KFC SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom’s ultimate premium guide
They are the stars of the competition but who is worth the money in KFC SuperCoach? And which players will take another step? The Phantom looks at all the top-price options in the ultimate premium guide
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- Ultimate Rookie Guide: Top cheapies ranked in every position
- The must-have SuperCoach players for 2020
Just getting started on your KFC SuperCoach team for 2020? Or just can’t stop tinkering after the Marsh Series? To help you get your top-price selections right, The Phantom has rolled the premium week of his pre-season into one ultimate guide.
DEFENDERS
THE TOP-PRICE
Jake Lloyd (Syd)
$591,400
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 98
The neat-kicking Swan picked up where he left off in 2018, confirming his status as a top-line SuperCoach premium – arguably, the only one in defence.
After posting SuperCoach tons in 13 of the final 15 matches of the previous year, Lloyd passed the 100-point mark 15 times to Round 18, 2019.
In his role as the distributor from halfback, the 26-year-old became even more prolific as his teammates continued to look for him whenever they could.
Lloyd, on average, tallied three more disposals per game and ranked first for effective disposals and metres gained and second for total kicks and rebound 50s in the competition.
The right-footer scored 236 more points than any other defender in SuperCoach and the 12th-most of any player.
But it’s what happened from Round 18 – or even earlier – onwards that is of some concern – albeit only slightly.
Between Rounds 1 and 12, Lloyd averaged 32 disposals and 117 points but with the introduction of Jordan Dawson’s more permanent role in defence, his average fell to less than 100 from Round 14.
A closer look reveals Lloyd still won plenty of football but his ability to impact the game as the chief – and only – distributor was hindered.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Again, it’s only a slight concern but, at the top price, are you better off waiting to see how it plays out early in 2020? Lloyd had 23 disposals in his only Marsh Series hitout but in the current SuperCoach landscape, can you afford to squeeze him in?
BOUNCING BACK
Rory Laird (Adel)
$525,800
Marsh Series scores: 49, 132
In 2019, the ball-winning Adelaide defender posted eight SuperCoach tons less, and tallied four disposals less per game, than he did in the previous year.
And it resulted in Laird’s average falling by 11.
A disappointing year, right? Well, only by his high standards.
The 26-year-old still finished the year as the fourth-ranked SuperCoach defender, despite only breaking the 100-point barrier twice after Adelaide’s Round 14 bye.
It’s no coincidence his side won the same amount of games in the run-home.
The Crows failed to play the game on their terms for most of 2019 and it was a big reason Laird failed to get the ball in his hands as much as he did in 2018 – a year which saw him average 32 disposals and 108 points per game.
But it’s been a summer of rejuvenation at West Lakes and new coach Matthew Nicks knows his side needs to be better at creating – and then scoring from – turnovers.
Two years ago, Laird was the fourth-ranked player for intercept possessions in the league. Last year, he was 13th.
Expect those numbers, most of them in fact, to climb in 2020.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Laird, who recorded 16 intercepts against the Suns in the final week of Marsh Series action, was a top-four SuperCoach defender in what was a year to forget for his club. If that’s the floor to Laird’s output – and I think it’s pretty close – he’s hard to pass up at $525k.
James Sicily (Haw)
$509,500
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 95
Sicily’s final three scores of 140, 47 and 124 summed up his 2019 perfectly.
At his best, the 25-year-old’s scoring power is as good as any player in the game.
But after coach Alastair Clarkson, to the frustration of SuperCoaches Australia-wide, used Sicily inside 50 and as a lockdown defender on the opposition’s best forward at times, it wasn’t on show consistently last year.
In total, Sicily posted nine SuperCoach tons but also six scores of 77 or less.
But Clarkson is back in the good books, at least for now, after, through his list management team, adding key-defender Sam Frost and tall-forward Jon Patton to his side in the trade period.
In 2018, Sicily averaged the second-most intercept possessions and metres gained in the competition and averaged 105 points per game before injury ended his home-and-away season in Round 15.
With what appears to be an opportunity for Sicily to play the SuperCoach-friendly role of the floating-tall across halfback, the 105-point mark is in sight again.
But can we trust Sicily himself to stay focused on the task at hand?
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Can we be 100 per cent sure of the answer? No. But the upside to Sicily’s scoring far outweighs the risk here.
NEXT GEN
Zac Williams (GWS)
$551,700
Marsh Series scores: DNP
Whether it was dashing off halfback or winning the ball through the midfield – in the absence of a number of star teammates – Williams was a prolific SuperCoach scorer in 2019.
After missing the entire 2018 season through injury, Williams bounced back in a big way, posting 11 SuperCoach tons – five in excess of 120 – in a career-best year.
The 25-year-old then impressed in the Giants’ finals campaign, with two performances in particular highlighting further his ability in different areas of the ground.
In the semi-final win over Brisbane, Williams starred in defence, tallying 17 disposals – all of them effective – eight intercepts, six tackles, 456 metres gained and a game-high 137 points.
A week later in the preliminary final, the long-kicking right-footer was, arguably, the best midfielder on the ground, finishing with 25 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 10 clearances and 115 points.
He may not feature in the centre square as often in 2020, given the return of Callan Ward and Stephen Coniglio, but, on recent form, that’s unlikely to affect his SuperCoach scoring.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Williams missed the Marsh Series after battling achilles tendinitis and is racing the clock to be ready for Round 1. Pass to start.
Caleb Daniel (WB)
$537,200
Marsh Series scores: 92, 66
The skilful 23-year-old tallied 30 disposals or more eight times last year and scored in excess of 85 SuperCoach points in 13 of his 17 matches.
It was a super-consistent first season as a playmaking defender, to say the least.
After a glimpse of the new role at the end of 2018, Daniel’s efficiency and ability to influence the game, standout traits of an impressive junior career – which featured a huge 171-point average at the 2014 under-18 championships – finally came to the fore at the top-level last season.
The 168cm right-footer was the ninth-ranked player in the competition for effective disposals in a year which was interrupted by a hamstring injury in Round 15.
And more music to the ears of SuperCoaches, Daniel played-on from 85 per cent of his kick-ins.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Daniel won’t win you a head-to-head match-up with a 150-point performance but he might be as reliable as any in 2020 for a 90+ score.
Tom Stewart (Geel)
$533,200
Marsh Series scores: 47, 88
In his third season in the competition, if you include the finals, the 26-year-old tallied more kicks, rebounds 50s and metres gained than any other player in the competition.
In a regular season, which earned him the second All-Australian jacket of his short career, Stewart scored 87 SuperCoach points or more in 18 of his 22 matches, passing the 100-point mark on eight occasions.
Of all defenders, only Lloyd finished with more points in 2019, as the intercept star added 13 points to his average.
He was so influential last year, Eagles coach Adam Simpson deployed Mark Hutchings to play a defensive forward role on him in the semi-final.
But he still tallied 24 disposals and 92 points.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Can he get even better in his fourth season? Maybe but after a delayed start to the pre-season and a quiet Marsh Series, there might be more value elsewhere to start.
Luke Ryan (Freo)
$520,400
Marsh Series scores: 113, DNP
The Dockers recorded 106 uncontested marks against the Blues in their opening Marsh Series hitout, a figure which would’ve been their highest tally of 2019.
Justin Longmuir’s side looks set to play a short, high-possession game in 2020 and the change in game-style will increase the stocks of a number of key Dockers.
And Ryan, Fremantle’s intercept star, is likely to be one of them.
The 24-year-old, who averaged 99 points per game before hurting his hamstring in the Round 19 clash with the Bulldogs last year, is already among the top SuperCoach options in defence, but he might take another step in 2020 if his 26 disposals and 11 rebound-50s in the first round of the Marsh Series is anything to go by.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Ryan missed the final pre-season match with soreness but is in no doubt for Round 1. The Phantom has little doubt about Ryan’s top-eight credentials, either.
THE SMOKY
Lachie Weller (GC)
$481,100
Marsh Series scores: 75, 82
It was a year interrupted by injury, but the 23-year-old was still able to increase his SuperCoach average from 74 to 89 in 2019 after scoring 87 or more in 11 of his 17 matches.
Weller, who posted six SuperCoach tons for the year, was used predominantly across halfback and averaged 22 disposals, five rebound 50s and three inside 50s per game.
But after pushing further up the ground at times during different games throughout the season, Weller started in the midfield in Round 23.
In the Suns’ final match of the year against the Giants, the impressive runner tallied 20 disposals, 11 tackles, nine contested possessions and a season-high 110 points.
Is it a sign of things to come?
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: After playing a big midfield role in the Marsh Series, the answer appears to be yes.
UNDERPRICED?
Dan Houston (Port)
$484,800, MID
Marsh Series scores: 96, 40
For a while, Port Adelaide’s midfield has had little problem winning the ball but it’s what it did away from the stoppage which was a problem in 2019.
Enter Dan Houston.
If the 22-year-old’s pre-season – along with senior assistant coach Michael Voss’ glowing endorsement on Monday – he’s set to play a midfield role on a permanent basis in 2020.
And it all started in China last year.
In his first appearance in the Power’s engine room, which resulted in 98 SuperCoach points, Houston recorded then career-high disposals (28), effective disposals (22), clearances (7) and loose-ball gets (7) after attending 22 centre bounces against the Saints.
But, along with his efficient ball-use, what stood out the most was Houston’s clanger count.
He didn’t register one.
The smart right-footer played eight more matches as a pure midfielder, following coach Ken Hinkley’s experiment in Round 11, averaging 24 disposals and 94 SuperCoach points in those games.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: And Houston enhanced his midfield credentials through the pre-season, starring in a ball-winning role. He might become an elite midfielder just year but with 22 games on-ball, Houston is a very, very likely top-six defender.
Jordan Dawson (Syd)
$467,800, FWD
Marsh Series scores: 125, 50
Two years ago, with one senior game to his name, Jordan Dawson arrived for day one of pre-season, as he put it, “a bit too fat”.
Fast forward two years and the 22-year-old crossed the line first in the club’s opening two 2km time trials of the 2019 campaign.
He’s fit and full of confidence after finding his place – and cementing it – across halfback in Sydney’s best 22 last season.
But, he didn’t just cement it.
After the Swans’ bye, despite two stints forward in Rounds 19 and 22, Dawson spent 77 per cent of game-time in defence and ranked second at the club for effective kicks, fourth for metres gained and ninth for disposals, uncontested possessions and handball-receives.
And the long-kicking left-footer booted seven goals and scored 93 points or more in six of the final nine matches of the year, four of them SuperCoach tons.
P HANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT:While there were a number of big names missing, Dawson’s performance in the first week of the Marsh Series only confirmed the original verdict.It’s a lot to pay if it doesn’t come off but three-figures is on the cards for a player who could become one of the game’s next statistical beasts.
MIDFIELDERS
THE TOP DOGS
Jack Macrae ($668,900), Josh Dunkley ($632,400) and Marcus Bontempelli ($623,000).
Marsh Series scores
Macrae: 124, 76
Bontempelli: 195, 102
Dunkley: 103, 103
The star Bulldogs finished last season as the second, fifth and sixth-ranked SuperCoach players in the game respectively.
Macrae, who was the competition’s No. 1 ball-winner in 2019, finished with 100 points or more in 19 of his 22 games, passing the 120-point mark in 14 of them. It followed 16 SuperCoach tons from his 18 non-injury-affected matches in 2018.
In fact, of the top-10 most-expensive midfielders in 2020, only Patrick Dangerfield has scored more points than Macrae over the past three years.
While Macrae leads the way, his star teammates aren’t far behind.
Bontempelli spent more time in the midfield last season — after being used for long stints forward over the previous two years — and his numbers spiked as a result.
The 23-year-old, who averaged 104 points per game in 2018, passed the 130-point mark in seven games and added 11 points to his SuperCoach average.
With the addition of key-forward Josh Bruce and defender Alex Keath, who will allow Aaron Naughton to stay in attack, Bontempelli could improve that number again, as a full-time midfielder.
Dunkley was the one who did start forward in 2019 but that didn’t last long
After a permanent move into the midfield in Round 7, the 190cm 22-year-old exploded, posting a SuperCoach ton in 14 of the next 16 matches, including a huge 202-point performance in Round 17.
If you remove the first six games of the season, when he failed to pass three figures in attack, Dunkley’s average of 128 as a midfielder was bettered by only ruckmen Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn.
So could we actually start all three in 2020?
Their combined averages – Macrae 123, Dunkley 116 and Bontempelli 115 – make them the 10th-best midfield trio since 2003. Only a number of champion Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorn and St Kilda combinations have rated better in the past 17 years.
So, yes, you could, depending on how many other Round 14 bye players you go with.
Especially given Luke Beveridge’s side’s fixture this season.
The trio dominated at Marvel Stadium last year and the Bulldogs play 12 matches there in 2020.
Macrae averaged 138, Dunkley 135 – 150 from Round 7 onwards – and Bontempelli 117 points per game at the venue in 2019.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT:Macrae is a must but you really could have them all in 2020.
THE SURE-THINGS
Patrick Dangerfield (Geel)
$625,500
Marsh Series scores: 66, 116
As mentioned earlier, of the top 10 – 11 if we’re including Tom Mitchell who missed all of 2019 – most-expensive midfielders this year, Dangerfield has scored 362 more points than any player over the past three years. And he’s seventh on the list by price.
After averaging 130 or more in consecutive seasons, the 29-year-old averaged 122 in 2018, before the figure fell to 115 last year.
It was still the ninth-best in the competition, despite an injury-affected score of 26 in Round 7.
But there is an explanation for the slight fall.
In the past two seasons, with the Cats in need of another marking target in attack and with Tim Kelly’s presence in the midfield, Dangerfield spent plenty of time inside-50.
In 2020, there is no Kelly and Geelong now have Josh Jenkins to fit in alongside Tom Hawkins and a fit Esava Ratugolea.
Geelong coach Chris Scott still might use his best player forward this year – he’s just too good not to – but even if his centre-bounce numbers increase slightly, the 120-point mark is in danger once again.
And in just 70 per cent game-time, Dangerfield recorded game-high disposals, contested possessions and clearances in the Cats’ final Marsh Series hitout against the Bombers.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: One of my midfield must-haves. Is he the topscorer in 2020?
Nat Fyfe (Freo)
$651,600
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 115
After 17 SuperCoach tons, six of them in excess of 140, the 2019 Brownlow Medallist finished as one of only four players in the competition to average 120 or more last year – even with the concussion-affected 63 in Round 3.
It was the third time he’s achieved the feat in his career.
And after playing just 41 of a possible 66 matches in the previous three seasons, Fyfe only missed two games last year as a result of minor, and unlucky, incidents – concussion and an infected elbow.
Who’s going to argue the league’s best contested-ball player won’t average 120 again if his body stays sound?
Not me, that’s for sure.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: I’m not using his injury history as an excuse not to pick him this year.
Lachie Neale (Bris)
$658,500
Marsh Series scores: 168, 118
Speaking of durability and 120-point season-averages, there’s no safer selection in 2020 than the Brisbane star.
In his first year at the club, Neale posted 17 SuperCoach tons and finished with 322 more points than any other Lion.
But, while it did to some, the scoring should’ve come as no surprise, given Neale averaged 117 points in his final 18 games as a Docker.
And the previous year he averaged 112, if you take out the injury and role-affected 44 in Round 21.
And in 2016, he finished the season as the fifth-ranked scorer in the competition after recording an average of 113.
Yeah, he’s been doing it for a while.
The 26-year-old has also been playing a lot of football for a while now, too, missing only two matches since 2013.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: As safe as premium selections come in 2020.
Patrick Cripps (Carl)
$635,900
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 94
Oh, yes, this guy should probably get a mention in this category, too.
The Carlton co-captain has posted 18 scores of 120 or more over the past two seasons, nine of them in excess of 150.
And on four occasions, the contested-ball beast has passed the 169-point mark.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Another big scorer who could make you wish you had not left him out. But you can’t start them all.
THE NOT-SO SURE THINGS
Josh Kelly (GWS)
$637,700
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 94
The smooth-moving Giant only played 14 home-and-away matches last season but he finished with a SuperCoach ton in 11 of them – six of them in excess of 120.
In 2018, Kelly only played 15 games but scored 130 or more on five occasions, including a 202-point performance against the Blues.
Even most of the players listed above struggle to match the 24-year-old’s scoring when he’s up and going. But most of them played more than 29 games in the past two seasons.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Kelly is fit-and-firing after an uninterrupted pre-season, his first for sometime. He could be the highest-scoring player by Round 8 but recent history still suggests the midfielders listed above are safer bets.
Tom Mitchell (Haw)
$630,900
Marsh Series scores: 89, 112
A Round 1 return for the Brownlow Medallist is all but locked in with Mitchell, who missed all last year with a broken leg, ticking all the boxes over summer.
The ball magnet averaged 129 points in 2018 and is a player every SuperCoach will want to finish the season with.
But, even after a near-perfect pre-season which he capped off with a 112-point performance in 81 per cent game-time against the Demons, can you start him?
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: One of the best SuperCoach scorers in the competition might be a point-of-difference to start the season. And that’s an enticing statement. But, again, I’m not confident picking him over the others at the same price.
UNDERVALUED?
Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
$593,900
Marsh Series scores: 136, 84
Dangerfield and Macrae might lead the way for total points over the past three seasons among the most-expensive midfielders but Oliver is the only one of the top-11 to have played every game.
Even after a double-shoulder reconstruction last off-season – a statement which makes his 109-point average of 2019 even more impressive.
But what really stands out is the fact last year was only the 22-year-old’s fourth season in the competition.
And in the previous two he finished with averages of 111 and 115 respectively.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Don’t forget about the young Demon in the shine of the stars priced above him.
Stephen Coniglio (GWS)
$549,500
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 135
Prior to the final weekend of Marsh Series action, the question was how would Leon Cameron use his skipper – who he had recently declared would spend plenty of time forward – in the absence of the injured Tim Taranto in 2020? Coniglio’s 32 disposals and 135 SuperCoach points, on the back of the third-most centre bounce attendances for the Giants, makes it pretty clear.
And his two goals and three goal assists is just another reminding of his ability forward-of-centre.
As a result of failing to register one SuperCoach point after he suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Tigers in Round 17 last year, Coniglio is priced at an average of 101 this season.
Take out that injury-affected score and his 2019 average would’ve been 108.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: A great underpriced to round-off your midfield.
Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
$559,300
Marsh Series scores: 49, 83
Like his side, the newly-appointed sole captain was underwhelming in 2019.
But he still posted 14 SuperCoach tons, six of them in excess of 120.
The 29-year-old was inconsistent last year but he continued to a show a vast improvement in being able to deal with opposition attention – something, along with injury, which played a big part in his disappointing 97-point average in 2018.
But, as Sloane’s nine scores of 130 or more in 2017 proves, his SuperCoach scoring power unquestioned.
He’ll want to – and a young Crows side will need him to – lead from the front in 2020.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: If the Crows win more games than many expect them to this season, it’s likely to be on the back of this guy.
Dayne Zorko (Brisbane)
$579,100
Marsh Series scores: 109, 134
Just quickly, the 30-year-old has stayed well out of the SuperCoach limelight so far this summer with Neale gaining all the attention.
But a closer look, past his 107-point season average, shows Zorko averaged 116 points per game from the Lions’ bye through to the semi-final loss to the Giants last year.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: After an impressive Marsh Series, which saw the star midfielder pick up where he left off last year, SuperCoaches are – and should be – paying attention.
THE SMOKIES
DION PRESTIA (RICH)
$550,200
Marsh Series scores: 84, 75
For the first time since 2014, the 27-year-old ball-magnet played every game last season.
And the numbers reflected this with Prestia’s disposal-average of 27.44 the highest of his nine-year career.
The 101 points per game in SuperCoach is five less than his standout year at the Suns in 2014 but it’s his post-bye-round form which is really worth talking about.
Including the finals series, the tough, creative midfielder tallied 28 disposals or more in nine of his 11 matches from Round 15 onwards.
Prestia had 30 or more on six occasions and averaged 117 points per game after posting nine SuperCoach tons in this period.
It was little surprise to those at Tigerland to see Prestia, who tallied 28 disposals, two goals and 164 points in the preliminary final, claim the Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond’s best-and-fairest in October.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Prestia’s pre-season scores don’t scream ‘pick me’ but we know they don’t always matter. The star Tiger did have a team-high 13 contested possessions and an equal team-high eight clearances in 74 per cent game-time against the Giants.
JARRYD LYONS (BRIS)
$535,400
Marsh Series scores: 62, 77
With all the attention going towards star Lachie Neale, the former Crow is flying under the SuperCoach radar.
But, after what Lyons produced in the back-half of 2019, he shouldn’t be.
From Round 13, the 27-year-old ranked fifth in the competition tackles, eighth for clearances, 10th for inside 50s and 11th for contested possessions.
And these numbers resulted in some powerful SuperCoach scoring.
Lyons posted seven SuperCoach tons – five in excess of 130 – in the final 10 home-and-away games of the year.
He then tallied 108 and 133 in Brisbane’s two finals defeats.
It would take a brave SuperCoach to start him, but the value is obvious given an inconsistent start to 2019 sees Lyons priced at an average of 99 in 2020.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT:Like Prestia, Lyons didn’t follow on from his big finish to last year and dominate the pre-season but he’s still worth some thought as a point-of-difference.
JACK STEELE (STK)
$515,900
Marsh Series scores: 97, 122
“‘Ratts’ is pretty keen to cut me free, which I’m pretty happy with, “ Steele said in December.
“I played the last round without a role against Sydney and I went forward and kicked a goal. I haven’t kicked too many goals yet, so it should be nice to have a bit of freedom and play some footy.”
And with those words, Steele returns to the SuperCoach watchlist once again.
Playing a defensive-midfield role for most of 2019, the 24-year-old posted 13 scores of 95 or more – nine of them SuperCoach tons – last season.
But if we’re to believe his pre-season statement, expect those numbers to be blown out of the water in 2020 and realign with his late-season form of 2018.
From Round 13 onwards that year, Steele averaged 26 disposals, 11 contested possessions, seven tackles and 110 points per game.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: He’s moved higher up the watchlist after the role came to life in the Marsh Series. Steele is above Prestia and Lyons for mine.
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RUCKMEN
SET-AND-FORGET
Brodie Grundy (Coll $705,900) and Max Gawn (Melb $697,100)
Grundy: DNP, 64
Gawn: DNP, 68
Grundy 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
Gawn isn’t far behind, scoring 100 or more on 36 occasions in the past two years.
By average, the third-ranked ruckman is 16-points adrift – there’s no such discrepancy in any other position.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: After Gawn did enough on return from a pre-season knee injury in 49 per cent game-time, it’s definitely set-and-forget for The Phantom.
PREMIUM ALTERNATIVES
REILLY O’BRIEN (Adel)
$517,400
Marsh Series scores: 95, 60
After the Sam Jacobs injury in Round 2 last year, Adelaide, with no real alternative, recalled O’Brien for his first senior game since 2016.
He struggled at the centre bounce but, immediately, O’Brien showed his competitiveness, strong marking and ball-winning ability at ground level.
The 24-year-old posted SuperCoach scores of 85, 84, 90, 88 and 123 in his first five matches of the 2019.
But he was only just getting started.
As the 202cm big man’s confidence grew – as did the understanding of why the Crows’ faith in the back-up ruckman never wavered – he really showcased his scoring power.
In the 12th appearance of his career, O’Brien tallied 17 disposals, 12 contested possessions, nine clearances and 104 points against the Giants.
The following week, O’Brien posted the highest SuperCoach score by a ruckman since 2017. Not even Grundy or Gawn – at that stage – had reached the heights of O’Brien’s 181-point performance against the Tigers.
After three more SuperCoach tons in the next five matches, O’Brien’s seven-game average ballooned to 116. And he had only made 18 appearances at the top-level.
He signed a two-year contract extension to stay at West Lakes in July, after recording more hit-outs than any other player on record after 16 career games.
“I want to elevate my game to another level next year and become one of the best ruckmen in the competition,” O’Brien said in December.
With Jacobs moving to the Giants, and seemingly no real back-up, he will get every chance to do so.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: O’Brien was convincingly beaten by Gold Coast big man Zac Smith in the final week of the Marsh and that’s tempered The Phantom’s expectations slightly.
SCOTT LYCETT (Port)
$550,600
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 34
Let’s not talk about the Round 19 demotion to the SANFL after a 111-point performance against the Giants.
Ken Hinkley wanted to reward the form of young big man Peter Ladhams and persisted with Paddy Ryder
Anyway, I don’t want to get angry.
Ryder is no longer at Alberton, after being traded to St Kilda in October and, with Ladhams’ support, Lycett is the clear No. 1 ruckman at the Power.
And he’s a big SuperCoach sleeper in all formats, given Lycett averaged 33 more points per game when Ryder wasn’t in the same side.
The 27-year-old also has the high ceiling, as evident by scores of 180, 167 and 165 last year.
And he’s also consistent when given the opportunity.
From Round 11 onwards, Lycett averaged 121 points per game and posted SuperCoach tons in seven of his nine matches to finish the year.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Hinkley looks set to start with Lycett as the Power’s No. 1 big man, despite suffering an ankle injury against the Bulldogs.
TODD GOLDSTEIN (NM)
$609,400
Marsh Series scores: 100, 100
After a slow start last season – a 98-point average through the first eight rounds – Goldstein wound back the clock.
In form reminiscent of his league-leading 128-point season in 2015, Goldstein posted SuperCoach tons in 10 or his 13 matches between Round 9 and 22 – six in excess of 130 – to average 124 points per game in this stretch.
In Round 23, he encountered an unstoppable Gawn, who tallied 212 points.
And, after signing a three-year contract extension in September last year, Goldstein said “I feel the best I ever have in terms of both my body and my mind”.
There’s no doubt Goldstein can still score but you have to ask yourself is the $100k saving really worth it?
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: The answer is still no but Goldstein shows no sign of slowing down after he posted back-to-back SuperCoach tons in the Marsh Series.
ROWAN MARSHALL (StK)
$598,700
Marsh Series scores: 117, 56
Marshall, who posted 14 SuperCoach tons last year, is a more-than-capable marking-forward.
He showed it in the VFL prior to his breakout year in 2019 and proved it again in the first week of the Marsh Series, booting two goals and scoring 47 of his 117 SuperCoach points stationed inside-50 in the final quarter.
But did his performance against the Hawks hide, to some degree, the effect of new ruck partner Paddy Ryder?
The Saints’ final pre-season match, when Ryder started at the opening centre bounce and Marshall in the goalsquare, suggests it may have with the big men sharing the points against the Magpies.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Even if it’s only slightly, the effect of Ryder is enough to put me off.
FORWARDS
THE MUST-HAVES
LACHIE WHITFIELD (GWS) $604,100 AND DUSTIN MARTIN (RICH) $543,000
Marsh Series scores:
Whitfield: DNP, 110
Martin: DNP, 98
We’ve been handed two gifts in the forward line this season.
In the current SuperCoach landscape, with the lack of rookie-price options, the debate continues whether or not you can afford to start both Whitfield and Martin this year.
But you’ll need to have both by the year’s end.
If you take out the star Giant’s two injury-affected scores last year, he averaged 119 from 15 matches. Enough said, really. He played every game in 2018 so don’t let the seven regular-season fixtures he missed last year put you off.
But what about if Martin starts slow again?
I’ve heard this question raised a number of time already this pre-season – and the argument, in parts, to start without him is a reasonable one.
Even if Martin’s start to 2020 mirrors that of last year, which featured just two SuperCoach tons – and two scores of 66 or less – in the opening eight rounds, he’s a certain top-six forward by the year’s end.
And isn’t picking the players you believe will finish the year in the top six-to-eight in their position what you set out to do?
Anyway, if you include the finals series, the dual Norm Smith Medallist, who is in career-best shape after swearing off the booze over summer, averaged 115 points in the final eight matches of 2018.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Set-and-forget if you can afford it. But, in The Phantom’s opinion, letting one go to start with is a better alternative to starting without both Gawn and Grundy, give the mid-price forwards options available.
THE NEXT STEP
HUGH GREENWOOD (GC)
$463,100
Marsh Series scores: 109, 76
In his 51 career matches, Greenwood has scored 80 points or more in 31 of them, passing the 100-point mark on 12 occasions.
And the impressive scoring record comes on the back of the 27-year-old’s elite ability at the contest.
His contested possession rate of 64.1 per cent was the highest of the 225 players in the competition to average 17 disposals or more in 2019.
Across his career, the 191cm midfielder also rates elite for ground ball gets, clearances, tackles, pressure acts and contested marks, despite never being part of Adelaide’s first-choice on-ball rotation.
In fact, despite spending 65 per cent of is time in the midfield during his time at the Crows, he was only the sixth-ranked player for centre bounce attendances.
It’s hard to see him anywhere else, when the first ball is bounced against Port Adelaide at Metricon Stadium in Round 1.
He’s never averaged more than 17 disposals in a season but even if there’s an increase of four per game, on the back of a greater midfield role at the Suns, there will be a spike.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: In his first appearance in Gold Coast colours, the contested-ball star played 82 per cent of the game, attending 14 centre bounces and tallying 24 disposals, 13 contested possessions and nine tackles against the Cats. And that was more than enough for me.
JADE GRESHAM (STK)
$456,400
Marsh Series scores: 59, DNP
The breakout year is coming.
In 2019, Gresham took another step away from the forward-line role he played so well in the first three years of his career.
And one toward becoming the midfield star he was throughout his junior career.
In his draft year of 2014, the Northern Knights captain averaged 29 disposals, 12 contested possessions and 146 SuperCoach points per game.
On numbers, he was the best-performed midfielder in the TAC Cup. No draftee to play at least five games was better.
Gresham had regular AFL midfielders Clayton Oliver, Tom Phillips, Darcy Parish and Jacob Hopper covered.
After an impressive first two years stationed inside-50, Gresham’s midfield minutes increased in 2018 and he tallied 22 more clearances and 72 more disposals than the previous season.
And last year, despite playing three less matches, he finished with 43 more disposals, 37 more contested possessions and 33 more clearances.
Across his 81-game career, Gresham has played 32 per cent midfield and 67 per cent forward.
In 2019, he spent 61 per of his game-time in the midfield.
His goal tally might have gone from 35 to 15 but he added five points to his SuperCoach average.
But Gresham, who recorded career-high disposals (32), contested possessions (13) and clearances (9) in Round 20 last year, is a chance to double that increase in 2020.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Gresham only played a half in the Marsh Series but he still tallied 21 disposals through the midfield. A big top-eight chance but, with so much value around, how many $450k+ options can you fit?
IS THIS THE YEAR?
ISAAC HEENEY (SYD)
$510,700
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 44
After averaging 98 and 97 in the third and fourth years of his career, many – The Phantom included – thought 2019 was the year Heeney would finally leave the forward-line behind him and become an elite premium.
But that didn’t happen. None of it did.
The 23-year-old’s influence in attack was still too important to John Longmire’s side and, as a result, the midfield minutes just weren’t consistent.
That wasn’t the only reason, however.
Heeney injured his ankle in the Swans’ final pre-season fixture and played through the pain of a deltoid tear for most of his 22 games in 2019.
“My body has been battered and bruised through the year, more than it ever has,” Heeney said in August.
So, maybe, the 94-point average, on the back of nine SuperCoach tons, wasn’t as disappointing as it looks.
Is this the year he finally reaches three figures?
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Initially, I convinced myself it was. And it might still be but after breaking his thumb at training in the final week of January, he’ll be coming off another limited pre-season and, as he admitted last month, spending plenty of time forward.
DARCY PARISH (ESS)
$465,400, Mid
Marsh Series scores: 115, 90
He averaged 72 points in his debut season of 2016 and increased this number to 80 in 2018, on the back of impressive late-season form which saw him post five scores of 84 or more, including three SuperCoach tons, in the final seven rounds.
This run had many predicting Parish was ready to make his mark on SuperCoach — and the competition as a topline midfielder last year.
Especially given he dominated the TAC Cup in his draft year, averaging 28 disposals, 15 contested possessions, seven clearances, six score involvements and 128 SuperCoach points per game.
He wasn’t picked in Round 1, however, and was dropped again – before earning a late recall – for the ANZAC Day clash.
But Parish finally turned a corner against the Tigers in Round 10. In the absence of Dylan Shiel, who left the ground early with a hamstring injury, the skilful right-footer tallied 31 disposals, 19 contested possessions and 137 SuperCoach points – all career-highs.
A week later, Parish finished with 31 disposals and 129 points against the Blues, before impressing, despite the return of Shiel, in Round 13.
Between Rounds 10 and 13, the young Bomber ranked fifth for clearances in the competition, sixth for inside 50s and eighth for effective long-kicks.
He averaged 125 points over this three-game stretch before scoring 86 points per game – if you ignore an injury-affected 26 in Round 20 – in the run home.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: This could be his year. Get him in your SuperCoach Draft.
CAN WE TRUST THEM?
MICHAEL WALTERS (FREO)
$ 547,200
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 91
In 2019, the mercurial star played 22 games – after missing nine in the previous two years through injury and suspension – and added 13 points to his average.
After 12 SuperCoach tons last year, Walters is one of only three eligible-forwards coming off a three-figure average.
And with a new coach – or one that isn’t Ross Lyon – maybe there’s no reason to not trust the 29-year-old anymore.
The question is, however, with all the value in the forward group in 2020, can you afford to start three players worth in excess of $540k?
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: Not over Dusty for me.
TOBY GREENE (GWS)
$510,100
Marsh Series scores: DNP, 127
Early in the first quarter of the Round 17 clash with the Tigers, GWS star Stephen Coniglio goes down with a knee injury.
Enter Toby Greene the midfielder.
The matchwinning forward, who started his career as an on-baller, finished the day with game-highs in SuperCoach points (138) and disposals (34).
He then posted SuperCoach tons in the next five games, reinforcing the view the 26-year-old is among the top fantasy scorers in the competition when unleashed in the midfield.
But with the return of Coniglio and Callan Ward, who played less than 5 minutes of football in 2019, Greene is likely to revert back to the All-Australian forward, who can pinch hit through the midfield.
PHANTOM’S MARCH VERDICT: He’ll still be right around the mark of the top-six scorers but far from a certainty.