Everything went right for Geelong last season in terms of results, but not everything went to plan in AFL Fantasy.
The Cats are a side with so much depth which took its toll on the fantasy scoring as we saw many different rotations all over the ground.
However, there are still a few good value options in Geelong’s team. Read on to find out who they are…
Take a listen to our latest podcast: Pre-season 2023: Geelong Cats featuring Cam from The Draft Doctors
The Undervalued
Tom Atkins‘ AFL Fantasy average of 78.7 last season doesn’t reflect how good he was last season. He started the year in defense but as the year went on he was given more midfield time and finished the year strong. When you look at his season splits, he averaged 75.6 in the first half of the season, and 81.1 in the second half. If he can maintain a spot in the midfield, he should easily average above 80, making him a good value option for your defense.
Patrick Dangerfield‘s value is at an all-time low after last season’s average of 76.1 AFL Fantasy points. He missed a chunk of games in the middle of the year and didn’t return to form for the remainder of the year. Whilst I don’t think he can lift his average back to the heights of old, I do think he’ll spend some time up forward this year. He’s still capable of an 80 average, and if he can regain forward status, he could be a good option in attack for your team.
Jack Bowes comes to Geelong after never really taking off at the Gold Coast. He’s been used as a defender for the majority of his career but has been tipped to move into the midfield at the Cats. If this happens, he should see an uptick in his scoring and be a useful option as a defender. Monitor the pre-season reports to see where he’s likely to play, as I think he’ll struggle if he plays in defense for Geelong given they have so many options already.
Jonothan Ceglar he’s proven he can be a handy scorer in the past but it all hinges on who Geelong elect to use as their main ruckman. It usually swings between Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs, with Ceglar sometimes being used when he’s not injured. If he can secure the number one mantle, he’ll be handy for AFL Fantasy. Watch to see if it happens, but I have my doubts.
Brandon Parfitt found himself on the outer last season. With Joel Selwood retiring, Geelong might look to place him with experience, making Parfitt a good fit. Track Geelong’s offseason closely to see where he’s likely to play.
The Breakout Contenders
Max Holmes had a stellar season and found a place on the wing at Geelong for the majority of the season. I think with more experience in this role along with natural progression, he can take his game to the next level and become one of the better outside players in the competition. There’s also a slight chance he could move into an inside midfield role in the future. He’s a class player so pick him up despite losing forward status. He will be a gun.
Zach Guthrie showed the world what he can do in the second half of the season. He demonstrated a good run off the half-back line with the ability to take an intercept mark which gives us hope for his AFL Fantasy scoring. A few sub-affected games and some minor consistency issues hampered his scoring throughout the year, but he still managed to put up six 80+ scores with three games scoring over 100 points. He had two very strong performances in the qualifying and preliminary finals, before a quieter grand final, proving he is an important member of Geelong’s team. It probably depends on where Bowes plays, but I think he can improve his consistency next season and be a good defensive option in AFL Fantasy.
The Stash Options
Tanner Bruhn is a player who shows a lot of promise, but I’m not sure where he sits in the pecking order at Geelong. He’ll need to play in the midfield to score well, and if reports are true, he’ll be contending with new recruit Jack Bowes and players like Brandon Parfitt who are vying to return to Geelong’s midfield. There’s also the potential of rookie Jhye Clark getting a run this season. I feel like Bruhn will struggle in 2023 but is one to stash for the future when a few of the older players retire.
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