AFL SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom looks at all the mid-price value in defence
Like in recent years, there’s plenty of tempting, mid-price value in defence. From returning stars to young guns looking to bounce back, The Phantom looks at all the options.
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Mid-price defenders always suck SuperCoaches in. And it’s no different in 2020. The Phantom looks at all the value options in defence.
THE MUST-HAVE
Sam Docherty (Carl)
$436,100
After tearing the ACL in his left knee twice in the past two years, the 26-year-old hasn’t played since Round 23, 2017.
To some, the must-have tag might appear too strong – and, maybe, rightly so, given the amount of football the Carlton co-captain has missed and the slow start which may play out as a result.
But if Docherty gets through the Marsh Community Series and all is set to go against the Tigers in Round 1, the value will be too hard to ignore.
The $436k tag has the damaging right-footer priced at an average of 80.
In his last two full seasons, Docherty posted a SuperCoach ton in 33 of the Blues’ 44 matches.
In the 11 games he failed to pass the 100-point mark, He scored 80 or more seven times.
The hole you might find yourself in if you start without him is likely to be bigger than the one that might open up if he fails.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: The concern is obvious – and real – but I don’t think you can leave him out after a full pre-season.
THE 400 CLUB
Hunter Clark (StK)
$402,200
The 20-year-old, who averaged 126 SuperCoach points in the TAC Cup in his draft year, played 15 games in his debut season but was in and out of the St Kilda side to start 2019.
Clark was used in different roles through the midfield but, after returning from a stint in the VFL in Round 13, he found his place at halfback — a spot where he spent most of the previous year.
The former Dandenong Stingray, who excels in traffic — a trait which saw many draw the comparison to Marcus Bontempelli ahead of the 2017 draft — sat inside the top-six at the Saints for a number of key areas in the final nine rounds of the year.
Clark ranked second for uncontested possessions, third for handball-receives, fifth for disposals and sixth for effective kicks and metres gained from Round 15.
His 85.6 SuperCoach points per game from halfback was the seventh-most of any Saint.
The 186cm Clark’s brilliant hands and composure will see him become a key man at the contest for the Saints very soon but, as an attacking defender, after another a pre-season, there’s likely to be a spike regardless of whether that happens on a permanent basis this year.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: Yep.
Wayne Milera (Adel)
$402,500
Milera was one of the big SuperCoach disappointments of 2019.
After averaging 95 points per game from Round 17 onwards in 2018 – his third year in the game – the 22-year-old posted scores of 82, 105, 109 and 86 in the opening month of last season.
But he dislocated his shoulder in Round 5 against the Suns and missed the next four weeks.
It didn’t get much better after that, either.
Milera made 12 more appearances for the year, scoring less than 67 or less in eight of them as he played roles in each third of the ground.
His average, after it jumped from 59 to 80 in 2019, fell to 74 on the back of the inconsistency.
This season, however, could be the year Milera settles in the midfield.
His clean hands, breakaway speed and ball-use suit an Adelaide on-ball brigade in need of rejuvenation.
And new coach Matthew Nicks agrees.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: He’ll explode. Eventually.
Ryan Burton (PA)
$401,800
If you take out the injury-affected six-point performance in the Round 6 Showdown, the highly-skilled right-footer averaged 85 points in the 12 matches before a significant hamstring injury in Round 17.
It reads far better than the 74-point average, which takes into account both injury-affected games, and aligns more closely to the 22-year-old’s second year at the Hawks.
He may have stagnated a year later but Burton exploded onto the scene in 2017, posting SuperCoach tons in three of the first seven games of the year.
The North Adelaide junior finished runner-up to Andrew McGrath in the Rising Star award after scoring 89 or more in 11 of his 20 matches.
And, as the season concluded, he only had 24 career games to his name.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: An interesting option – and one I’ll watch closely in the Marsh Community Series – but he might be more relevant in the draft format.
BOUNCING BACK?
Connor Blakely (Freo)
$411,500
Remember this guy?
After spending the early part of his career as a tagger, Blakely relished the opportunity to play a ball-winning role across halfback and through the middle in 2017.
The No. 34 pick in the 2014 draft averaged 28 disposals, six marks, five tackles and 110 SuperCoach points between rounds six and 18, before a season-ending shoulder injury.
It was form the 23-year-old maintained to some degree, despite subtle positional changes by then coach Ross Lyon, in 2018.
Prior to a serious knee injury, which wiped out his year in June, Blakely scored 90 or more in six of his 13 matches.
Then Lachie Neale departed and, in turn, left an inside-midfield role vacant.
And Blakely’s name was at the top of the list to fill the void.
Injury got in the way again, however, with Blakely tearing his hamstring over summer and missing three months of football as a result.
He didn’t return to the senior side until Round 9 last year and, while he did post two SuperCoach tons in his first six matches for the year, he failed to recapture that form – or play through the middle.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: Blakely has all the tools. Let’s hope his body stays sound and Longmuir uses them correctly.
Alex Witherden (Bris)
$392,800
In the first 30 games of his career, the skilful right-footer won at least 20 disposals in 23 of them, tallying 27 or more on 11 occasions.
And it translated into SuperCoach scoring with the young Lion passing the 85-point mark 16 times.
Despite an inconsistent start, Witherden lead Brisbane for kicks, rebound 50s and marks in 2018 and, per game, ranked inside the top 16 in the competition for all three categories.
But, after four scores of 92 or more in the opening five rounds of 2019, the 21-year-old’s form fell away and he was unable to maintain the high-level consistency of his first year-and-a-half.
With Brisbane’s efficiency and string of major ball-winners all over the ground, Witherden struggled to have an impact, finishing with 18 disposals or less in 12 of his final 18 matches of 2019.
For a third-year player, Witherden’s season wasn’t a bad one, it was just below the high standards he set in his first 30 games.
But regression isn’t uncommon in young players.
A strong ball-winning ability as a defender, and damaging foot-skills, are not, however.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: One day, I think we’ll look back at 2019 as an outlier in an impressive SuperCoach career. He’ll be unique, too.
MORE SUPERCOACH ADVICE
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The midfield stars to consider
Whitfield, Dusty and then who? The premium forwards to consider
CHEAP, CHEAP
Tom Doedee (Adel)
$273,700
The Crows will welcome back the young defender with open arms after he spent all-but one quarter of 2019 on the sidelines, nursing a reconstructed left knee.
And SuperCoaches should, too.
Doedee’s 2018 season was one of the best we’ve seen from a rookie-price defender.
Yes, full stop.
After biding his time in the SANFL for the first two years on the Crows’ list, Doedee made his debut in Round 1 and played 20 games, posting SuperCoach tons in six of them.
If take out the injury-affected 24 against Brisbane in Round 18, the 22-year-old averaged 85 points per game.
He was also injured in Round 22, fracturing his collarbone in the third-quarter but still finished with 79 points from 63 per cent game time.
And even in the 30 minutes of football he played last year, his scoring power was obvious, with the intercept star tallying 56 points in 27 per cent game-time.
More importantly, he’s on track for Round 1 this year.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: I’m just trying to squeeze him back in as I write this.
Dylan Roberton (StK)
$260,400
The 28-year-old St Kilda defender is back in full training and is on track for the start of the season.
And that’s outstanding news on its own given the serious heart issues Roberton has dealt with over the past two years.
His return, at just a fraction more than rookie-price, is great news for SuperCoaches, too.
In his last full season in 2017, Roberton starred across halfback, finishing runner-up to Seb Ross in the Saints’ best-and-fairest after posting eight SuperCoach tons and scoring more than 80 in all-but five matches for the year.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: At that price, he might be hard to leave out if all goes to plan over the next month-and-a-half.
Grant Birchall (Bris)
$292,700
Can we?
Despite a limited workload over pre-season – the 14th of his career – given recent injury concerns, the 31-year-old impressed in his usual role across halfback in Brisbane’s recent match simulation.
Yes, it’s only training and, yes, it’s only early but it’s a good start.
The damaging left-footer averaged 84 points in his last full season in 2016 and 86 the year before that.
He’ll start 2020 priced at an average of 54 points per game.
THE PHANTOM’S VERDICT: No. We’ve been here before and I’m not sure I can go back again.