The three ‘bye’ rounds are always tricky and it’s fair to say I haven’t handled the first one very well!

I had a lot of zeroes last week, so I might just have to try to hold on for the next couple of weeks, minimise the damage and go nuts on the trades after that.

The bye rounds are a good time to look at trading out some of the cash cows in your team that may have reached their peak value. Just make sure you’re trading in guys who have already had the bye otherwise you’ll end up copping more donuts on your field.

It’s tougher to know when to pull the trigger on your trade-downs now that player prices increase after each game, and not after three games like previous years. You have to decide whether to take the gamble on a first gamer, who are often used as subs, or run the risk of a bloke playing a blinder and then not being able to afford him the next week.

We have a few guys worth considering this week especially considering we’ve already had our bye. Charlie Cameron is a good option. He’s been named to make his debut against Collingwood and he’ll only set you back $115,200. I might have a word to Sando and make sure he doesn’t give Charlie the green vest! Brodie Martin is another one to consider for your defence. He’s played limited game time in his two matches this year, so he’s still cheap at $147,191.

The big one a lot of people will consider is Taylor Walker. The fact that he hasn’t played AFL in 12 months means he’s priced at less than $300,000, but it also means it might take him a little bit of time to get back to his point-scoring best. Tex has looked really fit and strong in his two SANFL games back though, so I reckon I’ll take the punt and bring him before he (hopefully) kicks a bag on Thursday night and his price goes up.

There are a few other players across the comp I’m keeping an eye on. Carlton has the bye this round, so I probably won’t pull the trigger this week but Troy Menzel is tempting. Menzel has played most of the season for the Blues, but his price is still low ($197,436) because he’s been the sub a few times. He had a good game against St Kilda on Monday night, so I doubt he’ll be in the vest again anytime soon. He’s definitely one to consider as a forward line trade down.

Billy Hartung from Hawthorn played well on debut and then started as the sub the next week. His price has already gone up a bit, but he’s a good chance of getting some more game time with all the injuries the Hawks have at the moment. Mitch Hallahan is another one from Hawthorn to look at.

Collingwood pair Sam Dwyer and Alex Fasolo will cost you a bit more than your average trade-downs, but they are dual-position players. Their prices have been affected by injuries, so they won’t stay below the $300,000 price range for long once they start playing again.

Remember, you don’t need to keep these guys in your team forever. You can hang onto them for a few weeks, cash in on their price rise and then trade them out if they aren’t scoring well enough for you. Good luck with your picks and for the second bye round this week – I know I’ll need some luck!

Crouchy’s trade-down targets
Charlie Cameron, Adelaide - $115,200 (FWD)
Troy Menzel, Carlton - $197,436 (FWD)
Taylor Walker, Adelaide - $282,900 (FWD)
Sam Dwyer, Collingwood - $282,217 (FWD/MID)
Alex Fasolo, Collingwood - $292,276 (FWD/DEF)
Jack Billings, St Kilda - $309, 798 (FWD/MID)
Mitch Hallahan, Hawthorn - $216,273 (MID)
Christian Salem, Melbourne - $202,568 (MID)
Kane Mitchell, Port Adelaide - $275,178 (MID)
Blake Acres, St Kilda - $216,986 (MID)
Marcus Bontempelli, Western Bulldogs - $228, 856 (MID)
Tom Cutler, Brisbane Lions - $208,178 (DEF)
Sam Docherty, Carlton - $282,408 (DEF)
Brodie Martin, Adelaide - $147,191 (DEF)
Kurt Aylett, Essendon - $128,552 (DEF)
Billy Hartung, Hawthorn - $231,343 (MID)