Brent Moloney – Deck of Dream Team 2013

Name: Brent Moloney
Club: Brisbane
Position: MID
Assistant Coach 2013 Price: $309,800
Bye Round: 11
2012 Average: 59.6
2012 Games Played: 15
Predicted Average: 80

 

Why should I pick him?

Brent Moloney is a bit of a throwback, an old school on-ball clearance workhorse. His playing style (and his Deck of DT pic) may not be the prettiest, but he has a proven Dream Team resume, boasting a better-than-80 ppg average in seasons 2008 to 2011. While his overall numbers are not especially spectacular and obviously not in the premium range, his fantasy output has been respectable and the key here is his potential return on investment.

Under Mark Neeld’s stewardship, Moloney fell out of favour as the new coach set about steering the Dees in a different tactical direction. However, a close look at Moloney’s 2012 season reveals five scores of 80 ppg or greater over 15 games played. A look further back to 2011 reveals nine rounds where he topped the ton. While his ceiling is moderate at around 120-130, his record marks him as a fairly steady producer, rather than a boom-or-bust roller coaster ride. His experience and size should boost the Lions’ on-ball brigade and it’s likely that this was a factor in Brisbane’s recruitment of the restricted free agent during this off-season.

For coaches who see the selection of one or three mid-pricers as being the catalyst to getting off to a good start in AFL Fantasy 2013, Moloney comes into consideration as a value proposition. As with all mid-pricers, his ticket will be the deal maker (or breaker). If his starting price is around the $250k mark, he is worth a serious look. If he can hit an 80 ppg average, there is a decent cash cow element to Moloney as well, providing a straightforward route to a premo upgrade fairly early on in the new season. Of course, if you’re locked into a guns’n’rookies strategy, he won’t be on your radar, but if you’re looking for value with steady output as part of a balanced squad, Moloney could fit your mid-priced budget.

 

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

Where he slides in to the midfield pecking order at Brissie is anyone’s guess. Logically, he should get plenty opportunity to ply his trade inside, on the ball, as a stop-gap solution where the Lions’ see a deficiency. But after a below-par 2012 season playing on the fringes of the Dees midfield rotation, is it realistic to expect that he’s going to bounce back to pumping out 80-90 ppg at a new club? Add to that the fact that he’ll be in the mix with fantasy guns Rocky, Redden and Zorko. Whether he’ll be a bit-part player or a significant AFL Fantasy contributor for the Lions posts a valid query against Moloney.

 

Deck of DT Rating.

JACK – There is too much on-ball talent at Brissie to expect that he busts out a 90+ ppg average. While it’s doubtful that Moloney will throw up Zorko-like scores, if he is played through the middle then he is likely to return a realistic average of  80 ppg in the M5-M6 slot to get your season off to a solid start. If the price is right, Moloney offers a good value proposition, but temper your expectations due to his relatively low ceiling and yet-ro-be-determined role.

 

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