So, a couple of rookie rucks have reared their ugly, under-developed heads since the last installment of Chook’s Rooks. I’m making a point of this because rookie rucks getting a gig are as rare as DT hundreds against Sydney, and some coaches could be looking to downgrade the likes of North’s Hamish Mack-And-Toss, St Kilda’s Justin Cause-I’m-Shit-Ski, Sydney’s Peter Over-It or Adelaide’s Jonathan Gruff-Chin. And everyone would love a back-up for when Dean Cox decides to give his broken foot a break.
Read on to see whether it’s worth taking a punt on Hawthorn tall Brent Renouf or St Kilda youngster Ben McEvoy, plus a plethora of rookie-related info that’s really pretty useless.
At this stage of the season, the cash cow concept is deader than Glenn Acher’s future in football journalism. If you’re bringing in rookies now, it simply should be to make moolah from a maxed-out rookie, or to provide back-up for future injuries. Consider whether your man will be getting game time during the DT finals before pushing the buy button.
Three-or-more gamers
Of the 85 rooks on my radar, most fall into this category. There’s plenty of money left in blokes like Jarryd Morton, Gavin Urquhart, Tom Lonergan, Callan Ward and Beau Wilkes, and it’s not yet time to cut your ties with Harry Taylor, David Myers, Jay Neagle, Henry Playfair and Chris Mayne. However, you probably won’t get a whole lot more growth out of nearly peaked rooks like Brad Ebert, Matthew Kreuzer, Craig Bird, Austin Wonaeamirri, Sharrod Wellingham and Trent Cotchin. Currently residing in Peak City are Cyril Rioli, Chook’s Rooks poster boy Rhys Palmer, Kieren Jack, Jarryn Geary, David Armitage, Garrick Ibbotson, Steven Browne and a bunch of others. Remember, though, that unless you’re making some serious coin out of a downgrade, it might be worth hanging on to a Mr Maxed Out if he’s going to give you decent back-up when the inevitable injuries strike. And they will strike. Injuries are mean like that. Injuries pour hot coffee on your head and laugh about it. Injuries punch you in the nuts wearing titanium knuckle dusters. Injuries have sex with your girlfriend and send you the video-tape. Look, I’m just saying.
In a nut-shell: If you’re not keeping Palmer (98 breakeven, 86 average) until the end, the time to sell has finally arrived. It’s been one hell of a ride, Rhys.
Two-gamers
The best breakeven here still belongs to Shane Valenti, but, like Josh Smith, Ben Davies and Matthew Spangher, etcetera, etcetera, there won’t be a pay-out until he earns a third game. Hang on, I should rephrase that, because he has earned a third game. What I meant was you won’t see a pay-out until Dees coach Dean Bailey comes to his senses and picks the poor guy. The two-gamers who did play last week were Renouf, Nick Lower, Alan Obst, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls and Riley Dunn. The latter two are too expensive to consider, while Lower and Obst have scored less than 100 DT points between them in four games. Terrible, terrible DTing. However, Port’s poor form means Lower at least has a chance of holding his spot for some time. For a rookie ruck, Renouf has scored reasonably in his first two games (32 and 66), but will likely make way for Simon Taylor this week. Don’t expect to see him in Hawks colours again until 2009.
In a nut-shell: Two-gamers usually garner the greatest interest as they’re on the brink of a price rise, but there’s no one to recommend here, unless Valenti is recalled.
One-gamers
Three Saints broke their cherry last week: Robert Eddy, Jarryd Allen and the aforementioned McEvoy. Interestingly, they covered all four DT positions, with Eddy listed as a centre, Allen a back and McEvoy available in the ruck and forward line. Of even more interest was Eddy’s impressive score of 74. Not bad for a $72,600-priced player. Imagine if the DT guns of our competition would churn out one DT point for every $1000 we pay for them. Gablett would chalk up a lazy 500, or 1000 as captain! (Hey, you’d dream up meaningless crap like that too if your team was struggling as much as mine.) McEvoy is a little more expensive than fellow ruck Renouf, but there’s also a greater chance he’ll kick on this year. Money well spent, I reckon. Elsewhere, Brisbane last week handed a debut to Tom Collier, who responded with a 64, while Kangaroo defender/forward Lachlan Hansen finally got the chance to show his 14,000 owners what he can do. After such a long wait, it seems all he can do is sub-50 scores. Patience, people: his best is yet to come.
In a nut-shell: If you want to downgrade an injured or under-performing ruckman, McEvoy might be your man. Wait a week, though.
Let me know if y’all want breakevens or the like for specific players. I’m more than happy to reply to requests, but remember you can check that shiz yo-self on this very website, on FanFooty or using Grimlock’s FF Genie.
Oh, and “macking” is US slang for “making out”. Always awesome when you feel you gotta explain a joke before anyone’s even read it.
Word to your mother.
You are a friggin’ riot! Thanks for the laughs…
that is magnificent chook… anyone got a couple of trades to lend me so i can cash in a few rooks?? argh… this is all getting a bit hard!!
quality chook
Cheers. Save ‘em up, Warnie! You know you’re going to need ‘em.
By the way, Bailey has hinted that Stef Martin might get a go this week - on Jonathan Brown, of all blokes.
Oh, and Albert Proud has been in the Brissie emergencies for a while now, so he could be on the verge of a recall, easing that back pain slightly.
Fantasy Freako must read me Price Check, he put Nick Lower on the Buy list.
Hey guys, unrelated but……
The Chad said on radio this morning that he wouldn’t be playing this week…. However he will be back after a two week rest.
He also said 5-7 changes may happen. With Wilson & Lade to possibly go back to the SANFL
Ha, anyone seeing that Kevin Joyce pest management ad doing the rounds at the top of the blog at the mo? He’s based in Sydney and turfs out Birds, amongst other things. Craig better watch his ass.
Chad: The Freako ain’t the only one. Your Price Check post is essential reading.
Yeah, best to give him a couple of weeks off i would have thought Dan.
Out, Salopek, Peter, Thomas, Lade, Wilson, Cornes
IN, Surjan, White, Lonie?, Deluca, Stewart, Thomson?
Marlon Motlop might get a couple of games as well.
what about Williams for port he he any sort of a chance and do people thing Gerey will keep his spot for the saints?
Geary seems to be a bit of a favourite of coach Lyon, for some reason. He started the season ahead of Armitage/Jones, etc, and has played most games.
Ryan Williams, wouldn’t think so, hurt his knee. Found it on port website.
Ryan Williams (for Central v Glenelg at Elizabeth) – Was given the big job on McConnell for Glenelg – a goal sneak – but unfortunately he hurt his knee early in the game. The incident looked quite serious but to his credit he went back on and did well in the midfield and across half back with 15 possessions.
Mitch Farmer is another one that could get games.
Geary is just crap, even if he plays only going to get 30-40. I made alot of dud decisions this year, but this was my best one
OUT Geary ($175,200) IN Ablett ($475,800)
In a nutshell, that was simply an amazing article. Cheers for the brill advice once again.
Geary and Williams are my to bench players and gOODES is out this week for me… soft..
what should i do i have 9 trades left, and i have MCLEAD AND CHAD IN MY BACK LINE TO WORRY ABOUT myers can come in for one of them options guys!!!
Haha… Kevin Joyce! That’s funny… Have you got rid of any Birds yet Joycey?!
Calvin my man.
BE for the following:
Salopek
Ibbo
Corey
Bartel.
im thinking of trading out Salo and Ibbo for Corey and Bartel, not sure if i should wait a week…
or is salopek worth holding onto?
“Cos-I’m-Shit-Ski”, hahaaha.
KerrKetamineKlub the BEs are posed in the links at the bottom of Price Check. Click on Midfield and look up your platers.
“Injuries pour hot coffee on your head and laugh about it. Injuries punch you in the nuts wearing titanium knuckle dusters. Injuries have sex with your girlfriend and send you the video-tape.”
Look don’t get me wrong I have loved Chook’s rooks from the start but the above written quote is simple the greatest lines every written. I laughed out loud in my staffroom and had to explain the joke to everyone.
I got a lot of weird looks….
Priceles yet again Chook!
BTW I am keeping Palmer all the way and like the cut of Jaryd Mortons jib.
Black, Cross or Bartel? trading out salopek
i already have Corey and Ablett
Black if you think his form will hold up, Cross if you think the Bulldogs form will hold up, Bartel if you don’t think he’s injured.
Cardez: Goodes is a second-half-of-the-season specialist, but Sam Mitchell is pretty tempting at about $30k less. Depends on whether you need a win to keep in touch with the eight, or whether you can carry Geary as his back-up for a week.
Cheers, Maggot and Stomp. Seriously, though, injuries are evil incarnate in the world of DT. Especially at this time of the year.
BEs
Joel Corey - 114 (avg 103)
Jimmy Bartel - 121 (avg 103)
Stevie Salopek - 148 (avg 94)
Garrick Ibbotson - 85 (avg 71)
Brisbane’s round 22 opponent has scared me off Black. I reckon Bartel will hit his straps again soon.
got 5 trades left with the chad + symes (both a bit of a worry) in my backline.
worth upgrading palmer to ablett? have enough spare cash
I thinking about trading palmer for mitchell, any thoughts given BE’s & mitchells very low price @ 320k, will give me about 20k gain from the deal.
Simon Taylor still out, so Renouf might get his third game this week after all.
Aydo: I’m in the same boat of wanting to spend cash on my engine room (midfield) but am struggling to ignore the loud creaking coming from the chassis (backs). I’ve got McLeod, Cornes, Armfield and Proud as likely non-playing backs this week, but can’t stop thinking about upgrades to my mid-range centres like Goodes, Griffen and Palmer.
You need some good fortune to do well in this thing, so I’d be tempted to do the Palmer-Ablett trade and ride your luck with Symes and Cornes. If they do bomb, you should be able to do a straight swap for almost any other back anyway.
Higgo: Palmer to Mitchell is a little riskier, given Mitchell’s occassional capitulation to a heavy tag and injury, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t extremely tempted by his $320k price tag either.
Mitchell is certainly a bargain, but is he someone you want in your final 22 at the end of the year? He should do well (especially for his price) but there are better options around (but more expensive) who should score more in the last rounds.
i had mitchell 2 inconsistent gets u 120 1 week than 60 the next i would look for another option higgo
Fair points guys, thanks. Back to the drawing board.
is it a bad thing to have corey, ablett and bartel all in my midfield though?
u could get hodge only need 3,000 or cross,bartel,goodwin,corey,carrazzo and maybe judd higgo
cheers chook! pretty much what i was thinking but good to hear.
great article mate, keep it up
Worbsy: They’re three of the top seven players in DT this year, so no. The all-your-eggs-in-one-basket principle doesn’t really apply here. And watching Geelong games would be super-cool… “Ablett to Bartel, he gets it back from Bartel, to Corey… etc. You get the idea.
No worries, Aydo. Hope it pays off, mate.
Thanks Tyson have cross, bartel, corey already carrazzo no judd no, hodge could be an option. Plamer is worst mid followed by Stevens. Would love gablett as does everyone.
Be interesting decision to make next year, whether to splash out on Gablett. I passed over Bartel and Corey for him this year just because he was the cheapest and I figured that each one was equally likely to be the best DT mid anyway. Next year he’ll be the most expensive by a fair way, most likely.
Myers is a legend!!!!!! lol
Good stuff Chook
jake king named emergency this week, joel bowden in the back pocket. is it worth trading king for bowden?
YES EDWARDS IN FOR CARLTON NO DONUT FOR ME… Jeez the backline is a bastard this season isn’t it… Jake King still out, Chad Cornes out, McLeod, Purgoyne… bloody hell. Lucky I have Urquhart and Edwards to cover King and Purgoyne.
Good to see Paul Stewart back in for Port too… finally I have some cover in the forward line.
Jeez Wirrpanda out too