though so it's one I'm really iffy on. If the rookie situation is such that I don't need the 71k ITB, then I might go with Zach here but I've got too many 117k rookies for my liking at the moment. I need some bank for my bench.
Daicos: theoretically, I shouldn't be picking him. Too pricey for a 3rd year player who is going to cop a lot of attention and is a young guy coming off a flag. But I'll be stuffed if I'm going to death ride the kid. It just takes too much joy out of watching him play. Truth be told, I feel the same about Butters and I'll be saying the same thing about Wardlaw in a year or two, no doubt.
Davies-Spudniake: Yeah I'll go there again.. With trepidation. I need some characters to slingshot into Walsh, and Touk Touk so welcome aboard. This pick could instead be a punt on a hot start from Petracca fwiw. See, in round 1, LDU will be coming in cold against a warmed up GWS away whereas Trac will have had the OR hitout and will be up against WBD and then the Hawks. If either pick is just there to score maximum points while keeping Touk's seat warm, then it's more likely Trac should do it with the better setup. However, if I pick Trac, then it has to be him I trade out when his bye approaches, even if he's doing well. If LDU is doing well, I will still have 4 other mids to choose from. LDU is therefore the more flexible pick.
Brayshaw: See Davies-Spudniake. The idea with these two is that I expect I want to end with Walsh, Green and/or Miller. Maybe Neale and probably Bont. But I'll spend a couple of trades early on some premium type keeping my 6th and 7th rookie score off field. Brayshaw might be underpriced after his shocking start to last year but I'm not too confident on him being top 8 this year. Here's looking for a couple of 110s in the first 2 rounds then off he goes into Miller.
I'll use a Flynn or Xerri type to merry-go-round the rucks early. Maybe English if the circumstances are right and might save a trade by not trading him out at the end of it. I figure with the LDU/Brayshaw slingshot and these guys too, it should account for 4 or 5 of those extra trades we got this year that I didn't really need last year so why not.
Fyfe: Just need the 8 weeks mate. Preferably in a row. In the midfield. No sub. Think you can do that for us? Even just the 6?