The Phantom’s Captains: With Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn set to go head-to-head in the wet, a Collingwood midfielder might steal the show
Melbourne has conceded huge SuperCoach scores to opposition midfielders in four consecutive weeks. And there’s a Magpie on-baller in career-best form. All the best Round 21 captain options.
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With go-to options Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn set to go head-to-head at the MCG on Saturday, it’s time to consider a Magpies midfielder instead.
In the past four matches, Melbourne has conceded a big SuperCoach to an opposition star in the midfield.
Richmond’s Dustin Martin had 34 disposals, 17 contested possessions and 138 points last week and Saint Seb Ross was even better in Round 19, finishing with 31 disposals, two goals and 159 points in the 19-point win over the Demons.
A week earlier, Dom Sheed led the way for the Eagles with a 34-disposal, 138-point display.
But these performances have nothing on Josh Dunkley’s SuperCoach double ton against Melbourne in Round 17.
So, in the past four matches, the top-scoring opposition midfielder has scored 138, 159, 138 and 202 against Simon Goodwin’s side.
Will it be Adam Treloar’s turn on Saturday?
In the ball-magnet’s 158-game career, he’s tallied 30 or more disposals on 64 occasions.
But prior to last week’s best-on-ground performance, Treloar had never recorded a disposal efficiency of 90 per cent of more in these 64 matches.
Against the Suns at the MCG, the 26-year-old finished with 35 disposals — at 91 per cent efficiency — 14 contested possessions, 13 score involvements, three goals assists and a season-high 177 points.
Treloar had 16 effective kicks, the equal-most of his career and his kicking efficiency of 57.6 per cent this season is nine per cent higher than his career-low mark in 2017.
And it’s this area of his game which has held him back from becoming an absolute rolled-gold SuperCoach premium in the past.
But after a big second-half of the season — of all midfielders, only Jack Macrae has scored more points than Treloar in the past five weeks — that might be about to change.
Make Treloar VC if you’ve got him.
GRUNDY v GAWN
Round 23, 2017: Grundy 93, Gawn 67
Round 12, 2018: Grundy 98, Gawn 76
R ound 12, 2019: Grundy 84, Gawn 153
Earlier this season, Gawn broke the trend of the two big men cancelling each other out SuperCoach-wise, scoring a game-high 153 in a dominant performance over Grundy.
The ruckmen are the two highest-averaging players this season but there’s 8-10mm of rain and a possible thunderstorm forecast for Melbourne on Saturday. There might be more stoppages but Gawn and Grundy are big ball-winners, too.
The scoring history and the weather is enough to put The Phantom off.
THE OTHER OPTIONS
Toby Greene (GWS)
v Hawthorn, Friday night
With a Josh Kelly return unlikely, it’s still all-systems-go for Greene the midfielder, who has scored 138, 112, 107 and 134 playing as an on-baller in the past month. Sure, it’s a left-field VC but, sometimes, that’s what you need in a SuperCoach final.
Travis Boak (Port)
v Sydney, Saturday
Boak has only failed to score 100 points or more once since Round 10 — and that was a 97-point performance against the Tigers in Round 18. And Port Adelaide is back at Adelaide Oval, a venue Boak has posted scores of 114, 122, 114, 118 and 106 in his past five matches at.
Lachie Neale (Bris)
v Gold Coast, Saturday
In his first Q Clash earlier this season, Neale finished with 28 disposals and a game-high 142 points. Expect similar from the former Docker, who has posted scores of 137, 151, 118, 98, 120 and 101 in the past six rounds, at the Gabba on Saturday.
Jack Macrae (WB)
v Essendon, Saturday night
While there’s a chance he will go to Macrae, Bomber tagger Dylan Clarke should get the job on Marcus Bontempelli. That — hopefully — means Macrae can continue his outstanding form, which includes eight consecutive SuperCoach tons, five of them in excess of 140.
Patrick Dangerfield (Geel)
v NM, Saturday night
In his past four matches against the Kangaroos, Dangerfield has posted scores of 99,103, 140 and 229. Is this scoring history enough to make you forget about last week’s disappointing 57-point performance in Perth? A 163-point score in his start at the Cattery might help. Expect Dangerfield to lead the Geelong response on Saturday night.
Dustin Martin (Rich)
v Carl, Sunday
Martin is back in form, boasting a three-round average of 115, and he’s posted scores of 109, 139, 121 and 159 in his past five matches against the Blues — Richmond’s Round 21 opponent.
Patrick Cripps (Carl)
v Richmond, Sunday
If you’ve been following Cripps’ scoring trend, you would know he’s due for a big score this week. Since Round 7, the Carlton skipper has scored 120, 66, 116, 89, 194, 78, 115, 73, 152 and 78. And he could have 25 contested possessions in the wet on Sunday.
Andrew Gaff (WC)
v Adelaide, Sunday
There’s no rain forecast for Perth on Sunday — only sunshine — and that will suit the Eagle wingman nicely. Gaff tallied 33 disposals and 124 points at home two weeks ago and the 27-year-old has finished with 106, 136 and 119 in his past three against the Crows. Another left-field captain option for a sudden-death SuperCoach final.
THE PHANTOM’S CALL
It will be Neale into Macrae for The Phantom.