When it comes to fantasy football, there are two important factors that participants must consider in the preparation of their final squads — value for money and potential scoring output.
GVL Data has made the introduction of the Goulburn Valley League’s own fastasy football competition a much more feasible reality, but just how many Kyabram players would be slotted in to the traditionally 30-member playing lists remains a mystery.
While Kaine Herbert and Zach Keogh are the Bombers’ leading ball winners, they rarely command the 130-plus point totals which garner the attention of the spectator selectors.
A couple of big-scoring games from key forward Tom Holman and marking machine Lachie Smith, however, would probably have fantasy football fans considering the hefty price tags that would no doubt be attached to the pair.
Now, all of this is, of course, completely my own hypothesis based on the arrival of fanstasy football on our doorstep.
However, the introduction of GVL Data does make it an interesting exercise to transfer the weekend results into fantasy football form.
And this is how we do it. A kick is worth three points, a handball is worth two, a mark is three points and a tackle is four points.
A goal is six, a point is one, a hit out is also one point and in regard to free kicks, one point for a free kick in a player’s favour and minus three for one paid against the player.
A significant part of the fantasy football selection process is the budget to which participants must adhere. The better the player, the more they cost, hence the reference to the potential cost of Smith — the league’s foremost aerialist — and Holman.
Holman’s round 12 score of 166 points is by far the largest of any Kyabram player this season, influenced heavily by his six goals and eight tackles.
Holman had 24 possessions and took seven marks in the 121-point victory, while also earning four free kicks — against the trend of the team’s status within GVL ranks.
Smith regularly has a double-figure marks tally to his credit and kicks the ball much more often than he handballs. That was the case in his 133-point score against Mooroopna in the round 13 victory.
He had 20 kicks and six handballs, took 15 marks and laid four tackles. He is regularly hitting triple figures due to his preference to kick the ball and marking power.
Herbert, as mentioned earlier, has topped out at 120 points on a couple of occasions. He had seven tackles against Benalla in round seven, which coupled with 30 possessions and five marks meant a 119-point tally.
The Bombers are heavily scored against by opposition midfielders, with brilliant Rochester midfielder Chris Jansen scoring 144 points against the Bombers in wet conditions only a few weeks ago.
The former SANFL star laid 10 tackles (40 points), collected 28 possessions and kicked two goals. He also attracted free kicks and only gave away two, finishing marginally in the positive on this front.
Rochester won the low-scoring game by just three points as the impact of its big marking key position players were lessened in rain-soaked conditions.
Tatura onballer Billy Cooper, in a 121-point round 12 loss to the Bombers, collated 140 fantasy points.
That tally was significantly enhanced by the fact 35 of his 39 possessions were kicks and he took seven marks. Like the Rochester game, Kyabram lost the free kick count and Cooper himself received five free kicks.
FANTASY FOOTY STAR
Tom Holman
166 fantasy football points
(versus Tatura, round 12)
17 kicks (51 points)
Seven handballs (14 points)
Nine marks (27 points)
Four free kicks for (4 points)
Eight tackles (32 points)
Six goals (36 points)
Two behinds (2 points)