DPP – Pre-season watchlist

Extra dual-position players (DPPs) will be added to the game following Round 5, 11, 17. Players wil have had the opportunity to play in five games leading into the first change and would usually need to play four games to be eligible.

The added position is based on playing 35% in a secondary position to the position they have been named in for Fantasy at the start of the year. A player with DPP are unable to add a third position.

ADD DEF

Rory Laird (MID) – Made the switch to the backline late last year and that’s where he’ll be used this season. Not a value pick to start with in Classic, but could knock on the door as a top defender. 🔒

Dylan Shiel (MID) – The talk all pre-season has been that he’s moved to half-back. That’s what we’ve seen in training reports and then with our own eyes in the praccy game versus the Dogs. A value pick in Draft. 🔒

Ollie Hollands (MID) – Plenty of upside as he has been training in defence and is set for a role, which he did late last year. Averaged 99 in his last three games. 🔒

Caleb Windsor (MID) – A foot infection has come about recently, but has been training off half-back. Could be some upside in his second year. ✅

Reuben Ginbey (MID) – Training with backline and moved back late last year. ✅

Mark Blicavs (MID) – Playing back. Has pure MID status … while some thing he could be a RUCK (or should’ve had it to start with), he will be second fiddle in the ruck at best and primary role will be defence. 🔒

Jack Silvagni (FWD) – Discounted after missing last year and is reinventing himself as a defender. Intercepting could be a big part of his game. Only just reintegrated into full training and missing the praccy game. May not be best 22? ✅

Reef McInnes (FWD) – Whispers about his move to the backline looks set after the three-way game against Lions/Suns. Rookie priced. Consider as one of those many FWD options who has more upside being behind the ball. 🔒

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 15: Dylan Shiel of the Bombers kicks during the 2025 AFL Pre-Season match between Western Bulldogs and Essendon Bombers at Whitten Oval on February 15, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADD FWD

Levi Ashcroft (MID) – Lions have a stacked midfield and we’ll most likely see Ashcroft play off half-forward with some possible midfield time. He will definitely be eased in. Only risk is whether he plays enough games for first set of additions (he should, but it’s a flag after only playing second game of praccy). ✅

Sam Lalor (MID) – Will he miss some games early? Possibly. Won’t be a full-time midfielder when he’s in. Likely to play at half-forward. Some were surprised he wasn’t already DPP. ✅

Christian Petracca (MID) – There’s a world where CP5 spends more time forward to behin with following the pre-season rib injury. He’s been close in the past at grabbing FWD status. 🤷

Hayden Young (MID) – There has been enough noise about Young heading forward. We saw that he was there a bit last year and his play forward of the ball is a weapon for him. They have a few running through the middle. Maybe he plays enough FWD to warrant the change. 🤷

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 17: Sam Lalor of the Tigers in action during the AFL practice match between the the West Coast Eagles and Richmond Tigers at Mineral Resources Park on February 17, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADD RUCK

Sam De Koning (DEF) – Started at the Cats’ ruck in the praccy game. He had a run of five games where he had the bigger share of ruck contests and averaged 87. Definite upside, but Geelong and any positions… and especially Geelong with rucks, are hard to read … and trust. 🤷

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 12: Darcy Cameron of the Magpies and Sam De Koning of the Cats compete for the ball during the round 18 AFL match between Collingwood Magpies and Geelong Cats at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on July 12, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADD MID

Note: Gaining midfield DPP isn’t a massive deal besides the added flexibility – especially in Draft – for byes and trading. The real win is if they are adding MID status is that they’ve been playing there and hopefully that means it is a good thing for their scoring.

Callum Mills (DEF) – Dean Cox has decared, a few times, that Mills will be a midfielder. This is a win as he’s finished two seasons with a 110+ average. Monitor his fitness after finding out he has mild plantar fasciitis. 🔒

Harry Sheezel (DEF) – Surprising he didn’t already have DEF/MID dual-position status. He went into the middle a third of the way through the season last year and will be a key banana in there now. Maybe some forward time, but won’t be enough to gain DPP up there, it’ll be MID all day. 🔒

Harry Perryman (DEF) – Recruited to play in the midfield and training there, but with the news that Tom Mitchell is a fair way away and Jordan De Goey is struggling, it’s a safe bet. Plays as a defensive midfielder, but it was CBA g’day in their match sim. 🔒

Colby McKercher (DEF) – Colbs will start on the wing … may get some CBAs … but possibly even spends time at half-forward. Won’t be enough for FWD to trump MID, but who knows how they might evolve? Will they throw him back again? 🔒

Nic Martin (DEF) – Dominated last year in defensive role. Versatility is his weakness (for us in Fantasy)… meaning he’ll spend more time up the ground. Shiel helps this! In the praccy match he basically ran between the arcs making the midfield add likely. ✅

Liam Duggan (DEF) – Through a bit of necessity to begin with (Yeo!), Duggan will be a centre-bounce guy. He’s done it before and he’ll do it again. Possibly starts the season doing this and could be one of the first additions. ✅

Izak Rankine (FWD) – So much language of late has been about Rankine being a midfielder. Probably hits the 35% easily … but man there are some bananas in that Adelaide midfield. Still one of the most intriging teams of the pre-season. ✅

Jack Macrae (FWD) – A lock for a midfield role, back to where he is his Fantasy best. Also a lock for our Fantasy Classic teams. 🔒

Jack Hutchinson (FWD) – Playing a wing with some stints as a centre-bounce midfielder. Looks like this is going to be his story for this year. Will he get enough of it to be worth paying the inflated ‘rookie’ price for? ✅

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 25: Harry Sheezel of the Kangaroos handballs whilst being tackled during a North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL training session at Arden Street Ground on November 25, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

Warnie

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