Only a handful of weeks into the 2024 Goulburn Valley league season, there are a number of players quickly developing the ultimate fantasy football reputation — earning the mantle of ‘fantasy pigs’.
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The term “fantasy pig’’ is the highest and most prestigious status in the fantasy football world, awarded to a player who goes above and beyond to feast on points.
Collingwood Brownlow medallist Dane Swan and former Benalla boy Tom Rockliff (who just happened to also captain Brisbane) were the original pigs of the AFL.
The fantasy pig has no respect — just when you think he’s had his fill of points, he goes back for more. There is also the fantasy piglet, a title applied to a pig in the making.
But we will take a closer look at these players next week.
Five weeks into the GVL season there is one player to stand out in our ‘sty’, the only individual to have earned more than 200 points in a game.
Shepparton’s Luke Smith scored 215 points in the Bears’ round four win against Seymour, his 40-disposal and eight-goal game the standout individual performance of the season so far.
His second quarter, where he scored 70 points, included four clearances (two out of the centre), three inside 50s, three goals, a smother, a tackle and 12 disposals.
Smith also owns the fourth highest points score of the season, 187 against Shepparton United in round two. In that game he had 36 possessions, nine inside 50s, 13 clearances, six tackles and kicked three goals.
In both games he had another of the Bears ranking points stars, Adam De Cicco, right on his heels. De Cicco owns the third-highest ranking points score of the season, 188 against Rochester in round three.
De Cicco is averaging 150.8 ranking points this season and there is more blue (denoting elite status) on his resume than just about every other player.
He averages 7.8 clearances, eight inside 50s, 7.5 tackles, 30.5 disposals and almost a goal a game.
Smith averages 157 points a game, almost 15 more than Tatura’s Brad Ryan, who has the second-highest ranking points tally in a single game for season 2024.
Ryan scored 193 points in his team’s three-point win against Seymour in round one, collecting 33 disposals, 12 marks (five intercept), eight rebounds, seven kick-ins, 12 one-percenters and nine spoils.
The defender was even credited with one goal assist. He is averaging eight marks, 12 rebound 50s, almost six spoils and 29.8 disposals this season.
Two other players, both from Mansfield, are the only remaining GVL stars to score more than 180 ranking points in a single game: Brett Mahoney (187 in round three against Tatura) and Ben Christopher (180 points against Benalla).
Christopher kicked eight goals, took 13 marks, laid four tackles and had 22 disposals in that game. He probably could have topped the 200 point mark if not for the four behinds he kicked.
His game-day tally of 14 goal involvements and 21 score involvements will take some beating.
Mahoney’s score came as a result of eight clearances (five from the centre bounce), eight inside 50s, nine tackles (eight of those effective) and five direct goal assists.
The other players making up the top 10 for individual ranking points scores this season are: Adam Borevski (Mansfield, 173 points round two), Ethan Hunt (Mooroopna, 171 points round one), Dan Johnston (Mooroopna, 170 points) and Christopher Welsh (Benalla, 169 points).
At Bomberland, co-coach Kaine Herbert’s round four 159-point game against Shepparton United is the highest individual tally, narrowly ahead of Liam Odgen’s 156-point round one performance.
Herbert had 34 disposals in his game, eight clearances, three tackles, eight inside 50s and kicked two goals. He is averaging 128 points a game.
Ogden’s game featured 29 disposals, six tackles, eight clearances, one goal and 10 inside 50s. He is averaging 126.8 points.
Ruckman Marcus Khoo has 140- and 139-point games this season and is averaging 133.8 points.
Anthony DePasquale (106.2 points) has kicked 19 goals this year and Jake Parkinson is averaging 109.8 points — ranked elite for his 27.8 disposal average, his 11 intercept possessions and rebound 50s (five a game).
If I was to pick a GVL Fantasy Football team to this point of the season (understanding players must be split into defence, midfield, forwards and rucks) here’s what it would look like:
Backs: Jake Parkinson (Ky), Brad Ryan (Tat), Ethan Penrith (Tat).
Half-backs: Adam Bosevski (Mans), Nathan Beattie (Sey), Coby McCarthy (Moor)
Centres: Harry Mahoney (Mans), Luke Smith (Shepp), Kaine Herbert (Ky)
Half-forwards: Ben Christopher (Mans), Dan Johnston (Moor), Adam De Cicco (Shepp)
Forwards: Ethan Hunt (Moor), Angus Byrne (Ech), Liam Odgen (Ky)
Followers: Marcus Khoo (Ky), Brett Mahoney (Mans), Jack McHale (Ech)
Interchange: Mick Mattingly (Ky), Mark Marriott (Ben), Riley Smith (Ech), Mitch Trewella (Roch), Xavier Stevenson (Shepp), Christopher Welsh (Ben)
If I add up the scores of these players (best 21 scores of the 24, with the captain’s score doubled) from round four this would be my score: 3104 points. I do admit there is no salary cap (the key element of most fantasy football games) applied to this team.
No club in the Goulburn Valley would have enough points, or dollars, to put this team on the field. I suppose that’s why they call it fantasy football.
Keep an eye out for our fantasy piglet piece coming up.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor