The Phantom’s SuperCoach face offs: Quick-fire ruling on your team’s dilemmas

OVER the past week, The Phantom has run the rule over the key head-to-head dilemmas. But the SuperCoach community still has more unsolved issues. Here is the quick-fire verdict on 11 more.

The Phantom's SuperCoach pre-season: Face-off

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

OVER the past week, The Phantom has run the rule over the key head-to-head dilemmas. But the SuperCoach community still has more unsolved issues. Here is the quick-fire verdict on 11 more.

DEFENDERS

Heath Shaw during GWS Giants training. Picture.: Phil Hillyard

Expect to see plenty of Luke McDonald in the North Melbourne midfield in 2018. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images

Heath Shaw (GWS) $458,100 v Luke McDonald (NM) $461,100

Jonty Manktelow on Facebook

In the absence of Zac Williams and Nathan Wilson, The Phantom doesn’t believe Heath Shaw will automatically become the No. 1 man at half-back again. In the twilight of his career, he doesn’t exactly replace the speed and line-breaking foot skills of Williams and Wilson.

With McDonald, who added 20 points to his average in 2017, set to move into North Melbourne’s midfield in 2018, his scoring potential appears greater.

MIDFIELDERS

Dustin Martin is a proven scorer over the long haul. Picture: Michael Klein

Gary Ablett smashes past Dan Menzel at Cats training. Picture: Alison Wynd

Dustin Martin (Rich) $656,000 vs Gary Ablett (Geel) $631,100

@BoydosBest

As tempting as the little master is, SuperCoach is a long-term game and, although he may not score as much as Patrick Dangerfield, Martin gets the vote here.

Brad Crouch (Adel) $529,100 vs Jack Steven (StK) $498,600

@Chowminhcity

The battle of the left-field premium. After averaging 116 from round 15, including the finals, last year, The Phantom thinks Brad could close the gap between he and younger brother Matt in 2018. Adelaide is being cautious with Crouch but if his body holds up, expect him to average slightly more than Steven, who is flying over summer after hamstring issues restricted his explosiveness last year.

Can Brad Crouch, front, catch All-Australian brother Matt?

Callan Ward (GWS) $548,300 vs Adam Treloar (Coll) $557,600

@mejameswebb

Ward’s SuperCoach average has fallen in each of the past four seasons - from 113 in 2014 to 100 last season. After averaging more than 107 in three of his first five seasons in the competition, Treloar’s average also fell in 2018. While Ward is still an integral part of the GWS midfield, his younger teammates are quickly going past him in a SuperCoach sense and, if Treloar can eliminate the mistakes that crept into his game last year, expect the his fall in 2017 to be a blip on the radar.

Clayton Oliver (Melb) v Nat Fyfe (Freo)

@TroyDanaher

Clayton Oliver is star, no doubt about it but he’s no Nat Fyfe, who could once again challenge Patrick Dangerfield for the No. 1 spot in 2018. At $597k, you just can’t leave him out.

RUCKS

Brodie Grundy and Mason Cox are likely to share ruck duties at Collingwood this season. Picture: Michael Klein

Brodie Grundy (Coll) $534,700 vs Todd Goldstein (NM) $521,400 vs Stefan Martin (Bris) $540,000

@neimadkp

Back-up ruckmen are a concern with all three here. We know how good their scoring can be when they play as their team’s solo ruckman but Collingwood have Mason Cox, North Melbourne Braydon Preuss and Brisbane Archie Smith in the picture. Could a return to form for Goldstein push Preuss back the VFL? The Phantom thinks it’s the best chance of the three.

FORWARDS

Jesse Hogan - $389k and expected to go through the midfield this year. Yes/No?

@wanga27

Jesse Hogan the midfielder? It’s something we might see in 2018.

To be honest, The Phantom hadn’t really considered Hogan yet but, you’re right, the talk about the midfield stints is intriguing. Hogan had a tough year in 2017, on and off the field, but, by all reports, has had a great summer. He could be anything. JLT Series will tell us more but still maybe too expensive given we can’t be sure of his scoring.

Jack Billings (StK) $509,500 v Robbie Gray (Port) $504,300

@NathanMagor

Billings. And it’s not even that close in 2018. Although he will go big on occasions, Gray is set to spend more time in front of goal this season, meaning we can expect some inconsistency in his scoring. Billings, however, is about to take his game to another level.

Toby McLean (WB) $470,200 v Tom Papley (Syd) $451,400

@Hamish_MacC

In 2017, after some significant midfield minutes, we saw a spike in both McLean and Papley’s scoring. McLean averaged 26 disposals and 98 SuperCoach points in the final eight games of the year and Papley averaged 93 points from Round 9 onwards. However, as he did with total points last year, McLean just wins this one as his midfield role should be greater in 2018.

Charlie Curnow (Carl) $408,100 v Joe Daniher (Ess) $472,800

@Andrew_Birch_

Essendon’s Joe Daniher is not feeling the love from SuperCoaches. Picture: Michael Klein

Charlie Curnow has more SuperCoach strings to his bow. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images

Daniher is an interesting SuperCoach prospect in 2018. He’s in only seven per cent of teams so there isn’t a lot of love for him at the moment but he did score six SuperCoach tons last year - one more than he did in the first four years of his career. But, in a SuperCoach sense, Curnow has more strings to his bow and a role at stoppages in 2018 only adds to that. And he’s almost $70k cheaper.

Jake Stringer (Ess) $356,000 v Devon Smith (Ess) $439,100

@jordo83

We couldn’t trust Stringer’s scoring - and that was before the bleach-blonde hair - so it’s Smith, who will be a prime mover through the Essendon midfield in 2018, by a long way.