Doctor’s Orders: Four SuperCoach gems that fit a tight budget

Trying to finish your SuperCoach side on a limited budget? The experts at Doctor SuperCoach dig into the numbers to find four hugely underpriced gems who could win you a final.

A bargain-priced Zach Merrett could be the final piece of your midfield puzzle.

Trying to finish your team but short on cash?

Looking for solid bench cover? This week in Doctor’s Orders, the experts at Doctor SuperCoach look at several cheaper options to help round out your sides.

GRANT BIRCHALL $205,200 DEF | AVG: 87 | BREAK EVEN: -51

Birchall’s return to AFL football after a two-year lay-off was one of the feel-good stories of the year. Although his time on ground was limited to just 66 per cent, he looked right at home in the Hawthorn defence, managing to accumulate 21 possessions, eight marks and five rebound-50s at 81 per cent disposal efficiency.

In his prime Birchall was a pillar of SuperCoach consistency, achieving an 80-plus average in over 75 per cent of his seasons at Hawthorn. In his most recent playing period stretch of 2011 -16, Birchall had six consecutive years of averaging 84-plus.

His proven scoring prowess is great, but what makes Birchall that much more impressive is his price tag. As a back-up option you can’t really go wrong bringing this man in as he won’t break the bank and has the ability to score well on a consistent basis. His injury risk could be a concern, but you have to remember there are only six regular season matches left. Expect his time on ground to increase too as he gradually builds his fitness.

Grant Birchall played his first game last Saturday since Round 15, 2017.

ZACH MERRETT $497,100 MID | AVG: 106.6 | BE: 129

This late in the season you will struggle to find an elite midfielder for a bargain, but for under $500,000 you can lock up one of the best. The reason for the low price is the concussion Merrett suffered in Round 16, but he bounced back to his accumulator ways immediately in his next game against the Kangaroos.

Excluding two injury-affected games, Merrett is averaging an astonishing 112 points across the year, which is more than enough to consider for your starting line-ups. The classy Don is a stat sheet stuffer with season averages of 28.5 disposals, 5.3 tackles, 4.9 clearances and 6.1 score involvements a game.

Combining his history and current scoring, along with Essendon’s late-season form and finals push, means Merrett is likely to continue on his premium scoring ways. Pricing aside, he stacks up against the other top-tier midfielders, so to get him at a much cheaper price is just icing on the cake. 

A bargain-priced Zach Merrett could be the final piece of your midfield puzzle.

CHAD WINGARD $359,100 FWD/MID | AVG: 67.5 | BE: 84

When Tom Mitchell went down with a broken leg, many coaches were optimistic about starting an underpriced Wingard. Unfortunately, his body succumbed to soft tissue injuries and he missed the first two matches of the season. His interrupted pre-season, along with his X-Factor type talent meant he was thrown permanently forward by Alastair Clarkson to start the year.

Last round, after his successful return from a second soft-tissue incident, Hawthorn deployed Wingard in a more midfield-oriented role which resulted in a season-high score of 88. He had a similar season last year where he averaged 69 playing in the forward line across the first 11 games before averaging 103 as a midfielder for the remainder of the year.

If he continues to get midfield minutes there is no reason why Chad can’t be a solid final forward or bench cover, however, there is no guarantee on this role. At this stage of the year it may seem too risky to bring in Wingard for a starting role in your side, but he could still be the perfect M9/F7 swingman to end the season with solid bench cover.

TOBY GREENE $420,900 FWD | AVG: 83 | BE: 43

Greene disappointed many coaches to start the year, but he now firms as potentially one of the best bargains in the game. Callan Ward, Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio usually man the GWS midfield, but all have fallen victim to injuries, leaving plenty of opportunity for others to step up — including Greene.

This is where the value in Greene lies, as he has uber premium type potential when being placed in the centre. Last weekend’s game against Richmond proved this correct as he put on a clinic having 34 disposals, six tackles, seven clearances and two goals which resulted in 138 SuperCoach points.

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This is not a once-off from Greene, who has quite the scoring history. Toby started out in the AFL as a major ball-winner, averaging 28 touches per game in his first season of AFL football. He managed to do this again in 2014 before transitioning into one of the game’s best half-forwards. In his seasons playing as a pure midfielder, Greene averaged 94 and 102 SuperCoach points respectively – both numbers that would see him be a top forward option if he could repeat them for the remainder of the season.

After facing Collingwood this week, the Giants play five teams currently outside the top eight and Greene could be one of the key cogs in the GWS midfield. He is a proven scorer and now firms as the perfect fallen premium to round out your forward line or a perfect point of difference bench cover with a high ceiling.

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Originally published as Doctor’s Orders: Four SuperCoach gems that fit a tight budget