Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako joins The Phantom’s Lair Podcast to talk Salem, kick-in rules, ruckmen and Dom Sheed

In 2019, Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako joins the The Phantom’s Lair Podcast to talk SuperCoach. This week, Freako details the role of Christian Salem and the effect of the new kick-in rules.

• The Phantom’s Round 1 Trade Talk
• Every Round 1 SuperCoach score
• By The Numbers: Power fight back at the contest
• All the Round 2 SuperCoach captain options

Every week on The Phantom’s Lair Podcast, Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako joins the panel to talk numbers and SuperCoach. In the Round 1 review, Freako details the role of Demon Christian Salem and the effect of the new kick-in rules.

Christian Salem’s move to the midfield didn’t last long in 2018.

After starting the season in the middle, by Round 6, the 23-year-old was back in defence.

And, after averaging more score involvements per game for the rest of the season than he did during his five-week stint in the midfield, it appears it’s where Salem is most influential.

Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako agrees.

Christian Salem’s left-foot is a weapon for Melbourne off half-back.

“Melbourne tried him as a centre-bounce midfielder at times last year but I think his best position is defence,” Freako told The Phantom’s Lair Podcast.

Against the Power in Round 1, Salem was a shining light on an otherwise dark day for the Demons.

The skilful left-footer tallied 30 kicks, two handballs and a team-high 139 SuperCoach points.

“With his numbers on the weekend, it was back to the 80s” Freako noted of Salem’s desire to kick.

“He definitely kicked as often as he could.”

And given his ability to hit targets by foot, it’s what coach Simon Goodwin would want.

Last season, Salem recorded the second-best kick rating of the 147 players who had at least 200 kicks.

One of the reasons for Salem’s huge kick tally against the Power was the new kick-in rules.

Salem, in the absence of veteran Jordan Lewis, took eight in Round 1, with only Eagle skipper Shannon Hurn taking more.

Freako also revealed that Salem played on with seven of them, all of which added to his tally.

The former top-10 draft pick has improved his SuperCoach average in each of the past three seasons despite some inconsistent scoring.

After moving back to defence last year, Salem posted four SuperCoach tons but also failed to score more than 70 points on four occasions.

But is this the year he turns himself into a genuine SuperCoach premium? Freako isn’t ruling it out.

“He’s definitely one to keep an eye on at his price ($445k).”

Eagle Shannon Hurn was the only player to take more kick-ins than Salem in Round 1.

Elsewhere, apart from Salem and Hurn, it was hard to gauge the impact of the kick-ins with clubs seemingly still working out the best way to utilise the new rule.

“Teams, even though they have the opportunity to play-on from a kick-in, possibly didn’t take advantage of it,” Freako said, noting 10 teams didn’t score from a kick-in chain in Round 1.

Across the competition, the 1.4 points scored from kick-ins was well down on the 2018 average of 3.3.

“It’s probably going to take a couple of weeks for teams to adjust to setting up,” he added.

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH FANTASY FREAKO ON THE PLAYER ABOVE

Originally published as Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako joins The Phantom’s Lair Podcast to talk Salem, kick-in rules, ruckmen and Dom Sheed