KFC SuperCoach 2021: The Phantom answers the burning questions ahead of Round 22
Which injured premiums will play? Is Josh Dunkley worth considering? Who are best the value trade options? The Phantom answers the big KFC SuperCoach questions.
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Last week in this column, I said there was still some life left in the ‘there’s still enough time to lose the ground you make up by trading this week’ argument.
Turns out there really was.
It’s conservative thinking, yes, but I’ll be waiting one more round before pulling the trigger on a luxury trade.
Lucky I listened to my own advice.
Because Round 21 happened.
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Lachie Neale was sick. Josh Kelly was a late out. Patrick Dangerfield had a very sore throat thanks to Toby Greene – who has been banned for two games. Callum Mills pulled out of the Saints game in the warm-up. Sam Walsh hurt his ankle. Andrew Brayshaw was suspended. Shannon Hurn left the field with a soft-tissue injury.
Did somebody say KFC?
Hurn aside, I copped all of that. And I know there were many KFC SuperCoaches in the same boat.
So, out of all those, who plays this week?
Now that is a burning question.
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Neale?
YES. When asked post-match who would come in for the Round 22 clash, coach Chris Fagan said “Obviously Lachie Neale will be. He just missed today with gastro”.
Kelly?
YES. The star midfielder doesn’t feature on the GWS injury list and, when asked on Twitter about Kelly, the Giants social media team responded with ‘available’.
Walsh?
YES … I think. All the talk coming out Carlton is positive at this point. On Walsh, that is, not in general.
“Walshy rolled his ankle really late in the game. We weren’t too concerned once we saw him, he settled down well,” Blues Director of High Performance Andrew Russell said Monday.
“Scans were good and we expect him to play this week.”
Dangerfield
MAYBE. He’s out of hospital and was cleared of serious damage but there’s still some doubt over Dangerfield for this weekend’s clash with the Saints.
“We’ll see how Paddy gets through the sessions this week,” Cats footy boss Simon Lloyd said on Tuesday.
“He was in at the club today doing some light work and it looks positive.”
Fingers crossed.
Mills
MAYBE/MAYBE NOT. So, it turns out Mills wasn’t just sore on Saturday night. He’s been battling Achilles tendonitis for most of the season.
“With tendonitis, you need to keep a certain amount of load going through it, and when he was in isolation, he wasn’t able to get that training load he needed to go through,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“We felt like just before that period we were getting on top of it, even though it was still hindering him.
“He came out of there and played really well (against Essendon), but obviously couldn’t come up at the weekend.
“With tendonitis, particularly in the Achilles, it’s pretty tricky – you’re not quite sure what it looks like from week-to-week, so we’ll see how he goes this week.”
Um.
On a positive note, how good is he going to be next year when he’s not sore every week?
I’ll put this on record now – I’m picking him as a midfielder-only in 2022.
Hurn?
MAYBE/MAYBE NOT. “I think it’s a very, very slight hamstring…”
That’s not the full quote from Eagles coach Adam Simpson on Monday night but it’s just about all we need to hear when we’re talking about a 33-year-old Shannon Hurn.
West Coast has to win, though, so if he can play, he will.
Greene?
NO. The Giants challenged Greene’s two-match on Tuesday night and the tribunal cut the ban in half, meaning he will still miss Friday’s clash with the Tigers – unless GWS appeal.
And the club is considering it.
Brayshaw?
NO. Sadly, his one-game ban stands.
What about Reilly O’Brien, Phant?
Let’s not even go there. If you are one of the 9,899 other teams with the Adelaide ruckman, maybe he’s the one to trade, given the Crows have said O’Brien may not recover from a low-grade lateral ligament tear in his knee by the final round clash with North Melbourne.
Are there any ruckmen worth considering at O’Brien’s price?
Bulldogs big man Tim English is available for $10k less than O’Brien and he’s scored 126, 99, 94, 111 and 123 in his past five matches.
But there are more options to choose from in the forward line at $500k or less, if you have the ability to swing a Rowan Marshall or Callum Coleman-Jones into the ruck.
Or for non-O’Brien owners looking for a value option.
The top-five forwards for total points – Jack Ziebell, Dayne Zorko, Bailey Dale, Charlie Dixon and Tom Hawkins – are all priced at $523k or less.
North Melbourne young gun Tarryn Thomas ($490k) hit the ground running after a week off with concussion, tallying 22 disposals and 96 points in the loss to the Tigers. Only Marshall and Aaron Hall have averaged more in the past three matches.
Hawk Chad Wingard ($456k) sits fourth for three-round average, while the price of in-form Magpie Jordan De Goey ($514k) has stopped climbing for the moment, too.
Is Josh Dunkley worth considering?
Another interesting question. The Bulldogs star has posted scores of 87, 65 and 75 since returning, losing more than $100k off his price tag in the process.
Dunkley attended 14 centre bounces – the fourth-most for the Bulldogs – but only finished with 19 disposals – 16 of them handballs – two tackles and once clearance in the loss to the Bombers.
His four contested possessions the previous week was his lowest tally in a game since 2018.
But, after such a long stint on the sidelines, you can forgive him for not firing on all cylinders from the get-go.
It’s likely to happen soon, though, and it could be against the Hawks this weekend.
That’s what makes the $533k price tag so appealing.
It’s a risk given recent form, but we know what he’s capable of. It could be the point-of-difference play that wins you your preliminary final.
If not, the slight fall is good for our starting teams next year, anyway.
What about value options in the midfield?
I told you for the past two weeks to get on Suns ball magnet Brayden Fiorini. His price is up to $503k but he’s posted four KFC SuperCoach tons on-the-trot. Scoring has never been a problem, he just needed consistent opportunity. And it looks as if – fingers crossed – coach Stuart Dew is over whatever he was angry about.
Travis Boak, who scored 109 in Showdown 50, is still under $500k, while Tigers gun Dion Prestia ($452k) has posted scores of 113 and 120 since returning from injury.
In saying that, Jarryd Lyons – the ninth-ranked KFC SuperCoach midfielder - is still terrific buying at $548k.
Anything else, Phant?
A shoutout to the legendary Tom Rockliff, a brilliant fantasy person on and off the field, who announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Well played, Pig.
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Known as "the Pig ðŸ–" in fantasy footy circles, Rockliff said: "Every pig has their day. To the fantasy community, there's no doubt they've built my profile up. I'd like to thank them for that & apologise for the back end of my career. If they need an ambassador..." @ThePhantomSC
— Matt Turner (@mattturner1986) August 10, 2021
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