Opinion SC 2021: Rate My Team

Joined
3 May 2017
Messages
2,684
Likes
8,886
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Here’s where I am as we move into February. Geez footy season has come round quick this year.

Laird, Whitfield, Doc, Harmes, Jones, Chapman (Gould, Worrell)

Neale, Oliver, Macrae, Kelly, Cripps, Powell, Dow, Sharp (Honey, Williams, Valente)

Grundy, Preuss (Treacy)

Dunkley, Marshall, Heeney, Zeibell, Daniher, Cockatoo (Bergman, Rowe)

Rookie spend is a little bit down but there’s not much to be done about that at this time of the year.

I’m flip flopping on Harmes & Kelly vs Stewart & Taranto as the main pivot pair. I think Harmes is a good shot at 90 playing as a mid again and the deeper I look into Taranto, the less enamoured I become.

I havent touched my forwards for quite a while which is usually where most on my tinkering is done. With Danger unlikely there doesn’t seem that many viable picks.

I’m surprised there hasn’t been more of a debate between Preuss & Hickey to be honest, don’t think it’s as clear cut as we first believed.
Very sweet team. I love that you've still got the love for Macrae with your belief that he will be recognised as the best Mid in the comp. Did you waiver at all in choosing him?

While Taranto is in my team, so is Harmes. I think I prefer the Kelly/Harmes combo, but I do a have PIT concerns on Jelly. Are you confident in 20+ games?
 
Joined
3 May 2017
Messages
2,684
Likes
8,886
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Dunkley. In my side.

Chat on big footy is that he has come back fitter. Screenshot_20210201-035229_Chrome.jpg Screenshot_20210201-040530_Chrome.jpg

While it's not a contract year, playing him in the mids will get a better return al la Telly/Geelong.

Worst case scenario (bar injury) is playing forward all year and still likely being top 6 Fwd. I think is the most likely outcome, but here's hoping.
 
Last edited:
Joined
7 Jul 2019
Messages
1,466
Likes
4,240
AFL Club
Richmond
I like the chat on Dunkley. I have him at F1 for now, because he didn't play midfield all that much last year and still managed to average 104. Surely worst case he is high 90s, which is easily forward keeper territory?

The main question is - if I'm looking for that guaranteed lock for F1 to de-risk the line and deliver a 100 average, who do you replace him with? I don't have the $$$ for Dangerfield, Hawkins could do anything, Sidebottom is coming off a big spike and is 30. Almost has to be Dusty... but Dunkley just feels like he has more upside.
Dunkley can be slightly injury prone and looks like playing forward a little more with Treleor only able to play midfield.
Dusty has missed something like 1 game in 5 years and will average 100 but doesn't tend to get huge scores.
Then there's value players like Heeney and possibly Tom Phillips to consider.
I may end up picking Dusty for his durability to balance out players returning from injury that I've picked.
 
Joined
18 Jun 2012
Messages
6,116
Likes
11,954
AFL Club
Melbourne
Just my 2c on McInerney.

I don't think he is a bad pick by any means, however having had him in my team for the best part of the 2nd half of year in the forwardline, one problem I saw was that he is not a strong marking player. I saw regularly that around the ground and resting forward he did not seem to be able to take marks, I noted that this limited his scoring potential, he may be able to work on it and impove, but that was my oberservation from last year.

As I said I don't thnk hes a bad pick, just something to bear in mind.
 
Joined
15 Oct 2018
Messages
3,912
Likes
12,177
AFL Club
Essendon
Yep he's got a lot of moving parts. The hardest one is trying to apply any logic to anything that Bevo does, he's one of the biggest "play them out of position as much as possible" coaches of the past few years and the better they are in a position the more determined he seems to be to not play them there.

My biggest worry was Bont was so good after they ditched the stupid forward role crap at the same time that Dunkley fell mostly out of the midfield rotation. Reckon that Bevo is coaching for his career this year and I don't think even he is illogical enough to keep wasting Bont as an ordinary forward. Bad feeling that Dunkley has inherited that role.

The other big concern with Dunkley is he's the worst of the group as a midfielder when it comes to creativity and ball use and he's also the best of the group as a forward option. That's a bad combination when midfield minutes are so important to what he does from a fantasy perspective.

Hopefully they go in absolutely full strength for the preseason game and we get any inkling of what his role is going to be. In the right role he's the top forward, in any other role he's probably still a keeper level guy but he's also probably overpriced.
Yeah Bevo is definitely unpredictable and that's why I won't be touching another dogs midfielder to start the year besides Dunkley. I was thinking I'd start Bont and or/Macrae prior to the Treloar signing but now I'm inclined to stay away.

I'm not sure what Dunkley's forward/mid split was last year but the fact he still averaged over 100 whilst playing so little time in the midfield makes me less afraid of how Bevo will use him because I have a hard time seeing him playing less midfield time after he tried to leave the club for that very reason, even with the arrival of Treloar.

Like @freowho also said he has the potential to really hurt non-owners, which is another reason to start him.
 
Last edited:
Joined
25 Jul 2012
Messages
47,728
Likes
107,810
AFL Club
Collingwood
Had a play around using the Top 16 from last year's draft (personally think using their prices makes a team look a lot more realistic)

D: Lloyd , Laird , Whitfield + 5

M: Neale , Oliver , Walsh , Cripps + 7

R: Gawn , Grundy / Treacy *

F: Marshall * , Brown , Ziebell , Daniher + 4

$ 184,200.00 in the Bank which could allow a :-

Harmes/Milera etc @ D4

or Green/Caldwell/Heppell/Sier/Hately etc @ M5

Find 16 rookies that work and all of Brown , Ziebell & Daniher stand up winner winner chicken dinner
 
Joined
13 Apr 2012
Messages
6,024
Likes
15,759
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Very sweet team. I love that you've still got the love for Macrae with your belief that he will be recognised as the best Mid in the comp. Did you waiver at all in choosing him?

While Taranto is in my team, so is Harmes. I think I prefer the Kelly/Harmes combo, but I do a have PIT concerns on Jelly. Are you confident in 20+ games?
To be completely honest I don’t have a lot of confidence in many mids this year, they all seem overpriced or with role concerns. I’m still in the camp Macrae is the best mid in the league but I waiver a bit when it comes to a SC perspective as Bevo has been the bane of many coaches across the journey.

Kelly is a placeholder if nothing else, though I am a fan. I would much prefer to slot Titch in there but he has a many questions over him as anyone. Getting your starting mids right feels a lot more like luck than skill to me this year but the picture should hopefully clear a bit before round one.
 
Joined
18 Jul 2016
Messages
3,773
Likes
26,276
AFL Club
Sydney
Yeah Bevo is definitely unpredictable and that's why I won't be touching another dogs midfielder to start the year besides Dunkley. I was thinking I'd start Bont and or/Macrae prior to the Treloar signing but now I'm inclined to stay away.

I'm not sure what Dunkley's forward/mid split was last year but the fact he still averaged over 100 whilst playing so little time in the midfield makes me less afraid of how Bevo will use him because I have a hard time seeing him playing less midfield time after he tried to leave the club for that very reason, even with the arrival of Treloar.


Like @freowho also said he has the potential to really hurt non-owners, which is another reason to start him.
He moves a lot higher for me if Stef Martin (or English) isn't playing as I'd think he's still the 2nd ruck. I'd wager that the majority of his midfield time and a significant portion of his scoring late last year came while he was "rucking". His style being around the ball is the most important thing.

As you said though, I think he's a pretty safe 95 type regardless of role with potential to go a lot higher in the right role. I think he's the best of the forward premiums from a starting pick perspective outside the Marshall if no Gawn equation.

To be completely honest I don’t have a lot of confidence in many mids this year, they all seem overpriced or with role concerns. I’m still in the camp Macrae is the best mid in the league but I waiver a bit when it comes to a SC perspective as Bevo has been the bane of many coaches across the journey.

Kelly is a placeholder if nothing else, though I am a fan. I would much prefer to slot Titch in there but he has a many questions over him as anyone. Getting your starting mids right feels a lot more like luck than skill to me this year but the picture should hopefully clear a bit before round one.
I feel the same. The guys in the 120+ are all pretty much in the unsustainable land based on history, rarely more than 2 guys in that area. It's odd though because they're all the guys I want to pick, just hate paying for them when they feel overpriced. Basically I like the players, don't like the starting price/average. Which means I keep drifting to the next tier of guys hunting for value. Then of course there is my burn list who I keep looking at with the never again glasses knowing full well that they still make just as much sense as they did when they burned me and I'll probably miss their kick ass season because of it!
 
Joined
23 Mar 2014
Messages
298
Likes
1,191
AFL Club
Collingwood
First for the season - really just a place holder 'save' for a team I like the initial look of before my daily tinkering. Just so hard to find value and minimise overpaying..... It doesn't really count as we don't have much of an indication of rookies (which I feel will be scarce) blah blah blah. Feel free to comment or offer suggestions.

Lloyd, Whitfield, ZWill, Duggan, Milera, DGB, (Wehr, Highmore)
Neale, Oliver, Macrae, Walsh, Heppell, W Phillips, Powell, Cockatoo (Macrae, Valente, Downie)
Grundy, Preuss (Treacy)
Marshall, J Cameron, Caldwell, B Brown, Ziebell, Daniher (Rowe, Durdin)
$75.6k in the bank
 
Joined
22 Feb 2013
Messages
9,668
Likes
20,502
AFL Club
Hawthorn
First for the season - really just a place holder 'save' for a team I like the initial look of before my daily tinkering. Just so hard to find value and minimise overpaying..... It doesn't really count as we don't have much of an indication of rookies (which I feel will be scarce) blah blah blah. Feel free to comment or offer suggestions.

Lloyd, Whitfield, ZWill, Duggan, Milera, DGB, (Wehr, Highmore)
Neale, Oliver, Macrae, Walsh, Heppell, W Phillips, Powell, Cockatoo (Macrae, Valente, Downie)
Grundy, Preuss (Treacy)
Marshall, J Cameron, Caldwell, B Brown, Ziebell, Daniher (Rowe, Durdin)
$75.6k in the bank
Cameron is injured from memory.
 

Darkie

Leadership Group
Joined
12 Apr 2014
Messages
25,410
Likes
65,497
AFL Club
Collingwood
I like the chat on Dunkley. I have him at F1 for now, because he didn't play midfield all that much last year and still managed to average 104. Surely worst case he is high 90s, which is easily forward keeper territory?

The main question is - if I'm looking for that guaranteed lock for F1 to de-risk the line and deliver a 100 average, who do you replace him with? I don't have the $$$ for Dangerfield, Hawkins could do anything, Sidebottom is coming off a big spike and is 30. Almost has to be Dusty... but Dunkley just feels like he has more upside.
Marshall?
 
Joined
25 Jul 2012
Messages
47,728
Likes
107,810
AFL Club
Collingwood
Had a play around using the Top 16 from last year's draft (personally think using their prices makes a team look a lot more realistic)

D: Lloyd , Laird , Whitfield + 5

M: Neale , Oliver , Walsh , Cripps + 7

R: Gawn , Grundy / Treacy *

F: Marshall * , Brown , Ziebell , Daniher + 4

$ 184,200.00 in the Bank which could allow a :-

Harmes/Milera etc @ D4

or Green/Caldwell/Heppell/Sier/Hately etc @ M5

Find 16 rookies that work and all of Brown , Ziebell & Daniher stand up winner winner chicken dinner
If I take out the Film Director (Oliver & Stone) I can move Perkins forward and replace them with Rowell & Taranto with $ 36,400.00 in the Bank

M: Neale , Walsh , Cripps , Rowell , Taranto

Rookie $$$ adjustments Round 1 then hopefully allow a stronger D4.
 
Joined
28 Dec 2016
Messages
747
Likes
3,842
AFL Club
Richmond
My view on this year is that there's about 10-15 defenders I would be happy to start with.
The top midfielders are just a tad too overpriced for me to pick.
Gawn and Grundy are still the best and I have 0 reasons not to pick them.
Fwds look pretty strong imo, but all the top dogs have at least 1 or 2 glaring cons, so I'm happy to wait on them to drop.
Have seen people worried about lack of rookies, but there will be enough come round 1. There always is.

Screenshot_20210202-105649~2.png Screenshot_20210202-105659~2.png
 
Joined
18 Jul 2016
Messages
3,773
Likes
26,276
AFL Club
Sydney
My view on this year is that there's about 10-15 defenders I would be happy to start with.
The top midfielders are just a tad too overpriced for me to pick.
Gawn and Grundy are still the best and I have 0 reasons not to pick them.
Fwds look pretty strong imo, but all the top dogs have at least 1 or 2 glaring cons, so I'm happy to wait on them to drop.
Have seen people worried about lack of rookies, but there will be enough come round 1. There always is.
There are but sometimes they can force a pretty drastic re-structure so good to have a few plays around with the idea of weakness across all lines.
 
Joined
18 Jul 2016
Messages
3,773
Likes
26,276
AFL Club
Sydney
What can I say, I don't like any of the mids :p
Rowell has been in there for a while but having second thoughts on him. If he looks the goods in preseason then he probably goes back in for a defender.
Never like the idea of starting with a closed position, rucks aside, because you can end up having to trade what should be a keeper. Say Doch gets back to his best and is a 115 back and Stewart is only scoring 95, 20 points a week is a lot to be letting through to the keeper but god that's a hard trade to make. Basically if any of the defenders you don't have pushes into the elite scoring category you're making a brutal trade.

The forwards are pretty close as well, you've got 4 guys who are keepers and Ziebell that you at least hope for making it 5, while it sounds great if Ziebell and Rozee are low enders and say Sidey, Danger and Zorko all go to the 110 lands, you're again in a hard spot.

Certainly a unique look though and it could certainly work out if you've nailed the picks! Midfield upgrades are sneaky easy because of the amount of options for value plays but you're more than likely going to end up with a 2nd tier midfield at seasons end which means you can't have any mistakes with the premiums in the backs and forwards, which amplifies the afore-mentioned locked in state of them!

Love the inventiveness of it though :)
 
Joined
4 Feb 2014
Messages
575
Likes
1,040
AFL Club
Collingwood
Never like the idea of starting with a closed position, rucks aside, because you can end up having to trade what should be a keeper. Say Doch gets back to his best and is a 115 back and Stewart is only scoring 95, 20 points a week is a lot to be letting through to the keeper but god that's a hard trade to make. Basically if any of the defenders you don't have pushes into the elite scoring category you're making a brutal trade.

The forwards are pretty close as well, you've got 4 guys who are keepers and Ziebell that you at least hope for making it 5, while it sounds great if Ziebell and Rozee are low enders and say Sidey, Danger and Zorko all go to the 110 lands, you're again in a hard spot.

Certainly a unique look though and it could certainly work out if you've nailed the picks! Midfield upgrades are sneaky easy because of the amount of options for value plays but you're more than likely going to end up with a 2nd tier midfield at seasons end which means you can't have any mistakes with the premiums in the backs and forwards, which amplifies the afore-mentioned locked in state of them!

Love the inventiveness of it though :)
Thanks for the feed back mate.

Super unlikely I'll actually start 6 defenders. Stewart probably has the least upside so he probably doesn't make the cut.

I'm hoping Rozee becomes a keeper but at worst he should make a bit of money and then can upgrade if he doesn't get to keeper levels. Ziebell is a stepping stone and is the first to go if I need more money for rookies.

Good point re midfield upgrades, might just have to pay up for 1 or 2.
 
Joined
18 Jul 2016
Messages
3,773
Likes
26,276
AFL Club
Sydney
Thanks for the feed back mate.

Super unlikely I'll actually start 6 defenders. Stewart probably has the least upside so he probably doesn't make the cut.

I'm hoping Rozee becomes a keeper but at worst he should make a bit of money and then can upgrade if he doesn't get to keeper levels. Ziebell is a stepping stone and is the first to go if I need more money for rookies.

Good point re midfield upgrades, might just have to pay up for 1 or 2.
Know the feeling on the mids, I find myself deviating towards Mitchell, Fyfe and Kelly, on the theory they're fairly to under priced and away from Oliver, Steele, Petracca and Neale who I like more. All the Dogs mids are upgrade targets for me, just want to see how it looks and don't see any as at a price/level to be season ending by not having.
 
Joined
15 Oct 2018
Messages
3,912
Likes
12,177
AFL Club
Essendon
After seeing that Neale's time on ground went up by 4% last year (Herald sun article) I'm slightly less inclined to start him. The fact he has Sydney in Round 1 who tagged him and kept him in the 50's in round 16 last year makes me even more inclined to fade him to start with the plan of getting him in ASAP. He also has Geelong in Round 3 who are hard for mids to score against. Not saying he won't go big in those games but the upside of freeing up some cash and getting an edge on everybody else could prove pivotal.

Here's what my team looks like at the moment.

Screen Shot 2021-02-02 at 6.52.15 pm.png

I might need better rookies so I might need to downgrade a player or two, time will tell, but I like this team without Neale. Not sure about starting Titch given his injury concerns but not sure where else to to turn, Fyfe is an option but I feel you can only start one of Fyfe and JKelly. Butters is an interesting one but he has been rumoured to spend more time in the mids this year, is training more with them and is apparently looking particularly impressive.

I think with Marshall being capable of moving to the rucks there's enough midpriced forwards to replace Preuss with if he fails or they decide to use Mumford either instead of him or alongside him. Something in my gut tells me that Preuss won't be a viable option (not sure why but maybe because he's never played much). If that's the case I'll be more inclined to move Marshall to the rucks and bring in a Daniher/Impey type. I also think O'Brien will be the best ruck behind Grundy / Gawn and could potentially average in the same ballpark as one of them this year.
 
Last edited:
Top