Tagged Out? Danger and Thommo

So, finally NAB cup action is getting under way! While we fiddle around with our teams and get into some NAB Cup research, I’ll take a look at some players who might warrant a tag this season, and also some that may start to avoid them. Tags can have a massive influence on a premiums DT scores, very few can break them to score to their potential! Let’s take a look…

Patty Dangerfield

After a standout season, especially his last 7 games (averaging 120) Danger was the breakout player of 2012. We all knew he was capable, and he finally delivered by improving his uncontested ball game dramatically. However he became so damaging to opposition teams that he started to warrant a tag ahead of Scotty Thompson. There was some alarming signs.

Whilst his season may have ended on a high, you need to take into account who he was playing. His last 5 games of the season were against Essendon, Fremantle, Brisbane, Melbourne and Gold Coast. Now I have no doubt that he will post some huge 130+ scores again this year, but when your paying $525,000 for a premium midfielder you would want to be getting some form of consistency. His finals series really concerned me. Everyone had started to realise he was there most vital player, so the number one tag went to him every time. He scored 71 against Sydney, 64 against Fremantle and 95 against Hawthorn. They’re not great numbers, and with opposition now keenly aware as to the threat he possesses I’m almost 100% sure he will be receiving the number 1 tag each and every week. Of course he will break it occasionally but if he is prone to sub 80 scores against good opposition, I’m not sure you can back him in as a premium midfielder. Better, more consistent option out there this season with guys like Murphy, Fyfe, Selwood and Redden all underpriced in my opinion. Not for me, however something good could come out of this.

Scott Thompson

Thommo is getting on a bit, now at the ripe age of 29 (soon to be 30). Due to Adelaide’s lack of a dominant midfielder since Ricciuto’s retirement, he has had to put up with most teams number 1 tagger each week. However with the sudden rise of Dangerfield,  he may start to avoid that nasty tag most weeks. He usually racks up possessions, but can sometimes be held back by his kick:handball ratio. If he starts to get more freedom on the pitch he could certainly maintain his average, if not slightly increase it. He is prone to the occasional mare, he had 3 sub 66 scores (59, 65 and 65) last season. However if he escapes the big tags these should be few and far between, when allowed to collect his own footy these blips on the radar should disappear. His ceiling won’t increase, but his consistency should. If allowed more freedom this year, and I certainly expect him to, then we should see him push his average to elite level. 110+ is definitely not beyond him!

Just some food for thought, this pre-season is becoming a real shocker. It seems never ending! I’ll have more of these articles to come, with guys like Fyfe, Gaff, Boyd, Martin, Zorko and more still to go under the microscope! Cheers.

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