Catch up with the latest Official A-Leagues Fantasy talking points from the weekend’s action.
Is it time to disembark the Hannah Keane hype train?
The Western United striker’s fantasy value has been in steady decline over the past four rounds, dropping from a high of $547K to $413K at the end of Round 17. It’s a result of the former Golden Boot leader going goalless in back-to-back games as Western have lost two games on the bounce.
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The second-placed side have a bye in Round 18, making this the perfect time for owners of the league’s overall top-scorer (in 23% of teams) to look for alternatives.
Luckily a pair of rival spearheads are emerging in a similar price bracket.
Liberty A-League Round 17 Talking Points: Victory’s message to top-four hopefuls, Reds’ feat 84 days in the making
Melbourne Victory’s Melina Ayres ($441k) is back from injury, and is excelling for Jeff Hopkins’ side. A goal and assist in a win over Melbourne City helped Ayres to a 15-point total in Round 17. In her last six A-League Women games, Ayres has scored seven goals and assisted two more. It’s frightening form from the Matildas smokey, whose biggest obstacle to notching consistently huge fantasy hauls is staying on the park. Should Ayres remain fit for the run home, the Victory spearhead could be a dominant force in your fantasy squad.
And then there’s Shea Connors ($388k). The Brisbane Roar striker is flying of late, having bagged five goals in six games for Brisbane Roar. A brace against Western United in Round 17 saw the Roar striker score 23 points, pushing her three-round average out to 15 points. Connors is a cheaper alternative to both Keane and Ayres, and is scoring for fun in orange.
Mariners prospect one to watch through the backend of the campaign
This was a performance that had been coming for quite some time.
Christian Theoharous has threatened to explode in yellow and blue since his mid-season arrival at Central Coast Mariners from Western United – and in his first start in Round 20, he showed his full potential notching two assists as best afield in a stellar 4-1 win over Macarthur FC.
The 23-year-old former Borussia Monchengladbach talent is tipped to become a future Socceroo by Mariners boss Nick Montgomery – but for now, the focus is on getting the best out of a player with massive potential.
Theoharous ($223k) scored 18 fantasy points on his first Mariners start; he’s a cut-price forward in just 1% of teams, and with his price expected to rise by $50k after Round 21, he’s well worth a punt if your fantasy side is in need of a late-season differential pick capable of recording monster hauls should he be entrusted with a consistent starting role in Gosford.
READ: Theoharous is feeling the love at the Mariners & it’s showing
City star a revelation in Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week
Melbourne City midfielder Aiden O’Neill’s 26-point fantasy haul came off the back of an unlikely brace against Brisbane Roar in Round 20, and his post-match revelations suggest there’ll be plenty more opportunities falling his way in the attacking third moving forward.
City boss Rado Vidosic has encouraged O’Neill to get further forward of late; on Sunday he operated next to Scott Jamieson in midfield for City, with both players taking turns to get forward and attempt to make their impact felt in the final third. O’Neill did exactly that in some style, scoring a long-range stunner before heading home a late winner.
Glory centre-back Mark Beevers joins O’Neill in the Team of the Week, having made a major contribution to keeping his side’s sheet clean in a stunning 1-0 win over Western Sydney after Jordan Elsey’s second-minute red card. Four Mariners make the cut, with forwards Jason Cummings and Theoharous joined by Marco Tulio and defender James McGarry.
But in typical Craig Goodwin fashion, the Adelaide United captain trumped all comers with an immense 33-point haul.
Phoenix defence shines in Liberty A-League Team of the Week
What a weekend it was for Wellington Phoenix in the Liberty A-League!
A 1-0 win from the last-placed Phoenix over league leaders Sydney FC was one of the shock results of the season, and as a result of the unlikely clean sheet, three of the four defenders in the Liberty A-League Team of the Week are in yellow and black.
Michaela Foster (15 points) and Marisa van der Meer (15 points) both made the cut alongside goalscorer Kate Taylor, whose 28-point haul was the highest of any player league wide in Round 17.
Matildas midfielder Katrina Gorry made a three-player midfield alongside Canberra’s Vesna Milivojevic and Melbourne Victory’s Paige Zois, who will contend against one another for Goal of the Week honours after respective stunners.
