Another year of high hopes with the AFL Dreamteam competition, but once again the start has been disappointing with injuries galore and under performing guns. Although I’m not in complete disarray, I think my chances of matching my 2007 efforts may have already gone out this window, with the Round 1 injuries to Andrew Raines and Liam Anthony setting the tone.
Even though the injuries seem like an excuse, I suppose I only have myself to blame, especially with the decision to pick David Hille as my second ruckman after the Bombers big man didn’t have much of a pre-season. Picking up an aging Nathan Brown may have also been a iffy decision, but it hurts when both players go down in the same week.
I think next season I will have to take more care when picking players who haven’t had a pre-season. Matthew Pavlich was another example of this. Although the big fella didn’t get much game time prior to Round 1, I was certain that he would chop like he usually does, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Finally it seems Pav has found some form and should hopefully come alive Dreamteam wise.
The Hayden Skipworth debarcle left a lot of coaches scrambling to find a suitable replacement. With the injury to Nathan Brown (and Trent Hentschel earlier in the season) and Wade Thompson being dropped I was left me with only one option and that was to trade Skippy. With the carnage that was Round 5, I was left asking what I had done to the deserve such punishment from the Dreamteam gods, when David Hille went down for the season, before my Hayden Skipworth replacement, Lachie Hansen, did a hammy late in the game against Richmond.
Despite the injury, Hansen had done his job and that was to hold his price. This allowed me to pick up Buddy Franklin, although this was probably a week or two earlier than I would have liked.
The problems just don’t stop with Ablett out for 2-3 weeks. On the upside I am hoping Andrew Raines, Nathan Brown and Liam Anthony can return this week. Amongst all the early carnage I have managed to stay cool in terms of trades, so I still have 16 left.
My Current Team:
BACKS
Chad Cornes
Brendon Goddard
Ryan Houlihan
Josh Drummond
Jed Adcock
Luke Hodge
Stephen Hill
Andrew Raines
Nick Suban
MIDFIELDERS
Gary Ablett
Jimmy Bartel
Bryce Gibbs
Paul Hasleby
Daniel Rich
Dayne Beams
Liam Anthony
Jaxson Barham
RUCKS
Dean Cox
David Hille -> Hamish McIntosh
Sam Jacobs
Jake Spencer
FORWARDS
Shaun Higgins
Brett Deledio
Matthew Pavlich
Nathan Krakouer
Lance Franklin
Nathan G. Brown
Mitchell Brown
Ben Warren
Wade Thompson
Feel free to comment about my team or let us know how you are going below.
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