Which GWS Giants players should we pick in SuperCoach?

GWS is an exciting team. And that means they have plenty of young stars who might be SuperCoach dynamos in 2018. TRENT COPELAND looks at their best — and worst — options.

Brett Deledio. Pic: Getty Images

STAR players such as Shane Mumford, Stevie J and Devon Smith have moved on, but with a seemingly endless supply of first-round draft talent ready and waiting, is THIS the year that GWS Giants and their up-tempo, free flowing game style win the flag?

Who really cares is the answer in the context of SuperCoach! All we are concerned about is the fact that GWS, and the way they play their footy, aligns itself to having valuable SuperCoach commodities, and 2018 should be no different.

Let’s take a look at this year’s best (and worst!) options.

SuperCoach 2018 rookie bible: All the mature-aged players you should consider

SuperCoach 2018 rookie bible: All the cheap players you should consider

PREMIUMS

Josh Kelly ($628,600 | MID) — 2017 AVG: 114.3

What a season it was for Kelly in 2017, amid speculation of offers from rival clubs in the range of $10 million over 10 years the young midfield star managed to increase his SuperCoach average from 87.1PPG in 2016 to 114.3PPG in 2017 — good enough to finish eighth for overall points. Breakout! Now the question is, can he back it up and warrant paying a premium for his services to start the season over the likes of Pendlebury, Sloane, Zach Merrett and Nat Fyfe, who all come cheaper … that is the million-dollar question. One thing is for sure at such a young age of 22, Kelly is a gun and will be for a VERY long time.

Toby Greene is a matchwinner. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Josh Kelly stayed loyal to the Giants. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Toby Greene ($528,100 | FWD) — 2017 AVG: 96.1

Greene should be nicknamed the ‘enigma’, because at his best, he is without a doubt a top 6-8 FWD-eligible player in SuperCoach as the perfect hybrid midfielder/small forward in one of the best attacking teams in the AFL. At his worst, however, he is missing multiple weeks, multiple times throughout a season — which we can hardly afford! Statistically speaking, averages of 102.9PPG, 82.8PPG, 90.4PPG and 96.1PPG the past four seasons are very good. In fact, that 96.1PPG had Green sitting 6th for highest average among FWD’s. Couple that with only two scores below 80 in the entirety of 2017, Greene could be a risky, but very successful selection this year! Are you game?

Callan Ward ($548,300 | MID) — 2017 AVG: 99.7

Dylan Shiel ($537,300 | MID) — 2017 AVG: 97.7

Ward is the captain, the hard nosed inside midfielder who is key to their success, and Shiel is the class that has been likened to a young Chris Judd. Two absolute stars of the AFL, and two studs in SuperCoach that fall just below the ‘elite’ of the game — making them PODs if you were to go there.

The pick for me of these two is Ward. After a somewhat slow start to last season, Ward finished 2017 like a steam train from round 12 onwards with scores of 112, 116, 132, 136, 97, 119, 85, 101, 79, 117 and 136 for an average of 111.8PPG. At $548k, that’s certainly intriguing.

Stephen Coniglio can shut down opponents but also win plenty of contested footy. Pic: Getty Images

MID-PRICE RISKS

Stephen Coniglio ($452,400 | MID) — 2017 AVG: 91.4

Risk? I don’t think so. I’m going out on a limb here and calling Coniglio the best value mid-pricer in all of SuperCoach and my pick to break out in 2018. After two bad syndesmosis (ankle) injuries limited the midfielder to just 7 games cruelling his 2017 campaign, Coniglio is under priced and raring to go come 2018. The fire in the belly to make a real difference and win that elusive flag is evident every time we get a glimpse of Coniglio speaking publicly, and on the training track. Having averaged 105.9PPG in 2016, you can lock him in and throw away the key to beat that number this season. You heard it here first!

Rory Lobb ($396,500 | FWD) — 2017 AVG: 72.1

Lobb is set to fill the Mummy-sized hole as the Giants’ primary ruckman, notoriously a great sign that an average jump will occur. The great thing that all keen SuperCoaches will have identified wont show up on his stat sheet, or career averages — the 2017 finals campaign where Lobb took over as the sole ruck. In the two finals matches against West Coast and Richmond, Lobb tallied 39 and 31 hit-outs respectively — a lot of which were to advantage, a key SuperCoach scoring weapon. Add the extra hit-outs to the fact he is already a very good contested mark and improving goal kicker, at a tick under $400k, Lobb presents as a safe floor 80-90PPG average with upside to go higher should he settle in to the full-time gig better than expected. A very interesting prospect.

ROOKIES

Lachlan Keefe ($123,900 | DEF/FWD)

After being delisted by the Pies having not played a game of senior footy at the conclusion of the 2017 season, Keefe was snapped up by GWS and is available to SuperCoaches effectively rookie priced as a dual position DEF/FWD. While he’s most certainly not going to be a prolific scorer should he be in the GWS best 22 come round one, he is of the 2016 Nathan Brown slow-burn money maker mould with recent season averages of 67.4PPG in 2015 and 61.6PPG in 2016. One to watch.

Heath Shaw might not be the SuperCoach must-have he once was. Picture. Phil Hillyard

NO-GO ZONE

Heath Shaw ($458,100 | DEF) — 2017 AVG: 83.3

Slightly controversial, I know, but hear me out. Heater was alongside Carlton superstar Sam Docherty as the must-have defenders in 2015 & 2016, averaging a humungous 112.6PPG and 106PPG playing 22 matches each season in the SuperCoach friendly ‘Quarterback’ role for the up-tempo GWS Giants.

Last season Shaw averaged just 83.3PPG, almost 10 points below ANY season average across his previous 11 seasons in the AFL. The change came in role, with Zac Williams, Nathan Wilson and at times Adam Tomlinson dominating off halfback, with Shaw playing more 1-on-1 defence and an organisational/leadership role down back. Shaw scored only three 100+ scores last season, and only one after round six as an indication of where he now sits. The optimists will say Heater takes back his role with the loss of Wilson and Zac Williams tragically through injury. He will be steady, but the upside he once possessed simply won’t be there in 2018.

BEST 22

With the likes of Devon Smith, Matt Kennedy, Nathan Wilson, Stevie J and Shane Mumford leaving plus the injury to Zac Williams, there are numerous holes to fill but with the wealth of talent on deck at the Giants there is no shortage of options!

Here’s an early look at how we anticipate the line up looking come Round 1 …

B: Aidan Corr, Adam Tomlinson, Nick Haynes

HB: Heath Shaw, Phil Davis, Ryan Griffen

C: Tom Scully, Dylan Shiel, Stephen Coniglio

HF: Brett Deledio, Jeremy Cameron, Lachie Whitfield

F: Toby Greene, Jon Patton, Tim Taranto

FOLL: Rory Lobb, Josh Kelly, Callan Ward

I/C: Isaac Cumming, Jacob Hopper, Harry Perryman, Matt Buntine

EMG: Adam Kennedy, Matt De Boer, Will Setterfield