Dawson SIMPSON (Av 89). The ever-improving SIMPSON was in 3% of teams but is now gone for the season after a sickening knee injury, while NICHOLLS is a chance to be back again in round 20
for the 35% of teams who own him – but will that be too late for you? If you have either of them and need to trade to avoid a donut, then your best straight-swap options are Zac CLARKE (Av 89) or ‘Sauce’ JACOBS (Av 81). If you can rustle up $20,000 - $25,000, then look toward Swan duo Mike PYKE (Av 89) or Shane MUMFORD (Av 84).
Next to go is Kangaroo midfield dynamo Andrew SWALLOW (Av 101). 2013 has been a solid season without being brilliant for SWALLOW and the 8% of SC teams who have him, however it all came crashing to a halt last weekend when he went down with a season-ending Achilles injury. As a
result he simply has to go, and if you have the trade left to do so, look at replacing him with Brett DELEDIO (Av 102), Kane CORNES (Av 106) or Callan WARD (Av 95).
Another ruckman/forward to also fall foul of injury last weekend was Adelaide mountain Josh JENKINS (Av 69). Selected in a tidy 6% of SC teams, JENKINS had tried manfully to fill the void left by Taylor WALKER all year, but unfortunately his 2013 has ended prematurely with an ankle injury. Finding an adequate replacement is not easy, with possible ruck options being Shaun McKERNAN (Av 65) or Nathan VARDY (Av 78), while down forward look to recruit Jesse WHITE (Av 67) or Josh HILL (Av 71). Not a lot of joy there at all, it must be said.
St Kilda is just about ready to call Danny FRAWLEY back to play in its backline this weekend, with another going down with injury last weekend to make the situation even worse. Defender James
GWILT (Av 73) is the latest to succumb to a knee injury, which may only see him out for a couple of weeks but for the 1.8% of teams who have him, that may be too long. If you need to move him on then do it, the best of the replacements being Nick VLASTUIN (Av 76), Dylan ROBERTON (Av 75) or Andy OTTEN (Av 72).
Finally – and I can’t believe I’m saying it again – but once more we have a Geelong player committing an undisciplined act that will see him miss this week’s match up against the Kangaroos. This time it was forward James PODSIADLY (Av 80), who, despite his team being significantly ahead in a game they were always going to win comfortably, decided he needed to flex his muscle and take a cheap shot on Jack STEVEN that saw him fortunate to be only suspended for one
week. He is only in 1.5% of teams, but if I had him I’d be fuming. Look to replace him with Mitch ROBINSON (Av 78), Luke BRUEST (Av 82) or team mate Steven MOTLOP (Av 80).
That’s it for Trade Winds this week, but it will be a very exciting weekend with late withdrawals a huge possibility in a number of games. Could Pearce HANLEY possibly have recovered from that broken hand? And what about Patrick DANGERFIELD – surely his shoulder isn’t right for a Derby? And as for Nick RIEWOLDT, he could hardly walk last weekend, let alone run around the Gabba, so will he take his place in the Saints lineup? Time will tell.
It’s all very, very interesting….