KFC SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom’s final team revealed
After what’s happened over the past few days, KFC SuperCoach is going to be a different ball-game in 2020. As a result, The Phantom has made some big changes to his final team. See who made the cut and why.
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With a shortened season – and shortened matches – KFC SuperCoach will be different in 2020. As a result, I’ve spent the past 24 hours tinkering with my side.
And there has been some big changes, none more so than the inclusion of West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui.
Pending the full Round 1 team selections, this is where I’m at.
DEFENDERS
James Sicily (Haw) $509,500
Dan Houston (Port) $484,800, Mid
Sam Docherty (Carl) $436,100
John Noble (Coll) $215,400
Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (Ess) $189,000
Jarrod Brander (WC) $133,000, Fwd
Bench: Bailey Williams (WC) $123,900, Ruck
Will Gould (Syd) $117,300
NO CHANGE
Alastair Clarkson looks set to continue with Ben McEvoy in defence, meaning, along with the inclusion of recruit Sam Frost, James Sicily will be free to play the floating third-tall role across halfback. And his scoring power in the role is as good as any other KFC SuperCoach defender.
Speaking of roles, Dan Houston the midfielder is a near top-eight certainty, while Sam Docherty, after a terrific pre-season – and with the man himself declaring his body feels great – is too cheap to leave out.
Then, it’s the rookies. And, while the cupboard is reasonably bare at the other end of the ground, there’s a number of rookie-price options who we should be able to trust in defence. Well, trust their place in the side, anyway. John Noble and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, while expensive, are Round 1 locks while Jarrod Brander isn’t far behind. And over the Marsh Series, all three highlighted their scoring potential, too.
WHO MISSED OUT?
Underpriced Adelaide defender Rory Laird was in-and-out all summer, while breakout contender Hunter Clark was a victim of the rookie restructure. Then there’s the obvious value of returning Saint Dylan Roberton, but his $290k price-tag doesn’t fit in with the current structure.
ULTIMATE CASH COW GUIDE: ANALYSIS ON 60+ ROOKIES
MIDFIELDERS
Nat Fyfe (Freo) $651,600
Josh Kelly (GWS) $637,700
Patrick Dangerfield (Geel) $625,500
Marcus Bontempelli (WB) $623,000
Hugh McCluggage (Bris) $510,700
Matt Rowell (GC) $207,300
Tom Green (GWS) $166,800
Marlion Pickett (Rich) $123,900
Bench:Tyler Brown (Coll) $123,900
Deven Robertson (Bris) $117,300
Connor Budarick (GC) $106,900, Fwd
IN: Kelly, Bontempelli, McCluggage. OUT: Macrae, Oliver, McHenry
There’s been some tough calls made in the engine room but in a shortened match, it’s more about impact and big SuperCoach numbers from limited possession. And, there are not many better in the game than Josh Kelly and Marcus Bontempelli, who will now only face Giants tagger Matt de Boer once in 2020.
I left out Kelly initially over durability concerns but with less games to play and more trades, it’s now, I believe, a risk worth taking. The smooth-moving Giant only posted a SuperCoach ton in 11 of his 14 matches last season – six of them in excess of 120. And in 2018, despite only playing 15 matches, Kelly scored 130 or more on five occasions, including a 202-point performance against the Blues.
And with less time this season to build a complete team full of premiums, I’ve decided against the four on-field rookies in the midfield and found room for Brisbane young gun Hugh McCluggage. The 22-year-old, who tallied a combined 43 disposals but zero clangers in the Marsh Series, is another who rarely wastes possession.
Nat Fyfe and Patrick Dangerfield remain and need little explanation. All I’ll say is of the top 10 – well, 11 if we’re including Tom Mitchell who missed all of 2019 – the most-expensive midfielders this season, Dangerfield has scored 362 more points than any other player over the past three years.
There’s a chance Matt Rowell might average similar to a premium M5 option while every serious KFC SuperCoach should have Marlion Pickett. Tom Green isn’t far behind as a rookie-priced lock after a standout pre-season competition is likely to ensure he gets the opportunity to show his SuperCoach-friendly game style in the senior side this year.
WHO MISSED OUT?
Macrae and Oliver are unlucky, while Lachie Neale is as safe as premium selections come. I do like young Cat Quinton Narkle, too, especially after all of the changes.
THE MUST-HAVES: 4 PLAYERS TO BUILD YOUR TEAM AROUND
RUCKMEN
Brodie Grundy (Coll) $705,900
Nic Naitanui (WC) $457,800
Bench: Matthew Conroy (GC) $102,400
OUT: Gawn, IN: Naitanui
It was Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn for most of the pre-season until this week.
Now, after the confirmation of a revised season, it’s it hard to look past Nic Naitanui’s value and the $240k in change.
If there was one player the shortened season – and shortened matches – suits, it has to be Naitanui, whose 1.38 SuperCoach points per minute was the highest in the competition last season.
But it’s still Grundy at R1. The star Magpie has posted a SuperCoach ton in 38 of his past 44 home-and-away matches – 25 of them in excess of 130 – and has finished the past two seasons as the top-ranked player in the game.
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FORWARDS
Lachie Whtifield (GWS) $604,100, Mid
Jordan Dawson (Syd), $467,800, Def
Hugh Greenwood (GC), $463,100, Mid
Andrew Brayshaw (Freo) $382,800, Mid
Devon Smith (Ess), $335,800, Mid
Curtis Taylor (NM) $123,900
Bench: Ben Cavarra (WB) $123,900
Jack Mahony (NM) $117,300., Mid
OUT: Martin, Rankine IN: Brayshaw, Cavarra
To help squeeze in McCluggage at M5 - and keep my pre-season favourites Jordan Dawson and Hugh Greenwood - I’ve dropped Dustin Martin down to Andrew Brayshaw.
Third year. More midfield minutes. Big finish to 2019 Dual-position status. Sub $400k price-tag. There’s so much to like
Lachie Whitfield is a certainty while Devon Smith might be the best value selection on any line. He averaged 98 points per game and won Essendon’s best-and-fairest in his first year at the club in 2018 before battling injury last year.
And, as I said, I’m not backing down on Greenwood and Dawson.
Greenwood has scored 80 points or more in 31 of 51 career matches, passing the 100-point mark on 12 occasions, and is set to lead the Gold Coast midfield in 2020, while a three-figure average is on the cards for Dawson, who could become one of the game’s next statistical beasts. And his selection as a forward is a result of the rookie triple-threat in defence.
