10 SuperCoach champions available for the lowest price in years
We’ve never been able to buy the all-time top-scorer in SuperCoach this cheap. And he’s not the only genuine superstar available for a bargain price. Can these fantasy hall of farmers give your team the edge?
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It’s always tempting to jump on the hot new fad.
It’s no different in KFC SuperCoach, where rising stars like Josh Dunkley and Tim Taranto capture the imagination with their exciting scoring potential.
But don’t forget the old champs.
Season 2020 presents a remarkable fire sale of all-time SuperCoach scorers, with a host of big names available for less cash than they have in years.
Those who study the numbers will tell you a history of top SuperCoach scoring is a reliable predictor for future results, and age shouldn’t put us off.
Travis Boak was once a popular pick but by last year most had written him off as he entered his 13th season. He went on to average 107 points a game to be a must-have player — and coaches who paid $478,000 for him in Round 1 were laughing all the way to the bank. Shannon Hurn (average 104) and Bachar Houli (105) also produced career-best numbers well past their 30th birthday.
The 10 players listed below are all champions of the game who have climbed the SuperCoach mountain before. Can they get back there one last time? It could be a safer bet than taking a punt on a mid-price player breaking out and becoming a top-scorer for the first time in their career.
Gary Ablett (Geel) $519,500 FWD
Cheapest since: Ever (previous lowest starting price: $556,700 in 2006)
Last year: $580,600, av 95.7
The greatest scorer in SuperCoach history is the cheapest he’s ever been to start a season after dipping below a three-figure average last year for the first time since 2006, when he was playing in a forward pocket with long hair. Ablett’s days of costing more than $700,000 are behind him but remarkably he’s still the fourth-most expensive forward. Showed last year he can still produce big numbers, topping 130 three times including a 167 in Round 23. Can he do it again in 2020 at age 35? Don’t include him in your starting side but he could be a smart trade-in if you time it right.
Lance Franklin (Syd) $394,200 FWD
Cheapest since: 2007
Last year: $540,500, av 72.6
Buddy is also a lot closer to the end of his career than the start but you can definitely make a case for starting Robbo’s No.1 player of the decade at that price — a discount of almost $150,000 from this time last year. After injuries restricted him to just 10 games in 2019 he was training the house down over summer before an unfortunate injury setback. If he is right for Round 1 he could still be worth the risk — Sydney’s first four games are against Adelaide, Essendon, Gold Coast and Carlton.
Joel Selwood (Geel) $465,600 MID
Cheapest since: 2008
Last year: $570,500, av 85.8
The Cats’ warrior recorded his lowest season average since 2007 last year as he took on different roles to help the team — although he showed he can still score on his day with a 145 in Round 19. Tim Kelly’s departure could open the door for a return to the coalface and more big SuperCoach numbers.
Kade Simpson (Carl) $442,500 DEF
Cheapest since: 2006
Last year: $570,300, av 81.5
Defied age (34) to produce another 18 quality games last season and signed on to go around again in 2019, but he couldn’t match his 2018 average of 105 points a game. Expect him to hand more responsibility to the likes of Nic Newman and the returning Sam Docherty this year.
Heath Shaw (GWS) $448,700 DEF
Cheapest since: 2011
Last year: $492,400, average 82.6
The Shaw rollercoaster rolls on for another season as he chases a second flag with the Giants. Had 29 disposals and scored 130 points in his most recent game (the Grand Final) and is bound to have some big games again next year, but consistency will again be a major concern.
Josh J Kennedy (WC) $335,600 FWD
Cheapest since: 2013
Last year: $397,800, average 61.8
With key forwards you don’t need a full season of production to justify starting them in SuperCoach. Case in point — Kennedy in 2013, when he started the year priced at $299,600 and kicked 16 goals in the first five rounds, averaging 108 SuperCoach points and jumping in value by more than $100,000. Smart coaches took the money and ran. He starts 2020 with a home game against the Demons.
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Justin Westhoff (Port) $435,500 FWD/MID
Cheapest since: 2013
Last year: $549,500, average 80.2
Players who traded in “the Hoff” after he scored 149 in Round 1 last year can be forgiven for putting him on the never-again list. His age (33) is also a turn-off, but we only need to wind back the clock to 2013 to see how picking him can give you a huge jump on the pack. That was the last time he was this cheap, starting at $430,700 — and he exploded out of the blocks with scores of 100, 163, 150 and 149 in the first four rounds to jump more than $130,000 in value.
Sam Jacobs (GWS) $348,400 RUCK
Cheapest since: 2010
Last year: $455,700, average 80.2
We have to go back to Jacobs’ Carlton days to find him this cheap. Last year he was displaced by Reilly O’Brien at the Crows but he should reassert himself as the No.1 big man at GWS. Probably won’t get back to his glory days when he started 2015 valued at $620,000, but could provide serious value if you’re prepared to start without one of the superstar big dollar rucks.
Jack Riewoldt (Rich) $374,100 FWD
Cheapest since: 2010
Last year: $504k, average 68.9
Another very cheap key forward, and we can expect Jack to score well above what his starting price would indicate after injuries wrecked his 2019 home-and-away season - the first time in a decade he played fewer than 20 games. The last time he was this cheap he averaged 92 for the season including a 217-point return against West Coast.
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Eddie Betts (Carl) $337,500 FWD
Cheapest since: 2007
Last year: $363,400, average 62
Eddie has never been a big SuperCoach player but it’s been more than a decade since you could get him at this price. Back at Ikon Park in the big shorts, he could provide some serious romance for Blues fans, and maybe SuperCoaches as well.
Originally published as 10 SuperCoach champions available for the lowest price in years