The team AFL Fantasy analysis articles are back for another year, scouring each list for keeper league-relevant players.
Over the next few weeks on the podcast, we will analyse every team in order to find some keeper league players worthy of being drafted in your leagues.
First up, we’ll take a look at some players from the Adelaide Crows.
Take a listen to our latest podcast: Pre-season 2023: Adelaide Crows with Tom Wyman.
The Undervalued
First up on this list is Matt Crouch. The former AFL Fantasy stud could barely get a game last season, only managing 11 games before getting dropped to the SANFL for the second half of the season. His fantasy return at the senior level was his lowest since 2015 (his second season), only averaging 87.9 points per game. However, he averaged 115 in the SANFL, proving he can still rack them up. If you think he can get a game for the Crows, he could offer value later in drafts. Personally, he’s one I’m avoiding.
Rory Sloane will return after missing most of the season with an ACL injury. While his best AFL Fantasy days are well behind him, he’s a player who will go late in drafts and could offer some value. He’s a player who can put up scores of 80 quite consistently, so he could round out your midfield nicely if you don’t mind having an older player on your side.
Another undervalued player is Wayne Milera. After missing a lot of football prior to 2022, it was always going to take time for Milera to transition back to the top level, and this resulted in him playing up forward. This hampered his AFL Fantasy scoring immensely last year, but thankfully he’s been tipped to move back into defence where he does his best work. He’s one I’m watching closely in the offseason. If he can get his body right he could be anything.
The Breakout Contenders
Last year, Kaes announced that 2022 was going to be a breakout year for Harry Schoenberg but it didn’t eventuate. There have always been high expectations for Schoenberg given that he was a good AFL Fantasy scorer at the Under 18s level, but hasn’t replicated this at the senior level yet. His big issue is his TOG and he often struggles to spend more than 70% time on the ground. Get on board if you think he can bump this up and spend more time in the midfield. With the emergence of Sam Berry and Jake Soligo, and also Josh Rachele and Isak Rankine likely to spend more time in the middle, it’s going to be hard for Schoenberg to take that next step.
One player who I’m expecting to step up this season is Riley Thilthorpe. We’ve predominantly seen him as a key forward in the early stages of his career but from watching him play at the underage level, we know he’s an athletic freak who would be best suited in the ruck. The job security in the Crows’ ruck department is a little shaky after we saw Riley O’Brien get dropped last year and Kieren Strauchn was given an opportunity. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Thilthorpe spend more time in the ruck this season as he transitions into the next number-one ruckman for the Crows. If you need a ruck for the future, I think he’s one who can improve this season and be a good long-term AFL Fantasy option.
Izak Rankine has the potential to break out at Adelaide, but I feel he’ll be used in the forward line far too often to have any fantasy impact. I’m expecting an average in the 70s for him this season.
The Stash Options
There are quite a few options on this list and most of them are second-year players who I think will need a little more time.
The first one on the list is Josh Rachele. He was an underage jet and no doubt will be a star of the future, but I still think he’s destined to play forward this year (perhaps in a midfield rotation with Izak Rankine) which will impact his scoring. Grab him later in drafts and stash him for the future.
Another good stash option is Jake Soligo. Whilst he showed so much promise last season, I still think he’ll spend another season on a wing which will hamper his scoring somewhat. He’s a small chance to be a breakout candidate in 2023, but I think he needs another season on the outside before he transitions into a full-time inside midfielder (which I believe is the plan for him as shown by the centre bounce attendance opportunities he received late in the season).
Patrick Parnell is another player that I like. He has the makings of a fantasy defender, he just looks extremely tiny out there on the field. I’m not sure how much size he has put on during the offseason, but I feel he’ll need another season or two in the gym before he’s able to match it with the bigger bodies at AFL level. Pick him up and stash him away for 2024.
Luke Pedlar was a good underage fantasy scorer and comes into his third season of AFL, so he’s one to pick up late just in case he pops.
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