On the back of the under-18 championships, it was unsurprising to see Christian Petracca drafted second overall by the Melbourne Demons, and the rookie can now expect to find himself selected by a host of fantasy managers ahead of the 2015 season. Petracca averaged a remarkable 99 points across five games in this year’s championships, finishing third among all players and second for aggregate scoring. With those kinds of numbers, his versatility and his number-two pick in the draft, Petracca has been given dual position status with a starting price of $297,000.
Fantasy fans will be rightly wary about just throwing money at the issue in order to sign a hot prospect. Following a change to the structure of rookie pricing last season, the best first-year players like Jack Martin, Tom Boyd and Jesse Hogan cost fantasy coaches a significant investment without producing any real return, except when used as trade-down targets. Even the likes of Rising Star Lewis Taylor and exciting Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli failed to find a way past the 70-points-per-game average.
But despite those examples, Petracca looks a different breed entirely and fantasy fans might feel the risk is minimal when it comes to signing a player as naturally gifted as the youngster. Petracca finished head and shoulders ahead of anyone else in the four division-one teams with his 25-possession average, and despite averaging a goal a game, his tackling and marking rates bumped up his Fantasy tally more than enough to make him an excellent pick. Capable of playing as a forward or in midfield, it hasn’t just been his versatility that makes him such a great option to have, but it has been a factor behind his sizeable fantasy price.
Petracca isn’t the only young Demon to have been given a hefty fantasy price, with Angus Brayshaw only a little cheaper than his fellow midfielder at $296,000. The number-three pick arrives with less hype than Petracca but with some more encouraging figures from the NAB Challenge, leading some online betting fans tipping Brayshaw to start ahead of the number-two draft pick at the start of Melbourne’s AFL season. But while the two rookies have commanded large prices in their first season in the league, both players fall some way short of the Demons’ priciest players.
Midfielder trio Nathan Jones [$572,000], Bernie Vince [539,000] and Dom Tyson [$510,000] are Melbourne’s costliest fantasy players, reflecting the result Melbourne’s best and fairest standings last season. But if you’re looking for a little more value for your dollar, there are deals to be had in this Melbourne squad. The likes of defender Colin Garland [$331,000], forward/midfielder Max Gawn [$320,000] and defender Ben Newton [ $192,000] all offer a chance of a decent return at a reasonable price.
If you listen to enough fantasy fans, you’ll have already lined up Jesse Hogan among your forwards at a very tempting $194,000. The young Melbourne forward might not have played a game, but on the evidence of his performance in one NAB Challenge game, the Demons have a real player on their hands.
