Nick Vlastuin was named in one media pundit's mid-season All Australian team this week, perhaps surprisingly because his team has been belted most weeks and he isn't in particularly notable form. (Let's name and shame: David King, report to the hall of mirrors.) AA selections are sometimes awarded based on body of work rather than a big jump in personal output, and the fact that Tigger has not had bestowed upon him one of those old-fashioned blazers is somehwat of an oversight. He had a much better season in 2024, though, and is well into his twilight.
Nick Vlastuin was named in one media pundit's mid-season All Australian team this week, perhaps surprisingly because his team has been belted most weeks and he isn't in particularly notable form. (Let's name and shame: David King, report to the hall of mirrors.) AA selections are sometimes awarded based on body of work rather than a big jump in personal output, and the fact that Tigger has not had bestowed upon him one of those old-fashioned blazers is somehwat of an oversight. He had a much better season in 2024, though, and is well into his twilight.
Vlas needed for tight fit
Early injury to Alex Rance last year meant that even more responsibility fell on the shoulders of Nick Vlastuin, and he delivered his most productive fantasy year playing an undersized key position role, with personal bests in kicks and handballs plus another top 25 finish in marks and rebound 50s. He is perhaps the player at Tigerland who most resembles his coach on field. The Richmond defence won't get Rance back this year either and didn't recruit a replacement CHB, so Vlastuin will have to renew his spinning plates routine for the foreseeable future. Perhaps Ben Miller will be picked to take a tall and let Vlas play his old role. There is more risk on the downside for him in fantasy, so anything more than a middle-round pick would be a reach.
Nick Vlastuin has been asked to play tall defender this year in the wake of the long list of injuries to Tiger talls, specifically Alex Rance. His role at best would be similar to a James Sicily type where he halves contests and still has enough energy to create on the rebound, but it doesn't always work like that so his fantasy scoring has been variable this season. Tonight represents an opportunity to fill his boots against an undermanned Essendon who this week lost Joe Daniher for the year, though Jake Stringer might keep him occupied if playing forward.
Cooking with Vlas
While he didn't quite recapture the statistical exploits of the second half of the flag year, Nick Vlastuin delivered his best fantasy output in his natural role of plus-one defender last season, a position where sometimes even the best players can deliver poor scores depending on the flow of the game. His mark tally rose to well above six per game, with not much intercepting. Vlastuin was an annoying player to have on your team because half his scores were at or below the back baseline, despite his average being ten points above it. You always felt like you should look for a better option to start, then he'd score well on your bench. You would be perfectly justified in leaving him to others in your draft on that basis, as you don't need that kind of aggro.
Lost boy in better Nick
An experiment playing Nick Vlastuin forward at the start of 2017 didn't work, and neither did running through midfield as had been tried last year. After a shoulder injury and some impressive beard growth, he returned to play loose man in defence... and everything clicked. The move lifted his fantasy rate by a gargantuan 35 points, losing three tackles and gaining ten disposals plus six grabs per game, including four days of double-digit mark tallies. He managed as many metres gained as Brandon Ellis with eight fewer disposals. Vlastuin is another example of why the 2017 flag is the greatest triumph of AFL coaching nous of the millennium. Perhaps with him it was a case of trying everything else before discovering the right answer, but he looked at home in that role. With two high-profile teammates on either HBF he probably won't get tagging attention, though his last two finals were poor in basic stats so some caution is warranted. A middle-round pick is the safe option, though someone in your draft may reach for him.
