The Phantom’s Trade Talk: Saving trades and the straight-swap replacements for Bont

BLOG RECAP Another week, another injury to a SuperCoach premium injury. And it won’t be the last. In this week’s edition of Trade Talk, The Phantom looks at saving trades and the straight-swap replacements for Marcus Bontempelli.

Jack Viney at Melbourne Demons training session at Gosch's Paddock in Melbourne, today. Picture: Daniel Pockett/AAP

Another week, another injury to a SuperCoach premium injury. And it won’t be the last. In this week’s edition of Trade Talk, The Phantom looks at saving trades and the straight-swap replacements for Marcus Bontempelli.

As we’ve seen over the past month, SuperCoach premiums are dropping like flies.

Jack Macrae, Adam Treloar, Nat Fyfe and now Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli.

The star midfielder will miss 2-3 weeks after having surgery to remove his appendix.

As a SuperCoach, there’s not much we can do about that.

But, if you’re team is complete, don’t be tempted in to a luxury trade because there is still seven rounds to go in the 2018 season and it’s likely that list will have more than four names on it by the year’s end.

If you’ve got six trades or more left - firstly, well done – you can afford to have a look at an under-performing premium or setting up a bench loophole.

If you’ve under that number, do your best to hold.

Any ground you might make up by dumping an out-of-form star may disappear just as quick, if you can’t cover an injury or suspension in the final month of the season.

And that’s why keeping Tom Doedee and Bayley Fritsch, especially on current form, is a no-brainer.

Of course, there is an exception.

If you main focus is your head-to-head league and you’re in a fight to make the finals, then you might need to throw caution to the wind.

If you are not concerned about your overall ranking, there is no point finishing ninth with trades in hand.

You’ve done the hard work building your team so back your boys in now.

STRAIGHT SWAP FOR BONT

While it’s unlikely to be a long-term absence, 2-3 weeks at this stage of the year is significant. If you do have Bontempelli, I’d be using one of the injury trades you – hopefully - have saved. But ideally, you only want to use the one. If you don’t have any spare cash, here are some of The Phantom’s options in a straight-swap move for the $497k midfielder.

Matt Crouch (Adel)

$494,600

Three round average: 107

Despite carrying a broken hand, the Crow ball magnet followed up his 126-point performance in Round 15 with another SuperCoach ton in the loss to the Tigers. This is the move The Phantom would be making.

Rory Sloane (Adel)

$474,700

Three-round average: 92

If you’re feeling brave, you could opt for Crouch’s star team-mate, who now has two games under his belt after an extended stint on the sidelines. Sloane, who has just signed a five-year contract extension to stay at Adelaide, tallied 31 disposals and 96 points last week. And we know his scoring power is up there with the best, especially at Adelaide Oval, where the Crows play three of their next four games.

Melbourne skipper Jack Viney is finding form in the back half of the season.

Jack Viney (Melb)

$480,900

Three-round average: 107

The Melbourne skipper, who is in less than one per cent of teams, has posted three consecutive SuperCoach tons and is a nice point-of-difference to consider.

Chad Wingard (Port)

$469,300

Three-round average: 106

While Wingard’s price has risen dramatically in the past month, the Power star, who has scored 100 points or more in four of his past five games, is still great value. His dual-position status might come in handy in the run home.

SUPERCOACH PERFECT 9

For your chance to win the $285,000 jackpot, pick your Perfect 9 now!

Adelaide v Geelong: Rory Sloane

St Kilda v Carlton: Patrick Cripps

Hawthorn v Brisbane: James Sicily

Melbourne v Western Bulldogs: Max Gawn

Gold Coast v Essendon: Michael Hurley

GWS v Richmond: Josh Kelly

Collingwood v West Coast: Scott Pendlebury

North Melbourne v Sydney: Todd Goldstein

Fremantle v Port Adelaide: Michael Walters