How to pick an AFL Dream Team in 2010

 
The Crowd Roar Pro

By Forgetmenot, 11 Mar 2010 The Crowd is a Roar Pro

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Justin Koschitzke of St Kilda (R) consoles Nick Riewoldt (C) after the AFL Round 20 match between the Essendon Bombers and the St Kilda Saints at the Docklands Stadium. Slattery Images

It is a date that is etched in the minds of sporting fanatics around Australia. Thursday March 25, 2010 is the date when the new AFL season begins.

For the serious stat analysers, it is seen as the deadline for when their AFL Fantasy Dream Team must be submitted.

Many see the date as the time when they can prove to their mates that Nick Riewoldt is a better forward than Buddy Franklin, or simply that their football knowledge is superior to that of their best 15 mates.

For the uninitiated, the AFL Dream Team basically involves picking a squad of 30 players under a salary cap, of whom 22 will score points for you (through a scoring scheme) based on their performance that weekend.

Last year, I wrote the article “How to pick an AFL Dream Team”. That article is still very much valid, and I encourage all new comers to the sport to have a read.

I have not yet begun the process of picking a team for 2010. However, I do have a plan in my head:

1. Throughout the summer I have been following all the football news I can get my hands on. The AFL website has been particularly good with the analysis of clubs training performances and has produced a string of articles on impressive Dream Team players for 2010. The Herald Sun and Foxsports have also been producing some very good articles on Fantasy Football team selections.

2. You can never pick a premiership team from the NAB Cup, and the same goes for superstat fantasy players. The NAB Cup is only good to see which youngsters may gain a senior berth in 2010. Fantasy points are available for the NAB Cup and all previous seasons on FanFooty.

3. However, before you look at stats you need to know which players to look at. I recommend visiting the BigFooty Fantasy Football section and checking up on players that are mentioned several times.

4. Your mates are your biggest rivals. But during initial team selections they can also give you a boost. Asking them for tips about players can prove valuable in removing those duds that you thought are probably due for a good season in 2010. Don’t take all their advice on board though, tricking your mates in team selection is a valid psychological technique for the year ahead.

5. The order in which you choose your players is also particularly important. Each player has their preference.

5.a. I always pick my bench first. This means researching and purchasing first year players similar to the stockmarket and also allows you to ascertain how much salary cap is remaining.

5.b. Next I choose my ruckmen. This means analyzing and weighing up the amount of points gained each week up against the price. Dean Cox has been a very good choice in recent years, but it could be the year for a change.

5.c. The captain is next. A vital player who gains double points each week. While you may want to change him weekly it is advisable to have one consistently high scoring player in the team as a fallback guy. Be aware of the price, but don’t be stingy.

5.d. I next pick my backs. I usually am very stingy with these guys as I find that they aren’t as high scoring. But the point/price analysis should always be considered.

5.e. The forwards are next. There are many good midfielders listed in the forward line, and if you can pick those in your team for a good price, and high score each week, then do it.

5.f. The midfield is last. As it is the last set to pick, it may involve going back to your forwards and backs, and trading a player down in order to get the cash for a star midfielder. Ensure that you pick consistent performers here.

5.g. Finally, go back and tweak your team as needed.

6. Another worthwhile tip when picking your team is to spread your players around the 16 clubs. As much as you think that St Kilda may win every game, stocking your team with Saints is a terrible idea. If they have one bad week, then you will plummet down ratings, and lose your fixture match as well. An absolute maximum of four in the starting 22 is a good limit.

7. Maintaining your team is of very high importance. Ensure that you check injury statuses, training reports, and team selections to ensure that your starting 22 is playing at their optimum. Ensure that you are constantly using your first year players like the stock market, in order to trade up the mid-level players to superstars.

People can spend a varying amount of time on picking their teams. The minimum you can get away with is 10 minutes each week checking team selections. Who knows, you may get lucky and win one the great prizes on offer this year.

I’m out most Thursdays, and usually spend Fridays recovering, so my 10 minutes is spent on Friday afternoon at about 1pm. The rest of my week and football is confined to news stories, and the occasional glance at BigFooty.

Anyone can make a team and succeed. Even someone with no football knowledge.

Perhaps some of the long-term The Roar readers and contributors who are so often critical of football could prove how apparently simple a game of football is, and show us AFL experts how to dominate.

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