Round 20… The beginning of the end. For some that end has come far too soon (bring on Mad Monday!) while for others we press on with bigger fish to fry in the coming three weeks. A mix of heartbreak and pure elation in Fantasy circles! As always, we’ve got a host of spuds to rinse and guns to pump up!
I get the feeling there are a lot of coaches out there that need this! Without further ado here is The Weekend That Was for Round 20!
Freo vs Melbourne
Studs
Andy Brayshaw (137) – Huge in a piss poor effort from the Dockers! One moment really typified Bray’s commitment to the cause for mine – five minutes to go in the game, a loss all but certain and he wills himself to chase and make a rundown tackle… +8 baby!
Petracca (110) – I flagged him as a hold during the week and my word he rewarded owners who kept the faith! 30 touches and 8 tackles!
Gus Brayshaw (108) – Bray^2 if you don’t mind! Seemed to play a lot more around the footy and his CBA’s were right up! A massive boost for owners with a potential favourable role change heading into the final three weeks of the fantasy season.
Brodie (104) – Elite. Fun fact: Brodie hasn’t dropped under 90 in his past six outings… Incredible for a guy we selected as a ‘speculative mid-pricer’ to begin the season!
Duds
Jackson (53) – Not a great audition against his club for 2023 and beyond… Certainly not helping his own cause for a phatter contract! In fairness to him, seemed to be hindered with a heavily strapped right leg.
Weideman (20) – Had less kicks than he has aggots… Genuinely hard to do!
Collingwood vs Port Adelaide
Studs
Rozee (115) –
Butters (103) – Yeah good onya Zac ya galoot! Where was this about 15 weeks ago when we needed you?!
Jase Burgun (Burgoyne) (81) – Cheeky emergency loop anyone?! Huge from the young lad who was probably covering for Hewett or Witherden in a heap of squads – saved our bacon big time!
Duds
N.Daicos (65) – Long overdue 60 from the gun rook. Owners can’t be too salty given his form of late – unless you had him as a unique in an elimination final… In that case, rage trade and probably follow through!
Crisp (64) – Another Collingwood win by a bee’s d*ck, another Crisp mare… Shock me! Jack, you are either playing midfield or half back, the two most fantasy friendly roles in footy. Undiagnosed Sherrin allergy is the only plausible explanation.
Pendles (56) – It pains me to say this but 4% of the competition living in the past…
Sydney vs GWS
Studs
Gulden (155) – Not really fantasy relevant but deserves a shoutout for an epic game with 33 disposals, 12 marks and 2 goals! We knew he had this in him after an elite rookie season in 2021.
Parker (118) – Did someone say ‘Battle of the Bridge?’ Never. In. Doubt. That’s three consecutive Brett Kirk medals for the Sydney gun! In a class of his own when it comes to the cross-town rivalry.
Mills (116) – Gun. You watch Pills Thrills Mills and wonder in what universe it was possible for him to drop a 50. Daylight robbery for those who jumped on at <$900K!
Duds
Taranto (71) –
Himmelberg (69) – And the Berg bubble finally bursts… It was never going to end well with the Berg starting forward. Thankfully, the back six of GWS got pantsed in the first half and back he went… Only to have a crackpot by the name of Clarke for company in Q3! Salvaged his score late with a few kick-ins and HB received but he’s timed his stinker horribly for owners!
Warner (65) – Stitch up of the highest order. After a run of 103, 100, 127 and 115 you’d happily tick off trading in the Chad on form alone! You’d be forgiven for thinking “The Swans have so many guns, surely he doesn’t cop the tag at this stage of his career with such elite company!” Then… in a huge compliment from GWS, Lachie Ash stands next to him at the opening bounce. Unfortunately, the Chad never got going and left those who traded in wondering why they bother playing this sh*t game!
Tom Green (53) – To add a bit of poetic licence to George Ezra’s new hit… “Green green grass, blue blue sky, sh*tty scoring for the whole of July.” Highest score of 55 in July, enough said!
St Kilda vs Hawthorn
Studs
Marshall (163) – Enormous! But the St Kilda selection committee have a lot to answer for after the troll of all trolls naming big Tommy Campbell in the ruck on Thursday night. This undoubtedly would have put a few coaches off selecting the Marshmallow… Fast forward to Saturday arvo, and big Tommy has been given the ass without an injury and (more importantly) with trade plans already locked in! 30 touches for a ruck man… proper disgusting!
Mitchell (115) – The Pig delivers in a time of need! At last count, a handful of needless +6’s around the ground – fantasy legend!
‘Psychiatric’ Ward (107) – May well shake the ‘Psychiatric’ tag if this is what he continues to run with! One to watch in the future.
Duds
Sicily (67) – Sickening. A season worst the first week of finals may just unravel a great year for coaches that had him a unique in a knockout final!
Marecus Windhager (33) – Yikes. I f*cking hope you didn’t have Windy covering for Cogs… About as useful as tits on a bull.
Geelong vs Western Bulldogs
Studs
Dunkley (119) – Just Dunks doing Dunk things. Owned by 69% of the competition for a reason! Snuck forward for two snags and a nomination for mark of the week!
Selwood (47) – A terrible fantasy game but love him or hate him, 350 games is a massive achievement! Leads the +1 (frees for) stat by the length of the Flemington straight.
Duds
Bont (86) – Stiff for Bont owners as he was clearly hampered in the final quarter sitting at full-forward where he added a paltry seven points to his score… Fingers crossed he gets up for next week – fair to say they’ll need him!
English (73) – Bloody awesome Tim… Love spending my Saturday night watching a two metre ghost lope around and do the equivalent of watch paint dry!
Marecrae Macrae (72) – Speaking of watching paint dry… Anyone else notice Marecrae filth up when a teammate doesn’t use him with a short 10m pass when there is an oppo up his clacker?! You don’t mind seeing that as a fantasy coach but take that rage and put it into your next contest, cobber!
Sm(n)iff (65) – May have lost a couple of insta followers after that showing… After a couple of weeks off with Stevia-related indiscretions, Baz seemingly had slotted straight back in, only to drop this turd first week of finals!
Crom vs Carlton
Studs
Cripps (139) –
R.Laird (130) – Ludicrous. You know you have a pig on your hands when you never sweat about their scoring. There’s no need to constantly refresh the webpage because you just know a 120 is about as certain as the sun rising tomorrow! In a class of his own at present.
Walsh (128) – Hard to imagine Carlton getting spanked with Batman and Robin combining for 80+ disposals… Fantasy coaches won’t give a rats toss bag about the scoreboard as long as he keeps this up!
Doch (119) – My word Doch junk is disgusting! This could have been 130 if his team mates knew how to hit a 30m target to a 1v0…
Duds
ROB (62) – Pure sh*thousery to think ROB owners could go to Marshall or Gawn and actually save $$$ this week… Definition of fraud! Hopefully you cashed out.
West Coast vs Gold Coast
Studs
Miller (122) – Another example of a big dog coming up clutch when it matters most… Imagine if he Touk more than 1 mark?! Hopefully he is okay after landing on his head in the dying seconds of the game after copping some contact below the knees!
Duds
Witts (78) – Honestly I had no idea he resided in almost 17% of teams! Not catastrophic when you consider the likes of Max (87) and English (73) this week until you see Marshmallow and his 163… What could have been!
Culley (36) – Disaster, catastrophe, calamity, debacle, tragedy. But for those still relying on a rook on field, all it deserved! For those who had him covering Cogs, what nightmares are made of. Not sure if anyone tuned in but he was getting suspended anyway, so might as well try harder and ping a hammy! Time to Cull Culley.
Richmond vs Brisbane Lions
Studs
Bolton (114) – Electrifying. Obviously a horrible day in front of goal (2.5 for the record!) but everything else he touched turned to gold! Better player than his Fantasy numbers would suggest.
Zorko (97) – Arggghh p*ss off you little flea… For anyone who wants some background on my hate-hate relationship with Dayne ‘Spaghetti Strings’ Zorko feel free to go back in time… The shorts of it are he is dead to me. Period.
Duds
Short (82) – Controversial call from yours truly mid-week to include him as a ‘fold’… This is why, the hybrid half forward/mid role is not going anywhere and I can’t see Shorty increasing his output until something changes!
Essendon vs Norf
Studs
Merrett (172) – Inspirational! 135 points alone in the second half has to be some kind of record! With a five round average of 136, Zezza is showing us why he was earmarked as a future pig many moons ago.
Redman (139) – If you are sizing up your matchup for this week and pound for pound you don’t stack up, Mason Redman could be your man… Almost certain to be a unique with <2% ownership and has gone 125+ in four of his last nine outings! You’d rather take the punt and lose by 200 points than die wondering in an honourable loss.
Simpkin (126) – Had to put a token Norf player in here… In all seriousness, a massive individual effort alongside a bunch of list cloggers with 41 disposals!
Duds
LDU (68) –
After an elite five weeks… UDL came crashing back to earth with a thud!
Martin (62) – Followed the pattern of rookies going completely missing when we needed them most… Had 50 to HT then proceeded to do sweet FA! Has had an amazing season but surely we get a week of limited collateral damage at selection so we can move him on.
The Juggernaut Review
2276. Actually not bhed and believe it or not, 2/2 in knockout finals! You wouldn’t read about it! Kind of soul destroying when I found out I had 5th to 8th in my other league well and truly covered this week after missing on percentage!
If Round 20 taught us anything, it was the age old rule of them of ensuring your rooks are strictly bench only at this stage of the season! For those who had Cogs (or just ran with a rook at F6), here is a snapshot of some of the utter crud we were left with…
- Jai Culley (36)
MarecusMarcus Windhager (33)- Elijah Hollands (49)
- Callum M Brown (6)
Long story short, you wouldn’t trust these blokes running a bath, let alone filling in for your fantasy side in a qualifying or knockout final! No doubt it would have cost a few coaches out there a place in the second week of finals…
Looking ahead, for those still alive, you will be in one of two scenarios. It’s either a case of putting your feet up for the week (must be nice!) or fighting for survival in a do-or-die semi-final. If you did earn the week off, first of all, lucky bastards well done. Strategically, it’s all about positioning yourself best to launch come prelim finals time in R21. Understandably, a popular tactic is the double-downgrade to leave a sizeable Warne chest in the kitty for luxury upgrades and navigating carnage come R21! Anyone in the hunt for a coveted hat will be looking to maximise points so the double-downgrade may not be the best option. If you are in a semi-final, this week is now or never… Take a look at your matchup and the uniques and make the assessment on how you stack up. If you need to throw caution to the wind, there are bound to be plenty of diamonds in the rough that could get you a leg up if you go in as underdog. Another tactic coaches will go to is to bring in an opponents unique player/s, thereby neutralising their score! At the end of the day, the ball is in your court…
Again good luck to all coaches except my opponents (😜) this week!
Thanks again legends and flex how you went in the comments!
Yours in Fantasy,
Fantasy Fanatic #70
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