In this blog we will have a brief look at the previous and upcoming rounds of the AFL. In round 7, who's performances stood out for the right or wrong reasons and which players made the GDS Squad of the round. With round 8 not too far away, who should coaches consider starting and which players have positive matchups. Have a read below and gain an edge over your competition in GameDay Squad Aussie Rules! Let us know your thoughts on who we have down below on all of our social channels: twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
GDS Squad of the week for round 7
Def- Bailey Dale – 161 - WB
Def- Nick Blakey – 160 - SYD
Def- Oliver Florent – 156 - SYD
Def- Andrew McGrath – 148 - ESS
Def- Harry Sheezel – 144 - NM
Def- Jake Lloyd – 140 - SYD
Def- Jack Sinclair – 132 – St K
Mid- Matt Rowell – 152 - GC
Mid- Jordan Dawson – 149 - ADE
Mid- Tom Green – 147 - GWS
Mid- Zack Merrett – 145 - ESS
Mid- Errol Gulden – 140 SYD
Mid- Josh Kelly – 140 - GWS
Ruck- Tim English – 159 - WB
Ruck- Jarrod Witts – 157 - GC
Fwd- Harry McKay – 134 - CAR
Fwd- Nat Fyfe – 131 - FRE
Fwd- Dylan Moore – 128 - Haw
Fwd- Sam Flanders – 128 - GC
Fwd- Gyran Miers – 124 - Geel
Fwd- Jeremy Cameron – 123 – Geel
Fwd- Bailey Banfield – 116 - FRE
Squad Base Total – 3114 GDS points
The performance of the week
Matt Rowell vs West Coast
Bailey Dale managed the highest score of the round for the second week in a row with a massive 161 points but it doesn’t feel right talking about him two weeks in a row. All I will say is his match up is favourable again so don’t miss out for a third week in a row.
Who I actually want to talk about is the Gold Coast superstar who has been flying under the radar a lot this season due to his high quality team mates. Matt Rowell Finished the round as the highest scoring midfielder with 151 GameDay Squad points. He only had 22 touches but almost all were kicks including two goals. He also had 13 tackles which is huge in the GameDay Squad system where they are worth 4 points each.
If you’re looking for a cheap option for your champion squad, look no further. At the time of writing this there is a diamond available for $38 which is borderline insulting
Riser – Errol Gulden (Sydney Swans)
The champ is back! Errol Gulden's return to form is a testament to his talent. While he may have started the season slower than expected, recent performances have showcased his ability to dominate the field once again. Gulden's proven reliability and scoring potential make him a must-start player for GameDay Squad coaches looking to compete for weekly prizes.
Gulden stocks are possibly a little undervalued right now while coaches are still working out their 2024 plans so this might be your last chance to get him at an affordable price. Last week he was listed for half of what he was selling for in 2023 so if you’re in need of one, don’t wait too long.
Errol may have a tougher than normal week this week trying to score points against a tough GWS side but they have given up a few 140+ scores this season and Gulden is the kind of player who could get there.
Faller – Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)
Andrew Brayshaw's recent dip in form within GameDay Squad fantasy is unexpected given his talent and potential. Scoring above 107 only twice all season falls well short of the expectations associated with a player of his calibre. The rise in form of his teammate, Caleb Serong, could indeed be a contributing factor to Brayshaw's decrease in fantasy output but the duo played well together in 2023 so it’s unlikely.
While Brayshaw may have a favourable matchup this week against Richmond, I would still be prioritizing playing Serong over him given the recent trend in their performances. Serong's emergence as a reliable option is nice, however handballs are now creeping back into his game over kicks which is not ideal for us coaches.
Regardless, Brayshaw is a quality player who will no doubt bounce back. The beaty of the dynasty system of GameDay squad is we can buy players for cheap during form slumps and hold them for years to come.
Round 8 Team to Beat
Def- Harry Sheezel (NM) – GDS average of 146.43 and positional ranking of 1st
Def- Lachie Whitfield – (GWS) – GDS average of 129.57 and positional ranking of 2nd
Def- Nick Daicos – (Coll) – GDS average of 117 and positional ranking of 4th
Def- Dan Houston – (Port) – GDS average of 111.86 and positional ranking of 10th
Def- Luke Ryan – (Fre) – GDS average of 116.71and positional ranking of 5th
Def- Bailey Dale – (WB) – GDS average of 108 and positional ranking of 13th
Def- Hayden Young– (Fre) – GDS average of 116 and positional ranking of 6th
Mid- Zach Merrett – (Ess) – GDS average of 138 and positional ranking of 1st
Mid- Zak Butters – (Port) – GDS average of 122.71 and positional ranking of 11th
Mid- Jack Steele – (St K) – GDS average of 121.71 and positional ranking of 13th
Mid- Tom Green - (GWS) – GDS average of 126.86 and positional ranking of 7th
Mid- Caleb Serong – (Fre) – GDS average of 129.57 and positional ranking of 5th
Mid- Marcus Bontempelli– (WB) – GDS average of 117.86 and positional ranking of 17th
Ruck- Max Gawn – (Mel) – GDS average of 141 and positional ranking of 1st
Ruck- Tim English – (WB) – GDS average of 120.86 and positional ranking of 3rd
Fwd- Bradley Hill– (St K) – GDS average of 103.14 and positional ranking of 9th
Fwd- Dayne Zorko – (Bris) – GDS average of 124.71 and positional ranking of 3rd
Fwd- Jack Macrae – (WB) – GDS average of 90 and positional ranking of 25th
Fwd- Isaac Heeney – (Syd) – GDS average of 134 and positional ranking of 1st
Fwd- Sam Flanders – (GC) – GDS average of 129.29 and positional ranking of 2nd
Fwd- Tom Powell – (NM) – GDS average of 99 and positional ranking of 13th
Fwd- Gryan Miers– (Geel) – GDS average of 109.57 and positional ranking of 5th
Good week to start…
Jack Steele (St Kilda)
After a disappointing round last week against Port Adelaide, Jack Steele might be in a lot of coach’s bad books. He only managed 78 GameDay Squad points which is well below his 2024 average and may have triggered some PTSD for 2023 owners. If you’ve been following along with my blogs, you’ll know that you should avoid playing midfielders who are lining up against Port Adelaide so you hopefully avoided the disappointment .
Because of last week’s poor performance, Steele could potentially be a big point of difference in your side this round and I’m predicting he will bounce back big time!
He has a very favourable match up against a struggling North Melbourne who have given up 23 scores of 120 or more in their first 7 games. They’ve also given up 9 scores of 140 or more so it could be a huge week for Steele who also tends to score more points in a St Kilda win.
He will be the first player picked in my squad this week and I urge you to do the same.
Good week to drop…
Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)
Jordan Dawson has been a standout performer this season, consistently delivering solid fantasy points. However, his match up with Port Adelaide this week poses a significant challenge for us GameDay Squad managers. Port Adelaide's ability to shut down players was evident last week when Jack Steele as I’ve already mentioned. Their ability to limit the scoring opportunities of opposition players, particularly midfielders like Dawson, has been on show all year.
While Dawson's individual talent and form are undeniable, strategic considerations must come into play when assembling our teams. Opting to drop him for this matchup could prove beneficial, as it opens up the opportunity to bring in a player with a more favourable fixture. Making tactical decisions based on matchups and potential point-scoring opportunities could be what sets you apart from the rest. He could also easily score 140+ but there are other players I’ll be picking with more predictable match ups.
