SuperCoach Plus: 11 stats to help your team in round 23, 2022
From exclusive opposition research to tagging analysis and captain choices, get the numbers from SuperCoach Plus to make the best moves this week.
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It all comes down to this.
After 22 rounds, three days this weekend will decide KFC SuperCoach glory and bragging rights in leagues across the nation.
Thousands of coaches will be riding every kick and clanger, and pulling any lever they can to get the edge.
And SuperCoach Plus is here to help.
A treasure trove of stats and tools including Break Evens, score and price projections, the new Trade Assist button and lots more comes into its own in grand final week.
And now SuperCoach Plus subscribers can see live KFC SuperCoach scores for every AFL game in the 2022 season – perfect for tracking your league finals live.
A 12-month SuperCoach Plus subscription gives you access to key stats for all the SuperCoach games – KFC SuperCoach AFL, KFC SuperCoach NRL and KFC SuperCoach BBL.
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1. OPPOSITION RESEARCH
A crucial element of KFC SuperCoach planning is knowing which teams concede or restrict points in each position – and the intel is more valuable than ever in grand final week. When it comes to midfielders, West Coast, Collingwood, Adelaide, Hawthorn and North Melbourne have been the easiest teams to score against in 2022, while Carlton concedes the fewest points to opposition midfielders, followed by Melbourne and St Kilda. That could be good news for the likes of Patty Cripps and Touk Miller this round, but a red flag for Lachie Neale. General defenders score the most points against the Saints and Kangaroos and struggle against Port Adelaide and the Lions. The Kangaroos and Eagles are clearly the worst offenders at conceding points to general forwards and key forwards, while Melbourne and Richmond are much harder to score against in that position. And in the ruck you want to be playing against Hawthorn (Tim English!), West Coast or Collingwood – and not against the Bulldogs, Brisbane or Essendon (Toby Nankervis).
MORE: TRADES, TACTICS TO WIN YOUR SUPERCOACH GRAND FINAL
2. TAGGER WATCH (1)
Taggers have wreaked havoc in KFC SuperCoach finals and they are set to play a big role in grand final week. So who is in the crosshairs this week? Jack Sinclair can expect another appointment with Ryan Clarke on Sunday – in round 15 they were matched up for 54 minutes and Sinclair had just 11 disposals and one mark in that time. In the same game Marcus Windhager could try to add the scalp of Chad Warner to his impressive resume this year. Last week he held Lachie Neale to 15 disposals in the 105 minutes they were matched up.
3. TAGGER WATCH (2)
Finn Maginness has been one of the best stoppers in the game this season and has played on a variety of player types, keeping Sinclair, Jy Simpkin, Touk Miller and Shai Bolton quiet. He has plenty of options against the Bulldogs on Saturday but Tom Liberatore could be the in the gun – he has been the No.1 tag target at the Dogs this year ahead of Marcus Bontempelli, Bailey Smith, Jack Macrae and Josh Dunkley.
4. TAGGER WATCH (3)
Andy Brayshaw can probably already feel the blowtorch coming his way from the Giants. Lachie Ash kept Brayshaw to 17 disposals in the 58 minutes they were matched up in round 4 this year, finishing with 95 points. Harry Perryman has become Mark McVeigh’s No.1 stopper, keeping Lachie Neale to 15 disposals in round 21 and Liberatore to 18 last weekend, so expect him to get the Brayshaw match-up this weekend.
5. TAGGER WATCH (4)
Willem Drew shared his time between Rory Laird and Jordan Dawson in round 3 and that pair is likely to be on his radar again in round 23. He played on Zach Merrett on Sunday and restricted the prolific Bomber to 18 disposals in the 96 minutes they went head-to-head. Meanwhile, Demon James Harmes blanketed Lachie Neale after his red-hot start in round 15. If he’s listed as an “in” on Melbourne’s team sheet this week, look out.
6. GF CAPTAINS CORNER
This is the most important captaincy call of the season, so let’s take a closer look at every game in round 23 with the help of SuperCoach Plus.
Brisbane Lions v Melbourne (Gabba, Friday 7.50pm)
Clayton Oliver averages 137 in his past three against Brisbane and would be a safe vice-captaincy choice. You would back him ahead of Lachie Neale, who scored 111 against the Dees in round 15. Christian Petracca scored 97 in that game but his previous two scores against Brisbane are 130 and 141, so he could be a left-field option with a huge ceiling.
GWS Giants v Fremantle (Manuka Oval, Saturday 1.45pm)
Andrew Brayshaw is the standout midfielder from these two teams in KFC SuperCoach this year, and he averages 114 in his past three against the Giants. But the high likelihood of a tag is enough to scare us off. Sean Darcy averages 72 in his past three v GWS but he’s coming off a 155, we know how high his ceiling is and his likely opponent at the first centre bounce is Kieren Briggs.
North Melbourne v Gold Coast (Marvel Stadium, Saturday 2.10pm)
Touk Miller is the obvious candidate here and one of the top captain picks this round. The third-highest scoring player in KFC SuperCoach this year averages 140 in his past three against North Melbourne and has a five-round average of 128.6.
Geelong v West Coast (GMHBA Stadium, Saturday 4.35pm)
Amazingly, there are only two Cats in the 100 most-selected players in KFC SuperCoach, and no Eagles. Sam De Koning probably isn’t going to get the job done and Tom Stewart doesn’t inspire confidence with a three-round average of 86 since returning from suspension, and a 95 against the Eagles in round 14.
Essendon v Richmond (MCG, Saturday 7.25pm)
This game could be a different story. The Bombers have been awful in recent weeks but Zach Merrett should be allowed to run free again with no tagger in the Tiger team. He averages 127.3 in his past three against Richmond, while Darcy Parish could do even better for his 8000 owners. He averages 131 in his past three against the Tigers including 166 last year.
Port Adelaide v Adelaide (Adelaide Oval, Saturday, 7.30pm)
Can Jordan Dawson repeat his round 3 Showdown heroics? A matchwinning goal after the siren boosted his score to 123 that night and he also posted tons against the Power as a Swan in 2021 and 2020. Rory Laird was returning from a hand injury in round 3 and scored 93 points, but his previous two against Port were 125 and 119. The most consistent player in KFC SuperCoach should be in your top few options for the C or VC.
Hawthorn v Bulldogs (UTAS, Sunday 1.10pm)
Where will Finn Maginness go? If they can avoid a tag Marcus Bontempelli (average 137 in past three v Hawks) and Jack Macrae (120.3) are both captaincy candidates, although using the VC would be preferable and that will be tricky unless you have a zero player from any of the Blues, pies, Saints or Swans. The Bont has played in Launceston twice for scores of 114 and 59. In four games there Macrae averages 101.
Carlton v Collingwood (MCG, Sunday 3.20pm)
Patrick Cripps scored 114 against the Pies in round 11. His previous two scores against Collingwood are in the 80s but the skipper could strap the Blues on his back in a bid to lift them into the finals. Sam Walsh hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks but he did score 193 against the Pies last year.
St Kilda v Sydney (Marvel Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm)
Jack Steele’s 58 points against Brisbane was his lowest score in four years but he loves playing the Swans, scoring 155, 115 and 140 in his past three against them. Callum Mills scored 86 against the Saints in round 15 and Jack Sinclair scored 79 in that game (with some close Ryan Clarke attention). If you want a final Hail Mary captain in the final game of the season, KFC SuperCoach grand final specialist Lance Franklin is your man. He is in form with 13 goals in his past four games and always finds something extra for the final home-and-away round. Since 2009 he has scored under 108 in the final round only twice with scores in that time of 141 (2009), 183 (2017), 161 (2018) and 127 (last year). Go Buddy.
7. PREMIERSHIP POD?
Another player who could end the year with a bang is Tom Hawkins, who plays at home in the final round against the Eagles – who give up more points to opposition key forwards than 16 other teams this year (only the Kangaroos are easier to score against). Hawkins has been a smart pick for the run home with just one score below 93 in the past seven rounds and will spearhead the Cats’ attack without partner Jeremy Cameron, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury. When Cameron missed from rounds 17-23 last year Tomahawk averaged 95 points per game, and he has eight tons at GMHBA Stadium since the start of 2021. He has gone big in the KFC SuperCoach grand final before, posting 144 in the final round in 2018, 128 in 2016 and 156 in 2014. If Hawkins needs any more incentive, he needs eight goals to edge in front of Coleman Medal leader Charlie Curnow.
8. TRADE TRACKER
With trades at a premium – and some astute coaches keeping their powder dry to make a possible move during the round – trade numbers are way down this week. The most traded out player so far is Jack Crisp, who has been booted by 379 coaches. Nick Daicos (212) and Todd Goldstein (153) are also on the outer, while Jordan Dawson is the most popular trade in after being added to 289 teams this week. Sam Docherty and Max Gawn are also popular additions while 154 coaches are banking on another huge return from Tom Lynch against the Bombers (it could be a good bet, he already has scores of 167, 177 and 184 to his name this year). Coaches are also trying some left-field moves to gain a last-minute advantage. Among the big names traded out are Zach Merrett (87), Sam Walsh (28), Christian Petracca (15), Stephen Coniglio (4) and Tom Stewart (1). Some left-field players being added to teams for the final round include Tyson Stengle (26 teams), Liam Duggan (12), Taylor Walker (7), John Noble (6), Marlion Pickett (4), Oscar McInerney (2) and Dougal Howard (1).
9. WHO IS NO.1?
He might be on the nose slightly after his lowest score for the season in round 22 but Lachie Neale is on track to be the king of KFC SuperCoach in 2022. The Lions star has scored 2598 points, 48 more than second-placed Clayton Oliver. The Lions and Demons face each other this week and Neale is projected to score 118 by SuperCoach Plus, while Oliver has a projected score of 115. The battle for the No.1 average of the season will go down to the wire, with Oliver’s 127.5 a fingernail behind Rory Laird’s 127.6. When it comes to the top eight midfielders of the year, the next six best averages are Neale (123.7), Touk Miller (121.1), Callum Mills (117.8), Jack Macrae (116) and Andrew Brayshaw and Christian Petracca (both 112.1).
10. TOP SIX STARS
Marcus Bontempelli (116.2 average) would rank No.6 if he was a pure midfielder, making him a clear standout in the forward line. Remarkably, the Bulldogs occupy the top four spots on average with the Bont followed by Josh Dunkley (107.4), Tom Liberatore (106.2) and Tim English (105.8). Luke Parker (104.4) and Stephen Coniglio (102.8) make up the top six. Judging on total points, Will Brodie and Isaac Heeney come into the top six at the expense of Coniglio (seventh) and English (53rd).
In defence, Jack Sinclair has had some sort of breakout season, ranking No.1 by total points and average (113.5). Four defenders average 111-plus: Sinclair, James Sicily (112.5), George Hewett (111.4) and Jordan Dawson (111.2). Tom Stewart (109.9) and Sam Docherty (108.3) round out the top six. Hewett falls out of the top six on total points along with Stewart, replaced by Bailey Dale and late bolter Angus Brayshaw (three-round average 116.3).
The rucks have caused more chaos than anyone could have predicted in 2022 but if you expected Max Gawn to have the best average of all ruckmen this year, give yourself a tick. A late-season surge has pushed his average to 115.1, clear of Jarrod Witts (110.9) and English. Sean Darcy (103.2) is the only other ruckman to average over 100, discounting Brodie Grundy who played only six matches. The total points rankings, however, paint a very different picture with Witts ranked first and Gawn second followed by Toby Nankervis and Todd Goldstein – both are well down on averages but have the rare attribute this year of playing every match.
11. POPULARITY CONTEST
Neale also comes in at No.1 in the coaches’ choice rankings at the end of the season, now featuring in more than 120,000 – or 70.9 per cent – of KFC SuperCoach teams. Josh Dunkley (64.7 per cent), Stephen Coniglio (58.4 per cent), Jack Macrae (58.2 per cent) and Will Brodie (54.5 per cent) make up the top five. Adam Saad (7 per cent), Darcy Cameron (6.7 per cent), Connor Rozee (5.3 per cent), Dylan Moore (3.6 per cent) and Chad Warner (2.4 per cent) have been some of the best PODs of the year, while Shannon Hurn has averaged 104 points per game for 0.9 per cent of teams.
Originally published as SuperCoach Plus: 11 stats to help your team in round 23, 2022
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