12 down, 12 to go!

The start of Round 13 means that we’ve officially ticked out to the second half of the fantasy season! Having made it through the first 12 rounds of footy, a lot of our favourite cash cows who have toiled away for our teams for months are being axed as they reach their peak price point. Coaches will have done their best to reduce the number of rookies residing on the field and upgrading starting picks like Harley Reid and/or Darcy Wilson is still the easiest and smartest way to improve your team throughout the bye rounds.

Rookie/cash cows are typically defined as players who started the season priced at $300,000 or lower

Mooooving On

Part of our weekly trade focus is to remove the rookie-priced players who are no longer making money. When a cash cow sees their average fall in line with their breakeven or they find themselves on the outside looking in for multiple weeks at a time, that’s a good time to give them the axe.

Fattened cash cows

1. Caleb Windsor, Demons ($494K, 55 AVG, 93 BE)
2. Darcy Wilson, Saints ($652K, 71 AVG, 89 BE)
3. Sam Clohesy ($579K, 74 AVG, 79 BE)
4. Will Graham, Suns ($495K, 66 AVG, 65 BE)
5. Harley Reid, Eagles ($559K, 65 AVG, 59 BE)

Injured/non-playing rookies

1. Joe Richards, Magpies ($376K, 79 AVG, -20 BE)
2. Blake Howes, Demons ($464K, 57 AVG, 59 BE)
3. Hugo Garcia, Saints ($374K, 54 AVG, 26 BE)
4. Colby McKercher, Kangaroos ($592K, 73 AVG, 22 BE)
5. Darcy Jones, Giants ($312K, 43 AVG, 44 BE)

Cash Cow King – Round 12

Even with a few of our rookies putting their feet up in Round 12, a lot of the mainstream cash cows came to the party with stellar scores. Jeremy Sharp (80) and Dogs duo, Ryley Sanders (82) and Harvey Gallagher (82) all surpassed the 80-point mark, with Bodhi Uwland (89) dominating to such an extent that he earned a Rising Star nomination. However, they were all beaten by Geelong’s ascending talent, Oliver Dempsey (104) with the crafty Cat helping himself to three goals and 27 disposals. It was a nice reward for those coaches who still owned Dempsey and he’ll get my vote this week for his epic performance.

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Making Moves

Fresh legs

Here’s a quick synopsis of the rookies who are coming off a bye in Round 12:

Colby McKercher ($592K, 73 AVG, BE 23) – His foot injury will likely keep him out against West Coast.
Matt Roberts ($546K, 69 AVG, BE 114) – Must trade for those that haven’t addressed Roberts yet.
Kai Lohmann ($558K, 59 AVG, BE 22) – Scoring at a rapid rate in his last few games, but it’s too late to jump on if you missed the Lions FWD.
Bruce Reville ($356K, 58 AVG, BE 8) – I wouldn’t suggest spending up to trade for Reville now. Hopefully he can help his owners through the rest of the bye rounds.
Toby McMullin ($260K, 56 AVG, BE -6) – I’m not convinced he has a regular spot in GWS’ team. If he’s picked in the 22 this week though, lock and load!

Harvey Thomas ($387K, 47 AVG, BE 57) – He’s done his job for coaches and could be moved on.
Aaron Cadman ($355K, 46 AVG, BE 60) – More of a trade priority than Thomas and also needs to be flicked out.
Charlie Lazzaro ($334K, 42 AVG, BE 66) – If he’s in your team, fix that ASAP.
Logan Morris ($277K, 42 AVG, BE 0) – He could lose his spot to Eric Hipwood, although Morris has shown flashes of promise.
Zane Duursma ($309K, 40 AVG, BE 63) – Quickly losing value now and should be moved on by his owners.
Wil Dawson ($249K, 36 AVG, BE 18) – Cheap DEF/FWD that needs to be monitored. You don’t have to make a move for Dawson with urgency though.
Toby Pink ($255K, 33 AVG, BE 21) – Still playing, but Pink hasn’t had a stellar 2024 fantasy campaign.

Money makers

Prior to Round 12 getting underway, both Joel Freijah ($365K, 65, BE 6) and Kane McAuliffe ($337K, 56, BE 3) were amongst the most popular trade targets. The popular rookies did their bit for owners, with Freijah +6ing his way to a respectable score and McAuliffe producing a 51-point first half before slowing up. Coaches would have been dreaming of a loftier score from the Richmond rook, but you can’t be too disheartened by his performance. A few coaches opted to make a move for Pies defender Charlie Dean ($310K, 73, BE 1), one that I wasn’t convinced wouldn’t work.

Instead, the young Magpie rewarded the ≈1,800 fantasy managers who pulled the trigger with a healthy 73 points last Friday against the Dogs. As a result, that trio all own single-digit breakevens and are assured to have another price rise in their next match. It’s no certainty, but it’s fair to assume that Oliver Dempsey ($544K, 104, BE 41) will also see his price tag climb after his impressive showing over the weekend. An upcoming date with Sydney at the SCG doesn’t fill me with confidence, although Dempsey is coming off the top score from all rookie-priced players last week – a fact that will grind the gears of the 2,247 coaches who flicked him out.

If you were one of the lucky coaches who held Dempsey while he raised the bat, I’d still make moving him on a priority next round. His Geelong teammates Toby Conway ($535K, 70, BE 40) and Oisin Mullin ($350K, 67, BE 22) also managed respectable numbers against Richmond, although they won’t be playing an injury-ravaged Tigers outfit each week. While there is limited appeal from those budding Cats, there is some interest around Bodhi Uwland ($467K, 89, BE 21) after the Suns defender earned a Rising Star nom for his 21-disposal, 13-mark effort to close out Round 12. Averaging 71.2 across the last month, Uwland’s convenient price climb has been a blessing for the coaches in a position of need down back.

Keep the faith

The born-again Ryley Sanders ($500K, 82, BE 52) is making the most of his second chance in Luke Beveridge’s outfit. After being injected early into the game vs. Sydney, Sanders backed it up with a strong 82-point game in a win over the reigning premiers – laying an impressive 11 tackles in 74% game time. Both Ryley and his young teammate, Harvey Gallagher ($483K, 82, BE 29) are shaping up as helpful scorers over the next fortnight, with matches against Brisbane and Fremantle on the agenda before their bye.

Speaking of Fremantle, popular Docker Jeremy Sharp ($725K, 80, BE 70) is a strong trade-out candidate this week as almost 5,000 coaches have decided to move him on. Thanks to his stellar form, you could keep Sharp in your lineup once he freshens up. It won’t cost you much to execute the secret move of swapping Sharp for Tom Green ($36K difference), and if you have additional funds there’s always the option to turn him into a GUN midfielder fresh off the bye such as Errol Gulden ($208K) or Josh Dunkley ($253K). Riding out Seth Campbell ($445K, 74, BE 31) and/or Riley Garcia ($490K, 76, BE 33) until their bye in a fortnight is a fine tactic, although they could be upgraded as well if you’ve got the cash to burn.

Cut them loose

We’ve reached the point in the season where the last of our favourite starting cash cows need to be moved on. A two-week suspension means now is the perfect time to axe Harley Reid ($559K, 75, BE 59) with draft peers Caleb Windsor ($494K, 35, BE 93) and Darcy Wilson ($652K, 59, BE 89) about to decrease in value. Windsor is a must-trade in my eyes and a subpar score from Wilson vs. the Eagles has seen his breakeven climb significantly.

In the five games before Round 12, St Kilda’s outside specialist has been averaging 86.2 points so there is a world where you could keep Wilson in your lineup until his bye arrives two weeks from now. Sam Clohesy ($579K, 49, BE 79) is another mainstream cash cow who is on the chopping block with a mediocre three-round average of 59, leading to over 11,000 coaches giving him the flick. Pour one out for Tigers forward Mykelti Lefau ($374K, 40, BE 58) as well, with an ACL tear ending what was a promising debut season.

Thin Ice

A recall for Will Graham ($495K, 43, BE 64) was a pleasant sight of his owners last Friday, but after scoring just 43 points the young Sun is another rook in the firing line. You could give him another life against St Kilda this week, although it won’t be long before Graham starts to slide in price. We’ve already seen a bit of a dip from Taj Woewodin ($311K, 40, BE 48), who has been forced to start as the sub in 8 of his 10 games so far this season, and there’s a world where Graham gets stuck in the vest for Gold Coast throughout the second half of the season. Collingwood pair Harvey Harrison ($309K, 34, BE 19) and Finlay Macrae ($343K, 38, BE 23) are hard to trust at the moment as well, with Harrison’s performance in particular a disappointing one after more than 18,000 coaches opted to bring in the discounted FWD last round.

Wait and see

Sticking with the Magpies theme, I’m not convinced that Jack Bytel ($285K, 56, BE 18) can be a strong contributor over the second half of the season. That being said, Bytel is capable of scoring well in the full games he does play – it’s just a shame that most of his matches are interrupted by injury or a vest. If he can insert himself into Collingwood’s best-22 then some will be tempted to invest, but I’d rather avoid the trap. Against Bytel and the Pies last Friday, Lachlan McNeil ($273K, 52, BE 16) was injected into the game during the first quarter and managed to score at a respectable clip.

He’s cheap enough to possibly be considered in the forward line should McNeil avoid regular vestings, although I’d rather steer clear. There are always discounted FWD’s on offer, with Chris Burgess ($350K, 73, BE 19) another such player who produced a great score in Round 12 and Richmond’s Samson Ryan ($337K, 56, BE 46) went well in his third game of the season. With Lefau now going down and Ryan boasting RUC/FWD status, there’s a world where you could invest in the Tigers tall who may become a rare green dot at R3.

Sub status

Subbed On – Jack Carroll, Lachlan McNeil, Wil Parker, Zane Trew, Kaleb Smith, Taj Woewodin

Subbed Off – Orazio Fantasia, Calsher Dear

The stupid sub rule has helped Jack Carroll ($291K, 10, BE 63) return to the rookie threshold having lost $56K from his starting price – while at the same time ruining the potential for Kaleb Smith ($200K, 10, BE 47) to be a noteworthy cash cow. It was a rather kind week with regards to popular rooks copping a vest, but we’re bound to be frustrated yet again in the near future with Adelaide debutant Billy Dowling a strong chance to start Thursday night’s clash in the team tracksuit. Lame…

State League Stats

Players in italics are recent mid-season draftees. They won’t be worth covering every week, but I thought it was worth highlighting how they want in their first game at a new club.

Ted Clohesy, Cats (140) – 27 disposals, 5 marks, 8 tackles, 3.1 in front of goal
Blake Howes, Demons (129) – 32 disposals, 8 marks
Billy Dowling, Crows (121) – 30 disposals, 8 marks, 6 tackles
Max Heath, Saints (115) – 17 disposals, 59 hitouts, 5 tackles
Koltyn Tholstrup, Demons (114) – 21 disposals, 6 marks, 9 tackles, 1.1 in front of goal
Nick Watson, Hawks (109) – 22 disposals, 8 marks, 4.3 in front of goal
Andy Moniz-Wakefield, Demons (105) – 29 disposals, 7 marks
Arie Schoenmaker, Saints (105) – 24 disposals, 6 marks
Bailey Laurie, Demons (100) – 27 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 1 behind
Clay Hall, Eagles (100) – 30 disposals, 5 tackles, 1 behind
Jack Carroll, Blues (97) – 32 disposals, 4 marks, 1 behind
Hugo Garcia, Saints (96) – 14 disposals, 13 tackles, 1 goal
Jedd Busslinger, Bulldogs (96) – 24 disposals, 11 marks
Daniel Curtin, Crows (93) – 21 disposals, 7 marks
George Stevens, Cats (92) – 32 disposals
Jack Hutchinson, Eagles (91) – 11 disposals, 4 marks, 5 tackles, 5.1 in front of goal
Jacob Blight, Tigers (86) – 20 disposals, 9 marks
Karl Worner, Dockers (84) – 27 disposals, 6 marks
Lawson Humphries, Cats (83) – 22 disposals
Campbell Gray, Tigers (82) – 13 disposals, 5 hitouts, 7 marks, 2.2 in front of goal
Nathan Kreuger, Magpies (81) – 11 disposals, 8 hitouts, 8 marks, 4 tackles, 3 goals
Jaxon Blues, Blues (79) – 21 disposals, 1.2 in front of goal
Mitch Hardie, Cats (78) – 21 disposals
Saad El-Hawli, Bombers (74) – 25 disposals
James Tsitas, Suns (74) – 22 disposals, 4 tackles
Cooper Simpson, Dockers (73) – 13 disposals, 9 tackles, 2 behinds
Logan Evans, Power (67) – 67 points, 15 disposals, 7 marks
Jake Rogers, Suns (64) – 14 disposals, 2 goals
Ethan Read, Suns (63) – 13 disposals, 16 hitouts
Liam Reidy, Dockers (57) – 7 disposals, 29 hitouts, 4 tackles
Max Hall, Saints (57) – 15 disposals, 1.1 in front of goal
Toby Murray, Crows (54) – 10 disposals, 9 hitouts, 5 marks, 2.1 in front of goal
Harry Barnett, Eagles (45)  – 6 disposals, 19 hitouts
Ed Allan, Magpies (41) – 12 disposals
Steely Green, Tigers (33) – 7 disposals

Remember the Name

In no particular order, here are some of the other rookie-priced players to consider throughout the season.

DEFENDERS

James Leake (Giants, $252K)
Jakob Ryan (Magpies, $200K)
Billy Wilson (Blues, $201K)
Arie Schoenmaker (Saints, $200K)
Archie Roberts (Bombers, $200K)
Jedd Busslinger (Bulldogs, $200K)
Charlie Edwards (Crows, $240K)
Saad El-Hawli (Bombers, $200K)
Logan Evans (Power, $200K)
Jacob Blight (Tigers, $200K)

MIDFIELDERS

Caiden Cleary (Swans, $231K)
Clay Hall (Eagles, $200K)
Hugh Jackson (Power, $200K)
Harry Rowston (Giants, $241K)
Harry DeMattia (Magpies, $228K)
Mitch Hardie (Cats, $200K)
George Stevens (Cats, $200K)

RUCKMEN

Henry Smith (Lions, $200K)
Coen Livingstone (Eagles, $200K)
Max Heath (Saints, $200K)
Nathan Kreuger (Magpies, $261K)
Archer Reid (Eagles, $213K)
Will Verrall (Demons, $200K)
Taylor Goad (Kangaroos, $243K)
Mitch Edwards (Cats, $207K)

FORWARDS

Kynan Brown (Demons, $200K)
Andy Moriz-Wakefield (Demons, $200K)
James Tsitas (Suns, $200K)
Ashton Moir (Blues, $216K)
Billy Dowling (Crows, $200K)
Tom Anastasopoulos (Power, $200K)
Brayden George (Kangaroos, $200K)
Max Hall (Saints, $200K)
Jack Hutchinson (Eagles, $200K)
Campbell Gray (Tigers, $200K)
Toby Murray (Crows, $200K)

Fry

An Australian coffee/burrito enthusiast who is the frustrated owner of 16 fantasy teams. Writer for SportsbyFry and DT Talk ?