Jack Newnes – Deck of DT 2015

Name: Jack Newnes
Club: St Kilda Saints
Position: Defender/Midfield
AFL Fantasy: $464,000
AFL Dream Team: $462,600
Bye Round: Round 12
2014 Average: 82
2014 Games Played: 22
Predicted Average: 91

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Why should I pick him?

Newnes is a running machine. The lad from Thornbury has won every time trial at Moorabbin this preseason and he’s making heads turn with his skill set too. Given his big motor and high work ethic, Newnes is a front-runner for one of the midfield positions up for grabs at St Kilda. Lucky for us, he is listed as a dual position, defender/midfielder!

No defender status for Mitchell, Hanley, McVeigh and Bartel this year has lifted Newnes Fantasy profile significantly. In 2014, just his third AFL season, he averaged an impressive 82 Fantasy points (high scores of 130, 115 & 105), which puts him 12^th highest amongst available defenders this year. With a midfield role beckoning, all the indicators point to Newnes averaging 90+ this season and becoming a premo defender in the process.

After wining the wooden spoon, the Saints have been given an amazing draw and face the Giants, Suns, Pies, Blues, Bombers, Dogs, Crows and West Coast in the first eight rounds. My boy Newnes averaged 22 possessions, 6 marks, 4 tackles and 87 against these teams last year so that’s the benchmark…expect nothing less! For me, that’s good enough to be a starter in Fantasy with two trades per week and he’s a serious contender for Dreamteam too.

If you believe Jack is destined for great things in 2015 then, as a premo selection, you’ll save yourself over $50,000. Hodge, Malceski, Simpson and Hibberd are no automatic starters in my opinion this season thus picking Newnes ahead of these blokes will give you plenty of coin to invest elsewhere. For example, Newnes instead of say, Hodge, will allow you to upgrade a cheap rookie with questionable job security to an experienced campaigner in Nathan Van Berlo, Brent Staker or Brendan Whitecross. Food for thought!

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

We are probably a season or two away from relying on Newnes to consistently perform in a Fantasy sense. While he has established himself in the best 22 at the Saints, he can still have an off game proven by scores of 45, 54, 55 and 58 last year. In saying that, all defenders have a shocker or two along the way so this may not be a deal breaker for everyone.

His price tag indicates that there is more to lose than gain. If for whatever reason, Newnes struggles with his new role and averages 70 or below in his first few games then owners will take a hit on dollars putting them behind the eight ball early in the season. Depending on your structure, mid-priced defenders like Seedsman, Ibbotson and Waters might be safe and smarter options. I’m not one to play it safe though.

Deck of DT Rating

KING. Big call, gutsy call, educated call. With Newnes, the upside is massive. Coach, Alan Richardson has already earmarked him for a big year and he’ll be given an on-field role that will allow him to score well. An average above 90 should see him finish season 2015 as a top 6 defender and the benefits of identifying him early as a likely premo, are priceless! Before writing this piece, I never really considered him but his sheer potential means he’s hard to ignore and thus a likely starter in my Fantasy team. With limited trades, I am a little nervous about picking him in Dreamteam but if he is in great form during the NAB Cup, I say lock him in.

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