Deck of Dream Team 2012: Dyson Heppell

Name: Dyson Heppell
Club: Essendon Bombers
Position: Defender
Assistant Coach 2012 Price: $415,900
Bye Round: 12
2011 Average: 84.09
2011 Games Played: 22
Predicted Average: 88

Why should I pick him?

2011 Rising star winner and Essendon wonder kid Dyson Heppell had an amazing debut season playing all 22 games with an average of 84. Hep D managed to score 90+ 9 times and crack the ton 5 times over the season. His last 5 games came at an average of 92 which included a below par 68 against the Bulldogs in Round 21. This ranked him the 12th best defender, on average, in 2011… but the 5th best on total points due to him playing all 22 games.

At any rate, it was a pretty damn good debut season Dream Team wise. Nice and consistent. (Click here for his season stats. Source: FanFooty.)

What made me choose Dyson Heppell as a card in the Deck of Dream Team was that I have seen his name pop up a lot in some Team Picker teams. I usually stay away from second  year players, especially if they have had such big debut seasons. I think he is priced pretty well as he is unlikely to drop in value/output.

Heppell has spent a bit of time in the gym this off season judging by this photo. In 2011, he looked like a scrawny, gangly dude but now looks to have bulked up a bit. This should definitely help his ball winning ability and allow him to shake any attention – which may come a little more this season in the form of a tag. However, at the Bombers, Jobe Watson will always cop the #1 tag.

As a junior, Hep’s numbers were pretty good. In his 5 Under 18 Championship games for Vic Country, he averaged 87 Dream Team points while for Gipsland in the TAC Cup he averaged 109 (from 15 games). Solid efforts. He will be a DT star for us over the next decade.

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

Most people will be thinking, can he back it up and improve in 2012? In my opinion, he will at least back it up, but I’m not sure how much of an improvement he will make on his already decent average of 84 from 2011. I like to look for players who have some upside in them. For me, you’ll be getting what you paid for with Hep D (and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing).

His ceiling isn’t really huge. Even with a 30 possession game against Geelong in Round 15, he only just cracked 100 points. 108 against Richmond was his highest score of the season which came from 29 disposals.

This is a petty thing, but he is only listed as a defender this year, so I feel as though I am being ripped off after having him as a DEF/MID last season. (Dumb argument, Warnie). But really, he should be listed as a midfielder as that is where I believe he will play and showed a lot there last year… maybe this section should be up in the why we should pick him?!

As a player with the Round 12 bye, there are a lot of defenders who are on my radar this preseason who might make the cut and I obviously can’t have them all. Collingwood (Heath Shaw), Fremantle (Greg Broughton, Paul Duffield), Geelong (Corey Enright) and Melbourne (Jack Grimes). Sydney also have the bye. Plus, who knows what defender rookies might pop up from those clubs also.

Deck of DT Rating.

QUEEN – I feel that selecting Dyson Heppell will be a relatively safe pick for your AFL Dream Team! He should at least average his 84 that you’re paying for him and continue to be fairly consistent – most likely grow his consistency – over the 2012 season. Hep should smash out some decent scores early on in the season with a nice start for the Bombers against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast. I’m not sure if he makes the grade for the Warne Dawgs just yet, but I know one day he will be a big DT star.

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