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Guns N Rookies Sample Team

Declan Jamieson has put together a “Guns N Rookies” sample team for you to have a bo-peep at. Is this the structure that we must use to be successful this season? It has been hotly debated over the last month. What do you think?

The coveted AFL Dream Team 2011 season is finally upon us all. The question remains however, will we learn from our silly mistakes that we committed last year? Or will we keep buying those pesky mid pricers that we end up trading down to rookies anyway? It is evident of course that some mid pricers rise in value but it is a minority. Take Gray, Dangerfield, Ballantyne and Big Bad Barry Hall, just to name a few players who have fallen drastically short of their predicted average rise.

There is one solution however, to this problem that many DTers find themselves in throughout the Dream Team season, it is rookies. Especially with the Gold Coast Suns, the latest addition to the list of AFL clubs, many rookies from GC will find themselves acquiring many games and consequently rising in price.

Rookies are cheap and rise in price, allowing for you to have more premiums on your field. I have made it a goal to incorporate as many mature agers as I can into my team, take Michael Barlow AKA ‘the messiah’ for instance, we all know how he averaged a whopping 109.8 points over 13 games, what was even more exciting was that he was bought by many for the measly price of $105,800. Now I am not saying that we will see another Barlow type player this coming season, but we can expect good scores from the likes of, Daniel Harris (GC),who averaged over 100 in the VFL, Ian Callian (ADEL), Andrew Krakouer (COLL), Tendai Mzungu (FREO), Mzungu is going to be something big in 2011, he averaged 29 disposals in the WAFL and is almost guaranteed a game. Michael Hibberd (ESS) who was awarded the Fothergill-Round medal as the VFL’s most promising footballer.

As you will see I have the Goddard and Gibbs, two players that will be essential to every serious Dream Team. I also see upside in  Grimes and Otten. Broughton performed in the NAB Cup so I have all but penciled him in for a round one berth in my team. Heppell is my 7th defender although he could be switched with Coad who is a likely starter for the Gold Coast Suns.

Now the midfield, where the guns and rookie approach becomes more evident, Swan is a week in week out captain choice so he is a must. I have chosen him over the cheaper Ablett of the Gary variety as Ablett has been burdened with a groin injury and will not be given the protection and easy kicks that he had become so accustomed to at the Cats. But that’s not to say that he won’t be in my team at some stage this season, once he becomes ripe after completing his 2nd bye I will jump on him, I may even go as far as sticking the Big C on him as he faces his Geelong teammates in rd 10. I see upside in Bartel who is priced at a juicy $437,800 and may return to his 110+ average in his Brownlow winning year after having an injury for part of last season. I have chosen 3 rookies in the midfield. David Swallow came 4th in the VFL Best and Fairest polls and Harley Bennell looks a likely starter in round 1. You will see that I have Hibberd and Callinan so I can utilize the DPP in my FWD and BACKS.

In my rucks I would have selected Drew Petrie but he has is suspended round 1 and I am not confident that there is sufficient cover from my bench rucks in Derickx and Zac Smith, so instead I have picked Sandilands and Cox.

In the forwards I have risked getting the injury prone Chappy. Franklin will almost certainly build on his 2010 average as David Hale will be getting more FWD time and hence, Franklin gaining more time in the lucrative midfield position. Didak is a bit of a risk for me since he is coming off surgery whereas Riewoldt and Slyvia are almost locks. Krakouer and Mzungu, as I have already stated are going to be good picks for 2011.

Here is the final product. I have a bit of spare cash for easier upgrading.

The Team

DEFENDERS
Goddard Gibbs Deledio Broughton Grimes Otten Heppell (Coad Duigan Puolpolo)

MIDFIELDERS
Swan Boyd Bartel Bennell Swallow Harris (Krakouer Hibberd Callian)

RUCKS
Sandilands Cox (Smith Derickx)

FORWARDS
Chapman Franklin Goodes Sylvia Brown Mzungu Richardson (Prestia Matera Smith)

$25,700 left over

By Declan Jamieson

DT Talk - covering AFL Fantasy and other games since 2007.




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