Don't ask me why the AFL website is comparing a midsized-forward to a key-position forward
but anyway ...
| CHRIS KNIGHTS (Richmond)
| TAYLOR WALKER (Adelaide) |
| | |
Fantasy position
| Forward
| Forward |
2014 price
| $320,800
| $268,300 |
Price change from 2013
| +$66,300
| -$180,600 |
2013 average
| 73.4
| 61.4 |
2013 high score
| 102
| 73 |
Age
| 27
| 23 |
Key Fantasy stat
| As a running forward who can pinch-hit in the midfield, Knights racks up his points by finding the ball and then finishing when in range. He only played five games for the Tigers last year, but he showed he's more than capable, accumulating over 20 disposals and a goal a game for his new club.
| As a strong, powerful forward, Walker relies on marks, kicks and goals for his Fantasy points. He had a big year in 2012 and was looking a Coleman medal contender last year before he broke down against Carlton in round five.
|
Value for money
| Despite his season-ending knee injury, his great start to 2013 means Knights' price has risen this year. His Fantasy value is consequently not that high.
| Walker looks underpriced at $268,300… but his 2014 season remains a huge unknown. He suffered a horrific injury last year and there's no guarantee he'll manage to recapture his 2012 form.
|
Job security
| Knights looked good in his five games for Richmond last season, but having spent the majority of 2013 on the sidelines, might have some work to do before he fights his way back into the line-up.
| No doubt that he's one of the first picked at West Lakes when fit, but Walker wants to return to elite footy via the SANFL. He'll miss some senior games early in the season.
|
Where he'll play
| Knights is primarily a forward, but his ability to run will see him used higher up the ground as well.
| There's really only one position for Walker in Adelaide's side and that's as the club's no. 1 forward. |
Injury concerns
| Knights' knee injury wasn't quite as bad as Walker's, and he's a fair way ahead of Tex in terms of his rehabilitation.
| It's been a long rehabilitation from when he injured the knee in round five last year and although he's been running for some time now, how he returns to competitive football will be keenly watched.
|
The case for
| Knights looks to have recovered well from his knee reconstruction and could play good footy early in the season. He slotted in perfectly to Richmond's forward line last year before his injury in a position that saw him win a lot of the ball and in areas where he was able to hit the scoreboard.
| Walker emerged as one of the most dominant forwards in 2012 capable of owning games from start to finish. His powerful build and marking ability allows him to rack up opportunities inside 50. For someone who can kick bags of goals, he's also priced very reasonably.
|
The case against
| For a player with so much risk attached, Knights remains quite pricey at more than $300k. He's threatened breakout Fantasy seasons before but has never been able to put the numbers together. | Just how 'Tex' recovers from his knee surgery remains to be seen. His rehabilitation has been near perfect so far, but there's a long way to go if he's to return to career-best form. At the very best he'll miss a few games early in the season but most likely it could be well over a month into the home and away season before the Crows can call on him.
|
Selecting either player is a risk, but Knights' ability to find more of the ball than Walker and still hit the scoreboard means he's likely to post better scores even if he's not 100 per cent. He's ahead of Walker in terms of his rehabilitation, and is much more likely to line up in round one.
