Get Off The Bench: Round 14

Just when you think this game is going to get easier as the teams with no bye’s left increase, our rookies start to flounder or they meet General Soreness and to top it off, our set and forget premiums either hit someone, get hit or just stink it up!  Who said DT is an easy game!  By this stage of the season you would be hoping that you had a solid set of guys on the bench that can help you cover a donut or the bye.   However, we have seen that our cheaper guys that are undertaking this role are showing inconsistency in their scoring but are also getting rested on a regular basis even though they have two weeks off this year with the bye!  Last week we had Z Smith and D Swallow have a rest for the Gold Coast, this week I have it on good authority that Trent McKenzie is going for a week in the magoos and Nick Duigan is injured. 

This week we have to cover our Saints players (like they are doing any good anyway) as well as Buddy who is a regular addition to the Grandstand gallery.  Hopefully your Collingwood guys coming back will help cover these holes, but I don’t think they will cover everything!

Guys to play this week…

Amongst the doom and gloom at the Bombers at the moment Hibberd is the shining light.  He has not scored less than 68 and that was his first game.  He is averaging 75 since that game and seems to be everywhere the ball is!  Normally when I type Hibberd, I also type Heppell but this week I am not so sure.  His last two scores have been in the 50’s and this rings alarm bells for me.  I think he is due for a rest or a vest (like that one?) and as a result he isn’t the top of my list anymore.  A guy that is still up towards the top and was off this list til his injury is Ed Curnow he has shown his injury is a thing of the past and has a 69, 95 and 73 since coming back.  Not quite the 90’s and 100’s from before he left, but still very servicable and worth a spot on your ground when required.  This week he will be in a midfield with Kreuzer, Cox and Naitanui… bit of talent there to rove to hey!

Andy Otten is a name that was mud earlier this year after not delivering on his promises, but in his last two games he has an 83 and 96 which means his spot in a shaky Crows team should be safe.  And he should see plenty of the ball this week down at the Cattery, I think if you held on to him this long you would probably be playing him on principle, but if you were shrewd and kept him now is the time to reap the rewards.  Teammate Matthew Wright seems to be plodding along nicely with scores ranging from 83 to 52 over their last 5 games.  He is a solid option, not the best, but seems to have some fair consistency going of late.

For Collingwood we welcome back Krakouer to our teams and his last 5 before the break yielded a 71 average so he should be a lock for the ground, probably to cover for the Buddy donut.  A guy I was asked about a couple of weeks ago was John McCarthy for Collingwood.  I would normally say no, but in looking at his scores he has had 84, 80, 71 and 79 which I am sure most of us would happily take from a guy worth $220k at the moment.

Nick Lower is a guy like Dugan who most of us just depend on to be there, and with his recent scores between 63 and 89 he is more than safe to play up back, particularly since Harvey has had him wandering around the midfield of late trying to get some spark for the the Dockers!  His mate The Gu has also shone since he got his start.  He has been sitting in the 70’s in his last two games and is living up to the expectations that we all had for him.  I will be putting him on the park (mainly through not many other choices) but he is a safe bet to deliver a similar score.

Our stock solid Gold Coast boys return home to Metricon this week.  Our best bets here are Danny Stanley, David Swallow and Z Smith.  All of these boys have been pretty solid for us so far and I can’t see this changing.  I think that Swallow and Smith will really benefit from there week off whereas the more experienced other guys should get through the season ok.  The other Suns that are playing this week are still a bit hit and miss for me hence why they are in the lower section of this article.  Remember that Harris and McKenzie are getting the Rest this week.

A guy that has had more Green Vests than Warnie is Luke Breust and he has worried me, but he pumped out a nice 112 against the Gold Coast in his first Vestless outing.  If he continues to miss out on a vest, I would play him.  His teammate with the permanent 5 O’Clock shadow, Paul Puopolo hasn’t stood out in games that I have watched, but his scoring is very consistent.  Over his last 3 he has had 70, 62 and 68.  He is a good option as your first reserve or even your 7th back if you are struggling with injuries.  Isaac Smith played a full game (sorry for those that I told he would get a vest) and played well even if it was Gold Coast.  He had 99pts which beat his debut game in which he scored 89.  It will be interesting to see how he goes against the Bombers this week, and with all the Hawk injuries his Job Security looks pretty good.  Lastly from the Hawks is Shane Savage don’t hesitate on this guy, he should be on the field every week.  He has a 144 to go with last weeks 164 to his name and his other scores have been in the 60’s and 70’s (apart from one 35).

Howe has been pretty consistent over his 3 games and seems to have cemented himself a spot in the Dee’s line up.  Gawn is Gawn!  Stefan Martin may find himself as a permanent forward with Jamar is back, but until we know how this relationship will work out be careful!  He hasn’t been under 76 in his last 6 games and 3 of them were over the ton.

Cam Pedersen seems to have a regular spot these days, and is scoring well to match with an 84 last week.  If he keeps this up, he will be a solid regular scoring option for you.   Tyronne Vickery seems to have picked up his scoring of late and it has been around the 70’s to 80’s with a ton last week.  He has been fair cover, but with Z Smith and Sandi back this week I doubt you would need him.

Sam Reid has done ok of late for the Swans and has an average in the realm of 67 over the last few weeks.  I think he is a fairly safe bet to continue along this trend. 

Would you buy a Used Car off this bloke?

Luke Thompson has scored a couple of 40’s in the last two weeks and is not looking like a solid scorer each week at the moment, so if you can avoid him, do so.  His Crows Teammate Shaun McKernan has really dropped off lately and is no longer in the 50’s he is down to 20’s and 30’s.

Rohan Bewick is a guy that a lot of people were on early, but he has been vesting it up lately.  He had a 73 last week but before that he had two red vested scores of 49 and 16.  So just beware with him. 

With the Suns boys, I am just a little concerned Tom Lynch and Dion Prestia.  They are good for a 70 some days but then some days they go for 25.  I am nervous as I have to play one of them this week… THANKS BUDDY for that bloody choice!  Of the two I would probably go Lynch.

James Strauss from the Dees has been doing fairly well and he was scoring 83 then 75 but last week ripped out a 49.  This worries me a bit.  So just be careful.  Against the Tigers I think he will see a fair bit of the ball.  In that game we have Conca who has also been struggling of late, he does have a lot of runs on the board, but his last three have been 29, 29 and 59.  Just no consistent good scoring in that lot!  Before that he was in the 80’s and had a 99 as well!  Looks like the trip to Darwin has stuffed him up bad!

One guy that I was planning to keep til the end as my bench cover was Jack Darling but those plans have gone down the drain with his rubbish scores of late.  He has had a 27 and a red vest 44 in the last two weeks.  There was talk of him being rested, but this hasn’t happened.  They have Carlton away this week where I don’t hold out much hope of a big score from him and then they have the bye the week after, so if you are going to unload him it might be a good time.

One guy that looks like he is on the way up is Luke Dahlhaus he looks like he will be a bit of a player.  He got a 76 last week which followed up a Green Vested 34.  Just keep an eye on him if you have him or are going to get him.  If he has another one or two at that level he may be worth playing.

C Rich and Harper are both in the squad for the Roos.  I would just be careful about playing them, as I would expect at least one of them to get cut.

Ian Callinan is in the 25 this week.  If you need to play him, then get him in, but I would personally wait if it were me.  He needs to show me he can play at the top level and not just for the Dogs in the SANFL.

Well at least we have our Collingwood players back this week so that should solve some of the carnage for us.  Just leave those Saints on the bench.  See how you go this week with some average players having to take the field.  Tweet me @pkd73 if you need any thoughts leading up to lockout.  Can’t promise I know what I am talking about, but will see if I can help.

Defenders

1. Lower
2. Hibberd
3. Stanley
4. Puopolo
5. Heppell
6. Pedersen
7. Otten
8. Strauss
9. Sam Reid
10. Jacobs
11. L Thompson
12. O’Brien

Midfielders

1. Curnow
2. Hibberd
3. Krakouer
4. Savage
5. Swallow
6. Heppell
7. I Smith
8. McCarthy
9. Mzungu
10. Atley
11. Callinan

Forwards

1. Krakouer
2. I Smith
3. Mzungu
4. Breust
5. Howe
6. Lynch
7. Darling
8. Prestia
9. C Rich
10. Dahlhaus

Wow that was hard ranking these guys this week and it seems to get even harder each week!  I am sure that you all have your own thoughts so help each other out in the comments!