The top 50 most popular selections in SuperCoach 2018
SUPERCOACHES have jumped off Patrick Dangerfield, the most expensive and best scorer in the game, after he injured his hamstring but the best cash cows are now coming to the fore. Check out the top 50 most popular players.
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MAX Gawn has retained his status as the most popular SuperCoach pick but there have been some heavy falls for other pre-season favourites.
Patrick Dangerfield has plummeted after injuring his hamstring in Geelong’s second JLT Series while Nic Naitanui is yet to be seen at AFL level.
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In their stead, Nat Fyfe has surged to No.2 - at under $600k we can’t argue with you - while young Adelaide defender Tom Doedee gets a podium place as he looks to replace Jake Lever.
Rory Laird is clearly the No.1 pick in defence while Isaac Heeney is still the top forward pick, despite a small slip in popularity after a so-so pre-season.
1. Max Gawn (Melb) $503,700 RUC — 58 per cent
Huge scoring potential, super fit, way underpriced. The biggest SuperCoach lock of 2018. Was No.1 in January and hasn’t moved.
2. Nat Fyfe (Frem) $597,900 MID — 50 per cent
The 13th-most expensive midfielder but likely to finish in the top three scorers. Can’t afford to start without him.
3. Tom Doedee (Adel) $123,900 DEF — 46 per cent
Looks to have cemented a spot in the Crows defence after a couple of years in the SANFL. Won’t produce huge scores but seems safe for 60-plus most weeks. Up from 16th on this list two months ago.
4. Dustin Martin (Rich) $656,000 MID — 46 per cent
No signs of a hangover after one of the best individual seasons of all time. Enjoy the show.
5. Rory Laird (Adel) $550,800 DEF — 44 per cent
There are three certainties in life — death, taxes and Laird picking up 30-plus disposals. Lots of handballs and short kicks but he rarely misses a target.
6. Tim Kelly (Geel) $117,300 MID — 42 per cent
Mature-age recruit from WA is ready to go from Round 1 after finally getting his chance. Following a trail blazed by James Podsiadly, Sam Menegola, Tom Stewart and Co. Jumped from 15th into the top 10.
7. Sam Murray (Coll) $123,900 DEF — 39 per cent
Surprise trade target showed why Pies were so keen with a fantastic effort in JLT2, scoring more than 100 points as a rebounding defender. Nathan Buckley says he’s in the mix for Round 1. Come on, Bucks.
8. Tom Mitchell (Haw) $653,500 MID — 38 per cent
See Laird comment above. Mitchell broke the AFL all-time disposal record last year and we can’t see him slowing down. Has upside if he kicks it more.
9. Isaac Heeney (Syd) $536,300 MID/FWD — 34 per cent
Has eased his way into the pre-season but has all the tools to take his game to elite territory in 2018. Has slipped a little from 5th in January but clearly the most popular forward selection.
10. Dom Barry (PA) $117,300 MID — 33 per cent
A huge bolter — he wasn’t in the top 20 in January. Played five matches for Melbourne in 2014 then disappeared off the radar until last year when he starred in the SANFL and was thrown a lifeline by Ken Hinkley. On the fringe of Port’s best 22 — watch the Round 1 teams with interest.
11 . Andrew Brayshaw (Frem) $198,200 MID — 31 per cent
Freo’s top draft pick looks exactly like his older brother, with a body ready for AFL action. Reportedly held his own against Nat Fyfe in an intra-club game. Could be the pick of the high-priced rookies.
12 . Nick Holman (GC) $102,400 MID — 31 per cent
Another AFL lifeline, this time for the former Carlton midfielder who dominated the SANFL last year after being delisted. Lays a lot of tackles. Bargain basement price. Put him on your bench.
13. Bayley Fritsch (Melb) $117,300 FWD — 31 per cent
Another mature-age recruit, this time from the Demons’ VFL affiliate. Has shown good goal sense in the pre-season which puts him in the frame for a small forward role this year. Beware — this position is not great for SuperCoach scoring.
14. Darcy Cameron (Syd) $123,900 RUC — 30 per cent
Swans’ back-up ruckman a lot more relevant after Sam Naismith went down with a knee injury, making him No.2 behind Callum Sinclair. Don’t expect too many points — he scored 30 in the last JLT game.
15. Liam Ryan (WC) $117,300 FWD — 29 per cent
Kicked 40 goals in 16 WAFL games last year and the 21-year-old should get lots of senior opportunities. Another small forward who’s scoring will be up and down but will have a great highlights reel.
16. Cameron Rayner (BL) $202,800 MID — 29 per cent
The most expensive rookie will need to score a lot more than the $117k players to make money and he hasn’t shown that potential so far. Better value available.
17. Luke Davies-Uniacke (NM) $189,300 MID — 28 per cent
No.4 draft pick looks settled in the Kangaroos’ midfield which is a big tick for a first-year player but scoring might be stunted until he finds his feet.
18. Jarrod Garlett (Carl) $117,300 FWD/MID — 27 per cent
Former Gold Coast Sun given a lifeline by the Blues after a year in the WAFL. Hurt his shoulder in JLT1 but should be good to go against Richmond, making him a solid bench pick.
19. Christian Petracca (Melb) $433,300 FWD — 27 per cent
More than a quarter of coaches are prepared to back in the No.2 draft pick for a breakout season. Averaged 79 last year but expect a spike as he develops into a dangerous midfielder/forward.
20. Michael Hibberd (Def) $545,200 DEF — 26 per cent
Had the sixth-highest average of all defenders last year and one of them (Taylor Adams) can’t be picked in defence this year while another (Sam Docherty) won’t play at all. If Melbourne improves as expected, he should improve on his 99.2 average.
21. Patrick Cripps (Carl) $537,300 MID — 26 per cent
Great value on offer here. Cripps is a clearance beast who can score big — he topped 100 in both JLT games — but is discounted after battling various injuries last year. Get on.
22 . Patrick Dangerfield (Geel) $749,800 MID — 26 per cent
The Cats superstar has plummeted after news he is set to miss Round 1 with a hamstring problem. But Danger is clearly the best SuperCoach scorer of the past two seasons. Is it worth riding it out?
23. Jaeger O’Meara (Haw) $315,800 MID — 25 per cent
Appeared on the verge of SuperCoach stardom when he averaged 90 in his first season and backed it up with 98 the next year. But that was four years ago. After multiple knee problems he seems finally fit and ready to go. Has he still got it?
24. Jeremy Finlayson (GWS) $123,900 DEF — 24 per cent
Spent most of last season in the NEAFL — where he was the No.1 ranked defender — and was injured when he finally got an AFL call-up. Has been taking kick-outs in the pre-season which is a great sign.
25. Paul Ahern (NM) $123,900 FWD/MID — 24 per cent
Former top-10 draft pick seemed ready to finally make his mark after successive knee injuries with the Roos talking up his pre-season. Then they didn’t pick him in either JLT game. Should get a go at some stage but don’t start with him.
26. Paddy Dow (Carl) $192,800 MID — 23 per cent
Carlton’s No.3 draft pick was a buzz player after JLT1 but cooled significantly after just eight touches against the Hawks. Good chance to play next week but you’re paying a lot for a youngster.
27. Cam O’Shea (Carl) $166,000 DEF — 22 per cent
Former Port Adelaide defender gets another chance at the Blues. Seemed out of the picture until he came on late against Hawthorn in Launceston and blitzed for a quarter. If he’s named for Round 1, put him on your bench.
28. Devon Smith (Ess) $439,100 FWD — 22 per cent
Moving to Essendon should mean a lot more midfield time for the former Giant. A good ball user who loves a goal, he looks excellent value at that price.
29. Jack Higgins (Rich) $130,800 FWD/MID — 22 per cent
His junior numbers are off the charts but Richmond looks likely to make its top draft pick earn his stripes in the VFL. Look to recruit him when he gets a chance mid-season.
30. Nick Coffield (StK) $171,300 DEF/MID — 20 per cent
Top-10 draft choice looked very composed down back in St Kilda’s two JLT matches and looks a strong chance for a Round 1 spot. Only concern is he hasn’t delivered big scores from his disposal tallies — and he costs quite a bit. Still, we can’t be too picky with backline rookies.
31. Allen Christensen (BL) $267,300 FWD — 20 per cent
Hasn’t played since Round 11, 2016 but is over shoulder injuries and is a big part of Chris Fagan’s plans this season. Very low-risk pick.
32. Stephen Coniglio (GWS) $452,400 MID — 20 per cent
Another underpriced gun after missing most of last season with injury. Looked in great touch in the JLT Series. But how many Giants midfielders can score big every week?
33. Aaron Naughton (WB) $166,800 DEF — 20 per cent
Intercept marking is a huge part of SuperCoach scoring and the Bulldogs recruit excelled in this stat at under-18 level, and showed he could do it against top-level opposition with eight intercepts against Collingwood last week. Another expensive defensive rookie but we might have to pay a bit more this year.
34. Josh Kelly (GWS) $628,600 MID — 19 per cent
All signs point to him repeating or potentially improving on his 114 average from last year. Superstar.
35. Nic Naitanui (WC) $465,900 RUC — 19 per cent
The big slider, down from No.2 on this list two months ago. Bargain-priced superstar with a huge question mark over his body. Made his comeback in a WAFL practice match on Saturday and got through 54 minutes unscathed. Still a chance for Round 1 but would be a risky choice given he hasn’t played for more than a year.
36. Lachlan Keeffe (GWS) $123,900 DE/FWD — 18 per cent
Insurance at both ends for Leon Cameron and doesn’t seem part of the best 22, but we could be wrong. Watch the Round 1 teams.
37. Lance Franklin (Syd) $540,500 FWD — 18 per cent
How is Buddy this low? He has a tendency of throwing in some poor scores which means you can pick him up a bit cheaper at some stage, but that theory could burn us if he starts the season on fire. JLT signs were ominous.
38. Angus Brayshaw (Melb) $316,700 DEF/MID — 18 per cent
Another Demon breakout? Repeated concussions have cruelled the start to his career but has the potential to be a high-scoring midfielder if he gets a decent run at it. JLT signs promising.
39. Darcy Fogarty (Adel) $153,300 FWD — 18 per cent
Young forward jumped on to the radar with three goals in Adelaide’s last JLT game. Has the body to play straight away but will he keep his spot when Taylor Walker returns?
40. Jack Billings (StK) $509,500 FWD — 17 per cent
Saint improved his scoring average from 75 to 93 last year and there is still lots of room for improvement, especially if he straightens up his wayward goalkicking.
41. James Sicily (Haw) $402,800 DEF/FWD — 17 per cent
Divisive Hawk who was a revelation after being turned into an intercept-marking defender late last season. Can score very well but prone to brain explosions.
42. Tim English (WB) $134,700 RUC/FWD — 17 per cent
Cheap(ish) ruckman is a chance of getting some games but even if he gets a run he won’t score much. Better off picking someone cheaper.
43. Elliot Yeo (WC) $561,300 DEF — 16 per cent
Came of age last season as a SuperCoach defender but his uncertain role still makes it tough to pick him with confidence.
44. Willie Rioli (WC) $123,900 FWD — 15 per cent
Kicked three goals in a virtuoso AFLX performance and is also known for his forward pressure. Another small forward better suited to a bench spot than on the field.
45. Bailey Banfield (Frem) $123,400 MID - 15 per cent
Burst onto the scene during the JLT Series with scores of 75 against West Coast and 84 against Adelaide. Ross Lyon says he’s got the inside run for Round 1. Great bench option.
46. David Armitage (StK) $310,100 MID — 15 per cent
SuperCoach players weren’t turned off by a quieter JLT2 after he exploded in JLT1 with 128 points. Super cheap after two years of injury problems.
47. Jaidyn Stephenson (Coll) $180,300 FWD/MID — 15 per cent
Collingwood’s top draft pick hasn’t scored a lot of points in the pre-season but seems part of the Pies’ best team. Dual-position status helps his case.
48. Toby Greene (GWS) $528,100 FWD — 14 per cent
No doubts on his scoring power (average 96 last year) but you’re banking on him avoiding any brain snaps or suspensions during the year. If he plays every game he’ll be a fantastic pick.
49. Andrew McGrath (Ess) $388,400 DEF - 12 per cent
The former No.1 draft pick squeezes into the top 50 with his breakout potential. Rumours of a move into the midfield could see him become a mid-price gem.
50. Marcus Bontempelli (WB) $577,800 MID — 11 per cent
“The Bont” jumped to SuperCoach prominence in his second season and has averaged between 103 and 108 in his next three seasons. Can he go to another level this year? He’s every chance.
Originally published as The top 50 most popular selections in SuperCoach 2018
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