If you’re anything like me, you’ve been waiting anxiously for the 2011 version of AFL Fantasy footy to begin. It’s a little different this year. The addition of the Gold Coast has thrown several spanners in the works. For starters, there’s at least one bye every week. It means you’ll need a flexible, deep roster of players to ensure you field a full team each week.
And crucially, the pool of players is full of rookies. Cheap, untried rookies. They’re the cream of the graduating class of 2010 and you need several of them in your squad. Best of all, they’re bargains, and they’ll make you plenty of money if you get your selections right. So who to pick? Well in this first instalment, let’s put the spotlight on the ruckmen.
The Guns:
Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle)
The most expensive in the field and for good reason. The tallest man in football and therefore the first to ball! A hit-out genius and incredibly mobile around the ground for a man his size. You get what you pay for but he’ll take a big chunk out of your salary cap. Many will get him now and save on the trade later in the season, but I’d rather throw my cash elsewhere and wait for the big man’s price to drop. That said, there’s no guarantee it will! That’s how good he is!
Dean Cox (West Coast)
A little cheaper than Sandilands and for mine, much better value. Cox is one of fantasy footy’s most consistent stalwarts in recent years. He’ll have his off games, but they’re few and far between and I like those odds. One of the few in this list you’d consider as captain material over a midfielder. He’s in my side, first picked.
Patrick Ryder (Essendon)
In putting my team together he was part of my ruck division for a bit. He’ll divide his team between the ruck and the Bombers forward line and most weeks will be a reliable presence on the fantasy scoreboard. Most weeks. The trouble is, with David Hille in the Bombers line-up, they’ll take points off each other. At Ryder’s price, I’d be looking for something a little more bankable. More importantly though, if I bought Ryder I’d want him in my side until the very end. Problem is, Essendon have the round 24 bye. You’ll need a new ruckman if you make the grand final. He might get you there, but he won’t be playing when the bragging rights are on the line.
Hamish McIntosh (North Melbourne)
He’s been kind to my teams in the past and I’d have him again if he wasn’t injured. Picking an injured player during a late last minute dash to register a team is a common mistake. Don’t do it! I bet some still do!
Shane Mumford (Sydney)
Very good footballer. Perhaps we’re about to see the best of him. Astute players may be onto something if they’re prepared to take that risk.
Darren Jolly (Collingwood)
In a team full of stars, Darren Jolly is one of the certain selections week in week out at the Magpies. For what he costs, I’d look at other ruckmen first. If you can afford two in his price bracket, certainly consider him. I’d crunch some numbers to work out all your options before committing fully though.
Mark Seaby (Sydney)
The second option in the Swans ruck unit and the much cheaper alternative. In fantasy football terms, I think he represents good value. No doubt others would disagree. But who knows what you’re going to get. Certainly not the consistency of the men at the top of the salary cap, but if he can get going early and string a few scores together, he may be the best option to buy early and upgrade sooner rather than later. Playing just 11 games in the past two injury-plagued seasons is cause for concern though.
Matthew Leuenberger (Brisbane)
The Lions’ new jumping leader. He’ll get through plenty of work but raw stats don’t always equate to fantasy stats. He managed to play all 22 games in 2010 though, testament to his durability.
Dean Brogan (Port Adelaide)
Given he’s the main man at the Power, it’s surprising his fantasy stats aren’t much better. As good as they are on grass, some men just don’t play their best football on fantasy fields. Things don’t look like improving in 2011.
Mitchell Clark (Brisbane)
Two years ago he was the buy of the year. Cheap, mobile and a ruck star. But injury, the emergence of Matthew Leuenberger and a change of role made him far less marketable as a fantasy prospect in 2010. Expect more of the same in 2011. No Fevola means Clark will spend more time in front of goal. That could mean better times ahead for fantasy players. Unlikely though.
Josh Fraser (Gold Coast)
Potentially the best buy of all the ruckmen. He’s a proven points scorer and his price will balloon very quickly. So what’s the drawback? The Suns have the bye in round one. They’ve also got a young rookie who may be one of the few genuine cheap options among the ruckmen. And picking two ruckmen from the one team isn’t sensible thinking!
Drew Petrie (North Melbourne)
He’s pulled some impressive numbers in the pre-season and is well priced. Problem is, he’s suspended for round one and the Kangaroos have the bye in round three. That makes him one to keep an eye out for if you need a replacement player a month into the competition.
David Hale (Hawthorn)
Recruited from the Kangaroos and for that reason alone, could find himself on the ground a bit more in 2011. Never been a fantasy football superstar, but he’s cheap. And we all need a cheap option to call upon when the salary cap gets tight. Particularly in a year when you’ll need a spare ruckmen at your disposal to cover the bye.
Max Bailey (Hawthorn)
Coming back from injury and cheap. He’s been there before and will be back at some point. How soon he returns is sure to be watched closely by the fantasy folk!
Zac Smith (Gold Coast)
Before the season’s even begun, Smith looks the pick of the rookies on offer. He should get plenty of games under his belt and while his scores may not set the world on fire, they’ll inflate his price significantly.
Lachlan Keefe (Collingwood)
No certainty to play early in the season but you’d expect him to get some game time in throughout the year, which is more than you can say about most of the guys in that lower price bracket. If you’re looking for a cheap option to ease the salary cap squeeze, he’s worth considering.
So there’s a quick look at the majority of the men you’ll be considering for your fantasy footy teams. Good luck with those tough choices. You’ll need it! Check back in on Monday as we cast our eye over the best defenders for your fantasy team.
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