KFC SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom’s Round 5 captains options and last-minute advice
Didn’t have the VC on Brodie Grundy in KFC SuperCoach? The Phantom looks at all the best Round 5 captain options. Plus the final word on navigating the rookie crisis, premium replacements and more.
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If you didn’t have Collingwood star Brodie Grundy as VC on Friday night, there are still plenty of options to consider.
Brisbane star Lachie Neale is the new KFC SuperCoach perma-captain but there is some cause for concern in Round 5.
The star midfielder is averaging a huge 160 points per game, and, last week, he booted 0.6, yet still finished with 147 against the Crows.
But Port Adelaide, the Lions’ opponent on Sunday, will make life tougher for Neale.
On average, Ken Hinkley’s side has only conceded 79 SuperCoach points to midfielders this season - the third-lowest in the competition.
Sure, in the form Neale is in, he’s still likely to pass three figures, like Andrew Gaff (112) did last week, but only Nat Fyfe (166) has scored more than 115 points in the midfield against the Power this year.
Does this mean I’m writing him off? No. But it does bring a few others right into play.
By the way, if you did have Grundy, you’re taking the 151.
THE BEST OPTIONS
Jake Lloyd (Syd)
V West Coast, Saturday
After a quiet Round 1, the Sydney playmaker is back to his best posting scores of 102, 101 and 145 since the restart. And he likes playing against the Eagles, too, scoring 136, 119 and 122 in his past three against Adam Simpson’s side.
Patrick Dangerfield (Geel)
V Gold Coast, Saturday
He always wins the ball but the Geelong star was far more efficient against the Demons in Round 4, hitting the target with 12 of his 14 kicks. His efficiency of 86 per cent was a big improvement on the previous three rounds, with Dangerfield operating at 33%, 50% and 62% respectively. The result was season-high 140 points. Sure, the Suns are a different side but the last time they travelled to the Cattery, Dangerfield scored 187.
Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
V North Melbourne, Saturday
Bontempelli can go as big as any player, as he proved again last Thursday night with 166 points in the win over the Swans. And his recent scoring history, dating back to 2016, against North Melbourne makes for good reading – 118, 87, 134, 149, 115, 133.
Jack Macrae (WB)
V North Melbourne, Saturday night
Macrae’s isn’t bad either, with the ball-magnet posting scores of 105, 153, 122, 107, 114 and 110 in his past six matches against the Kangaroos. The 25-year-old is back in the midfield – and not out on a wing – full-time, too.
Todd Goldstein (NM)
V Western Bulldogs, Saturday night
Western Bulldogs big man Tim English has been super-impressive in the past two weeks against Sam Jacobs and Sam Naismith but he struggled to deal with the Paddy Ryder-Rowan Marshall combination and Brodie Grundy in the opening two rounds. And it’s likely he’ll struggle, especially at the centre bounce, against an in-form Goldstein, who is the second-ranked player in the competition. The North Melbourne big man tallied 28 disposals, 57 hitouts and 140 points against English and the Bulldogs in Round 10 last year.
Lachie Neale (Bris)
V Port Adelaide, Saturday night
He’s posted scores of 157, 171, 166 and 147 to start the year so, as I said at the top, there’s little doubt he will pass three figures against the Power. But given the numbers, it could be his lowest score for the year.
Michael Walters (Freo)
V Adelaide, Sunday
The Crows, however, are a different story. Not only do they give up big scores, they can give plenty of scoring opportunities to midfielders, too. Lions Lachie Neale and Hugh McCluggage, who finished with 147 and 141 SuperCoach points respectively, had 14 scoring shots between them last week. Their individual tallies of eight and six were more than they each had in the first three rounds combined. And Walters is in serious form, averaging 22 disposals and five clearances per game, booting six goals and posting four SuperCoach tons in the opening four rounds.
Max Gawn (Melb)
V Richmond, Sunday
Gawn has dominated the Tigers recently, finish with scores of 145, 134 and 151 in his past three matches against Damien Hardwick’s side. And two of them came in a head-to-head match-up with Toby Nankervis, who stormed back into the No. 1 ruck role at Richmond last week. The Melbourne big man is averaging 162 SuperCoach points since the restart.
Josh Kelly (GWS)
V Hawthorn, Sunday
After 89 points and then a week off, the Giants star bounced back with 120 points in an efficiency display against the Magpies. And he could be in for a similar score this week, given his 122-point average against the Hawks is his highest against any opponent.
James Sicily (Haw)
V GWS, Sunday
Magpies Brayden Maynard (118), Jack Crisp (115) and Jeremy Howe (112) and Bulldogs Caleb Daniel (134), Hayden Crozier (107) have recorded SuperCoach tons in the back-half against the Giants in the past two weeks. So there is likely be plenty of opportunity for Sicily, who scored 68 points in the third-quarter alone last week, to feature prominently on Sunday.
THE PHANTOM’S CALL
Grundy VC for sure. But after that I’m not sure. Neale won’t have things as easy against the Power but it’s still hard to overlook him. Dangerfield appeals, too. Let’s hope I don’t have to choose.
BY THE NUMBERS
Brodie Grundy (Coll) 149
Max Gawn (Melb) 144
Scott Pendlebury (Coll) 139
Lachie Neale (Bris) 135
Callan Ward (GWS) 133
Patrick Dangerfield (Geel) 132
Elliot Yeo (WCE) 131
Josh Kelly (GWS) 129
Todd Goldstein (NM) 128
Tom Mitchell (Haw) 128
THE PHANTOM’S FINAL WORD
Remember earlier in the week when KFC SuperCoaches were weighing up whether to trade Nat Fyfe or hold him and start upgrading?
It was a dilemma but, looking back, it was a good one to have.
Now, with cash cows John Noble and Jarrod Brander joining injured pair Jeremy Howe and Tom Stewart on the sidelines, two trades may not even be enough for some to field a full side.
Given their long-term injuries, Howe and Stewart still need to go first.
But who should go next - Noble or Brander?
For me, unless he’s a late inclusion on Friday night given the rain in Melbourne, it’s Noble.
With a breakeven of 17, following his second-highest score of the year last week, he’s still got money to make. But his omission means that may not be for a while.
Brander, on the hand, will miss Round 5 with a hip injury.
That’s all we know so far but, at this stage, he still looks to be in West Coast’s best side.
And he’s a dual-position defender-forward with a slightly lower breakeven of 12.
For most, the rest of the Round 5 team news means holding Docker Nat Fyfe. And don’t be too concerned by that.
Sure, you may take a hit points-wise this week – and that might hurt in a short season – but using a trade to swap a premium means you’re one less move away from a complete team.
If you walked away with only minor injuries from the carnage, with a full team in check, and you’re stuck with the decision to trade Fyfe or Noble/Brander, the answer all depends on where you are ranked and your season goals.
Trading Fyfe this will give you an instant premium boost – well, hopefully – in the midfield. KFC SuperCoaches who have started slowly will need this.
But, if you’re in a position to use Noble/Brander as part of your first upgrade, you will be better off in the long run.
Fyfe and your new premium will make up for what you’ve lost in the extra weeks they are together. Well, all going to plan that is.
If you just play for league glory, the latter is your move.
THE REPLACEMENTS
There’s plenty of options but, unless you’ve got a warchest of cash to work with, going down from Noble is the best move.
Dockers Stephen Hill ($190k DEF-FWD, Breakeven: 2) and Hayden Young ($223 DEF, BE: -21) are the obvious canidates.
If your team allows it, also consider a dual-position move for Caleb Serong ($175,800 MID, BE: -2), who was a SuperCoach star as a junior and could see more centre-bounce action in the absence of Fyfe.
Giants young gun Tom Green ($197,900 MID, BE: -21) is another to look at, even if you’ve already traded him out this year. It’s 2020!
At $410k, Bomber Jordan Ridley is in reach for Noble owners and his projected price rise of more than $50k over the next two weeks makes him tempting. And, of course, his impressive 134-point performance last week.
But it’s been raining all day in Melbourne and a scrappy affair at the MCG might limit is influence on the outside. Don’t write him off because of it, just keep it in mind.
In terms of premium replacements in defence, here is my top 5
1. James Sicily (Haw) $523,400
$523k is great buying for the intercept star, who has posted scores of 128 and 114 in the past two weeks. He’s on the rise, too, with a Round 5 breakeven of 60.
2. Caleb Daniel (WB) $540,500
The 168cm defender has recorded no clanger in the past two weeks so it’s little surprise he’s posted scores of 134 and 114. With a breakeven of 64, it’s a good time to buy.
3. Nick Haynes (GWS) $514,300
If you include last year’s final series, the Giants defender has scored 109, 105, 116, 68, 66, 118, 118, 114, 97, 110 and 101 in his past 11 matches. Cheaper than the first two but I’ve got him behind in total points.
4. Brayden Maynard (Coll) $517,400
Of the top 20 players in the competition for kicks, Maynard is No. 1 for efficiency and Collingwood share the ball around in the back-half more than any other team. Super tempting but can we trust the left-footer after previous inconsistency?
5. Jake Lloyd (Syd) $589,000
Many were quick to write-off the expensive Swan after his 77-point performance in Round 1 but, with scores of 145, 101 and 102 in the past three matches, Lloyd has proven he’s still the main man in the Sydney defence. No urgency here, though.
MORE TRADE ADVICE
All the best Jeremy Howe replacements
Trade or hold? Experts weigh in on SuperCoach rookies
Top-six predictions: The must-have players on every line
MY TRADES
I’ve been running the above through my head all week. Benching Fyfe is hard but it would mean my team is stronger in three weeks.
Of course, that’s all out the window now.
But it means I’m more than content with holding the star Docker.
At this stage, I’ll be trading Noble to Hill and Howe to Sicily. The first one is locked in but Maynard is still in play for Howe.
OTHER TEAM NEWS
In good news for KFC SuperCoach, Docker Sam Sturt has completed his miracle recovery from an ankle injury which was initially meant to see him miss a month. He’s back in Fremantle’s sqside of 25 to take on the Crows after just one week.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has named rookie defender Will Hamill in the squad, despite last week’s concussion, along with midfielder Matt Crouch
Demon Trent Rivers holds his spot, while 25-year-old Richmond debutant Jake Aarts ($123k FWD), who joined the Tigers as a mature-age rookie in 2018, is one to watch.
MORE SUPERCOACH ADVICE:
Best KFC SuperCoach replacements for injured Collingwood star Jeremy Howe
KFC SuperCoach: The best rookie options ahead of Round 5
Doctor’s Orders: Top KFC SuperCoach trade targets in WA hub
KFC SuperCoach 2020: Our predictions for the top six players on every line
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom’s Round 5 captains options and last-minute advice