Neds Fantasy Preview: Victory striker and new Mariners signing’s purple patch

Round 21 of the Isuzu UTE A-League season kicks off on Friday night – and with the start of a new round comes fresh possibilities for you and your Official A-Leagues Fantasy team!

Consider these five fantasy options heading into Round 21, thanks to neds.

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Bruno Fornaroli – Melbourne Victory

  • Price: $344K
  • Ownership: 3%
  • 3-round average: 9.0 points

Bruno Fornaroli is a rare shining light in an otherwise gloomy period for Melbourne Victory, with the Uruguayan quietly putting together a decent run of individual form.

Fornaroli has found the back of the net in three of his last four appearances for the bottom-placed side. An expertly-struck free-kick in Round 20 defeat to Western United showed the best of the 35-year-old’s technique. His three-round average of nine points is well above his season average of just 6.1.

Jay O’Shea – Brisbane Roar

  • Price: $448K
  • Ownership: 7%
  • 3-round average: 9.7 points

Jay O’Shea has found the back of the net in back-to-back games since returning from a broken toe, making up for lost time and strengthening his reputation as one of the competition’s most consistent fantasy scorers.

O’Shea’s season average of 9.6 makes him a dependable asset for all fantasy owners; he sits fifth in total points for the season, but 50th in terms of ownership percentage. Only 7% of teams feature the Irishman heading into the final weeks of the regular season.

Connor Pain – Western United

  • Price: $316K
  • Ownership: 1%
  • 3-round average: 11 points

At last, there’s life in Western United’s season – and Connor Pain is playing a key role in reviving the champions.

Pain supplied assists for both of Western’s goals in a 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory last weekend, taking his assists tally to six for the season. With low ownership and an affordable price tag, it’s worth considering bringing Pain into your squad for Round 21.

James McGarry – Central Coast Mariners

  • Price: $332K
  • Ownership: 4%
  • 3-round average: 14.3 points

James McGarry is quickly becoming one of the signings of the January-February window, arriving from Newcastle Jets and coming along in leaps and bounds at the Mariners.

McGarry scored his second goal in three games in the Mariners’ 4-1 rout of Macarthur FC in Round 20; his three-round average of 14.3 points is bolstered by an 18-point haul in Round 18 and last weekend’s 19-point display, which earned the full-back a spot in the Fantasy Team of the Week.

Zach Clough – Adelaide 

  • Price: $306K
  • Ownership: 2%
  • 3-round average: 9.0

Zach Clough is beginning to show why he’s so highly rated at Adelaide United with a string of solid performances for the second-placed side.

Clough has notched consecutive fantasy scores of above 10, and as a result, his price is predicted to increase by more than $40K after Round 21. 

In four of his last eight games, Clough has pierced the 10-point mark and is currently performing well above his season average of seven points. The Englishman bagged an assist against Melbourne City in Round 19 before scoring his third goal of the campaign in a free-flowing attacking performance from the Reds against Newcastle Jets last time out.