Position SC 2021: Midfielder Discussion

Which ‘keepers’ are you planning on starting with?

  • Neale

    Votes: 48 43.2%
  • Oliver

    Votes: 31 27.9%
  • Macrae

    Votes: 86 77.5%
  • Bontempelli

    Votes: 13 11.7%
  • Merrett

    Votes: 80 72.1%
  • Fyfe

    Votes: 21 18.9%
  • Cripps

    Votes: 54 48.6%
  • Rowell

    Votes: 21 18.9%
  • Taranto

    Votes: 34 30.6%
  • Other

    Votes: 45 40.5%

  • Total voters
    111
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Macrae and Jones still look the best/most likely targets on the horizon, of course both are grab them straight up so will only be very little warning when/if they're back.

Naish is a not great but potential option from the Tigers also this week, bit of a premium though and JS will be weak.

Bailey Williams should hold the 2nd ruck spot at Eagles and is at least worthy of a thought this week also as a R/F if people need a downgrade this week.
Struggling to see the appeal in a guy who has scored 41 , 37 & 23 personally.

Maybe he does produce.

Actually quite a lot of options under $ 200k if people are prepared to look.

Sounds as though Jones will be resuming via the SANFL.
 
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Struggling to see the appeal in a guy who has scored 41 , 37 & 23 personally.

Maybe he does produce.

Actually quite a lot of options under $ 200k if people are prepared to look.

Sounds as though Jones will be resuming via the SANFL.
Macrae has shown an ability to find the ball in an alright role, if he wins a spot he might actually play that instead of a death role like he had the last two games.

I'm not seeing those options at all, especially not in the sub ~140k range.

Realistically the targets from this week on are needed to play in the byes and then any cover they provide after that is bonus, cash generation is actually far less important than job security. This weeks crop are probably the last group with any likelihood to be traded out by round 14 and they'd basically have to be in that r14 bye or they lose a week and it becomes 3 cash rises so you're looking for outstanding scoring to make the cash there.

Not many are going to be having trades left come round 15 to be making luxury upgrades on the next two weeks rookies. Kudos to those who do though :)
 
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Macrae has shown an ability to find the ball in an alright role, if he wins a spot he might actually play that instead of a death role like he had the last two games.

I'm not seeing those options at all, especially not in the sub ~140k range.

Realistically the targets from this week on are needed to play in the byes and then any cover they provide after that is bonus, cash generation is actually far less important than job security. This weeks crop are probably the last group with any likelihood to be traded out by round 14 and they'd basically have to be in that r14 bye or they lose a week and it becomes 3 cash rises so you're looking for outstanding scoring to make the cash there.

Not many are going to be having trades left come round 15 to be making luxury upgrades on the next two weeks rookies. Kudos to those who do though :)
Not sure if and when Macrae makes it back.

Murphy & Roughead back this week , Adams & Elliott 2 weeks away.

Last week's options look uninspiring (2-3 likely to be dropped) so hopefully we get some new options this week or next otherwise we will be just plucking names out of a hat to do 3-4 downgrades to fund upgrades.

Fascinating watching people burn through trades , especially if they are not holding a spot for Whitfield (needs to return to form) , Neale & Dangerfield.

Could be 3 very interesting PID's for the final run home for those that are patient enough and have the $$$ to actually get them in.
 
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Not sure if and when Macrae makes it back.

Murphy & Roughead back this week , Adams & Elliott 2 weeks away.

Last week's options look uninspiring (2-3 likely to be dropped) so hopefully we get some new options this week or next otherwise we will be just plucking names out of a hat to do 3-4 downgrades to fund upgrades.

Fascinating watching people burn through trades , especially if they are not holding a spot for Whitfield (needs to return to form) , Neale & Dangerfield.

Could be 3 very interesting PID's for the final run home for those that are patient enough and have the $$$ to actually get them in.
They're difficult targets though.

Whitfield not as much but he's not really superior to Lloyd, Mills, Ridley, Stewart, Salem, Rich or the other premium options right now. Especially given his durability record. Basically there's 8 guys averaging in the range of his best two seasons. Plus on current form he'll be super cheap by after his bye anyway (when I expect most will jump).

Danger is really tough, he's full price, wasn't good in either of the games he played, had the groin issue, which hopefully is recovered but no guarantee, and will likely be rusty with the early bye his biggest positive but would mean paying a lot. He's probably more in the luxury round 16 targets that allow those with the flawless seasons to pull away or those who horded trades to finish strong but not get anywhere because they horded trades!

Neale will be an interesting decision entering round 14. High risk/reward final upgrade type of choice. Like Whitfield he's going to be cheap enough (barring a rd 12 200, which would kind of make him more desirable) that it's kind of an easy decision to punt on him if you've got a spot. I'm personally lining up a Jordon to Neale move that week if things go to plan, which we all know they rarely do!

But yeah, they're huge targets to close out. No shortage of targets this year at least, in a weird way we've gone from varied forwards from a few injuries to so many injuries that it's going to be pretty ****genous up there. Ziebell and Impey are in every top 100 team, who saw that coming?
 
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Thoughts on Adam Cerra.

3+ 120 scores and if take out the injured 15 he's averaging 100 and looking to be 400k next week.
Worth a punt ONLY if you have nailed your midfield so far for mine (ie. you own a premium combination exclusively from the Macrae, Oliver, Bont, Walsh, Steele, Guthrie, Lyons & Fyfe group).

I wouldn't introduce another potential weak link into your midfield if you are already carrying a Cripps, Taranto, Mitchell, Petracca or Brayshaw type though.
 
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Worth a punt ONLY if you have nailed your midfield so far for mine (ie. you own a premium combination exclusively from the Macrae, Oliver, Bont, Walsh, Steele, Guthrie, Lyons & Fyfe group).

I wouldn't introduce another potential weak link into your midfield if you are already carrying a Cripps, Taranto, Mitchell, Petracca or Brayshaw type though.
I currently have - Lyons, Oliver, Walsh, Steele, Merrett, Taranto + 2 rookies
 
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Worth a punt ONLY if you have nailed your midfield so far for mine (ie. you own a premium combination exclusively from the Macrae, Oliver, Bont, Walsh, Steele, Guthrie, Lyons & Fyfe group).

I wouldn't introduce another potential weak link into your midfield if you are already carrying a Cripps, Taranto, Mitchell, Petracca or Brayshaw type though.
Probably another factor is if you are paying down for him as an M8 in order to afford Whitfield/Danger over coming weeks. That's the clinching factor for me. Doesn't hurt Cerra looked very good in his full games, including against the Bombers last weekend. $400 k for a guy getting that mid time with good scoring this year and Sprayshaw under an injury cloud? Sign me up if it lets me get Whitfield/Danger.
 
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I must say I haven't watched many Melbourne games this year. Can someone explain to me why Petracca's average has dropped so much? Is he getting less mid time or is he just having a down year? He seems a logical upgrade target in coming weeks at his price
 
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I must say I haven't watched many Melbourne games this year. Can someone explain to me why Petracca's average has dropped so much? Is he getting less mid time or is he just having a down year? He seems a logical upgrade target in coming weeks at his price
He is getting more midfield time if anything. You literally couldn't ask for a better role.

He's having a down year. Or a normal year. Depends on how much merit you give to the crazy 2020 COVID season.
 

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I must say I haven't watched many Melbourne games this year. Can someone explain to me why Petracca's average has dropped so much? Is he getting less mid time or is he just having a down year? He seems a logical upgrade target in coming weeks at his price
I was wondering a similar thing (and considering bringing him in - he seems to be a bit forgotten).

There was a theory last year that he benefited from shortened quarters, having been a player with a constrained tank, albeit one that had reportedly improved a lot in the 2019-20 off-season.

It looks like his TOG is down a fraction this year, but not enough to explain his scoring drop.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/C/Christian_Petracca.html

Edit: maybe it's partly getting taps from a somewhat inferior ruck? Gawn was immense last year, and while still very good this year, his SC average is down. His hitouts per game are basically flat despite longer games, presumably largely because he is sharing the ruck time more?

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pc-melbourne-demons--max-gawn
 
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Petracca role was bad for the first few weeks but has been great the last few (since they got the KP guys back). He's mostly just been butchering it a lot this year and trying to do a bit too much at times.

Definitely could be a strong value play right now given how he can score.
 
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Now that we're approaching the bye rounds thoughts are turning to how I might complete my midfield. Noted that Duncan looks like he might be out of the Suns game with a concussion and my thoughts shifted a little...

5aim3f.jpg

p.s. Fantasy football has a way of turning oneself into a horrible, horrible person sometimes. :oops:
 
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What are your thoughts on these mids form and what you think their averages in last 12 games will be?
Steele: Hasn' t gone above 116 for 6 weeks or below 90 and in a struggling side.

Petracca: 5 x scores under 98 with a low of 78. Only 2 scores of 146 and 133 were above his 116 this week?

Walsh: Only 2 under 100 with both being 89's. Can you see him fading in the second half, with it only being his 3rd year? Should he now be getting a tag most weeks with how he performed in the second half?
 
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I must say I haven't watched many Melbourne games this year. Can someone explain to me why Petracca's average has dropped so much? Is he getting less mid time or is he just having a down year? He seems a logical upgrade target in coming weeks at his price
He is getting more midfield time if anything. You literally couldn't ask for a better role.

He's having a down year. Or a normal year. Depends on how much merit you give to the crazy 2020 COVID season.
Game high clearances last week. 3 FA and played some fumbleball, both of those are circumstantial/variance related from week to week when you're talking about a player of his quality.
Petracca role was bad for the first few weeks but has been great the last few (since they got the KP guys back). He's mostly just been butchering it a lot this year and trying to do a bit too much at times.

Definitely could be a strong value play right now given how he can score.
Has been somewhat disappointing since I brought him in. His TOG is excellent, number of minutes are way higher than I would have thought prior to start of this year, given tank issues questions and back to longer quarters.

What is noticeable is he starts well and fades, yesterday another example where his DT points were 36/25/48/7. 93% TOG isn't the factor.

I didn't watch last quarter, did he rest forward or just becomes more ineffective and ghosts last quarters due to too much TOG.

He can butcher the ball as well as @wogitalia mentioned, particularly from a stoppage he does dump kicks. Less stoppages may be a factor as Olivier has more run during a game I notice and picks up a lot of possessions in play.

Teams played is hard to judge. Number of the side he has played can be restrictive and think there may be a little bit off flat track bully in him. I picked him as against Geelong he went well and they had been restrictive to that stage.

League wise, has a coupe of games he could monster.
 
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