The Adelaide Strikers opener has been sensationally dropped from a Comets side featuring just five players from the ACT grade competition for next Monday's opening Futures League game of the season against the Queensland second XI at Manuka Oval.

Former Ginninderra batsman David Dawson will skipper the Comets in his first game in nearly a decade after stints with Tasmania and NSW.

Matt Condon, Andrew Harriott, Daniel Magin, Nathan McAndrew and Mitch Phelps have also been included despite not playing in the ACT grade competition.

Dean is the biggest casualty of the influx of players from country NSW as part of the agreement with Cricket ACT.

The 30-year-old burst on to the scene with a half-century for the PM's XI against the West Indies in January last year before earning a professional Twenty20 contract with the Strikers.

However, he has scored just 431 runs at an average of 28.73 for the Comets in the past two seasons in the Futures League to put his position in jeopardy.

"I'm disappointed, but the selectors made a decision so I can't argue with it," Dean said.

"I didn't feel I had a horrendous season, but it's obviously not good enough and I have high expectations of myself.

"I'll still be around the group, still be training hard with a focus on the BBL and I still like playing four-day cricket, so I'd like to think it's still in reach."

A disrupted start to the season hasn't helped Dean's cause.

He served a two-game suspension after being found guilty of dissent in last season's grand final, and also has been struggling with glute and shoulder injuries.

Without the benefit of getting valuable match practice for the Comets, he will hope to regain form for Weston Creek Molongo before he heads to Adelaide in early December before the start of the BBL on December 18.

"It would have been a fantastic lead-in like it was last year, but that's the way it is," Dean said.

"I'll find another avenue to practise and get in some nick."

Comets coach Mark Higgs said Dean didn't have the runs on the board to keep his place in a team designed to provide a platform to the first-class arena.

"The program's there to develop players, and we need our senior players performing otherwise it makes it hard for a young player to come in," Higgs said.

"There needs to be a reality check of who we are these days, and that is trying to produce first-class cricketers.

"I value our experienced players as much as our youth coming through.

"Whether you're 28 or 38, if you can play a productive role that teaches young players how to play out in the middle then you're going to get a game."

ACT Comets team v QLD at Manuka Oval from October 27-30: Matt Condon (Shoalhaven/Easts), David Dawson (c) (Ginninderra/UNSW), Dean Solway (Queanbeyan), Michael Spaseski (Eastlake), Andrew Harriott (wk - Tamworth/Northern Districts), Kevin Jacob (Weston Creek Molonglo), Vele Dukoski (Eastlake), Daniel Magin (Newcastle), Nathan McAndrew (South Coast/Bankstown), Shane Devoy (Tuggeranong), Joshua Connolly (Queanbeyan/UNSW), Mitch Phelps (South Coast/Bankstown).