The 2021 H&A season is set to begin on March 18, @aflratingsPete ranks the Top 5 Rucks under $300K in AFL Fantasy classic.Â
For the purpose of this article, only Ruck eligible players in AFL Fantasy classic have been assessed (ie. Kieren Briggs DEF/FWD was not considered).
1.Paul Hunter (St Kilda) $170K
With the news that Paddy Ryder will be on an extended break from football for personal reasons & the foot injury to Rowan Marshall, recently signed Paul Hunter should have a prime opportunity as the No.1 ruck option at the Saints. He scored 60pts against Carlton in the AAMI Community Series game last week from 76% game time, as he works his way up to full fitness the scores should be quite reasonable. The opportunity may only be available for a short time however, the return of Ryder is currently not known while Marshall is expected to be available early in the season, Hunter slides down the ruck depth chart with either of those returning. Shaun McKernan is also in the frame to take some of the ruck duties at the Saints, getting clarity on the job security for Hunter is imperative if planning to start him on ground. The cash generation should be strong for Hunter, but the clock is ticking fast.
Season Projection: 70 as clear No.1 ruck
2. Lloyd Meek (Fremantle) $170K
Meek may be on the verge of an early season AFL debut with Sean Darcy questionable for Round 1 & the long term injury to Rory Lobb. The current line-up for the Dockers & what they will do at the ruck & key forward positions will be highly debated at Fremantle match committee, EGM of Football Peter Bell said as much in a radio interview yesterday. The scoring output for Meek in a solo ruck situation is quite positive, in a shared ruck role his output likely reduces quite significantly. At the very least expect positions & roles within the Fremantle team to be volatile from week to week to begin the season, defenders may be used as key forwards, Fyfe may be used more forward & if Darcy returns where does Meek sit? Meek is a smash play if he has a clear run at solo ruck for an extended period (this may be difficult to predict).Â
Season Projection: 70 as clear No.1, 45 if playing in the same team as Darcy
Fremantle: "He'll be really close to Round 1"
Dockers EGM of Football Peter Bell on Sean Darcy (Knee) via @SportsdayWA #AFL | #AFLPreseason pic.twitter.com/M1JPVcjKnZ
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3. Matt Flynn (GWS Giants) $170K
Flynn was managed in the AAMI community series game last week according to Giants senior coach Leon Cameron, with Braydon Preuss sidelined through injury an opening has been created at a premium fantasy scoring position. Cameron had a very short leash on Sam Jacobs last season, he opted for an ageing Shane Mumford over Jacobs. It is worth keeping in mind the potential for Cameron to make a change at any stage of the season on Flynn/Kieren Briggs or even Shane Mumford again, going all-in on Flynn at R2 with no back-up plan at emergency likely isn’t recommended. Flynn was reasonable 2 weeks ago in a practice match against Sydney in wet conditions, his disposal count may be low along with his hit outs which may represent low scores.Â
Season Projection: 55
GWS Giants: "Matty Flynn would have played this week but he rolled his ankle, we expect him to be right for Round 1"
Giants snr coach Leon Cameron#AFL | #AFLPreseason pic.twitter.com/DILiVtYVna
4. Nathan Vardy (West Coast) $268K
Vardy likely becomes quite viable in AFL Fantasy classic if Nic Naitanui is sidelined for an extended period at a minimum, as a second option in the Eagles team scoring is likely to be pretty thin. At a slightly elevated salary compared to multiple basement options Vardy can be overlooked, if options dry up then he is worth a look but don’t expect strong job security. He’s a strong play if Naitanui encounters problems.Â
Season Projection: 45 (With Naitanui) 70 as clear No.1 Ruck
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5. Riley Thilthorpe (Adelaide) $268K RUCK/FWD
It is likely we are going to see Thilthorpe at some stage this season, the No.2 draft pick in 2020 has shown promising signs during his first pre-season at AFL level. The Crows are still in the early stages of a rebuild & may want to get a fair few different looks with different structures throughout this season under senior coach Matthew Nicks which should present an opportunity for Thilthorpe, if the Crows start poorly in the forward expect the calls for a Thilthorpe debut to be loud.
Season Projection: 50
*Special mention to Josh Treacy ($170K, RUCK/FWD) who has the potential to play early in the season for Fremantle, he was assessed with a low projection of 40pts.Â
Article by @aflratingsPeteÂ
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Photo Credit: Fremantle
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