The Phantom’s SuperCoach face offs: Forward-thinking solutions

ISAAC Heeney or Toby Greene? Devon Smith or Christian Petracca? The Phantom’s verdict on some of the biggest lineball SuperCoach selection dilemmas in the forward-line.

The Phantom's SuperCoach Pre-season — Face Off

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• The backline money makers
• Mid-price smokies for your watchlist
• Your dilemmas in defence solved
• The verdict on the your midfield dilemmas

ISAAC Heeney or Toby Greene? Devon Smith or Christian Petracca?

The Phantom’s Facebook and Twitter pages have been swamped with requests for advice from SuperCoaches who need to make a decision between two players of similar cost.

With that in mind, here is The Phantom’s forward-line form guide to help with some of the borderline calls which could make or break your SuperCoach season.

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The most expensive forward in SuperCoach versus one of the most expensive forwards in football.

Sam Menegola (Geel) $551,800 v Lance Franklin (Syd) $540,500

In 2018, Menegola is the most expensive forward in the game.

And given he was the only player out of the 2018 crop of SuperCoach forwards to average 100 points or more last season, the price tag is warranted.

After debuting at the end of 2016, the ball magnet hasn’t taken long to become a reliable SuperCoach name, scoring 88 points or more in 22 of his 28 games with 12 SuperCoach tons.

Menegola was involved in 25 per cent of Geelong’s scoring chains last season — ranked fourth at the club behind Patrick Dangerfield, Mitch Duncan and Joel Selwood, who are all ahead of him in the midfield pecking order.

Throw in Gary Ablett and it’s likely Menegola’s midfield role is reduced in 2018, especially considering he’s shown he’s more than capable as a forward.

But this doesn’t mean he can’t be a top-6 SuperCoach forward.

We just need to wait and see how it plays out.

Another thing we have to wait and see on is whether or not Franklin can get off to a reasonable start and hold his price tag.

In five of the past six seasons — 2016 the odd year out when his starting price was $470k — Franklin’s price has plummeted in the opening two months. Franklin lost $58k off his starting-price tag by Round 9 in 2012, $150k by Round 8 in 2013 and $90k by the same time in 2014 and 2015. Last year was a similar story with the superstar forward falling to $444k by Round 16 — $70 less than his starting price.

History doesn’t always repeat, though and Franklin is capable of doing things most others can’t.

But with an interrupted pre-season, a slow start is again a possibility.

The Phantom’s Verdict: NEITHER. At the top price, for different reasons, it’s a wait and see on both.

The midfield minutes of Isaac Heeney or the mercurial efforts of forward Toby Greene?

Isaac Heeney (Syd) $536,300 v Toby Greene (GWS) $528,100

It was about this time last season when Heeney’s battle with glandular fever started.

It put a big dent in his pre-season training and kept him out of action until Round 5.

But, even with the symptoms lingering, the young Swan still posted three SuperCoach tons in his first four games and a further five more for the season to finish 2017 as the third-highest averaging forward.

So don’t be concerned about pre-Christmas knee surgery that limited his workload through January.

Heeney, who spent 65 per cent of game time in the midfield last year, looks set to appear in the JLT Series and should only see more minutes through the middle in 2018.

On the other hand, the mercurial Greene will remain in the Giants’ attacking arc after developing into one of the competition’s most damaging forwards over the past two years. After starting his career as ball-winning midfielder — yes, The Phantom still hopes we see it again — Greene has averaged 90 and 96 SuperCoach in the past two seasons as forward and is one of only three players in the competition to average at least 20 disposals, two goals and 1.5 score assists in this time.

Greene should again average in excess of 95 but, while he remains inside 50, won’t be able to keep up with Heeney’s scoring.

Oh, and Heeney is unlikely to do something stupid and get himself suspended.

The Phantom’s Verdict: HEENEY. As his midfield minutes increase in 2018, his numbers should do the same.

The Port Adelaide stars are hard to split in 2018.

Chad Wingard (Port) $511,300 v Robbie Gray (Port) $504,300

The Power pair are hard to split.

Given Gray averaged more than 108 points in three consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2016 and Wingard has never averaged three figures, this debate is usually a no-contest.

But with Gray set to spend most of his time in front of goal in 2018, with the inclusion of Tom Rockliff to the midfield, his scoring may again be inconsistent.

It was in 2017 as Gray split his time between the forward line and the engine room.

Gray, who was the No. 1 score assist player in the competition, recorded nine SuperCoach tons — three in excess of 130 — but also four scores of less than 45.

However, Wingard is no stranger to inconsistency.

At his best, he’s brilliant — and a great scorer — but a seven-week stretch in the middle of last year just about sums up his SuperCoach career.

Between Rounds 13 and 18, Wingard scored 74, 113, 64, 109, 97, 157, 59.

The Phantom’s Verdict: GRAY. Although their scoring will be similar again in 2018, even as a forward, The Phantom still has more trust in Gray, who is fit and healthy and ready for the JLT Series.

Will we see Luke Dahlhaus the midfielder or the old Michael Barlow back first?

Luke Dahlhaus (WB) $498,500 v Michael Barlow (Freo) $462,700

At sub-$500k, both proven SuperCoach scorers, who are on the rebound for different reasons, offer some serious value this season.

After averaging 104 in 2015, 96 in 2016 and 115 in the opening five rounds of 2017, a move to the forward line saw Dahlhaus’ numbers drop significantly in the second-half of last year. The clever Bulldog finished with an average of 91 — his lowest since 2013.

Speaking of 2013, Barlow, then at Fremantle, posted 15 SuperCoach tons to finish with a season average of 110.

The following year, he scored 12 more from 17 appearances to average 112.

Fast forward to 2018 and after a serious shoulder injury in 2016 and surgery to repair a broken leg — the second of his career — in 2017, Barlow is ready for his second season at the Gold Coast.

In his first season as a Sun, prior to the injury, Barlow spent 51 per cent of his time as a forward, recording the second-lowest SuperCoach average of his career.

The 30-year-old hasn’t missed a beat over summer and, in a young, Ablett-less Gold Coast midfield, should do plenty of heavy lifting inside.

But, after such a serious injury at his age, can we trust Barlow to bounce back immediately?

Or is it more likely we see Dahlhaus the midfielder again in 2018?

The Phantom’s Verdict: DAHLHAUS. It’s up to Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge but The Phantom is tipping a return to form from Dahlhaus this season. However, Barlow might not be far behind.

A midfield role beckons for both Smith and Petracca — who makes the most of it?

Devon Smith (Ess) $439,100 v Christian Petracca (Melb) $433,300

Both Smith and Petracca are destined for a greater midfield role in 2018.

Smith, after leaving the Giants where he played predominantly as a half-forward on the fringe of a stacked midfield, is set to become one of the Bombers’ prime movers through the middle, declaring he would like to spend up to 70 per cent of game time there this season.

With his centre bounce attendance increasing by 22 per cent in 2017, the Demons have been gradually introducing Petracca into the midfield mix over the past year.

But in 2018, Petracca looks ready to make the move on a full-time basis.

When he last played as full-time midfielder, Petracca averaged 25 disposals, 16 contested possessions, two goals and 138 SuperCoach points in the TAC Cup in 2014.

And Smith boasts similar numbers from his final junior year.

Playing for the Geelong Falcons in 2011, Smith averaged 27 possessions, two goals and 140 SuperCoach points.

The Phantom’s Verdict: SMITH. If we revisit this conversation in a few years time, I think Petracca will get the nod quite comfortably but, in 2018, it’s more likely to be Smith who plays the greater midfield role.

Clarko’s master move or Bolton’s trump card?

James Sicily (Haw) $402,800 v Charlie Curnow (Carl) $408,100

If you ignore the nightmare against Carlton in Round 22, when he was tagged by Jed Lamb and gave away seven free kicks, from Round 14 last season, Sicily averaged 99 SuperCoach points and took the most intercept marks in the competition.

Yes, that is correct.

Going by his form post-bye, the 186cm 23-year-old, who was drafted as a forward, is one of the best intercepting defenders in the game.

I tip my hat to you, Clarko. You just couldn’t let Brendon Bolton and Liam Jones outdo you.

But another move Bolton has hinted at making is using the 194cm, 91kg Curnow as a midfielder at times in 2018.

The 21-year-old, who Carlton fans are dubbing the second-coming of club legend Anthony Koutoufides, made his mark as a key-forward last season, averaging 16 disposals, seven marks and 92 SuperCoach points per game from Round 14 onwards.

However, his athleticism and running capacity could see him develop into a big-bodied midfielder in time.

The Phantom’s Verdict: SICILY. If Curnow does develop into a midfielder, this decision will be very different, very quickly. But in 2018, Sicily’s interceptor role should produce a greater SuperCoach output. If you like both, pick the dual-position Sicily as a defender.