And with a $500 Hip Pocket Workwear & Safety Shepparton voucher up for grabs for the overall victor, there is no way you can do too much research before selecting your 12-player squad.
As a reminder of the rules, your 12 players must be comprised of three players from each Crane Aid GVBBL franchise — the Cobram Panel Works Panthers, SRP Mud Dogs, Jarvis Delahey Crushers and Hurley's Hotel Hounds.
You may select one of the franchise captains and two marquees, but they must all be from separate outfits, while two trades are allowed in between rounds to adjust your squad.
Before lockout you need to select a team captain to snare double points, a vice-captain as their back-up and designate a 12th man as an emergency.
Points are awarded for runs (one point), catches (five), unassisted wickets (15), assisted wickets (10), unassisted run-outs (10), assisted run-outs (five), stumpings (10), three-wicket hauls (15) and half-centuries (15).
On the agenda today is assessing which franchise captain will fit best in your line-up.
Cobram Panel Works Panthers
Matt Jaensch: Jaensch has been tough to dismiss in the Murray Valley Cricket Association for Barooga this season, hitting 82 runs at an average of 82 from only three knocks. His four wickets at 10.8 also bode favourably for a solid fantasy output, but working against the captain-coach is the marquee players he has signed. With Zimbabwean international Tarisai Musakanda and South African master blaster Wian Van Zyl on board — and with coaches only able to select one of the trio — Jaensch looms as a great point of difference pick. Interesting to note he has not selected himself in his own team dubbed, "Kiss my Chaminda Vass".
Hurley's Hotel Hounds
David Newman: From four knocks for Inverloch this summer Newman has managed 150 at 37.5. His three wickets have cost almost 32 runs apiece, but these numbers do not tell the story of Newman's class. In the previous three seasons for Inverloch the superstar has amassed 1711 runs at an average of more than 40, with three centuries and 10 50s among them. Similar to Jaensch, Newman's teammate James Nanopoulos will be picked in a vast majority of line-ups, leaving the skipper as a great outside the box selection.
Jarvis Delahey Crushers
Josh McDonald: With the added bonus of potential wicketkeeping points, McDonald will be a much sought-after addition to many GVBBL Fantasy teams. Has 348 runs at 24.8 for Geelong in the Victorian Premier Cricket ranks this season, with 142 of those coming in the Vic Super Slam. McDonald's nine catches, three stumpings and one assisted run-out average out to one dismissal a match this summer. With his marquees Richard Oliver and Peter Cassidy representing unknown quantities in the region, look for McDonald to be a popular selection.
SRP Mud Dogs
Mitch Winter-Irving: The White Hills skipper will bring his captaincy abilities across to the GVBBL as well as his supreme talent with bat in hand. A massive 456 runs at 65.14 in just eight knocks this season stands out as a huge reason to select him, while he also has five wickets at 27.4 with ball in hand. The question will be do you select Winter-Irving, his Premier Cricket brother Hamish or raging favourite to go back-to-back in the Lightfoot Medal Mark Nolan? It is a call that will make or break many fantasy campaigns.
To submit your team, email sport@sheppnews.com.au before 11 am on Sunday.
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