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10/27/2009

AFL Dream Team 2010 Player Profile: Franklin, Lance "Buddy"

Vital Statistics:
Name: Lance "Buddy" Franklin
Team: Hawthorn
Age:23
Position: Fwd
2010 Price: $354,900
2009 Avg: 80.8 from 21 games
Historical Avgs: 96 from 22 in '08, 79 from 20 in '07, 57 from 14 in '06, 51 from 20 in '05
Pros:
-Was below par last year, with poor supply and weight issues detracting from his point scoring
-Has been rarely injured historically (playing more than 20 games in all but '06)
-Had a strong finish to the year with scores over 90 in 5 of his last 6 games
-Should improve back to somewhere near his '08 average of 96
-Is still young and scarily could still improve

Cons:
-Suspension carried over from last year means he will miss round 1
-Has had a few troubles with the tribunal in the past (3 visits in the past 2 years)
-Has Tom Boonen like off-field problems which may lead to a suspension (if the AFL has decent testing procedures)
-Gives away a lot of frees against (-3 points each)

Best Case Scenario: 21 games at 98
Worst Case Scenario: 18 games at 86

At a Glance: Dipped last year, should be back up again in 2010. Make sure you have playing cover for round 1


10/20/2009

Cricket: Dropping Your Best Player - Only In South Australia

Last Sunday, the South Australian Redbacks played their first ODD game of the season, after a good bowling performance secured them a win in their first first class (does that even make sense?) hit-out. There's nothing specific of note in that. Except if you look at the team list. Neil Dansie medalist (best player across all formats for SA) from last year, Michael Klinger was absent. He topped the run aggregates for SA in the ODD competition with 469, just short of Lee Carseldine from Queensland as highest in the competition (although Carseldine had an extra game in the final). He is not injured, as he took his place in the Sheffield Shield game earlier in the week. He didn't exactly set the world on fire in that game, scoring 3 and 15 not out but surely you don't drop your best player after one poor innings. Instead, a batting lineup that had keeper and sometimes batsman Graham Manou at number four barely managed 9/249.

Tasmania chased it down with ease, almost getting a bonus point. This is partly because of an inexperienced attack, and partly because Aaron O'Brian is shit. Tasmania's fast men (with the exception of international Ben Hilfenhaus) were comparable to the Redbacks lineup. But the Tigers' spinners took a combined 3/77 off 18. O'Brian (SA's only playing spinner) took 1/49 off 8. This guy is keeping a real spinner (like Cullen Bailey) out of the side with a first class (bowling) average a tad under 50 and an ODD average of over 50. Sure, his batting is okay but by no means is he an allrounder. I mean seriously, Cameron Borgas has a better ODD bowling average (a touch under 50). Surely that says it all.

10/13/2009

AFL Dream Team 2010 Player Profile: Dalziell, Bradd

Vital Statistics:
Name: Bradd Dalziell
Team: West Coast (traded from Brisbane)
Age:23
Position: Mid
2010 Price: $332,200
2009 Avg: 84.0 from 8 games
Historical Avgs: 95 from 7 in '08
Pros:
-Is an absolute ball magnet
-Good DTer, gets plenty of cheap uncontested marks
-Has been traded to West Coast and so can enjoy the wide open spaces of Subiaco Oval which suit his uncontested game
-Is still inexperienced and so has plenty of improvement in him
-Has one of the most inside players in the AFL (Kerr) taking the tags and feeding the ball out to him
-Has a 10% discount

Cons:
-Is possibly the most outside midfielder since Nathan Lonie
-Struggled to break back into the Brisbane side this year after a knee injury
-Has only played 15 games, yet is still priced at almost $400K

Best Case Scenario: 22 games at 102
Worst Case Scenario: 8 games at 90, West Coast realise that he is nothing but a stats whore

At a Glance: Superstar DTer, average player. Make sure his position in the side is secure during the NAB Cup.

Aside: I was going to do a rundown of the players involved in trade week and what it means for their DT scoring, but Dream Team Talk already has a full writeup so I'll just point you to them.

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