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So now that another year is over it's a good time to look back on some of the most popular pre-season picks and evaluate whether they were worth it or not. Not so much whether their overall season was successful, but more so whether you benefited from selecting them at the start of the year. In the case of a guy like Aaron Sandilands, I'd say yes.
Going off some pre-season ownership stats and just using general knowledge I've decided to compile a list of players and then use the poll function to gauge some feedback. I've omitted out-and-out guns like Dangerfield, Mitchell etc. because their output is undeniable, same as some of the more trusty rooks like Witherden, Greenwood, Newman, etc. This is more for those 50-50 picks and whether you feel you got value out of them. Hope you enjoy!
Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
Price: $602,700
Games: 21
Average: 108.8
Scores over 100: 13
Scores under 80: 2
It's actually remarkable looking back at Fyfe's stats to see how consistent he became post-byes. It was the mid-season lull of high 90s scores that turned off a lot of people expecting SP output. Personally I'm kicking myself for not persisting and I traded him out mid-year when he missed games.
Toby Nankervis (Richmond)
Price: $389,000
Games: 21
Average: 88.8
Scores over 100: 7
Scores under 80: 7
Started like a bang and warranted the pre-season hype, but as other ruckmen were trialled his impact lessened and by the back half of the season he was pushing out 60s and 70s most weeks. Unfortunately everyone treated him like a premo in their completed teams therefore he sat in 42% of squads come season's end.
Max Gawn (Melbourne)
Price: $505,500
Games: 13
Average: 91.6
Scores over 100: 6
Scores under 80: 6
Seemed on track for another huge year before that terrible injury ruled him out for a couple of months. Tempted coaches with triple-figures on return before a rollercoaster nine weeks that saw some huge scores as well as a trio of failures at the worst part of the year – SC finals time.
Sam Powell-Pepper (Port Adelaide)
Price: $272,400
Games: 21
Average: 64.8
Scores over 100: –
Scores under 80: 15
In a year devoid of rooks, he was one you basically had to have. He peaked in price at around the 370k mark and was handy to hold during the byes; you would have been wise to dump him at that high point. Never went large throughout the year but I reckon he was solid enough.
Andy Otten (Adelaide)
Price: $315,400
Games: 17
Average: 72.6
Scores over 100: 3
Scores under 80: 11
A beautiful cash cow back in '09 when I first started playing SC. Could he replicate that form in 2017? Well... nearly. Struggled for consistency but did peak right around the byes at a price $250k above his starting price – and can you be too unhappy with that? Smart coaches traded him out at that time and by the end of the year he was out anyway.
Lance Franklin (Sydney)
Price: $457,900
Games: 22
Average: 98.3
Scores over 100: 9
Scores under 80: 7
In a way, this year Buddy was a case study for the value of choosing a KPP in your team. Plenty of ups but plenty of downs. His bad games tended to come in threes, then he would pump out a 120 or 160 and you remember why you have him. Massive SC finals series for those who persisted.
Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle)
Price: $438,800
Games: 10
Average: 87.3
Scores over 100: 6
Scores under 80: 3
Provided us with nearly half a year of pretty solid output without being outstanding before unfortunately succumbing to injury. Sandi gave us $150k in cash and a cheaper option to start our ruck division with, so for that he gets a tick in my book. If you were unlucky enough to have him when he pushed out a 12 in Round 15 – six weeks after his most recent match – then I pity you. Remove it from his scorelines and he finishes with an average of 95.7 which is serviceable.
Dayne Beams (Brisbane)
Price: $547,000
Games: 18
Average: 101.4
Scores over 100: 11
Scores under 80: 5
So good when fit but sadly his four missed games would have seen many pull the pin. If you lasted all year then you would have been rewarded with five big tons in the last seven rounds. On five occasions this year he went over 130 but you would've had to have had balls the size of watermelons to put the big C on him.
Jake Lloyd (Sydney)
Price: $393,900
Games: 21
Average: 87.3
Scores over 100: 6
Scores under 80: 4
Commiserations to anyone who traded in Lloyd after his four tons early in the year only to produce a score of just 4. He only hit the ton once after that dirty night and in a similar way to Nank, he occupied a premo spot for many throughout the second half of the season without delivering us the output we would expect.
Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
Price: $526,000
Games: 22
Average: 110.2
Scores over 100: 11
Scores under 80: 5
A great average overall, but were the dizzying highs and frustrating lows too many for some? His inability to shake a tag meant that on a number of occasions he went missing – too many times after pumping out a big SP score the week before. Enormous in the first six weeks but his midseason form line of six consecutive games without a ton had many hitting the big T on the Crow.
Jack Steele (St Kilda)
Price: $471,300
Games: 20
Average: 91.1
Scores over 100: 7
Scores under 80: 6
The man of steel was a popular choice for many but would have been traded out by most around the bye period where he was controversially dropped. Those who kept with him all year (probably by necessity more than anything) would have been rewarded with a huge last month where he averaged 108 over the final four games and peaked in price during Round 23.
Honourable mentions: Brett Eddy, Luke Dahlhaus, Jaeger O'Meara, Heath Shaw, Mitchell Hibberd, Curtly Hampton. You all stunk. I also wrote reviews for Tuohy, Myers, Swallow & Roughead but there were too few spots in the poll so they escaped my wrath.
Going off some pre-season ownership stats and just using general knowledge I've decided to compile a list of players and then use the poll function to gauge some feedback. I've omitted out-and-out guns like Dangerfield, Mitchell etc. because their output is undeniable, same as some of the more trusty rooks like Witherden, Greenwood, Newman, etc. This is more for those 50-50 picks and whether you feel you got value out of them. Hope you enjoy!
Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
Price: $602,700
Games: 21
Average: 108.8
Scores over 100: 13
Scores under 80: 2
It's actually remarkable looking back at Fyfe's stats to see how consistent he became post-byes. It was the mid-season lull of high 90s scores that turned off a lot of people expecting SP output. Personally I'm kicking myself for not persisting and I traded him out mid-year when he missed games.
Toby Nankervis (Richmond)
Price: $389,000
Games: 21
Average: 88.8
Scores over 100: 7
Scores under 80: 7
Started like a bang and warranted the pre-season hype, but as other ruckmen were trialled his impact lessened and by the back half of the season he was pushing out 60s and 70s most weeks. Unfortunately everyone treated him like a premo in their completed teams therefore he sat in 42% of squads come season's end.
Max Gawn (Melbourne)
Price: $505,500
Games: 13
Average: 91.6
Scores over 100: 6
Scores under 80: 6
Seemed on track for another huge year before that terrible injury ruled him out for a couple of months. Tempted coaches with triple-figures on return before a rollercoaster nine weeks that saw some huge scores as well as a trio of failures at the worst part of the year – SC finals time.
Sam Powell-Pepper (Port Adelaide)
Price: $272,400
Games: 21
Average: 64.8
Scores over 100: –
Scores under 80: 15
In a year devoid of rooks, he was one you basically had to have. He peaked in price at around the 370k mark and was handy to hold during the byes; you would have been wise to dump him at that high point. Never went large throughout the year but I reckon he was solid enough.
Andy Otten (Adelaide)
Price: $315,400
Games: 17
Average: 72.6
Scores over 100: 3
Scores under 80: 11
A beautiful cash cow back in '09 when I first started playing SC. Could he replicate that form in 2017? Well... nearly. Struggled for consistency but did peak right around the byes at a price $250k above his starting price – and can you be too unhappy with that? Smart coaches traded him out at that time and by the end of the year he was out anyway.
Lance Franklin (Sydney)
Price: $457,900
Games: 22
Average: 98.3
Scores over 100: 9
Scores under 80: 7
In a way, this year Buddy was a case study for the value of choosing a KPP in your team. Plenty of ups but plenty of downs. His bad games tended to come in threes, then he would pump out a 120 or 160 and you remember why you have him. Massive SC finals series for those who persisted.
Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle)
Price: $438,800
Games: 10
Average: 87.3
Scores over 100: 6
Scores under 80: 3
Provided us with nearly half a year of pretty solid output without being outstanding before unfortunately succumbing to injury. Sandi gave us $150k in cash and a cheaper option to start our ruck division with, so for that he gets a tick in my book. If you were unlucky enough to have him when he pushed out a 12 in Round 15 – six weeks after his most recent match – then I pity you. Remove it from his scorelines and he finishes with an average of 95.7 which is serviceable.
Dayne Beams (Brisbane)
Price: $547,000
Games: 18
Average: 101.4
Scores over 100: 11
Scores under 80: 5
So good when fit but sadly his four missed games would have seen many pull the pin. If you lasted all year then you would have been rewarded with five big tons in the last seven rounds. On five occasions this year he went over 130 but you would've had to have had balls the size of watermelons to put the big C on him.
Jake Lloyd (Sydney)
Price: $393,900
Games: 21
Average: 87.3
Scores over 100: 6
Scores under 80: 4
Commiserations to anyone who traded in Lloyd after his four tons early in the year only to produce a score of just 4. He only hit the ton once after that dirty night and in a similar way to Nank, he occupied a premo spot for many throughout the second half of the season without delivering us the output we would expect.
Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
Price: $526,000
Games: 22
Average: 110.2
Scores over 100: 11
Scores under 80: 5
A great average overall, but were the dizzying highs and frustrating lows too many for some? His inability to shake a tag meant that on a number of occasions he went missing – too many times after pumping out a big SP score the week before. Enormous in the first six weeks but his midseason form line of six consecutive games without a ton had many hitting the big T on the Crow.
Jack Steele (St Kilda)
Price: $471,300
Games: 20
Average: 91.1
Scores over 100: 7
Scores under 80: 6
The man of steel was a popular choice for many but would have been traded out by most around the bye period where he was controversially dropped. Those who kept with him all year (probably by necessity more than anything) would have been rewarded with a huge last month where he averaged 108 over the final four games and peaked in price during Round 23.
Honourable mentions: Brett Eddy, Luke Dahlhaus, Jaeger O'Meara, Heath Shaw, Mitchell Hibberd, Curtly Hampton. You all stunk. I also wrote reviews for Tuohy, Myers, Swallow & Roughead but there were too few spots in the poll so they escaped my wrath.
U.
