The Late Cut: AFL $5,000 Saints v Power

With Round 2 of the JLT Series ahead of us, it means that we are one week closer to the real thing starting. It is both of these team’s first hit outs for 2017, so plenty of fringe players will be looking to stake their claim for selection in round one. Draftstars will be running a $5,000 game for this match, with $750 going to first place. The first bounce is 7.40pm AEDT, so make sure you get your entries in before then.

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Here is a team you may consider for the AFL $5k+ Saint v Power competition

Forward

Jack Steele ($11,200)

The Saints were busy at the trade table this offseason, bringing in a few promising young players. One of their better pickups was Jack Steele, who joined the Saints from GWS. The 21 year old was on the fringe of the impressively deep Giants midfield, but looks like a certain starter for the Saints. Steele is big bodied midfielder, who loves to lay tackles and has the ability to get forward and find the goals. He will be keen to impress the coaches early, so looks like a good selection here.

Jake Carlisle ($9,100)

Another who needs to impress his coaches and fellow teammates, Jake Carlisle will make his debut for the Saints after missing last year due to his ASADA suspension. At his best, Carlisle is an intelligent intercepting defender, capable of playing at an All-Australian level, which seems like a perfect fit for the Saints because that has been their obvious weakness for the past couple of seasons. The only concern about picking him today is how much game time he will get after being out of the game for so long.

Midfield

Jack Steven ($14,950)

Steven is coming off a superb 2016 where he won his third St Kilda Best and Fairest. Steven maintained a high level of play right throughout 2016, finishing the year with an average of 95.7 DS points. His footy smarts and gut running ability make him an obvious selection here, even though he probably will not be at 100% intensity for this match. If the Saints are to crack the eight this year, Steven will have to have another huge year.

Ollie Wines ($14,500)

With Port Adelaide fielding a depleted midfield for this match (no Robbie Gray), Ollie Wines will have to do the bulk of the work. Wines is an elite inside midfielder, who averages nearly 6 tackles per game. Wines is just entering the prime of his career, and can easily add to his average of 92.3 DS points per game, especially if the performance of his team improves.

Koby Stevens ($12,800)

Joining the Saints from the premiership winning Bulldogs, Stevens will be keen to cement his spot in the 22 for round one with a strong JLT series. Stevens is somewhat of the preseason specialist after bursting onto the scene at the Dogs with a strong preseason in 2013. In his first preseason match last season, Stevens racked up 31 disposals in a best on ground performance. A similar performance here would help your lineup score big.

Sam Powell-Pepper ($7,100)

Port Adelaide’s first round draft pick will look to spice up a midfield that was poor throughout last season. Powell-Pepper is a big bodied midfielder who knows where the goals are, who plays in the mold of Dustin Martin or Luke Parker. Powell-Pepper will get plenty of time in the midfield in this match and at a low salary of $7,100, he is worth a punt.

Defender

Jarryn Geary ($8,850)

Geary has taken the captaincy from the evergreen Nick Riewoldt, in what was a slightly surprising decision. Geary is a serviceable player, good at mopping up play across half back and rebounding the football. With the extra responsibility of captaincy, the Saints will be hoping he can elevate his game to new heights in 2017 and that starts in this game. Rebounding half backs tend to score better in preseason fantasy due to the higher number of turnover, so Geary will be primed for a big game.

Jarman Impey ($8,850)

After a disastrous offseason, Impey will be looking to come out and put it all behind his in this match. Impey was involved in a drink driving incident that will see him miss round 1. Impey at his best is an electrifying rebounding defender, but can go missing at times. If Port are to make a run at the finals this year, I think Impey needs to play more time in midfield where he can be extremely damaging with his pace and creativity. Don’t be surprised to see Impey playing mainly in midfield in this match, which makes him great value for his salary.

Ruck

Tom Hickey ($11,700)

Hickey had a breakout year in 2016, finally securing the number one ruck spot for the Saints. Hickey is an elite athlete, who is in the upper echelon for endurance amongst AFL ruckman, which means that he is likely to get more time on the ball than any of the three potential ruckmen that Port Adelaide have in their squad. Hickey averaged over 26 hitouts per game in 2016, which will only increase with the new third man up rule this year.

The Line Up

FWD: Jack Steele ($11,200)

FWD: Jake Carlisle ($9,100)

MID: Jack Steven ($14,950)

MID: Ollie Wines ($14,500)

MID: Koby Stevens ($12,800)

MID: Sam Powell-Pepper ($7,100)

DEF: Jarryn Geary ($8,850)

DEF: Jarman Impey ($8,850)

RK: Tom Hickey ($11,700)

Salary Remaining: $950