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DT Talk Writer’s Fantasy Draft 2017

See every pick of the DT Talk Writer’s Draft.

On Tuesday 14th March, sixteen of our writers (and a few ring ins) jumped on their computers/laptops/tablets/phones to take part in our annual draft. We decided on the 3-4-1-3-(4) structure due to having 16 teams. This year we turned captains on. 240 players were selected in a pretty intense night of picks.

All of the picks as they happened.

PICKPLAYERCLUBPOSITIONDRAFTED BY
1Patrick DangerfieldGEEMIDTheWizDT
2Tom RockliffBLMIDStatismathgicians
3Adam TreloarCOLLMIDDunny's Destroyers
4Zach MerrettESSMIDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
5Josh P KennedySYDMIDLeighroy's Legends
6Max GawnMELBRUCThe Ball Sweaters
7Tom MitchellHAWMIDThe Running Man
8Luke ParkerSYDMIDVescioPick1
9Brodie GrundyCOLLRUCTHE ADDICTSS
10Taylor AdamsCOLLDEF/MIDBTO Boyz Legendz
11Nick RiewoldtSTKFWDWarne Dawgs
12Todd GoldsteinNMRUCWymo's Heroes
13Stefan MartinBLRUCRockstars
14Scott PendleburyCOLLMIDDouble Entendres
15Lachie NealeFREMIDTbetta Than You
16Rory LairdADEDEFhines all stars
17Dan HanneberySYDMIDhines all stars
18Heath ShawGWSDEFTbetta Than You
19Nat FyfeFREMIDDouble Entendres
20Sam DochertyCARLDEFRockstars
21Jack MacraeWBMID/FWDWymo's Heroes
22Jack StevenSTKMIDWarne Dawgs
23Luke DahlhausWBMID/FWDBTO Boyz Legendz
24Dustin MartinRICHMIDTHE ADDICTSS
25Kade SimpsonCARLDEFVescioPick1
26Isaac SmithHAWMID/FWDThe Running Man
27Matthew BoydWBDEFThe Ball Sweaters
28Sam MitchellWCMIDLeighroy's Legends
29Lance FranklinSYDFWDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
30Tom LynchADEFWDDunny's Destroyers
31Sam JacobsADERUCStatismathgicians
32Dayne BeamsBLMIDTheWizDT
33Toby GreeneGWSFWDTheWizDT
34Gary AblettGCMIDStatismathgicians
35Leigh MontagnaSTKDEFDunny's Destroyers
36Aaron HallGCMIDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
37Dayne ZorkoBLMIDLeighroy's Legends
38Jarryd RougheadHAWFWDThe Ball Sweaters
39Jason JohannisenWBDEFThe Running Man
40Touk MillerGCMID/FWDVescioPick1
41Jake LloydSYDDEF/MIDTHE ADDICTSS
42Jack GunstonHAWFWDBTO Boyz Legendz
43Jordan LewisMELBMIDWarne Dawgs
44Bernie VinceMELBDEF/MIDWymo's Heroes
45Jack SteeleSTKMID/FWDRockstars
46Dyson HeppellESSMIDDouble Entendres
47Josh CaddyRICHMID/FWDTbetta Than You
48Joel SelwoodGEEMIDhines all stars
49Matt PriddisWCMIDhines all stars
50Marcus BontempelliWBMIDTbetta Than You
51Brett DeledioGWSFWDDouble Entendres
52Andrew GaffWCMIDRockstars
53Steele SidebottomCOLLMIDWymo's Heroes
54Luke HodgeHAWDEFWarne Dawgs
55Bachar HouliRICHDEFBTO Boyz Legendz
56Brent StantonESSMIDTHE ADDICTSS
57Rory SloaneADEMIDVescioPick1
58Jack VineyMELBMIDThe Running Man
59Bryce GibbsCARLMIDThe Ball Sweaters
60Josh J KennedyWCFWDLeighroy's Legends
61Zac WilliamsGWSDEFJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
62Patrick CrippsCARLMIDDunny's Destroyers
63Tom LynchGCFWDStatismathgicians
64Michael BarlowGCMIDTheWizDT
65Ollie WinesPAMIDTheWizDT
66Devon SmithGWSFWDStatismathgicians
67Dylan ShielGWSMIDDunny's Destroyers
68Matthew KreuzerCARLRUCJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
69Toby NankervisRICHRUC/FWDLeighroy's Legends
70Lachie HunterWBMIDThe Ball Sweaters
71Patrick RyderPARUC/FWDThe Running Man
72Tom HickeySTKRUCVescioPick1
73Matt CrouchADEMIDTHE ADDICTSS
74Shane MumfordGWSRUCBTO Boyz Legendz
75Aaron SandilandsFRERUCWarne Dawgs
76Jack BillingsSTKMID/FWDWymo's Heroes
77Matthew SucklingWBDEFRockstars
78Harley BennellFREMID/FWDDouble Entendres
79Kurt TippettSYDRUCTbetta Than You
80Zach TuohyGEEDEFhines all stars
81Robbie GrayPAMIDhines all stars
82Jarrad McVeighSYDDEFTbetta Than You
83Hamish HartlettPADEF/MIDDouble Entendres
84Mark LeCrasWCFWDRockstars
85Callum MillsSYDDEFWymo's Heroes
86Brendon GoddardESSMIDWarne Dawgs
87Luke ShueyWCMIDBTO Boyz Legendz
88James KellyESSDEF/MIDTHE ADDICTSS
89Chad WingardPAFWDVescioPick1
90Kade KolodjashnijGCDEFThe Running Man
91Tom ScullyGWSMIDThe Ball Sweaters
92Tom PhillipsCOLLMID/FWDLeighroy's Legends
93Josh SmithCOLLDEFJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
94Shaun BurgoyneHAWDEFDunny's Destroyers
95Sebastian RossSTKMIDStatismathgicians
96Robert MurphyWBDEFTheWizDT
97Jack MartinGCDEF/FWDTheWizDT
98Michael HibberdMELBDEFStatismathgicians
99Steven MotlopGEEFWDDunny's Destroyers
100Jaeger O'MearaHAWMIDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
101Callan WardGWSMIDLeighroy's Legends
102Grant BirchallHAWDEFThe Ball Sweaters
103Justin WesthoffPAFWDThe Running Man
104Ed CurnowCARLMIDVescioPick1
105Isaac HeeneySYDFWDTHE ADDICTSS
106Trent CotchinRICHMIDBTO Boyz Legendz
107Ricky HendersonHAWDEF/MIDWarne Dawgs
108Josh KellyGWSMIDWymo's Heroes
109Jobe WatsonESSMIDRockstars
110Levi GreenwoodCOLLMID/FWDDouble Entendres
111Koby StevensSTKMID/FWDTbetta Than You
112Christian PetraccaMELBFWDhines all stars
113Michael WaltersFREFWDhines all stars
114Stephen ConiglioGWSMIDTbetta Than You
115Nic NaitanuiWCRUCDouble Entendres
116Sharrod WellinghamWCDEFRockstars
117Marc MurphyCARLMIDWymo's Heroes
118Jesse HoganMELBFWDWarne Dawgs
119Mitch DuncanGEEMIDBTO Boyz Legendz
120Jeremy HoweCOLLDEFTHE ADDICTSS
121Brodie SmithADEDEFVescioPick1
122Dion PrestiaRICHMIDThe Running Man
123Tom BoydWBRUC/FWDThe Ball Sweaters
124Zak JonesSYDDEFLeighroy's Legends
125Josh DunkleyWBMID/FWDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
126Brandon EllisRICHMIDDunny's Destroyers
127Jasper PittardPADEFStatismathgicians
128Cyril RioliHAWFWDTheWizDT
129Caleb DanielWBFWDTheWizDT
130Jack ZiebellNMMIDStatismathgicians
131Tom NichollsGCRUCDunny's Destroyers
132Shaun HigginsNMFWDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
133Bradley HillFREMID/FWDLeighroy's Legends
134Jarrad WaiteNMFWDThe Ball Sweaters
135Elliot YeoWCMID/FWDThe Running Man
136Angus BrayshawMELBMID/FWDVescioPick1
137Nathan HrovatNMMID/FWDTHE ADDICTSS
138David MundyFREMIDBTO Boyz Legendz
139Matthew WrightCARLFWDWarne Dawgs
140Josh GibsonHAWDEFWymo's Heroes
141Steve JohnsonGWSFWDRockstars
142David ArmitageSTKMIDDouble Entendres
143Andrew MackieGEEDEFTbetta Than You
144Scott LycettWCRUC/FWDhines all stars
145Jarrod WittsGCRUChines all stars
146Dom TysonMELBMIDTbetta Than You
147Michael HurleyESSDEFDouble Entendres
148David SwallowGCMIDRockstars
149Nathan JonesMELBMIDWymo's Heroes
150Jamie MacMillanNMDEFWarne Dawgs
151Mitch WallisWBMID/FWDBTO Boyz Legendz
152Jarryd LyonsGCMIDTHE ADDICTSS
153Tom LiberatoreWBMIDVescioPick1
154Shane BiggsWBDEFThe Running Man
155David ZaharakisESSMIDThe Ball Sweaters
156Matthew BroadbentPADEF/MIDLeighroy's Legends
157Christian SalemMELBDEFJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
158Luke BreustHAWFWDDunny's Destroyers
159Lin JongWBMID/FWDStatismathgicians
160Tom McDonaldMELBDEFTheWizDT
161Jackson TrengovePARUCTheWizDT
162Dylan RobertonSTKDEFStatismathgicians
163Mark BaguleyESSDEFDunny's Destroyers
164Zac SmithGEERUCJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
165Lee SpurrFREDEFLeighroy's Legends
166Shane SavageSTKDEFThe Ball Sweaters
167Brad CrouchADEMIDThe Running Man
168Curtly HamptonADEDEFVescioPick1
169Richard DoughlasADEMID/FWDTHE ADDICTSS
170Alex RanceRICHDEFBTO Boyz Legendz
171Liam ShielsHAWMIDWarne Dawgs
172Jordan de GoeyCOLLMID/FWDWymo's Heroes
173Stephen HillFREMIDRockstars
174Nick HaynesGWSDEFDouble Entendres
175Kieren JackSYDMIDTbetta Than You
176Nick GrahamCARLMID/FWDhines all stars
177Hayden CrozierFREDEFhines all stars
178Jamie ElliottCOLLFWDTbetta Than You
179Eddie BettsADEFWDDouble Entendres
180Perace HanleyGCMIDRockstars
181Sam MenegolaGEEMIDWymo's Heroes
182Ben ReidCOLLDEFWarne Dawgs
183Taylor DuryeaHAWDEFBTO Boyz Legendz
184Jack RiewoldtRICHFWDTHE ADDICTSS
185Scott ThompsonADEMIDVescioPick1
186Jack NewnesSTKMIDThe Running Man
187Josh JenkinsADEFWDThe Ball Sweaters
188Liam PickenWBMIDLeighroy's Legends
189Sam GibsonNMMIDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
190Travis BoakPAMIDDunny's Destroyers
191Tom BellBLFWDStatismathgicians
192Brad EbertPAMIDTheWizDT
193Allen ChristensenBLFWDTheWizDT
194Ryan GriffenGWSMIDStatismathgicians
195Taylor WalkerADEFWDDunny's Destroyers
196Shaun AtleyNMDEFJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
197Clayton OliverMELBMIDLeighroy's Legends
198Shaun GriggRICHMIDThe Ball Sweaters
199Jack WattsMELBFWDThe Running Man
200Maverick WellerSTKFWDVescioPick1
201Darcy ParishESSMIDTHE ADDICTSS
202Jake CarlisleSTKDEF/FWDBTO Boyz Legendz
203Jacob HopperGWSMID/FWDWarne Dawgs
204Ben McEvoyHAWRUCWymo's Heroes
205Scott SelwoodGEEMIDRockstars
206Nathan VardyWCRUCDouble Entendres
207Dane RampeSYDDEFTbetta Than You
208Orazio FantasiaESSFWDhines all stars
209Connor BlakelyFREMIDhines all stars
210Chris MastenWCMIDTbetta Than You
211Shannon HurnWCDEFDouble Entendres
212Alex Neal-BullenMELBMID/FWDRockstars
213Tom LangdonCOLLDEFWymo's Heroes
214Blake AcresSTKMID/FWDWarne Dawgs
215Sam GrayPAMIDBTO Boyz Legendz
216Anthony McDonald-TipungwutiESSDEFTHE ADDICTSS
217Easton WoodWBDEFVescioPick1
218Tom CutlerBLDEFThe Running Man
219Daniel WellsCOLLMIDThe Ball Sweaters
220Tim TrantoGWSMID/FWDLeighroy's Legends
221Jake StringerWBFWDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
222Archie SmithBLRUCDunny's Destroyers
223Andrew SwallowNMMIDStatismathgicians
224Sam MayesBLDEFTheWizDT
225Rhys StanleyGEERUC/FWDTheWizDT
226Mark BlicavsGEEMIDStatismathgicians
227Jacob WeiteringCARLDEFDunny's Destroyers
228Will LangfordHAWMIDJet Fuel Can't Melt Steele Beams
229Cale HookerESSDEF/FWDLeighroy's Legends
230Jeremy McGovernWCDEFThe Ball Sweaters
231Rory AtkinsADEMIDThe Running Man
232Billy LongerSTKRUCVescioPick1
233Lewis TaylorBLFWDTHE ADDICTSS
234Tom CampbellWBRUCBTO Boyz Legendz
235Mitch RobinsonBLMIDWarne Dawgs
236Jack CrispCOLLMIDWymo's Heroes
237Caleb MarchbankCARLDEFRockstars
238Ben HowlettESSMID/FWDDouble Entendres
239Clay SmithWBFWDTbetta Than You
240Garrick IbbotsonFREDEFhines all stars

Here are some words from our writers and their 2017 teams.

1. TheWizDT – Keegan Knott

This was my first ever draft and I was lucky enough to snag the #1 pick. With captains turned on I needed to pick someone who could pump out consistent 110+ scores… so I turned to the Brownlow medallist- Danger. My strategy before the draft was to pick a genuine gun on all lines to even out my team- but this went completely out the window when probably my best pick in Beams was still there at pick 32. My strategy then changed to having a beast midfield, so Micky B & Wines then rounded out my next two picks. Whilst my midfield carries my team, I still have some handy players such as Toby Greene & Bob Murphy (who can both average 90+). The only thing that makes me feel a little ill is seeing Trengove as my #1 ruck, I am hoping that Ryder does his knee and Trengove has to ruck all year by himself (am I allowed to say that?).

To round out the draft I am pumped about handcuffing Christensen for my bench & finding Ebert still there @ pick 193!

Overall I am happy with my debut draft night & stoked to be apart of it.

2. Statismathgicians – Tristan Bell

My strategy going into the draft was to get players who had had good previous years but a quiet 2016, thus getting good value overall (assuming most of them bounce back). It largely went to plan.

Getting Rockliff at pick 2 was great as he was my first choice, but then my next pick wasn’t until 31 and I got a little jittery and took Sam Jacobs. This was probably a mistake as no-one else took a ruck after that until pick 68.

Getting Ablett at 34 was great and started a run of solid picks for me. It wasn’t until I got to pick 159 that my pre-draft list got a bit shaky and I grabbed Lin Jong who hadn’t been planned for. Which meant for my bench I took Tom Bell at 191 who I should have just taken instead of Jong originally. My remaining bench picks were previous high scoring MIDs, finishing with Blicavs at 226 (which was fun because last year he was my first pick at 15).

3. Dunny’s Destroyers – Paul Dunn

Finding out I had pick three meant I had to check one thing.  Are Captains on?  Upon seeing that they weren’t on I decided to take Adam Treloar rather than Max Gawn.  I know that Maxy can go big, but felt a little safer with Treloar.  Once I got him locked away, I then looked to my forward and backs.  The big name forwards were gone so Tom Lynch from the Crows was next and Leigh Montagna after him in defence.  Pick 4 was to be for a ruck, but there was a big run on them and all the good ones were gone, so I put that theory behind me and went for two Mids instead getting Cripps  and Shiel.  I was pretty happy to get Cripps at pick 62 overall.  I think he will have another great season.  One of the reasons I took Shaun Burgoyne in my defense is simply that he doesn’t miss games.  In a draft league where an injury can basically derail your season, you need guys that are more likely than not to play all year because you can’t cover them with someone of equal scoring ability easily like you can in classic.

After that I filled out my defenders and forwards before heading back in to get some mids.  I finally took a ruck in round 9 at pick 131 with Tom Nicholls, he was the best of what was left at the time, and I felt I needed to grab him there as the remaining rucks just weren’t very reliable, although I did pick up Archie Smith with my second last pick as some bench cover just in case Stef goes down he will become valuable.

I was fairly happy to pick up Boak and Walker as bench cover for their respective positions and I also took Weitering with my last pick as some backup, but I also thought he may be inline for forward status at some point during the year given his role in JLT3.  I always like having some DPP action on the bench in a draft with these sorts of parameters.  With only 4 to cover injuries it helps if you can swing your bench cover in a couple of different spots.

4. Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steele Beams – Josh Sparks

With Pick 4 and Captains on I was really hoping that the three blokes above me weren’t on the same wave length and drafted Maxy Gawn at either 1, 2, or 3, letting Danger, Rocky or Treloar slip. That did not eventuate however, forcing me to take Zach Merrett with my first pick and then wait 24 more picks to find what treasures would be left in the trash.

I was drafting with a fairly high-risk strategy, trying to get blokes that people would forget about without jumping on them too early, whilst also not picking any rookies because I figured a team with 15 players should be able to avoid having any under $250k. Aaron Hall slipped to my Round 3 pick, giving me a beautiful back-up captain option if Rocket is nice to me. Kreuzer at pick 68 and pairing him with Zac Smith almost 100 picks later was a steal, especially if Kreuz can stay healthy.

My favourite pick of the draft was getting Jaeger O’Meara at Pick 100. It may have been slightly early but the boy is a jet and I’m confident he was about to get snapped up. I followed this up by picking JLT hopefuls Josh Smith (Pick 93), Josh Dunkley (125), Shaun Higgins (132) and Christian Salem (157).

All in all, not a bad effort, let’s see how the season goes.

5. Leighroy’s Legends – Leighroy Sutton

Strategy? Nope absolutely none of that for the legends this year. I panicked at every pick :’) and towards the end, my phone crapped itself and wouldn’t show me the available players or the drafted players so I had to guess at who may be left to grab… regardless, I’m still happy with my mids of JPK, Zorko, Smitch and Ward which I finished first. I then went on to a to nab JJK and Phillips (JLT Hype represent) and for some reason chose Brad Hill….. wtf.

I arrived late to the defender party so had very little to choose from. Went Zak Jones as a breakout and then the phone cooked itself and I ended up with Spurr and Broadbent? When I got around to the rucks, Nankervis was the only legit option so I went with more JLT Hype and got him.

Early prediction for the Legends this year is the wooden spoon with a slight chance of second to last. Happy drafting.

6. The Ball Sweaters – Steven Hearne

After sinking 13 beers prior to the draft my strategy was to stay awake. As an eagles supporter and an AFL Fantasy noob I really wanted to pick Michael Gardiner with my first pick at number 6. But after 55 seconds of looking I decided to settle on Maximus Gawn. My second pick coincided with my 14th beer & in return Matt Boyd came into my backline. My midfield, now I look back at it – is unique & dangerous & I can’t see a weakness across my team.

Even though I lost my draft virginity tonight, I still know that picking up Daniel wells as my last pick was an absolute steal!

Bring on 2017!

7. The Running Man – James Holder

First time for me drafting in a 16 team comp that includes captains.  I get pick 7. Don’t hate middle picks, you’re never too far away from a pick so don’t have to pay overs for a player like a pick 1 or 16. It was an easy choice to pick a MID with good ceiling as my next pick won’t be until about pick  25. Welcome Tom Mitchell. Had Grundy available but was too keen on the MID. Next two picks was about getting a DEF and FWD where I got JJ and Isaac Smith. Petty happy with these two. Got Jack Viney with pick 4 as my second MID. The rucks were thinning out a bit too quick so I needed to get one with my next pick, and picked up the newly popular Paddy Ryder. Good job I got him then as there was sweet FA left by my next pick. Rucks really are a prized pick in a 16 man comp. After my fourth pick it was just about filling each starting line, with defenders and forwards the priority. Was quite happy to get KK at pick 90, but his ADP was actually 120. Whoops. Biggs and Cutler rounded out my defenders while Yeo, Westhoff and Watts completed the forwards. Prestia at pick 122 I thought was a bargain and I’ll take the punt on Brad Crouch (167) but happy to have him handcuffed/pocketed with Rory Atkins, my last pick at 231.  Picked up Newnes as a solid backup  but hoping he may get DPP down back.

Overall happy with my drafting, but with the pool only 240 deep, there is still some gold left on those waivers.

8. VescioPick1 – Nic Negrepontis

For someone historically terrible at drafts, I’m not disappointed by the team I’ve put together. I’m happy with my midfield of Luke Parker, Rory Sloane, Ed Curnow, Tom Liberatore and Scott Thompson on the bench because they’re all players that should be consistent scorers this year. Taking Tom Hickey and Billy Longer gives me good ruck insurance and my overall strategy was picking a team for consistent performance across the season. I probably could’ve waited another round before taking Touk Miller, but my hand was forced since a lot of the best forwards were already taken. My backline is pretty flimsy with Brodie Smith and Curtly Hampton on field, but I figured getting the best possible midfield realistically would be the way to go here, especially in a captain’s league.

9. The Addictss – Matt Craig

It’s hard to take a clear strategy into a 16 man draft. When you have to wait anywhere between 15-30 picks before your next selection, the shape of the draft can change completely. Getting pick 9 was handy as I was perfectly in the middle. Getting Brodie Grundy at pick 9 was even more handy, considering one team had to pick the 16th best ruckman. There’s a severe lack of depth in defence, so that was my next target. Enter my DPP fetish. I’ve got my fingers crossed for Dusty but even if he doesn’t get it, he’s a gun and an easy captain pick. Brent Stanton in Round 4 was a risk, but he’s basically a lock for a position change come Round 6. I’ve always believed in you Brent… I think Crouch and Lyons are set for breakout seasons, however I probably took Heeney a little early. I was still in panic mode after Steven Motlop got selected 2 picks before me. Let’s hope he recovers quickly. Bring on Round 6!

10. BTO Boyz Legendz – Brody Tombides

Firstly a big shout out to Telstra for melting when I had my last 5 selections. Having pick 10 gave me an insight into how the draft would play out, as a result I decided to go with a strong backline/forward line combo (I’d go as far as proclaiming I have the best combo in this draft) taking Taylor Adams with my first pick and Luke Dahlhaus with my second. I expect both of these players to push over 100 this year and are complemented by Houli and Gunston who should both avg 90+. I was surprised to see Mumford slip to around pick 60 and snapped him up quickly – having someone who can mumify other ruckman is always a plus..With most genuine gun midfield options already gone I went for the guys who i think could push 100+, unfortunately warnedawgs pinched Goddard just as I was about to snap him up, as a result my first mid was Shuey who with the inclusion of Sam Mitchell should see less attention from the opposition. Trent Cotchin and Davidy Mundy can both go back to avg over 100 with Prestia and Fyfe both adding to the midfields respectively and Mitch Duncan is a good player who always gives a solid fantasy score. My bench is a disaster, however I will go with my draft strategy of trading in free agents based on who and where they are playing. Overall I think my team should be competitive unless of course the DT injury curse hits me!

11. Warne Dawgs – Warnie

Being at pick 11, if there was a big dog from a position other than the MIDs on the table, then they’d be mine. Nick Riewoldt should be solid enough for a captain on favourable fixtures (especially under the roof), but I’ll be quite happy with Jack Steven for the majority of weeks. Especially if he can score at the same rate that we saw in the JLT and if he does what he did in 2015. I think Hodgey sliding to pick 54 was a bit of a steal – but obviously he won’t be playing round one due to suspension.

You’d have to say that Liam Shiels as my last onfield selection was the pick of the Draft. He is a Fantasy stud and I’m sure he is sliding a lot in drafts. Shiels can push that 100 point average this year in my opinion.

The bench of Mitch Robinson – my final selection – will help me fix my rabble of a forward line (Hogan and Wright at F2 and F3) if he gains DPP, but Acres and Hopper have the opportunity to overtake the first blokes I drafted… they were shockers in hindsight.

12. Wymo’s Heroes – Tom Wyman

Given their was 16 teams in the league and I had a less than ideal array of picks, my first selection was ruckman Todd Goldstein. I chose to prioritise the forwards and defence because of the lack of depth in those two lines. I was wrapped to pick up Jack Macrae at number 21. He should be a top six forward come the seasons end. It was certainly frustrating watching the talent being snapped up whilst I waited for my third selection. Eventually, with pick number 44, I took the best available defender, Demon Bernie Vince. By this point, I was feeling pretty good about things, having taken arguably the third best ruckman and second best forward. I would have preferred a stronger first defender than Bernie though.

By now, it was definitely time to start looking at some of the midfielders available, with many other teams already boasting at-least one high-ranked mid. Steele Sidebottom was still around at 53 and he was a fairly obvious choice. Another agonising break unfolded before my fifth selection came around. Was pleased and a little surprised to see Jack Billings survive until the fifth round. At this stage I had identified my defence as a weak point and took Callum Mills at 85. As the midfield stocks began to decrease, I wasted no time in snapping up potential-breakout Josh Kelly and Carlton skipper Marc Murphy to fill the M2 and M3 slots. Josh Gibson rounded off the backline.

Two more on-field spots were left at this point. Nathan Jones isn’t the worst option for the final midfield spot, so I went for him. Annoyingly, I had been eyeing off Jones’ on-ball counterpart Dom Tyson for a few minutes, my spirits rising with every pick he lasted. But three picks before mine, Tbetta jumped in and stole the show. I’m hoping Jordan de Goey starts to realise his true Fantasy potential in 2017. He was my final on-field selection. With limited options presenting themselves, Sam Menegola, Ben McEvoy, Tom Langdon and Jack Crisp were selected to occupy the pine. Overall, I’m pretty happy with how the draft played out from my perspective.

13. Rockstars – Anthony Smith

So my initial thought this draft was to secure a good ruck.  My thinking for this was that in a 16 team draft, the difference in quality rucks drops severely after the top 3 or 4. Martin was the best ruckman available to me at pick 13 but I do think he can rediscover some of his best form again this year.

My next target was a solid defender for the same reason as the ruck, I just don’t think quality goes as deep, so I was able to snag Docherty back there for that. My top forward came next and at 45 Steele was one of the best available so I had to take him. Really hoping that JLT form holds up! This is embarrassingly where I realised that we had Captains turned on. I fully admit that my first pick would not have been Martin if I’d seen this before the draft!! But Gaff will wear my Captains badge for the year and I’m ok with that for the following reason.

This may be my West Coast bias coming through but come season end this piece will either prove me right or be a case study in why you shouldn’t pick with your heart.

I honestly believe that with the change in game style and inclusion of Sam Mitchell, West Coast will become one of the top scoring fantasy teams this year. The 3 players I targeted over the next few picks were all players who I believe will have an upswing on their averages and I’m hoping that pays off. With Gaff getting more ball on the outside of Mitchell, LeCras playing closer to goal again this season with great supply and Wellingham getting involved in the higher possession game style across the halfback line.

Jobe Watson is the other player I picked up who I think will have captain potential if anything goes wrong. With Johnson at my 9th pick I’d locked in all my defender, forwards and rucks. It was then time for me to focus on finishing my mids which my next four in Swallow, S.Hill, Hanley and S.Selwood all rounded out.  A few more speculative picks towards the end with Marchbank and Neal-Bullen who’ll ride the bench but provide cover fwd or back if anything goes wrong on field.

Overall I’m actually pretty happy with this team. My only concern is that I don’t have a Ruck back up if anything happens to Martin so I’m still now considering either picking up a Giles or Berger from the waiver wire for cover or just risking it and hoping one is available if Martin gets in trouble!

14. Double Entendres – Marcus Dornauf

When you take a quick glance at my side you will initially think 3 things. Gee his midfield looks nice for a 16 team league, backline has left a lot to be desired and Nic Nat in the ruck, is he drafting for 2018? All these thoughts would be correct.

I went into the draft with pick 14. Knowing I would not get any of the top players at their positions I decided to go heavy on midfielders as this league has captains. My first 3 picks were mids, Pendlebury, Fyfe then Heppell.

I then decided to take a chance on an aged Brett Deledio and injury prone Harley Bennell in my forward line, leaving my backline unarmed and drafting my first player in the 7th round.

Due to an auto draft and poor use of the draft queue my ruckman was an injured Nic Naitanui. However I feel I amended this pick with the second last pick of the draft taking Nathan Vardy to fill my Nic Nat void.

Overall, I am quite happy with my team. I will find it hard to see any team outscoring my midfield week to week and then it will come down to my backline hanging on for dear life. I may have been more conservative in a smaller league but in a 16 team league, risks need to be taken if you want the glory. Like Ricky Bobby’s father said, “if you aint first, you’re last.”

15. Tbetta Than You – Alexander Trombetta

Drafting late in a large league is both a blessing and a curse. While being able to nab a slider like Lachie Neale at 15 was ludicrous (given we’re in a Captain’s league), it also meant I didn’t have access to any of the top-tier ruckmen and I was very much at the mercy of the other coaches when it came to picking my big man. Landing Kurt Tippett was as good as I could hope for given that I often didn’t have a selection for 30 picks at a time, causing me to miss out on two separate ruck runs.

When you’re in a large league like this, you can take what you can get, when you can get it. I zeroed in on a few players that were sliding due to injury concerns, taking a season-long approach to my drafting. Coniglio was a steal at pick 114, McVeigh is a consistent type who’ll chug along nicely for me once he returns and Elliott has big upside if he can get fit. More importantly, I backed these guys up with Kieren Jack, Dane Rampe and Clay Smith – all very startable players that’ll pick up the slack until the injured guys return.
My midfield is packed full of future (if not current) guns and boast my two favourite picks – The Bont at 50 and Dom Tyson at 146. Overall, I’m very happy with this squad in a deep league and I think I adapted well to the large coaching pool and the challenges associated with a quasi-turn pick.

16. hines all stars – John Hines

My strategy was getting as strong as midfield as possible I achieved that goal by getting Hannebery, Joel Selwood, Matt Priddis and Robbie Gray. My weakest line it’s a photo finish between my ruck Lycett and my forward line Petracca, Walters and Nick Graham. The player I wish I didn’t pick Nick Graham he will struggle to get a game at Carlton I did pick Fantasia as cover though.

My pod pick is Hayden Crozier he will improve on his 72 average plus with Ballaz out for up to 10 weeks Crozier may play second small forward role. My best pick Touhy got him at a steal at pick 49 my very close second is Robbie Gray. I got a nice bench cover with Witts, Blakeley, Fantasia and Ibboston.

Overall I had a good draft the only regret I have is not picking a ruckmen early. Hopefully I’ll figure in the finals.

mb_jltback620

Co-captain of DT Talk since we started this thing in 2007. Best finish was 13th in 2009... that was a long time ago. Follow on Twitter: @WarnieDT




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