AFL Dream Team

For the majority of this year I have been locked in a fierce battle with my friends. This battle has involved the AFL and working out the best team you can get for 6.2 million in their Fantasy League. As I don't have pay TV and am not that into AFL, I thought I was doing spectacularly well to sit on top of the table for about 5 rounds. That magic bubble has burst my friends, and coming into the last round of normal fixtures for fantasy league I am now sitting 8th (!!). Due to the nature of a statistical game, the guy who is 9th (but only 1 win behind) and lower on percentage is heading for a percentage boosting victory against the 2nd bottom team. I however am playing a team which is now above me in the league. So if I lose my percentage will go down, his will go up and Voila, I'm out of the finals. 2 percentage points is not enough of a lead that I think I can afford to accept an honourable victory.

I had two trades left. During the course of the season each team was allowed 20 trades with a maximum of 2 per round. I've hoarded mine all season so I could do one last fling of the dice to give me a chance during the finals. My team has never been the strongest, and now it's looking remarkably frail. I've bitten the bullet though, one of my favourite first year rooks (Brett Deledio, Richmond) has gone, to make way for about 170,000 trade value. Barnaby French, Carlton is the other guy cut. That was a very hard decision to make. He's only just come back from injury and before that was scoring a dependable 70 odd. However, I have picked up Justin Koschitzke, St Kilda. This guy has been on fire for the last 4 weeks, which has coincided with St Kilda winning the last 4 games by a lot. The other thing that has been happening in those 4 weeks is that Reiwoldt has been out injured. He's back. How the team reshuffles itself could be very interesting. And take points away from my man. It's a gamble, but one I need to make. I'll fill everybody in on a day by day basis over the weekend.

You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.

--- Ben