Welcome back fantasy fans, it's time for another Fantasy A-League Form Guide. Last weekend saw a number of fantasy relevant happenings - Adam Taggart ripped apart the hapless Heart with a scintillating hat trick, while Ranko Despotovic scored the winner off the bench for Sydney FC. There were more issues for the Glory in their home loss to the Mariners, with William Gallas coming off early and then Scott Jamieson suffering a likely-season ending injury. The Mariners featured a couple of interesting changes to their line up under new manager Phil Moss, while Mitch Nichols got off the mark against an embarrassed Adelaide United, who again lost Cassio to injury. Likewise, Brendon Santalab finally found the back of the net; unfortunately it came in a 3-1 defeat to the Roar, where both Besart Berisha and Ivan Franjic marked their returns with goals.
If you have any questions on something not covered here, or just want some specific advice for your team, I will again be participating in the Zeebox Live Fantasy A-League chat on Friday at around 2pm Eastern, so click the link above at the appropriate time and join the discussion! Otherwise you can use the comments section at the bottom of the page or hit me up on Twitter. You can find the official A-League squad lists for Round 8 here.
If you have any questions on something not covered here, or just want some specific advice for your team, I will again be participating in the Zeebox Live Fantasy A-League chat on Friday at around 2pm Eastern, so click the link above at the appropriate time and join the discussion! Otherwise you can use the comments section at the bottom of the page or hit me up on Twitter. You can find the official A-League squad lists for Round 8 here.
Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne Victory
Mariners unavailable: Tom Slater (injured)
Victory unavailable: Adrian Leijer, Leigh Broxham (suspended)
Captaincy options: Daniel McBreen, Marcos Flores, Kosta Barbarouses, James Troisi, Archie Thompson, Mitch Nichols
Phil Moss' first game in charge of the reigning Champions provided an interesting selection, with talented young defender Zac Anderson mysteriously omitted from the squad, replaced by Brent Griffiths. At just $119k Griffiths, should he keep his spot in the Mariners' back four, is another cheap defensive option to consider. I'd be wary of adding him if you already have Storm Roux, unless it's with a view to the Mariners' double header in Round 11. Daniel McBreen was forced to start from the bench thanks to illness, replaced in the starting line-up by Matt Simon (cheers to Lee Hatherell for the info on why he was benched). Marcos Flores again failed to make an impact fantasy-wise, also failing to register a shot and creating only two chances. He'll be hoping to arrest this slide against his previous team on Friday night. Michael McGlinchey scored his first goal of the season and took man of the match honours. While I think he'll still be a reliable scorer, don't expect the same impact he had last year at #10 when playing on the left of midfield; he's quite expensive at $343k too. Mitchell Duke, playing on the right of midfield is reverse OOP, but he's still a goal threat as he showed by grabbing the winner. Fantasy coaches in desperate need of some extra funds will be happy to see that Liam Reddy has retained his spot in goals under Moss. Though probably having the worst job security of any first choice keeper, at $151k he's probably too cheap to pass up, especially given the restrictive cap this season. At the Victory, while Adrian Leijer lost the plot and got himself sent off, Leigh Broxham replaced Jason Geira at right back and Rashid Mahazi lined up in midfield alongside Mark Milligan. Really, neither of these players should be considered for your team, while Geira should be traded out once Broxham returns from his suspension despite Muscat's comment that neither he nor Leijer were assured instant returns. James Troisi's reaction to being subbed off early is not what fantasy coaches want to see, considering Mitch Nichols scored and grabbed an assist while Gui Finkler still waits for a chance to start. Kosta Barbarouses also got off the mark and Archie Thompson added his third for the season. There's certainly plenty of points to be had in the Victory's 4 forward players, however they won't play a defence as leaky and undisciplined as Adelaide's every week. The Mariners at home should prove a much tougher proposition.
Last season the two sides shared the points at Etihad in a 2-2 draw, with Andrew Nabbout and Milligan scoring for the Victory while McBreen netted twice for the ten-man Mariners. The teams also drew in Launceston, the match finishing 1-1 with McBreen cancelling out then-Victory player Flores' opener. In the third encounter, the Mariners sensationally smashed the Victory 6-2, with McGlinchey netting a hat trick and Duke a brace, while Nick Fitzgerald and Milligan (from the spot) also scored, as did Trent Sainsbury - at the wrong end. Finally, the Mariners ended the Victory's season by beating them 1-0 in the semi final, McBreen once again finding the back of the Victory's net. Based on last season, McBreen is clearly a captaincy option, assuming he's recovered and Moss doesn't start Simon again. Similarly, before jumping on McGlinchey based on his hat trick last season, keep in mind that was when he was playing as #10; here, he will play on the left, while Duke now plays on the right rather than #9. Flores surely will want to make a mark against his old team (who are still paying him) and the Victory have in the past been vulnerable defensively in the areas he likes to play - hence McGlinchey's success against them at #10 in the 6-2 last season. Any of Victory's 4 attackers are worth a shout as captain, though players in other games are probably far more likely propositions - especially when considering the Victory haven't won in Gosford since December 2010, and that the Mariners have held them scoreless there in 4 out of the last 6 encounters.
Victory unavailable: Adrian Leijer, Leigh Broxham (suspended)
Captaincy options: Daniel McBreen, Marcos Flores, Kosta Barbarouses, James Troisi, Archie Thompson, Mitch Nichols
Phil Moss' first game in charge of the reigning Champions provided an interesting selection, with talented young defender Zac Anderson mysteriously omitted from the squad, replaced by Brent Griffiths. At just $119k Griffiths, should he keep his spot in the Mariners' back four, is another cheap defensive option to consider. I'd be wary of adding him if you already have Storm Roux, unless it's with a view to the Mariners' double header in Round 11. Daniel McBreen was forced to start from the bench thanks to illness, replaced in the starting line-up by Matt Simon (cheers to Lee Hatherell for the info on why he was benched). Marcos Flores again failed to make an impact fantasy-wise, also failing to register a shot and creating only two chances. He'll be hoping to arrest this slide against his previous team on Friday night. Michael McGlinchey scored his first goal of the season and took man of the match honours. While I think he'll still be a reliable scorer, don't expect the same impact he had last year at #10 when playing on the left of midfield; he's quite expensive at $343k too. Mitchell Duke, playing on the right of midfield is reverse OOP, but he's still a goal threat as he showed by grabbing the winner. Fantasy coaches in desperate need of some extra funds will be happy to see that Liam Reddy has retained his spot in goals under Moss. Though probably having the worst job security of any first choice keeper, at $151k he's probably too cheap to pass up, especially given the restrictive cap this season. At the Victory, while Adrian Leijer lost the plot and got himself sent off, Leigh Broxham replaced Jason Geira at right back and Rashid Mahazi lined up in midfield alongside Mark Milligan. Really, neither of these players should be considered for your team, while Geira should be traded out once Broxham returns from his suspension despite Muscat's comment that neither he nor Leijer were assured instant returns. James Troisi's reaction to being subbed off early is not what fantasy coaches want to see, considering Mitch Nichols scored and grabbed an assist while Gui Finkler still waits for a chance to start. Kosta Barbarouses also got off the mark and Archie Thompson added his third for the season. There's certainly plenty of points to be had in the Victory's 4 forward players, however they won't play a defence as leaky and undisciplined as Adelaide's every week. The Mariners at home should prove a much tougher proposition.
Last season the two sides shared the points at Etihad in a 2-2 draw, with Andrew Nabbout and Milligan scoring for the Victory while McBreen netted twice for the ten-man Mariners. The teams also drew in Launceston, the match finishing 1-1 with McBreen cancelling out then-Victory player Flores' opener. In the third encounter, the Mariners sensationally smashed the Victory 6-2, with McGlinchey netting a hat trick and Duke a brace, while Nick Fitzgerald and Milligan (from the spot) also scored, as did Trent Sainsbury - at the wrong end. Finally, the Mariners ended the Victory's season by beating them 1-0 in the semi final, McBreen once again finding the back of the Victory's net. Based on last season, McBreen is clearly a captaincy option, assuming he's recovered and Moss doesn't start Simon again. Similarly, before jumping on McGlinchey based on his hat trick last season, keep in mind that was when he was playing as #10; here, he will play on the left, while Duke now plays on the right rather than #9. Flores surely will want to make a mark against his old team (who are still paying him) and the Victory have in the past been vulnerable defensively in the areas he likes to play - hence McGlinchey's success against them at #10 in the 6-2 last season. Any of Victory's 4 attackers are worth a shout as captain, though players in other games are probably far more likely propositions - especially when considering the Victory haven't won in Gosford since December 2010, and that the Mariners have held them scoreless there in 4 out of the last 6 encounters.
Brisbane Roar v Perth Glory
Roar unavailable: Shane Stefanutto, Liam Miller, George Lambadaridis, Michael Theo, Jade North (injured)
Glory unavailable: Scott Jamieson, Travis Dodd, Josh Risdon, William Gallas (injured), Jacob Burns (suspended)
Captaincy options: Besart Berisha, Ivan Franjic
Perth Glory copped a double blow to their defence last weekend, with William Gallas injuring his calf and Scott Jamieson now likely out for the season. If you've held onto Steve Pantelidis, Gallas' injury gives you a 1 or 3-week reprieve (depending who you listen to) from having to trade him, while it remains to be seen who Ali Edwards will give the left back spot to - coaches will be hoping it's $73k cheapie Riley Woodcock. Jamie Maclaren punished those of us who benched him expecting Shane Smeltz to return to the starting line up with a well-taken goal. Will Edwards drop his goalscorer in favour of the more experienced Smeltz? If you have Maclaren, it's another fantasy headache for you. Intriguingly, both Ryan and Cameron Edwards started against the Mariners; while neither are worthy of a starting spot in your side, if they manage to keep their spots they provide us with two cheap bench options. I'd hold off on bringing on Smeltz until he's starting and looking like scoring. Sidnei and Ryo Nagai remain decent but unspectacular mid price forward options. The Roar meanwhile will be looking for more goals after dispatching the Wanderers. Besart Berisha came straight into the starting line up and scored, as did Ivan Franjic, who started in central midfield and will again this week with Liam Miller still out. Kwame Yeboah came off the Bunnings to show he's not done yet, but I wouldn't be relying on players who aren't starting for goals. With the big guns starting to return, the cheapie Roar replacements are going to need to be traded out soon if you have any. Thomas Broich, meanwhile, continues to struggle for points playing left wing. Michael Theo's late injury may see him traded out of many teams this weekend, probably for Liam Reddy.
Last season Billy Mehmet scored off the bench to give Perth a 1-0 win at home in the opening round, then followed up with a 1-0 win at Suncorp in Mike Mulvey's first game in charge of the Roar, with Steven McGarry the scorer. The Roar then got some degree of revenge by beating the Glory on their own turf, James Meyer getting the only goal of the game. With little to go on from last season - both teams also underwent midyear coaching changes - form should dictate your captaincy choice here. It's hard to look past Berisha or Franjic (unless you have a couple of players in the next game), especially with the Roar at home and Perth copping further injuries in defence.
Glory unavailable: Scott Jamieson, Travis Dodd, Josh Risdon, William Gallas (injured), Jacob Burns (suspended)
Captaincy options: Besart Berisha, Ivan Franjic
Perth Glory copped a double blow to their defence last weekend, with William Gallas injuring his calf and Scott Jamieson now likely out for the season. If you've held onto Steve Pantelidis, Gallas' injury gives you a 1 or 3-week reprieve (depending who you listen to) from having to trade him, while it remains to be seen who Ali Edwards will give the left back spot to - coaches will be hoping it's $73k cheapie Riley Woodcock. Jamie Maclaren punished those of us who benched him expecting Shane Smeltz to return to the starting line up with a well-taken goal. Will Edwards drop his goalscorer in favour of the more experienced Smeltz? If you have Maclaren, it's another fantasy headache for you. Intriguingly, both Ryan and Cameron Edwards started against the Mariners; while neither are worthy of a starting spot in your side, if they manage to keep their spots they provide us with two cheap bench options. I'd hold off on bringing on Smeltz until he's starting and looking like scoring. Sidnei and Ryo Nagai remain decent but unspectacular mid price forward options. The Roar meanwhile will be looking for more goals after dispatching the Wanderers. Besart Berisha came straight into the starting line up and scored, as did Ivan Franjic, who started in central midfield and will again this week with Liam Miller still out. Kwame Yeboah came off the Bunnings to show he's not done yet, but I wouldn't be relying on players who aren't starting for goals. With the big guns starting to return, the cheapie Roar replacements are going to need to be traded out soon if you have any. Thomas Broich, meanwhile, continues to struggle for points playing left wing. Michael Theo's late injury may see him traded out of many teams this weekend, probably for Liam Reddy.
Last season Billy Mehmet scored off the bench to give Perth a 1-0 win at home in the opening round, then followed up with a 1-0 win at Suncorp in Mike Mulvey's first game in charge of the Roar, with Steven McGarry the scorer. The Roar then got some degree of revenge by beating the Glory on their own turf, James Meyer getting the only goal of the game. With little to go on from last season - both teams also underwent midyear coaching changes - form should dictate your captaincy choice here. It's hard to look past Berisha or Franjic (unless you have a couple of players in the next game), especially with the Roar at home and Perth copping further injuries in defence.
Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets
Sydney unavailable: Tiago, Pedj Bojic (suspended), Peter Triantis, Rhyan Grant, Terry Antonis, Corey Gameiro (injured)
Jets unavailable: Connor Chapman (injured), Josh Mitchell (omitted)
Captaincy options: Alessandro Del Piero, Adam Taggart
After poor starts to the season, both sides come into this fixture on the back of 3 straight victories. No player is hotter in the competition right now than Adam Taggart, whose hat trick on the weekend separated the coaches who have him from those who do not. With 6 goals in the last 3 games (the last 6 goals the Jets have scored) and priced at just $221k, he's likely going to be the most traded in player this round. Of course, the conundrum for those who don't have him is that by bringing him you are chasing points already scored, and making your team more similar to those already ahead of you. Of course, if he keeps on scoring you're going to get left further behind if you don't have him. His rise also spells trouble for Andrew Hoole, who was frustratingly dragged from the field after 50 minutes for Emile Heskey. If you have Hoole, you may have to consider moving him on soon. Sam Gallaway frustratingly missed out again through injury, however he is listed in the squad this round; once he returns he may provide a cheap option to swap Hoole with. Scott Neville is also reliable and reasonably priced. For Sydney FC, it appears that Chris Naumoff may be the one to make way for Ranko Despotovic rather than Joel Chianese, however if this is the case Chianese will be playing wide on the left, making him a less attractive option than most forwards despite his cheaper price. Obviously fantasy coaches would prefer Naumoff to keep his spot, given he's listed as a midfielder and one of the cheapest players in the game. Despotovic could not have hoped for a better start, coming off the Bunnings to score the winner. At $200k, he's another mid-priced forward option to consider, though coaches may wish to wait and see how effective he is across 90 minutes before jumping on.
In Round 1 the Sky Blues caught the Jets with their pants down, with goals from Alessandro Del Piero and Chianese leading Farina's men to a 2-0 win on opening night. Last season the Jets won 3-2 away and 2-1 at home, with the two teams also playing out a 2-2 draw in Newcastle. Del Piero, Heskey and Goodwin all scored two goals in those games, and Ryan Griffiths netted 3 times. Clearly if you have either Del Piero or Taggart, they will be your captain this round; if you have both, go with whoever you think is most likely. Personally, I'd go with Del Piero as Sydney are at home and only one of Taggart's goals has come away (against Adelaide's shambolic defence). Newcastle have kept a clean sheet just once away to the Sky Blues (in January 2006!). Also Del Piero obviously has a longer history of scoring goals than Taggart.
Jets unavailable: Connor Chapman (injured), Josh Mitchell (omitted)
Captaincy options: Alessandro Del Piero, Adam Taggart
After poor starts to the season, both sides come into this fixture on the back of 3 straight victories. No player is hotter in the competition right now than Adam Taggart, whose hat trick on the weekend separated the coaches who have him from those who do not. With 6 goals in the last 3 games (the last 6 goals the Jets have scored) and priced at just $221k, he's likely going to be the most traded in player this round. Of course, the conundrum for those who don't have him is that by bringing him you are chasing points already scored, and making your team more similar to those already ahead of you. Of course, if he keeps on scoring you're going to get left further behind if you don't have him. His rise also spells trouble for Andrew Hoole, who was frustratingly dragged from the field after 50 minutes for Emile Heskey. If you have Hoole, you may have to consider moving him on soon. Sam Gallaway frustratingly missed out again through injury, however he is listed in the squad this round; once he returns he may provide a cheap option to swap Hoole with. Scott Neville is also reliable and reasonably priced. For Sydney FC, it appears that Chris Naumoff may be the one to make way for Ranko Despotovic rather than Joel Chianese, however if this is the case Chianese will be playing wide on the left, making him a less attractive option than most forwards despite his cheaper price. Obviously fantasy coaches would prefer Naumoff to keep his spot, given he's listed as a midfielder and one of the cheapest players in the game. Despotovic could not have hoped for a better start, coming off the Bunnings to score the winner. At $200k, he's another mid-priced forward option to consider, though coaches may wish to wait and see how effective he is across 90 minutes before jumping on.
In Round 1 the Sky Blues caught the Jets with their pants down, with goals from Alessandro Del Piero and Chianese leading Farina's men to a 2-0 win on opening night. Last season the Jets won 3-2 away and 2-1 at home, with the two teams also playing out a 2-2 draw in Newcastle. Del Piero, Heskey and Goodwin all scored two goals in those games, and Ryan Griffiths netted 3 times. Clearly if you have either Del Piero or Taggart, they will be your captain this round; if you have both, go with whoever you think is most likely. Personally, I'd go with Del Piero as Sydney are at home and only one of Taggart's goals has come away (against Adelaide's shambolic defence). Newcastle have kept a clean sheet just once away to the Sky Blues (in January 2006!). Also Del Piero obviously has a longer history of scoring goals than Taggart.
Wellington Phoenix v Western Sydney Wanderers
Phoenix unavailable: Reece Caira (omitted), Jeremy Brockie (injured)
Wanderers unavailable: Tomi Juric, Shinji Ono, Youssouf Hersi (injured)
Captaincy options: Mark Bridge, Jerome Polenz
After conceding 3 goals for the first time in their history, the Wanderers must travel to Wellington to face one of the league's two remaining winless sides. Really Wellington provide us with few fantasy options currently; Jeremy Brockie obviously is going to be a threat most weeks, while Carlos Hernandez has registered 3 assists in the last 3 rounds; I still feel he's overpriced, however, and will need to add regular goals to really be worth the $296k. Kenny Cunningham got off the mark last week but despite his cheap price, he is difficult to recommend while he's not starting - though he may this round with Brockie out injured. Reece Caira and Jason Hicks are cheap bench fodder - or Caira was until his omission from the squad this week - but that's about it for Wellington. Jerome Polenz remains the Wanderers' top point scorer and his moderate price makes him a great option if you don't already have him. However, be wary that he's 1 yellow card away from a suspension, plus his tendency to make dangerous tackles puts him at risk of further time out. Matthew Spiranovic's replacement of captain Michael Beauchamp provides coaches with a slightly cheaper alternative to Polenz, though with less potential for goals or assists and lower job security. Shannon Cole may seem a tempting (and cheap) OOP prospect, however once Youssouf Hersi returns he'll likely be confined to the Bunnings. Similarly, I wouldn't be jumping onto Brendon Santalab, who finally got off the mark last week. He still looks very uncertain in front of goal and will eventually lose his spot to Tomi Juric, once he returns from injury. Struggling gun Shinji Ono also misses the trip to Wellington.
Earlier this season these teams played out a 1-1 draw, with Brockie's strike cancelling out Polenz's opener. The Phoenix won the first encounter between these sides last season, when Brockie scored that incredible wind-assisted goal, while the Wanderers won in Wellington 2-0 thanks to goals from Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Labinot Haliti, and then 2-1 at home. Both Ono and Bridge converted a penalty in that game, while Brockie scored again for the Nix. Having already found the Wanderers net 3 times, Brockie would have been the strongest candidate for captaincy here, against a team missing three key players - however, he's out with a hamstring injury. For the Wanderers, Mark Bridge seems to be starting to find some form, so he may be worth a shout if you have him but none of the stronger candidates in other games, as may be Polenz if you think the Wanderers can pick up their 3rd clean sheet on the road this season - admittedly the other 2 coming against the Heart and Sydney at their lowest ebb, but Brockie is missing this weekend.
Wanderers unavailable: Tomi Juric, Shinji Ono, Youssouf Hersi (injured)
Captaincy options: Mark Bridge, Jerome Polenz
After conceding 3 goals for the first time in their history, the Wanderers must travel to Wellington to face one of the league's two remaining winless sides. Really Wellington provide us with few fantasy options currently; Jeremy Brockie obviously is going to be a threat most weeks, while Carlos Hernandez has registered 3 assists in the last 3 rounds; I still feel he's overpriced, however, and will need to add regular goals to really be worth the $296k. Kenny Cunningham got off the mark last week but despite his cheap price, he is difficult to recommend while he's not starting - though he may this round with Brockie out injured. Reece Caira and Jason Hicks are cheap bench fodder - or Caira was until his omission from the squad this week - but that's about it for Wellington. Jerome Polenz remains the Wanderers' top point scorer and his moderate price makes him a great option if you don't already have him. However, be wary that he's 1 yellow card away from a suspension, plus his tendency to make dangerous tackles puts him at risk of further time out. Matthew Spiranovic's replacement of captain Michael Beauchamp provides coaches with a slightly cheaper alternative to Polenz, though with less potential for goals or assists and lower job security. Shannon Cole may seem a tempting (and cheap) OOP prospect, however once Youssouf Hersi returns he'll likely be confined to the Bunnings. Similarly, I wouldn't be jumping onto Brendon Santalab, who finally got off the mark last week. He still looks very uncertain in front of goal and will eventually lose his spot to Tomi Juric, once he returns from injury. Struggling gun Shinji Ono also misses the trip to Wellington.
Earlier this season these teams played out a 1-1 draw, with Brockie's strike cancelling out Polenz's opener. The Phoenix won the first encounter between these sides last season, when Brockie scored that incredible wind-assisted goal, while the Wanderers won in Wellington 2-0 thanks to goals from Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Labinot Haliti, and then 2-1 at home. Both Ono and Bridge converted a penalty in that game, while Brockie scored again for the Nix. Having already found the Wanderers net 3 times, Brockie would have been the strongest candidate for captaincy here, against a team missing three key players - however, he's out with a hamstring injury. For the Wanderers, Mark Bridge seems to be starting to find some form, so he may be worth a shout if you have him but none of the stronger candidates in other games, as may be Polenz if you think the Wanderers can pick up their 3rd clean sheet on the road this season - admittedly the other 2 coming against the Heart and Sydney at their lowest ebb, but Brockie is missing this weekend.
Melbourne Heart v Adelaide United
Heart unavailable: Dylan Macallister, Orlando Engelaar, Jonatan Germano (injured), Paulo Retre (omitted)
United unavailable: Daniel Bowles, Paul Izzo, Cassio (injured), Jon McKain (illness)
Captaincy options: (none)
It's difficult to recommend any players from either of these teams at the moment. Both sides are struggling to create good goal scoring opportunities, which is always bad for fantasy football. Jeronimo is a different player away from the confines of Coopers Stadium, where he is a constant goal threat. Fortunately for him and Adelaide, after their Melbourne double-header is completed they have 6 of the next 8 at home. Perhaps then some of the Reds players will come back into fantasy relevancy, including Fabio Ferreira. Michael Zullo's OOP prospects have been shelved by a long-term injury to Cassio. While the Reds did have 22 shots against the Victory, just 5 were on target - 3 from outside the box and 1 other Cirio's saved penalty. Likewise the Heart, who finally scored through Andrea Migliorini's deflected strike, only managed 4 shots on target, 3 from outside the box (including the goal). This game against Adelaide may represent John Aloisi's last chance to elevate Heart out of the doldrums before he's shown the door; he'll be hoping that the likes of Michael Mifsud or David Williams (again playing as a #10, from where he scored 2 goals against the Mariners) can capitalise on Adelaide's high line and penchant for defensive mistakes. Harry Kewell has been included in the squad but it remains to be seen whether he will actually make it onto the park, and if so how long for. Considering his price and lack of durability, he's not someone I'd be rushing to get into my team anyway.
Last season Adelaide got the better of the Heart on two occasions, with Jeronimo leading the Reds to a 1-0 win at Coopers Stadium while a Dario Vidosic penalty and a strike from Iain Ramsay, now at Heart, sealed a 2-0 win at AAMI Park in March - this represents both Adelaide's last away win and clean sheet. The Reds no doubt will be hoping history repeats, however the previous encounter in Melbourne ended in a 2-0 win for the Heart, with Josip Tadic and Richard Garcia getting the goals. With no one having form in the fixtures (keeping in mind Jeronimo's goalless run outside of Adelaide in the A-League) and both teams travelling so poorly, I'd be looking elsewhere for a captain.
United unavailable: Daniel Bowles, Paul Izzo, Cassio (injured), Jon McKain (illness)
Captaincy options: (none)
It's difficult to recommend any players from either of these teams at the moment. Both sides are struggling to create good goal scoring opportunities, which is always bad for fantasy football. Jeronimo is a different player away from the confines of Coopers Stadium, where he is a constant goal threat. Fortunately for him and Adelaide, after their Melbourne double-header is completed they have 6 of the next 8 at home. Perhaps then some of the Reds players will come back into fantasy relevancy, including Fabio Ferreira. Michael Zullo's OOP prospects have been shelved by a long-term injury to Cassio. While the Reds did have 22 shots against the Victory, just 5 were on target - 3 from outside the box and 1 other Cirio's saved penalty. Likewise the Heart, who finally scored through Andrea Migliorini's deflected strike, only managed 4 shots on target, 3 from outside the box (including the goal). This game against Adelaide may represent John Aloisi's last chance to elevate Heart out of the doldrums before he's shown the door; he'll be hoping that the likes of Michael Mifsud or David Williams (again playing as a #10, from where he scored 2 goals against the Mariners) can capitalise on Adelaide's high line and penchant for defensive mistakes. Harry Kewell has been included in the squad but it remains to be seen whether he will actually make it onto the park, and if so how long for. Considering his price and lack of durability, he's not someone I'd be rushing to get into my team anyway.
Last season Adelaide got the better of the Heart on two occasions, with Jeronimo leading the Reds to a 1-0 win at Coopers Stadium while a Dario Vidosic penalty and a strike from Iain Ramsay, now at Heart, sealed a 2-0 win at AAMI Park in March - this represents both Adelaide's last away win and clean sheet. The Reds no doubt will be hoping history repeats, however the previous encounter in Melbourne ended in a 2-0 win for the Heart, with Josip Tadic and Richard Garcia getting the goals. With no one having form in the fixtures (keeping in mind Jeronimo's goalless run outside of Adelaide in the A-League) and both teams travelling so poorly, I'd be looking elsewhere for a captain.
That's all for the Fantasy A-League Form Guide for Round 8; I hope that you've found something helpful above. If there's anything we've failed to mention here that you'd like to discuss, feel free to use the comments section, or contact me on Twitter or in the Zeebox chat on Fridays at 2pm. And if you enjoyed the article, please use the buttons below to share it on Twitter and Facebook! Cheers, and best of luck to your teams this weekend!