Jarrod Berry is in a lot of fantasy sides this year, having wasted his 2021 campaign battling persistent groin problems. When at his best he can be a talisman for the Lions, starting often on a half forward flank but with excellent skills when used through the middle. Plenty of his owners are hoping that he can get more CBAs this year, but with Cam Rayner still on the sidelines he will probably start again off half forward. There is always the looming recurrence issue with groin injuries, so he could very well be a bust... but his price is almost too cheap to ignore.
Jarrod Berry is in a lot of fantasy sides this year, having wasted his 2021 campaign battling persistent groin problems. When at his best he can be a talisman for the Lions, starting often on a half forward flank but with excellent skills when used through the middle. Plenty of his owners are hoping that he can get more CBAs this year, but with Cam Rayner still on the sidelines he will probably start again off half forward. There is always the looming recurrence issue with groin injuries, so he could very well be a bust... but his price is almost too cheap to ignore.
Elder Berry looks juicy
A key connective runner on the wings, Jarrod Berry enjoyed career highs in possessions, contested possessions, score involvements and metres gained. An important reason for the Lions' improvement, Berry enjoyed five games with 25 disposals or more. Now at the apex of the Lions burgeoning talent ranks, coach Chris Fagan will look for further gains from his young charge. After three seasons of gradual improvement, Berry may be primed for a breakout campaign. A ball magnet as a junior, expectations are high as an upside selection. Selection in the mid to late rounds as a last on-field midfielder may prove value. This may be the last time you get him this cheaply.
Jarrod Berry was not lauded for his Q4 performance last week much in the media, but he deserved it as his role shifting from a HFF role into central midfield to cover for the injured Dayne Zorko was crucial in a closely fought contest to get his team over the line against a highly competitive opponent. Berry is not quite a utility as he doesn't spend much time in defence, but he appears to be one of those quiet achievers whose rapid improvement into a reliable roleplayer is essential for a middling side to turn into a contender. He may get more responsibility this week.
Leave Berry on vine
Coming off a junior career renowned for his positional flexibility, Jarrod Berry spent most of his first listed year at Brisbane in midfield, tending more towards the inside as the year wore on including some successful tagging roles on the likes of Patrick Cripps and Rory Sloane. He ended up with 45% of his 18 touches per game being contested. It would not surprise to see Berry change role again in 2019, even mid-year, as his skill set reminds one of another Mr Fixit on the Lions list in Ryan Lester. Unfortunately, absent any strong indication in preseason that he would gain a fantasy position midseason, his CTR-only eligibility limits his utility in draft leagues so much that he is not worth drafting.
Could be Berry useful
True to his junior reputation as a jack-of-all-trades, Jarrod Berry played just about everywhere except ruck for Brisbane in his debut 2017 season. He built throughout the winter, lifting his fantasy average from 49 to 71 either side of the bye, with a particularly productive last four games where his tackle rates improved as he got jobs in midfield. Signs are excellent for Berry to continue his natural improvement in 2018 and make good on those late numbers, with the caveat that his body shape suggests a classic case of second-year syndrome as he would have hit the weights hard in the off season to compete at stoppages. He is an interesting candidate for a late pick.
