16 down, eight to go!
The end of the mid-season byes means that we are officially two-thirds of the way through the season. It’s not often that we get to this point of the year and find no rookies left on our field, however that’s the position a lot of coaches find themselves in right now! It’s bizarre to think there are still eight rounds of fantasy footy remaining, although none of us have ‘completed’ our teams yet. There are still premiums to shuffle and rookies to pounce on for cash generation, so be sure to make wise investments over the next few rounds and set yourself up for fantasy finals success.
Rookie/cash cows are typically defined as players who started the season priced at $400,000 or lower
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Cash Cow King – Round 16
A trio of West Coast Eagles found themselves amongst the nominees in Round 16, with Clay Hall earning a Rising Star nod for his efforts against the Magpies. He joined Tom McCarthy and Jack Hutchinson amongst the Cash Cow King’s last round, while starting sensation Max Hall also earned votes for his 88-point outing. They were all outpaced by Adelaide’s young gun Daniel Curtin as he racked up 26 disposals, kicked two goals and posted a career-best 118 points! It’ll be hard to ignore the talented Crow with my vote this week, but I expect McCarthy to get the lion share of the recognition.
*If you’re having issues submitting your vote try clicking “view results” first and that should resolve the problem 🤞
Making Moves
As we gear up for the home stretch of the 2025 fantasy season, I’ve simplified the rookie piece to look at each positional group. While most of the fantasy community have moved their cash cows off the field, there are still some of us fielding a few rooks across multiple lines. Hopefully, this will act as an easy guide to help coaches get the best 22 scorers on-field each round!
DEFENCE
Not only is Tom McCarthy ($394K, 95, BE -38) the best defensive cash cow on offer – he is the best rookie, period. Scores of 101 and 95 in his first two AFL outings have coaches looking to make an unprecedented move and bring a rookie back ON to their field. If possible, the smartest tactic is to loop McCarthy during his Friday night clash with GWS, however he’s shown enough to suggest that he’ll be capable of hitting 75-80+ in most of his matches to close the season. Outside of the Messiah, there isn’t a lot to get excited about down back. Players such as Riley Bice ($546K, DNP, BE 92), Riley Hardeman ($494K, 19, BE 81) and Jaxon Prior ($646K, BYE, BE 67) should be gone by now and there are only a few bench pieces I trust. One of them, I watched live on Sunday afternoon and while his stat line of nine disposals and five marks didn’t jump off the page, Alix Tauru ($350K, 48, BE 20) still excelled.
While his scoring pedigree suggests we’ll continue to see subpar scores in the 40/50 point range, Tauru should be given every opportunity to succeed at the Saints over their final eight games of the season. Angus Clarke ($460K, BYE, BE 35) is another cash cow with some dollars already on his head and an average of 51.5 in the last month suggests he doesn’t have a lot of growth left. If he holds onto his place in Essendon’s side when the teams drop, you could keep him at D7-D8, although it’s probably more advantageous to cash him in and use the $$$ for another on-field upgrade. Luamon Lual ($312K, BYE, BE 12) is in a similar place, supposedly hanging by a thread in the Bombers’ outfit, joining the likes of Kaleb Smith ($414K, DNP, BE 15) and Bo Allan ($263K, 42, BE 15) as uninspiring picks. I still haven’t sold all of my Billy Wilson ($232K, 25, BE 24) stock either, with the Blues debutant one to monitor if Carlton opt to give him a second senior game this weekend.
MIDFIELD
There are still a few relevant pieces in the midfield that coaches have a level of trust in, with Harry Rowston ($327K, BYE, BE -22) leading the charge. Currently the most traded in player ahead of Round 17, a breakeven of -22 is hard to ignore and the GWS youngster has hardly put a foot wrong in his last two outings. While he is still best served as a M9 pick, your MID bench could also consist of Mani Liddy ($357K, 61, BE -6) and/or Zak Johnson ($441K, BYE, BE 8), with the pair still poised to make some convenient cash over the coming rounds. I feel much safer about Liddy’s cash generation potential, with Johnson sure to come under fire if Essendon welcome back a few troops this round. We’ve already seen Johnson’s magnet move across multiple lines for Brad Scott in his four senior games and he may find himself demoted to the dreaded role as starting sub vs. Gold Coast.
We don’t need to jump at shadows just yet, but it’s worth flagging for those who are looking at a rookie to move on from. Some coaches may also have Hugh Jackson ($311K, 60, BE 10) residing on their midfield bench as he continues to yo-yo between a poor score and a 60-point outing. His prospects understandably aren’t as high as some of the rookies I’ve already mentioned and if you haven’t already acquired Jackson, then I wouldn’t go chasing him now. Similar could be said for first-year Bulldog Cooper Hynes ($252K, 28, BE 15) and budding Eagle Clay Hall ($385K, 79, BE 15). There have been a few hundred coaches who have already targeted upcoming Magpies debutant, Roan Steele ($230K, DNP, BE 25) and I can understand the appeal given his track record in the WAFL (80.6 AVG from 7 games) before becoming a mid-season draftee. Having averaged 20.2 disposals and 78.2 points in his four VFL games with Collingwood, there’s optimism around his prospects as long as he can avoid the sub vest against Carlton.
RUCK
A few relevant faces have rotated through R3 over the last half a dozen weeks, with fantasy coaches focused mainly on Nic Madden ($382K, BYE, BE 1) and his place in the Giants’ senior side. All reports indicate that Kieren Briggs will return to action against West Coast and if that’s the case, Madden’s numbers will obviously be affected. However, we could see the GWS prospect stay int he side to support Briggs for at least another few games. If that’s the case, there’s no urgency to give Madden the flick, but should he find himself out of the team this round, then some will want to take the money and run. Vigo Visentini ($262K, BYE, BE -1) is in a similar position, having lost no fans following his efforts on debut against Luke Jackson last Thursday. If he is given another chance to play AFL, then Visentini should continue to make money – even with a tough matchup against Jarrod Witts on the horizon.
FORWARD
In short, we shouldn’t be fielding any rookies in the FWD line and if you are, fixing that is priority No. 1 this week. Yes, the likes of Daniel Curtin ($659K, 118, BE 19) and Elijah Hewett ($637K, 52, BE 60) performed at a stellar clip through the byes and if you have bigger issues to address you could maybe get away with them at F6 for another round or two. I’d sleep much better at night without them still on-field though. Our other loyal servants including Sam Davidson ($672K, 39, BE 76), Levi Ashcroft ($689K, BYE, BE 90) and Max Hall ($523K, 88, BE 41) are long gone and there are only a few bench options that we feel good buying into at the moment.
Archer May ($296K, BYE, BE -11) seems to be the pick of the bunch following his 74-point effort in his last hitout vs. the Dockers. However, we can’t forget that he scored a measly 42 the week before and as a key forward, he’ll likely top out at 50-55 points if he can’t hit the scoreboard. Max Ramsden ($377K, 74, BE 1) falls into a similar category, although his ability to pinch hit in the ruck boosts his fantasy floor. Shaking himself free of the sub vest in Round 16 saw Jasper Alger ($242K, 60, BE 6) post a healthy score and almost 3,500 fantasy coaches are targeting him as a result. Once they get past the Cats at GMHBA this weekend, Richmond plays the Bombers and Eagles in the following fortnight, which may make Alger a fine, short-term source of cash gen.
A couple of characters may have also found their way to our FWD benches with Sam Butler ($458K, 36, BE 32) and Kai Lohmann ($471K, BYE, BE 28) emerging as solid cash plays during the best-18 rounds. With lowish breakevens still tied to their name, there’s no urgency to offload this duo – especially with the lack of bonafide replacements. They will have to be cashed in at some point, but hopefully they still have a few dollars to make before then. We could target Eagles debutant Jobe Shanahan ($262K, 36, BE 21) if West Coast continues to give him games, while it’s also worth noting that Tyrell Dewar ($464K, DNP, BE-15) has already been ruled out for this week.
Sub status
Subbed On – Flynn Young, Harry Sharp, Robert Hansen Jr, Seamus Mitchell
Subbed Off – Charlie West
A rather irrelevant group of rookies were affected by the vest over the weekend, with Magpies first-gamer Charlie West ($230K, 19, BE 31) the only cash cow who found himself taken out of the game. News has filtered out since that West has a bone stress injury in his foot that will rule him out for the next 5-6 weeks. Rough for the 9,861 coaches who brought him in last round…
Q & A
I’m adding a Q&A section to the weekly articles to help address the biggest issues we have with our rookies/cash cows. If I don’t get to your answer in the article, I promise I’ll answer it on Twitter – and as always, you can drop your follow-up question below.
The rookie I bring in is basically dictating my other premium trade in. Rowston gets me Green, May gets me Daicos and Alger gets me to the top. Leaning on number 1 as I feel Rowston is a cut above the other two, but the appeal of the better premos is strong. Thoughts? 😂
— NeilT (@neily19) July 1, 2025
Getting a lot of similar questions to this and the answer may depend a bit on how the rest of your bench is travelling. If you’re litered with red dots, it’s probably important to prioritise Harry Rowston as he will continue to make a ton of cash over the final two months. If your bench is relatively healthy, I’d prioritise getting points on field – which means Daicos and the best rookie you can get.
Thoughts on Taj hotton as a red dot loop this week?
— Johnny Pham (@Johnny_phm_) July 1, 2025
I’m bullish on Hotton, who has scored 52 and 91 in his two VFL games to date. However, it’s important to realise that as he continues to rehab from a torn ACL in his draft year we probably aren’t going to see the best of him in 2025. If he does break into the senior team before Richmond’s campaign concludes, then it’s highly likely that he’ll be rocking a green vest and his TOG will be fairly lacklustre. Again, I rate the kid, but I’ve got my fingers crossed he stays out of the system so he can be our starting F7 in 2026!
Roan Steele a watch or trade in?
— Shannanniganz (@Shannanniganz) July 1, 2025
My preference is always to watch these rooks before investing, but if they avoid the starting vest then they instantly have more appeal. Slated to play a role across the wing and half forward, there’s appeal in targeting Steele, but I still default to waiting a week and getting a lookt o see how he adjusts to AFL life.
Remember the Name
In no particular order, here are some of the other rookie-priced players to consider throughout the season.
DEFENDERS
Josh Gibucs (Tigers, $230K)
Luke Beecken (Lions, $230K)
James Barrat (Saints, $247K)
Ben Jepson (Suns, $230K)
MIDFIELDERS
Luke Urquart (Kangaroos, $230K)
Josh Smillie (Tigers, $322K)
Cody Anderson (Hawks, $230K)
Ben Camporeale (Blues, $230K)
RUCKMEN
Max Heath (Saints, $230K)
Taylor Goad (Kangaroos, $230K)
Tom Campbell (Demons, $316K)
Kayle Gerreyn (Bombers, $232K)
Lachlan McAndrew (Crows, $302K)
FORWARDS
Zac Banch (Kangaroos, $230K)
Ashton Moir (Blues, $230K)
Liam McMahon (Bombers, $230K)
Recent Comments
on Fry’s Cash Cows – Rd. 17: “They sound like solid moves to me mate – do whatever you have to do to turn Whit into NWM…” Jul 4, 16:15- on Fry’s Cash Cows – Rd. 17: “If $266K is your limit, then Alger’s the one. Just don’t expect great things…” Jul 4, 16:13
Podcasts
Calvin's Captains
Calvin’s Captains – Rd. 17
Team Sheets
AFL Teams 2025: Round 17 (No More Byes!)
The Thursday Scramble
The Thursday Scramble: Round 17
Cash Cows
Fry’s Cash Cows – Rd. 15
Calvin's Captains
Calvin’s Captains – Rd. 13
Cash Cows
Fry’s Cash Cows – Rd. 14
Cash Cows
Fry’s Cash Cows – Rd. 16
