12 April 2010

Dream Team 2010: The Story So Far


There is no greater image to sum up my Dream Team form thus far than this one of Barry Hall punching Brent Staker in the face. Right in his face. After only three rounds, I am up shit creek without a paddle, so let's have a look at where it all went wrong.


Round One


Team Score: 1762
Epic Win:
Luke Hodge, Hawthorn, 142 points.
Epic Fail:
Darren Glass, West Coast, 24 points.


Where it all went wrong: Nick Riewoldt had been my captain for the whole preseason and had been kicking arses and taking names, but on the eve of Round 1, given the fact I thought Geelong were facing a weaker opponent than St Kilda, I gave the captaincy to Joel Selwood. Nick Riewoldt scored twice as many points as Joel Selwood that week. Sigh. Also the ruckman I had on my bench out-scored both Ryder and Naitanui by about 40 points.



Round Two


Team Score: 1833
Epic Win:
Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda, 147 points
Epic Fail:
Nick Suban, Fremantle, 24 points


Where it all went wrong: I'd traded Justin Westhoff the week before, for no other reason than I'm an idiot. He promptly went out and scored 121 points, while the bloke I traded him for scored 80. Because there was an early lockout this week due to Easter, I didn't find out that Quentin Lynch had been dropped from the Eagles until it was too late. I didn't have an emergency nominated as one of my guys is injured but coming back soon, and the other is a rookie yet to debut. So, I was screwed. Big fat zero next to Lynchy's name.



Round Three


Team Score: 1370
Epic Win:
Luke Hodge, Hawthorn, 125 points
Epic Fail:
Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda, 20 points


Where it all went wrong: I think the better question is  'Where DIDN'T it all go wrong? Used both my trades this week, first to replace Lynchy with Jonathan Brown, and second to replace Daniel Rich with Michael Barlow. First decision was good, Lynchy didn't get recalled and Brown scored 94 points. However, after two fairly ordinary weeks, Rich decided to  go out and score 92 points, while Barlow scored 46 (though realistically, it wasn't that bad, as Barlow's last two weeks meant his value went through the roof, where Rich's crappy last two weeks meant he lost money). Didn't check the final teams when they were released (because I'm an idiot), so had no idea Angus Monfries was out with a quad injury, and Robbie Nahas had been dropped for being a bit shit (he was in danger of being traded this week anyway). So again, with no backups for my forwards, I had TWO big fat zeroes this week. Then Nick Riewoldt (who I more or less have been relying on to pick up the slack for the rest of my shitty team) went down with a pretty bad hamstring injury in the second quarter and had only scored 20 points. He'll be out for a few months, so I HAVE to use a trade to replace him. Then Patrick Dangerfield was taken off with a suspected fractured neck/back. Thankfully he's fine, but is pretty damn unlikely to play next week. Angus Monfries is also unlikely to play next week, and I have no idea what's going on with Robbie Nahas. So I need to replace four players, but only have two trades to do it with. In short, I'm screwed. Will definitely end up with one zero, likely two. And with John Worsfold threatening to drop half the Eagles side, I'm getting a bit tense.


So, the game plan at this stage is to trade Riewoldt and Dangerfield (for who I'm not yet sure), take the risk on Nahas POTENTIALLY coming back, and leave Monfries with a zero. Once Dangerfield is ready to come back, I trade Nahas for him. Will be subbing Zac Dawson for Will Schofield, assuming he hasn't been taken out the back and shot like the rest of the Eagles squad. Dawson has been truly truly shit, and probably would have been traded this week if I didn't have other pressing issues to attend to.


I'm trying to console myself by saying it's only my first year, and I'm just learning the tricks of the DT trade, and hell, it's only round three! Things might get better! Right? RIGHT??

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