POD Hunter: Low ownership picks to set you apart, Round 14

Wowee it was PODs galore over the weekend!!

Imagine if you managed to have Harry Himmelberg (187, 0.7%) instead of Zac Butters (87, 38%) … That is a game CHANGER.

Hayden Young (142, 1.2%) was the third highest scoring player of the round!

Remarkably, 13 of the top 20 highest scoring players in Round 13 were owned by less than 9%. It was certainly a week to boost yourself up the rankings.

Adding on to that, 10 of the top 20 were owned by less than 2%… Ridiculous!

However, you could have been extremely unlucky, and decided to bring in Luke McDonald (24, 5%), Bradley Hill (37, 3.7%), or Harry Perryman (50, 1.1%) instead of those blokes mentioned previously.

It’s a funny balance these PODs… But geez they’re fun.

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

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Defence

Isaac Cumming ($524,400, 105, 1.4%)

If you thought Cumming had a breakout year last year, think again! This guy is doing a Pascal Siakam and winning back-to-back most improved awards. With Whitfield’s return to the wing, and Harry Perryman sidelined for a brief stint, Cumming is without a doubt that main distributor out of half back for the Giants. He’s taking kick ins, grabbing cheap marks, and last week he was getting up the ground a lot more as well. He’s scored 117 and 115 in his last two, and I expect that scoring to continue into the future.

Liam Baker ($453,500 76, 1.8%)

I’ve owned Baker before, and it certainly had its upside… For about a month or so and then he came crashing back down. However, I can’t discount his current form this season; since Round 9, he’s scored 90, 134, 80, and 112. What I really like about him is that he’s been pushing up the ground a lot more and looks as though he’s solidifying a spot on the wing instead of in the defensive 50. He’s cheap and he’s got DEF/FWD DPP which could prove handy in the back end of the season.

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Midfield

Brad Crouch ($573,900, 107.7, 3.4%)

Brad is absolutely loving life without Jack Steele in the side, and his scoring is seriously reflecting that. Since Round 8, he hasn’t dropped below 105, while also picking up three 120+ scores! He’s the main man in midfield for the Saints, and until Steele comes back, Crouch is going to definitely continue with these high scores.

Ben Keays ($550,500, 114.3, 7.4%)

The greasy-haired stallion, Ben Keays, has been the epitome of consistent this season. Having only dropped under 100 once (96), he’s also scored above 110 seven times already this year. I don’t think there’s any threat of a tag either, as Laird should be copping all the attention from here on out due to Keays’ inability to kick a simple drop punt. With a great run of fixtures coming up (Gold Coast, North Melbourne, Melbourne, and Hawthorn), who we’ve seen give up a lot of points in recent weeks.

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Ruck

Mark Blicavs ($531,800, 98, 1.2%)

Blicavs didn’t perform very well in his last game against the Bulldogs (83), but he’s had the bye and will be well rested to tackle the Eagles who are in absolute shambles right now. Prior to his 83, and since Round 4, he scored 119, 104, 93, 135, 111, 104, 101, and 116… That is INSANE. He’s got DEF/RUC status, and if you need to find a replacement for Gawn, look no further than Mark Blicavs.

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Forward:

Harry Himmelberg ($435,700, 80.3, 0.7%)

He truly is the man of the week, and it would be a disgrace if I didn’t talk about him in length. So, the new coach comes in, throws some names around the board, and decides to play Big H down back… An 80 first up? Not baddd. Round 11 rolls around, and all eyes on the team sheets to see if the experiment continues… Yep sure does! Then the bye hits, and there’s an added element of uncertainty as to whether the coaching staff decide to revert back to a full-forward Harry game style. He keeps his spot and PUMPS OUT A 187!! Are you KIDDING me?!?! He looks incredible, flying for marks, getting cheap kicks, and even kicking goals! As Niko said on the podcast, forwards moving down back has been a thing of wonder in recent years (Zieball, Hall, Haynes, etc.), and it looks like Harry Himmelberg is ready to explode in the second half of the year. With a breakeven of -61, there’s not a lot that can go wrong.

Tom Liberatore ($544,100, 103.3, 2.7%)

I reckon I chatted about Libba back in Round 9, and I had concerns over his consistency. Since then, he’s banged out 128, 92, 102, and 123, and with the drama surrounding Bailey Smith at the moment, Libba should continue to rack up heap of midfield minutes. If you’re looking for an alternative Bulldogs forward option to differ from English, Bont, English etc. pick up Libba and don’t look back!