2013 Prep - 2012's Most Improved

As of writing this article, Brad Ebert has only been selected in 1.2% of Dream Teams so far, placing him in a prime position as one of the unique picks of 2013. Though, why is Ebert being ignored by the majority of coaches?

Even though he's a 60% improvement over his 2011 season, Ebert's form dropped off in the second half of last year. He went from averaging 108 in the first eleven games to only 91 in his last eleven, making it one of the biggest form drop offs in 2012. In itself a 91 average still means that Ebert improved significantly over the previous season, though some may question if that form drop is a better reflection of his realistic output or whether it was just the long season taking its toll on his body.

He's one player you should keep an eye out for during the upcoming pre-season competition.

Dangerfield's start to 2012 was definitely shakey, with many coaches likely thinking twice about his value and whether he has the tank to step it toe-to-toe with the elites of the competition. Fortunately those doubts were short lived as Dangerfield began tearing packs and racking up the Dream Team points.

Dangerfield's finish to the season was sublime, with seven consecutive scores above 100. This led to a 10% increase of his average Dream Team score in the second half of the season

At the time this article was written, Dangerfield has been selected in nearly 13% of all teams. He's no longer what one would consider a 'unique' Dream Team pick, as many coaches are now on board hoping for a repeat effort by the young Adelaide midfielder.

Reports are in that Armitage has had a top notch preseason and is ready to dominate the St Kilda midfield in 2013. There's no doubt that the St Kilda midfield is aging. Lenny Hayes, Montagna and Dal Santo can still deliver qaulity performances, though the club is now looking at the next generation of talent to lead the club for years to come. David Armitage is a front runner to be one of those talents.

Compared to 2012, Armitage has improved considerably as a player, which reflects with his average. His score spread is pretty decent too, with an average of five marks and tackles per game, as well as twenty disposals. If he manages to increase his disposals per game up to 25 and can replicate Hayes' tackling ferocity, it's not hard to believe that Armitage can be pushing for an average of 100+ in 2013.

Harley Bennell is without doubt one of the future stars at Gold Coast. He averaged a respectable 85 Dream Team points in 2012 and managed to play every game of the season. As the team improves, he'll improve and as he improves, he'll continue in his progression into becoming a great Dream Team midfielder.

If you're looking for a unique player who may pay off, Bennell should be not be ignored, as only 2.5% of teams have chosen him so far for their 2013 Dream Team.

It's no secret that Waite's career has recently been plagued by serious injuries. He missed out on a considerable amount of games in 2009, 2011 and 2012 and so it's hard to judge where his form is currently at. With that said, six of his eleven games were above 90 last year, which shows that he can still be Dream Team relevants long as he manages to stay injury free.

At his price range, it's hard to find a good enough reason to seriously consider him given his recent history.

Most people expected big things from Dayne Beams, but it came as a surprise to many at how good he really is. He scored 110+ an astonishing 15 times throughout last season, making him one of the most must have players of the competition. The only two players to exceed his Dream Team average were Gary Ablett and Dane Swan, while Beams averaged higher than Boyd, Watson and Pendlebury.

If you can't afford either Ablett or Swan, Beams is the next best thing. His price is well justified and he's sure to continue his stellar form into 2013.

Josh Kennedy had a very successful 2012, both on the field and in fantasy football. In 2011, he showed that he had the potential to become a quality Dream Team player, though his overall average was brought down during patches of inconsistency.

That all changed in 2012, where he spent more time running through the midfield and reached his potential by becoming a quality all-around player. Last season he scored in the 90s eight times, while scoring 100+ a total of seven times, with his overall average been boosted by massive scores of 136, 147 and 153. This indicates there's still room for improvement, since you would rather have a player who can get 100+ most weeks instead of a mix of 90s and low 100s mixed with some 130+. Over 5% of coaches so far seem to think he can improve in that regard.

As expected, Callan Ward's Dream Team average saw a significant increase as he became one of the prime Western Sydney midfielders in 2012. Even though his consistency isn't always up to par, Ward was a solid pick that rewarded many coaches who chose to take the risk in his acquisition.

In 2013, it's safe to assume that as the team around him improves, he'll also improve. The pressure will slowly dissipate as more attention will begin to fall on the young midfielders surrounding him. Though unfortunately that's not always how it works out.

Regardless, if you're looking for a player who's set to crack the 100+ average, Ward is one to seriously consider, since less than one percent of coaches have him on their radar in 2013.

Paddy Ryder went under the radar last year after a very disappointing 2011 season. Last year, he scored above 90 ten times, which is a very respectable tally, though the same can be said for a number of ruckman, as there were many great choices across the board last season.

Paddy Ryder's case is a bit difficult. He's in that awkward price range for ruckman; he's not too far from the elite priced ruckman and he's not much higher than other potential breakout ruckman. It seems coaches are opting more for a premium and a rookie for their ruck combination this year, which leaves Patrick Ryder out of the equation. He shouldn't be considered up forward, as there are many other safer picks in a similiar price range.

Shuey, although a major improver, cannot be a reliable pick in 2013 due to his inconsistencies last year. One week he'd score high, the next week? Back down again. In fact, Shuey only increased his score back to back once throughout the whole season.

Many great players start out as an inconsistent mess. Shuey is at that stage right now. Either he'll stabilize and start to be more reliable on a weekly basis or he'll continue his inconsistent ways for at least another season. Shuey is one of the trickier choices for coaches this season, since it can go either way. Less than 3% of coaches have included him in their team so far, so taking this big gamble may pay off in the long run.

As Dean Cox enters his thirteenth season of football, Nic Nat enters his fourth. There's no mistaking the fact that last year was almost a changing of the guard, as Naitanui became more of a primary ruckman and Cox began spending more time up forward. Naitanui increased his hitout average from 20 to 25, just one hitout per game behind Dean's average last year.

Since debuting, Naitanui has been steadily increasing as a Dream Team prospect. His average went from 62 to 76 to 86, with a very good chance of reaching a Dream Team average of 95+ in his fourth season of footy. He's priced at an attractive $442K and like many other ruckmen, is now dual position.

Dream Team coaches seem to share the same sentiment regarding Naitanui, as he has so far been included in 11% of teams. I guess if you're looking for some extra cash and some potential, look no further than Nic Nat to fill a spot in your ruck.

There aren't many players who receive a 10% Dream Team increase when they're already averaging over 110+. Ablett is one of those players who can do wrong out on the field, both in a footy sense and a Dream Team sense. He dominates opponents and fetches a lot of uncontested ball too as his teammates opt to use him at any opportunity.

There's not much to be said other than the fact that if you could afford him, get him.

Like Ablett, Swan somehow managed to increase his average by 10%, even though he averaged an astonishing 120 the year before.

The question many will be asking though, is he worth picking up for round one? He's $46K more expensive than Ablett though only averages eight more per game. It'll take an enormous effort to maintain a price of $680K, so if you're looking for some spare cash, it may be worth it to downgrade to Ablett or Beams and get another premium pick with the extra money.