Round 1 of the 2023-24 Liberty A-League campaign is in the books and so is the first weekend of Official A-Leagues Fantasy for this season!
A-League Women’s Fantasy kicked off with a bang and coaches are now either basking in a superb opening round tally, or scampering to make changes ahead of Round Two getting underway in a few days time.
These are the key takeaways from the opening round of fantasy football in the Liberty A-League.
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Reds attacking trio combine for 62 points!
All the chatter leading into the season surrounding Adelaide United was who was going to score the goals this season.
Well, they may have found more than just one answer.
All three of the Reds’ new attacking signings Hannah Blake, Alana Jancevski and Mariah Lee found the net in their 4-4 draw with Canberra United.
MATCH REPORT: Adelaide & Canberra play out wild draw after 95th-minute equaliser!
Their performances all yielded brilliant scores in Official A-Leagues Fantasy – combining for a whopping 62 points as the three highest scorers among forwards.
Blake and Jancevski both scored 23 points on their Reds debut, by firing home a goal and tallying an assist each, leading all forwards after round one. Lee added 16 points of her own on debut, thanks in part to scoring a second-half penalty of her own.
All three present intriguing options for coaches looking at given they are all low-price options and aren’t in more than 10% of teams, presenting a massive point of difference.
Jancevski is the cheapest of the three at $174,100 and is already in 8.5% of squads, while Blake is a touch more expensive at $208,900 but is only in 0.9% of teams.
Lee – on the other hand – is the most pricey of the three at $228,900 and was incredibly in not a single one of the 1,773 squads in the entire game!
The fact Jancevski and Lee’s goals came from the spot is only a good thing – because being a designated penalty taker can only lead to more points should they have a conversion rate.
But coaches have time before they need to make any decisions, given prices won’t rise until after Round Three, so it would be best to keep an eye on their performances this week against the Central Coast Mariners before opting to trade – if you can wait an extra week.
Although she isn’t an attacker in Fantasy, Emilia Murray ($155,700) is another option to keep an eye on after scoring 15 points as a result of scoring a late equaliser.
However, Murray’s late strike would have been a sigh of relief for 11.8% of coaches, after seeing her named on the bench. Murray’s position in the team is something coaches must keep in the back of their minds heading into Round Two and beyond.
Sky Blues gun sets the pace early, leads TOTW
Kirsty Fenton is the early pacesetter in A-League Women’s Fantasy, after scoring a league high 29 points in Sydney FC’s side’s 2-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Fenton put in a brilliant performance from start to finish, opening the scoring with a well-hit effort from the edge of the area and was a rock defensively, helping the Sky Blues keep a clean sheet.
12 of the Sydney defender’s 29 points came from the goal alone, with a further 11 points coming from the clean sheet (six points) and a number of interceptions (five points).
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As a result, she leads the 2023-24 Round One Team of the Week, which includes the aforementioned Adelaide quartet – Blake, Jancevski, Lee and Murray.
Fenton is joined in defence by Brisbane Roar defender Jenna McCormick (22 points) after she scored in their 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory, and Perth Glory’s Natasha Rigby (16 points).
Canberra United midfielder Vesna Milivojevic leads all midfielders after scoring a whopping 27 points off the back of her brace against the Reds.
Meanwhile, Rigby’s Glory teammates Grace Jale (20 points), Susan Phonsongkham (17 points) and goalkeeper Morgan Aquino (18 points) also take their place in the side.
A-LEAGUE WOMEN FANTASY TEAM OF THE WEEK, ROUND ONE
Player (Points)
FWD: Hannah Blake (23), Alana Jancevski (23), Mariah Lee (16)
MID: Vesna Milivojevic (27), Grace Jale (22), Susan Phonsongkham (17), Emilia Murray (15)
DEF: Kirsty Fenton (29), Jenna McCormick (22), Natasha Rigby (16)
GK: Morgan Aquino (18)
30% of coaches in the market for a new defender after injury
Sydney FC captain Natalie Tobin is set for a stint on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury on the weekend.
The Sky Blues defender is currently awaiting results from scans on her injury, to determine the severity of the blow. Her absence is set to leave a major hole in the heart of the reigning champions’ backline as they chase more silverware this season.
As a result, it means 30.2% of coaches will need to find a replacement for the injured Sky Blues skipper – who is the most selected defender and the second highest selected player in all of A-League Women’s Fantasy.
Her Sydney teammate Kirsty Fenton looks likely to be a popular replacement after her brilliant Round One performance. She’s a little cheaper than Tobin too at $324,500, while her centre-back partner Charlotte McLean – who scored 12 points – is also an option at around the same mark at $337,400.
Tori Tumeth ($165,300) also tallied 12 points on her Sky Blues debut at right-back.
However, buyers beware with Sydney defenders given we haven’t seen the new-look back four in action just yet. It may be wise to hold an extra week until after they take the field against Brisbane Roar this weekend to get a semblance of how they will line-up and how they respond following such an important out.
If you’re looking to bank some cash in reserve, a move to Jenna McCormick ($165,300) could be an option after her impressive Round One performance, or Glory’s Natasha Rigby at $285,000 and Melbourne City’s Rebekah Sott at $205,300 after she scored 11 points in her return game.
Fellow premium option Kayla Morrison ($361,200) had a quiet Round One showing in Melbourne Victory’s loss to Brisbane, tallying only one point, but should bounce back in the weeks to come.
Absent Matildas in the mix to return
Two of A-League Women’s Fantasy’s most selected players were notable absentees this weekend, with Matildas duo Tameka Yallop and Chloe Logarzo missing their respective clashes.
Yallop’s A-Leagues return was put on hold for another week after she was left of the teamsheet in Brisbane Roar’s 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory, while Logarzo missed Western United’s 2-0 loss to Perth Glory due to personal reasons.
However, it’s not time to panic if you have either in your team.
According to Roar coach Garrath McPherson, Yallop – who is in 29.7% of sides – is in the frame to return for their clash against Sydney FC this weekend.
Western also confirmed Logarzo (in 28.3% of sides) is set to return against Melbourne Victory, for her first appearance since January.
Meanwhile, Victory coach Jeff Hopkins said Elise Kellond-Knight (in 14.3% of teams) and Emily Gielnik (5.7% of teams) are also a chance to feature against Western.
Kyah Simon (9% of teams) wasn’t deemed fit enough to make the matchday squad in Central Coast Mariners’ 1-0 loss to Newcastle Jets, but is also one to keep an eye on should she make the squad to face Adelaide on Friday.
