The Phantom’s SuperCoach pre-season: Does reward outweigh mid-price risk in the midfield?
The Phantom’s SuperCoach moves into its second week. Today, it’s time for mid-price midfielders. Can Hannebery and Liberatore return to their best? What does Anthony Miles average? The Phantom runs the rule over the best mid-priced options.
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The Phantom’s SuperCoach moves into its second week. Today, it’s time for mid-price midfielders. Can Hannebery and Liberatore return to their best? What does Anthony Miles average? The Phantom runs the rule over the best mid-priced options.
TOP-END
Jack Viney
(Melbourne $449,500)
The Melbourne co-captain is a frustrating SuperCoach prospect.
A persistent foot injury meant Viney could only manage 10 games last season, including the Demons’ three finals.
But in six of those, the 24-year-old posted SuperCoach tons.
While he’s averaged 92, 97, 90 and 92 in the past four seasons, he just can’t find the consistency to break the three-figure mark.
In his career-best year of 2014, the tough midfielder, who ranked fourth in the AFL for clearances and seventh for tackles, posted 10 SuperCoach tons, seven of them in excess of 115.
But he also failed to score 75 points or more on six occasions.
While he’s not yet back in full training, he’s done more work than he did last summer.
Can he finally do more in SuperCoach?
The Phantom’s Verdict: Viney’s price keeps him in the conversation but he would need to go to another level if his body allows.
BEEN THERE BEFORE
Dan Hannebery
(St Kilda $326,100)
In 2016, Hannebery tallied more disposals than any other player in the competition, recording his second-consecutive SuperCoach season average of 113 or more.
Fast forward to 2019 and the former Sydney midfielder limped through a season which saw him play just 14 games and fail to win more than 18 disposals in seven of them.
While he reported to pre-season training at his new club in great shape late last year, it didn’t take long for an injury concern to arise — this time a hamstring.
But scans cleared Hannebery of any damage and his campaign remains on track.
If he’s fit and ready to go, the value is undeniable.
Despite averaging 95 points or more between 2013 and 2017, the 27-year-old is priced at an average of 60 this season.
The Phantom’s Verdict: He’ll be hard to ignore if he plays an impressive JLT Series.
Tom Liberatore
(Western Bulldogs $300,400)
Liberatore’s career has been a rollercoaster.
In 2013, his third season in the game, the clearance machine recorded 13 SuperCoach tons — eight of them in excess of 120 — to post a season average of 107.
The following year, he was even better, adding a further three points to his average after 14 SuperCoach tons, including a career-high 171-point performance against the Demons.
Liberatore recorded more tackles and clearances than any other player in the competition and his 14 contested possessions per match ranked him seventh in the game.
The 26-year-old didn’t play a game in 2015 after a pre-season ACL injury but returned in 2016 to play in the Bulldogs’ drought-breaking premiership.
Then in 2017, a year which included a stint in the reserves, Liberatore could only reach the 100-point mark on three occasions to finish with a season average of 79.
And last year was wiped out by another ACL injury in Round 1.
Will we be going up or down in 2019?
The Phantom’s Verdict: His best his brilliant but just when we see it again remains the concern.
THE LION CUBS
Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane $416,800) v Jarrod Berry (Brisbane $434,300)
There’s plenty of talent being assembled at the Lions.
And McCluggage and Berry, albeit very different players, sit near the top of the tree.
In Round 20 last year, McCluggage tallied 26 disposals, 11 contested possessions, seven marks, five tackles, three goals and two goal assists to post a career-high 140 SuperCoach points and earn his first Brownlow vote.
While he struggled for consistency in a predominantly half-forward role, the 20-year-old recorded 26 disposals or more in six games last year.
He reached the 20-disposals mark just once in his debut season of 2017.
In his draft year of 2016, as a midfielder, McCluggage averaged 28 disposals and two goals per game — a combination of numbers Champion Data had never seen at any level during their time covering the game prior to this.
A big spike is coming for McCluggage, who doubled his contested possession count in 2018, and, after another pre-season, it could be very soon.
His team-mate, Berry, a tough inside midfielder, boasts numbers which are even more impressive to date.
In the last nine games of his second year, Berry averaged 21 disposals, 10 contested possessions, four tackles and 93 SuperCoach points per game.
The 193cm Berry booted 12 goals and directly assisted 20 others in his 21 matches for the season.
While, on numbers, Berry has McCluggage covered to this point, once he assumes a full-time midfield role, McCluggage should soon go past him — and many others in the competition, for that matter.
Not many possess his talent and skill.
The Phantom’s Verdict: Both are great options in SuperCoach Draft but if you’re taking a punt on unique mid-price option in the classic format, McCluggage is your man.
NEW COLOURS
Anthony Miles
(Gold Coast $342,000)
In 71 senior matches at the Tigers, Miles tallied 20 disposals or more in 51 of them, scoring at least 80 SuperCoach points on 46 occasions.
It’s fair to say, numbers have never been his problem.
Where he’s been getting them is.
Miles has averaged 29 disposals and 121 SuperCoach points per game in the VFL since 2014 but that’s no use to SuperCoaches.
After ranking first at Richmond for clearances, second for contested possessions, tackles and inside 50s and third for disposals in 2015, the tough inside-midfielder fell out of favour as a number of other players - Dion Prestia, Kane Lambert and Jack Higgins, just to name a few - went past him.
But at the Gold Coast, a team that ranked 18th for disposals, 17th for inside 50s and 12th for contested possessions in 2018, he’s a valued commodity.
The Phantom’s Verdict: Miles will play a big role - and play it well - in his first season at the Suns and can push a three-figure SuperCoach average.
Aaron Hall
(North Melbourne $389,200)
Hall’s offensive power has never been questioned.
It’s what he does without the ball that’s come under the spotlight and it’s the major reason the speedy midfielder found himself in the reserves on a number of occasions in the past two seasons at the Suns.
But, while team defence is part of the modern game, Hall looks set to get more of a license to thrill at the Kangaroos.
And his attacking best is brilliant.
In the first three rounds of 2016, Hall polled three Brownlow votes in each fixture after averaging 36 disposals, seven marks, six inside 50s and 129 SuperCoach points per game.
Sure, that was some time ago and he’s been inconsistent since but the 27-year-old has already turned heads at his new club over summer.
In recent match simulation at North Melbourne training, Hall showed his ability to break the lines in an impressive outing through the middle.
Is this the year he becomes more than just a ‘what if’?
The Phantom’s Verdict: Huge scope for improvement at that price and must come into consideration if you’re looking to start multiple mid-price midfielders.
Dom Tyson
(North Melbourne $411,000)
In his career-best season of 2014 - and first as a Demon after being traded by the Giants - the former No. 2 draft pick averaged 24 disposals, five marks and five clearance and posted nine SuperCoach tons - four of them in excess of 120.
The 186cm left-footer battled injury the following year but in 2016 was, again, a key contributor on the inside for Melbourne, averaging 25 disposals, 11 contested possessions and four clearances per game.
But as a number of young midfielders developed around him - Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney and Christian Petracca in particular - Tyson was moved to more of an outside-midfield role and by the end of 2018 was averaging just eight contested possessions per game.
Tyson’s scoreboard impact has dried up, too with the once-prolific goal-kicking midfielder contributing just 7.15 in the past two seasons after booting 32.23 in his first three at the Demons.
His role will change again at his new club in 2019 with Tyson set to assume his preferred duty as an inside-midfielder at North Melbourne.
And if the recent match simulation is anything to go by, he’ll do a great a job of it, too.
OK, it’s not really but it’s a start.
The Phantom’s Verdict: The price is awkward but I’m a fan. Add him to the pre-season watchlist if he’s not on it already.
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