2017 Series I & II review

[ElijahCraigHyde]

Common cards:
Must say I really do think it's a good design for a common base set - the paint brush spill is effective and predominant white background makes it useful for you to acquire IP signatures. Overall top design considering live background shots are now something of the past.

Holifoils:
Yes an excellent concept to use as the parallel for series I - like the way Select have used different players from the commons and hereby that technically disqualifies this subset from being a parallel however most collectors I'm assuming would still treat this as a para concept lol and the rainbow design is certaily original and certainly different from the same old same old from previous years.
Now I just hope for sereis II this year, Select will adapt the same concept by using different players on the paras to the commons but instead vise-versa - low profiles players on commons and high profiles on the paras and perhaps just 9 players per club making incoming concept known as Certified 700

Footy stand-ups:
This back end concept is clearly for the kids and adults collectors like me only find them handy to add to IP sub PCs of ya collection and it's fair to say un-popped cards of this subset might hold a little bit of value lol in future should this concept be just a 1-off

A-Graders:
Wow! Not a bad design for an animated concept! Unlike the Starbursts and Firepower from the past, this design is actually appealing to a mature age collector though not to say a mighty winner of course! IMO this concept would not go down that bad in series II should it correspond to this subset by adding another 3 player per club thus replacing Team Leaders or even replacing All-Australian concept by relocating that subset to an outside-pack complementary 1:box inset like they now do in NRL series II releases

Milestones:
Master set collectors would surely be sick to death of this concept continuing into its sixth consecutive running however as an IP sub PC collector they are a highly handy concept to watch upon their progress since making their draft debut. That being there is no reason to ax this traditional concept any time soon IMO

Starbursts:
Can't disagree more this animation concept is not the sexiest card design and is very repelling to many collectors out there. Only credibility this concept has continuing again is the two different variants - different colours to last year also - therefore at the end of the day are some tough and cheek to have in your sub PCs and should this concept correspond for one more years in 2018 Footy Stars, multi-pack search cards should be yellow/gold whilst starter pack comp variant be black

Platinum Stand-ups
On one level the back end variant of this same concept was lame enough but now used as a front-end? C'mon! Main credibility this front end subset has, is that at least cards are individually numbered - otherwise it be a distinct stinker plus not to mention if the Brownlow predictors did not make a return lol.
Bottom line is, I am happy for a second box-search #IN card was a great initiative from Select however for 2018 series I I do hope a Platinum concept like this one will be a stand-alone middle ground card!

Brownlow Predictors:
This release would have been an absolute stinker if it was not for a repeat of this concept however bottom line is I am not extremely impressed - there could have been fewer player - say 3 per team @1:108 packs or even just 2 @1:144 packs if of course the wild card number remained! Secondly instead of 8 player per team, 4 could have been replaced to replacing a Coleman predictive concept.

Overall verdict:
6.5/10 - Yes in hindsight the release is clearly for the kids and those older collecters alike who don't care about the value side of their collections however on the other hand Select could have thrown in a little more tricks of the trade to make this release more appealing to the mature age collector like me but without too much to retract away for the incoming series II release. Had it not been for the return of the Brownlow Predictors, Select would have been very lucky for me to induct the overall rating a five lol.

 

[Matty76]

Jarrah, terrific review - don't ever lose your passion for collecting mate, your enthusiasm is infectious!

I think that the Brownlow Predictor concept is brilliant but that its current incarnation is completely pointless - 90% of the cards are virtually meaningless as (with due respect), only a very small number of the players featured are likely to win the medal. I would perhaps instead like to see a Brownlow redemption (like the premiership redemption cards have been in recent releases) rather than a predictor. Maybe a Brownlow redemption limited to 150 and a Coleman Medal redemption of the same number?

 

[Jiska125]

Good review and perhaps too generous in my view. I can't get enthusiastic about this year - overall, too gimicky for my liking.

Commons and Holofoils are great for my son (and other kids I imagine). As always, these are sharp with great imagery.

Stand ups are very disappointing and won't stand the test of time. I can't see people wanting to chase these to complete sets in a few months, let alone years to come. Whilst again ok for the kids, they are too rare for them to collect. A platinum version seems pointless - just emphasizes the problem. The rarest cards should be a quality concept.

Milestones are my favourite. I also like following players through their career with these cards. Also links in well to the 300 game milestone case card.

A-graders and starbursts - I'd prefer less cartoon/caricature cards. One or the other would have been enough (and without the stand up).

Brownlow predictors are great and I agree with both previous comments - far too many cards in this series. 3 players per team would have been enough.

I give 4/10 and looking forward to Certified.

 

[ElijahCraigHyde]

Common cards
Simply what you'd expect for a design of the common cards, nothing to fancy and I must say Select have nailed it this year by instead making the B-side players of each team accounted for in Series I by replacing the same old no-joe parallel set as usual in Champions/Stars. In other words, I am stoked this set is inclusive of key players, in particular of my team being GWS and the amounts of gold stamping make this set quite adequate

Certified 460
Yes! I am stoked 460 parallel is back again in this year's release and Select have nailed it by allowing numbers low end cards not difficult to find and the fun continues by acquiring low numbered duplicates and nothing beats having Cameron, Davis and Ward in this set - yay! Also like the way they are similar to last year's yet slightly different designs.

All Australian
This set aint gunner go away any time soon, so I'll oblige to deal with it once again - not bad designs for this year's though. Would have been good however if this set this year fell into the 1:12 slot to allow room for a concept of "Certified 230" -- similar to 460 but different players once again from that and commons.

Goal to Goal
Some might remember earlier in my threads I was actually predicting a concept to the one it has turned out to be and not far off was I lol. Would have been better however if this concept fell into a higher hit a step up from the Box signatures but step down from unsigned jerseys. Two cards per club out of 80 and 2-3 players per card (defenders for one, and forwards for another and midfielders for either one), falling in ratio of 1:108 (3 boxes) is what I am/was talking about.

Rookies
This year's RC set has turned out to be a hell of a lot better than what I was anticipating - glad all 77 rookies accounted for and the Select have accomplished this by keeping them within the 1:18 ratio by shorting the number from 240 to 220 accordingly. Cream background higher end looking than burgundy IMO.

SC Signatures
So glad Shane Mumford signed this concept instead of the MWG concept and am surprised and happily Rory Lobb is the second one also. The cons this year however are as FAIC Hawks fans should have gotten Hodge and Rioli and Gary could have been one for the Suns. I JUST HOPE this signature concept will continue for at least another year to allow collectors to chase the ones they were wishing for and can't see why they can't even if 18 Certified is dedicated to a Hall of Fame theme.

Medal Winners
Considering my ideas of Certified 230, AA in 1:12 ration and Goal to Goal being 4 cards out of 80, this set would have worked out then to fall into a slot of 1:216 packs to make this same old same old have same little more meaning and in that case assumes strictly not #IN numbering much less specifying the number of printed cards per design - that to prevent retracting of front-end card traits in release.

MW Guernseys (unsigned)
IMO the corresponding players of this release have been pretty exciting to collect however Hawks fans probably should have gotten Roughie should non-patch cards been as I mentioned. Gunston ok but could have had a more hp player perhaps? Love the way photos are different to signature variant and one for Greene suits this variant in anticipation to /80 lol

Footy's Finest
Almost identical to what I was anticipating however Parker for Swans? No offense to Souths fans if happy but IMO Josh P Kennedy, Isaac Heeney or Kieran Jack would have been better options. Would have said Buddy but thank god he's the Influential depiction!

MW Guernseys - signature variant
Love the way different photos are used to the /160 variant and the corresponding cards are simply magnificent! Toby looks so hot in the ACT Telstra Tower jumper in his goal scoring showmanship and my wish has come true by having his signature looking better on this patch concept instead of an SC card due to the way he signs cards lol (also a blessing to find out in advanced at a fan day!) Other club fans should be pleased with their designs

Influential
YES! I told you all they'd be a concept out of 40 similar to Finest and this has made the release from being simply concerned for corresponding teams of redemption and FF likewise. I've been anticipating a concept like this ever since the release of last year lol.
This seems equivalent to the Mojo concept applicable to Rugby League front-ends. Now my concerns with this however is when the /40 concept first came out in NRL series II in 2015, fans were excited however the next year they went further by adding a sapphire variant of the ruby cards out of 20 and this year they've gone even further by adding an emerald variant out of 10 and and predictions are tipping them to go even further with a diamond variant of concept out of 5 next year. Point being, is I bloody hope Select does not copy ESP by making concept like that in future releases.
Finally design could have been a bit better - slightly too animation like and preference for design would have been based on that of Finest with the opponent background photo-shopped with a gold foil stamp paint bucket and prominent card colour either refracting royal blue or applicable to refracting in prominent club colour.

Premiership Redemption
An oldie but a goodie and so glad I've snapped this one up already lol

Overall verdict
7.5/10
Arguably the best series II release since Gold Coast and GWS entered the comp and is most definitely a far cry from 2012 Eternity - a series II that was a sheer stinker IMO and could have well passed for a Champions/F-stars release. Cons for this release are:
1) Agonizing delay and anticipation to reveal actual breakdown
2) Influential card designs were slightly too drab for such hit (but at least a concept I wished for was in) not to mention future x/20 etc parallel concept concern
3) Other slight cons IMO mentioned throughout review.

In another review I'll discuss what should stay and replace if next year's series II is a Hall of Fame theme.

 

[Festa1234]

Good write up, my only issue with the release is the Medal cards if your going to have them 1:2 boxes then have them numbered at least then in 2 months time they might be worth more than $5