Patrick Dangerfield has been plagued by calf injury this year, a problem that is known in footy as an old man's injury. He is an old man in footy terms, as are many of his teammates at the Kardinia retirement village, but his gamestyle is based on explosive pace out of congestion and is probably most at risk of having his career curtailed by persistent niggles. As a fantasy asset he was always capable of putting up big scores on his day but also went missing for quarters at a time, working hard in every quarter but sometimes resting forward and out of the play. He is almost out of tickets.
Patrick Dangerfield has been plagued by calf injury this year, a problem that is known in footy as an old man's injury. He is an old man in footy terms, as are many of his teammates at the Kardinia retirement village, but his gamestyle is based on explosive pace out of congestion and is probably most at risk of having his career curtailed by persistent niggles. As a fantasy asset he was always capable of putting up big scores on his day but also went missing for quarters at a time, working hard in every quarter but sometimes resting forward and out of the play. He is almost out of tickets.
Patrick Dangerfield was in a lot of fantasy teams in round 1 of this year due to his forward classification, not just a champion of the league but also capable of some gargantuan scores when he is on. He spent most of the first half of the season on the sidelines with injury, though, and had a shocking number next to his name when substituted early a couple of weeks ago with a throat knock. His Dream Team average has dropped twenty points off his last full-length season in 2019, making him a prime bounceback candidate in 2022... the only red flag being his age of 32 next year.
Danger: electric power
It was a herculean year for Patrick Dangerfield, leading the Cats' engine room en route to a fifth-straight 105+ fantasy year and a third Carji Greeves Medal. The powerful midfielder dominated clearances and contested possessions as expected, while adding 27 goals to his name to finish fourth in the club goalkicking. Despite a week on the sidelines in round 10 with an ankle concern, Dangerfield remained a symbol of consistency and durability. Now signed until the close of 2024, Dangerfield will propel his team toward finals once more. The ex-Crow has proven himself as a matchwinner and we can expect much of the same from this superstar in 2020. Personnel changes and the fact that he will hit the age of 30 early in the season suggest he may rest forward a bit more in the manner of Dustin Martin, but we are probably a year or two away from that future. Draft him early or regret it.
Danger in wrong zone
A back injury that plagued him throughout 2018 was the primary reason Patrick Dangerfield’s fantasy output dropped almost 15 points, forcing him to increase his forward time by eleven points to 37%. Add Gary Ablett jnr’s return to Kardinia Park and the emergence of Tim Kelly, and you can find reasons for his worst average since leaving Adelaide. He dropped almost 4kg on his frame over the preseason. The ex-Crow looks to be in ripping form coming into 2019. With his slimmer frame and the return of key tall Esava Ratugolea from injury, Dangerfield will be back to bullying best in the centre of the ground. The contested beast has been the first-picked player in many teams over the past few years, and will be taken early again in 2019. Snap him up with a first round pick or watch him become a matchwinner for someone else.
Danger is safe as houses
A foot injury in round 17 meant Patrick Dangerfield had to stay forward, a move that lingered for a month or so, but it didn't affect his stellar statistical output as he averaged the same in that role as he had in the engine room. He is only rivalled by Dustin Martin as the pre-eminent midfielder in the league, though he dropped out of the elite bracket in the metres gained stat after setting a new record in 2016. The only knock on him is disposal efficiency, a stat which worsened to 66%... but his was still better than those of Dusty and Dayne Zorko. The arrival of Gary Ablett jnr means that Dangerfield should be able to stay in midfield more often in 2018, though it scarcely matters for fantasy owners as he dominates regardless. As with Chris Judd, he too often sprints away from a pack and then fluffs the kick; this doesn't matter in standard scoring leagues, of course. Tags are a bit useless, as he can dash away on the outside and muscle them out of packs. He will be as motivated as anyone to add a premiership medal to his other accolades, and the team will ride on his powerful shoulders. A first-round pick is deserved.
