In the constantly shifting landscape of AFL Fantasy, Centre Bounce Attendances (CBAs) emerge as a pivotal metric for assessing a player’s midfield involvement and, consequently, their impact on fantasy leagues. This past weekend’s action revealed significant shifts in CBAs, highlighting players experiencing notable increases or decreases in their involvement. Such fluctuations are crucial for AFL Fantasy coaches and football enthusiasts, signalling potential changes in roles, fitness levels, or team strategies, and providing essential insights for upcoming rounds.
Risers
Liam Stocker (St Kilda)
Liam Stocker was deployed in a tagging role this weekend on Tom Stewart. As a result, Stocker’s CBA percentage rose to 76% this week, reflecting his increased midfield time. While this role isn’t always the most lucrative for fantasy scoring, especially since it’s a defensive midfield role, it does have its perks. When Stocker gets some midfield time, his scoring potential sees a slight boost.
Rory Lobb (Western Bulldogs)
Rory Lobb was the key player stepping up in the absence of Tim English, taking on a greater responsibility in the ruck and around the ground. While this is promising, it’s worth noting that English could return this week, which might see Lobb revert to his role in defence. Although Lobb has shown he can score well, keep in mind that the Bulldogs will be playing at Mars Stadium in Ballarat, a venue that hasn’t been kind in fantasy due to challenging conditions.
Judd McVee (Melbourne)
Judd McVee was utilized in the midfield this week, moving up from his usual halfback position. His CBA participation jumped from 22% to 60%, indicating a significant increase in midfield responsibility. After some classy performances off halfback in recent weeks, it made sense for Melbourne to give him a shot in the midfield. While he struggled to score significantly, this experience will be valuable for his development. If McVee continues to be given opportunities in the midfield, it could signal a more prominent role moving forward, which bodes well for his fantasy potential.
Fallers
Matthew Kennedy (Carlton)
Matthew Kennedy saw a significant drop in his CBAs for Carlton, largely due to his shift to a forward role to cover the absences in their forward line. His CBA percentage plummeted from 56% in the previous round to just 5% this week. While Kennedy is versatile, his scoring ceiling is much higher when he’s involved in the midfield, so this shift is something to keep an eye on.
Luke Jackson (Fremantle)
Luke Jackson’s CBAs took a hit, dropping from 83% to 33%, as Fremantle opted to give debutant ruckman Liam Reidy his first game. Jackson’s ruck role was reduced, which was reflected in his fantasy scoring. It’s worrying for owners as Jackson will get very few opportunities to increase his scoring as the number one ruck if Fremantle opt to bring Reidy in when Darcy is injured instead of rucking Jackson solo.
Callum Mills (Sydney)
Callum Mills experienced a dip in CBAs as Sydney decided to use him in defence. His CBA percentage dropped from 29% to 0%, reflecting this shift in role. While this isn’t great news for his immediate fantasy scoring, it could be beneficial in the long run if Mills gains Defender/Midfielder dual-position status. This shift might allow for more flexibility in fantasy teams moving forward, but for now, it has slightly dampened his scoring potential.
Preview of Advanced CBA Stats:
Analyse the CBAs from the weekend in our user-friendly tables in our premium resources section – featuring advanced analytical tools to better measure the most significant changes, seasonally and week-to-week.
| Player | Club | Pos | LG% | LG%vsPG% | Avg% | L3Avg% | LG%vsAvg% | L3G%vsAvg% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reilly O’Brien | AD | R | 80 | -4 | 87.1 | 85 | -7.1 | -2.1 |
| Lloyd Meek | HW | R | 89 | +21 | 85.6 | 81 | +3.4 | -4.6 |
| Lachie Neale | BL | C | 93 | +5 | 85.5 | 92 | +7.5 | +6.5 |
| Jack Steele | SK | C | 68 | -22 | 85.4 | 81 | -17.4 | -4.3 |
| Max Gawn | ME | R | 86 | 0 | 84.7 | 81 | +1.3 | -3.7 |
| Tristan Xerri | NM | R | 81 | -2 | 84.2 | 82 | -3.2 | -2.2 |
| Jarrod Witts | GC | R | 93 | +33 | 84.2 | 81 | +8.8 | -3.2 |
| Toby Nankervis | RI | R | 85 | +8 | 83.9 | 82 | +1.1 | -1.9 |
| Rowan Marshall | SK | R | 93 | +7 | 83.5 | 91 | +9.5 | +7.5 |
| Noah Anderson | GC | C | 80 | -12 | 83.3 | 85 | -3.3 | +1.7 |
View more CBA Analysis numbers here.
Key:
LG% – Percentage of CBAs last game
LG%vsPG% – Percentage of CBAs last game versus percentage of CBAs previous game
Avg% – Average of CBA percentage in games played
L3Avg% – Average of CBA percentage over the past three games
LG%vsAvg% – Last game CBA percentage vs average CBA percentage
L3G%vsAvg% – Last three games CBA percentage vs average CBA percentage
