The Weekend Wash-Up – Rookie Roulette

That’s another round in the books and you guessed it, it was another sh*t one. It’s time for your weekly fantasy therapy session, it’s time for the weekend wash-up!

Legends

Bice (125) – Ice Bice with 125 big ones!  26 disposals, 15 marks at 84% as well as 7 score involvements. He was on 54 at half time and just went bang in the 2nd half as he piled on 71 points to put the cherry on top. Absolute MUST have.

Walsh (137) – It looks like Walshy has bottomed out now and looks like serious value. I just question his second half of the season fade outs. Eagles next week, look out.

Cameron (126) – Absolutely pencilled TDK in the ruck and is just looking awesome. Big Darcy Cameron is now averaging 108 for the year! R2…?

Hewett (109) – Georgey just did what Georgey does, continuing his ton run and charge towards that million dollar mark… 

Cerra (105) – A huge last term of 39 points saved this one, but Cerra has been awesome so far this year. Ticking every box.

Z. Guthrie (149) – 30 disposals and 17 marks, HOLY. This is one of those scores you just see in draft and close the app for the weekend.

B.Smith (127) – Bazlenka is just the perfect fantasy player isn’t he. A truly bizarre decision from Melbourne to let him get off the chain while playing a man down all night just to tag poor Homma. F1 if fit.

Humphries (115) – Geelong just did what they wanted in defence, circle anybody with that Melbourne matchup. 

Stewart (108) – 24 disposals and 11 marks, 5 kick ins too. Tommy has now gone 95, 9 and 108. I am looking at bringing him in this week, we sound like a broken record every year but he’s just too much value!

Dawson (118) – A bizarre 34 point first half was followed by an 84 point 2nd half. I can never understand why Dawson isn’t more consistently dominant, and it feels like he left a big one on the table here. Still a beast.

Rioli (113) – A 51 point last quarter put Dan Rioli in the spotlight, but it looks like he’ll be sharing the love with Noble all year. I’d only consider one of them if the other went down.

Thilthorpe (105) – Another bag for the Thrilla, it’s what he does. Absolute gun and a sneaky value pick too!

McCluggage (141) – Hugh McHUGgage… 12 tackles! Monster, he’s well and truly the 3rd banana too getting that inside mid clock we love to see. 

Dunkley (116) – Averaging 116 with a low of 110, just Dunks things. Gun.

Neale (115) – You won’t see a stranger stat line for 115 fantasy points. 42 disposal with bloody 27 handballs and just the 1 mark! He is definitely value…

Ashcroft (105) – Only 16 in the last quarter was somewhat disappointing, but Normcroft looks to be back. He also kicked two goals including another goal of the year contender, I’m glad to have him in my side. 

Lalor (95) – A guy I desperately wish was in my side… Kicked 2 goals, had 22 disposals and the kid is just an absolute jet.

Sheezel (125) – There was whispers the Sheez may move to half back and it certainly looked like it after an 80 point first half. His role was legitimately all over the place, between the half back, mids (40% CBAs), and even forward too. Jordon went to him in the 2nd half to stop him dropping a monster. 

Whitfield (139) – You beautiful, beautiful man. In a week where a lot of coaches struggled to find a good skipper, Lachie delivered for me when I needed him the most. He just has a thirst for the ball that is unmatched. 

T.Green (121) – A 110 guy who has bottomed out, has a low ownership % by the top coaches and presents value? Yes please.

Horne-Francis (125) – Just a lazy 28 & 3 for those who kept the horny one, he did all he could to get Port over the line. The midweek rocket from Ken worked a treat, and my heart goes out to the 10k coaches traded him out. Just kidding. How good could your team be looking to be trading out a guy with this much talent. It won’t be smooth sailing, but I ride with the bag.

Bergman (113) – So I was onto something with the Bergman! The first couple of weeks it was Kane Farrell, now it’s the Berg. Who knows with this team. Perhaps we’re best to just avoid them all.

S.Darcy (128) – 21 disposals, 11 marks and 5 goals. Freak of nature, and he might be a serious fantasy option too!

English (114) – It’s amazing to say, but his 97 average is actually a pretty good return so far compared to his ruck counterparts! Ugly stuff.

Losers

Xerri (78) – Ruck roulette is back again, only this time it includes out ‘set and forget’ options as well. An absolute shambles here as he has gone back to back 70s. X was hobbling around and at times struggling to get up… Major concerns that he’s carrying something but he improved in the 2nd half and after what happened last year with Marshall, I suggest you hold firm on the spot. 

Daicos (76) – 27 disposals and was influential, he will always get hands on the ball but it’s not always full fantasy scoring. The tags combined with a lack of marks and tackles make him a hard pick unless he gets REALLY cheap. One to watch for a run of fixtures.

Cripps (53) – Something was not right there. That was seriously ugly. He had to be sick.

Petracca (77) – If this guy gets forward status, do we even want anything to do with him? And what was that nonsense at the end of the game? Proper tik tok level acting.

Holmes (68) – What are we doing here? Seriously. Congratulations Melbourne, for running your first tag in half a decade just to play with 17 men so Tom Sparrow could get 5 touches and completely ruin my fantasy week. Goody must have been playing Homma in draft. He has been a 110 guy when not tagged, and Bazlenka is too good to let run free. Homma will be back.

Rowell (74) – Hates People First Stadium grass? Over watered perhaps.  

Rankine (69) – 5 free kicks against and robbed of a shot at goal right at the end. Don’t be concerned. Rankine was through the middle and dominant in this game, racking up 18 contested disposals, 7 tackles and 10 clearances. He just had zero easy ball, and that won’t always be the case. Tick. 

Humphries (60) – 9 cbas for Humpa, that’s not going to cut it. Ugly. 

Zorko (79) – Thank god for the Zork’s 8 KICK INS. This could have been a 50. He really did a number on his coaches this week, costing a lot of captaincy scores in the process. He had 12 points in Q1 v the Eagles before he had to turn it on, and I guess in this game he was just happy to put it in cruise control. It’s fair enough, but seriously annoying when you watch Whitfield go to work. D3. 

Roberts (78) – I don’t really know what to make of this, I think this is just Julia’s role and level. Not good enough.

Callaghan (79) – Speaking of not good enough. That was a training drill and you’re telling me Finn couldn’t make it to 80 matched up against Clay Hall?! I’m going to back him in, but that was a bloody pathetic effort. Ugly stuff.

Stone (28) – Twenty-eight. 2 kicks and 11 handballs? Against the Eagles? Let’s hope Kingsley owns him in his fantasy team.

Rozee (84) – The tags were always going to come, and come they have. If he can get through the next couple of weeks his fixtures open right up again, so just ride this period out. He’ll be fine. 

Romo (75) – WTF. Rowan just hates Port I suppose. I still think he will end up R1, but his price is going to plummet alongside X and Gawn’s. What a sh*t position. 

Farrell (62) – What a sh*t pick. Really really bad. A good long hard look in the mirror wtf was I thinking type of pick. You’ll trade him now and he will score 100, so just accept it.

Garcia (42) – Hugo’s Linnsanity run lasted one week. Treat him like a rookie, he will most often score like one. 

Hastie (18) – Best pick by me. It genuinely couldn’t be worse on the backend of my bench. Embarrassing stuff. 

Jackson (74) – Blanket Jackson never fails to disappoint. Big Darceole will return for his 5 game stretch of the season next week.

NOD (65) – What a sh*t game. Seriously. This is just bad in every way imaginable. Firstly he was going to score another 90, secondly he was going to rise another $200k, and thirdly I can’t be affording to trade one of my few good players looking at the rest of my shambles!! It’s not fair. 

Freijah (44) – The next Bont? I actually said those words out loud. And I was only half joking. Some of my best. Get the f**k out of my team. 

This Game Sh*ts Me

I’m dead set sick of rookies scoring 120. We all understand rookie roulette is a part of the game, and every week you have captain hindsight aunt uncle calls you could’ve made. However seeing Harry Sheezel on my bench just isn’t right. 125?!?! I knew Bicey was good but come on, that’s farcical. These rookie scores are dictating entire weekends so far, the 50 point swings are just massive. Rookie roulette is only going to get worse now, as we’re back to best 22’s and it’s do or die. No more getting away with those 30’s and 40’s, and there will be more would have could have should haves than ever. This game sh*ts me.

The Other Bits and Pieces

1832. Honestly a pretty solid score this week, returning me to my round 1 ranking of 4000 and I’m ready to launch next week. We’re back to best 22 and I can’t bloody wait. As far as trades go I’m learning a tough lesson about starting too many midpricers, as I’ve got so many sh*t picks to fix up I’ve been unable to fix up the dead rookies on my bench. We’ll see if that comes back to haunt me.

With 400k in the kitty to play with I’m not messing around this week, I can’t be on top of that washing machine again. Death, taxes and Tom Stewart being an underpriced premium upgrade is a yearly tradition I’m happy to continue, while I’ve completely lost my mind and I’m taking solace in a nice looking name early in the week bringing in Timmy T.

O’Driscoll -> Taranto

Freijah -> Stewart

Just get me to Thursday night at the Adelaide Oval. Gather Round is up next and I’m absolutely buzzing, I might see some of you legends there! Best of luck next week, may the luckiest man or woman win…

Get all your fantasy therapy throughout the year right here.

Follow @theweekendwashup on Instagram.

Follow @theweekendwashup on Tiktok.

Follow @weekendwashup on X.

Follow @mattcraigDT on X.

Follow @bushey96 on X.

Find the podcast

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

Matt