Jeppa’s Juniors – Round 3

Not all rookies can be as great as Ollie Wines, so don’t be deterred by a few substandard scores. It is important to hang on to the rookies that are making an impression on the football field regardless of their dreamteam score. Additionally, don’t be shy to part ways with the underperformers. We’ve been spoilt for choice on rookies so far this year, unfortunately I fear that our rookie options will dry up sooner rather than later!

Three Gamers

Well-played Ollie Wines (126, $248,000 & BE -61) well played. Not since Michael Barlow have I been this excited about a rookie priced player. Wines had 17 kicks, 8 handballs, 9 marks, 5 tackles and 2 goals and was arguably third in line (after Boak and Westhoff) for the Showdown medal. My old man who knows next to nothing about football even said ‘that number 16 is pretty good.’ For those who don’t mind a bet, Wines is currently paying $2.75 for this year’s Rising Star, which is very good value in my opinion but please gamble responsibly. Hold on to Wines as long as possible!

Unlike Wines, highly rated dreamteam defenders Jasper Pittard (28, $171,000 & BE -5), Campbell Heath (49, $158,500 & BE -29) and Lewis Stevenson (40, $160,200 & BE -16) were all well below par. Stevenson was more concerned about keeping his opponent quiet than winning the footy and Pittard was held accountable by Petrenko. Heath’s lock down role on Porplyzia also seemed to limit his dreamteam scoring output. If Pittard and Heath continue to play deep in Ports defence then it’s probably worth keeping them on your bench but if you have to start one of Pittard or Heath then go with Pittard. Note that the Power coaching staff like the ball in Stevenson’s hands coming out of defence so he should improve this week against the Suns. Cameron O’Shea (67, $202,800 & BE -6) and Jake Neade (62, $162,300 & BE -41) both keep getting better with every game they play. They are classic footballers, one an attacking defender the other an opportunist forward. Both will continue to impact on the football field in the short term but consistent scores of 70+ look to be a little bit beyond them.

A fantastic start by Nick Kommer (65, $140,900 & BE -7) last week had me worried due to the fact that @WarnieDT decided to start him on the field in our head to head after the Wines green vest rumours. Kommer was on 24 at quarter time but got zilch in the second quarter and went on to finish with 65. He was important in Essendon’s comeback with his pressure acts, hardball gets and ability to sneak forward to kick a goal. Unfortunately, Kommer is out suspended for two weeks after collecting Kepler Bradley head high. Many of you are considering trading Kommer to Crouch but don’t forget about the trade rule where you can ‘sub’ in say Goodes /Dwyer into your mids and pick up Terlich/Rowe if that suits you better. It’s not really sensible to hold Kommer for two weeks given that there is money to be made from other rookies on the bubble. Additionally, there is no guarantee that Kommer will come straight back into the Bombers 22 after serving his suspension.

Matt Jones (86, $163,600 & BE -37) was everywhere against the Eagles and deservedly was named in the Demons’ best players. If Melbourne can be competitive, I think Jones can score very well. The Demons face GWS this week so start Jones on the field. Fellow Demon, Jack Viney (63, $165,700 & BE -24) played ok but lacked a little scoring punch. His high handball to kick ratio continues to be a concern but I suspect that he’ll have a better game this week against the younger GWS midfield. On top of his poor showings in Rounds 1 & 2, Jimmy Toumpas (9, $160,500 & BE 54) copped the green vest last weekend. He has really struggled to adjust to the pace of AFL football and consequently was the only rookie priced player to drop in value this week. If you are one of the 20,505 coaches that still own him then get rid of him!

On Thursday night my beautiful wife asked me whether to trade Danger to Andrew Swallow or Kane Mitchell up to Lachie Whitfield (36, $216,400 & BE -10). Regretfully, I recommended the latter of the two options which saw her lose a couple of her head to head battles and go from 1,160 overall to 2,634 overall. Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom for Whitfield’s owners. He still has the 100+ score to count this week in his rolling average and if he doesn’t show improvement then you can trade him to Sam Mayes next week and make approximately $100K in the process. Ironically, I do not have Whitfield in my team. You’re breaking up a happy home Whitfield…lift your game!

GWS pair Lachie Plowman (24, $175,500 & BE 57) and Jonathan Patton (15, $198,200, BE 35) did not provide a healthy return for the coaches who went out of their way and spent the extra money to get them into their teams. Patton’s ACL injury is season ending and Plowman is averaging a mere 35 and likely to drop in value this week. It’s time to offload these two.

After cracking the ton in Round 2, Jaeger O’Meara (54, $180,000 & BE -52) could only manage 54 dreamteam points in the Q Clash after collecting 15 disposals and laying 1 tackle. O’Meara had his fair share of time on the ball but just couldn’t get anywhere near it. It’s fair to expect more from Jaeger given his ability, so just mark it down as an off game and expect him to improve significantly against the Power this week. Sam Dwyer (51, $141,600 & BE -57) also scored poorly but still managed to contribute on the field. He should hold his spot but I fear that he may cop the green vest this week after Fasolo showed good form when he came on in the third quarter. With a green vest looming and Krakouer and Didak gaining fitness in the VFL, Dwyer’s days appear numbered. Lets hope he plays a good game against Richmond this week!

Round 3’s NAB Rising Star, Jed Anderson (67, $144,800 & BE -35) is a fierce competitor who loves throwing his body in at the contest, just ask Scott Pendlebury. His pace is an asset to the Hawks and he’ll be in their best 22 for a while yet so for those coaches who have him, do not worry about his job security in the short term.

I can’t explain why Brett Goodes (48, $185,200 & BE -21) had such a bad game last weekend. He wasn’t tagged and he didn’t look tired. Goodes stats included 7 kicks, 7 handballs, 4 marks, no tackles and no goals. Even after his poor Round 3 performance, I’ll be starting Goodes on my field this week.

I missed the boat on Mark Blicavs (45, $138,400 & BE -20) as I never thought he’d play more than two games. He’s continuing to prove me wrong and contribute on the field so for those coaches that have him on their ruck bench, enjoy the steady earnings. Luke Brown (16, $163,800 & BE 7) was very poor in the Showdown and is likely to be dropped. He collected only 6 disposals, had no tackles and was given the run around by Chad Wingard. Trade!

Two Gamers

Sam Rowe (68, $108,500 & BE -63) stood up against the Cats and was named in the best players for the Blues after his ability to compete very well in both the forward line and in the ruck. He managed 10 touches, 4 marks, 9 hitouts, 2 tackles and 2 goals. It will be very interesting to see who Carlton name as Kreuzer replacement. If Casboult gets the nod then Rowe will get more time in the ruck but if Warnock is named, he could be a stay at home forward thus facing All Australian full back Darren Glass this weekend. His job security and DPP does it for me though. Having the option to swap, say Cox and Rowe will become priceless down the track.

Dean Terlich (75, $102,700 & BE -70) was pretty good against West Coast after amassing 13 kicks, 8 handballs, 2 marks and 4 tackles. Terlich has the lowest breakeven of any other player on the bubble this week and he’s projected to increase in value by $58,300. He has been one of Melbourne’s better players in the past two rounds and I suspect that he will continue to score well as the Dees face GWS, Brisbane, Carlton and Gold Coast over the next four weeks.

Brad Crouch (63, $108,500 & BE -61) had little influence in last weekend’s Showdown but still managed to score a respectable 63 dreamteam points. News of Nathan Van Berlo’s injury means that a prominent in and under Crow midfielder is out for the next 4-6 weeks. Expect Crouch to play more on the ball than he has done in the past two rounds. Crouch is a safe trade option for coaches looking for a quality midfield reserve.

I really rate Jack Hutchins (73, $108,500 & BE -57), it’s just a shame for dreamteam coaches that he’s going to burst his bubble so early in the season. He’s an honest footballer who wins more than his fair share of one on ones. Hutchins will continue to score around the 65 mark in each game making him a handy backup defender. Callum Sinclair (68, $105,300 & BE -53) still appears a bit green even though he performed well against the Demons in Round 3. He has very good ruck skills and can take a big grab up forward but his job security is still a concern with Lycett waiting in the wings (not to mention Naitanui). If you’re deciding between Rowe and Sinclair…go with Rowe.

Jack Frost (36, $89,300 & BE -31) is about as useful as Barry Hall’s boundary riding…please don’t hurt me Barry. He doesn’t attack the loose ball and he was beaten in numerous one on one contests. After copping the red vest in the game against the Hawks it appears that Frost is on thin ice (no pun intended). Marcus Davies (36, $105,600 & BE -8) wasn’t even worse than Frost. Davies doesn’t win enough footy so stay away!

One Gamers

Sam Mayes (95, $152,200 & BE -100) was exceptional. In his first game of AFL footy he had 15 kicks, 6 handballs, 10 marks, 2 tackles and was very, very composed. He played on a wing and was shown no respect from his Suns opponents. Even if he has an average game this week against the Roos, lock him in for a Round 5 trade cause the kid can play. Nathan Wright (69, $102,700 & BE -77) was another debutant that caught my attention last weekend. He wasn’t as prolific as Mayes but with Pittard and Stevenson’s recent substandard scores, he looms as an early downgrade option. Wright had 8 kicks, 14 handballs, 2 marks and 3 tackles playing off half back. He’ll have his hands full against the lively Bombers forward line this week but it will be a good test for him and hopefully he rises to the challenge.

I really rate Michael Evans (58, $108,500 & BE -52) but he looks like a lazy footballer to me. The defensive aspect of his game is poor and he relies on too much ‘easy’ outside ball. On the plus side, Evans runs hard to space but only when the Dees have possession and I suspect that he’ll have a day out against GWS this week. If Evans can win the hard ball and lay a few more tackles then he’ll need to be considered.

Against a young GWS team, Tom Lee (45, $108,500 & BE -26) was pretty disappointing. Yes it was his first game but he just didn’t work hard enough in my opinion. He managed a goal in the third quarter and that’s about all he did. If you’ve got Lee then I’m afraid it’s a long and patient road ahead. Elliott Kavanagh (39, $165,900 & BE 20) was also pretty very average. He struggled in the wet conditions and got little outside ball. I suspect that Kavanagh will be dropped this week to make way for either Jetta or Winderlich.

Notable mentions to Taylor Duryea (56, $108,500 & BE -48) and Dylan Buckley (22, $108,500 & BE 20). Duryea managed to limit Sam Dwyer’s influence on the game but he made a lot of unforced errors when he had the footy in hand. Pocket dynamo Buckley provided a small spark when he was subbed on in the second quarter but he won very little football in the second half. In my opinion, there are far better rookie options than these two. Pass.

Keep Your Eye On

Joe Daniher – Paddy Ryder’s suspension may give Daniher the green light to make his debut this week. Daniher has played 2 games in the VFL and in both games he has been named in Bendigo’s best players. He’s an excellent mark and is the perfect part time ruckman. I don’t expect his average to blow us away but if he gets an opportunity this week, expect him to have a big game against a smaller Saint’s backline.

Will Sierakowski – The Kangaroo’s poor form will result in a few selection changes this week and I’m confident that Sierakowski will feature somewhere in the 22. He was named as an emergency for the Kangaroos numerous times last year so he’s been there abouts for a while. In the VFL last weekend opposed to Alan Didak, Sierakowski was named in the bests after collecting 26 possessions, 10 marks and kicking 3 goals. He deserves a chance at senior level.

Sam Kerridge – In Round 2 of the SANFL, Kerridge gathered 30 touches, took 6 marks, laid a whopping 10 tackles and bobbed up for a goal. This performance saw Kerridge named as ‘first’ emergency for the Crows and thus was held back from any Round 3 SANFL action. With Van Berlo out for the next month and other team changes on the cards, Kerridge should be given a go even if it’s in a green vest. Once Kerridge gains a bit of confidence at AFL level then I think he will be a handy asset for the Crows.

Previously mentioned rookies that are on the cusp of senior football include Jackson Macrae and Jake Stringer. Both should be named to play in Round 4 after they dominated in the VFL last weekend. Stringer kicked a bag of 5 goals (4 in a quarter) and Macrae had 27 possessions, 5 marks, 5 tackles and 2 goals.

Got a question? Ask me on Twitter @JeppaDT.