AFL players reveal the top SuperCoach picks at their clubs

Who better to give the inside word on the best SuperCoach picks than the players themselves? We grilled AFL captains and stars about the best rookies and biggest bargains at their clubs.

It’s time to make your last-minute SuperCoach decisions and lock in your premium picks, rookies and the mid-pricers you’re willing to take a risk on.

To make the right call, you need to collate all the best information you can and who better to get it from than the guys who know the players best — their teammates.

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We caught up with some of the AFL captains and their teammates to ask them some key SuperCoach questions, including which of the four Port Adelaide youngsters in line to debut in Round 1 to pick and which of the Collingwood midfield “Fab Five” will provide the most value.

Check out their answers on a range of players below.

SCOTT PENDLEBURY ON …

ISAAC QUAYNOR ($153,300 DEF)

“He’s still in the mix for Round 1. He’s had a really clean pre-season, he played well in the JLT game. He’s a young kid — whether he plays Round 1 or not he knows it’s a long season and as long as he keeps improving that his opportunity comes whether it’s Round 1, 5, 10 or whenever it is, he just knows he’ll be ready if he keeps working on his game.”

Pies veteran Daniel Wells is a big Quaynor fan.

“If he gets in the side, he’ll rack them up,” Wells said.

“He’s been there a couple of years now because he was a development academy player. He’s probably a bit more advanced because he knows the boys a bit more and feels part of the team, part of the culture and he’s a great young kid as well. So I think he’ll definitely be selected in a lot of SuperCoach teams if he gets a game.”

Collingwood’s top draft pick Isaac Quaynor impresses at pre-season training.

SHOULD WE PICK TRELOAR ($594,200 MID), BEAMS ($557,600 MID), SIDEBOTTOM ($551,700 MID), ADAMS ($523,100 MID) OR YOURSELF ($562,000 MID)?

“I think Steele Sidebottom. I feel like he’ll go to another level,” Pendlebury said.

He’ll be playing a bit more inside/outside. His finals series last year was outstanding and I think as we get better as a side and progress, he’ll be a key driver in that.”

One thing’s for sure — Sidebottom won’t be picking himself in his own team. Sidebottom told the Herald Sun he once enjoyed playing SuperCoach but could not cope with the emotional rollercoaster it provided.

“I don’t do SuperCoach. I used to do it but I don’t any more just because I can’t enjoy watching the footy,” Sidebottom said.

“I’m bloody screaming at the TV telling someone to give it to my player or whatever so I don’t do it any more.”

JACK ZIEBELL ON …

LUKE DAVIES-UNIACKE ($197,500 MID)

“Lukey has had a great pre-season. We played about three intra-clubs before we played JLT and I think he was pretty close to best on ground in two of those and then had a really strong game against St Kilda and then a really nice game against Port Adelaide.

“He’s developing nicely as in inside midfielder. He’s put a bit of weight on, which will enable him to compete against some of the best midfielders in the competition and he’s growing in confidence, which is great for him.

“He’ll play a big part in our year in 2019.”

Luke Davies-Uniacke is set for a big second year in the AFL.

JOEL SELWOOD ON …

JORDAN CLARK ($144,300 MID)

“He’s a young bargain pick who will rise in price quickly.

“I’ve been impressed (by him) but I sort of expected it. The kid just shows up, he’s a bit of no-fuss because he just goes about his business, which is what I love about him. He just gets out there and does what he has to do.

WILL CLARK PLAY A LOT OF SENIOR FOOTY THIS SEASON?

“Yep. Lots”

CHARLIE CONSTABLE ($123,900 MID)

“He played some good footy over that (JLT Series) period. He hasn’t had that chance at AFL level before, so it was good to see him step up to it and play well.

“Now we’ve just got to find that spot for him and he’ll get that (senior) chance at some stage.

DARCY FORT ($117,300 RUC)

“He’s in line (for Round 1). Him, Rhys Stanley and Ryan Abbott at the moment are out healthy ruckmen and then Esava Ratugolea also plays ruck.

TOM ATKINS ($112,900 MID)

“‘The Axe’ — he’s as tough as nails. He’s a really good teammate who’s played some really strong footy at VFL level for a couple of years. I’m really glad he’s got his chance.”

Tom Atkins at Geelong training. Picture: Stephen Harman

BEN STRATTON ON …

JAEGER O’MEARA ($503,200 MID)

“He’s had a year of footy under his belt where he’s just had no injuries and I think that’s done his confidence a world of good. Now all he has to concentrate on is game day, rather than worrying about what could happen.

“His pre-season has been really good.”

WHO WILL FILL THE TOM MITCHELL VOID?

“If you want a younger midfielder, ‘The Worpedo’ or James Cousins. They’d be two. I’m not sure what their prices are in SuperCoach but you’ll might be able to get them for a bargain.”

GRANT BIRCHALL ($205,200 DEF)

“It’s been a couple of years for ‘Birch’, which is unfortunate but he’s started skills and match sim and is sort of training alongside (Tom) Scully, so they’re on a similar program. There’s no time frame (on his return), which I think is good for him and good for the outside world to know as well that there’s no time frame on it.

“The last couple of years everyone has been like ‘all right yep he’s a month away or six weeks away’, so then in his mind he’s like ‘I’ve got to play in six weeks’. So now, it’s just whatever happens, happens whether that’s at the start of the year, midway through or towards the back end for a month or so.

“Any footy he can play this year is a bonus. I’m pretty excited that, if he does get out there, to be playing with him.”

Jaeger O’Meara has finally had an injury-free pre-season.

TOM JONAS ON …

ZAK BUTTERS ($157,800 MID)

“He’s super classy on his right and left foot, he takes the game on — he doesn’t wait for anyone, he’s got a little bit of niggle but he’s also very tough and hardworking and modest. He’s a good bloke to have around the club.

“He’s put his best foot forward and I’d be surprised if he didn’t get an opportunity in Round 1 but obviously that’s not my decision.

“I know that regardless of where he’s playing he’ll give his best and when he gets his opportunity, he’ll certainly deserve it.”

CONNOR ROZEE ($189,300 DEF/FWD)

“He’ll be around the mark (for Round 1). He was strong in the JLT and has had a strong pre-season.

“When he gets the ball he’s super dangerous and does good things with it. He might not be the accumulator that SuperCoaches are looking for but he will get some chase-down tackles in the forward 50.

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RISKY PICKS: EVERY SUPERCOACH MID-PRICER RATED

XAVIER DUURSMA ($130,800 DEF/MID)

“‘Duurs’ has worked extremely hard up and down the wing and could provide a bit of value if he gets a game this year, so he’s one to look out for.”

WILLEM DREW ($123,900 FWD/MID)

“It’s been great to see ‘Drewy’ running around and getting his opportunity in the JLT. He’s been a bit of a bolter but he deserves it. He had a really tough year last year. He a great kid, he works really hard and he can obviously play footy.

“If Ollie (Wines) was to miss Round 1 then he’d be right in the mix.

WHO WOULD YOU PICK OUT OF BUTTERS, ROZEE, DUURSMA AND DREW?

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on any of the boys but I reckon Zak Butters might be my man. He can sneak forward for a couple of goals and gets a few tackles as well, so they always score well.”

DAYNE ZORKO ON …

CEDRIC COX ($166,100 DEF)

“He’s had probably his best pre-season to date, which is really encouraging. Playing in that halfback position, it’s very tight for competition at the moment but what he’s been able to do in our reserves over the last few weeks has been incredible and he’s certainly knocking on the door.

“When you start becoming better as a football team, positions are obviously harder to get in on and that halfback position is a really tough spot to crack at the moment. He’s probably just on the fringe of playing but I know when he does come in he’s going to have a serious impact. The way he goes about his football is really exciting, he’s defending really well down there, which has probably been room for improvement for him over the last few years.

“He’ll certainly be one to watch when he gets his opportunity. He will get his opportunity and when he does, he’ll burst onto the scene.”

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BULLDOGS BOLTER?

CALEB DANIEL ($423,900 FWD)

Could the smallest player in the AFL post some big SuperCoach scores this season?

Caleb Daniel has spent much of his 74-game career as a forward but found plenty of the ball after a move to half-back late last season and scored 100 points or more in three of his last four matches.

Daniel is priced at $423,900 having only averaged 77 points across a 20 game 2018 season but his finish to last season suggests he might be undervalued, a belief held by teammate Zaine Cordy.

“I reckon Caleb Daniel could start racking up a few possies this year so he’s my hot tip,” Cordy said when asked for a Bulldogs’ SuperCoach steal.

BRISBANE’S BREAKOUT STAR

HUGH McCLUGGAGE ($416,800 MID)

A No.3 draft pick in the 2016 national draft, Hugh McCluggage could be set to explode as he embarks on his third AFL season this year.

McCluggage caught the eye in more than a few of his 22 games last year and averaged 76.8 points.

The 21-year-old recorded high scores of 140, 130 and 113 to show his ceiling is high and teammate Harris Andrews believes McCluggage can crack the 100-point barrier a lot more this year.

“I reckon Hugh McCluggage might have had a bit of an emergence last year, but particularly after the weekend’s (pre-season) game he certainly knows where to go to find the footy,” Andrews said.

“He could be over 100 a few times I reckon, so get on him.”

Originally published as AFL players reveal the top SuperCoach picks at their clubs