IT'S ALWAYS a tough task selecting a team in December, but here is my initial squad after seeing the players and their prices for the first time.
The rookies are hard to select so early in the pre-season, therefore a December team often leans on the security of some mid-priced players and I threw a few of those in to give it some stability.
Defenders
I couldn’t help myself and selected Aaron Hall (DEF, $914,000) as my number one defender, despite his hefty price tag. His average of 121 from round 16 was enough to convince myself he was still a value selection. He is supported by premium selections in Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $795,000) and Jake Lloyd (DEF, $823,000) who are both well entrenched in the 'Rollin’22' and are arguably under-priced based on their scoring potential. The remaining three were all too cheap to ignore as they make their return from injury. James Sicily (DEF, $510,000) has averaged triple figures on two occasions in the past while Wayne Milera (DEF, $378,000) just needs a run of luck to ensure he reaches his sizable potential. Caleb Marchbank (DEF, $294,000) has been unsighted for a couple of seasons which has left him at a rookie price. If fit, he is best 22 and has averaged just shy of 70 in the past which would serve as a nice on field cash cow.
Midfielders
In similar fashion to the backline, I couldn’t look past one of the big guns and it was Jack Steele’s (MID, $1,01m) soft Fantasy draw that got him the nod and captaincy for the first few weeks. No team is complete without a Pig and Tom Mitchell (MID, $969,000) is the man after averaging 126 following his bye, just three short of his world record season. After that I chased some fallen premium value in 2020 standout Lachie Neale (MID, $792,000) and Patrick Cripps (MID, $686,000), who are priced at averages of just 94 and 82 respectively. Every year I love to select a breakout candidate and Caleb Serong (MID, $691,000) is my man after increasing his time on ground toward the end of the year and averaging 117 in the last three rounds as a result. The midfield is rounded out with the talented young trio of Matt Rowell (MID, $464,000), Jason Horne Francis (MID, $290,000) and Nick Daicos (MID, $284,000).
Rucks
Although I am big on the Ruck Pig Brodie Grundy (RUC, $893,000), I have chased the undeniable value of Jarrod Witts (RUC, $572,000) as he makes his return from injury, along with Braydon Preuss (RUC, $367,000), who is doing the same as he strives to make his long-awaited debut for the Giants. Both are more than capable scorers and well under-priced.
Forwards
After having Tim Taranto (FWD/MID, $904,000) in my midfield last season, I launched at the opportunity to select him as a forward in the hope that he returns to the middle where he played his best footy last year. His round 14 score of 145 game him an average of 117 in that time before being shifted forward in the hope he could provide an avenue to goal. Dog pair Josh Dunkley (FWD/MID, $767,000) and Adam Treloar (FWD/MID, $731,000) are priced well below their best at averages of 91 and 87 respectively and both are capable of bouncing back to triple figures. I rounded out the forward line with under-priced talent that are all chasing time in their respective midfields with Cam Rayner (FWD, $396,000), Will Brodie (FWD/MID, $387,000) and talented youngster Elijah Hollands (FWD/MID, $190,000).
You know where to provide the feedback, @RoyDT.
Warnie revealed his initial team last Friday in a special episode of AFL Daily.
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