Cookie Cutter Teams

I have been thinking lately that with all this media around now about DT it seems pointless to do any research at all. Back in the day I used to sit at my computer in November pouring over stats and player reports. Every sneaky little smokey that you found then gave you a leg up against your opponents. Each underpriced gem boosted you even further. But what about now? With Dr Dream Team on the AFL site so generously blowing every single smokey out of the water whats the point any more?

I have a friend at work who has never been to an AFL game, he doesn’t know his Presti from his Swannie yet when i saw his first draft it was not far different from mine. “How did you do this?” I asked? “I found a website called DT talk” he said, “I made my team from the rate my teams page”. His team name is ‘Plagurism FC‘ by the way… Now I’m not that upset that he found this site, I’ve been on here for years and love all the banter, plus there are enough muppets posting poxy teams on here to cloud his judgment just enough to make it interesting.

But it has got me to thinking is every team going to be the same this year thanks to Dr Dream Team and his band of merry smokey killers?

Almost every team will have a backline of Goddard, Gibbs, Deledio, two of maybe Grimes, Broughton, Johncock or Duffield and a couple of  maybe Krakouer, Otten or Adcock. Throw in a rookie like Heppell or Smith and there is the cookie cutter back line.

The rucks are even worse! most will have either Cox or Sandi, with a Petrie or Fraser and a bench of Smith and Bailey or Campbell or Derickx.

Up forward its going to be Sylvia ahoy, Voldt, some Didak, some Johnson… some will risk on Higgins, a mid pricer like Dangerfield, Zaka or Knights and a cheapie like Gamble or Krakouer. Theres another cookie cutter forward line.

With the rebirth of the mature age rookie and the GC there isnt even a risk in finding a rookie who will play any more! No more risk of a Relton, Proud or Armitage any more. The whole world will have Mzungu, Richardson, Pupoulo, Duigan etc etc etc.

So where can we beat these ghost ships? These plagurists? the only way i can see is to pick the right Premiums in the middle. Picking the right Swan, Boyd, Montagna or Bartel, Or maybe Pendlebury or Selwood, Murphy, Stanton or Hodge. All score huge but which way to go? There will be luck involved, you might pick the right one and he may do a knee early on. But our only defence in this game now is knowing Montagna is durable but Chappy has hammies made of play dough.

Trading is our last defence against them because we know when the breakeven reaches the red its time to move the cow on, but who to choose? This is when football knowledge may come into play..

Lets hope Dr Dream Team PHD (game wrecker) doesn’t list each downgrade/upgrade target with their percentages of success for all to see as well.

Good luck!

May all your smokies burn bright!