Welcome to the Fantasy Form Guide for the Elimination Finals. For the finals, there are some tweaks to the rules of trading and squad selections. You now get 6 free transfers (instead of 1) for the first two rounds of the finals, and then unlimited trades for the Grand Final. Also, you can now select up to 6 players from any side (instead of 3), which increases to 8 for the Grand Final.
Ideally, you'd want to pick a maximum of 3 players from each of the Elimination Finals teams, as two of them will be out of the competition next week. If you bank heavily on two sides getting through it could be a disaster if there are upsets.
Ultimately it was the Wanderers who claimed second spot, to the relief of most fantasy coaches. This means both they and Brisbane Roar have a bye in week one. I'd recommend trading out any of their players you have as you want to have as much money in play for you each week. The only reason you should hold onto any Brisbane or Western Sydney players is because you feel you won't have the money to bring them back in the following week, and that any potential replacements will not score more than a point or two - but even that could be the difference.
Wellington, Heart, Newcastle and Perth have all been eliminated, and their players - should you still have any - will have red 'i's next to their names, meaning they are no longer active in the game. Trade them out if you can, though if you had any serving as cheap bench fodder (e.g. Boxall), they can stay there if you don't have enough trades or need the cap space.
If you have any questions on something not covered here, or just want some specific advice for your team, join me in the weekly Beamly (formerly Zeebox) Live Fantasy A-League chat on Friday at 2pm Eastern - click the link at the appropriate time and join the discussion! Otherwise you can use the comments section at the bottom of the page or contact me on Twitter. You can find the full list of squads for the Elimination Finals here.
Ideally, you'd want to pick a maximum of 3 players from each of the Elimination Finals teams, as two of them will be out of the competition next week. If you bank heavily on two sides getting through it could be a disaster if there are upsets.
Ultimately it was the Wanderers who claimed second spot, to the relief of most fantasy coaches. This means both they and Brisbane Roar have a bye in week one. I'd recommend trading out any of their players you have as you want to have as much money in play for you each week. The only reason you should hold onto any Brisbane or Western Sydney players is because you feel you won't have the money to bring them back in the following week, and that any potential replacements will not score more than a point or two - but even that could be the difference.
Wellington, Heart, Newcastle and Perth have all been eliminated, and their players - should you still have any - will have red 'i's next to their names, meaning they are no longer active in the game. Trade them out if you can, though if you had any serving as cheap bench fodder (e.g. Boxall), they can stay there if you don't have enough trades or need the cap space.
If you have any questions on something not covered here, or just want some specific advice for your team, join me in the weekly Beamly (formerly Zeebox) Live Fantasy A-League chat on Friday at 2pm Eastern - click the link at the appropriate time and join the discussion! Otherwise you can use the comments section at the bottom of the page or contact me on Twitter. You can find the full list of squads for the Elimination Finals here.
Melbourne Victory (4th) v Sydney FC (5th)
Victory unavailable: Adrian Leijer, Tom Rogic (injured)
Sydney unavailable: Pedj Bojic, Rhyan Grant, Terry McFlynn (injured)
Captaincy options: James Troisi, Kosta Barbarouses, Gui Finkler, Mark Milligan, Alessandro Del Piero
The Victory are heading into the finals in reasonable form, having won 3 and drawn 2 out of their last 6. They also defeated the reigning Asian Champions on Tuesday night, so will come into this game with some confidence. Counting against them is their poor record against Sydney FC this season - 2 losses (including a 5-0 at home) and most recently a draw. James Troisi is a must have player, scoring 153 points in the regular season. Adding to his 12 goals and 8 assists in the A-League is the fact that he's scored in both of the Victory's last two ACL games. He did play 90 minutes on Tuesday night, however he's surely too important to the Victory to be left out of Friday's team. Kosta Barbarouses also played 90 minutes in the ACL, however he may also be too difficult to ignore after 3 assists against the Phoenix last weekend. Gui Finkler is a prime candidate for your midfield and will certainly start having been left out of the Victory's ACL squad. Alternative picks include Archie Thompson, who scored last week and did not play Tuesday. Nathan Coe has resumed as Victory's #1 keeper, so move on Lawrence Thomas if you have him. Granted, you'd want to avoid Victory's goalkeepers and defenders considering they have not kept a clean sheet since Round 10 (at home to Perth). Mark Milligan may be a cheeky pick for your midfield, with the Victory's penalty taker scoring 3 in his last 2 in the A-League and also in the ACL on Tuesday. Tom Rogic's injury struggles rule him out of fantasy contention for the time being.
Sydney making the finals ahead of Newcastle is a disappointment for fantasy coaches, as it removes both Taggart and Carney from the game and gives us little in return. Like the Victory, Sydney come into the finals having won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 6. Sydney haven't kept a clean sheet since Round 20, so it goes without saying you should avoid their defenders. If you are really struggling Matt Jurman is cheap enough to do a job for you, though preferably as bench cover. If you have the cash, Alessandro Del Piero loves the big stage and could be the game breaker for the Sky Blues here - he has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last two games, and has scored 3 goals against the Victory this season. Other Sydney players to consider are midfielders Richard Garcia and Terry Antonis, who both scored last week. There are better options available in midfield from the other 3 Elimination Finals teams, however for the sake of balancing the amount of players from each of the teams in your line-up you might have to look at selecting one of them. Ranko Despotovic did not play last week despite being named in the squad; he's named once again here but I wouldn't risk picking him.
Sydney unavailable: Pedj Bojic, Rhyan Grant, Terry McFlynn (injured)
Captaincy options: James Troisi, Kosta Barbarouses, Gui Finkler, Mark Milligan, Alessandro Del Piero
The Victory are heading into the finals in reasonable form, having won 3 and drawn 2 out of their last 6. They also defeated the reigning Asian Champions on Tuesday night, so will come into this game with some confidence. Counting against them is their poor record against Sydney FC this season - 2 losses (including a 5-0 at home) and most recently a draw. James Troisi is a must have player, scoring 153 points in the regular season. Adding to his 12 goals and 8 assists in the A-League is the fact that he's scored in both of the Victory's last two ACL games. He did play 90 minutes on Tuesday night, however he's surely too important to the Victory to be left out of Friday's team. Kosta Barbarouses also played 90 minutes in the ACL, however he may also be too difficult to ignore after 3 assists against the Phoenix last weekend. Gui Finkler is a prime candidate for your midfield and will certainly start having been left out of the Victory's ACL squad. Alternative picks include Archie Thompson, who scored last week and did not play Tuesday. Nathan Coe has resumed as Victory's #1 keeper, so move on Lawrence Thomas if you have him. Granted, you'd want to avoid Victory's goalkeepers and defenders considering they have not kept a clean sheet since Round 10 (at home to Perth). Mark Milligan may be a cheeky pick for your midfield, with the Victory's penalty taker scoring 3 in his last 2 in the A-League and also in the ACL on Tuesday. Tom Rogic's injury struggles rule him out of fantasy contention for the time being.
Sydney making the finals ahead of Newcastle is a disappointment for fantasy coaches, as it removes both Taggart and Carney from the game and gives us little in return. Like the Victory, Sydney come into the finals having won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 6. Sydney haven't kept a clean sheet since Round 20, so it goes without saying you should avoid their defenders. If you are really struggling Matt Jurman is cheap enough to do a job for you, though preferably as bench cover. If you have the cash, Alessandro Del Piero loves the big stage and could be the game breaker for the Sky Blues here - he has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last two games, and has scored 3 goals against the Victory this season. Other Sydney players to consider are midfielders Richard Garcia and Terry Antonis, who both scored last week. There are better options available in midfield from the other 3 Elimination Finals teams, however for the sake of balancing the amount of players from each of the teams in your line-up you might have to look at selecting one of them. Ranko Despotovic did not play last week despite being named in the squad; he's named once again here but I wouldn't risk picking him.
Central Coast Mariners (3rd) v Adelaide UTD (6th)
Mariners unavailable: Marcos Flores, Adam Kwasnik, Michael Neill, Marcel Seip (injured), Michael McGlinchey (out on loan), Matt Sim (omitted)
United unavailable: Cassio, Michael Marrone, Jake Barker-Daish (injured), Tarek Elrich (suspended)
Captaincy options: Bernie Ibini, Kim Seung-yong, Marcelo Carrusca, Fabio Ferreira, Cirio
Central Coast come into Saturday's game having lost their last two against the Reds, though they won their sole home game against Gombau's men in Round 3 1-0. They've also won 4 of their last 5 in the A-League, the lone blemish a 3-1 loss in Perth two weeks ago. Since then the Mariners have unveiled a new game plan, deploying 5 defenders against the Roar to great success and against FC Seoul last night, where they were undone by a comical late own goal. Given that Adelaide play a similar style to the Roar it's likely they'll opt to stick with their new shape, meaning it should be a tight game on Saturday. So, given we need to look at defenders it's likely at least one of them will come from the Mariners, along with Liam Reddy in goals. Eddy Bosnar missed the ACL game through an ankle niggle and therefore must be considered a small doubt for the weekend, despite being named in the squad. Alternate options include Storm Roux - who picked up an assist last week - and Zac Anderson; Marcel Seip is out with a knee injury. The Mariners also provide decent options in midfield, namely Bernie Ibini (who only played 34 minutes last night, and also had an assist against the Roar) and Kim Seung-yong (who played 70 minutes in the ACL after missing out against the Roar). Nick Fitzgerald - an unused substitute in the ACL - has scored in each of his last two A-League games and also netted the winner against the Reds in Round 3. If you're short on cash and forward line options, he comes into consideration.
The Reds have never won a domestic league (i.e. NSL & A-League) final away from home, and have conceded 4 goals or more in 4 of those matches. They've also lost their last 6 at Gosford and not won there since January 2009. The Reds have won the last 2 against the Mariners, but both at Hindmarsh, and come into the finals with only 3 wins from their last 8 games. So with history well and truly against the Reds, and form a little shaky, it'd be understandable if fantasy coaches want to avoid banking too heavily Gombau's men. That said, in case the Reds do manage to pull off an upset, it'd be handy to have a couple of their players in your squad. Fabio Ferreira may not be as dominant away from Hindmarsh as he is when playing in front of the Reds' faithful, however he and fellow winger Cirio are two key attacking outlets for Adelaide. Ferreira is the better option given that as a midfielder, his goals are worth more, though Cirio provides us with a mid priced forward option, which may be rarer in the finals. For those looking for a temporary premium midfield replacement for Broich, Marcelo Carrusca is worth considering given he has scored two important goals for the Reds against Wellington and the Heart. Tarek Elrich's suspension and Michael Marrone's injury saw cheap defender Jordan Elsey play at right back against the Jets, however he was well-beaten on the night so I would not bank on him continuing there, especially with Jon McKain returning (freeing up Osama Malik to play there) and Daniel Bowles being included in the preliminary squad (but unlikely to play). The only Reds defender worth considering is Michael Zullo, given his attacking sensibilities. That said, he only has 3 assists so far this season, and I would not be banking on the Reds keeping a clean sheet here. Those strapped for cash might look to Awer Mabil, but given his limited minutes he simply can't be relied on for points, while Jeronimo is not worth picking given he's not currently first choice.
United unavailable: Cassio, Michael Marrone, Jake Barker-Daish (injured), Tarek Elrich (suspended)
Captaincy options: Bernie Ibini, Kim Seung-yong, Marcelo Carrusca, Fabio Ferreira, Cirio
Central Coast come into Saturday's game having lost their last two against the Reds, though they won their sole home game against Gombau's men in Round 3 1-0. They've also won 4 of their last 5 in the A-League, the lone blemish a 3-1 loss in Perth two weeks ago. Since then the Mariners have unveiled a new game plan, deploying 5 defenders against the Roar to great success and against FC Seoul last night, where they were undone by a comical late own goal. Given that Adelaide play a similar style to the Roar it's likely they'll opt to stick with their new shape, meaning it should be a tight game on Saturday. So, given we need to look at defenders it's likely at least one of them will come from the Mariners, along with Liam Reddy in goals. Eddy Bosnar missed the ACL game through an ankle niggle and therefore must be considered a small doubt for the weekend, despite being named in the squad. Alternate options include Storm Roux - who picked up an assist last week - and Zac Anderson; Marcel Seip is out with a knee injury. The Mariners also provide decent options in midfield, namely Bernie Ibini (who only played 34 minutes last night, and also had an assist against the Roar) and Kim Seung-yong (who played 70 minutes in the ACL after missing out against the Roar). Nick Fitzgerald - an unused substitute in the ACL - has scored in each of his last two A-League games and also netted the winner against the Reds in Round 3. If you're short on cash and forward line options, he comes into consideration.
The Reds have never won a domestic league (i.e. NSL & A-League) final away from home, and have conceded 4 goals or more in 4 of those matches. They've also lost their last 6 at Gosford and not won there since January 2009. The Reds have won the last 2 against the Mariners, but both at Hindmarsh, and come into the finals with only 3 wins from their last 8 games. So with history well and truly against the Reds, and form a little shaky, it'd be understandable if fantasy coaches want to avoid banking too heavily Gombau's men. That said, in case the Reds do manage to pull off an upset, it'd be handy to have a couple of their players in your squad. Fabio Ferreira may not be as dominant away from Hindmarsh as he is when playing in front of the Reds' faithful, however he and fellow winger Cirio are two key attacking outlets for Adelaide. Ferreira is the better option given that as a midfielder, his goals are worth more, though Cirio provides us with a mid priced forward option, which may be rarer in the finals. For those looking for a temporary premium midfield replacement for Broich, Marcelo Carrusca is worth considering given he has scored two important goals for the Reds against Wellington and the Heart. Tarek Elrich's suspension and Michael Marrone's injury saw cheap defender Jordan Elsey play at right back against the Jets, however he was well-beaten on the night so I would not bank on him continuing there, especially with Jon McKain returning (freeing up Osama Malik to play there) and Daniel Bowles being included in the preliminary squad (but unlikely to play). The only Reds defender worth considering is Michael Zullo, given his attacking sensibilities. That said, he only has 3 assists so far this season, and I would not be banking on the Reds keeping a clean sheet here. Those strapped for cash might look to Awer Mabil, but given his limited minutes he simply can't be relied on for points, while Jeronimo is not worth picking given he's not currently first choice.
That's all for the Elimination Finals edition of the Fantasy A-League Form Guide. If there's anything I've failed to mention here that you'd like advice on you can use the comments section, contact me on Twitter, or join in the Beamly (formerly Zeebox) chat on Fridays at 2pm Eastern. And if you enjoyed the article, please use the buttons below to share it with your mates on Twitter and Facebook! Cheers, and best of luck to your teams in the finals!