The Phantom’s Round 23 Captains: Brodie Grundy, Patrick Dangerfield and Josh Dunkley lead long list of final-week options
The numbers suggest you cannot overlook Brodie Grundy on Friday night but, if you do, there’s plenty of other options to consider. The Phantom is here to help you decide the right one.
- SuperCoach: 142 reasons to trust old favourite
- What we got right and wrong in 2019
- Four players who can win you a SuperCoach flag
- Will Ken stick to selection mantra and reward Drew?
This is it, SuperCoaches.
The final round of the season is here.
For those without any trades choosing your captain will be the most control you will have over your team this week.
Again, the fixture is kind, with a number of great early-round VC options.
But, if you did make it through to the SuperCoach grand final, you may need to think on your feet – and differently – as the round unfolds.
For one last time in 2019, here’s all The Phantom’s best options.
Stream over 50 sports live & anytime on your TV or favourite device with KAYO SPORTS. The biggest Aussie sports and the best from overseas. Just $25/month. No lock-in contract. Get your 14 day free trial >
Brodie Grundy (Coll)
V Essendon, Friday night
Brodie Grundy. Friday night. Scores of 134, 155 and 133 in his past three against the Bombers. Seven scores of 130 or more at the MCG this season. Repeating these numbers is getting boring but it’s working. The Collingwood big man is, again, very hard to overlook as VC.
Adam Treloar (Coll)
V Essendon, Friday night
If you want to stray from the path slightly, without the risk, the in-form Magpie midfielder is your man. Treloar made it 10 SuperCoach tons on-the-trot last week and he’s posted scores of 123, 177 and 127 in his past three games at the MCG. And 113, 127 and 141 in recent meetings with the Bombers.
Scott Pendlebury (Coll)
V Essendon, Friday night
The riskier path, however, would be backing in future SuperCoach hall-of-famer Pendlebury over Grundy and Treloar. The Collingwood skipper has posted scores of 138, 163 and 123 in his past three matches against the Bombers. Pendlebury finished with 89 points against the Crows last week, despite tallying 34 disposals, after playing more of an outside role – one which has developed this season. But his 24 disposals, 12 contested possessions, two goals, 0 clangers and 138 points against the Demons a week earlier was vintage Pendlebury.
Rowan Marshall (St K)
V Sydney, Saturday
The breakout St Kilda big man has recorded a SuperCoach ton in 10 of his past 11 matches, with a 111-point effort against the Blues last week putting any concerns over his knee to rest. And the 23-year-old should make it 11 from 12 against a makeshift Sydney ruck setup on Saturday afternoon.
Todd Goldstein (NM)
V Melb, Saturday
Speaking of streaks, Goldstein has posted eight consecutive SuperCoach tons with his dominant, 176-point performance against the Power last week his highest for the year. It was a while ago but the last time Goldstein and Melbourne big man Max Gawn went head-to-head in Tasmania, both finished with 172 SuperCoach points in a memorable battle. Recent form would suggest we could be in for something similar on Saturday.
Max Gawn (Melb)
V NM, Saturday
But, after finishing last Friday night’s game on the bench with hamstring tightness, will Gawn play? Despite playing just 76 per cent game-time against the Swans, Gawn finished with 119 points, his 17th score of 100 or more for the year. If he takes the field, he must remain in the captaincy conversation.
Patrick Dangerfield (Geel)
V Carlton, Saturday
By numbers, Dangerfield is the competition’s Round 23 king, averaging a huge 145 points per game in the final round of the year over his career. Add to that his 123-point three-match average against the Blues, scores of 137 and 163 in his past two matches at GMHBA Stadium and the Cats need to win and you’ve got yourself what would seem the perfect Saturday twilight captain option.
Josh Kelly (GWS)
V Gold Coast, Saturday night
In Round 11, GWS had a field-day against the Suns, with seven Giants finishing the 83-point victory with a SuperCoach ton to their name. Injured midfielder Stephen Coniglio led the way with 207 points but Kelly was the second-ranked player on the ground with 36 disposals and 138 points. The 24-year-old tallied just 82 points in his return from a five-week injury layoff in Round 22 but he’ll be much better for the run. The threat of Touk Miller is there but, like last week, will the Suns even bother playing a tag?
Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
V Gold Coast, Saturday night
Whitfield didn’t cash in against the Suns in Round 11, breaking his collarbone and finishing the game on the bench instead. But, on his day, the classy 25-year-old can score as big as any, as his 170-point performance against the Blues in Round 9 highlights. He’s another left-field captain option if you need it.
Josh Dunkley, Jack Macrae (WB)
V Adelaide, Sunday
If, somehow, you could make the VC/C combination work in the same game, this is the week you’d do it. Against an Adelaide midfield, which fails to show the opposition’s best players enough attention, Bulldogs stars Macrae and Dunkley might score 300 points between them. Dunkley has posted three scores of 169 or more since Round 13, while Macrae’s highest for the year is 155. And that just gives Dunkley the nod.
Nat Fyfe (Freo)
V Port, Sunday
North Melbourne taught the Power a lesson at the contest last round and, this week, the best contested-ball player in the competition comes to town. By his standards, Fyfe was down last week, finishing with just 101 points against the Bombers. But the past three times Fyfe has scored 105 or less, the Fremantle skipper has bounced back with scores of 147, 154 and 144.
THE PHANTOM’S CALL
My heart says Dangerfield into Dunkley but my head says I shouldn’t overlook Grundy. So it might have to be Grundy into Dunkley.