The Weekend Wash-Up | Grand Final Edition | Round 24

For one last time in 2025, it’s time for your weekly fantasy therapy session, it’s time for the weekend wash-up!

Ranked outside the top 6k and out of our draft league, I’ll be honest. I barely saw a minute of football this week and I couldn’t pretend to care about the scoring. BUT. I will say a massive F you to the Gold Coast boys, manhandled by bloody Zak Butters and Connor Rozee. Go on Essendon, do something hilarious. Anyway, here’s a quick recap of the season that was…

LEGENDS

B.Smith (116.3) – Just a friendly reminder, Baz was $598k. He ended the number 1 averaging player in the competition. Not half bad.

Gawn (113.3) – The ONLY player (Real player) in my side to survive the full 24 rounds. Incredible. Set and forget rucks, they will save you from a season of pain and despair. Sadly I only hit on one of them.

Bontempelli (111.3) – You don’t have to start with Bont, just make damn well sure you finish with him. L8 130, absolute legend. That last quarter he entered superman mode, it’s a shame he doesn’t have a single team mate to go with him.

NWM (110.8) – It’s not hard to figure out why I was ranked so poorly this season when I didn’t own NWM until Round 23. So much for him not having enough upside at $1M. A deserved 2 million dollar man.

English (110.8) – The second set and forget ruck for 2025, and easily the most under-rated fantasy pick of the year. He was clearly R2, ended the season on an 8 game ton run, played all 23 games and would have been on a LOT of winning draft teams. He’s an early contender for my R1 spot next season, gun.

Dawson (110.2) – Another set and forget player I missed, Dawson just got it done all year and proved to be a brilliant starting pick. I got way too obsessed with value this year, Daws went to show some players are worth paying up for.

Sheezel (109.2) – Harry Sheezel wasn’t a great starting pick, but in the last 4 rounds we FINALLY got to see him move into the midfield. The result? A last 4 of 131 including a 54 disposal, 2 goal performance for 186. It’s going to be a hard call next year, but if he’s finally a full time midfielder the Sheez could go nuts…

Daicos (108.1) – We’ve had our differences, but at the end of the day Nick Daicos averaged 108 in a year where premium midfielders were letting us down left right and centre. The scariest part is we haven’t seen the best of Nick Daicos yet. Congratulations on your first of many Brownlow’s.

Grundy (107) – The ruck pig’s slow start was quickly forgotten has he enjoyed a level of resurgence I don’t think I’ve seen before, averaging 127 over 12 games before he missed with concussion. Unreal. Is he value next year or was he just carrying big bro to a hilux?

Rozee (104.2) – He was far from a legend for my team, but starting Connor Rozee this year was a no brainer. He dominated early, moved to half back to pick up DPP, and  finished off the season with a massive 142 in grand final week. Huge.

Holmes (100.9) – My boy Homma is a legend and I won’t hear otherwise. Yes there was ups and downs but for a guy priced in the mid $900k’s, he was a winning pick.

Ash (100.1) – Ok. So Lachie Ash might have scored a 29. IF we look past that disaster, the bloke was priced under $800k and was one of the best differentials all year. Huge breakout.

Callaghan (99) – That shoulder injury was devastating, because Finn Callaghan was one of the best picks of the year. He was a classic breakout candidate and moved into the midfield in dominant fashion, averaging 104 after his bye. I want him in my side in 2026.

Hewett (98.9) – Super Hewey was one of the great PODs in your starting team, priced in the mid $800k’s with no early bye as he started on one of the great ton runs. He was probably then in way too many Round 24 teams, but that’s not his fault. Epic year.

Kennedy (96.5) – What lack of good forwards? Matt Kennedy has to be a candidate for pick of the year, he started as a $790k bargain. Absolute legend, aside from that 30.

Z.Reid (75) – Cash cow of the year. Zach Reid made or broke seasons with that 118 against Sydney, it’s a god damn shame his hammy let him down. Up $519k for the year, unreal.

D.Curtin (65) – Dan Curtin was a sneaky shout for cash cow of the year if you managed to hold him through his bye, that month was special. Up $514k for the season and a good chance to be in our forward lines in 2026. Third year breakout pending.

M.Hall (66) – Up $478k and the only basement priced rookie I decided to not pick. Unreal. He was awesome, that’s a coin toss game I will simply never win.

Banks (79) – Did anyone have Sam Banks as a top 5 cash generator in 2025? Up $389k and a borderline lock for my starting side next year. Gun!

L.Ashcroft (75) – Lastly, I have to respect what Levi Ashcroft did in year one. A common theme is most of the best cash cows are mature agers, so kudos to Levi for doing it at 18. Up $382k and a lock to be in our sides regularly for years to come.

LOSERS

Flanders (68) – Some of this feels like bullying, at this point there’s no need to kick a man when he’s down. Unless you drafted Sam Flanders. In which case kick the sh*t out of him. Down $413k and a total disaster.

Houston (67) – Collingwood’s move to pay up for Dan Houston and give up John Noble is straight out of my 2025 trades playbook. Paying for a downgrade.

H.Young (60) – He’s a gun footballer, but Dossy Young killed his draft coaches with those hamstrings made of string cheese. Fingers crossed he can stay fit in 2026.

Briggs (70) – His performances in Round 6 and 7 will go down in history. I thought Briggsy was a safe 90 guy, and instead I found out exactly why he always averages 65% TOG. It’s because he becomes literally unplayable. NEVER AGAIN.

Xerri (105) – If you traded him in for Grundy in Round 23 and it won you a cap, the X man will go down as a legend. As for the rest of us, we’re not getting sucked in again. He let down the coaches who started him for bloody $1.2M, he let down the coaches who traded him in after his bye, and then he came back to kill the coaches who couldn’t go there again. X Island isn’t for me.

Steele (96) – 46 -> 25. No premium midfielder should EVER dish up those scores, let alone back to back. Never forgive, never forget. Slow and sh*t.

TDK (85) – Remember this guy? You’ll be hearing about him again at the Saints and I will NOT be interested. He ended the season down $205k, killed his draft coaches and did everything but earn a monster pay check. Truly bizarre stuff.

Serong (91) – How can a fully fit premium midfielder in his prime back up a season averaging 105 with… This? He is in the Lachie Neale mould of getting killed by taggers, he’s just missing the two Brownlow’s and all around footballing ability. 3 marks in the last 5 weeks. THREE. Shameful.

Walsh (93) – Injuries, let downs, it’s the same story every year with Walshy. And I’ll be back again for more in 2026. God damnit.

Newcombe (87) – This is what he is. A mid-season pickup. Do not be fooled again.

JHF (82) – I started JHF, held him through his injury following that 11, only to cop his 37 against the Blues. Thanks for literally ****ing nothing mate. I have to pick him again next year as well, what an unmitigated disaster.

Green (98) – Weird. If you type in ‘terrible’ in the search bar it comes up with Tom Green. Anyway, don’t do it next year. Trust me.

Brayshaw (99.5) – What the hell was this. L5 of 84 with a 6 game no ton run. Did Freo change their game plan? Did Andy forget how to football? This is going to leave a scar. Value next year anyone?!

THIS GAME SH*TS ME

There’s nothing I haven’t already said at some point over these 24 weeks. Just get me to the off season already, and I look forward to another season of pain and misery in 2026. That’s why we play. This game sh*ts me…

THE OTHER BITS AND PIECES

2354, 7083. To cap off the year I got booted out of the top 7k in the last game, my worst rank for a decade. But there are always lessons to be learnt! I said I was going to go ‘crazy’ chasing value in my team, and I quite literally lost my damn mind. That’s ok, onwards and upwards. I’d hope. It can’t get worse can it? (It can.)

Thanks to the legends who have read this article all year, and thanks for keeping the game light hearted. Special shout out to those tuning into the podcast, we seriously appreciate all the support! 2026 will be the Wash-Up’s biggest year yet. I can’t wait, revenge season beckons….. See you next year.

Keep up to date with the Wash-Up as we build towards a bigger and better 2026! See you in January.

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