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 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 official A-League squad lists for Round 9 here. Once again, a big thank you to Ben (currently ranked 3rd overall) for providing several helpful links to us - make sure you give him a follow too.
Adelaide United v Brisbane Roar
Roar unavailable: Michael Theo, Shane Stefanutto, Jade North, George Lambadaridis (injured)
Captaincy options: Besart Berisha, Thomas Broich, Ivan Franjic, Jeronimo
The opening game for Round 9 looms as a fantasy football goldmine for owners of Brisbane players. Adelaide simply cannot keep goals out - time and time again they were exposed by the Heart last weekend, and probably would have conceded a lot more than 3 if the Heart had any confidence at all in front of goal. Adelaide also can't expect the space afforded to them by the Heart against Brisbane, telling especially in the second goal scored by Cirio. This looms as an incredibly tough test for Gombau's men as they continue to adjust to his game plan. The withdrawal of Michael Theo on Friday probably resulted him in being traded out of many teams for the much cheaper Liam Reddy. This allows coaches - with the cash available - to draft in all three of Brisbane's big guns if they wish. Owners of Thomas Broich will be thrilled that he finally fired (fantasy-wise) on the weekend, grabbing an assist and man of the match honours. Besart Berisha scored again of course, and no doubt he'll be determined to break his Coopers Stadium duck and exploit the deficiencies of Adelaide's uncertain defence. The return of Liam Miller to the squad probably means it's time to move on the likes of Henrique and Kwame Yeboah if you still have them, while Corey Brown gets another reprieve with Shane Stefanutto still out. With 6 of the next 8 at home, Adelaide players may soon come into calculations again, but with the way the Reds are playing I wouldn't be rushing to get them into your team at the moment - especially considering they've won just 1 of their last 9 meetings with Brisbane.
Last season saw the away team win on all four occasions. Adelaide beat a then-struggling Roar 1-0 at Suncorp through an early goal from Dario Vidosic, then Brisbane picked up a pair of 1-0 wins at Coopers through goals from Henrique and Ben Halloran. In the Elimination Final, the Roar knocked out the Reds with a 2-1 win, Luke Brattan and Franjic scoring for Brisbane before Vidosic pulled one back late. Based on current form and form in the fixtures, it's hard to look past a Roar win here, making all of their big guns like Berisha, Broich and Franjic clear captaincy options. For Adelaide, as this is a home game Jeronimo could be considered if you think the Reds might cause Brisbane some problems - but surely if you have Roar players, you're putting the 'c' on one of them expecting a landslide win and plenty of goals. That said, before jumping on Berisha - though he's killed Adelaide at Suncorp before, he has never scored at Coopers Stadium
Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix
Phoenix unavailable: Carlos Hernandez (injured), Manny Muscat (suspended), Tyler Boyd (omitted)
Captaincy options: (none)
Perth Glory's mounting injury toll has resulted in an interesting formation change, moving to a 3-5-2; this is of great importance to fantasy coaches, because if Ali Edwards persists with the new shape, it means Jamie Maclaren is once again a fantasy option, and he may even be worthwhile giving a start to. Shane Smeltz's injury, while not severe, may further strengthen Maclaren's position in the short term. Both Ryan and Cameron Edwards started and likely will again this week, however with Jacob Burns due to return next week one of them will make way for him. Steve Pantelidis has been released by the club to move to Malaysia and needs to be traded out if you have him. Meanwhile, the formation change hurts the output of Sidnei and Ryo Nagai, who were forced to play a lot deeper than in the 4-3-3; I'd consider moving them on now unless Edwards instructs them to play further up again, as pure attacking wingers, or reverts to the 4-3-3. Meanwhile, Jeremy Brockie's injury concerns and Carlos Hernandez's continued failure to find the back of the net means the winless Phoenix aren't really offering coaches much heading into their double fixtures in Round 11. Hernandez is also out this week and possibly the next as well. Bench favourite Reece Caira was omitted from the squad, however Merrick has stated that it was a 'rest' and with Muscat out suspended, expect him to return to left back, at least in the short term.
In Round 5 the 2 sides drew 1-1 in Christchurch, with Ryo Nagai cancelling out Andrew Durante's header. Last season the teams 1-1 drew in Perth, before Wellington picked up a 1-0 at Eden Park and then won 2-1 in Perth. Brockie scored twice, while Nagai, Smeltz, Paul Ifill and Stein Huysegems all notched a goal. I'm reluctant to recommend any players from this game as a captaincy option; I think you're better off looking elsewhere.
Western Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne Heart
Heart unavailable: Orlando Engelaar, Jonatan Germano, Dylan Macallister (injured)
Captaincy options: Jerome Polenz, Mark Bridge, Labinot Haliti
The late withdrawals of several Wanderers players hurt many coaches last weekend, especially those with no bench cover. However, I'd fully expect most of the heavy-hitters to come back into the team this round. Youssouf Hersi's return (off the Bunnings) from a longer than expected absence through injury is great news for the Wanderers and may provide fantasy coaches with another premium option if Hersi starts firing (and if anyone has the cash to buy him). It's bad news for owners of Shannon Cole though as he will probably be the one to make way for Hersi. Something to consider if you do own him. Tomi Juric trained during the week and probably isn't far off. Meanwhile, the Heart are finally starting to find the net with Andrea Miglioini scoring 3 of the club's last 4 goals, while erratic forward David Williams has the other 3 they've scored this season. Miglioini plays deep in midfield, a position not normally associated with generating big fantasy points, however his tendency to shoot from long range (and his low price) makes him an option. That said, I would not be relying on him to produce his output from the last 2 weeks every round, especially if the winless Heart continue to struggle. It's pretty clear the Heart are lacking confidence in front of goal, with Iain Ramsay, Golgol Mebrahtu and Michael Mifsud all guilty of missing easy chances against the Reds. I'd be moving them on at this point. Harry Kewell is in the squad but it's anyone's guess as to whether he'll actually get on the park or not.
Earlier this season, the Wanderers travelled to AAMI Park and picked up a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Shannon Cole. Last season the Wanderers swept the Heart, winning 2-1 and 1-0 at home and 3-1 away. Labinot Haliti scored a brace in the 3-1, while other scorers include Shinji Ono, Mark Bridge, Iacopo La Rocca, and Mebrahtu. For captaincy, I think Jerome Polenz - who should come back into the starting XI after missing the trip to Wellington - is a chance for a clean sheet and assist points, while Bridge is probably the most likely of the Wanderers' attackers to find the back of the net. With both Juric and Santalab out Haliti will probably lead the line and might be worth a punt if you have him and none of the Brisbane big guns. If I was certain he'd start I'd recommend Cole, but I think it's a bit of a risk, as is his potential replacement Hersi. Ono's injury concerns and struggles this season shy me away from him too. Any Heart player would be a massive gamble, given their away record and the Wanderers' normally tight defence.
Central Coast Mariners v Sydney FC
Sydney unavailable: Alessandro Del Piero, Corey Gameiro, Rhyan Grant, Peter Triantis, Terry Antonis, Brett Emerton (injured), Tiago Calvano (suspended)
Captaincy options: Michael McGlinchey, Joel Chianese, Richard Garcia, Ranko Despotovic
The coaches who jumped on Liam Reddy would have been pleased with the clean sheet bonus, likewise those who own Storm Roux or have picked up Brent Griffiths, who looks to be Phil Moss' preferred partner for Trent Sainsbury in central defence. In truth, the Mariners were fortunate that the Victory failed to capitalise on any of the numerous chances they created; it could quite easily have been a night of pain for both Mariners fans and owners of their defenders or goal keeper. Less pleasing was the Mariners attacking output - Marcos Flores failed to produce more than 3 points for the third consecutive round, not registering a shot and creating only one chance. Michael McGlinchey, continuing on the left of midfield, managed 2 shots (neither on target) but created no chances. Matt Simon, once again starting in place of Daniel McBreen, was ineffective as was Mitchell Duke; McBreen at least managed a (blocked) shot after coming on off the Bunnings. Fantasy coaches will be hoping the Mariners can vastly improve on last Friday's performance heading towards the double fixtures in Round 11. Meanwhile, Sydney notched a club record fourth straight win by seeing off the in-form Jets 2-0, despite losing Alessandro Del Piero before half time - and Del Piero is indeed out this week too. Joel Chianese suggested he's not going anywhere with another goal, while Ranko Despotovic scored again off the Bunnings and will start this weekend. Despotovic presents coaches who don't already have him as the same dilemma as Adam Taggart did - do you chase the points, jumping on now before his price rises and expect him to keep scoring, or do you steer clear until he's proven that he can be a consistent scorer? Granted, if you have someone like Mifsud in your forward line and little cash in reserve, it's a fairly strong choice; and unlike other 'bench weapons' he will be in the starting XI once he's fit. Richard Garcia picked up the 3 bonus points on Saturday, meaning he's now scored 24 points in the last 4 matches, and will take Del Piero's #10 spot for this game. Ali Abbas looks set to return to the left of midfield, which probably spells the end of Chris Naumoff's time in the starting XI. Seb Ryall, rather than Marc Warren, will likely take the left back spot.
Last season saw the home team win in all 3 meetings, with the Mariners hammering Sydney 7-2 at Gosford, with McBreen scoring a hat trick, Tom Rogic a brace, and McGlinchey, Yairo Yau and Abbas a goal each, while Ryall put through his own net. A late winner from Brett Emerton led the Sky Blues to a 1-0 win in Sydney, followed by a 2-0 win courtesy of Ryall (at the right end this time) and Chianese. For captaincy options, no one really stands out for the Mariners, with Flores continuing to struggle; despite playing wider, McGlinchey looks more likely to produce than Flores at the moment. Though I've nominated him, I'm nowhere near as confident in McGlinchey as players in other games. If I was guaranteed he's starting I'd recommend McBreen. For Sydney, Despotovic is a decent choice while perhaps Chianese's recent patch of point-scoring form might continue here. Garcia is a solid candidate, and in the playmaker role for this game.
Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets
Jets unavailable: James Virgili (omitted)
Captaincy options: James Troisi, Mitch Nichols, Archie Thompson, Kosta Barbarouses, Adam Taggart, Emile Heskey
Owners of any of Victory's attackers would have been as frustrated with their profligacy last Friday night as the Victory's fans. Aside from James Troisi - who thankfully not only started but got a full 90 minutes after his outburst the previous round - picking up 2 bonus points, there was no joy for any of the front four. Gui Finkler continues to lurk on the bench, waiting to take the spot of either Troisi or Mitch Nichols, but the fact he continually is restricted to limited minutes suggests he's still not close to 100%. The Victory play 5 straight games at AAMI Park, meaning now is as good a time as any to bring in Nichols, Troisi, Archie Thompson or Kosta Barbarouses if you have been considering them. Otherwise, the Victory doesn't offer much aside from cheap defenders, which are all no certainties at this point. With Leigh Broxham and Adrian Leijer's suspensions over, it will be interesting to see whether they come straight back into the team for Jason Geira/Rashid Mahazi and Nick Ansell respectively. For the Jets, Adam Taggart's hot streak came to an end against Sydney, and with games against the Wanderers (home) and Brisbane (away) coming up it'll be a test of his fantasy credentials. Should Taggart find the net against at least one of these teams, I'd take that as a reasonable indication he can be a consistent scorer. If not, you might think about cashing in on him (assuming you jumped on at the right time). The Jets don't really have much else to offer other than cheap defenders. Nathan Burns' season from hell continued on Saturday night, so if you are holding onto him for some reason, move him on. Andrew Hoole seems to have kept his spot despite the inclusion of Emile Heskey, so it's worthwhile holding onto him for now unless you get wind he's going to be dropped. Sam Gallaway was again absent but keep him in mind should he reclaim his spot in the back four, while Connor Chapman returns from injury this week. Granted, don't expect too many points from the Jets defenders with their next three games.
Last season the home team won all three games - the Jets took first blood 2-1 in Newcastle, with a double from Heskey before Thompson gave the Victory some hope late on. Both games in Melbourne ended with 5 goals scored - the first 3-2 in favour to the Victory, Marco Rojas scoring a brace and Thompson the other while Ruben Zadkovich and Heskey scored for the Jets. The second game in Melbourne ended in a 5-0 rout to the Victory, Rojas and Mark Milligan scoring braces and Leijer grabbing a goal also. Based on the results last season, perhaps Heskey is worth a punt as captain but really he's hardly someone I'd be rushing to bring into your side. Maybe Taggart can get back on the scoresheet after drawing a blank last weekend. Any of the Victory's front four could be considered and would surely view this as a big opportunity to get it right in front of goal. Thompson also has form in these fixtures, though of course none of Troisi, Nichols and Barbarouses were at the Victory last season.