The Thursday Scramble: Round 20

When will this season ever end???  I don’t think I can take too many more of these forced trades. This is an unprecedented season with all these issues.  Anyway, Let’s Scramble!!

It’s just Wayne right?

I mean, Wayne is simply the answer with the run that the Crows have so if you don’t have him then he is the one you want to bring in this week. That is what I will be doing. So who are our other options? Well if you still don’t have NAS then he is the play apart from Wayne. Wayne has had 94.6 in the last 5 but 103.7 in the last three and has an amazing run with Pies, Bombers, Tigers, Dockers and Giants. He will be the most popular pick up.

Callum Mills is an interesting proposition, he is averaging 101 in the last 5 and he has a good run home with Essendon, Saints, Power, Bombers and Roos.  But he is 17k more expensive than Wayne.

Or there is Luke Parker who has been putting up some scores of late but when Colby is playing down back his scores do drop off so there is some level of risk. The other option is John Noble who seems to have that role back again that we wanted him to have. Jake Bowey has been talked about as he has been hitting his straps lately and posting some good scores but just beware of the opposition, he had his 129 against the Tigers and his 102 v North and has the Cats this week who won’t be so easy. Dayne Zorko is back but a 95 v Essendon and a 54 v the Eagles doesn’t scream pick me. You could bring Roberts back in but his last two scores haven’t been overly inspiring.

But really, at this point in time if you don’t have Milera then he is the man.

Now, you could get a little fruity and use some DPP if you have someone like Parker or Nas in the midfield you could swing them back for Holmes or maybe you have Holmes in the mids.  If that is the case then simply go shopping for the best midfielder that you don’t have. That would be the best option for you as I like a few of those options better than I do the defenders. If you traded out Baz a few weeks ago and don’t have him back then he is your man. And just like Wayne, we know that Dawson will have that great run so he would be another solid option.

Max, say it isn’t so!

We saw Max Heath come back into the side this week and it didn’t help Gawn’s scoring. Against the Roos this week we saw Max Heath take 32% of the ruck contests and with the easier match up of the Cats this week there is a huge risk that we could see Heath take more of the contests to give Gawn a bit of a rest.

Is this enough to trade out Gawn, hell no! We don’t know what is going to happen. But just beware that if Heath is named, we should expect to see Gawn possibly have his minutes managed. The Demons have to get some Wins on the run home so they will need their star ruckman over the last three rounds when they will have to compete with Luke Jackson, Jordon Sweet and Tim English.

Alert Alert Alert!!!

It’s back, the double header on the Friday night returns. So as you settle in to watch Melbourne and the Cats from the MCG, just remember that half an hour later, the Derby is on between the Dockers and the Eagles. So just beware of that. This is not only going to impact your team but also maybe some of your loop options if you are still running with a Dev Rob as that loop.

Last chance to make that top 8

Also, being the 5th last round of the season this means it is the last round of regular season for standard leagues so this is your last chance to set yourself for your league finals. As we have said in the past, if you are just outside the 8 and your aren’t playing for rank then make a play that might be a bit risky but could pay off and get you the win and lift you into the finals. If you are in the top 4 nice and cozy then it wouldn’t be the worst thing to set your team up for the final series.

Things to Remember

• No matter what you do, you can’t control the injuries so just roll with the punches and do the best you can.
• Be aware of that second game on Friday night. Have your team set on Thursday as if you can’t make changes just to make sure.
• Don’t hold back if you are on the edge of the 8.

As we head into the last few rounds of the year, take a minute and tell yourself that you have survived one of the most brutal fantasy seasons we have ever seen. There is no way that we have seen this many injuries to key players in any other season. Have a great weekend and see you all next Thursday for the first week of Fantasy Finals.

Dunny

A passionate Port Adelaide Fan who simply loves footy! That is how I would describe myself. Catch my weekly article "The Thursday Scramble" with all the last minute things to think about for the weekend Follow: @pkd73.