Jeppa’s Draftees – Rd 20

Now that the first week of finals has passed, not many of us are holding multiple trades. The need for draftees is then pretty low but for those coaches who can still downgrade, I’ve written this article just for you!

Three-or-More Gamers

Beau Wilkes (121), Aaron Hall (101), Adam Treloar (112), Devon Smith (103), Will Hoskin-Elliott (96), Paul Seedsman (82), Tom Bell (61), Tory Dickson (79) and the maestro Sam Gibson(114) were all named in the bests for their respective sides this week. These players are obviously all in form so take note when deciding which rookie to start and which will be an emergency. A special mention to Gibson whose performance on the weekend was timely for those with Swan and/or Stanton out of action and he doesn’t look like he’s going to slow down any time soon.

Other three-or-more gamers that racked them up were Lee Spurr (79), Kyal Horsley (82), Anthony Miles (78), Stephen Wrigley (70), Steven Morris (75) and Clay Smith (92).

Two Gamers

Jason Johannisen isn’t really killing it on the DT scoring front, backing up his debut of 61 with a 45 against the Tigers. From looking at him a second time, I’m confident he aint going to get 20+ touches in the last few games of the season soit’s best to stay away.Same goes for Johannisen’s teammate Michael Talia who scored 41 after a 38 on debut.

The most positive performance of the second gamers came fromJonathon Simpkin. He scored 70 playing a forward tagging role on Hurn, gathering 12 possessions, 4 tackles and kicking a goal. Despite his good performance, Simpkin will most likely be omitted with Kelly, Corey, Hunt, etc are all expected to come back in this week.

Aidan Riley copped the green vest for the crows on the weekend and only scored 14, which included a goal. It’s too risky to pick him up now as he’s susceptible to the vest.

One Gamers

After watching Brendan Lee in action on Sunday, I regretted trading in Tom Couch a few weeks back. Lee scored a 76 that included 18 touches and 6 tackles! He definitely knows how to find the footy but there’s nothing flashy about his disposal. Nevertheless, if you need to downgrade to a rookie this week or next, Lee’s your man!Jackson Allen may appeal more than Lee given his def/mid DPP. He scored 73 against the Giants and looked pretty solid in the backline. I’m just curious to know why it took so long for him to make his debut given he hasn’t been injured all season.

It’s about this time every year that teams at the bottom end of the ladder give some of the younger talent on their lists a go at the big time. Lin Jong is the fourth rookie-listed player for the Bulldogs to get a crack at AFL level this year. Nothing to get excited about though as he only scored a 56 and wasn’t that effective. Fellow bulldog, Fletcher Roberts, 32, also suited up for his first game and did pretty well considering he only found out he was going to play 30 minutes before bounce down.Roberts did some nice things in limited ground time but he isn’t DT material.

Don’t waste your time with Lewis Johnston(34), Tim Golds (31), Rhys O’Keeffe(18) and Nathan Blee (12).

Rookie of the Year – FORWARDS

All but one of the players below is dual position forward/midfielders. Typically, these players are most valuable when played in the forward line, that’s why they’re mentioned here.

Dayne Zorko – In 20 years time we’ll be all talking about that small, fiery little bloke that came out of Broadbeach who had an immediate impact in the world of dreamteam. He has become a premium in his first year of footywith an average of 95 which iscurrently the ninth highest of all forwards. The thing that I’ve liked about Zorko the most though is his consistency (well up until last week’s 63). Zorks has been absolutely awesome this year but for those that think he’s better than Barlow just remember that Barlow averaged 110 DT points in his first year of AFL.Here’s hoping for another Barlow/Zorko next year!

Adam Treloar – this pacey half forward/midfielder has had a very good second half of the season. Most first year players tire as the season goes on but Treloar seems to have gotten better!An average of 80 from 16 games is a very good return for a $104,200 player.He’s definitely in the best 18 at GWS and I predict he will continue to score well in DT next year.

Devon Smith – A small forward that found the going tough against the mature AFL players early on but has definitely improved late in the season. A few of scores in the 30’s and 40’s would have annoyed many coaches but Smith has proven his worth late in the season with triple figure scores three weeks in a row. His average stands at 73 and he’s only missed two games so far this season,making him very reliable.

Taylor Adams – A player who loves to bash and crash his way through anyone. Adams is another half forward/midfielder who,with his bursts and penetrating kick, reminds me a lot of Colin Sylvia.12 games so far this season and an average of 71 isn’t as great as some of his GWS teammates but he has still been effective. He definitely has the potential to become an elite player of the competition.

Tory Dickson – a mature age recruit out of Bendigo that has made a significant contribution to the Bulldogs forward line. He is an excellent mark for his size and a very accurate shot on goal.In his 14 games this year, Dickson hasn’t been able to crack the ton but he’s still been a great cashcow. Hopefully he’ll continue to improve his game and help the Bulldogs on their quest up the ladder.