With so many coaches going with so many rookie midfielders this year, it seems relevant to consider who the downgrade targets are for later in the season. There have been so many youngsters played in the first five rounds, that it’s starting to look very thin indeed.
Ben Howlett – $77,800
Ben has already played two games and was very unlucky to get dropped after round two, but the fact is we haven’t seen him since. At 21, he is exactly the kind of mature age recruit you will want on your bench from rounds 19-22 during the finals. Having spent a few years in the WAFL, it is unlikely he will tire very much towards the end of the season. The only concern is that he was very impressive in the first couple of rounds, but still managed to get dropped. Since then, he hasn’t been able to break back in to a losing team. Even if he does get back in, there are no guarantees he’ll stay there.
Koby Stevens – $89,500
Given his ability to win clearances and contested ball, it is surprising that he hasn’t been brought in yet. Surely, he would be a handy experiment to make while Kerr is out injured. In fact, he might even be a good experiment when Kerr returns. He was in the best last week but is competing with Swift and Shepperd at the moment. The concern here is his age and the abundance of quality midfielders that the over-compensating Eagles possess. His minutes and games are a good chance to be limited as they nurse him through his first season. I have little confidence that this kid will feature at the business end of the season, but there is no doubting his quality.
Sam Blease – $94,500
He is only this cheap because he broke his leg playing footy at school last year. Drafted in 2008 at pick 17, the Demons are very confidant he will eventually step in to their midfield in years to come. His weight (70kg) worries me, as he has already sustained an impact injury in his short career. However, the Demons good form makes this one a no-brainer. If he can break in to their midfield this year, he must be ready.
Jordan Gysberts – $117,500
This kid is an exceptional accumulator who enjoys the hard stuff. He was an emergency last week and would appear to be a great option. Given that they have held him back, there is no reason why he can’t come in and play the season out. I have a feeling this kid is the one to watch and he should debut sooner rather than later. He is better priced than his mates Scully and Trengove were before they played as well.
Mitchell Banner – $129,300
It would be a brave man to jump on board, given the way his form dropped off during the first three games of the season. However, DT packed full of very brave coaches. To his credit, he did manage a 79 in the first round and he wouldn’t be the first kid to slow down after a long pre-season. It is tempting to look at his 38 and disregard him, but the fact is that he is a ball-winner and that’s what he’ll do if he wins his spot back in the team. I think he a clever gamble that few will want to take.
Gary Rohan – $137,500
The problem with Gar is his ceiling. It’s difficult to see him averaging more than 55 if he gets in to the seniors. Don’t get me wrong, he’s just sort of player I love, but he doesn’t look ready to make big scores just yet. If he does play, I wouldn’t be surprised if they give him a shut-down role or drop him in a forward pocket. He should get his chance in the next few weeks once the Swans start losing to good teams. He is worth considering, but I wouldn’t want him on the field in round 22.
Luke Shuey – $140,100
It must pain the 36,214 coaches that have him, to know that his return should come right in the middle of downgrade season. He showed enough in his first two games to suggest that he’ll be hard to keep out of the team once fit. He is still cheap enough to make money out of as well. Like Blease, he is another high draft pick (18) to have broken his leg and wrecked 2009. The concern is that he will lose fitness with that knee injury and may not come back as strong.
Ben Cunnington – $141,500
I have a lot of time for Lingus. He had to well and truly earn his spot in the team last week, but then failed to deliver in a winning team. It’s not that he played badly, in fact, he offered a much-needed chop-out to Ziebell in the clearance work. He just handballed too much. Although it is understandable he would handball a lot while getting used to the pace of the seniors, he will need to rectify that in his second game if coaches are going to jump on. $141,500 is too much to pay for a bloke that enjoys the feel of leather on fist.
I’ve obviously only picked the players I rate highly, but as we all know, there are always obscure debuts later on in the season. My concern at the moment is whether you can count on those obscure players to help you through the finals. I expect most of the players I’ve named above to play sooner rather than later and I just don’t know if their will be much cheap quality left after the break.