The Phantom’s Round 2 review: Something strange and it don’t look good, who you gonna call?
That’s two weeks down and with player prices set to change after Round 3, it’s a big week ahead for SuperCoaches. The Phantom looks at all the highs, lows and the big trade he’s about to make.
The Phantom
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Like they do every season, my emotions have been getting the better of me in the past few days. My head is often arguing with my heart.
Here’s a brief re-cap.
Tuesday
Head: Don’t trade your premiums.
Heart: Don’t trade your premiums.
Wednesday
Head: Don’t trade your premiums.
Heart: Don’t trade your premiums. Tom Rockliff was pretty good.
Thursday afternoon.
Head: Don’t trade your premiums.
Heart: When asked about Rockliff in his weekly press conference, Ken Hinkley just said ‘the pig’ is back.
Thursday night before the bounce.
Head: Don’t trade your premiums.
Heart: Dustin Martin would want to play well.
Thursday night – quarter-time.
Head: Don’t trade your premiums.
Heart: Dusty’s fine. Don’t trade your premiums. Snap out of it, Phantom.
Thursday night – half-time.
Head: Don’t trade your premiums.
Heart: How much money would a Dusty to Rocky trade make me?
Thursday night – three-quarter-time.
Head: Don’t trade your premiums.
Heart: It’s happening.
Thursday night – full-time.
Head: When you are the 38th-ranked player on the ground after quarter-time and you haven’t laid a tackle in the first two weeks, are you even a premium?
Heart: ROCKY. ROCKY. ROCKY.
Friday morning – 3am.
Head: Please go to sleep.
Heart: ROCKY. ROCKY. ROCKY.
Friday morning – 9am.
Head: Let’s just see how Rockliff scores against the Blues on Saturday, first.
Heart: Fine.
Saturday – half-time Power-Blues.
Head: 89 SuperCoach points for Rockliff at half-time. ROCKY. ROCKY. ROCKY.
Heart: I told you.
Saturday – full-time Power-Blues.
Head: That’s 81 disposals, 31 contested possessions 254 SuperCoach points for Rockliff in the first two weeks. He’s back. And the Martin to Rockliff trade will make you $158k.
Heart: Is lockout over yet?
As you can tell, everything that needed to happen for The Phantom to jump on the Rockliff train, happened.
Along with failing to make a tackle in the first two weeks and scoring just 66 points against the Magpies, Martin spent 56 per cent of the game forward on Thursday night. And with the injury to Jack Riewoldt, that percentage might even increase over the next month.
After his 44-disposal effort in Round 1, Rockliff was everywhere against the Blues, tallying 37 disposals and 19 contested possessions.
These number aren’t out of the blue, either. This is the guy who has averaged 109 points or more in four different seasons – with a career-high 132 in 2014 – and the guy who averaged at least 23 disposals per game in eight of his first nine years in the competition.
And, in contrast to his first year at Alberton, he’s fit.
While I’m sure Martin will hit his straps at some point this season, will it be enough for the Brownlow Medallist to keep pace with the top-scoring midfielders? I’m not so sure.
On the other hand, in a shallow pool, Swan Isaac Heeney is still likely to finish as a top-scoring forward, despite a very slow start.
As revealed by coach John Longmire post-match, Heeney is still battling an ankle injury sustained in the JLT Series and has spent plenty of time forward as a result.
And with his side failing to win the midfield battle in the first two rounds, the 22-year-old has struggled to have an impact, scoring 85 and 67 in the opening two matches.
Heeney’s 67-point performance, on the back of just 15 disposals, against the Crows was his lowest non-injury-affected score since 2016.
While the temptation to jump on a fast-starting Tim Kelly – who posted 111 points in Round 2 — before prices change, is there, I’m betting Heeney is a player we’ll all want to be in our final sides.
My head has won that battle.
If you couldn’t resist the temptation to trade super-premiums Brodie Grundy, Clayton Oliver and Max Gawn, you would’ve learnt a hard SuperCoach lesson over the weekend.
Grundy dominated Toby Nankervis in the opening game of the round, tallying 23 disposals, 11 contested possessions and a game-high 137 points.
While Oliver, despite his side’s 80-point drubbing at the hands of the Cats, recorded a career-high 44 disposals and 24 contested possessions to finish with 141 points.
And Gawn was much better this week, beating Rhys Stanley in the ruck and recording 116 points of his own.
Remember this for next year – and every other year after that – we can’t jump off our premiums after just one bad score.
Elsewhere, Jake Lloyd, again, showed he is worth the high-price tag in defence, recording 124 points against the Crows to sit well-clear of the second-ranked defender after two rounds.
While one of The Phantom’s pre-season breakout candidates, Jade Gresham, showcased his scoring potential with 25 disposals, 12 contested possessions, two goals and 121 points against the Bombers.
Former Eagle Scott Lycett (167) was the highest-scoring player in Round 2 after a big performance against the Blues. Well done to those who started him.
And the rookie-price players were at it again.
Geelong’s Charlie Constable tallied 31 disposals in just 69 per cent game time to finish with 85 SuperCoach points, while the Power quartet – Willem Drew (90), Zak Butters (89), Connor Rozee (85) an Xavier Duursma (78) – were influential in their side’s win over the Blues.
These are the five cash cows to target if you don’t already have them.
There’s also North Melbourne’s Luke Davies-Uniacke. Most SuperCoaches had forgotten about him after he failed to live up to the pre-season hype in his debut season of 2018.
But he’s scored 80 and 118 in the opening two matches and he’s cheaper than Sam Walsh.
More about that all of that in a big edition of The Phantom’s Trade Talk on Tuesday.
For now, it’s time for scores and banter – comment below!
The Phantom Round 2
Score: 2248
Overall ranking: 6056
Studs: Brodie Grundy as C (137), Jake Lloyd (124), Tom Liberatore (128), Brad Crouch (104)
Duds: Dustin Martin (66), Isaac Heeney (67), Tim Taranto (78)
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?