DT TALK

Grunner’s Dream Team 2010 Pre-Season Song

Warnie — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:29:02 +0000

People ask me what I dream team for?
Well it’s obvious they’ve never played before,
Yes it takes all my time away
And my Mrs just might suffocate me

But the pride weighs out the pain
When there’s so much glory to gain,
To win the car I want in my side
Just a few things

I want, 21 guns!
To average a ton, and not get in fights,
I want, 21 guns
Some juicy cash cows, a slut and jet, in my side,

So, who is going to replace Trent Croad?
Can Barry keep it under control?
Have you thought of adding Luke Ball?
Selecting Maggies feels like selling your soul.

Don’t put your faith in Darren Glass
Will Hawthorn’s hangover ever pass?
Will Melbourne be forever last?
Trengrove or Scully?

I want 21 guns
To average a ton, and not get in fights
I want 21 guns
Cotchin or Masten,, Pavlich or Riewoldt, in my side,

Would you pick Presti if he was free?
Are you considering 5 midfield rookies?
Is Buddy going to be back on fire?
Can someone give the number to Fevola’s phone!

So it’s time and you’ve locked in your team
And you feel sorry for the rest of your league
But on Bartel you forgot to put ‘C’
You’re in ruins.

I want 21 guns
To average a ton, and not get in fights
I want 21 guns
Carazzo or Fish, Swan or Ablett,
I want 21 guns
McPhee or D.Kerr, Big Cox or Sandi
I want 21 guns
Ballyntyne or Mayne, or Podsiadly, in my side.

Club by Club: St Kilda

Chopper — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:00:22 +0000

The Saints have once again fallen at the final hurdle, but let’s be honest, they probably don’t even care. This is hardest team I have had to critique and it’s not only because I am extremely hungover. It’s because they may have had too good of a year as a club last year and they have very few players in the team that are of any value.

Defenders

To Goddard or NOT to Goddard? That is the question. Brendon Goddard ($455,700) has an amazing year last year where he average 103 which is a more than average effort. The question that you need to be asking yourself is will he be playing the same role as he did last year and will he be able to maintain or improve on that average. Pre-season form would suggest that he definitely could maintain this average after scoring 105 in the NAB Cup final. Jason Gram ($403,600) is in a similar boat as Goddard but is 50k less, so if you’re after better value he could be your man and we all love a DT slut like Gram. Sam Fisher($373,300) is perhaps the most interesting back out of all the StKilda backmen. He had a woeful 2009 letting down all DT coaches that brought him in to their teams for a consistent performer. He did average 84 last year but his scores ranged from 52 – 124 and looking at his price he is definitely value but his pre-season form hasn’t been great. Going down in the grand final Saturday night may have made everyone’s decision for them. Not in for me.

Midfielders

David Armitage ($321,100) is the man that everyone is talking about, but does he have the game and the form to be able to pick him. Calvin is a huge fan of the former first round draft pick but he found it extremely hard to crack a permanent spot in their best 22. He managed only 3 games in 2009 but did well when he did. When he played in the VFL last year he made the best players 8/11 times which shows the boy can play, but can he play with the big boys. If he can he then he could be worth a look. Brett Peake ($278,500) is one of the few St Kilda players named in the mid-field priced under 300k. Apart from his cheap price there is nothing appealing about picking this guy… did I mention that he is coming from Fremantle? If you’re after a premium mid-fielder that you can rely on a s a captain, pick any of these guys, they won’t let you down. Leigh Montagna ($509,100), Lenny Hayes ($478,500), Nick Dal Santo ($457,200).

Rucks

Personally I wouldn’t pick any of StKilda’s rucks but there is one there that may catch some coaches. Ben McEvoy ($194,900) is perhaps the only ruck from the Saints that people may like to have a look at. He appears to be favoured over Michael Gardiner at the moment and it looks like he will play most games this year. Possibly worth a look…. but possibly not too.

Forwards

Nick Riewoldt ($468,100) is without doubt going to be the highest scoring forward in 2010. He is possibly the only forward who you could lock in as a captain and not lose any sleep over. He is a true gun and despite my rule to ever start with this guy I am locking him in from Round 1. His pre-season form has been good and he can actually kick the ball with some sort of accuracy. GET ON HIM! . Adam Schneider ($348,000) is a name that is being thrown around quite a bit and he has had a good pre-season. He actually attracted a bit of a tag in the NAB Cup grand final his form has been so good. He could be a unique pick for you in your forward line. Apart from these 2 boys, there is not much about.

Top 4 Saints players to think about

Nick Riewoldt ($468,100 – forward).
Best forward in the competition, why wouldn’t you get him.
David Armitage ($321,100– midfielder).
If he plays he is a unique one to have in your midfield.
Brendan Goddard ($455,700– defender).
Premium defender that is a possibility for captain!
Adam Schneider ($348,000 – midfielder).
In good form and could be a unique pick!

AFL Dream Team Betting

Who will score the most points for the Saints this year. Some decent money can be made on these markets. Click here to check them out!

Leigh Montagna – $4.00
Nick Riewoldt – $4.25
Nick Dal Santo – $5.00
Brendan Goddard– $5.00
Lenny Hayes – $7.00
Any other player – $7.00
Sam Fisher- $15.00

NAB Challenge: Around the Grounds

Warnie — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:53:16 +0000

So the final weekend of practice matches has been completed… and here is what I thought was of note from what I heard around the web. In most cases, teams fielded near full strength sides.

Don’t forget to sign up to the Fantasy Freako email list so that you can get all of the official Dream Team points from these games.

Sydney 14.15 (99) def North Melbourne 8.9 (57)

Nick Malceski was a late withdrawal due to hamstring tightness. Ohh… watch this space!
Ryan O’Keefe (4 goals) and Adam Goodes (2 goals) dominated.
Paul Roos said: “I have been rapt with the pre-season efforts of both Gary Rohan and Lewis Jetta and they remain in contention for round one.”
Ryan Bastinac was great, especially in the 2nd half, according to Michael Firrito.

Brisbane 7.14 (56) def Hawthorn 6.9 (45)

Josh Gibson held Brendan Fevola goaless.
Jarryd Roughead left the ground with a jarred knee. Makes Wayde Skipper more of a lock now.
Matt Maguire played another great game – lock him on your backline bench.
I am really considering starting with Mitch Clark as he apparently played ruck rover at times to Matthew Leuenberger.

Adelaide 12.11 (83) def Carlton 11.16 (82)

Kurt Tippett is continuing his great pre-season. He kicked 3 goals.
Andrew Carrazzo had 22 possessions.

West Coast 18.16 (124) def Melbourne 12.14 (86)

Nick Natanui kicked 2 goals.
Daniel Kerr was prominent in his first game of 2010.
Underrated midfielders (and probably slightly under priced) Cameron Bruce and Brad Green were among the best for the Demons.
Austin Wonnaemirri injured his hamstring in a VFL practice match.

Essendon 23.9 (147) def Richmond 11.7 (73)

David Hille and Jobe Watson were standouts for Essendon.
Scott Gumbleton kicked two goals and looks set to play round one. One of our few cheap bench players in the forward line.
Dustin Martin was among the best. Again. He must start on your ground!

Geelong 14.12 (96) def Fremantle 10.5 (65)

Gary Ablett and Jimmy Bartel were the two best for the Cats.
Michael Barlow and debutant Justin Bollenhagan were impressive for the Dockers.
Aaron Sandilands was named in the best.

Collingwood 27.16 (178) def Port Adelaide 15.7 (97)

Luke Ball kicked 3 goals and was in the best. Welcome to the Warne Dawgs!
Robbie Gray was named best for the Power… along with Cameron Hitchcock (3 goals).
Despite not getting the ‘donut discount’, Scott Pendlebury could still be a starter. A couple of goals and in the best. His pre-season has been solid.

Did anyone get along to one of these games? What did you notice?

DT Reprimand

Roy — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:32:02 +0000

–verb (used with object)

2. to reprove or rebuke severely, esp. in a formal way.

When it comes time to select your DT, many factors influence the makeup of the final squad. I have a policy in place that involves being reprimanded for actions in the previous season. This rule does nothing to help my overall ranking, but it certainly makes me feel justice has been served.

I have a few scenarios that can cause players to miss my squad, I will start with the stupidest one. If I lose games in the previous year and there is a common DenOMINATOR that I believe has overperformed against me, there is no way they are welcome in my team. Especially if they had been on my radar, but for one reason or another, didn’t make the final cut.

Case 1

A prime example for me last year was Alan Didak. As it turned out, when his price was rock bottom I fell a few 100 dollars short of getting him. Over the next 2 months, I seemed to play Didak in every game that he smashed it… and he was quite often captain. My hate for him was compounded when I saw him tagged out of games the weeks I didn’t face him. So, when considering the punishment the main points before the jury were:

On the radar, only to miss his awesome run of form by $300.
He rubbed it in by causing upset loses to my squad on a regular basis.
Played crap when he wasn’t playing me.
I couldn’t even double trade for him in the end because he got so expensive.

For this, he has received a 1 year ban, able to serve 10 games with good behaviour and form before being eligible for parole.

Case 2

Case number two involved another Magpie, DT Talks own Heath Shaw. Heath’s crime was far more serious than Dids, mainly because he was part of the destROY lineup when he earned his reprimand. A couple of years ago we were in Melbourne for our DT TALK party. My squad was on fire with everybody scoring well above their average. So on Sunday we sat at the G, Hung as, cheering for Heater and Fev (i know Fev sucks, and he has a life ban from destROY) in a Blues vs Pies blockbuster. We all knew I was in with a good chance for the weekly DT win and Fev did his bit for me, smashing out a big 150 or so. Heater on the other hand, played the game out for a score of 20 when he had been averaging 90. At the end on the game, we jumped into a Limo (I cant remember how or why we got a Limo) to go to the airport, still thinking I was a big chance. As it turned out, I came 5th or 6th by a nose and no-one above me had the Heater. The main points before the jury were:

Underperformed without injury, costing the team ultimate glory.

For this he received a minimum sentence of 1 year, with no chance of parole. He is now eligible for destROY 2010 providing he shows good pre season form.

Case 3

The last reprimand I will talk about nearly cost me a spot on the DT TALK panel. I thought I was onto a great roughy last year in selecting David Mundy. Let me tell you, he was rough for a reason. Mundy caused me sleepless nights, hair loss, I copped copious amounts of shit, many losses when he played with Swine Flu symptoms and I almost lost the respect of my peers for good. Points before the jury:

David Mundy ruined my life for 6 months.

For this he receives a life ban with no chance of parole… EVER.

Do you have any similar consequences?

On the NAB Cup Radar: Round Four

Warnie — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:28:29 +0000

Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda Saints

Saturday 13th March, 7:10pm – Etihad Stadium

It’s Grand Final time and we get to have a look at the Western Bulldogs take on St Kilda with close to full strength teams. That’s gotta be a good thing when doing Dream Team study.

Western Bulldogs
1. Jarrad Grant, 2. Robert Murphy, 3. Andrejs Everitt, 4. Daniel Cross, 5. Matthew Boyd, 7. Shaun Higgins, 8. Mitch Hahn, 9. Lindsay Gilbee, 10. Nathan Eagleton, 12. Tom Williams, 13. Daniel Giansiracusa, 14. Callan Ward, 15. Ben Hudson, 16 Ryan Griffen, 17. Adam Cooney, 20, Josh Hill, 21. Jason Akermanis, 22. Dylan Addison, 23. Jordan Roughead, 25. Ryan Hargrave, 27. Will Minson, 28. Barry Hall, 29. Easton Wood, 33. Tim Callan, 36. Brian Lake, 38. Dale Morris, 40. Jarrod Harbrow, 42. Liam Picken, 44. Brodie Moles.

St Kilda
1. Jason Gram, 2. Steven King, 4. Clint Jones, 5. Ben McEvoy, 6. Zac Dawson, 10. Steven Baker, 11. Leigh Montagna, 12. Nick Riewoldt, 13. Adam Schneider, 14. Jarryn Geary, 18. Brendon Goddard, 19. Sam Gilbert, 20. David Armitage, 21. Nick Heyne, 22. Farren Ray, 23. Justin Koschitzke, 25. Sam Fisher, 26. Nick Dal Santo, 27. Jason Blake, 28. Rhys Stanley, 29. Tom Lynch, 30. Brett Peake, 32. Andrew McQualter, 33. James Gwilt, 38. Will Johnson, 39. Alistair Smith, 44. Stephen Milne, 45. Luke Miles, 49. Steven Gaertner.

For the Western Bulldogs, we’re all going to be watching Brodie Moles. We can’t get too excited because he has to be upgraded off the rookie list, but keep him in the back of your head… if fate plays out like I am hoping it will, he could come in at about Round 10 and we can cash in one of those cows for him! Wank, wank… money in the bank! I’ll be looking at Daniel Giansiracusa to cement his spot in my team. At around the same price, Shaun Higgins is still looking tasty. I am slightly worried about his body, but he has the potential to push a 100pt average. I’m now worried that Will Minson is back, as Jordan Roughead may not be that Round 1 lock that I thought he was going to be. Hopefully Barry Hall has a stinker – I don’t want to be tricked into getting him! Selecting him goes against all of my DT rules. While I had a lot of pre-season love for him, Adam Cooney won’t be pulling on the Warne Dawgs jumper – but his mate Matthew Boyd is a chance to be a unique premium… still with some upside! But shhhh… I want him to be my secret!

There isn’t a whole heap of value at St Kilda. One bloke we’ve all been considering (and a fair few would have him winning that $300K-ish battle on the ground) is David Armitage. He’s averaging 84.3 in the NAB at the moment and this will be a huge test – playing with a full team and then also against a very good midfield. Sam Fisher was a lock for me until the pre-season cup. But with his scores of 74, 26 and 60 – his slutting up has finished. Stop being so accountable! I can’t believe I am mentioning him, but Adam Schneider has been solid. If he tears it up again, well… consider… but don’t get him in – will be inconsistent. Geez… there’s not much to write home about here.

Who have you got on your radar to watch tonight? Who’s likely to make your team from these clubs?