To buy, to hold or to sell? That is the facing fantasy managers ahead of Round 5 of the Liberty A-League season!
The return of Sydney FC from AFC Women’s Club Championship provides fresh options for managers to consider in Round 5, and with both Canberra United and Western Sydney Wanderers out of action due to their rescheduled fixture, one of the best players in the game is unavailable for another week.
It makes for an interesting pre-round tinkering period for fantasy managers looking to find the right balance in their squads heading into Round 5.
The A-Leagues Fantasy Show crew debated long and hard on this week’s episode over which players to buy, hold and sell ahead of Round 5 – with Wellington Phoenix midfielder Macey Fraser and Sydney FC striker Fiona Worts the top picks to impress in a fresh weekend of Liberty A-League action.
Read on as aleagues.com.au takes you through the players to consider buying, holding or selling ahead of Round 5.
Featured image credit: Sydney FC
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Traded in & out for Round 5: the top 10
Traded out
- Jenna McCormick (Brisbane Roar DEF)
- Emma Checker (Melbourne Victory DEF)
- Rebekah Stott (Melbourne City DEF)
- Melina Ayres (Newcastle Jets FWD)
- Daniela Galic (Melbourne City MID)
- Cortnee Vine (Sydney FC FWD)
- Adriana Taranto (Western United MID)
- Alana Jancevski (Adelaide United FWD)
- Manaia Elliott (Wellington Phoenix MID)
- Emilia Murray (Adelaide United MID)
Traded in
- Macey Fraser (Wellington Phoenix MID)
- Holly McNamara (Melbourne City FWD)
- Rachel Lowe (Melbourne Victory MID)
- Annabel Martin (Central Coast DEF)
- Natasha Rigby (Perth Glory DEF)
- Jordan Silkowitz (Brisbane Roar GKP)
- Fiona Worts (Sydney FC FWD)
- Grace Jale (Perth Glory MID)
- Susan Phonsongkham (Perth Glory MID)
- Mariana Speckmaier (Wellington Phoenix FWD)
BUY
Fiona Worts (Sydney FC)
- Position: FWD
- Price: $224K
- Ownership: 10%
Fiona Worts has found her feet at Sydney FC. The English striker bagged a goal on her Sky Blues debut in Round 1, missed Round 2 through injury but travelled to Uzbekistan for the AFC Women’s Club Championship and bagged a pair of braces to come home with four goals scored in three games.
A $224k price tag is tantalising for a player who could lead the line for the reigning Premiers/Champions all season long. Watch out for the team sheets when Sydney face off against Worts’ former side Adelaide United on Sunday, as a taxing return trip from Uzbekistan could cast a doubt over head coach Ante Juric’s selection process.
Macey Fraser (Wellington Phoenix)
- Position: MID
- Price: $254K
- Ownership: 8%
The young Wellington Phoenix gun proving more exciting as each round passes, Macey Fraser scored a banging free-kick in Round 4 to take her tally to two for the season. The 21-year-old is a masterful technician at such a young age, and is involved in so much of Wellington’s attacking play.
An in-form Phoenix star is a must-have at this stage in the season as Paul Temple’s side become one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
Millie Farrow (Perth Glory)
- Position: FWD
- Price: $333k
- Ownership: 3%
English forward Millie Farrow is yet to put a goal on the board in her debut season – but she’s leading the league in assists after four games.
Farrow’s fingerprints are all over Perth Glory’s best attacking play after four rounds, and with three assists to her name it seems only a matter of time until she starts putting some away herself.
HOLD
Rebekah Stott (Melbourne City)
- Position: DEF
- Price: $221k
- Ownership: 28%
A score of -1 in Round 4 went against the trend of what Rebekah Stott had been producing to date in her Melbourne City comeback – but as fantasy managers look to trade the New Zealand international out, you could buck the trend by holding onto the central defender.
Stott has two scores of above 10 through four rounds and is facing a Newcastle Jets outfit in Round 5 which is struggling to put goals on the board.
Vesna Milivojevic (Canberra United)
- Position: MID
- Price: $532k
- Ownership: 29%
The rescheduling of Canberra’s Round 5 fixture sidelines Vesna Milivojevic for a second-consecutive weekend, after last weekend’s postponement of Canberra’s clash with Sydney FC due to the latter’s commitments in Asia.
Milivojevic has the fourth-highest ownership percentage in the game (29%) and for good reason; her 19.3-point average is far and away the best in the league to date. Trading her out in favour of a playing midfielder in Round 5 will likely find managers needing to find a way to bring her straight back in for Round 6. If you have space on your bench, use it.
Lydia Williams (Melbourne Victory)
- Position: GKP
- Price: $284k
- Ownership: 16%
A tough start to the season, then marked improvement; Lydia Williams conceded four goals in two games before a pair of clean sheets in consecutive wins as Melbourne Victory turn an early corner.
SELL
Emilia Murray (Adelaide United)
- Position: MID
- Price: $162k
- Ownership: 13%
To the 13% of fantasy managers with exciting young Adelaide attacker Emilia Murray in their squads, beware: the 19-year-old is set for an extended stint on the sidelines.
The club confirmed this week that Murray has gone in for surgery on an ankle injury.
Melina Ayres (Newcastle Jets)
- Position: FWD
- Price: $434K
- Ownership: 6%
This week’s Ins and Outs confirm the absence of Melina Ayres for a third-consecutive week through injury. The high-price Newcastle Jets star could free up $434k in your squad budget if you shift her out ahead of Round 5; Melbourne City star Holly McNamara ($456k) is a near like-for-like selection in attack and if managers have the extra budget to accomodate the switch, consider doing so now.
Liberty A-League Ins & Outs: Matildas superstar returns, defender’s Sky Blues comeback 5,425 days in the making
Emily Gielnik (Melbourne Victory)
- Position: FWD
- Price: $348K
- Ownership: 3%
Emily Gielnik is included in this week’s Melbourne Victory squad – but after a calf injury suffered in Round 4, the jury is out on whether or not the Matildas striker will get onto the park against Perth Glory on Saturday night.
It’s a long trip out West for Victory which will not bode well for any niggles or injuries in the squad; Ella O’Grady looked bright off the bench in Gielnik’s place last week and scored a goal against Newcastle Jets, giving head coach Jeff Hopkins plenty to consider when selecting his attacking players. Gielnik’s fantasy value is expected to drop by $78k after Round 5.
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