KFC SuperCoach 2020: All the Round 16 late mail and last-minute advice
Lachie Neale will carry the hopes of thousands of SuperCoach players in knockout finals when he runs out against Gold Coast in the final game of Round 16. And Stuart Dew has dropped a hint about how he will deploy tagger Touk Miller.
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Gold Coast midfielder Touk Miller is poised to resume his running battle with Lions skipper Dayne Zorko in the 19th edition of the QClash.
Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew teased Miller would tag Zorko again in Wednesday’s Round 16 game at the Gabba in what promises to be another intriguing match-up between the pair.
Zorko has let his frustrations boil over at times in recent seasons on the back of Miller’s tag on him while the Lion has still managed to find the ball in other QClashes.
It might not be good news for Zorko, but more than 84,000 KFC SuperCoaches will be breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of Lachie Neale avoiding a Miller tag.
Neale produced his lowest scores of the season when copping close attention from Giant Matt de Boer and Saint Seb Ross.
“I’m sure they (Miller and Zorko) will find each other,” Dew said on Tuesday.
“They can’t resist. It’s a mutual appreciation of sorts.
“Both teams quite enjoy (the battle). It gives everyone energy. I think they are both up for it. They are both good competitors and Touk always looks forward to playing Brisbane.”
Suns veteran Jarrod Harbrow won’t return from his shoulder injury to take part in the game and it remains unclear if the 32-year-old, off contract at the end of this season, will return in 2021.
“It is probably just a conversation we will have,” Dew said of Harbrow’s future.
“We have had different chats over the year but we haven’t got too poignant because we have been on this week-to-week cycle.
TRADE GUIDE: HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR TEAM AHEAD OF ROUND 16
SIMPKIN PUSHING FOR DOCKERS CLASH
More than 45,000 KFC SuperCoach players are sweating on Jy Simpkin’s fitness ahead of preliminary final weekend in their private leagues.
Simpkin is pushing to play against Fremantle on Saturday after he was cleaned up by Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters on Saturday night — a high bump that earned Butters a two-match ban.
Simpkin’s night against Port Adelaide ended with a score of 48 in the third quarter and he is listed as a “test” on the Kangaroos’ injury list.
North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw said: “By all reports he’s really good. He seems OK but the medical staff saw the vision and that was it. He seems in good health but we’ll go through the proper process.”
Jy Simpkin is being accessed on the bench after this contest with Zak Butters. #AFLNorthPower pic.twitter.com/KvniQ6QVDA
— AFL (@AFL) September 5, 2020
GIANTS RULE OUT KELLY, WILLIAMS
Thousands of KFC SuperCoaches have been left reeling by two shocks from GWS Giants.
Star defender Zac Williams, who features in 14,769 teams, is “unlikely” to face Adelaide, Giants coach Leon Cameron said on Monday
As if the news couldn’t get worse for SuperCoaches, Cameron then confirmed Josh Kelly hadn’t recovered from concussion in time to face the Crows.
“Josh Kelly won’t play tomorrow night which is disappointing. He’s been a bit patchy and we hope he’s available for Saturday against Melbourne,” he said.
The star midfielder had averaged 132.6 points per game in his previous five games and was on track for another 120-plus score against the Dockers before being ruled out at halftime.
Kelly is in 25,738 teams and the double blow will leave coaches low on trades scrambling to fill their teams for SuperCoach semi-finals in Round 16.
LC: It’s unlikely that Brent Daniels, Harry Perryman and Zac Williams will be available for tomorrow night.
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) September 7, 2020
Shane Mumford will be managed after three straight games.
BLUES DECLARE CRIPPS WON’T BE MANAGED
Carlton has no plans to ease skipper Patrick Cripps through the remaining three rounds, declaring it “won’t be wrapping anyone up”.
Cripps has scored 81 and 95 in the past two rounds, coming under heavy attention from Matt de Boer in the Blues’ Round 15 defeat to GWS Giants.
Although finals all but out of the question, Carlton coach David Teague said the club had no plans to manage players in coming rounds.
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“We won’t wrapping anyone up unless they can’t play,” Teague said on Monday.
“If we feel and he feels that he’s part of our best team, we’re going out there to win this week and that’s what we expect to do.
“He had a corkie last week. He got through it pretty well with a corkie. He should be better this week.
“He should be better for this game than he was last week.”
TOP ROUND 16 CAPTAIN OPTIONS
Jack Steele
V Hawthorn, Sunday
Past 3 v Frem: 105, 96, 121
If you’ve got him, the breakout Saint is a great early-round VC option after posting scores of 167 and 151 in his past two matches. And the Hawks are struggling, with Crow Matt Crouch scoring a competition-high 162 points in Round 15.
Patrick Dangerfield
V Essendon, Sunday
Past 3 v Frem: 26, 114, 112
Dangerfield’s recent scoring history against the Bombers, which includes last season’s injury-affected 26, doesn’t make for great reading but his month of football before the Cats’ bye is a different story. Dangerfield posted four consecutive KFC SuperCoach tons, including a 132-point performance in his last start against the Bulldogs.
Max Gawn
V Fremantle, Monday
Last 3 v Frem: 151, 151, 141
It’s simple really. If you have Gawn, he’s either your VC or C, depending on what other options you’ve got. The star big man has picked up where he left off scoring 135 and 150 in his two matches since returning from injury. And he’s broken the 150-point in his past two meetings with the Dockers.
Clayton Oliver
V Fremantle, Monday
Past 3 v Frem: 114, 154, 112
In his past nine matches, Oliver has posted scores of 121, 177, 105, 205, 137, 137, 100, 134 and 130. That’s an average of 138 since Round 7. Docker Reece Conca put the clamps on Tigers star Dustin Martin last week but Oliver is a different beast. But the VC might be the way to go here.
Nat Fyfe
V Melbourne, Monday
Past 3 v Melb: 91, 107, 128
After two scores in the 80s, the Fremantle skipper bounced back with more midfield time in Round 15, finishing with 132 points against the Tigers. Expect a similar score this round after Sydney midfielders Luke Parker (127) and Josh Kennedy (110) went head-to-head with the Demons – and won – last round.
Jake Lloyd
V Carlton, Tuesday
Past 3 v Carl: 130, 115, 90
The fallback option who won’t let you down. Jake Lloyd has scored above 125 points in his last seven matches with his numerous kick-ins per game helping him post monster totals on a consistent basis. Scores of 130 and 115 against Carlton last season makes him difficult to resist.
Lachie Whitfield
V Adelaide, Tuesday
Past 3 v Adel: 130, 106, 70
If you are looking for a Hail Mary captaincy play later in the week, Lachie Whitfield is your man. Whitfield managed just 83 points last week but showcased his high ceiling the previous round with a score of 167 against Fremantle. Another monumental score could be on the cards against the lowly Crows, given the big numbers they’ve conceded to opposition stars this year. Speaking of ceilings, there’s also Toby Greene to consider if you’re after something really different.
Lachie Neale
V GC, Wednesday
Past 3 v GCS: 142, 85, 77
Lachie Neale has been out of sorts in his past two matches but can’t be overlooked in the Q-Clash. Neale registered 142 points in his last matchup against Brisbane and the only worry is a Touk Miller, who has been spending more time as a ball-winner than a tagger.
What’s up with struggling Docker?
Michael Walters has gone from the most-consistent KFC SuperCoach forward in the competition to a player struggling to find the footy.
The dynamic Docker started the season with a bang, eclipsing 105 points in seven of his first eight matches with a low score 92, averaging 111.9 points per game.
Since returning from a hamstring injury in Round 12, Walters has averaged just 71 points, hitting an agonising low of 49 against Richmond from 10 touches – his lowest total in a full game since Round 10, 2017.
Walters will be priced at $445,000 with a break even of around 140 ahead of Round 16 according to KFC SuperCoach price wizard Brice Mitchell.
It is clear Walters’ lack of midfield time is behind his KFC SuperCoach struggles.
Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako said Walters attended 62 per cent of centre bounces in the first eight rounds.
Frustrated owners would have noticed him playing almost exclusively as a forward upon his return, attending less than 15 per cent of centre bounces since.
Despite spending more time in the forward 50, Walters has only kicked one goal in his past seven matches, breaking his six-game dry streak on Wednesday night.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir conceded the role change comes down to him returning from injury coupled with his dangerous presence up forward.
He said they will continue to monitor his role to enhance his impact on games, but the Dockers’ midfield dominance without him in there last night – winning the clearances 38 to 19 against the reigning premier – suggests his role as a small forward may continue.
“It simply comes down to us needing to be more dangerous forward of the ball. He’s a forty-goal-a-year small forward,” Longmuir told reporters post-game.
“When he came back from injury, we decided to play him forward a little bit more, we need to work with him to try and get him into the game and try and create opportunities for him to go to work.
“We’ll keep trying to create and find the right role for him because we need him having more of an impact on games.”
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Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2020: All the Round 16 late mail and last-minute advice