The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs.
The midfield is the richest area for fantasy points and in 2016 North’s on-ball brigade boasts a number of quality prospects worth considering for your AFL Fantasy team.
The Main Man:
Andrew Swallow (MID, $487,000)
Swallow may not have been North’s most productive fantasy player in 2015 but it’s a title he has held in the past and one he could easily take back again.
After achieving a triple-figure average in season 2012 Swallow started the following season in excellent fantasy form before an Achilles injury put an early end to his campaign.
In the time since his fantasy numbers haven’t been quite the same, though they’ve still been of a decent quality.
One of the leaders of North Melbourne’s midfield, Swallow has the potential to get back to his best in 2016, and that could make him a great AFL Fantasy pick-up.
The X-Factor:
Jack Ziebell (MID, $500,000)
Ziebell may have lost his dual-position eligibility coming into this season but his AFL Fantasy prowess is still impressive, and over the course of 2015 he transformed himself into one of North’s most reliable contributors.
What really gives Ziebell some X-factor as a fantasy prospect however is his potential for further improvement. He’s just coming into what should be the best years of his career and could be ready for a big increase in fantasy production.
Whether that’s through getting his hands on the ball more often, or becoming a regular goalkicker through some stints up forward – or both – we don’t know.
But coming into 2016, he just might be ready to take that next step and become a truly elite AFL Fantasy player. Watch this space.
The Comeback Kid:
Nick Dal Santo (MID, $466,000)
Dal Santo’s 2015 season was not what he would’ve wanted, as the former Saint missed a significant amount of the year due to a hamstring injury he suffered against Brisbane in Round 2.
He was able to make it back for the latter half of the year and North’s finals campaign but couldn’t avoid recording his lowest fantasy average since 2007.
Dal Santo is far from a spent force however, and with a full pre-season behind him, he has the potential to bounce back and produce some high quality fantasy numbers in 2016.
The New Guy in Town:
Farren Ray (MID, $359,000)
North surprised a few when they picked up the former Bulldog and Saint in the Rookie Draft, but he may well prove to be one of the most astute acquisitions of the off-season.
Ray will offer the Kangaroos midfield another option as a hard-running midfielder, which could prove to be a valuable asset as the interchange cap decreases further this season.
He’s also a handy enough fantasy player too, when fit. He missed most of 2015 with a hamstring injury but posted 80+ averages in the two years before that.
He could be a serious profit-maker for AFL Fantasy coaches if he can earn an elevation from the rookie list into the senior side.
The Best of the Rest:
Ben Cunnington (MID, $463,000) - One of the underrated midfielders of the competition, Cunnington’s impact on games is rarely recognised in his relatively average fantasy scores. He’s the kind of player where it’s the quality of what he does rather than the stats he racks up that make him valuable.
Trent Dumont (MID, $237,000) - Young, talented, and still technically eligible for the Rising Star, Dumont could be a real surprise packet for North this season. He impressed in his handful of appearances last year and the end of the sub vest is good news for him.
Ryan Clarke (MID, $164,000) - It’s hard for draftees to break into North’s strong midfield line-up at the moment but new kid Clarke might just have what it takes. He’s got a lot of great attributes that will make him a quality fantasy midfielder in the long-term.
