Champion Data SuperCoach pre-season formguide

The pre-season is done, now it’s time for the real thing. Who will make the final cut in your SuperCoach side? Champion Data’s insider reveals the pre-season hits and misses at every club.

The pre-season is done, now it’s time for the real thing.

Who will make the final cut in your SuperCoach side? Here are some tips from inside the four walls at Champion Data that might help make those final calls.

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ADELAIDE CROWS

Rory Sloane $534,300 MID – Tick

Coming off his worst SuperCoach season since 2011, Sloane is a bargain at that price. He looks raring to go after a solid JLT Series in which he ranked eighth in the AFL among midfielders for points per minute. Sloane has averaged at least 110 points in the opening month of a season in three of the past five years.

Brodie Smith $332,500 DEF – Tick

When Smith last played a full season in 2017, he averaged a respectable 21 disposals and 82 points, but, more importantly, he was Adelaide’s designated kick-in player. He should return to that important role this year, especially now that Luke Brown is sidelined through injury. Smith played on from six of seven kick ins and ranked fourth in the AFL for metres gained during the JLT Series.

Brad Crouch $418,000 MID – Tick

Crouch’s selection in SuperCoach always comes with a caveat – durability. He has ticked every box this season and is too hard to resist at his price. When fit, he is a proven ball-winner, ranking equal-ninth in the AFL for disposals per minute during the JLT Series. Crouch also attended 75 per cent of all centre bounces – ranked fifth.

Rory Sloane has been back to his best this pre-season. Picture: Sarah Reed

BRISBANE LIONS

Alex Witherden $455,000 DEF – Tick

Only Shannon Hurn and Jake Lloyd took more kick-ins than Witherden in 2018, of which 52 were to himself, ranked second overall. Witherden finished the year off in strong fashion, ranking fourth for disposals per game in his position from Rounds 15-21 before getting injured. His JLT Series has been steady, without reaching any great heights.

Dayne Zorko $520,200 MID – Question mark

Inconsistency was the central theme in Zorko’s 2018 season, which has led to a much lower starting price this year. Taggers were his worst enemy, dropping below 20 disposals in nine games, averaging his fewest disposals since 2013. I’m expecting the Lions to push for finals in 2019 and that only means bigger scores for Zorko. He has averaged 127, 116 and 105 points in wins over the past three seasons.

Lachie Neale $607,300 MID – Tick

Neale’s introduction to the Lions midfield has been a seamless one. He attended the fourth-most centre bounces of any midfielder in the league during the pre-season, ranking equal-second for contested possessions behind Patrick Cripps. Neale’s durability is outstanding, missing just one match through injury since 2015.

CARLTON

Nic Newman $394,100 DEF – Question mark

Newman fell out of favour at the Swans and was dropped on three seperate occasions. Now at the Blues, there was genuine excitement after his first JLT match where he had 20 disposals, but he went missing against Collingwood last week – managing just 10 disposals. He looms as a risky mid-price pick.

Matthew Kreuzer $432,900 RUCK – Cross

Kreuzer’s fitness issues have carried over into 2019 as the No.1 scoring ruckman from 2017 has failed to play any minutes in the JLT Series. The Blues have used Andrew Phillips in the ruck as his replacement, and he is now poised to lead the ruck division in the season opener against Richmond. Kreuzer is likely to make his way back through the VFL.

Sam Walsh $207,300 MID – Tick

Footy fans are in a frenzy over Walsh. There is no greater certainty than a debut in the season opener against Richmond, with the highly-rated midfielder excelling during the JLT Series – ranking second behind Patrick Cripps at the Blues for disposals and contested possessions. Forget about his price and lock him in!

Carlton’s No.1 draft pick Sam Walsh. Picture: Sarah Matray

Dayne Beams should play in more wins at the Magpies.

COLLINGWOOD

Dayne Beams $557,600 MID – Tick

With a midfield stacked full of talent, Beams is a definite point of difference. Currently owned by just 6 per cent of SuperCoach players, he is a proven scorer – averaging 120-plus in wins in each of the past four seasons. Beams averaged 29 disposals in his final season at the Lions – his most since 2012.

Brodie Grundy $708,200 RUCK – Tick

A minor hiccup during the pre-season with a toe injury shouldn’t deter SuperCoaches from splashing the cash on Grundy. In terms of pumping out big scores, there were none better in 2018, racking up 120-plus points in 13 games, ranked equal-second in the league. Grundy averaged 89 points across the JLT Series, up from 85 in 2018.

Darcy Moore $239,400 DEF/FWD — Question

On the surface, there are plenty of reasons not to pick Moore, with his questionable durability the most obvious. Despite missing 18 games through injury in 2018, he finally looks to have his body right, playing a major role in defensive during the JLT Series. Moore was entrusted with kick-in duties, taking the most of any player in the competition (13) – which includes playing on eight times.

Zach Merrett has had an interrupted pre-season. Picture: Michael Klein

ESSENDON

Jordan Ridley $233,100 DEF – Tick

Ridley has been one of very few positives for the Bombers in a winless pre-season. He looks right at home in defence, leading the club for defensive half handball-receives and uncontested possessions in the JLT Series. Ridley is a good chance to play in the season opener and looms as an alternative to the now sidelined Dylan Roberton.

Zach Merrett $544,800 MID – Question mark

Merrett was the No.1 target for opposition coaches last season, attracting a tagger in six matches. He fought back strongly to average 30 disposals, six tackles and 111 points from Round 9, but suffered a foot injury during the pre-season and was managed during the pre-season, playing just 47 per cent of game time.

Zac Clarke $142,600 RUCK – Question mark

The retirement of Matthew Leuenberger opened the door for Clarke to make a return to the AFL after a dominant season in the WAFL, averaging 126 SuperCoach points as a ruckman. With Joe Daniher now sidelined for up to six weeks with a calf injury, Clarke is a capable forward and may find himself in the side for Round 1.

FREMANTLE

Brett Bewley $117,300 MID – Question mark

It remains to be seen if Ross Lyon hands mature-age recruit Bewley an AFL debut against North Melbourne. He has been starved of game time during the JLT Series, averaging the sixth-lowest of any player in the AFL to play in both games. Bewley should play at some stage, even if it isn’t in Round 1.

Nat Fyfe $618,100 MID – Question mark

Fyfe enters the season opener without playing a pre-season match, although he did play in the AFLX tournament. His form in Round 1 games across the past four seasons has been somewhat inconsistent, scoring 115, 61, 107 and 75 points in that order. He does have a terrific record against North Melbourne though, averaging 124 points from 13 games.

David Mundy $520,900 FWD/MID - Tick

Durable and reliable are two words that are commonly used when describing Mundy as a SuperCoach option. After winning a career-high 18 per cent of his disposals inside the forward 50 last season, a move back into the midfield is on the horizon for 2019. Mundy attended the most centre bounces of any Docker during the pre-season, but that was without skipper Nat Fyfe in the side.

Patrick Dangerfield dominated in both of Geelong’s pre-season matches. Picture: Tim Carrafa

GEELONG

Patrick Dangerfield $660,500 FWD/MID – Tick

With dual-position status in his locker, Dangerfield’s selection is a no-brainer. A SuperCoach king, his record in unrivalled, scoring 120-plus points in 40 matches since 2016, 12 more than Tom Mitchell. Dangerfield already boasts an ownership of 67 per cent at the time of writing, a surprisingly low figure considering his scoring potential.

Luke Dahlhaus $418,300 FWD/MID– Question mark

In 2018 Dahlhaus endured his worst season since his debut year in 2011, averaging 77 points in his final year at the Bulldogs. He was rusty in the opening pre-season game with 58 points, but he looked a lot sharper in the second match – collecting 109 points. A deep midfield works against Dahlhaus though as midfield minutes look to be limited.

Charlie Constable $123,900 MID – Tick

Constable has put his hand up for a Round 1 debut against Collingwood on Friday night, but his fate is now in the hands of Chris Scott. Only Tim Kelly and Patrick Dangerfield attended more centre bounces across the pre-season than Constable, ranking fourth at the Cats for points per minute.

GOLD COAST

Anthony Miles (Mid) $342,000 – Question mark

A proven stoppage player, expect to see Miles at the bottom of every Suns pack. He led the side for centre bounce attendances during the pre-season, but ranked only fourth in centre bounce first possessions. He isn’t a risk worth taking, especially as you can pick Tom Liberatore instead at a cheaper price.

Sam Collins $188,900 DEF – Tick

Collins’ SuperCoach stocks have been slightly dented after key defender Rory Thompson suffered a season-ending injury. The expectations are that Collins may now be used more as a stopper, but irrespective of his role, he’s a worthy cash cow. An elite intercept player, he won nine of his 10 disposals against Sydney from intercept possessions.

Izak Rankine $198,300 FWD – Cross

Rated by Champion Data as the best player in last year’s draft, Rankine has the potential to have an immediate impact at AFL level. But he’ll have to wait to make his AFL debut after he suffered a severe hamstring injury in the final pre-season hitout against the Swans, an injury that’s likely to sideline him for eight weeks.

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GWS GIANTS

Zac Williams $407,800 DEF – Question mark

Williams presents tremendous value in defence. He led the Giants for kick-ins during the 2018 finals series and when he last played a full season in 2017, he ranked third behind Heath Shaw and Nathan Wilson. After playing in the opening pre-season match, he was surprisingly rested from the last game, which has put some SuperCoaches off the speedster.

Lachie Whitfield $542,100 DEF – Tick

A change in position propelled Whitfield to new heights in 2018. Now a defender in SuperCoach, he scored 135 and 133 points respectively in the Giants’ two 2018 finals and looks set to feature prominently in our teams. Whitfield ranked second at the Giants for effective metres gained during the JLT Series.

Stephen Coniglio $588,600 MID – Tick

Coniglio’s starting price has skyrocketed after an outstanding 2018 season. He took that form into the JLT Series – ranking equal-fourth in the competition for points per minute. He also ranked equal-fourth for post-clearance disposals with 52, with only Steele Sidebottom, Jack Crisp and Dom Sheed having more.

Stephen Coniglio has been in red-hot form this pre-season. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Hawthorn’s star recruit Chad Wingard.

HAWTHORN

James Worpel $395,700 FWD/MID – Tick

Worpel didn’t look out of place in Hawthorn’s midfield in his debut season and after the season-ending injury to Tom Mitchell, a permanent role in the engine room is a real possibility. A DPP, he led the Hawks across most key measures during the JLT Series, including contested possessions, clearances and tackles.

Chad Wingard $481,100 FWD/MID – Cross

The acquisition of Wingard is major coup for the Hawks, as he ranks fourth in the AFL for scoreboard impact of any non-key position player since 2015. But he won’t play in the season opener and could still be around two weeks away from returning, so if you’re one of 5 per cent SuperCoaches that has him in your team – take him out!

James Cousins $219,900 MID – Tick

Injuries to stars often create opportunities for younger players, and this is definitely the case with Cousins. He looks set to be handed a key midfield role by Alastair Clarkson, ranking second at the Hawks for centre bounces attendances in the JLT Series. He has spread well from stoppage, ranking No.1 at the club for post-clearance disposals.

Angus Brayshaw at Melbourne training. Picture: Michael Klein

MELBOURNE

Max Gawn $692,100 RUCK – Tick

Plenty of SuperCoaches decided to sidestep Gawn after it was revealed that he could be partnered in the ruck by new arrival Braydon Preuss. Preuss didn’t play in the final JLT match and was injured in the VFL instead, paving the way for Gawn to ruck solo against Port Adelaide.

Marty Hore $117,300 DEF – Question mark

With Jake Lever still recovering from an ACL injury and now Steven May suspended for Round 1, the Demons have a ready-made defensive alternative in Hore. He’s a strong chance to play in Round 1, but his job security thereafter may not be so assured. He played on from four of the five kick-ins he took in the opening match, but he failed to take any in the last game as Jordan Lewis returned.

Angus Brayshaw $526,900 MID – Tick

Brayshaw took a massive step forward in 2018 and outscored the likes of Dustin Martin and Joel Selwood from Round 15. Despite losing DPP status, he still presents value as a midfielder at his price, perhaps as an alternative to Clayton Oliver. Brayshaw ranked seventh in the competition for points per minute during the JLT Series of players to play both games.

Bailey Scott in action for the AFL Academy last year.

NORTH MELBOURNE

Aaron Hall $389,200 MID – Cross

The Kangaroos have been crying out for a line-breaking player like Hall, but he has failed to fire in his two pre-season games. Admittedly, he was injured early in his first hitout, but he ranked only 16th at the club for points per minute. If you’re in the market for a midfielder around this price, picking the in-form Dom Sheed instead would be the way to go.

Bailey Scott $117,300 MID – Tick

A father-son selection, there are a lot of similarities between Bailey and dad Robert, who previously played for North Melbourne. Scott plays the game with the same tenacity, ranking equal-fourth at the club for contested possessions across the JLT Series. He also ranked fifth for points per 100 minutes and is a chance to debut this week.

Luke Davies-Uniacke $197,500 MID – Tick

Davies-Uniacke may be handed a more prominent midfield role in 2019. He attended the equal-most centre bounce of any Kangaroos player during the pre-season, but ranked a lowly sixth for centre bounce first possessions. He averaged 65 points from 62 per cent game time from the two games.

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PORT ADELAIDE

Zak Butters $157,800 MID – Tick

There is genuine excitement at Port Adelaide about Butters. He could be one of several Power debutants in Round 1 after ranking third at the club for points per minute during the JLT Series. Butters was lively around the forward line, ranking equal No.1 at the club for disposals inside 50, while recording the equal-most score assists of any player in the AFL (six).

Tom Rockliff $405,900 MID – Question mark

Statistically, Rockliff had his worst season on record in 2018 – averaging 21 disposals and 75 SuperCoach points, suffering the biggest drop (-21 points) of any midfielder in the league. But he reminded SuperCoaches of his dominance in the final JLT Series clash – finishing with 41 disposals. He’s definitely your classic risk v reward SuperCoach option.

Connor Rozee $189,300 DEF/FWD – Question mark

Rozee’s exposure to senior football in the SANFL gives him the edge over most first-year players. But after his performances over the JLT Series, he may not be a walk-up starter in Round 1. Currently in 24 per cent of teams, Rozee averaged the second-fewest points per minute of any Power player.

Can Dustin Martin return to his incredible 2017 heights? Picture: Michael Klein

RICHMOND

Jack Higgins $392,700 FWD – Question mark

If you think Higgins can finish in the top-10 scoring forwards in the AFL, then he’s a bargain at his price. But it’s a big “if”. Historically, very few players have broken out in their second season, with Clayton Oliver the most recent to achieve such a feat. Higgins was a scoring machine at under-18 level and ranked equal-second at the Tigers for attacking midfield disposals during the JLT Series.

Dustin Martin $563,800 MID – Tick

After starting as the second-most expensive midfielder in the AFL in 2018, Martin is a lot more affordable this season, currently 14th in line among midfielders from a price point of view. In the past two seasons, he has averaged 121 and 131 points respectively over the opening four rounds of the year.

Jayden Short $465,600 DEF – Tick

Short was the sixth-most improved player (+27 points) in the AFL of anyone to feature in a combined 15 games across both 2017 and 2018. The graph should continue to rise steadily, with another spike definitely on the horizon, especially as Short played on from six of his eight kick-ins during the JLT Series.

St Kilda recruit Matthew Parker at training. Picture: Michael Klein

ST KILDA

Dan Hannebery $326,100 MID – Cross

After suffering the biggest drop in points of any player in the AFL last season (-37 points), Hannebery would have been on the radar for most SuperCoaches at his ridiculously low price. But an injury late in the pre-season has ruled him out of the early rounds, with the Saints declaring the star recruit could miss up to four more weeks. If you’re one of the 4 per cent that currently own him – make the move now!

Matthew Parker $117,300 FWD – Question mark

SuperCoaches aren’t picking Parker based on his pre-season numbers. He ranked equal 25th at St Kilda for points per minute during the JLT Series, recording single-figure disposals in both games. His defensive game has taken centre stage, leading the Saints for pressure acts, but in SuperCoach that won’t improve his scores.

Jack Steele $512,600 MID – Tick

Steele finished the 2018 season in terrific form – averaging 127 points over the final four rounds, ranked seventh in the AFL in his position. He looks set for a breakout season, ranking equal-first at the Saints for contested possessions and No.1 overall for tackles this pre-season. Currently in just 1 per cent of SuperCoach teams, he’s a definite POD worth considering.

Nick Blakey is set for an early-season debut.

SYDNEY

Jake Lloyd $608,200 DEF – Tick

Lloyd enjoyed a career-best season in 2018, averaging 28 disposals and 112 points and recording 30 disposals or more in eight matches. He was also the kick-in king, taking 22 more than any other player in the league. Lloyd missed the final JLT Series match through illness, but he should be cherry ripe for Round 1.

Nick Blakey $166,800 FWD – Tick

The Swans aren’t afraid to blood the kids, as they showed last season with Tom McCartin. Blakey didn’t look out of place in a forward line minus Lance Franklin, leading the Swans for marks inside 50 and ranking second for disposals in that zone. The highly-credentialed Blakely is a chance to debut in Round 1 against Western Bulldogs.

Callum Mills $428,900 DEF – Question mark

Mills has spent most of the pre-season in the midfield group, starring in that role in the opening round of the JLT Series, finishing with 18 disposals, seven tackles and a team-high 104 points. He was moved back to defence in the second game against the Suns, but that may have been out of necessity after the late withdrawal of Jake Lloyd.

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WEST COAST

Jack Petruccelle $123,900 FWD – Tick

Petruccelle isn’t a renowned ball-winner, averaging just 12.6 disposals across the 41 games Champion Data has covered outside of the AFL. But his tremendous pace will add to the Eagles’ forward half pressure, ranking equal-third at the club for pressure acts in the JLT Series. He should hold his place in the side for Round 1.

Elliot Yeo $585,500 MID – Tick

Yeo becomes a unique midfield option after losing defender status. A popular pick in 2018, he finished in the top-three ranked players on the ground in nine games, equal to Patrick Dangerfield and once more than Patrick Cripps. Now a midfielder in SuperCoach, he fits under the POD category, so keep him firmly in your plans.

Shannon Hurn $523,400 DEF – Tick

Hurn averaged more than 20 disposals for the first time in his career in 2018, resulting in a career-best SuperCoach average of 96. He has always been the general in defence, taking 102 more kick-ins than any other player in the AFL in the past four seasons. He’ll once again assume that role this season, playing on from nine kick-ins during the JLT Series – ranked No.1 in the league.

West Coast goalkicker Jack Petruccelle.

Tom Liberatore has had a strong pre-season. Picture: Michael Klein

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Tom Liberatore $300,400 MID – Question mark

We have been here before with Liberatore. He sticks out like a beacon in the midfield at his price, but can he deliver on a weekly basis? Durability is the biggest question mark, missing 44 games through injury in the past four seasons. He led the Bulldogs for clearances and ranked second for contested possessions during the JLT Series.

Toby McLean $514,000 FWD/MID – Cross

McLean has been the major casualty of Liberatore’s return. McLean has attended just 9 per cent of centre bounces during the pre-season and this has been reflected in his scoring – posting 75 and 66 points respectively from two games. Even though scores in February don’t matter too much, the role he has been handed all but ruins his SuperCoach worth.

Josh Dunkley $516,300 FWD/MID – Question mark

A move to the midfield in Round 14 last season catapulted Dunkley into the AFL elite, averaging 27 disposals, four clearances and seven tackles in the run home. His role in 2019 however is still a little clouded as Liberatore steps back into the midfield. Dunkley attended seven centre bounces in the opening match and 16 in the Dogs’ most recent against St Kilda.

Originally published as Champion Data SuperCoach pre-season formguide