Steele Sidebottom is part of the oldest team ever to be named in the AFL tonight in the clash against Carlton, having reverted from a half back role last year to his more regular midfield spot, with even more centre bounce attendances than has been the norm through his long and illustrious career. The list profile of the Magpies is, like most fantasy teams, a combination of old guns and young rookies. That works when your main goal is stats, but it may not carry the Carringbush back to flag favouritism if they have to rely on Rusty for 25 matches.
Steele Sidebottom is part of the oldest team ever to be named in the AFL tonight in the clash against Carlton, having reverted from a half back role last year to his more regular midfield spot, with even more centre bounce attendances than has been the norm through his long and illustrious career. The list profile of the Magpies is, like most fantasy teams, a combination of old guns and young rookies. That works when your main goal is stats, but it may not carry the Carringbush back to flag favouritism if they have to rely on Rusty for 25 matches.
Steele Sidebottom has returned to the Collingwood side after an early injury but has been asked to play more of a half forward flank role, which admittedly doesn't mean much in today's AFL where HFFs usually zone up to the midfield in most situations anyway. His role used to be coming off a wing with a roving commission, but perhaps he will be deemed to lack the pace required of that position these days, with younger or thinner legs preferred. His scoring patterns could devolve to somewhere nearer that of Nathan Jones, which is not particularly useful for much fantasy use.
Rusty is still heavy metal
Apart from lowering his colours against tagger Ryan Clarke, Steeele Sidebottom's year was one of the Pies' most reliable. Playing almost exclusively on the wing opposite Tom Phillips, Sidebottom's two-way running saw him clutch career-high marks as a crucial link-up player. With silky skills on both feet, the Pies looked to him as a key distributor. Sidebottom is all but guaranteed another 95+ season as he enters his 12th year on the list. He missed just 14 home & away games in the entire decade of the 2010s so he should play every game, with the bonus of being able to pump out match-winning 130+ scores every now and then. Take Sidebottom seriously and take him early.
Shiny baubles for Rusty
The 2018 All-Australian wingman, Steele Sidebottom enjoyed a career-best disposal average and proved extremely frustrating to opposition coaches with his sublime skills on both feet. His scoreboard influence dropped below what we’d expect, indicating a slight role change to pure wingman, with fewer stints inside the forward 50. History shows Sidebottom is susceptible to a tag, and 2018 was no different including two quiet days under the cosh by Mark Hutchings. The return of Dayne Beams works in Sidebottom’s favor, as opposition coaches will struggle to decide whose influence needs curbing. Collingwood looks primed to surge toward the finals again this year and Sidebottom will be a catalyst for that. While his scoring consistency may not match that of the ultra-elite his ceiling certainly does, and his durability is unquestionable. Snap him up within the early rounds or watch someone else reap the rewards.
Steele Sidebottom may have less hair than he used to but he has maintained a healthy crop of fantasy scores, currently just off his best career average at the age of 27. He starts on a wing and then moves through central midfield, scoring in clumps which can be frustrating for his owners but usually registering a big number by the end of the day's play. He was tagged against Essendon in round 2 for a sub-80 score, and this is the only reason he might not make the top eight midfielders when the season is done.
Trusty Rusty
You get what you pay for when you pick Steele Sidebottom early in a fantasy draft: just over 25 touches, five marks and four tackles per game, a plateau he has surfed since 2012. His kick-to-handball ratio bounced back towards the boot after years of drifting inside as his role started on a wing at centre bounces then followed the ball. A Mark Hutchings tag in round 18 restricted him to 20 disposals. The Maggies midfield is studded with stars, and Sidebottom is one of many. The tags went more to Adam Treloar last season, though he can attract attention when he has been in a particularly hot vein of form. Rusty's stats tend to come in clumps, so that by the end of the game he usually get his share even though he seemingly goes missing for long periods. He should be drafted in early rounds.
