The Rifleman needs disassembling

Hawthorn really packed on the fantasy pain today in round 5 selection by not only announcing that Mark Williams would miss 4-6 weeks to undergo knee surgery, but also that Danny Jacobs would miss this weekend with hamstring tightness. If you had Willo in your side then you’re either jumping for joy – if you had Alwyn Davey on your bench with a DT 73 or SC 110 already in the bag – or gnashing your teeth because you’re a man down. Either way it’s going to be necessary to drop him this week if you have him. As for Jacobs, if this blog had been running after round 1 I would have warned you all off him. He’s unreliable due to exactly this sort of sudden injury news.

Nigel Lappin owners will feel like they need their own day of mourning. Lappin wasn’t even named in the emergencies for the Lions, so there’s no hope of a late call-up. On the bright side, if you suffered last week with the Lappin/Cross/Thomas/Selwood disaster, at least Daniel Cross has been named in the Bulldogs’ 22, and Joel Selwood is on the Cats’ extended bench. Lower your expectations of Selwood making the team, though.

Also on the Bulldogs, Jason Akermanis and Sam Power have been named, two players who are worth keeping an eye on as upgrade targets if they (a) manage to take the park and (b) fulfil their potential for scoring increases. And owners of Patrick Bowden will be ropeable after he was dropped again by the Tigers.

Over at the Kangaroos, their extended bench makes for interesting reading.

Int: (from) C. Jones, B. Grima, J. Sinclair, D. Trotter, B. Moran, K. Green, J. Smith

David Trotter has touched a lot of fantasy sides this year so his inclusion is important, as is Jesse W. Smith who looms as a possible trade target. However, coach Dean Laidley has seen fit to consign Jones and Sinclair to the pine so you’d think neither of those would be dropped. Brad Moran will probably also be picked to support Hamish McIntosh in the ruck because David Hale is still missing, so you’d think that last bench spot would be between the other four… barring some late late injury news on Jones and/or Sinclair. Plenty of coaches will be watching the Sunday teams to see who makes the cut.

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