North Melbourne offer plenty to fantasy coaches

Whether you’re weighing up your bets or whether you’re a fantasy coach plotting your plans ahead of the new campaign, the new AFL season couldn’t come soon enough for a lot of us.

In terms of fantasy planning, you could do a lot worse than have a look at the North Melbourne squad this season.

On the back of a decent sixth-place finish in 2014, the oddsmakers believe the Roos will be one of the teams to watch in the bets this year, and it’s no surprise when looking at the North Melbourne squad – something fantasy coaches will be doing between now and the start of the season.

One player who might have slipped under the radar during much of the pre-season fantasy planning has been Shaun Higgins, who joined North Melbourne from the Western Bulldogs in the offseason and has wasted little time in establishing himself with his new team-mates.

The 26-year-old has been earning rave reviews from members of the North Melbourne squad for his performances during pre-season, and the versatile former Dog could now become a popular selection ahead of the new season. Available for $430,000, Higgins could be a very useful player to have on your rosters, even more so if he is used as a forward rather than as a defender.

Jarrad Waite, who joined at the same time as Higgins, is another player who could be a big point scorer this season. The former Carlton man is expected to be a key member of the Roos team this season and should have plenty of chances to rack up some serious fantasy points.

Elsewhere in the squad, Jack Ziebell is understandably high on the list of many fantasy coaches, coming off the back of a 2014 campaign in which he averaged 84 points a game and with dual-position status this season.

Veteran forward/midfielder Brent Harvey hasn’t been the most prolific points scorer in recent years but the 36-year-old could still be worth a punt for some fantasy coaches who are looking for a reliable-if-unspectacular midfielder who is going to play the majority of games during the season.

As far as younger players go, new draft Sam Durdin could be a very profitable player to have in the defence/ruckman position given his dual-position status and price tag of $252,000. The number-16 draft pick looks set to be given a taste of senior football this season and will be hoping to prove those doubters wrong who claim he doesn’t have the size required to contribute regular points in his first full campaign.

And if you’re looking for a bargain, you could do a lot worse than take a look at Daniel Wells, who is available for $356,000 and has the ability to be a very productive player in your midfield. While injuries plagued him for much of 2014, the 29-year-old looks set to start the new season fully fit and ready to remind everyone what he is capable of.

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