Strategy 2026 Planning Thread

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Byes

R2: Bris, Carlton, Pies, Cats
R3: Suns, WB, Hawks, Sydney
R4: GWS, St Kilda

R12: Adelaide, Suns, Port, North
R13: GWS, Richmond
R14: Pies, Hawks, Carlton, Freo
R15: Lions, Sydney, WC, Essendon
R16: WB, Cats, St Kilda, Melbourne

 

[A Bit Dusty]

You could only pick him as a forward though right?

Nah he would be a Mid only. If you started with 4 premos in the Mids and Parish at M5 and see how he goes. Worst case he gets injured and you trade him to a missed rookie.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Nah he would be a Mid only. If you started with 4 premos in the Mids and Parish at M5 and see how he goes. Worst case he gets injured and you trade him to a missed rookie.

Fair enough. Not for me as a mid, that's a terrible price imo. You'd probably need him to last 8 weeks to make enough money and that seems unlikely.

 

[A Bit Dusty]

Fair enough. Not for me as a mid, that's a terrible price imo. You'd probably need him to last 8 weeks to make enough money and that seems unlikely.

There will be Parish & Young who will be in that price range. I might start both

 

[stevebbb]

I just don't understand how i use so many trades every year

See below. This is why we run out trades every year...

Will Darcy Parish be able to get his body right?
He scores well when playing and if he gets the 30% injury reduction he could be around $330k

NEVER AGAIN

GnR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kyri]

surely jagga smith is locked into everyone's team.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

surely jagga smith is locked into everyone's team.

Smith and Smilie, both will be $119k

 

[SC fish]

That P Cripps lad goes OK - on 54 and not even half way through the second quarter

Thoughts Scythe Saints4ever

 

[Scythe]

That P Cripps lad goes OK - on 54 and not even half way through the second quarter

Thoughts Scythe Saints4ever

 

[iDon]

if Roberts could clean his disposal up a bit. unreal he would be.

 

[Saints4ever]

That P Cripps lad goes OK - on 54 and not even half way through the second quarter

Thoughts Scythe Saints4ever

That’s super premo Patrick Cripps to you.

2 tons in a row.

Build that man a statue

 

[Tulendeena]

Need way more midpricers next year, was a bit too GnR for a 40 trade situation

 

[Scythe]

NEVER AGAIN

GnR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GNR is great if you're aiming for a good year, but I think that we've learned in the 40-trade and podcast climate that safe teams like that won't be competing for the overall. There's just not enough upside in a pure GNR team any more, need to nail at least a couple of speculative picks.

 

[Lolaser]

GNR is great if you're aiming for a good year, but I think that we've learned in the 40-trade and podcast climate that safe teams like that won't be competing for the overall. There's just not enough upside in a pure GNR team any more, need to nail at least a couple of speculative picks.

Yep I’ll be going value premos and mid pricers again.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

GNR is great if you're aiming for a good year, but I think that we've learned in the 40-trade and podcast climate that safe teams like that won't be competing for the overall. There's just not enough upside in a pure GNR team any more, need to nail at least a couple of speculative picks.

Maybe. IMO the key is nailing the players that start fast. Whether premo's, "value" or rookies doesn't really matter. If Bont goes 140 for the first 6 weeks anyone fading him is in pain.

Same goes for a mid-pricer or a rookie.

Easier to grab a "value" player like Smith this year after a month though, his price isn't out of reach.

There are usually at least 10 picks that are in every serious team, and another 10 picks that 90% have. It's the last 10 that make the difference.

Easier said than done of course, most of us get some right, a few get all of the right guys.

And nailing your captains in the first 6 weeks (especially if there are early byes again) is also crucial.

 

[stevebbb]

GNR is great if you're aiming for a good year, but I think that we've learned in the 40-trade and podcast climate that safe teams like that won't be competing for the overall. There's just not enough upside in a pure GNR team any more, need to nail at least a couple of speculative picks.

I think you can be aggressive with your trade and grab the in form value picks along the way. A poor starting side is essentially season over from round 1. Short, Roberts, Cerra, Oliver, Trac, Flynn, amongst others. All started because "value".

 

[Deliverance]

Petracca and Serong

 

[A Bit Dusty]

JDG could be a watch for next year if he is fit. Only Averaging 55 in 9 games this year so will be cheap but would really need DPP to be a decent starting pick.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Gawn Xerri

Gawn is old but he’s still averaging 127. If he declines you’d think he still does 115 plus.

No crap mid pricers. Great role and price or F off. No Hayden Young

26

Hayden Young

Age

24

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.2

3star

T

1.4

3star

CL

0.2

2star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.4

2star

M

3.2

3star

T

1.4

2star

CL

0.2

2star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.4

4star

CL

0.2

2star

, made of paper. Yes to Mckercher, they know it’s cba mid (he’s not ready and they have plenty mids) or half back for him.

Happy to pay for some top liners - NAS, Butters.

Will go as much GNR as possible

 

[Tulendeena]

Maybe. IMO the key is nailing the players that start fast. Whether premo's, "value" or rookies doesn't really matter. If Bont goes 140 for the first 6 weeks anyone fading him is in pain.

Same goes for a mid-pricer or a rookie.

Easier to grab a "value" player like Smith this year after a month though, his price isn't out of reach.

There are usually at least 10 picks that are in every serious team, and another 10 picks that 90% have. It's the last 10 that make the difference.

Easier said than done of course, most of us get some right, a few get all of the right guys.

And nailing your captains in the first 6 weeks (especially if their are early byes again) is also crucial.

If you're paying for Bont at 130 priced and he goes 140 it's not that much of a disaster for non-owners, assuming cash is used elsewhere

It's only captain diffs, and to be honest, the starting team premos should be targetting straight C's the first 3 weeks regardless, for example TDK had good ruck MU's for 3/5 of the first 5, which locks in a very cheap captain before you start trading dropped premos in. I don't think having the high peak guys is that important first half of the season

 

[Tulendeena]

I think you can be aggressive with your trade and grab the in form value picks along the way. A poor starting side is essentially season over from round 1. Short, Roberts, Cerra, Oliver, Trac, Flynn, amongst others. All started because "value".

Cerra, Roberts, Oliver were successful picks

Short was a bit of a nothing-burger

Trac was a fail, but not sure 550k is that much value, Flynn was a pick you'd start every year, 260k for a starting ruck is always a correct start

Interestingly, going through the top 15 picked in the 350-500k range (by most popular picks):



Not sure any were seriously considering Harley Reid, but this was absolutely the way to go to pump early points on field

 

[Lord De Goey]

Cerra, Roberts, Oliver were successful picks

Short was a bit of a nothing-burger

Trac was a fail, but not sure 550k is that much value, Flynn was a pick you'd start every year, 260k for a starting ruck is always a correct start

Interestingly, going through the top 15 picked in the 350-500k range (by most popular picks):

View attachment 2404124

Not sure any were seriously considering Harley Reid, but this was absolutely the way to go to pump early points on field

I’m not sure id consider Roberts a successful pick and to an extent Cerra too. Sure they did ok but you end up holding onto them for longer than you’d like and then you struggle to trade them out later on. Roberts shitting the bed was horrific for me and an absolute rank killer. Wish I traded him way earlier than when I eventually did.

Structurally those picks are important but I’ll probably sway away from them next season.

Oliver was a disaster of a pick. I mentioned in one of the pre season threads that it could be worth anti podding him as everyone just assumed he’d be a hit, would have been a genius decision in the end

 

[Tulendeena]

I’m not sure id consider Roberts a successful pick and to an extent Cerra too. Sure they did ok but you end up holding onto them for longer than you’d like and then you struggle to trade them out later on. Roberts shitting the bed was horrific for me and an absolute rank killer. Wish I traded him way earlier than when I eventually did.

Structurally those picks are important but I’ll probably sway away from them next season.

Oliver was a disaster of a pick. I mentioned in one of the pre season threads that it could be worth anti podding him as everyone just assumed he’d be a hit, would have been a genius decision in the end

He went 13 above his starting price and could be moved on for 20k more than he started at

Not sure how that's a disaster of a pick

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

He went 13 above his starting price and could be moved on for 20k more than he started at

Not sure how that's a disaster of a pick

He did miss a game, as did Smith. That has to be factored in.

Are you assuming they were all traded at their byes?

I'd say from your list only really Smith and Callaghan were a success. I had Cerra all year and he was good then bad. Should I have traded him earlier? In hindsight of course, but the problem with these picks is they are rarely your most pressing issue on any given week so they stay in your team too long.

There are bound to be a few good options next year in this range though.

 

[Sherman41]

I’ve held Oliver all year at M8. To be fair to him his last 6-8 rounds were crucial in getting me to a cashie grand final. Averaged roughly 100 over that time which was fine. Stressful but fine.

 

[Lord De Goey]

He went 13 above his starting price and could be moved on for 20k more than he started at

Not sure how that's a disaster of a pick

I'm not being gaslit into believing Oliver was a good pick. His injury was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed us all to jump off him. No serious team had clarry post bye. No one picked him hoping for a 93 average, and we all expected 100+ minimum.

Yes some of these guys missed games but roughly in the same price range, Ashcroft, Callaghan were better picks and then players in other lines such as, Ash would have been better. The real kicker, is when you consider for the price i paid to start Trac and Oliver, I could have almost started 2 of Richards/Hewett/Clug. 50k odd k short, but a slight restructure and my team would've been significantly better.