SuperCoaches face tough call on whether to trade ruck hero Reilly O’Brien during Round 14 bye
Reilly O’Brien might have just scuppered the trade plans of more than 20,000 SuperCoaches. After his monster score against Richmond, you might have no choice but the hold the Crows ruckman through his bye.
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Can you trade a player who just scored 181 and has a break even of -20?
That is the tough call 23,480 coaches have to make this week after Reilly O’Brien’s ruck heroics against Richmond.
O’Brien had fulfilled his role as a valuable cash cow long before many coaches fielded him in place of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy during their Round 13 bye.
In the space of two hours, the Crows ruckman went from a stop gap to a genuine on-field option.
O’Brien amassed 181 SuperCoach points against Richmond’s rookie ruck duo Mabior Chol and Noah Balta, finishing with 19 disposals, five marks, seven tackles and 54 hit outs.
At $446,000, O’Brien has made more than $300,000 profit.
The only downside of his dominance against the Tigers was it scuppered any plans coaches may have had to move him on when he has Round 14 off.
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Surely, with a negative break even, you must hold O’Brien for at least a few more weeks.
If he can reach $500,000, he’ll be close to a direct swap to a premium player by Round 16.
That could be about the time a top-liner such as Lachie Whitfield ($564,100, Def) returns from injury.
Alternatively, O’Brien could help you bring in a premium forward with a high price tag such as Josh Dunkley ($596,800, Fwd-Mid) or Tim Kelly ($575,700, Fwd-Mid).
HIGHEST #SUPERCOACH SCORES BY RUCKMEN SINCE 2017
— The Phantom (@ThePhantomSC) June 14, 2019
REILLY O'BRIEN (R13, '19) 181
Max Gawn (R6, '18) 168
Brodie Grundy (R20, '18) 167
Scott Lycett (R2, '19) 167
Brodie Grundy (R10, '19) 165
The only concern regarding the 23-year-old had been his job security, considering the lock Sam Jacobs has had on the No. 1 ruck role at Adelaide in recent years.
But with O’Brien claiming that mantle in recent weeks, those who showed patience and opted to hold him until the byes will be handsomely rewarded.
ROUND 13 STARS
Reilly O’Brien 181
Josh Dunkley 173
Jack Billings 169
Michael Walters 158
Charlie Curnow 154
WEEKLY TOP SCORERS
Derek’s boys, Lauren 2418
MumFlwrs$3, Maeve 2416
Spitting Llama’s, Andrew 2413
tickle me freo, Tony 2406
OVERALL LEADERS
Ryder2Gray, Adam 29,233
Addo’s Amateurs, Jaimes 29,177
Reidys Rabble, Chris 29,059
BoomBoomAfridi, Rohan 29,054
DAMOnation, Damien 29,016
saintsforever, Mark 2454
DEFENDERS
James Sicily 87
Zac Williams 143
Rory Laird 121
Luke Ryan 88
MIDFIELDERS
Matt Crouch 91
Brad Crouch 129
Zach Merrett C 276
Stephen Coniglio 130
Jack Macrae 150
Nat Fyfe 129
RUCKS
Reilly O’Brien 181
Todd Goldstein 97
FORWARDS
James Worpel 97
Jack Billings 169
Caleb Daniel 114
Travis Boak 121
Michael Walters 158
Josh Dunkley 173
BENCH
Patrick Cripps 78
Brodie Smith 74
Heath Shaw 69
Bachar Houli 68
Will Setterfield 62
Ben Cunnington 59
Ryan Gardner 22
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Reilly O’Brien
O’Brien dominated his inexperienced opponents last round — amassing a round and career-high 181 SuperCoach points. He ruck work was far superior, winning 54 hit-outs, of which 22 were to the direct advantage of an Adelaide player. He also had 19 disposals, 10 contested possessions, seven tackles and six clearances from 89% game time.
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Zach Merrett
Merrett was the top-ranked player on the ground with 138 SuperCoach points in the win over Hawthorn. He finished with 22 effective disposals, 13 contested possessions, four clearances, three tackles and one goal from 76% game time. He also had three score assists and was involved in an equal game-high eight scoring chains.
Jack Billings
Billings racked up a season-high 169 SuperCoach points (83 in the final term) in the come-from-behind win over the Suns — enjoying a $16,500 price rise along the way. He finished with 33 disposals, 13 contested possessions, three clearances and a game-high 11 tackles. He also drifted forward to kick two crucial goals.
Zac Williams
Williams scored a game and season-high 143 SuperCoach points in last round’s win over North Melbourne. He had 22 effective disposals, 19 uncontested possessions and a game-high 619 metres gained from 81% game time. Williams also won eight intercepts — the second-most of any Giant.
YOUNG GUN: Jake Stein
Stein impressed on his AFL debut against North Melbourne — finishing with nine disposals and a kicking efficiency of 100% from 76% game time. He also had four contested possessions, two clearances and applied eight tackles — the second-most of any Giant.
Originally published as SuperCoaches face tough call on whether to trade ruck hero Reilly O’Brien during Round 14 bye
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