The balance of attractive and cheap fantasy options has swung towards backs like Levi Greenwood.
First, a little primer for those of you reading this type of post for the first time. The “structure” posts set out a bunch of shortlists for three price bands of players at each position: premiums, mid-prices and cheapies. For the purposes of this post I have merged the cheapie and rookie categories that you will see in the Fanplanner list page. These shortlists contain players who I consider to be valid choices for each position, not sorted by any criteria other than price. In addition to noting the names on offer, the point is to illustrate the depth at each position by indicating a suitable mix of players from each price band.
Those of you who remember my all-premium back structure from this time last season – which I stuck to personally, save for an ill-fated concession to Andrew Raines – will perhaps be surprised to learn that I’m almost going all the way the other way, by advocating the diversion of a lot of money into the forwards this year.
BACKS
3 premiums ($375k+) from: Brendon Goddard, Ryan Hargrave, Jason Gram, Corey Enright, Simon Goodwin, Paul Duffield, Jack Grimes, Nathan Bock, Greg Broughton, Chad Cornes, Andrew Embley, Heath Scotland, Rhyce Shaw, Andrew Carrazzo, Sam Fisher, Jed Adcock, Luke Hodge, Heath Shaw, Andrew Mackie, Lindsay Gilbee
4 mid-prices ($200k-$375k) from: Brad Symes, Chris Newman, David Mundy, Adam McPhee, Michael Johnson, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Grant Birchall, Josh Drummond, Brent Guerra, Shannon Hurn, Ashley McGrath, Xavier Ellis, Michael Hurley, Josh Gibson, Daniel Pratt, Joel Macdonald, Scott Selwood, Nick Malceski, Nick Suban, Alex Rance, Lachie Henderson, Levi Greenwood, Marcus Drum, James Hawksley, Simon Buckley, Matthew Broadbent
2 cheapies (-$200k) from: David Myers, Rick Ladson, Tom Collier, Ryan Schoenmakers, Beau Waters, Rory Sloane, Tadhg Kennelly, Shaun McKernan, Josh Hunt, Jesse W. Smith, Brad Sheppard, Daniel Talia, Mitch Farmer, Matt Maguire, Jeromey Webberley, Jackson Trengove, Jordan Lisle, Phil Davis
MIDFIELDERS
2 premiums ($440k+) from: any save for perhaps Shane Tuck and Tyson Edwards are valid options at this stage
2 mid-prices ($220k-$440k) from: Jordan Lewis, Travis Boak, Adam Cooney, Andrew Swallow, Brent Moloney, Cale Morton, Andrew Embley, Brad Green, Ben McGlynn, Steven Salopek, Bradd Dalziell, Brock McLean, Luke Ball, Shaun Burgoyne, Brady Rawlings, Daniel Wells, David Mackay, Brad Ebert, Callan Ward, Tom Swift, Trent Cotchin, Chris Masten, Jack Ziebell, Rhys Palmer, Daniel Kerr, Andrew Walker, Liam Shiels, Ryan Crowley, Clinton Young, Patrick Dangerfield
4 cheapies (-$220k) from: John McCarthy, Sam Sheldon, Matthew Broadbent, Rick Ladson, Daniel Connors, Tom Scully, Jack Trengove, Dustin Martin, Anthony Morabito, Ben Cunnington, Pearce Hanley, Jake Melksham, Jordan Gysberts, Kane Lucas, Lewis Jetta, Mitch Farmer, Michael Barlow, Rohan Bail, Ryan Bastinac, Tony Armstrong, Sam Blease, James Strauss, Luke Shuey, Mitch Banner, Jarrod Kayler-Thomson
RUCKS
1 premiums ($380k+) from: any are valid options at this stage
1 mid-prices ($200k-$380k) from: Matthew Kreuzer, Kurt Tippett, Dean Brogan, Angus Graham, Shane Mumford, Simon Taylor, Brad Ottens, Mark Seaby, Matthew Leuenberger, Tyrone Vickery
2 cheapies (-$200k) from: Jamie Charman, Robert Warnock, Wayde Skipper, Trent West, Andrew L. Browne, Jarred Redden, Daniel Currie, Matthew Lobbe, Jackson Trengove, Ayce Cordy, Jordan Roughead
FORWARDS
3 premiums ($400k+) from: any save for Drew Petrie (suspended) and Steve Johnson (injured) could be argued for
4 mid-prices ($200k-$400k) from: Chris Knights, Brent Harvey, Lance Franklin, Robert Murphy, Matthew Bate, Adam McPhee, Cyril Rioli, Mark LeCras, Robbie Gray, Michael Osborne, Richard Douglas, Jack Ziebell, Barry Hall, Hayden Ballantyne, Brent Staker, James Polkinghorne, Patrick Dangerfield, Brett Burton, Lachie Henderson, Michael Walters, Chris Yarran, Patrick Veszpremi, Sam Wright
2 cheapies (-$200k) from: Ben Reid, Austin Wonaeamirri, Jack Watts, Sean Rusling, Trent Dennis-Lane, Luke Tapscott, Jordan Lisle, Matthew Lobbe, Scott Gumbleton, Phil Davis
The only name missing here who is prominent in the Fanplanner is David Hille, as I expect him to miss early games. Otherwise you’re probably not going to see a whole lot of surprises at this early stage. With the likes of Bastinac, Cunnington, Trengove and Morabito classified as centres only (according to the latest snippets from the 2010 Prospectus), the depth in the forward rookies is deplorable this year. Things aren’t much better in the back rookies, so it’s up to the centres to pull us through the early part of the 2010 season with start-worthy scores. This situation will probably change as the preseason rolls on and some more draftee and AFL rookie options look like debuting in round 1. At this stage, going with a preponderance of mid-price improvers in the forward and backs is the prudent plan.
NT.Thunder
January 21, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Definitely a change from previous years Monty IMO with Backs representing value in the lower to mid range and the FWDs looking like having very little cheap options. Risk may be with Gumby/Rusling but not 4 me…Going to have to be careful and maybe sacrifice some mid spending to build a FWD line.
Prospector
January 21, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Brilliant as ever m0nty, pls. keep it up…
Warnie
January 21, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Great post monty.
I think my fowards will be stacked at the top end (at the moment). I see value in the Buddy, Jono Brown, Pav, Cyril, McPhee… will be interesting to see what that does to my other lines. NAB Cup will, as always, be telling!
Rikle
January 21, 2010 at 11:10 pm
This is an excellent post. Very useful.
Any reason for no Stephen Hill and no Nick Naitanui?
m0nty
January 21, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Second years are not usually great, Rikle.
Disco DB
January 22, 2010 at 12:59 am
hmm, I think my team will be balanced around where the value lies in the rookie pool. That and hawks players, haha.
Narkee
January 22, 2010 at 1:17 am
Great work m0nty!
Interesting to note that many people are looking at buddy yet according to this post (and my belief) there is very little cover for him in round 1. I would love to have buddy in my side but I am not gettinh him if it means copping a round 1 donut.
scottydude
January 22, 2010 at 4:40 am
no geary and armitage in the mids, I know i am a one eyed saint but armitage will take balls spot and with his discount is juicy. they are both being talked up big time on the saints boards
toodledock
January 22, 2010 at 5:31 am
Interesting, you’ve got to load up on rookies where you can I guess and it;s looking like the center
Dippa
January 22, 2010 at 8:03 am
Isn’t Greenwood a second year player?
timskul
January 22, 2010 at 9:30 am
no chris mayne in cheap fwds yet veszpremis there?
nbashan
January 22, 2010 at 10:05 am
Brilliant work Monty, this article will be useful. Will you/ or have you done such an analysis for SC?
Danger_32
January 22, 2010 at 10:54 am
Stephen Hill and Nic Nat don’t get a mention but about 20 other 2nd year players do???
ShrewDext
January 22, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Great work Monty. I’ve been thinking along similar lines trying to maximize cash cows in my Prem/rookie structure. Bastinc and Jack Trengove as mids only will upset many. Especially if Delideo also was Mid only. Teams with stacked midfields may have to reconsider to ensure the best cows are picked. I wouldn’t be happy starting injury prone KPP’s in my forward line. You know who I mean.
lukepop
January 22, 2010 at 10:48 pm
anyone else toying with the idea of a 3 rookie on ground midfield setup? It’s so risky but with the plethora of mid cows it could be a stroke of genius..
Neppallis
January 26, 2010 at 11:44 pm
y would u have 4 cheapies in mid?
Centre is a really important position!! If a position should have more than two cheapies it should be backs!
thall
January 27, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Definately agree that cheap forwards are lacking this year. Going to be tough for the forwards this year.
Sidenote, I think 3 rookies in mid this year is a good thing. Maybe not 4, but looks to be a few cows in there. 🙂
ongaj
January 27, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Neppallis, I would say that you are going to need a few cheapies in the mids this year mainly because of the high $$ value that the cream of the crop have.
If you pick a decent backline at the start of the year, which almost looks possible this year, then you only have to worry about upgrading your mids (presuming fwds and rucks are all good).
A lot of the people who look as though they are going to rise in value are going to be in the midfield this year compared to other spots around the ground.
So are you going to want to get 4 backmen with the chance of only 1 or 2 actually growing in value? Or a few more cheap midfielders who have more of a chance of growing in value for upgrades?
Neppallis
January 27, 2010 at 6:36 pm
I can see where ur coming from but i would nevr risk a mid position. I hav high expectations of my mids and expect them all 2 get above 90. I mite risk 1 mid position if i really hav 2 but very rare.
ongaj
January 27, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Agreed with you on the high expectations of midfielders, I don’t want anything less than 95 . I’m just thinking where the best rookies are hiding this year at this stage looks like they are in the middle, so I may have to sacrifice a little at the start. But hopefully having stronger forward and backlines at the start will cover that losses until I can upgrade.
wallwn01
January 27, 2010 at 11:47 pm
In the Fanplanner feature, what kind of scores are you guys getting as the “projected total”?
I’m on 1703, which I hope is wrong!
micklovin
January 28, 2010 at 3:53 am
I like how this post, and many other threads, blogs, and opinions haven’t even touched on my darky in the mids… Good Post once again monty, but I think I’m gonna save a lot of money on 1 guy that hasn’t been touched on yet!
Oh and Wallwn01… Never take notice of the ‘projected’ value… I have a 3 premium mid setup and am still only gettin 1821… See u in the top 100 lads… well some of u!
Trav0
January 28, 2010 at 2:53 pm
whats going on with the forum???
grum88
January 28, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Yeh Micklovin Ive been lucky enough to have a darky that no one seems to have touched….Cant fuckn wait for footy COME oNNNN!!!!!!!!!
Neppallis
January 29, 2010 at 4:24 am
The guys at DT Talk have just mentiones the magic number. It is 4294. If this is right then the Fanplanner prices are too much.
e.g. Goddard’s price is actually $26,700 less than the fanplanner. It is just a rumour because They found out the price of the captains for 2010 and worked out the magic number.
Virgil
January 29, 2010 at 11:44 am
The prices the guys on DT Talk have put together should be correct Neppallis, it was also mentioned on the BigFooty forums yesterday (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=669629). The prices for the captains are on the front cover of the new AFL Record, and because prices are done on averages, you can then work out most of the other players’ prices from the information provided.
Neppallis
January 29, 2010 at 1:22 pm
That’s how the people at DT Talk figured it out.
st_steve
January 29, 2010 at 11:59 pm
good work monty. every year i stack up on midfield scorers, now i’m doubting my plans!
54Dogs
January 30, 2010 at 5:05 pm
NP, the MN is actually 4394. FF updated by the looks, just waiting until Monday for the discounted players.
Nice read Mont and agree in the most part. 200K in the backs is where the value currently sits with some value also in the premium fwds. Rookies in the 22 will be confined to the mids with 15-20 possible options who may come through in the NAB but very few fwd or back. Those which look like playing fwd or back don’t look like huge scorers.
mattrarse
January 31, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Yarran on the list? That’s just silly.
migman19
February 1, 2010 at 2:00 am
FanFooty Division 1 League Code: 137337
thall
February 1, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Off topic – m0nty, when is the forum getting back up? Want to bounce me team around for some feedback!
Thanks mate
burner09
February 1, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Podsiadly (Geel) Cash cow at 28yo seeing as though Stevie J bit iffy? What’s the thoughts on this
arreynolds
February 2, 2010 at 9:50 am
Great work Monty. Whens the podcast back??
Hendaroo
February 2, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Niiice post as always, you helped me to my win last year 😉 My first year and i wo my leagues 🙂 I think this is almost worthy of a nobel prize, the way you have thought this out is BRILLIANT to say the least, every year i go for cash cows, last year i got daniel rich from round one and ended up with Ablett, Judd, Selwood in the mid, not to mention i got Hurn cheap as chips, all thanks to you, and some of my own logice 🙂 Cheers
benmo001
February 3, 2010 at 9:21 pm
yeah going for a cheap mid too. soo much talent in there for a very low price.
BigV
February 20, 2010 at 9:38 pm
not keen on the mid-price structure- more interested in the guns/rookies for SC and DT
cruiser
March 7, 2010 at 1:39 pm
This is very good guide . Just wondering if you will be doing a Supercoach Structure as well .