18 down, six to go!

We’re rounding the corner for home as coaches look to enter luxury upgrade mode! There are a few rookies in our sights ahead of Round 19, but most coaches are looking for on-field upgrades just a fortnight out from the start of fantasy finals. It is still crucial to have green dots littered throughout your bench, with some coaches desperately relying on the likes of Lawson Humphries, Billy Dowling or Shaun Mannagh to cover missing premiums last weekend. There is still one-quarter of the fantasy campaign left and while red dot rookies can help for loophole purposes, coaches will still need the cash to facilitate another six weeks of upgrades.

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. Bruce Reville, Lions ($451K, 54 AVG, 89 BE)
2. Darcy Wilson, Saints ($467K, 63 AVG, 84 BE)
3. Joel Freijah, Bulldogs ($435K, 54 AVG, 57 BE)
4. Harvey Harrison, Magpies ($406K, 43 AVG, 53 BE)
5. Sam Clohesy, Suns ($512K, 68 AVG, 71 BE)

Injured/non-playing rookies

1. Seth Campbell, Tigers ($414K, 50 AVG, 81 BE)
2. Lachlan Sullivan, Magpies ($396K, 50 AVG, 63 BE)
3. Charlie Dean, Magpies ($387K, 48 AVG, 43 BE)
4. Kane McAuliffe, Tigers ($311K, 40 AVG, 41 BE)
5. Hugo Garcia, Saints ($374K, 54 AVG, 27 BE)

Cash Cow King – Round 18

It wasn’t hard to find a good rookie score last round as 15 of our popular cash cows managed to top 70 points! Their efforts came in a time of need for coaches, with a lot of the fantasy community forced to field a few rookies in the absence of their on-field premiums. No one performed better than Lawson Humphries (105) on Friday night with his more established teammate Oliver Dempsey (94) maintaining his impressive form as well. Early season success stories Colby McKercher (89) and Matt Roberts (89) cracked the top-5, while recalled Eagle Zane Trew (96) finished the round with another impressive point total. Shoutout to Francis Evans (94), who missed out on a nomination due to his inferior ownership percentage even though he technically classifies as a cash cow, starting the season at $352K.

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Making Moves

Money makers

I never thought I’d see the day! After Chris Scott has tested our faith for years, it now seems like we can trust Geelong for reliable rookies. With the Cats finding their mojo to the tune of three successive victories, it’s hard to question the job security of Lawson Humphries ($384K, 105, BE -32) and Shaun Mannagh ($367K, 70, BE -18) – with both Geelong youngsters showing the ability to hit ceiling scores when given the chance. By no means would I go fielding them every week, but with stupidly low breakevens, both Humphries and Mannagh still have significant coin to make. They aren’t the only rookies excelling right now, with Port’s mid-season draftee Logan Evans ($431K, 80, BE -4) going from strength to strength.

Only a few weeks ago, I believed that Schoenmaker was a better investment than the Power DEF but Evans has proved me and a lot of doubters wrong. Averaging 75.5 points from the first four AFL games of his career, Evans looks set to be a star of the future – and a convenient cash cow for over 15% of coaches to end the fantasy season. Round 18 saw a pair of breakout performances from sub $300K players – both of whom are attracting interest at the trade table as a result. Zac Taylor ($216K, 86, BE -10) managed to shake himself free of the sub vest en route to a decent score against St Kilda, while Zane Trew ($294K, 96, BE -1) made the most of his return to West Coast’s senior team by collecting 21 disposals and laying 8 tackles.

Both Taylor and Trew will see their ownership climb significantly this week and while we will get more clarity around their place in the team for Round 19 later in the week, the budding Eagle is my preferred choice right now. If you have a few extra dollars up your sleeve, there’s a possibility that we can trust Andy Moniz-Wakefield ($325K, 55, BE -2) as a money-making option for the rest of the season. Despite being subbed off late vs. Essendon, AMW continues to prove that he belongs in Melbourne’s best team right now. Scores of 57, 71 and 55 to start his career aren’t mind-blowing numbers, but I’m still confident in the Dees’ small.

Keep the faith

There aren’t many (if any) rookies we trust more than Colby McKercher ($717K, 89, BE 53) right now. Despite a slow finish to Saturday’s game against the Swans, McKercher is still a worthwhile investment – capable of sitting at D6 for at least a few more rounds while he ticks upwards in value. Outside of Colby, fieldable rookies are hard to come by, but that didn’t stop some of our popular cash cows from stepping up in a big way last weekend. Oliver Dempsey ($696K, 94, BE 62), Billy Dowling ($439K, 80, BE 25) and Jhye Clark ($451K, 73, BE 35) all produced scores that their owners would have been happy with, potentially buying themselves another week.

Ideally, most of those players have already been moved on with Billy Dowling the lone exception. There are nearly 2,000 coaches who are opting to offload the talented Crow this week, but I’d feel much safer holding on to Dowling as potential cover while he continues to climb in value. I feel the same way about popular performers Koltyn Tholstrup ($413K, 63, BE 17) and Arie Schoenmaker ($362K, 60, BE 14) who still have growth in them before they reach their expiry date. Holding onto that duo with the hopes they make another $70K-$100K may be viewed as playing it safe, although we saw this week just how important it is to have cover in the form of playing emergencies rather than punting on your bench positions.

Cut them loose

The time has come for Brisbane’s cult hero Bruce Reville ($451K, 10, BE 89) to depart our teams. Likely finding a way into your team through the bye period, Reville’s recent scores are only partially his fault as he found himself listed as the starting substitute to take on West Coast. As a result, Bruce didn’t see significant game time and his breakeven has climbed considerably in the past fortnight. One of the first players moved on by his owners as soon as lockout lifted, it’s time to join the herd and cull the budding Lion.

If Bruce is no longer in your squad, there will likely still be underperforming rookies who need to be addressed. Joel Freijah ($435K, 43, BE 57) was another potential buy during the best-of-18 weeks who needs to be axed, with the likes of Harvey Harrison ($406K, 36, BE 53) and Logan Morris ($329K, 28, BE 61) moving in the wrong direction as well thanks to their lacklustre scoring. Non-playing talents such as Kane McAuliffe ($311K, DNP, BE 41) and Charlie Dean ($387K, DNP, BE 43) could also be moved on if they are still wasting a spot on your bench – although, they could still play a convenient role as a loophole option.

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I’m assuming that everyone has traded these 12 players I’m about to mention, but surprisingly there are still a few of these cash cows lingering. Should you find yourself owning anyone on this list, it’s obvious that they have done their job and need to be moved now. Unless they pop off with an epic score, don’t expect to hear them talked about at length to close the fantasy season:

Bodhi Uwland ($591K, 69, BE 84)
Harley Reid ($571K, 54, BE 74)
Jeremy Sharp ($567K, 87, BE 63)
Caleb Windsor ($542K, 64, BE 42)
Ryley Sanders ($527K, 61, BE 59)
Sam Clohesy ($512K, 49, BE 71)
Kai Lohmann ($512K, 74, BE 66)
Darcy Wilson ($467K, 37, BE 84)
Harvey Thomas ($458K, 59, BE 39)
Harvey Gallagher ($434K, 23, BE 74)
Matt Roberts ($409K, 89, BE 36)
Aaron Cadman ($315K, 54, BE 29)

Thin Ice

While Friday night did provide coaches with viable cover, not every rook excelled the way we would have liked. Nathan Kreuger ($426K, 46, BE 39) has performed well as a backup RUC for the Pies in recent times, but one more dud score could be the end of his fantasy relevance. His teammate Joe Richards ($421K, 54, BE 56) has been moved on by most of his owners as well, although there are still a handful of coaches clinging to hope. Scoring 80+ in two of his first three games, I get why there may be optimism surrounding Richards, although the best choice is obviously to move him on.

A 30-point quarter down in Launceston from Calsher Dear ($328K, 49, BE 46) would have impressed Hawthorn fans about his long-term prospects. However, scoring just 19 points in the other three periods suggests that Dear isn’t the fantasy FWD we covet. Neither is  Jack Hutchinson ($248K, 36, BE 9) at this current rate, despite me being much more bullish on the mid-season draftee’s potential. Sticking with the forward theme, GWS pair Darcy Jones ($350K, 50, BE 29) and Toby McMullin ($293K, 63, BE 16) aren’t expensive enough for their owners to move on yet, thanks in large part to their inconsistencies throughout 2024. As long as they avoid the sub vest, both Jones and McMullin should be able to get their price tag to a tradable point though – we just have to be patient.

Wait and see

I was eager to see how cheap defenders Joe Fonti ($252K, 42, BE 4) and Hugh Bond ($205K, 31, BE 19) performed over the weekend with the pair struggling to score at a respectable rate. Bond earned his debut against St Kilda while Fonti made his first AFL appearance the week prior – making them both cheap enough to consider with our weekly trades. They could provide us with a discounted DEF in the coming rounds, but we need to see more signs of life before we invest. Similar could be said for Steely Green ($234K, 70, BE -3) who starred against the Giants by kicking the first three goals of his career on the weekend.

While 70 points and three snags at the MCG will turn some heads and lead to coaches targeting the Richmond rook, I’m sceptical that we’ll see more of these scores from Green. An average of just 56.4 fantasy points from 10 VFL games suggests last round was an anomaly and if he proves me wrong by producing another great score, Green is still cheap enough for us to acquire after the fact. Quick shoutout to Cooper Sharman ($316K, 70, BE 4) and Francis Evans ($319K, 94, BE -2) for their efforts over the weekend, but we’re not shopping in those areas this late into the fantasy season.

Sub status

Subbed On – Reef McInnes, Taj Woewodin, Will Graham, Francis Evans, Tyler Brockman, Bruce Reville

Subbed Off – Andy Moniz-Wakefield, Jed Walter, Logan Morris

Outside of Bruce Reville and Andy Moniz-Wakefield, this week’s vest candidates wouldn’t have affected the majority of the fantasy community. Some (me) might still be clinging on to a Taj Woewodin ($269K, 5, BE 55) type or a few may even have Will Graham ($458K, 2, BE 87) still sitting on their bench. While it’s a bummer to see those players score poorly and barely register a stat, we need to spare a thought for Riley Garcia ($513K, DNP, BE 47) who started as the Bulldogs sub and failed to play a single minute! He made up for it for Footscray in the VFL (see below), but you still have to feel for the bloke.

State League Stats

Riley Garcia, Bulldogs (167) – 34 disposals, 17 tackles, 2 goals
Bailey Laurie, Demons (157) – 32 disposals, 5 marks, 11 tackles, 2.1 in front of goal
Ted Clohesy, Cats (123) – 31 disposals, 7 marks, 2 goals
James Tsitas, Suns (121) – 31 disposals, 9 tackles, 1 behind
Mitch Hardie, Cats (119) – 27 disposals, 5 marks, 4 tackles, 2.1 in front of goal
Jack Bytel, Magpies (116) – 33 disposals, 7 marks, 1 goal
Kaleb Smith, Tigers (115) – 22 disposals, 5 marks, 9 tackles
Daniel Curtin, Crows (111)  – 22 disposals, 7 tackles, 2 goals
Oliver Hayes-Brown, Tigers (106) – 12 disposals, 63 hitouts
Blake Howes, Demons (105) – 25 disposals, 9 marks
Jai Serong, Hawks (105) – 23 disposals, 7 marks, 5 tackles
Max Knobel, Dockers (101) – 16 disposals, 49 hitouts
Angus Hastie, Saints (101) – 22 disposals, 8 marks
Max Heath, Saints (101) – 15 disposals, 21 hitouts, 6 marks, 2.1 in front of goal
Jacob Blight. Tigers (100) – 20 disposals, 10 marks, 5 tackles
George Stevens, Cats (97) – 30 disposals, 1 goal
Reef McInnes, Magpies (89) – 18 disposals, 8 marks, 1 behind
Jack Carroll, Blues (86) – 30 disposals
Kane McAuliffe, Tigers (82) – 19 disposals, 8 tackles, 1 goal
Finlay Macrae, Magpies (82) – 19 disposals, 6 tackles, 1 goal
Marty Hore, Demons (80) – 14 disposals, 7 marks
Archie Roberts, Bombers (76) – 25 disposals
Jedd Busslinger, Bulldogs (72) – 19 disposals, 5 marks
Zane Duursma, Kangaroos (71) – 10 disposals, 6 marks, 3.1 in front of goal
Tew Jiath, Magpies (70) – 16 disposals, 6 marks
Charlie Lazzaro, Kangaroos (67) – 24 disposals
Jaxon Binns, Blues (67) – 21 disposals, 5 marks
Clay Hall, Eagles (66) – 18 disposals, 1 goal
Hugh Jackson, Power (65) – 16 disposals, 6 tackles
Kynan Brown, Demons (63) – 17 disposals
Charlie Dean, Magpies (55) – 11 disposals, 8 marks

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)
Archie Roberts (Bombers, $200K)
Jedd Busslinger (Bulldogs, $200K)
Charlie Edwards (Crows, $240K)
Saad El-Hawli (Bombers, $200K)
Jacob Blight (Tigers, $200K)

MIDFIELDERS

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)
Archer Reid (Eagles, $213K)
Will Verrall (Demons, $200K)
Taylor Goad (Kangaroos, $243K)
Mitch Edwards (Cats, $207K)

FORWARDS

James Tsitas (Suns, $200K)
Ashton Moir (Blues, $216K)
Tom Anastasopoulos (Power, $200K)
Brayden George (Kangaroos, $200K)
Max Hall (Saints, $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 ?