The Phantom’s SuperCoach pre-season 2018: The young stars who are set to rule the forward line this season
TWO young stars are set to explode, while an old-favourite could bounce back to his best. Here are the top-priced SuperCoach forwards The Phantom likes in 2018.
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TWO young stars are set to explode, while an old-favourite could bounce back to his best. Here are the top-priced SuperCoach forwards The Phantom likes in 2018.
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THE YOUNG GUNS
Isaac Heeney (Syd) $536,300
The young Swan was one of the most popular forwards at this time last year before a bout of glandular fever put him out of senior action – and thousands of SuperCoach teams - until Round 5.
Even though he was coming off a more limited preparation than most, Heeney posted three SuperCoach tons in his first four games and a further five more for the year to finish with an average of 98 – up 18 points on 2016.
Out of the 2018 crop of forwards, only Sam Menegola and Lance Franklin averaged more.
And it’s only up from here. The 21-year-old’s midfield role increased in 2017, spending 65 per cent of his game time in the middle, averaging 21 disposals, five marks and five tackles.
But these numbers could explode even further as his midfield minutes increase.
Heeney, who underwent minor knee surgery late last year but is still on track for the JLT Series, has been doing plenty of work with the midfield coaches over summer. If a more permanent move does eventuate this season, The Phantom is betting the Swans’ academy product is the top-scoring forward of 2018.
The Phantom’s verdict: Knee surgery in December isn’t ideal but at least it isn’t glandular
fever. If he can do what he did after missing seven weeks through March and
April last season – not to mention the lingering effects he felt even after he
returned to the field – imagine what he can do this year.
Jack Billings (StK) $536,300
Is this the year the No. 3 draft pick from 2013 elevates himself into the elite category?
The Phantom believes it will be.
But to do so, the 22-year-old needs to find greater consistency.
Billings, who wins the ball through the midfield and in the forward 50, passed the 100-point mark in 10 games last season but also failed to score more than 70 on six occasions.
The highly skilled left-footer, who was involved in 29 per cent of his side’s scores - ranking him No. 1 at the club - found the consistency required in the final five rounds of the year, scoring 103, 130, 112, 96, and 104 to finish the season.
This could be a sign of what’s to come, especially if he tidies up his goal-kicking – Billings kicked 23.36 in 2017.
It was a while ago, yes, but The Phantom will never forget Billings’ match-winning performance in just his 21st game at the level in 2015. Against the Bulldogs, Billings had 22 disposals, seven marks and booted 4.2 – three of them coming in the final quarter to seal the victory – to finish with a game-high 143 points.
The Phantom’s verdict: It won’t surprise me if there are a few more performances like the one against the Bulldogs in 2015 from Billings this year.
THE HANGOVER
Luke Dahlhaus (WB) $498,500
After averaging 104 in 2015 and, if you ignore an injury affected 29 in round 12, 100 in the premiership year of 2016, Dahlhaus raced out of the blocks last season to average 115 after
five rounds.
But it was all downhill from there.
Maybe the off-season celebrations caught up with Dahlhaus – although it was more likely a move to a greater forward role in the second half of the year – because he only scored one SuperCoach ton in the final nine rounds, to finish with an average of 91. The 25-year-old averaged 22 disposals during this period – a stark contrast from the 27 in the first 13 games.
Dahlhaus is reportedly training well – but, hey, who isn’t? – and surely, as a collective, the Bulldogs bounce back.
It’s all up to coach Luke Beveridge now.
If we see Dahlhaus the full-time midfielder again in 2018, $498k is super value.
The Phantom’s verdict: I’m backing him to bounce back. Don’t let me down, Lukes.
THE SWITCH
Michael Walters (Freo) $478,300
His season average may have only been 87 but it was a nine-game stretch between rounds 7 and 16 which really made the SuperCoach community take notice..
Walters, who had played predominantly as a small-forward for most of his career and in the first six rounds of the season, moved further up the ground with damaging effect.
The 27-year-old led the Dockers for metres gained and averaged 111 SuperCoach points and 25 disposals during this period with an enormous performance against the Saints in Round 15 the highlight.
Walters showed his unique ability to win the football through the midfield and then get forward and have an impact on the scoreboard. His 32 disposals, 18 contested possessions, six goals and 172 SuperCoach points was one the best individual efforts of the year.
While the classy Docker missed the final five rounds of the year with a knee issue, he’s back in full training and is, again, set for more midfield time in 2018.
The Phantom’s verdict: He’s great to watch and, although he’s not in at the moment, I think The Phantom has almost convinced himself.
WAIT AND SEE
Robbie Gray (Port) $504,300
What a sight it is to see the Power star back in training and on track for a JLT Series appearance after a cancer diagnosis late last year.
And in another great sight for SuperCoaches, Gray is back as a dual-position forward in 2018.
The last time the 29-year-old was able to be selected as a forward was in 2015. In that year, the sublimely-skilled Gray averaged 110 points, posting 14 SuperCoach tons along the way to finish the year as the 11th-ranked player in the game.
He lost his dual-position status the following year but Gray, even in an injury interrupted season, still posted an average of 108.
In 2017, the figure dropped to 92, mainly as a result of some inconsistent form and more time forward.
Gray, who was the No. 1 score assist player in the competition, still posted nine SuperCoach tons, breaking the 130-point barrier on three occasions, but failed to score more than 45 points in four games.
While he’s almost unstoppable in the forward 50, the inclusion of Tom Rockliff to the midfield mix might mean Gray spends even more time there in 2018.
And that could mean the scoring inconsistency continues.
The Phantom’s verdict: Fingers crossed Gray’s good health continues because, at $504k, there is a huge amount of upside here. However, we will just need to wait and see how Ken Hinkley’s sets up his midfield during the JLT Series first.
Sam Menegola (Geel) $551,800
With many popular dual-position forwards being taken away from us in the past few years, the addition of Menegloa is a welcome one.
Out of all SuperCoach forwards in 2018, the ball magnet is the only player to have averaged 100 points or more last season.
He achieved this by posting nine SuperCoach tons and scoring more than 88 points in 15 of his 19 appearances. In fact, he’s passed the 88-point mark in 20 of his 25 career home-and-away matches.
The 25-year-old’s best performance for the season came against the Giants in Round 23. Menegola tallied 32 possessions, three goals and 143 SuperCoach points to take his five-round average to an impressive 118.
But it’s important to note skipper Joel Selwood missed the final three games of the year.
He’s back in 2018 and so is the little master Gary Ablett.
So does Menegola get the same opportunity to run through the midfield as he did last year?
Unlikely.
The Phantom’s verdict: While Menegola has shown he can be effective inside 50, his midfield minutes will determine his scoring. And we don’t what they will look like yet.
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