Luke Parker has been the catalyst for more than one late Sydney resurgence in their run to finals, and may need to be the talisman yet again tonight.
Luke Parker has been the catalyst for more than one late Sydney resurgence in their run to finals, and may need to be the talisman yet again tonight.
Luke Parker has been part of the Sydney Swans engine room for seemingly forever, graduating from a small forward role to becoming a prolific extractor in a good team for a long time. As a fantasy asset he has always had a question mark on him about his scoring floor, as he can tend to rest forward a bit too much for the liking of his owners. Coming into 2022 he was one of the senior brigade in a list that probably needed fresh blood in the engine room, and he hasn't been a premium for many years now. A spike in recent weeks shouldn't change that.
Luke Parker has been a stalwart of the Sydney Swans for many years, but he is one of the names talked about as possibly leaving the club in the off season as the continued unbalancing effect of Lance Franklin's monster contract washes through the Bloods list management. He is now the best inside mid the Swans have got with Josh P. Kennedy waning in influence and Callum Mills on the rise but not yet at the truly elite level. If he were to leave at the age of 29 going into 2022, he could be an interesting fantasy prospect depending on which new horizon he chose.
Park your pick with Parker
Warrior Luke Parker has sat out just four matches over the past six seasons, maintaining an average of at least 96 during that time. His stat sheet was near identical to his 2018 campaign, adding a couple of touches while hitting the scoreboard slightly less, indicative of more time in the guts. He thrived in the contest, averaging six clearances and 12 contested possessions but relied heavily on his teammates, with 108 points in wins and 93 in losses. Parker is a workhorse who will continue to lead the inside midfield next to Josh P. Kennedy, as the team transitions outside that senior pair to more youth in the engine room. If you believe that Sydney is not a team that bottoms out, then you can disregard that loss differential as it's already baked in. He's in line for another stellar campaign unimpeded by any injuries, so lock him in with a selection in the upper third of the draft for a set-and-forget on-baller.
Park a pick in Parker
Since 2014, Luke Parker has been putting up consistent, high-quality averages that would be welcomed by any fantasy coach. The inside midfielder who spends time resting forward suffered a minor decrease in disposals, but made up for it with scoreboard impact with a career-high 24 goals. With the Swans engine room visibly ageing, Parker will lead the new generation of midfielders at the club into 2019. Expect Parker to produce A-grade numbers yet again this season and replicate the set-and-forget standard we have come to expect. An early pick is justifiable for this hard nut.
No obstacles for Parker
Over the course of the last four seasons, Luke Parker has established himself as a no-brainer fantasy option. It would have been hard to replicate his phenomenal 2016, especially coming off a knee arthroscope in preseason, and the team's dismal 0-6 start didn't help. His fantasy scores jumped 15 points after the bye, tracking along with most of the rest of the Sydney midfield. Though he has spent time forward in recent seasons, the hole left by Tom Mitchell was eventually filled by Kieren Jack, leaving Parker's heat map almost perfectly centred in midfield. With the Swans looming as a formidable squad again in 2017, coaches should be confident that Parker will bounce back to run the year out at full steam. Worthy of an early round pick.
