KFC SuperCoach AFL: Tim Michell’s top-20 mid-pricers

From breakout contenders to fallen premiums, there’s no shortage of top KFC SuperCoach mid-pricers this year. Tim Michell ranks the best 20.

Mid-pricers can make or break a KFC SuperCoach season.

Veteran KFC SuperCoaches will tell you guns-and-rookies is the strategy to follow, but every year 4-5 mid-price options emerge as premium scorers.

If you solely played the guns-and-rookies strategy, you would have missed Jordan Ridley’s breakout last season or Clayton Oliver in 2018.

There’s no doubt mid-pricers carry greater risk than proven scorers or cash cows who generate money quicker.

But get your mid-price selections right and you can have a bargain keeper, therefore saving one or two trades to upgrade in another position.

ROOKIE GOLD: AL PATON’S TOP 20 CASH COWS

This puts you on the fast track to a full premium team and will give you an advantage over your KFC SuperCoach rivals.

These are the best 20 KFC SuperCoach mid-pricers of 2021 to consider for your team.

Connor Rozee (injury), Zac Williams (suspension) and Dyson Heppell miss out despite being locked into the top-10 for most of pre-season.

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Tim Taranto has huge upside after shoulder surgery restricted him in 2020.

1. Tim Taranto (GWS Giants) $453,700 MID 2020 average: 84.5 Ownership: 22.8%

How often do you get a player of Taranto’s quality for close to $450,000 in KFC SuperCoach? Normally when a star is this cheap, they come with injury concerns or other question marks. Taranto doesn’t have either issue. He scored 106 in the Giants’ pre-season win over Sydney and his ownership has jumped to more than 20 per cent as a result. The GWS midfield bull averaged 102.4 two years ago and appears primed to better that in 2021. Lock him in and hope he finishes the year as your M7 or M8.

A rotten run in 2020 has left Jack Ziebell too cheap to ignore.

2. Jack Ziebell (North Melbourne) FWD $257,900 2020 average: 48 Ownership: 35.9%

The bargain of 2021? If it’s not Taranto, then it has to be Ziebell. The North Melbourne captain averaged at least 81 in every season from 2012-2019 before injury issues caused him to drop to an average of 48 last year. Ziebell’s move to defence makes him an even more attractive option and the pre-season has only served to affirm his status as a cash cow. He scored 107 against Hawthorn and was on kick-out duty. That’s very exciting for KFC SuperCoaches.

Tom Phillips is set for more time in the middle as a Hawk.

3. Tom Phillips (Hawthorn) FWD-MID $402,600 2020 average: 74.9 Ownership: 22.6%

Tom Phillips has come from nowhere after being outside the top-50 for most of the pre-season. With doubts over the fitness of Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara, the ex-Magpie might be one of Hawthorn’s most experienced on-ballers in Round 1. The prospect of more time playing as an inside midfielder will help his scoring and he’s in terrific form, racking up 134 KFC SuperCoach points against North Melbourne. No surprise to see his ownership growing after he had it on a string at Arden St.

Hayden Young might help solve the defensive rookie issues.

4. Hayden Young (Fremantle) DEF $279,400 2020 average: 52 Ownership: 12.3%

While he’s more expensive than the average five-gamer, Young has the talent to justify the elevated price tag. Luke Ryan’s return will likely relegate him from kick-in duties, which Young enjoyed during the pre-season game against West Coast. But that shouldn’t diminish his potential to reach $400,000-$450,000 and be turned into a fallen premium — a tactic many coaches will be considering. Young has a lethal left foot and the Dockers will use him and Ryan as their outlets from defence this year. He showed his scoring potential with a ton in his third game.

Liam Duggan has the potential to launch to premium status as a defender.

5. Liam Duggan (West Coast) DEF $448,600 2020 average: 83.5 Ownership: 4.6%

Duggan was thrown into the midfield in the second half of 2020 and averaged 98 in his last eight games. That average would have ranked him in the top-15 defenders last season, yet he’s priced outside the top-30 for 2021. Elliot Yeo and Tim Kelly have been missing during pre-season, when Duggan has spent time on a wing, in defence and in midfield. Considering the dominance of half-back flankers in pre-season after the man on the mark rule changes, coaches who start with Duggan might prefer to see him deployed in defence. He’s got potential to be a finishing D6 for under $450k.

Jye Caldwell has been thrown straight into the engine room by Ben Rutten.

6. Jye Caldwell (Essendon) MID-FWD $348,600 2020 average: 64.9 Ownership: 19.1%

Only Zach Merrett (20) and Darcy Parish (14) attended more centre bounces than former Giant Jye Caldwell (12) against Geelong. His starting price is awkward, especially for a player who has only scored 80 once in 11 career games. Realistically, he needs to produce a similar season to James Worpel two years ago to justify his starting price. Worpel started at $395k in 2019, averaging 97 and becoming a keeper for many coaches. Can Caldwell replicate that effort? The opportunity will certainly be there, which he never properly had at GWS.

Luke Davies-Uniacke is ready to go to the next level.

7. Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melbourne) MID $432,800 2020 average: 80.6 Ownership: 2.3%

Midfield breakouts are the toughest to predict, especially when a player such as Davies-Uniacke needs to launch from an average of 80.6 to at least 105 to be considered a successful pick. But why not? David Noble has already flagged more experienced on-ballers such as Ben Cunnington will spend time in attack and that’s going to increase the responsibility on Davies-Uniacke’s ample shoulders. He was North Melbourne’s top scorer with 122 against Hawthorn and averaged 85 from Round 11 onwards last season. Heading into his fourth campaign, North needs Davies-Uniacke to take the next step.

Tom Green has the hallmarks of a KFC SuperCoach star.

8. Tom Green (GWS Giants) MID $351,400 2020 average: 72.7 Ownership: 9.7%

Green whet the appetite of KFC SuperCoaches with a score of 119 in his fifth game when he had 21 contested possessions against Melbourne. He’s cheap by mid-price standards, has been touted for a more prominent midfield role and has the hallmarks of Clayton Oliver 2.0. In 2018 Oliver took his average from 70.3 points to 111.5. The knock is Green’s time on ground, which was only 72 per cent against Sydney in pre-season. He still scored 83 points in that time so the potential for a serious breakout is definitely there.

Hunter Clark has the talent to finish the year as a top defender.

9. Hunter Clark (St Kilda) $438,900 DEF 2020 average: 81.7 Ownership: 3.4%

Clark only featured in 68 per cent game time against Carlton, yet attended 16 centre bounces and amassed 96 KFC SuperCoach points. Over 85 per cent game time, that equates to a score of about 120 which is Jake Lloyd levels. KFC SuperCoaches — and Saints fans — have been waiting for Clark to be unleashed in midfield and Brett Ratten is showing signs he’s ready to push the button.

Liam Ryan is shaping as one of the best forward line mid-pricers.

10. Liam Ryan (West Coast) FWD $409,600 2020 average: 76.2 Ownership: 1.3%

After two seasons where he averaged about 60 points a game, KFC SuperCoaches were understandably sceptical about whether Ryan’s incredible finish to 2020 could translate to this year. The early signs are it will. After scoring 25 in Round 13, Ryan finished last season with a run of 97, 109, 100, 119 and 100. What was noticeable about that run was he only had more than 15 disposals once. Ryan is the type of high-impact forward who suits KFC SuperCoach and is no longer confined to a small forward role.

AND THE NEXT 10....

11. James Harmes (Melbourne) $344,700 DEF 2020 average: 64.2 Ownership: 2.8%

12. Jack Higgins (St Kilda) FWD $419,600 2020 average: 78.1 Ownership: 2.9%

13. Zach Bailey (Brisbane Lions) FWD-MID $420,300 2020 average: 78.2 Ownership: 1.3%

Ben Cunnington has had an interrupted pre-season but could still feature in Round 1.

14. Ben Cunnington (North Melbourne) MID $439,800 2020 average: 102.3 Ownership: 8.7%

15. Jack Sinclair (St Kilda) MID $426,600 2020 average: 79.4 Ownership: 1.4%

16. Changkuoth Jiath (Hawthorn) DEF $266,500 2020 average: 49.6 Ownership: 4.4%

Alex Witherden is striving for more opportunity after crossing to West Coast.

17. Alex Witherden (West Coast) DEF $456,100 2020 average: 94.3 Ownership: 5.1%

18. Jaidyn Stephenson (North Melbourne) FWD $354,100 2020 average: 65.9 Ownership: 5.0%

19. Stefan Martin (Western Bulldogs) RUC $272,200 2020 average: 50.7 Ownership: 7.7%

20. Ben McEvoy (Hawthorn) DEF-RUC $456,000 2020 average: 84.9 Ownership: 2.8%

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach AFL: Tim Michell’s top-20 mid-pricers