Deck of Dream Team 2012: Daniel Connors

Name: Daniel Connors
Club: Richmond Tigers
Position: Defender
Assistant Coach 2012 Price: $224,200
Bye Round: 13
2011 Average: 45.33
2011 Games Played: 3
Predicted Average: 80

Why should I pick him?

After writing about Reece Conca a few days ago, I remembered another Richmond defender I shortlisted back in September (yes, I’m a sad man). Daniel Connors. The reason he was shortlisted was simply that after being injured in Round 3 and not suiting up again for the season. He’s there too because his piss poor average of 45 in 2011 has him mega under-priced as his 2010 average was a massive 92.3 from his 14 games.

So let’s go back to his 2010 year. He started at $156,000 and Chopper picked him up and was stoked with his first three games. 77, 72 and 73. For that price and those scores, he was a steal. Then while in Sydney for the Round 3 game, he got on the piss (led by Ben Cousins) and was consequently suspended by the club for 8 weeks. On return, he played out the season notching up 4 big tons (116, 132, 123 and 114) and averaged 101.8 for the last 10 rounds. Wowee!

A wise man once said, one good year doesn’t make a premium. Not sure who that bloke was. Actually, I think I just made that up then. But I digress. He had that one good season and then injury took hold last year. He was selected by quite a few coaches, thinking even priced at 92, he offered some value. Then it came to Round 1. He started with the green vest on and infamously came on for Nathan Foley, who had the trots, in the third quarter for only 21 points. Round 2 he scored a modest 72 from 19 disposals and then struggled in Round 3 for only 43 points and fell to a quad injury which would then keep him out for the rest of the season.

So the point of those last 3 paragraphs? Connors averaged 90+ two years ago and after injury last year, he’s priced at less than half that average.

He has a Dream Team game about him. When given the opportunity, he plays outside, loose, unaccountable football which allows a lot of touches/points for Dream Team. I think there are plenty of factors that makes him a good pick for DT and it’s based purely on numbers. If he is playing, then he is a great pick.

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

While Connors could end up being one of the better Dream Team improvers (and performers) for the Tigers, at the end of the day, you’ve gotta be getting a game. I’ve been looking across a lot of Richmond websites/forums and not many fans have him in their best 22. I haven’t even seen much about him this pre-season at all. Not much in training reports, or anything.

A bit part of selecting Connors in our Dream Teams will be monitoring his place in the Richmond 22 over the preseason.

As with other Richmond defenders I have looked at before him (Brett Deledio and Reece Conca), the Tigers have the Round 13 bye. Just to remind you, this is with St Kilda, Carlton and Hawthorn – who are responsible for some of the most popular defenders in the comp. Deledio is a must have defender in my opinion and with a lot of coaches strategy, you can only afford 2 more players who share that bye. But who knows, at under $225K, Connors could be upgraded during those bye weeks.

Deck of DT Rating.

JACK – I would like to back in Connors, but I would like to be guaranteed that he is in the Tigers best 22 first. This probably won’t be for a while and at the moment, he would be battling for one of half a dozen spots with about a dozen other players. If he does make it into the Round 1 team, I’ll be looking to structure my backline to get him into my DT. Until then, he will be a “wait and see what the pre-season brings” player for the Warne Dawgs.

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