The Phantom’s Pre-Season: The SuperCoach forwards and ruckmen who must be on your JLT Series watchlist
The JLT Series is upon us and it’s finally time to see the players we’ve been talking about over summer in action. The Phantom looks at the SuperCoach forwards and ruckmen who must be on your watchlist.
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The Phantom’s pre-season guide to: Premium smokies | Premium forwards | Premium defenders | Premium midfielders | Mid-price defenders| Mid-price midfielders | Mid-price ruckmen | Mid-price forwards | Mid price smokies | Cash cows in defence | Midfield cash cows | Cash cow defenders | Cash cow ruckmen | Cash cow forwards | Cash Cow smokies
- Survival Guide and Phantom team
The JLT Series is upon us and it’s finally time to see the players we’ve been talking about over summer in action. The Phantom looks at the SuperCoach forwards and ruckmen who must be on your watchlist.
Adelaide
Shane McAdam $123,900
The mature-age recruit was impressive in his first competitive hitout as a Crow, booting three goals and applying plenty of defensive pressure against the Power. While he’s conceded his running capacity must improve to win a regular spot in the team, expect some highlights over the next two weeks
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Tyson Stengle $123,900
Will Stengle, who finished with three goals and a handful of score assists in a lively performance in the practice match, become Eddie Betts’ new small-forward sidekick?
Ned McHenry $139,800
The tough 18-year-old was is in everything early against the Power, chasing, tackling and winning plenty of his own footy at Thebarton Oval. There’s not many spots available but expect the Crows’ second pick in last year’s draft to make a good case in the JLT Series.
Brisbane
Zac Bailey $275,900
In his first season, Bailey spent most of his 12 games at half-forward but the Lions look set to trial the explosive 19-year-old from half-back in 2019.
Carlton
Will Setterfield $144,900
It’s time to see what the second-most popular player in SuperCoach can do.
Collingwood
Darcy Moore $239,400
If the practice game against the Demons is anything to go by, the athletic 23-year-old, who struggled with injury last season, will impress with his intercept marking. While he doesn’t possess the same foot skills, there’s plenty of James Sicily in Moore’s transformation.
Essendon
Joe Daniher $277,800
In a huge positive for SuperCoaches considering the underpriced key-forward, Daniher will play in the opening match against the Blues on Thursday. Track his game-time and the way he’s moving closely.
Fremantle
Jesse Hogan $498,300
The star forward pushed up the ground at times last season and looks set to do the same in his first year as a Docker in 2019. It could be a SuperCoach-friendly role, too, so keep the former Demon high on the watchlist.
Lachlan Schultz $117,300
Can Schultz do enough to join fellow mature-age recruit and Werribee product Brett Bewley in the Round 1 selection frame?
Geelong
Brandan Parfitt $434,300
After a blistering start to last season, more midfield time awaits the tough South Australian in 2019.
Gold Coast
Izak Rankine $198,300
Watch for the sublimely-skilled Rankine to have a big impact, despite limited possession in 2018, starting in the JLT Series.
Ben Ainsworth $333,200
After impressive cameos through the middle last year, the 21-year-old is after a more-permanent midfield role in his third season. Will he do enough over the next two weeks to convince coach Stuart Dew?
GWS
Aiden Bonar $249,700
On talent alone, there’s a spot for the 19-year-old in the Giants’ best side but just where he fits best remains to be seen. He should spend plenty of time in the midfield in the JLT Series.
Hawthorn
James Worpel $395,700
The second-year Hawk is set to assume greater responsibility in the absence of Tom Mitchell in the Hawthorn midfield in 2019.
Dylan Moore $123,900
He was a midfield ball magnet as a junior but dominated the VFL finals series as a small-forward in his first year on the Hawks’ list in 2018. Watch for Moore in the same role over the next fortnight.
Melbourne
Aaron vandenBerg $283,400
The tough 26-year-old definitely has a role in the Melbourne side is slightly underpriced in SuperCoach, after injury-affected 2018.
North Melbourne
Tom Wilkinson $102,400
He kicks goals, tackles and can take big marks. And he’s a mature-age recruit. With a bench spot in mind, keep an eye on Wilkinson over the next two weeks.
Port Adelaide
Willem Drew $123,900
With Ollie Wines to miss the early-part of the season — and fellow third-year midfielder Joe Atley also injured — the strong-bodied Drew, who was Port’s best against the Crows last week, sits atop the list of candidates ready to help fill the void.
Richmond
Jack Higgins $392,700
Will the midfield move eventuate for the second-year Tiger in 2019? Fingers crossed.
Noah Balta $123,900
The strongly-built 19-year-old, who can play a key-position at either end of the ground, looms as a Round 1 — yes, you guess it — bolter.
St Kilda
Josh Battle $232,100
With the Saints hoping to turn Battle, who was drafted as a forward, into an intercept defender — in the mould of Hawk James Sicily — he must be all JLT Series watchlist at that price. Especially with the news key defender Nathan Brown set to miss the start of the season through injury.
Matthew Parker $117,300
Not only does Parker possess great leg speed and the ability to take a big mark, the mature-age recruit has shown he can also win the ball further up the ground. Expect his ownership percentage of 25 per cent to skyrocket.
Sydney
Nick Blakey $166,800
The highly-rated Swans’ Academy product did his Round 1 chances no harm in the practice match against the Giants and if he can carry the form through the JLT Series, it might hard for John Longmire to leave him out.
Western Bulldogs
Ben Cavarra $117,300
Star team-mate Marcus Bontempelli has been impressed with the mature-age recruit in his first pre-season at the club and the 22-year-old, who won the Morrish Medal as the TAC Cup’s best-and-fairest as a midfielder in 2013, has his sights set on small-forward role against the Swans in Round 1.
Josh Dunkley $516,300
After a huge finish to 2018, surely Dunkley starts — and finishes — in the centre square this season. I’m talking to you, Luke Beveridge.
West Coast
Jack Petruccelle $123,900
The speedster, who has three career games to his name, booted four goals in the Eagles’ recent intra-club match and is the leading the race to replace the retired Mark LeCras in the forward line.
Josh Smith $244,300
He’s impressed over summer with his running, even knocking off West Coast’s endurance king Chris Masten, but now the former Magpie has make his case on the field and he should get the opportunity in the JLT Series.
AND THE RUCKMEN
Darcy Fort (Geel) $117,300
The mature-age recruit from the SANFL is set to share the ruck duties with Rhys Stanley in the JLT Series. Let’s hope he comes out on top.
Zac Clarke (Ess) $142,600
Clarke, who dominated in the WAFL last season after being delisted by the Dockers, will lead the Bombers in the ruck on Thursday night. Can he do enough to keep his spot once Tom Bellchambers returns?
Archie Smith (Bris) $172,300
By all reports, the young ruckman has impressed in the absence of No. 1 big man Stefan Martin, who has battled injury, over the pre-season. Can he make the spot his own?
Todd Goldstein (NM) $548,000
Goldstein’s had a great pre-season but the Kangaroos are likely to trial a two-ruck setup with former Bulldog Tom Campbell also putting his hand up over summer. We’ve been here before.
Max Gawn (Melb) $692,100
And we’re here again. Watch to see how the Gawn-Brayden Preuss combination works over the next two weeks because it was a success in the recent practice match against the Magpies.
Final word: How to deal with SuperCoach rookie blow
There was more KFC SuperCoach carnage at team selection this week. But there was some good news, too. The Phantom looks at all the Round 4 teams, how to deal with new rookie blow and all the weekend’s best captain options
SuperCoach: Simpkin, Petracca or Smith – who do you take?
Jy Simpkin, Bailey Smith and Christian Petracca all present tremendous value in the KFC SuperCoach forward line ahead of Round 4. But, if you’re trading Josh Dunkley or cashing out on Lachie Whitfield, which one do you choose?