KFC SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom reveals his five trades ahead of Round 2
It’s been a big 24 hours in KFC SuperCoach but The Phantom has settled on his final team for Round 2. See the five big trades he’s making ahead of Friday night’s lockout
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As expected KFC SuperCoach trade plans were thrown into chaos on Thursday night after plenty of selection surprises.
So I enjoyed the footy - Jeremy Howe’s 126 points more specifically - and slept on it.
But with the second lockout of Round 2 now fast approaching, it’s time to make the final call.
In order to bring Howe - my No. 1 priority in - I made three moves before the first bounce on Thursday night. The final two were then both rookie-related.
Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (Ess) $189,000 Def-Mid to Jeremy Howe (Coll) $431,900 Def
Although options will pop up given the revamped season, at this early stage, with Swan Will Gould already on the bench, despite Trent Rivers’ selection, the cash cow defender cupboard is prett ybare. So I’ll make my money elsewhere and bring in intercept star Jeremey Howe, who took four intercept marks on his way to 156 points in Round 1 - a performance which showed just how undervalued he is this year after an inconsistent 2019.
Brandon Starcevich was the player earmarked for this trade before Brandon Zerk-Thatcher’s suspension for breaching COVID protocols.
Marcus Bontempelli (WB) $623,000 MID to Jack Viney (Melb) $439,300 MID
Fixing the biggest issue in my side with Howe will cost me $284k – and that’s money I didn’t have in the bank.
To make it back, I’ll be jumping on another fast-moving train in Jack Viney, who starred in the opening week of the season with 34 disposals, 20 contested possessions and a round-high 186 points.
Sure, that was two months ago but Viney is on record saying his goal during the AFL shutdown was to “maintain the rage”. Even if it’s not to the same extent, the tough midfielder will be shooting past the $500k mark very soon.
If the former Melbourne skipper can maintain his scoring, he’ll stay, of course. If not, Viney will become another top-line premium quickly and cheaply.
Yes, that’s what Marcus Bontempelli is but I think Howe can also be a top-six player in his position. And Starcevich definitely won’t be getting me to a premium option anytime soon.
It’s not that I want to get rid of Bontempelli, either. As I said at the top, it’s all about who’s coming in and how they can help me move forward. The Bulldog star’s opening Round 1 flop and meeting with Giants tagger Matt de Boer in Round 3 - as well as a potential clash with Jack Steele on Sunday - makes him the obvious candidate to go out.
Andrew Brayshaw (Freo) $382,800 Fwd-Mid to Brett Bewley (Freo) $252,700 Fwd
The Bontempelli to Viney move didn’t quite make up the cash difference so I needed to pull the trigger on Brett Bewley. And I was more than comfortable, especially after Blake Acres and Stephen Hill failed to prove their fitness for the Dockers.
I think Brayshaw will eventually become an A-grade midfielder but if his game-time doesn’t increase against the Lions on Saturday – the 20-year-old scored 66 in 65 per cent game-time in Round 1 – Brayshaw faces a difficult task bridging the gap between himself and a premium option, let alone becoming a keeper, quickly enough in a shortened season.
Bewley, on the other hand, showed he can score at the same rate, if not better, in a ball-winning outside role against the Bombers. And the former VFL star, who hit the target with 17 of his 20 disposals in Round 1, is $130k cheaper.
Tom Green (GWS) $166,800 Mid to Harley Bennell (Melb) $123,900 Mid
After a week of Harley Bennell nightmares, in a season with extra trades, I’m now convinced the risk is worth taking.
Bennel is fit, starred in the Demon’s intra-club hitout and averaged 23 disposals, one goal and 97 SuperCoach points in his final 67 games at the Suns. Sure, he’s only played two games since 2015, both at the Dockers, but the 27-year-old is too hard to pass up at $123k.
Early cash generation is even more important in a shortened season but so are early points. And if Bennell gets through, it’s likely he scores 85 points or more, given how damaging he is with the ball. That type of scoring potential at that price is something you can only relate to Marlion Pickett. If his body fails him again, I’ve got extra trades.
Ben Davis (Adel) $123k Fwd to Ned McHenry (Adel) $123k Mid - via Connor Budarick.
Like many SuperCoaches, I was planning to trade in Docker Sam Sturt after his 100-point performance on debut. Initially, Bulldog Ben Cavarra was going to be the one to make way but, at this point, he’s still a chance of holding his spot in Luke Beveridge’s side. Ben Davis, however, won’t be playing this weekend after being dropped for Showdown 48.
I’m interested in his replacement Ben Crocker at $152k but I’d like to see him play first.
Ned McHenry is a differnt story, however. The 19-year-old isn’t a player who needs much of the footy to have an impact and I’m confident on his scoring from the get-go. The running machine applied five more tackles than any other player at the under-18 champs in 2018 and is as competitive as they come. McHenry is also clever around goal as his four-goal, 123-point performance in the SANFL semi-final last year proves.
To make the trade, I’ll be sacrificing my dual-position link and swinging Gold Coast’s Connor Budarick forward.
I walk away with $116,600 in the bank, too.
And next week?
Ben Cavarra didn’t make the final cut at the Bulldogs so hopefully Sturt is selected next week and I can execute that trade as originally planned. But I’ll be keeping a close eye on Crow Ben Crocket ($152k) this week, too.
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom reveals his five trades ahead of Round 2