The wares of AFL coaches weigh heavily on their fantasy counterparts, and while they devise a way to success, Ultimate Footy fantasy coaches hope against hope that it suggests a strong fantasy performance.
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For all intents and purposes, we ride the same bumps as the AFL bosses, and the anxiety levels increase as finals draw near.
This mindset rings true especially for tonight's clash between Hawthorn and Carlton, which pits Carlton coach John Barker against his former mentor Alastair Clarkson for the first time.
Barker played 13 games under Clarkson in 2005-06 and was the Hawks' forward-line coach in 2009 and 2010. And ironically his biggest challenge is quelling the Hawks' scoring power, which tore through Sydney's defence last Saturday night.
Cyril Rioli (three goals, 121 Ultimate Fantasy points), Jack Gunston (four goals, 110 points) and Jarryd Roughead (five goals, 99 points) all shone for the Hawks. How does Barker stop them? – 16 other coaches are wondering the same thing.
Marc Murphy has improved immensely under Barker's tutelage, averaging 110 since round 10. The Carlton skipper plays his 200th game this week, and has five hundreds in his past six outings. Could he face the dreaded tag? With preferred run-with player Liam Shiels injured, it could be a rewarding milestone for Murphy owners.
Taggers, defensive forwards and the sub's vest are the bane of fantasy coaching existence, but are a necessary evil for AFL coaches.
With this in mind, have coaches finally deciphered the code to stopping Nat Fyfe? Barker pitted the unheralded Simon White against the Fremantle champion and limited him to just 20 disposals last week. This could be a blueprint for Damien Hardwick to follow, which could spell fantasy carnage for Fyfe owners.
And given Richmond is the stingiest fantasy side to score against, that caution may be extended to those fantasy coaches who own Fremantle's bevy of fantasy stars.
Similarly, for many coaches the prospect of tasting fantasy success in 2015 lays on the weary shoulders of Dayne Beams. He has been a titan for Brisbane this season, averaging over 105 for the year. But with every knock he receives to the shoulder, we can feel Justin Leppitsch's anxiety levels rise. At the Gabba against North Melbourne, the prospect of a heavy tag from Ben Jacobs looms large, and it could be another long night for the midfielder.
Another major talking point for fantasy coaches has been the decline of Steve Johnson from all-conquering ball-magnet to bit-part forward.
Two eras will collide at Star Track Oval on Saturday. We've been treated to Johnson's antics for almost 15 years, and now we can marvel at Devon Smith for the next decade. Smith's four-goal, 27-touch effort for 124 points against Gold Coast last week was reminiscent of Johnson in his pomp. Maybe this could herald the passing of the baton.
And finally, we will salute a genuine champion of the game when Brent Harvey runs through the banner for a 400th time. The little champ has been a staple of many fantasy sides for nearly two decades, and 400 games is an incredible effort. We have marvelled at the shimmy around the man on the mark, or his scintillating running goals.
On behalf of fantasy coaches and footy fans everywhere, well done Boomer.
Article supplied by Footy Prophet – football analysis with a fantasy focus. Footy Prophet is fantasy football.
