POD Hunter: Low ownership picks to set you apart, Round 12

We have arrived.

The byes are here, and with it comes an opportunity to catapult yourself up the ladder using the help of some trusty old PODs!

Here’s my best two from each position that you should take a look at.

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Defence:

Callum Wilkie ($491,000, 88.6, 0.6%)

If there are any Saints fans who can tell me what the HECK is going on with Callum Wilkie then it would be very much appreciated. He started the year in quite alright fashion, scoring 77, 85, and 89 in his first three; then dropped off the face of the earth with a 47, 81, 70, and 68 in his next four. Now all of a sudden in his last four games, he’s put up 117, 102, 121, and 118. I’ll be honest, I don’t watch a lot of St. Kilda games… Does he have a new role? Is he freed up to take more intercept marks and get more cheap kicks in the defensive 50? Whatever the answer is, Callum Wilkie is on FIRE, and you can’t deny his incredible run of form. I’ve seen far worse players at D6…

Luke McDonald ($474,100 95.1, 3.4%)

I’ve been keeping a keen eye on McDonald all year because of the injury to Aaron Hall has allowed him to play that seagull roll in the defensive 50. It’s worked an absolute treat, particularly in the last six games where he’s only dropped under 90 once, all while collecting scores of 127 and 132. He plays Gold Coast, GWS, and then has the very favourable Round 14 bye. If I was looking at bringing him in, I would maintain a close watch in regard to the return date of Aaron Hall, but all the signs point to McDonald being a great defensive POD.

Midfield:

Rory Laird ($628,900, 120.3, 8.2%)

Rory Laird is STILL a POD… I have no clue how. Guys and girls, I know he’s expensive but since his first game back from a broken hand in Round 3, he has only dropped under 115 ONCE (it was a 105). Speaking of stuff that’s broken, I’m starting to feel like a broken record continuously trying to convince everyone week in, week out, that Laird is the GOAT this year.

Cameron Guthrie ($503,200, 96.7, 1.2%)

Okkkkk… Steady ya horses, Cam Guthrie could be back to his best. Last year, he took his SuperCoach game to another level with a season average of 113, and in his last two games this year, he’s scored back-to-back 120+’s. Maybe Dangerfield’s absence has allowed Guthrie to pick up more of the ball? I’m not sure, but I’m interested to see how he goes this week against the Doggies. If he tons up again, he could be a great Round 14 upgrade coming off his bye, just in time to face the Eagles, Tigers, and Kangas; dream run!

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Ruck:

Mark Blicavs ($540,200, 99.4, 1%)

DPP’s are a thing of wonder! Having Blicavs as a ruck option is seriously a game changer. Since Round 4, he’s only dropped under 100 once and trust me when I say this, the importance of having DEF/RUC status can seriously not be understated. For instance, let’s say you don’t have Gawn, but you really want him except you don’t want him yet because he hasn’t bottomed out! Bring in Blicavs at R2 this week and then in Round 15 (after Melbourne’s bye), shift him up to defence and bring in Gawn (who should be fully bottomed out by that point) at R1/R2! If it fits your bye structure, I’d definitely be in favour of that.

Sean Darcy ($581,600, 107.8, 4.3%)

I think he’s finally coming into my side this week!! Darcy has without a doubt fully bottomed out, and with his Round 14 bye, I think he’s a no brainer for my team. I haven’t even mentioned that he plays Hawthorn in Round 13, Carlton in Round 15, and Port in Round 16 who all don’t have qualified Ruckmen (sorry Sam Hayes, that was very brutal of me). It 100% gets the tick of approval from me; buy buy buy!

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Forward:

Darcy Cameron ($470,800, 76.9, 3.9%)

Cameron got ruck status!!! Super exciting, and it makes him a heck of a lot more relevant now, basically because of the points I’ve just illustrated in Blicavs’ writeup. Not only is he scoring insanely well, he’s also extremely cheap, AND he plays Hawthorn this week. Similar to what I said for Blicavs, if you don’t have English or Witts in your side and you want to get them in but don’t want to bring them in THIS week because their bye is NEXT week, just bring Cameron in! Then, in round 14, you can just swing Cameron back to the forwards and bring in whichever ruckman you want coming off their bye! Honestly, this game is too easy at times 😉 *the irony in that comment is that I’m currently sitting at 28,000 after being at 5000th six weeks ago*

Tom Liberatore ($546,600, 101.5, 2.7)

The last time I wrote about Libba, I had doubts over his consistency; and, if I’m not mistaken, he’s scored at an alarmingly consistent rate of 107, 128, 92, and 102 since then. He’s attending CBA’s, tackling, and racking up a heap of touches. Basically, he’s doing everything a midfielder is doing, except you can get him in as a forward! While everyone is chasing the new DPP’s of Bont or Bazlenka this week, you could potentially turn your attention to Libba instead and reap the rewards of straying away from the pack.