I get what you’re saying but I massively disagree with you saying the price doesn’t matter and that a mid pricer (eg Setterfield) and a $123k rookie are the same, cause they definitely aren’t, as:
1. The rookie has a much higher ceiling for potential cash gen. It’s not unreasonable for a rookie to push up to $300k from a $123k starting price, and the ability for them to do so is much more likely than the mid pricer making that level of cash.
2. The bar to be successful is much lower, as the rookie doesn’t need to hit 90-100 scores every week to make the money. Even your scenario for Setterfield requires some pretty best case scenario stuff.
3. The risks are far lower of a dud score derailing them completely. If Setterfield comes out and scores 60 this week his cash gen is destroyed and now it’s 2 trades for no benefit. While rookies can also fail, the range for them is much safer.
So if doing a correction trade after round 2, 10/10 times it should be to a missed rookie that is scoring well over a mid pricer. How many times have we see guys go 130+ for the first 2 games then revert to 80’s once everyone jumps on..
Quality posting. And yeah there's that safety element that I probably didn't give enough thought to. It's a good point that a disastrous score is less likely to actually lose you money from a rookie base score than an MP's
But I think I gave the wrong impression with saying that it doesn't matter if it's a rookie or an MP.
If the choice is between a rookie who might get you from 123k to 300k and an MP that might get you from 350k to 500k then of course you take the rookie. He's making you an extra 27k for starters. Providing he isn't directly costing you on field points of course and you can use that 200k saved maybe on an early upgrade.
But note that most rookies don't actually make it to 300k. Consistent 65s will get you there in 6 or 7 price rises without any poor scores or spikes. I'll have to ask a Rowsus or someone for how many we get per year but it wouldn't be more than 7 or 8 at my guess. And many that do will take 10 or more price rises to do it.
So 36 trades less 10 upgrades less a supersub upgrade less 6 injury trades leaves 19 trades for cash generation. 7 or 8 might eventually take you to 300k. That's around 11 suboptimal rookies and that is the giant risk that I think you maybe arent appreciating. Sure we all remember those well performing rookies but the majority of them let us down.
And in all of that we need those rookies to peak at the right times when down or upgrade options are available and they all need to be done by round 14 or something.
That is why it "doesn't matter who you get your 130k from." Beggars can't be choosers.
Also, I think you are underestimating Setterfield a bit. 90 against the Saints at the G is very doable. Likewise 100 against Gws at Marvel isn't a stretch. 90s then against the Pies and Geelong as his teams primary inside mid? I don't think that's 'best case'. It seems quite reasonable.
Even if he spits out 2 80s after everyone jumps on he still gets to 430k which is around 1 down 1 up to most of the premium backs and forwards and you might even be able to snaffle a fallen mid. Yes, the 80k gain is a loss but not crippling. A pair of hundreds or more and he's that early season boat you missed.
The rumours here about him having a sore quad are a bit of a worry though.