Ripe Pickings for Round 13

Ibbotson is having a breakout season in 2013

Garrick Ibbotson (FRE) DEF $488,500 BE 82

After missing the first 4 games due to injury, Garrick Ibbotson has returned in red hot form and is currently having a breakout season averaging 104 points per game.  Ibbotson is one of Fremantle’s main distributers off half back and has excelled at intercept marks which is Supercoach gold. He also loves his home ground with scores of 137, 112 and 142 in his last three at Patterson’s stadium, a place where Freo play three of their next four games.  Ibbotson is only in 4% of teams making him a great POD. Strongly consider!

Joel Selwood (GEE) MID $492,800 BE 95

Joel Selwood is an absolute bargain this week! Selwood has dropped $137K in price since the beginning of the year and is now priced nicely at $492K. Although he has underperformed at time this year, he has a huge upside being capable of posting big scores like his 137 last week. The Cats also have a nice draw in the run home. With his bye out of the way now might just be the right time to jump on the Selwood bandwagon! 

Grant Birchall (HAW) DEF $415,800 BE 34

Grant Birchall started the season on fire with scores of 122, 126, 110, and 152 before opposition teams woke up and started tagging him. Birchall struggled with the tag initally making him nice and cheap for those wishing to pick him up this week. However with Birchall starting to find some form again with scores of 118 and 105 in his last 2 games, now is the time to jump on him before his price starts to rise again. With Hawthorn already having had their bye, Birchall would make a nice addition to your defence.

Brandon Ellis (RIC) DEF $459,900 BE 8

Brandon Ellis has been a revelation since losing the green vest earlier in the year. Ellis has posted scores of 134, 82, 103, 149 and 127 which can no longer be ignored. He also has the advantage of playing loose through the midfield with the tag going to one of the big three in Deledio, Cotchin or Martin. The Tigers have a nice run playing the Bulldogs, Saints, Kangas and Suns in their next four games. If you want to pick up Ellis then this is your last chance to get him at a reasonable price.   

Tom Mitchell (SYD) MID $115,900 BE -141

Tom Mitchell is a ball magnet who has lived up to the hype since making his debut a few weeks ago. Mitchell started as a sub in his first game before coming on in the second quarter and scoring 87 points. He then amassed 31 touches and 127 Supercoach points in only his second AFL game. This kid can defintiely play and doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon. If for some reason you don’t already have him make him a priority this week before his price increases significantly.  

Top 5 Downgrade options for the bye rounds

Kyle Martin dominated at VFL level last year winning Frankston’s Best and Fairest.

With the bye rounds upon us it's an important to generate some cash and provide adequate cover while your star players are out. Here are my top five downgrade options that will help you achieve both these things. 

1. Kyle Martin (COL) MID $110,200 BE -127

Make Kyle Martin your number one downgrade option this week. Martin is a mature age player who won the Best and Fairest for Frankston in the VFL last year averaging 26 disposals a game. He has been in red hot form in the VFL again this year, which continued in his first game for the Pies on the weekend. Martin finished with 19 disposals, 5 marks, 6 tackles, 6 clearances, 2 goals and 97 Supercoach points. Martin knows how to find the footy and with Collingwood having a round 13 bye, he would provide adequate cover for the bye rounds.

2. Tom Mitchell (SYD) MID $115,900 BE -104

Mitchell was a ball magnet as a junior and not much has changed since he’s entered the senior ranks. He has been dominating in the reserves (NEAFL) churning out 52 and 56 possession games before getting his opportunity on the weekend and he didn’t disappoint. Mitchell racked up 18 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles and a goal in just 50% game time after coming on as the sub. He finished with 87 Supercoach points. Expect this trend to continue but take another look at him this week and bring him in after his round 12 bye as his price won’t rise until then.  

3. Nathan Hrovat (WBD) MID $114,500 BE -79

Hrovat is an inside and outside midfielder who ranked in the elite category for both contested and uncontested possessions in last year’s U18 Championships. He has been likened to Brent Harvey and the similarities could be seen in his first game. Hrovat collected 19 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 4 inside 50’s and a goal on debut, adding some real zip and outside run to the Bulldogs outfit. After two games he is averaging 74 Supercoach points and is set to rise by $66K after his round 11 bye. If you have room after Martin and Mitchell he is definitely worth picking up.  

4. Sam Grimley (HAW) RUC $115,900 BE -79

Grimley is a 22 year old with a basketball background who was drafted by the Hawks four years ago. He has been languishing in the Hawks VFL side during that time and even spent time in the VFL development side last year. This year he has made rapid improvements with the help of the Hawks assistant coaches and impressed on debut with 14 disposals, 7 marks, 11 hit-outs, 2 tackles, 5 inside 50’s and a goal against the Suns for 82 Supercoach points. The Hawks have a bye this week so wait to see if Grimley lines up as the main concern is his job security with the plethora of ruck stocks at the Hawks. He would be a perfect downgrade option for Majak Daw allowing you to pocket $148K.

5. George Burbury (GEE) FWD $115,900 BE -44

Burbury starred in the VFL premiership for Geelong last year and was recently upgraded from the rookie list after some outstanding form in the VFL this year. It’s not easy to break into a dominant Cats side so that is a feat in itself. Burbury has averaged 57 Supercoach points in his two games so don't expect huge scores, but with a lack of forward downgrade options he is worth considering. Once again the main concern is his job security. Although the Cats have shown they’re willing to play youngsters, Burbury will have to maintain some good form if he is to stay in the side long term.       

Hammer Time...?

Hamish Hartlett is a source of frustration for many Supercoach teams. Like Port Adelaide the Hammer started the season off on fire with scores of 123, 38, 118, 144 and 140 over the first five games. Many coaches traded him in at this point expecting a breakout year from the talented midfielder only to be let down with scores of 53, 29 and 77. As expected Hartlett has copped heavy tags from opposition sides and thus far he hasn't been able to break them. As a result he has dropped by $100,000 in price, leaving many coaches regretting their decision to get him.    

The question is do we keep Hartlett or trade him out? 

My advice is to keep him. If you brought Hartlett in after his fast start at $538K and you've endured the poor scores and price drop what would you profit by trading him out three weeks later? You might as well stick with him and enjoy the big scores which are bound to come sooner or later. I think sooner. Take last year for example. Hartlett similarly had three average games with scores of 70, 71 and 90 (rounds 7-9) before smashing out a 153 against the Blues at AAMI Stadium a week later. That's exactly why the Hammer is a potential Supercoach star. He has a high ceiling and is capable of producing some huge scores. Remember also that last year Hartlett was plagued by injuries, never fully fit and playing in a bad side. This year he is injury free, fitter and part of a much improved outfit. 

On the weekend against the Blues Hartlett was again tagged and showed signs of frustration during the game. But unlike Grant Birchall, Hartlett showed some fight and worked hard to finish with 14 possessions (10 contested) and 7 tackles. That's enough to suggest some good form is not far away. 

The Power return home to face the Cats at AAMI Staduim this Saturday. Although the Cats like to strangle teams they usually back themselves to win the ball and resist tagging heavily. After the Cats, the Power play the Western Bulldogs then after the bye they have the GWS Giants. Both are games the Power should win and I expect Hartlett to bounce back against these sides. 

So for now stick with him. You picked Hartlett for a reason and the time has come to back in your judgement. Don't let a few bad games deter you. Keep the faith and before you know it...it will be Hammer time again! 

Rookie Expectations

Ollie Wines had the equal most contested possessions for an AFL debut

Every year a crop of new rookies enter the Supercoach arena. Some of these fresh faces come with a lot of hype and expectations while others don’t draw much attention. This year we have had a plethora of quality rookies to choose from, mostly in the midfield and defence. High draft picks such as Lachie Whitfield, Jimmy Toumpas and Ollie Wines have come with big wraps and high price tags. Mature age rookies like Kane Mitchell and Brett Goodes have come a bit cheaper but likewise with high expectations. We’ve even had a former steeplechaser, Mark Blicavs, come from nowhere and end up playing round one for the Cats. Now that round one has come and gone, it’s time to see who lived up to the preseason hype and who failed to meet our expectations. While some coaches will be regretting their decisions, others will be rejoicing in them. For many there will need to be some corrective trades made over the coming weeks, so let’s look at the good and not so good rookie selections after round one.   

The Good

Ollie Wines (PTA) $169K

Most coaches knew about Ollie Wines’ impressive preseason but not all were willing to pay the extra cash to have him. This was a horrible decision in hindsight as you couldn’t have asked for a better debut from a rookie. Wines was superb in Port’s smashing of Melbourne, with 24 disposals, one goal and 125 Supercoach points. An impressive 16 of Wines’ 24 possessions were contested, which was the equal most by an AFL player on debut. Although his performance was against poor opposition it’s hard not to get excited about having Wines in your team. Well done to the 36% who picked him. For those who overlooked him you will need to make a corrective trade to get him into your side.    

  

Jack Viney (MEL) $109K

Jack Viney was one of the few positives to come out of Melbourne’s shocking performance on the weekend. Viney showed passion and hardness at the ball on his way to 22 possessions, one goal and 117 Supercoach points. Viney also had 16 contested possessions to be equal with Wines as the most contested possessions on debut. Although 59% of coaches own Viney not all had him starting on the field, which was a bad error in hindsight.  The other 41% are advised to get this guy into your team as quickly as possible and make sure he’s in your starting midfield this week.

Brett Goodes (WBD) $128K

There was no greater story from the weekend than Brett Goodes. At 29, Goodes’ AFL debut was long overdue and he didn't waste any time once he got his opportunity. Goodes dominated for the Bulldogs across half back collecting 24 possessions (at 87% efficiency), seven marks and 113 Supercoach points. The 63% of coaches who selected him were expecting solid numbers from the mature age rookie, but Goodes far exceeded these expectations. He is a must-have starting rookie in your backline who may even become a keeper. If you don’t have him, make the corrective trade to get him in this week.  

Jasper Pittard (PTA) $128K

Jasper Pittard was one of many success stories to come out of Port Adelaide's great start to the season. Pittard had only played 14 games over the past three seasons due to injuries, making him a cheap option for your defence. With three years in the system and a full preseason under his belt, Pittard showed why he was a high draft pick. He had 14 disposals (at 85% efficiency), six marks and one goal in the Power’s win over the Dees, finishing with 93 Supercoach points. Surprisingly only 28% of coaches had Pittard in their sides. He uses the ball well off half back and Port like to bring the ball through him so I expect Pittard to continue to score well. If you don’t have him I would look to bring him into your side before his price goes up. 

Jaeger O'Meara (GCS) S115K  

No rookie came with more hype and expectation than Jaeger O'Meara. As the Suns number one selection in the 2011 mini-draft, we all knew about him and his potential after another preseason under his belt. Besides Brett Goodes, O'Meara was the highest selected rookie with 62% of coaches having him in their side. O'Meara's 113 Supercoach point performance in his last NAB Cup game against the Dees also meant he was a certain starter in most sides. O'Meara's slow start on debut would have had a lot of coaches worried but he improved as the game went on finishing with 12 disposals, one goal and 72 Supercoach points. Expect more improvement, but for me he is behind Wines and Viney at the moment.  

The Not So Good

Kane Mitchell (PTA) $126K

The former Sandover Medalist had a super preseason for the Power and was a ‘lock’ in most Supercoach sides early on. However, after playing a few tagging roles many coaches went cold on Mitchell resulting in only 21% of them selecting him. There was also a mad panic to either bench him or trade him out once he was named as the starting sub before the game. Mitchell ended up being subbed on in the fourth quarter and was able to gather 7 possessions and 13 Supercoach points in that time. Not a great result after all the preseason hype. Mitchell has a lot more to offer but the concern is getting game time in a competitive Port Adelaide outfit. Therefore it could be good timing to trade out Mitchell if you need Wines. Otherwise I would keep him on your bench for now.          

Jimmy Toumpas (MEL) $184K

Jimmy Toumpas was impressive in the NAB Cup for Melbourne, showing he was a classy ball user and good finisher. He was also likely to get games early, which was enough for 13% of coaches to select him in their starting sides. As Toumpas was a more expensive rookie choice, those who selected him probably went with Toumpas instead of Wines. This would have been heartbreaking for those coaches watching Wines dominate, while Toumpas could only manage 9 disposals and 25 Supercoach points on debut. Although he will improve I would trade Toumpas out for Wines if you made this mistake.  

Brent Macaffer (COL) $128K

With a lack of forward rookie options this year Brent Macaffer was a ‘lock’ for most sides with 52% of coaches selecting him. As a mature player discounted due to injury, Macaffer was a bargain at his price. The biggest dilemma was whether or not to start him in your F.6 position or have him on the bench. His return of 12 disposals, 5 marks and 1 goal for 44 Supercoach points suggests a bench spot would have been best. However, not all could afford that luxury depending on your team structure. Macaffer is still a worthy selection if you’re struggling for forward rookies. He should play every week and generate enough cash to help improve your side. 

Lachie Whitfield (GWS) $199K

As the number one draft pick, Lachie Whitfield came with a lot of hype and expectation. He lived up to much of this throughout the preseason showing he had little trouble finding the ball as he did in the under 18 competition. Despite his lofty price, 18% of coaches thought he was worthy of selection. They would have been bitterly disappointed with his return of 15 disposals and 49 Supercoach points. When you pay top dollar for a rookie in Supercoach you expect a decent return for your money. To make things worse, GWS are likely to rest Whitfield throughout the season and limit him to around 11 senior games. If you picked him over Wines or Viney I would make a corrective trade.

Mark Blicavs (GEE) $115K

Mark Blicavs, a former steeplechaser, surprised many with his NAB Cup form. Blicavs scored 118 Supercoach points against the Pies playing as the Cats number one ruckman. With ruck stocks low at Geelong Blicavs became a likely round one starter, resulting in 37% of coaches selecting him. His nine possessions (at 100% efficiency), 11 hitouts and 57 Supercoach points on debut wasn’t a bad return. Coaches who started him as their second ruck would have liked 70-80 points, but when you consider Ryder (54 pts) and Roughead’s (58 pts) scores it doesn’t sound so bad. With Blicavs likely to play more games he looks to be a good bench option. At this stage I wouldn’t burn a trade to get him.  

I hope the rookies you chose lived up to their expectations. If not, you can always make corrective trades to get the right ones into your side.

The Tagging Game

Eagle Luke Shuey had a tough time shaking Dockers tagger Ryan Crowley

Tagging is a phenomenon that exists in the AFL and whether you like it or not it’s here to stay. Most sides these days have a designated tagger or a defensive stopper who is sent purely to curb the influence of the opposition’s most damaging midfielder. There have been many successful taggers in the past and one cannot forget the likes of a Steven Baker or a Cameron Ling. The elite taggers like Ling are able to win their own share of the football as well.

In 2013 there are several players known for their effective tagging abilities. Andrew Raines, Clint Jones, Ryan Crowley and Scott Selwood are some who have been very successful at shutting down the opposition’s best midfielder. Although it’s a good tactic to shut down players, it’s often not good for our Supercoach teams. The elite midfielders in the AFL are usually the first players picked in our Supercoach sides. Guys like Gary Ablett, Scott Pendlebury and Trent Cotchin. We rely on these gun players to provide our Supercoach midfield with premium scores week in - week out. If they don’t score well it can put an end to your Supercoach aspirations. That’s why no matter how good a player is, if they can’t break a tag then you don’t want them in your Supercoach team.

This past week we have already seen two players effectively tagged out of the game, Luke Shuey and Patrick Dangerfield. Dangerfield scored a deplorable 63 Supercoach points as a result of being shut down by Essendon tagger Heath Hocking. The Bombers figured out early that Dangerfield was the man to stop so they switched Hocking from Scott Thompson to Dangerfield and the rest is history. Others teams will do the same, making Dangerfield a marked man this year. If Dangerfield can’t adjust and doesn’t get help from his teammates, it could be disastrous for a lot of Supercoach coaches, including me. We will know pretty soon as Raines will tag Dangerfield when the Crows play the Lions in round 2. I’m prediciting Dangerfield can work through it, if not I will seriously consider trading him out before his price plummets after round 3.      

Luke Shuey also struggled to shake the tag of Docker Ryan Crowley, finishing with a disappointing 56 Supercoach points. Big things are expected of Shuey this year after his rapid improvement in 2012. However he has yet to prove he can cope with the attention he received from Crowley last weekend. As long as Daniel Kerr remains sidelined, Shuey will continue to cop the number one tag and struggle to have an impact. This is what happened to Brent Stanton last season. Stanton was flying last year in Supercoach with an average of 137 points per game after round 8. At that point he was equal leader in the Brownlow with teammate Jobe Watson. However, unlike Watson, Stanton couldn’t cope with a tag. Opposition teams soon realised this and Stanton had no impact for the rest of the season. As a result Stanton becomes a risky selection for your Supercoach team. Although the addition of Brendon Goddard means Stanton may be less likely to get the number one tag, I still wouldn’t pick him.   

This season there are several players on the rise who I believe might be prone to getting tagged. These include players such as Daniel Rich, Jack Watts, Dustin Martin and Hamish Hartlett. Hartlett is an outstanding young talent who could have a breakout year if he stays injury free. Opposition teams know this as shown by the Eagles during their NAB Cup game against Port. Hartlett was damaging early, as was Boak, but the Eagles sent Scott Selwood to Hartlett instead and he shut him down after half-time. Jack Watts is another guy who has tremendous upside playing the loose man role across half-back. Opposition sides are aware of this and once the real stuff begins they are likely to send a defensive forward tagger to Watts who, at times, has shown he is susceptible to being tagged out of games. Dustin Martin has also had trouble with tags in the past but has simply not been good enough in recent times to get tagged. If Martin bounces back this year he is likely to get some attention, but most of the focus will go to the likes of Cotchin and Deledio so he may be a safer bet than Watts. Daniel Rich’s fast start to the season will mean he’ll cop a lot of attention and it will be interesting to see if he can cope with the added fan fare from opposition taggers. I’m not convinced Rich can cope, but I’m happy to be proven wrong. Rich also has Nick Lower first up, which will be a good test after Lower’s job on Trent Cotchin. Cotchin showed that even he was prone when he wore a heavy tag from Lower all day in the NAB practice match against the Bulldogs. Although he had some important touches late Cotchin had his colours lowered on the day. 

On the other hand look at Gary Ablett. Every week he cops the opposition's best tagger and you know he doesn't enjoy it as evidenced by the Crowley fiasco on twitter last year. Yet Ablett is still able to have an influence and score well despite the tag. Last year only two players had more than 20 disposals against tagger Clint Jones. Ablett was one of them with 35 possessions. Ablett was also one of three players to win more than 20 possessions against Raines and he did it on two occasions. That's why he's first picked in my team every year. 

Remember no matter how good a player is, if they can’t break a tag then you don’t want them in your Supercoach team. 

Keep calm and don’t trade

Patrick Dangerfield scored a meagre 63 Supercoach points against the Bombers

If you are worried about some of your Supercoach selections after the weekend you’re probably not alone. Take solace in the fact that many coaches have Patrick Dangerfield, Brendon Goddard, and Dyson Heppell in their teams. It’s always easy in hindsight to rue the decisions you’ve made. ‘Why did I pick Dangerfield over Watson’ or ‘I should have gone with Mundy over Fyfe’. If these words ring true for you remind yourself that you picked these players for a reason and now’s not the time to jump off the bandwagon. Back your judgement, keep calm and don’t push the trade but just yet.

Over the past weekend there were some very ordinary performances. Many of our Supercoach stars were well down on their expected outputs and Patrick Dangerfield was one of the biggest. After a massive year in 2012, Dangerfield had shown signs he would become one of the premier midfielders in the competition. He started on fire against the Bombers on Friday night until they sent Heath Hocking to quell his influence. It worked and Dangerfield finished with a meagre 63 Supercoach points for the game. Then there’s the rising stars Dyson Heppell and Luke Shuey. Shuey was another victim of the tag, scoring only 56 Supercoach points after he was blanketed by Ryan Crowley for the entire game. Heppell like Dangerfield started well in the midfield, as expected, only to slow down in the second half to finish with 73 Supercoach points. All were well down on their projected scores. Others like Patrick Ryder (54 SC points), Paul Duffield (80 SC points) and Brendon Goddard (86 SC points) failed to produce. Even Nat Fyfe’s 96 points seemed disappointing if you chose him ahead of David Mundy (126 SC points) and Michael Barlow (144 SC points).

So what do we do now? Do we react to these disappointing scores and trade out our under-performing stars? That sounds like an easy solution. Trade out Dangerfield and bring in Watson. But what if Dangerfield comes out and scores 150 Supercoach points against the Lions next round? It wouldn’t be the first time a star like Dangerfield responded like this. In fact it happens quite a lot. The Crows also have an easier draw playing teams like the Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast early. Although sides will try and tag Dangerfield each week they won’t have the same success that Hocking did on Friday night. The better solution is to keep Dangerfield and see how he plays next week. If he scores another 60 points then maybe consider a trade if he’s going to drop in price dramatically. Last year’s winner did this after round 2 when he traded Montagna out for Sam Mitchell. A bold move that paid off in the end, but initially it looked like it would backfire when Mitchell scored an 83 and a 55 in two of his next three games. I suppose this is the type of move that enabled him to win the overall competition. However, the norm is if you pick a premium it’s best to stick with them as they usually come good given time. It also saves a trade which comes in handy down the track.

This same line of thought goes for the other stars as well. Stick with Goddard, Heppell, and Ryder for now. Although it could be tempting with 30 trades this year, see how they respond next round before pulling the trigger and trading them out. Otherwise it’s likely to leave you with egg on your face. If they perform badly again then it gets a bit more complicated. It comes down to who the player is firstly, their scoring history in past years, and a judgement call by you. For example if Luke Shuey had another bad game I would consider trading him out. Shuey isn’t yet a proven star who has delivered premium scores consistently, although we were hoping for this to happen after a breakout season in 2012. Therefore it would make sense to jump off Shuey at $553K and jump on a Barlow ($509K) or Mundy ($477K) who are both cheaper options that look like delivering premium numbers this year. On the other hand I wouldn’t consider trading out Goddard. He is an elite Supercoach performer who has consistently delivered premium numbers. Goddard also had limited touches for his 86 Supercoach points. He’s a damaging player and when he gets more touches (which he will) his scoring output will increase dramatically.

Another mistake would be to make wholesale changes to your side this week in reaction to some of your selections not paying off. Although it’s possible it could work, it’s more likely to backfire. The players you change are likely to have big games as you initially thought. Besides some slight tweaking, trust your original judgements and stick with the players you’ve chosen.

When it comes to making trades after round 1 the only trades I would consider are forced trades due to injured players. Mark LeCras is a perfect example. He was just starting to look dangerous when he broke his arm and is now out for 4 weeks. A possible trade for LeCras would be his teammate Josh Kennedy. Kennedy was impressive in his return on the weekend kicking 2 goals on his way to 109 SC points. At $299K he would also give you another $69K in the bank to use elsewhere. Even so I would wait until round one is completed so you have a better idea of how everyone performs as you never know what can happen in the game of Supercoach.    

Ideally, I believe the best outcome is not to trade until the end of round two. One game doesn’t make a season and from experience this is especially true in Supercoach. Last year’s winner was ranked in the 60,000’s after the first two rounds yet went on to win as a result of making the right trades at the right time. Now is not the right time. Keep calm and don’t trade...not yet anyway.  

The 'Rookie-Cutter' Team

Ollie Wines has been a standout midfield rookie in the NAB Cup

When you make your initial Supercoach team it’s important to have a strategy. The ‘guns and rookies’ and ‘midpricer’ strategies are two popular approaches that have worked well for coaches in past years. However, within each approach there is usually a common thread in every team. This can be called the ‘cookie-cutter’ team. Whether it is in the backline, midfield or forward line you always find certain players locked into every side. These are players like Brendan Goddard, Gary Ablett and Buddy Franklin. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing I’d like to propose a different approach when it comes to building your side in 2013. I call it the ‘rookie-cutter’ team approach. In this approach you let the quantity and quality of rookies available on each line dictate the structure of your side. I will explain how this strategy works by looking at the process of selecting each line of your Supercoach team.

Defence

This year you will find you’re not lacking options for rookie choices in defence. There is good quantity and quality to choose from. These include mature age players such as Brett Goodes ($128K), Lewis Steveson ($115K), Dean Terlich ($109K), and Jasper Pittard ($128K). You also have first year players Sam Colquhuon ($109K), Sam Docherty ($115K) and Nick Vlastuin ($159K). The mature age guys will definitely play and score well and the first year rookies will get game time at some stage, especially Vlastuin. Therefore I believe it is possible to structure your defence around 4-5 rookies. That will mean starting with at least 3 premiums and 5 rookies, 4 premiums and 4 rookies or 3 premiums, 1 midpricer and 4 rookies. Either way you are getting value for money and it would make no sense to stack your backline with extra premiums. Personally I like the 3 premium, 5 rookie approach as it frees up cash to spend elsewhere. You can then spend that extra money on a premium midfielder who will average more than your premium defender. The extra cash will also come in handy for your forward line with a lack of good forward rookie options.

Midfield

When it comes to rookies in the midfield we are spoilt for choice. We have the likes of Jack Viney ($109K), Brad Crouch ($115K), and Jaegar O’meara ($115K). O’Meara and Crouch have been impressive in the NAB Cup and we know Viney can play senior football. Then there is Ollie Wines ($169K) whose size and contested game style will mean he plays and scores well. A must have for your side. We also have some mature age guys to choose from like Matt Jones ($109K), Kane Mitchell ($126K) and Koby Stevens ($176K). If that isn’t enough I could go on with names such as Toumpas, Whitfield, Kent and Kommer. Like I said we are spoilt for choice. We have quality rookies capable of scoring highly and making you considerable cash to upgrade your team. As a result, I believe you should build your midfield structure around 4-5 rookies. That means starting with at least two rookies on the field, possibly three. This year I believe it is possible to do this due to the quality and quantity of midfield rookies available. We also have 10 midfield spots to fill (8 starting), so it will be difficult to have an adequate team elsewhere if we stack our midfield full of premiums. I will be looking at adopting a 5 rookie, 5 premium structure. However, at least one of my premiums will be a possible breakout player. The extra trades gives you room to take some risks. There is also room to have a midpricer within the structure, depending on your strategy.   

Ruck

Although the rucks continue to cause headaches this year, there are still enough rookies to fill our benches. This year Dan Currie ($115K) has stepped up as a legitimate mature age ruck option. A lot depends, however, on whether or not he can win the starting role from Goldstein. It seems unlikely at this stage and North won’t play both. Then there’s Majak Daw ($109K) and Sam Rowe ($115K) who could both see playing time, with Rowe being the more likely. Rowe also has dual status as a ruck/fwd so he could be crucial to have that link even if he doesn’t play. Mark Blicavs ($115K) is also an option. He's recently been made available as a ruckman and is a likely round one starter, but once Geelong's ruck stocks return there are no guarantees he will continue to play. There are other rookies like Jarrod Witts at Collingwood but they are unlikely to see enough action. Therefore I believe you should build your ruck structure around 2 rookies. That means starting with 2 premium rucks or 1 premium ruck and a midpriced ruck if you want to save cash. Your 2 premium rucks can also be on the cheaper side ($450-500K) as we have some potentially underpriced ruckmen in this price range (e.g. Kreuzer, Giles, Mumford, Goldstein, Bellchambers, etc). Having 3 rookies and starting Currie seems too risky at this stage.      

Forward

One of the biggest challenges for all coaches this year is finding quality rookie forwards. There are simply not many options. The main two options are Brent MaCaffer ($128K) and Jake Neade ($115K). Although Neade is small, he’s got speed and has been lively in the NAB Cup. However, if he plays he won’t score high and should be a bench option. Macaffer is in a similar boat. He will definitely play but is unlikely to average over 60-70 pts per game. There are others like Tom Lee ($115K) and Spangher ($128K) who could get a game, but no standouts. As a result I believe we need to build our forward line structure around midpriced players in 2013. We have an abundance of midpricers this year such as LeCras ($369K), Monfries ($356K), Kennedy ($299K), Varcoe ($268K), Karnezis ($262K), Knights ($248K) and Byrnes ($230K). Some of these guys are fully capable of scoring 80-90 points per game, which will help generate enough cash for premium upgrades. It will also keep you competitive in the overall competition until you are able to upgrade. It’s even possible one of them could produce premium like numbers and become a keeper. However, to be able to afford these midpriced players you will need to have ample rookies in the midfield and defence to free up enough cash. If you do this you will be able to have a structure of 3-4 premiums in your forward line, with 2-3 midpricers and 2 rookies on the bench.

So this year when you come to selecting your side think carefully about your strategy and team structure. Rather than using a default 'guns and rookies' or 'midpricer' approach, I recommend you take advantage of the number of good rookies available in the defence and midfield and spend the extra cash where you need it most.